In Destiny, the vendor Xur is selling the exotic hand cannon “The Last Word” this weekend. Is the weapon worth the 23 strange coins?
A Power Still in the Crucible
“The Last Word” is an exotic hand cannon in Destiny and therefore a primary weapon that deals kinetic damage. Especially in the Crucible, it was considered feared for a long time and consistently ranked among the top spots in surveys. At that time in November, when very few had the weapon, it even made it into the top 3. A real cult had formed around it. In January, it still managed to secure 6th place in the big reddit survey.
Even after several changes in the weapon balance patch, which limited the range of hand cannons, it is still considered one of the strongest all-purpose weapons in the Crucible, although it has strong competition from the Hawkmoon for PlayStation players.
Hand cannons are particularly suitable for experienced players who can aim well and quickly.
Shooting from the Hip
The special feature of “The Last Word” is that it should be fired “from the hip”, meaning without aiming down sights. Only then does the gun unleash its full potential. It is therefore important to land headshots in rapid succession without zooming in. With this approach, it can defeat most enemies in the Crucible in one-on-one situations at medium range. As special ammunition and shotguns have become rarer with the current patch, it may shine even stronger in the future.
Its strengths include immense stopping power and stability. It just fires well, thanks also to the area fire, a perk that allows for automatic firing.
This “quick firing” comes at a cost, however: The small magazine (only 8 shots) empties quickly. Therefore, shooters should certainly ensure that every shot counts and reload whenever possible.
Like a Gunslinger in the Wild West
The design of the weapon was inspired by gunslingers from the Wild West, who, in reality, likely never existed in such a pronounced manner as in our Hollywood-influenced version of the late 19th century.
Essentially, “The Last Word” is a weapon like from a classic western: You draw quickly, shoot fast, and then reload. As a special gimmick, Bungie has come up with a unique shooting technique: The Guardian, while firing, presses down the hammer with the palm to speed up shooting. This is called the “fanning” technique.
No one in the Wild West probably shot like this, but rather in films about this time. In “real life,” it would be detrimental for the revolver and the shooter’s accuracy. Fortunately, we are not in real life! It just looks cool.
Conclusion: “The Last Word” is one of the cult weapons in Destiny and worth buying for anyone who has 23 coins left and doesn’t think of Berlin first when it comes to the “Crucible”. The distinct style of the weapon should justify the investment.
In PvE, however, there is hardly any reason to use the weapon. Primary weapons without elemental damage are not very sought after anyway. The small magazine further undermines “The Last Word”‘s effectiveness.
Playing with hand cannons is not everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s an attractive playstyle with a relatively high “skill ceiling”: Good players can extract a lot from the firearm. It is a weapon to train and perfect skill in the Crucible.
