Owl Guy
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Every Best Hand Cannon in Destiny 2: PvP and PvE List

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Get ready for Destiny 2 Best Hand Cannons guide with recommendations for PvE and PvP!

Everything About Hand Cannons Destiny 2

Table of Contents

  1. D2 Hand Cannon Guide
  2. Best PvE Hand Cannon in Destiny 2
    1. Malfeasance
    2. Sunshot
    3. Midnight Coup
    4. Eyasluna
    5. Word Of Crota
    6. Posterity
    7. Zaouli’s Bane
  3. Best PvP Hand Cannon in Destiny 2
    1. Ace of Spades
    2. Crimson
    3. Austringer
    4. Rose
    5. Luna’s Howl
    6. Igneous Hammer
  4. Final Words

Key Takeaways:

  • This guide provides 12 best Hand Cannons in Destiny 2, each with six different weapons for both PvP and PvE
  • In addition to describing the guns with their unique features, you can also learn more about the different types of weapons and their characteristics
  • This list is relevant at the end of Season of the Wish

There’s nothing better than an excellent old Hand Cannon (HC) in the wild space. This incredibly attractive type of weapon constantly surprises with its beautiful and accurate shots, blowing the heads off all enemies in the universe. Yet, not all of them are good, so it’s time for us to figure out which HC is worth taking to the battlefield. In today’s article, you’ll learn what exactly astonishes players about these weapons and which ones are the best Hand Cannons in Destiny 2. Get into your stance, and we’re starting a duel!

D2 Hand Cannon Guide

In Season 22, Hand Cannons will receive a significant buff in PvE, namely increased damage against red bar enemies by 25% and against orange bars enemies by a whole 75%. Because of this, it is worth farming the necessary examples right now, but which ones exactly? First of all, it is worth understanding the archetypes, and there are only five of them:

But which ones will be good for certain activities? Adaptive Frame is the best choice for both PvE and PvP due to good Time to Kill (TtK). Precision Frame can be considered the worst in both modes. Aggressive Frame shows itself well in Crucible, but it suffers from slow reloading in PvE. Lightweight Frame, in terms of damage, is the same as Adaptive Frame. Finally, Heavy Burst Hand Cannons are not popular in PvP due to their difficulty of use, but they are extremely effective in PvE when combined with Lucky Pants to increase their DPS against bosses.

Best PvE Hand Cannon in Destiny 2

Now, let’s analyze the Destiny 2 PvE Hand Cannons. Although this weapon’ type may not be known for its effectiveness in this mode, the following guns might surprise you.

Malfeasance

Malfesance Destiny 2

Although we wrote earlier that Precision Hand Cannons are the weakest in the whole game, this Exotic is an exception. What’s the point of Malfeasance? For every five hits on an enemy, an explosion deals a decent amount of damage to both the target and the enemies around.  In addition, this explosion stuns Unstoppable Champions, making Malfeasance useful for Grandmaster, which is the best Hand Cannon in Destiny 2 Season 23. A nice bonus will also be increased damage by 25% to Invaders in Gambit, Taken enemies, and combatants stuck by Witherhoard’s Blight.

And where would we be without Catalyst and Lucky Pants, which will make Malfeasance shine in new colors? First, let’s look into Catalyst, which increases Range by 20 points and gives a beautiful perk called Vorpal Weapon. The perk boosts damage against Champions, Mini-Bosses, Bosses, and Vehicles by 20%. So, why are we calling it one of the best Hand Cannons for Lucky Pants, and what the deal with this Exotic? These Hunter’s Exotic Legs allow you to boost your weapon’s damage, making Malfeasance a decent option in DPS. So, that’s how you get one of the best Hand Cannons for Destiny 2 PvE!

Sunshot

Sunshot Destiny 2

Sunshot epitomizes a symphony of beauty and destruction with Explosive Rounds, thanks to the Sunburn perk. Its peculiarity also rests in its “Sun Blast” perk; enemies detonate in a blaze upon defeat, their fiery ends igniting nearby foes, creating a cascade of solar explosions that also applies 10 scorch stacks. Moreover, this weapon can be upgraded with a Catalyst that grants 20 points of improved stability and 30 points of range. 

Sunshot’s key distinction from its contemporaries is the intrinsic fusion of damage and crowd control. While the Hand Cannon roster brims with powerful options, none blend precision, area damage, and a pyrotechnic spectacle quite as brilliantly! So, if you are looking for the best Exotic Hand Cannon in Destiny 2, Sunshot is your perfect choice!

Midnight Coup

best pvp hand cannons

Midnight Coup, an old-school gun from the Into the Light weaponry, boasts the most beautiful perk combinations!

The first thing that may catch your eye is a classic combo of Explosive Payload and Frenzy, passively increasing your damage. However, you could replace Frenzy with Kinetic Tremors, which creates shockwaves, dealing significant damage to all nearby enemies after six hits on an enemy! All these perks help Midnight Coup become one of the best Hand Cannons for Grandmaster Nightfalls.

