I explained it to a friend this way:

Sharpshooter ignores characters for line of fire purposes. This means you have a clear line of fire to your target, if nothing else is in the way. Your line of fire can go right through characters, without being blocked, as if they weren't there.

However, if you are adjacent to an enemy, you are still not allowed to make ranged attacks. It doesn't matter if you have a clear line of fire or not, because you can't make ranged attacks while adjacent to an opponent.

However, Sharpshooter DOES allow you to make ranged attacks against AN ADJACENT opponent; something you are not normally allowed to do. So if you can trace a clear line of fire to an adjacent opponent (not usually very hard), then you can attack that one due to Sharpshooter.

But you can't attack non-adjacent opponents because the adjacent opponent prevents it and Sharpshooter does nothing to allow it other than give you a clear (and useless) line of fire.

Something like Outwit or something that requires a line of fire, however, can still be used since it is not a ranged attack and so an adjacent opponent does nothing to impede it.

The rules for Sharpshooter say:
(funny symbol 1) (funny symbol 2), (funny symbol 3)

To interpret the funny symbols, we have to go back to the chart on the previous page under "Improved Movement" and "Improved Targeting". This table has two columns. (Funny symbol 1) is the Improved Targeting symbol and it tells us which column to look under - in this case, it's the second column. All the other symbols can be found on this table and reference this column.

Cross referencing the row with (funny symbol 2), we can look in the column under (funny symbol 1) and we see "Ignores opposing characters."

To grasp the full meaning of this, we need to read "Improved Targeting" above the table, which reads: "A character with the (funny symbol 1) symbol uses the effects indicates by its character card." (By "effects," it's referring to (funny symbol 2) and (funny symbol 3), which were found, in this case, not on the character card but rather under the Sharpshooter power. Continuing on, the Improved Targeting ability further says, "Improved Targeting activates whenever the character draws a line of fire."

What does all this mean? Let's re-write these scattershot rules into a cohesive sentence: WHENEVER A CHARACTER DRAWS A LINE OF FIRE, IT IGNORES OPPOSING CHARACTERS.

How's that for clear? Now, let's look up the second "effect" of Sharpshooter, (funny symbol 3). Checking the table it says, "May make a ranged combat attack targeting adjacent opposing characters." Adding this effect in with our rule above, we have:

WHENEVER A CHARACTER DRAWS A LINE OF FIRE, IT MAY IGNORE OPPOSING CHARACTERS AND WHENEVER A CHARACTER DRAWS A LINE OF FIRE, IT MAY MAKE A RANGED COMBAT ATTACK TARGETING ADJACENT OPPOSING CHARACTERS.

Okay, I think that's a rules glitch resulting from an inappropriate cause/effect relationship. Here's how it's commonly accepted and interpreted:

THIS CHARACTER MAY MAKE RANGED ATTACKS AGAINST ADJACENT OPPOSING CHARACTERS. WHENEVER THE CHARACTER DRAWS A LINE OF FIRE, IT MAY IGNORE OPPOSING CHARACTERS.

Even this rule is rather inappropriately written as Sharpshooter isn't really supposed to ALLOW an attack, merely to remove the restriction that usually prevents an attack. The rules normally prohibit ANY ranged attacks if you are adjacent to an opposing character.

So that's Sharpshooter, in a text form. But it's listed as two separate effects in the description, and written using symbols instead of words. To understand these symbols, you have to read "Improved Targeting" and consult the table beneath it for each symbol.

To answer your other recent question, you'll notice that there is a symbol that can allow a character to make a ranged attack even while he's adjacent to another opponent. There is no restriction like "at adjacent opponents", so you are not as restricted. Some characters may have that symbol listed on their individual card somewhere. But it's not an effect of Sharpshooter.

Can sharpshooters shoot through friendlies?

edit: I previously said yes, but the answer is no. Sharpshooter only allows you to ignore opposing characters. Friendly characters would still block your line of fire.

No, Sharpshooter only ignores opposing characters.

Not that I doubt you (I'm still learning) but where does it say that?

Note that there are three variants of the ignores characters-symbol. Sharpshooter has the one with an "O" inside it. And That means that it only ignores opposing characters.

He's right. I apologize. I have edited my above posts with the correct information.

I thought that just meant your eyeglasses are over there ->

Well, since we're on the subject, my friend had this question during a game last night that none of us could answer:
Can a character with target an adjacent opposing character with a ranged attack if they are based by more than one opposing character?
This came up during a match where Loki (L) was adjacent to a friendly Killian (K) and two opposing figures, Bane (B) and Dove (D), in this layout:

- - K -
- L - -
- D B -

Loki only has one , and Killian grants to adjacent friendly characters. Could Loki target an adjacent Bane or Dove with a ranged attack while the other is also adjacent? Also, hypothetically, if Loki had , could he target both Bane and Dove?

Yes to both of those.

I don't get it.

I thought you couldn't make a ranged attack to a different opposing character if you're based by another opposing character---

Normally you can't make ranged combat attacks when you are adjacent to an opposing character. Sharpshooter changes this rule to say that you can make ranged combat attacks when adjacent to an opposing character, but only to target an adjacent opposing character. It does not matter how many opposing characters are adjacent to you, you are still making a ranged combat attack against an adjacent opposing character and that is what Sharpshooter allows you to do.

Ok, let me get this straight....

If A is next to B, then A cannot make a ranged attack to C who is 3 squares away because of adjacency---

However, if A is next to B, then A CAN make a ranged attack to C if C is right next to him, even though B is still adjacent to A??

I swear, sometimes this games and its rules are not "adjacent" to logic and common sense......

Okay, Bane from Arkham Origins is just *confusing* me. Isn't his Rocket Launcher somewhat redundant towards the end...?

The bolded and underlined are exactly the same but then they go and throw in that bolded+italicized line...why?

Doesn't the WHOLE power ignore blocking and destroys them upon the resolution of the ranged combat action/attack? Why that last line to ignore just a SINGLE square of blocking/wall?

Help...