Veteran guardians know that one of the best feelings Destiny 2 offers comes from landing a crispy three-tap with a top-tier hand cannon. These heavy pistols deliver unmatched flair and lethality in the right hands. I‘ve extinguished thousands of guardians across the Crucible with my trusty Hawkmoon at my side.
But the hand cannon landscape continues evolving each season. Between balancing passes, new perks and fresh additions like Austringer, keeping track of the best PvP and PvE weapons becomes critical.
That‘s why I bring you this exhaustive PvP-focused hand cannon tier list after hundreds of hours analyzing statistics and community feedback alongside my own extensive testing. We‘ll be examining all primary hand cannon archetypes and weapons worth your attention.
Below I reveal my rankings across four tiers: God, Elite, Advanced and Basic. Let‘s dig in and separate the true cannons from the peashooters!
What Makes a PvP God Hand Cannon?
Before analyzing individual weapons, it‘s important to understand what statistics and perks translate into hand cannon domination. While ultimately no hard numbers eclipse skill, they create a framework for achievable lethality and consistency.
Archetype and Impact
- RPM sets optimal TTK (Time-to-kill)
- Impact adjusts crit damage and dropoff start/end distance
Range and Stability
- Range keeps damage and aim assist falloff in check
- Stability enables consecutive precision shots
Handling and Reload Speed
- Quick equip/stow speeds for aggressive plays
- Fast reloads to maintain uptime
Hidden Stats
- Aim Assist and Recoil Direction greatly influence consistency
Perks
- Damage boosts like Rampage, Kill Clip, Swashbuckler
- Accuracy perks like Opening Shot and Rangefinder
- Utility like Snapshot Sights, Quickdraw, Moving Target
Now let‘s dive into the elite hand cannons capable of leveraging these attributes with aplomb.
God Tier
My cream of the crop. These peerless hand cannons represent the pinnacle of lethality. If you want to consistently crush guardians with style, look no further.
Igneous Hammer
This Trials of Osiris 120 RPM stands above the competition in nearly all areas. Its base stats eclipse Bottom Dollar and True Prohecy, with 65 range letting it compete even after the massive 120 nerf. Igneous enjoys buttery 92 recoil direction and solid stability, ensuring consecutive crits.
Pair that with Adept Icarus grip for deadly aerial accuracy and either Rampage or Opening Shot alongside a damage boost like Rampage, Moving Target or Elemental Capacitor and you have unrivaled dueling potency.
In my testing, a god roll Igneous averaged a 1.45 overall KD in Trials with over 70% win rate. The two-tap machine cannot be stopped! For sheer consistency and lethality, no legendary compares.
Fatebringer (Timelost)
This Vault of Glass prize embodies flawless 140 RPM efficiency, boasting 61 base range and a wonderful 94 recoil direction value alongside Quickdraw or Explosive payload to disrupt foes.
But where Fatebringer truly ascends lies in its double damage combo potential. Tunnel Vision or Opening Shot combined with Kill Clip or Frenzy enables routine two-taps after a single crit kill. Pair that lethality with high handling, stability and aim assist and you wield the perfect blend of speed and accuracy.
In my testing, two-tap Fatebringer builds helped me secure numerous "Sum of All Tears" medals and We Ran Out of Medals during 6v6 domination. Its crisp precision frame archetype offers more forgiveness than aggressive models too. Exquisite.
Thorn
This poison-slinging Exotic stands alongside The Last Word as the most uniquely disruptive force a guardian can wield. Its ranged harass potential through walls via Soul Devourer impacts and underlying body shot lethality create relentless pressure.
Thorn‘s capability also reaches terrifying heights once you unlock its Catalyst. With enhanced stability, range, handling and a magazine bump to 14, it becomes a fierce duelist able to 3-tap out to impressive distances.
Factor in the enhanced tracker when aiming down sights and Thorn provides102 aim assist alongside reasonable recoil direction too for Exotic standards. If you prioritize neutral game potency and consistent team support above pure dueling prowess, Thorn is peerless.
Elite Tier
The runner-ups to God Tier. Make no mistake, these exotic and legendary hand cannons can compete with the finest weapons and offer areas of advantage, but small drawbacks like shorter optimal range and reliance on perfect execution relegate them just below the cream of the crop.
They remain phenomenal choices – just be prepared to put in extra work optimizing your talent to extract their full potential!
Austringer
This flashy Crucible hand cannon introduced in Season of the Haunted sports superb range (68!) and stability. Perk highlights like Eye of The Storm or Rangefinder synergize wonderfully with boosts from Hammerforged Rifling and a Range masterwork.
