In the MMO shooter Destiny, The Palindrome is an outstanding weapon that leads numerous leaderboards. Let’s take a closer look at the hand cannon.
Hand cannons have always held a high status in Destiny. Especially in Year 1, the exotic hand cannons The Last Word, Hawkmoon (on PlayStation) and Dorn (by the end of Year 1) dominated the Crucible. They were among the best weapons in the game and became cult weapons that guardians will remember for a long time.
Even in Year 3, the hand cannon class remains very popular among players. Despite all the nerfs that Bungie has implemented in the last patches for the “Hand Cannons”, they currently lead the rankings in PvP. Two stand out: The Palindrome and Eyasluna.
The Eternal Discussion – Palindrome or Eyasluna
For months, guardians have debated whether the Palindrome or Eyasluna is better. Undoubtedly, both are excellent hand cannons that share a lot in common.
The Palindrome and Eyasluna belong to the strong “Hawkmoon” archetype. Both have identical rates of fire (22) and impact (81). The base reload speed is also exactly the same.
While Eyasluna boasts higher stability, the Palindrome shines with a slightly greater range. More significant differences can only be spotted in the hidden stats: The Palindrome has significantly better values for aim assist and recoil direction.
Overall, the Palindrome has the numbers on its side. However, many guardians may prefer the design of Eyasluna over that of the Palindrome, which will also factor into weapon choice.
Statistics Say: Nothing Beats the Palindrome
It is indeed not easy to find a PvP statistic where Eyasluna is leading. Since the Age of Triumph, the Trials of Osiris have been firmly in the hands of the Palindrome. This weekend (since May 5), it is even particularly notable: So far, 17% of all kills in the Trials have been achieved with the Palindrome. Eyasluna is in second place among primary weapons with just under 7% – and a significant gap.
This week, the Crucible also features the Conflict, Rift, or Clash playlists:
- In Clash, the Palindrome is also leading with more than double the kills compared to the primary weapon in second place (Eyasluna),
- in Conflict, the Palindrome leads with just over 7% of the kills slightly ahead of the MIDA Multi-Tool (Eyasluna in fourth place)
- and in Rift, MIDA is even 0.1% ahead of the Palindrome.
So there are also weapons that can dethrone the Palindrome. “Nothing beats the Palindrome” is therefore not completely true.
The Palindrome – A Weapon for the Masses
The Palindrome is undoubtedly a hand cannon with strong stats. It benefits from perks that increase the range (such as Linear Trigger and Tracking), aiming for the “God-Roll”. The special thing is: Every guardian can relatively easily obtain a Palindrome with excellent perks.
The Crucible quartermaster had a Palindrome on offer in the months after “Rise of Iron” that featured outstanding perks. With the Age of Triumph, the rolls change, but nearly every week the roll of the Palindrome is close to the God-Roll – as is the case this week.
This means you only need Crucible Rank 3 and 150 Legendary Shards to get your hands on this monster in PvP. For a well-rolled Eyasluna, however, you’ll have to rely on luck and hope for a drop.
This is also one reason why the Palindrome dominates the leaderboards. Anyone can easily get their hands on one.
In summary: The Palindrome is an excellent weapon. However, one can also achieve nice kills in the Crucible with other weapons. And whether one prefers to go for the Palindrome or Eyasluna is something everyone must decide for themselves.
The best weapons in the Trials of Osiris since the Age of Triumph can be found here.
