All the witchwarper art depicts them with weapons, and the Iconic (I think that is the iconic) has a big sword. However the class seems to have about as much melee ability as the wizard. I was just wondering because I am a gish addict haha
I don't think you have to but you certainly can. I've been considering a melee witchwarper that grapples enemies to keep them trapped in the quantum field. Worry it's going to be difficult to manage before the aura feat at six though.
If they do then they need a way to use Spell Proficiency for their melee errr all weapons in the end.
The sword anchor was an early art they've revised to have a gaslamp staff, just so that people won't think the iconic pregen should have a huge melee sword that he's proficient in.
That said, you can do some things to make yourself ok at shooting every now and then.
Two anomalies have occult, which means Heroism and other buffs to close the proficiency gap. There are also three different feats to get/recover extra spell slots to fuel stuff like buffs that don't need to be your top rank spells. Everyone has access to invisibility 4th and stuff like to make enemies off-guard to you at range.
Several focus spells support gish attacking, and any anomaly can borrow the initial focus spell from anther via a 6th level feat, and the second one (probably not worth it!) at 16th via another feat. These focus spells include a reaction attack/save reroll that sustains your QF (sure strike as a focus spell but better!), temp HP to tank damage if you're doing melee stuff inside your QF, self haste, a reaction (that sustains your QF) defense that can make you undetected and thus able to strike an off-guard target, double bodies that get double movement and double mapless strikes the first round (and sustain your QF).
Feats that support gishing include Anchoring Strike (extra damage on crit, sustain QF on hit), Warp Wounds (reaction shift damage), Spellsurge Ammo add force damage to you strikes after casting a non-cantrip spell - works with the focus buffs, many of which are one action or reactions so you could still double strike to get the mosts out of it.
You have fast class DC expert at 7th, master at 15th, and so are surprisingly good with grenades and simple area weapons (there's only one right now, and it's bad - use spells).
Various Quantum Field configurations can support a gish by either protecting you or debuffing enemies who are close if you want a melee or short range shooting approach. Quantum Aura plus Danger Zone gets a bit of chip damage around you for a melee build (or kiting shooter). Radiant Zone is a good way to fish for blinded against a group of mooks and grant off guard for a round to your party against those who fail.
You have fast class DC expert at 7th, master at 15th, and so are surprisingly good with grenades and simple area weapons (there's only one right now, and it's bad - use spells).
Correct me if I'm wrong but with rules as currently printed Witchwarper wouldn't give an Ysoki's ass about whether or not it's trained in the area weapon it's using, would it? An area attack uses your class DC, no attack roll, end of discussion. WW isn't one bit worse with Advanced area weapons than it is with the one Simple one. It certainly should be, it's something to figure out throughout playtesting, but right now it's just as happy to lug around a Plasma Cannon as yeeting grenades or even using Quantum Field effets.
That is correct, proficiency is currently irrelevant for area weapons. Area weapons are still pretty weird and awkward for a Witchwarper since your action economy is already so busy though.