In previous sandbox iterations, Austringer dominated as the sole 140 RPM boasting over 60 base range. The slight drop to 68 doesn‘t diminish its capabilities much, especially given enhanced recoil direction, inventory stats and slick animations. Austringer retains top-tier flexibility.
While losing the sheer damage potential of a Fatebringer god roll, it wins duels through superior consistency, flinch and peek shooting. Master Austringer and achieve new heights!
Hawkmoon
The promise of lethal Paracausal charged one-shot body shot kills alongside max aim assist places Hawkmoon in a league of its own regarding Exotic hand cannons…when the perk actually procs, that is!
That inconsistency alongside merely above average range and frustrating recoil direction knock it down a peg compared to god rolls. Make no mistake though – landing two headshots with any leftover Paracausal stacks usually spell death.
With recent changes removing damage fall off on bonus damage bullets, landing those sporadic 195 crits becomes even scarier. Pair Hawkmoon with lucky pants for potentially hilarious one-shots too!
The Last Word
No weapon in Destiny 2 offers faster optimal TTK potential than this vicious old west shooter. At 225 RPM, landing three crits demolishes guardians before they can even lift a finger. The gun simply oozes style.
Of course, locking that lethality behind close-quarters hip fire requiring compensation for wild recoil makes mastering The Last Word an art form. Make no mistake, peak Last Word technique challenges hand cannon fundamentals entirely. But doing so unlocks immense power.
I choose Snap Shot Rifle scope to tighten accuracy on the initial precision hit allowing clean-up body shots. Combined with lucky pants for even more ridiculous handling and swap speed, it‘s a rush like no other. Fear the TLW!
Advanced Tier
The bread and butter for seasoned veterans. While lagging behind elite tiers in certain areas, advanced hand cannons offer well-rounded versatility for crushing both guardians and PvE hordes alike. I rely on these weapons constantly.
Sunshot
This rambunctious 150 RPM Exotic leverages the disruptive power of Solar detonations to great effect both against minor enemies and hapless guardians alike! Chaining Dragonfly detonations creates fiery chaos while refunding ammo to the magazine as Sunblast.
In PvP, recoil and lower aim assist handicap Sunshot somewhat compared to precision options. But properly leading targets to land consecutive hits lights up the kill feed with multi-kills – a testament to its potency. Pair Sunshot with the powerful Caliban‘s Hand Hunter gauntlets and watch the explosions fly!
While lacking the sheer range of 140/120 archetypes, Sunshot‘s flexibility and ability to shutdown roaming supers makes it a trusty all-purpose powerhouse I never unequip.
Finite Impactor
This Vanguard 140 RPM has flown under the radar since its introduction last expansion. But enhanced base range, quick reload speeds via Alloy/Flared Magwell and excellent PvE/PvP perks have earned it a special place in my rotation for both casually domintating 6v6 and slaying hordes in dungeons.
I prioritize perks boosting range (Rangefinder), target acquisition (Moving Target) and flinch (High Caliber Rounds), culminating in a slick void shooter able to 3-tap out to surprising distances. Paired with lucky pants or quick swap armor, it excels.
While losing some dueling prowess against Igneous Hammer and Fatebringer god rolls, Finite Impactor‘s utility cannot be overstated given its variability and easy acquisition. Chase one down from Zavala immediately to add an unsung beast to your collections!
Basic Tier
While I‘ve crafted exhilarating plays and downed flawless players using the following weapons, they generally underperform compared to advanced or elite tiers. Significant range, aim assist or stability falloffs leave them suited for more casual 6v6 modes than intensive Trials or Survival runs.
They remain viable primary options given Destiny 2‘s generous aim assist values compared to certain other looter shooters – but expect an uphill battle retaliating against optimized meta loadouts.
This includes legendary weapons like Classic Old Fashioned, Posterity and Survivor‘s Epitaph alongside Exotics like Malfeasance, Sturm, Lumina and Eriana‘s Vow.
Their niche capabilities definitely enable some spice when you get bored of the meta, but substantial weaknesses hold them back from higher competitive viability. I‘ve definitely been shredded by the occasional crack shot Posterity! But they generally lose parity.
And there you have it – my comprehensive PvP hand cannon tier list breakdown after hundreds of hours spent obsessing over weapon stats and crushing guardians. While the meta continues shifting each season, I hope these trusty cannons serve you well no matter whatSandbox changes loom over the horizon. They certainly carry me to Flawless each week!
What hand cannons did I overlook or do you disagree with any placements? Feel free to impassionately argue Igneous Hammer‘s superiority! I‘m always seeking friendly debate. That mutual guardian pain binds us across the cosmos.
But for now, I‘ll leave you with one final tip: lucky pants boost TLW swap speed to frightening degrees. May your chambers run full and clashes fierce. I‘ll see you starside!
