In Destiny 2 there are hardly any players who haven’t had one of the cool Western weapons of the sci-fi shooter in their hands. Gunslingers are always incredibly cool in PvP. But why is that? A YouTuber has now named four reasons why shotguns and hand cannons will forever plague PvP.
Everyone wants to be a gunslinger: Wyatt Earp, Jesse James, Billy The Kid: they are all cool guys and had the reputation of being good with their revolvers. Anyone who crossed them was casually shot with one shot from their shotgun or revolver. No wonder players in Destiny 2 love to show off their cool space cowboy style.
Western weapons are really popular in PvP: In the regular Crucible as well as in the trendiest PvP event, the Trials of Osiris, the big guns regularly dominate the charts. Hand cannons and shotguns are always at the top. And that doesn’t matter which weapon meta is currently in Destiny 2. This is also reflected in the statistics from Trials Report.
The top choices of players in PvP are:
- PikAss: Exotic 140 kinetic hand cannon
- Chaperon: Exotic slug shotgun
- The Last Word: 225 kinetic hand cannon
PikAss is a unique weapon. It belonged to the greatest gunslinger in all of Destiny 2 – Cayde-6.
The player Bloodi says about PikAss in PvP: “This is a weapon that simply has cult status, similar to the ‘Not Forgotten.’ With Memento Mori and 100% aim assist, you can take out opposing Guardians with two shots. This makes it still a good choice in PvP.”
PikAss is also a mainstay in PvE: PvE players who have inherited Cayde-6 as a gunslinger through the Forsaken quest are reluctant to put PikAss down. For example, N4RC0TIC4 can boast almost 100,000 kills with his PikAss.
PikAss will likely never lose its cult status in either PvP or PvE of Destiny 2. It is one of the few revolvers that many players can recognize just by the sound of its gunfire.
Tex-Mechanica: Western Weapon Forge No. 1
The Chaperon, the exotic shotgun, and The Last Word, an iconic exotic hand cannon, both come from Tex-Mechanica, the Western weapon forge No. 1 in Destiny 2. Both weapons deliver the perfect Western look.
RussischThere is totally into Tex Mechanica, as he emphasizes in reddit: “Tex Mechanica is style, performance, and utility in one, without relying on crazy technology. I love the aesthetics and feel of Tex-Mechanica weapons. Really great props to Bungie for that […]”
Compared to other forges, Tex Mechanica weapons always stand out with their special Western look and unique reload animations.
- Häkke: produces strong utility weapons, but only standard military style
- Veist: modern energy weapons made from lightweight high-tech materials
- Omolon: liquid ammunition is a common feature of all weapons from this forge
- Suros: the pioneer of weapon manufacturing, very classic
The YouTuber True Vanguard explained in a video why hand cannons and shotguns are so popular. After all, players have a huge selection of firearms to choose from.
YouTuber True Vanguard claims: Hand cannons and shotguns will always plague PvP in Destiny 2. They are overall the best weapons, with the greatest variety that a player can choose from. Furthermore, they are resilient, versatile, and forgiving compared to literally all other weapons in Destiny 2.
He even goes so far as to claim: Especially shotguns do not require any special skill. Anyone can do it.
Even a 7-year-old can get shotgun kills in Destiny 2
As proof, True Vanguard mentions his young son: Especially shotgun kills in Destiny 2 do not require much skill. He justifies this with the performance of his 7-year-old son.
He has little experience in Destiny 2 so far and is just starting to learn the gameplay of the first-person shooter. His favorite weapon is the Telesto, but he can’t get any kills with it in PvP. On the other hand, he easily gets two to three shotgun kills in a PvP match.”
True Vanguard, about his 7-year-old son
The YouTuber explains in the video why that is:
- Revolvers and shotguns are weapons that allow for fast gameplay. This allows for agile movement. Players love this fast-paced style of play. It gives them a lot of freedom in their own gameplay.
- Famous PvP players often use hand cannons or shotguns in their videos. Players think: “That must be good.” and equip themselves similarly.
- Hand cannons and shotguns are versatile. There are a lot of great perk synergies.
- Hand cannons are more forgiving of mistakes. They offer high aim assist and deal a lot of damage.
With a revolver or a shotgun, you don’t need a specific playstyle. You just shoot at your enemies to your heart’s content. No wonder Destiny 2 has a tiny problem with “shotgun apes.” It simply plays way too well.
That’s why you should still become a space cowboy: It’s just cool. The weapons have a brilliant Western design, incomparable sound, and unique reload animations. Especially the revolvers provide you with a sense of power and elegance in Destiny 2. They are crisp, satisfying, and deal a lot of damage. What more could a true gunslinger want?
Now it’s your turn: Do you share the opinion that you really don’t need skill in Destiny 2 to play a shotgun? And do you find that hand cannons and shotguns are just annoyingly powerful in the Crucible? What do you play instead?
