As a guardian boasting over 1500 hours played across 2 platforms, exotic hand cannons hold a special place in my heart. These explosive one-handed wonders helped forge my legend across the solar system. I‘ve shattered Atheon‘s oracles with Fatebringer, clapped cheeks in Trials with Thorn and Sunshot, and stood victorious atop the smoldering corpses of strike bosses thanks to unrelentingAim Assist.
Now I‘m bringing my hard-earned PVE and PVP expertise to you in the most comprehensive hand cannon manual this side of the Traveller…
Why Hand Cannons Rule the Destiny Meta
Before reviewing individual weapons, it‘s important to understand why hand cannons have dominated Destiny 2 since launch.
Their extremely forgiving accuracy profiles bestow reliable headshots even under fire or after sprinting. Lightning-quick TTK values neuter Guardian shields before they can react. Satisfying reload animations and booming audio feedback heighten the sheer visceral joy of wielding these iconic Wild West weapons.
Top streamers and pro players overwhelmingly favor hand cannons over other primaries. Their precise lethality epitomizes the space magic power fantasy that makes Destiny such an addictive franchise.
According to Destiny Tracker, usage rates among the top 10% of Crucible players over the past month break down as:
- 33% Hand Cannons
- 18% Pulse Rifles
- 16% Scout Rifles
- 15% Auto Rifles
Let‘s examine the specific traits allowing popular exotic and legendary hand cannons to consistently dominate…
Cracking Champions and Raids – Best PVE Hand Cannons
Conquering pinnacle PVE content requires weaponry capable of staggering champions, bursting down majors, and clearing endless hordes of rank-and-file aliens.
These exotic and legendary hand cannons shine brightest against Destiny 2‘s most punishing challenges:
Fatebringer
Omolon Adaptive Frame
Fatebringer‘s origins trace back to the legendary Templar showdown in Destiny 1‘s Vault of Glass. Scoring this hand cannon back then required no small amount of Spoils farming.
In Destiny 2, Fatebringer returns as part of the Vault reprised set focusing on the fan-favorite Firefly perk. Few thrills compare with popping a Dreg‘s skull and watching nearby foes erupt in solar detonation…
Wielding Fatebringer against dense swarms of Scorn or Hive during Duality dungeon runs never fails to delight. Firefly and Explosive Rounds synergize perfectly – chaining fiery carnage across the battlefield.
During King‘s Fall encounters like Warpriest, Fatebringer serves admirably staggering Ogres and blighting Wizards. Its high handling score keeps this cannon snappy under duress. Smooth sights and minimal muzzle flash keep precision damage pouring into beefy bosses.
For Crucible-worthy legendaries, Fatebringer remains an S-tier option thanks to superb base stats:
| Weapon | Impact | Range | Stability | Handling | Reload | Rounds/Min | Mag |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fatebringer | 84 | 46 | 57 | 55 | 46 | 140 | 10 |
Those Foundry researchers clearly logged some long hours optimizing Fatebringer for slaying capabilities…
Eriana‘s Vow
Häkke Specialty Hand Cannon
As an anti-barrier exotic, Eriana‘s Vow reigns supreme for cracking Destiny 2 champions. The intrinsic shield-piercing ammo blasts straight through phalanx shields. Those sneaky ambusher captains meet a quick demise from Eriana bursting their smug ether-guzzling heads.
During higher-level Ordeal or Raid activities, champions become practically mandatory. Eriana simply trivializes Barrier and Reflective adversaries. The bonus precision damage from its main perk Death at First Glance rewards steady aim under pressure.
Smooth angular aesthetics and booming firing effects heighten the lethality factor. For solo flawless dungeon triumphs and even Gambit invasions, Eriana‘s Vow packs serious heat:
| Weapon | Impact | Range | Stability | Handling | Reload | Rounds/Min | Mag |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eriana‘s Vow | 100 | 100 | 30 | 23 | 24 | 90 | 6 |
Personally, I favor Eriana‘s strong stability and reload for chain-staggering champions in quick succession.
The bonus damage absolutely chunks down Strikes bosses vulnerable to solar cremation. Pit of Heresy final boss Zulmak fell in record time thanks to Eriana liquefying his health bar.
Sunshot
Omolon Adaptive Hand Cannon
Fanfire hand cannons bear a special allure thanks to their staggering rate of fire. Sunshot maximizes this lethality, spewing 150 solar slugs per minute at the opposition.
Activating the signature perk Sun Blast cascades fiery explosions through packs of Thrall and Psions. Entire rooms alight with detonating aliens thanks to the generous 12 round magazine.
150 RPM cannons chew through ammo quickly, but Sunshot‘s stability rating keeps recoil predictable even during prolonged barrages. The sound profile sells the fantasy – Sunshot screams raw destructive power.
