In Destiny 2 are and in Destiny 1 hand cannons are just cool. Why is that?
My love for hand cannons: I still remember it like today – my very first exotic weapon was the Hawkmoon. A hand cannon that harmoniously combined power and elegance, had an excellent sound, and just felt wonderful in the hand. I spent glorious months in the Destiny universe with it.
Since then, I’ve been fascinated by hand cannons in Destiny and Destiny 2. I play with this cool weapon class as often as possible. Even now, no other weapon comes to mind than the Revoker in the kinetic slot – but more on that later.
I know I’m not the only hand cannon fan out there. Hand cannons have been a cult favorite since the early days of Destiny and have a large fan base. How did this happen?
The three iconic exotic hand cannons
The “Trinity” of hand cannons: Every Guardian who was there in Year 1 of Destiny knows the Hawkmoon, the Thorn, and The Last Word. Really. Everyone. And everyone will be able to tell stories about them. Because they were the cult weapons par excellence:
- The Hawkmoon was a PlayStation-exclusive weapon that shone with enormous range and could even compete with scout rifles and snipers. Additionally, it had random bullets in the magazine that dealt bonus damage. Thus, the Hawkmoon was a powerful weapon that continually surprised with additional damage.
- The Thorn was one of the most powerful weapons in the Crucible by the end of Year 1, capable of ruining the day for several Guardians. The “Dreg’s Choice” killed sneakily, as it dealt damage over time and eliminated opponents who had already retreated to regenerate. In the Trials, one could be sure that at least 2 out of 3 opponents had the Thorn.
- The Last Word turned Guardians into true gunslingers right at the beginning of Destiny. The special thing about the weapon was that it was meant to be fired “from the hip,” meaning without zooming in. Thus, The Last Word unleashed a deadly mix of stability and power. As a gimmick, Bungie invented a special firing technique: The Guardian presses down the trigger again with the palm of their hand while firing to speed up shooting. This is called the “Fanning” technique – and it fueled western fantasies.
These three exotics fundamentally shaped the Destiny experience in the first year, until they were left behind or nerfed in Year 2. However, all three weapons made a comeback – the Hawkmoon with clipped wings in Year 2, the Thorn in Year 3, and The Last Word only returned at the end of January 2019 in Destiny 2. But they never regained their former power.
The Duel – Eyasluna or Palindrome?
Not only exotic hand cannons but also legendary ones drove discussions around Destiny for months.
The top weapons in Year 3: In Year 3 of Destiny 1, there wasn’t much happening in general, but a “duel” between two hand cannons always sparked heated debates: Was the Palindrome or Eyasluna better?
For a long time, these two legendary hand cannons topped the leaderboards in PvP. They belonged to the strong “Hawkmoon” archetype, had identical rates of fire, identical impact, and their reload speeds were also exactly the same.
Just because these two excellent weapons were so similar, fan bases formed for each weapon – and all presented arguments for why Eyasluna or the Palindrome were better.
While Eyasluna could show higher stability, Palindrome boasted slightly higher range. Greater differences could only be found in the hidden stats: The Palindrome had significantly better values in aim assist and recoil direction.
According to the statistics, the Palindrome was ahead, and noticeably more kills were achieved with it in PvP. However, most Guardians agreed that Eyasluna looked significantly better than Palindrome – which was also important to many when choosing a weapon. And top weapons were both anyway…
Not only exotic hand cannons but also legendary hand cannons provided months of talking points. Other weapon classes never stood so dominant in the spotlight. And then there was also a Fatebringer or Crota’s End…
Gunslinger feelings in Destiny
Cool playstyle: I remember a statement from a buddy when I received my Hawkmoon. He had started Destiny earlier than I did and was initially much more experienced. He told me that the Hawkmoon was a strong weapon, but you had to master hand cannons. You had to learn how to handle it. And he was right.
Because unlike other weapons, like automatic rifles, you can’t just spray at the opponents in the hope of hitting something – instead, every shot has to be aimed individually.
Not every Guardian is the “hand cannon type.” But when you master the weapons, they are incredibly fun. They have a strong sound and deal good damage when you land headshot after headshot. That brings out gunslinger feelings – even without The Last Word.
Hand cannons are doing well in Destiny 2
Hand cannons in Destiny 2: In Destiny 2, a few hand cannons have already caught attention. In Year 1, for example, the Better Devil was very popular and in Year 2, many Guardians play with the Trust. In addition, Luna’s Howl and Not Forgotten make PvP uncertain.
My current favorite weapon: I am also currently playing with a hand cannon again (at least in PvE and Gambit). An exotic one, too. Namely with the Revoker.
This weapon not only looks intense in my opinion, but also has strong perks that I personally find great. Because I don’t have to force myself into any particular playstyle to trigger any bonuses, instead, I shoot at enemies freely and when they’ve absorbed enough bullets, there are beautiful explosions that deal additional damage.
This is a weapon just to my liking. A hand cannon with cool design, cool sound, and cool perks. Essentially, it combines power and elegance – just like the Hawkmoon once did.
Whether the Hawkmoon will return in Destiny 2 remains in the stars for now. The Last Word is already back and a possible return of the Thorn has also been teased.
The cult around hand cannons will definitely not break so quickly. And many Guardians will remember the stories surrounding hand cannons for a long time. That’s why, for me, hand cannons are the coolest weapons in Destiny.
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