Destiny 2 has brought back the hand cannon the Palindrome. Is the classic still as strong as in Destiny 1 and where can you find the master version? We also take a look at the perks so you can specifically farm for a God Roll.
This weapon is about: The Palindrome is a 140 hand cannon that now deals Void damage. Since Season 13, you can obtain the classic in Destiny 2, but not every week.
In Destiny 1, the question “Is the Palindrome or the Eyasluna stronger?” especially plagued the crucible lovers and became a matter of faith. While the numbers mostly favored the Palindrome, the colorful toy-like design turned many against it.
The good news:
- You can now completely rid the Palindrome of its hated look with shaders and even make it look really cool.
- The Palindrome is currently the best legendary 140.
The bad news: the weapon is significantly harder to obtain this time than in Destiny 1. Especially rare and coveted should be the master version, for which you will have to really struggle.
How to get the Palindrome in Season 13 of Destiny 2
Play this activity: In the Season of the Chosen, Bungie has made the Nightfall: The Ordeal more attractive. Here and only here can you randomly obtain the Palindrome after completion.
It is important to note that the Palindrome can only be obtained every 3 weeks. Each week, the weapon reward rotates. The Palindrome shares the loot pool with the auto rifle Shadow Price and the SMG The Swarm – both of which are also known from Destiny 1.
In the Destiny week from March 9 to March 16, the Palindrome is in rotation – if you want one, you should farm now. Your next chance will be from March 30.
Which trial is the right one? As mentioned, the weapon is not a guaranteed drop. However, you can increase your chances by mastering harder levels of the ordeal. But even at the highest level, the drop is not guaranteed.
- Master: Power level 1,230 and 1 modifier – with automatic matchmaking (Weapon chance: “rare”)
- Hero: Power level 1,270 and 4 modifiers – with automatic matchmaking (Weapon chance: “unusual”)
- Legend: Power level 1,300 and 6 modifiers – without automatic matchmaking (Weapon chance: “normal”)
- Grandmaster: Power level 1,330 and 8 modifiers – without automatic matchmaking (Weapon chance: “normal”)
Even though Legend and Grandmaster both display the same drop chance in-game, guardians swear that Grandmaster drops the reward significantly more often. It is thus true: the harder the ordeal, the more frequently you will receive the weapon.
- Solo guardians should start in Hero and prepare for the champions with appropriate mods.
- In a full fireteam, if the power is right, you should tackle the Grandmaster version. Here, however, the entire loadout must be coordinated.
- Better equip “Tactician’s Wealth” (3) in your ghost’s activity slot. Whether that really helps is debated – but what do you have to lose?
How to obtain the master version in the ordeal
From Palindrome, The Swarm, and Shadow Price, you can obtain a so-called master version. For this, you must complete the ordeal at a Grandmaster level. The only other master weapons can be earned in the Trials of Osiris.
These are the specifics:
- As a fully leveled masterpiece, the weapon receives +10 to one stat (like every weapon) and +3 to the other stats.
- An exclusive shader, which only the master version possesses.
- Access to special master mods like “Masterwork Range” (+10 range) or “Master Icarus” (+5 range and better accuracy in the air) – the mods can be obtained from the ordeal and Osiris.
When does it start? Grandmaster is not live yet, so the prestigious master version cannot be played yet. In-game, it states that the Grandmaster difficulty will start on March 16. A power level of 1,350 is indicated.
Is Palindrome in Destiny 2 as good as we remember it?
To put it simply: In the current sandbox of Season 13, Palindrome is not 100% meta. In PvE, hand cannons serve well as primary weapons, but SMGs are somewhat better. In PvP, the 120 hand cannons are currently reigning, as they are deadly at much longer ranges.
Nevertheless, Palindrome is likely the strongest 140 in the game. If a buff for this archetype comes – or a nerf for the other guns – it could quickly become top-tier. This is due to its outstanding base stats.
Additionally, the perk pool of Palindrome is very manageable. Almost every drop is usable, and the chances of a God Roll are not bad.
This is worth it in PvE: In Season 13, you can disrupt champions with hand cannons. As has been the case for a long time, you want to deal more damage with the revolvers and reload as infrequently or briefly as possible. Therefore, keep an eye out for these perks:
- Barrel: Smallbore (+7 stability and range)
- Magazine: Extended Mag (increases magazine size significantly) or Fluted Barrel (+5 stability and +15 reload speed)
- Slot 1: Outlaw (after a precision kill, reload speed is increased) or Kill Clip (after kills, range, mobility, and handling increase)
- Slot 2: Rampage (increases damage up to level 3 after a kill) or One For All (increases damage when hitting 3 enemies for 10 seconds)
How does the Palindrome perform in PvP?
In the crucible, the 120 hand cannons currently dominate – just like the rare and coveted The Last Dollar. They have a slightly slower TTK (1.0 seconds) than the 140s (0.87 seconds) but more range and the potential to kill with 2 shots (TTK of 0.5 seconds).
The Palindrome comes very close to the champions in terms of performance, as is possible for a legendary weapon. The stats in the important categories are all above average:
Range and stability are impressive from the start. The hidden values of aim assist (79) and recoil control (98) are excellent.
Seek these rolls:
- Barrel: Smallbore (+7 stability and range)
- Magazine: Ricochet Rounds (+5 range and stability) or High-Caliber Rounds (+5 range and more flinch per shot)
- Slot 1: Accelerated Battery (the weapon draws faster, swaps faster, and aims faster) or Kill Clip (after kills, range, mobility, and handling increase)
- Slot 2: Snapshot Sights (more range and zoom) – Note that with the higher zoom factor, you need to aim more precisely.
You have a revolver that is drawn very quickly and has probably the best mix of range and stability. As a masterwork, you can’t go wrong with either of the two stats, and mods such as “Targeting Adjuster” or “Icarus” are recommended.
Conclusion: In Destiny 2, the Palindrome has lost some of its shine. However, thanks to shaders, it no longer looks so silly – which is very important for many guardians. Should a buff for 140s happen, then you will be well-prepared with this revolver, and you should definitely farm a few rolls.
Of the 3 Nightfall weapons, the Palindrome is probably the most interesting. Just because guardians are simply hand cannon fanatics. Once the master version is available, the weapon will be even better and significantly more coveted.
What do you think of the Palindrome – did you enjoy using the weapon in Destiny 1 or did its look put you off? Which weapon is at the top of your farm list in Season 13? Let us know in the comments.
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