Sunshot‘s flexibility suits both group combat thanks to Sun Blast and demolishing majors using the explosive payload. Wrathborn hunt targets stand little chance against my trusty solar sidearm!
| Weapon | Impact | Range | Stability | Handling | Reload | Rounds/Min | Mag |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunshot | 80 | 31 | 40 | 82 | 72 | 150 | 12 |
I frequently run Sunshot on my Warlock main to amplify explosive mayhem via the Heat Rises jump. Paired with the Necrotic Grip exotic arms, enemies disintegrate from poisonous burns just from stepping near their seared comrades!
The high handling rating keeps Sunshot agile for clearing multiple rooms back-to-back. And the extended 12 round cylinder sustains carnage longer compared to lower capacity legendaries.
In both PVE and PVP, Sunshot shines…brightly. Scorched aliens sound the cosmic death knell!
Dominating the Crucible – Meta PVP Hand Cannons
Slaying fellow guardians in the Crucible demands split second reflexes and pinpoint accuracy. These exotic and legendary weapons give you the tools to decisively win duels.
Ace of Spades
Tex Mechanica Adaptive Frame
Ace of Spades‘ reputation precedes it. As Hunter Vanguard Cayde-6‘s signature cannon, Ace continues to dominate PVP leaderboards years later. During Trials runs, Ace regularly demolishes opposing teams with ruthless precision from afar.
Sliding around corners using high mobility loadouts to dome guardians before they exit scopes became my signature move. The Memento Mori perk loads bonus damage rounds after a kill, useful for efficiently dispatching tightly stacked enemies.
Ace flaunts excellent range before damage falloff, allowing it to compete with scout and pulse rifles. The superb handling rating improves swap times for devastating combination blows.
Sporting the flaming wings ornament, I streak across Crucible maps extinguishing lives left and right thanks to Ace‘s crisp recoil control and target acquisition:
| Weapon | Impact | Range | Stability | Handling | Reload | Rounds/Min | Mag |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ace | 84 | 75 | 40 | 40 | 42 | 140 | 13 |
Camp in a sniper lane? Ace punishes sidearm warriors before they close distance. Toe-to-toe duels almost always favor Ace‘s accuracy, ensuring first-hit precision obliterates the opposition.
This versatile hand cannonigrates between game modes – always willing to step up and carry the team. Ace serves a key role in my Crucible loadouts after ticking 500+ guardian kills post-catalyst.
Thorn
Häkke Precision Hand Cannon
Thorn‘s storied past includes lengthy stints being overpowered or totally worthless. But current tuning plants it firmly atop the PVP ranks. Thorn shoots rounds laced with soulfire – a cruel payload that poisons enemies over time.
Getting the jump with Thorn often clinches duels thanks to damage ticks finishing off wounded foes in cover. Paired with Necrotic Grip exotic arms, merely tagging an opponent can halt health regen long enough for cleanup shots.
The Remnant orb pickups from downed enemies partially reloads the gun while strengthening the soulfire debuff. Chaining kills loops weapon uptime and lethality into a vicious cycle of suffering for helpless adversaries.
Sporting top notch aim assist and recoil direction keeps Thorn facile at most ranges. Though pace shots carefully thanks to a middling stability score. Prioritize stack discipline builds to keep Thorn fed:
| Weapon | Impact | Range | Stability | Handling | Reload | Rounds/Min | Mag |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thorn | 84 | 34 | 55 | 65 | 40 | 140 | 11 |
The Phantom Veil ornament references Thorn‘s twisted origins tainting the legendary guardian Dredgen Yor. But mastering Thorn simply demands pragmatism – why play fair when crushing Crucible foes remains the ultimate goal?
Personally, Thorn secured flawless Trials passages and win streaks during Iron Banner. The poison rounds prevent health regen even after disengaging. Dealing constant suppression fire keeps enemies weak for opportunistic team shooting.
Thorn represents the archetypal PVP meta threat – establishing dominance through sheer lethality!
Concluding Thoughts
While numerous exotic armor pieces supplement guardian power, robust primary options act as a reliable foundation. Harnessing the base damage output, range, and accuracy of these elite hand cannons pushes content completion times lower across Destiny 2.
Yet satisfying gunplay and gorgeous weapon models also draw players inexorably back to hand cannons. Flaunting prestigious weapons like Fatebringer embodies our Ascendant plane war god status.
I live for the moments racing towards imminent Darkness tragedy only to whip out Thorn or Ace clutching razor-thin triumphs from certain defeat‘s salivating jaws!
Hand cannons sculpt legends. Seize their potential to claim your rightful place among Destiny‘s most triumphant heroes!