By the way, an interesting fact: If you get Firefly, be sure to check for any recommended perks for the fourth column, as Midnight Coup is a good weapon for add-clear. This perk will be especially great in combination with One for All, which can increase your damage by 35% when you hit three different enemies.

Eyasluna

Eyasluna Hand Cannon

If you’ve decided to get into Grasp of Avarice or have farmed a lot of it before, check to see if you got Eyasluna with good perk rolls. If so, you have a great weapon for your Stasis build!  Unsurprisingly, it’s often ranked as one of the Destiny 2 best Hand Cannons.

The most important perk on Eyasluna is Headstone, which creates a Stasis Crystal after a Precision Final Blow. It not only helps you with add-clear by destroying mobs around when you break the Crystal but also has strong synergies with the Stasis Subclass. For example, if you have Whisper of Shards equipped, destroying a Stasis Crystal will give you a 500% Additional Grenade Regeneration Rate for 6 seconds, ideal for a Stasis Warlock with Osmiomancy. 

Now, let’s move to the third column of this best Hand Cannon for Grandmaster Nightfalls, where there are two perks that perfectly match Headstone:

Also, pay attention to Judgment from Prophecy weaponry, as it has Headstone in the third column, allowing you to combine it with such Damage Perks as Adrenaline Junkie. If you are a fan of Stasis Titan, definitely take a look at it.

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Word Of Crota

Best Raid Hand Cannon

Do you want to have in your hands the Destiny 2 best craftable Hand Cannon to use with Void or Grenade builds? That’s an extremely specific request, but fortunately, we have an excellent recommendation in the form of Word of Crota. Despite being a 180 RPM Hand Cannon, it will definitely surprise you in PvE! 

In the third column, you have a choice between Demolitionist for grenade recovery and Dragonfly to create an elemental explosion on Precision Final Blow. If you have terrible survival issues, you might take Repulsor Brace to have an Overshield when you destroy a mob with a Void debuff. By the way, Destabilizing Rounds from the fourth column is an excellent example of how you can synergize perks. Together, These two perks provide a constant Overshield due to the Volatile applied to foes, so you won’t need to equip a Void subclass to activate Repulsor Brace. 

In the fourth column, you have two more interesting perks that you can take for this Destiny 2 best Hand Cannon in 2024. The first is the beloved Frenzy, increasing damage by 15%, and giving 100 Handling and Reload Speed when you are in combat. Besides it, there is Sword Logic, which also increases damage depending on the type of enemy you destroy. For example, minor mobs give one stack with a damage boost of 15% for 5.5 seconds, two stacks from Elites provide a 25% damage buff for 7.5 seconds, and so on. 

As you can see, you have a rich choice, which means you can easily create the ideal or the best PvE Hand Cannon in Destiny 2 with Word of Crota!

Posterity

Best PvE Hand Cannons

Posterity can be considered the best Arc Hand Cannon in Destiny 2 solely because of its presence of Voltshot in the third column, which allows it to be combined with damage perks. You can use Frenzy, which, for being in combat for 12 seconds, will give you 100 Reload Speed and Handling, additionally providing a +15% Damage bonus. Good old Rampage also won’t disappoint you, as Voltshot kills will give you Rampage Stacks, making it easy to achieve a 33% Bonus Damage. Don’t forget about the Origin Trait, which gives Ability Energy for weapon hits, helping you use your Grenades and Melees more often.

Zaouli’s Bane

Zaulis Bane

How could we forget Zaouli’s Bane? It belongs in the second slot as a past weapon with great perks. Zaouli’s Bane is often referred to in the community as the best Legendary Hand Cannon in Destiny 2, and for good reason. 

Like Word of Crota and Posterity, Zaouli’s Bane can be crafted, but its main feature is its affinity for Solar! Precisely for this reason, you can assemble such a magnificent combination as Explosive Payload and Incandescent. With these perks, you will not only deal a huge amount of damage but also blow up enemies on the Final Blow, applying Scorch stacks to enemies around. 

Therefore, you’ll have an excellent Solar weapon in your hands that is perfect for clearing adds and destroying major enemies. That’s why Guardians call Zaouli’s Bane in Destiny 2 the best Energy Hand Cannon for PvE!

Best PvP Hand Cannon in Destiny 2

Let’s move on to the most interesting part of this article: Destiny 2 PvP Hand Cannons. These guns can really make your opponents explode in anger. To do this, we have collected six of the most interesting examples!

Ace of Spades

Ace Of Spades Hand Cannon Destiny 2

Ace of Spades is a popular choice in PvE, but it truly shines in PvP. This HC was Cayde-6’s top pick for a reason — its Exotic perk grants six extra-damage rounds in the magazine after taking down an opponent and reloading. Additionally, taking down opponents with headshots produces an explosive effect that can simultaneously take out multiple enemies.

Crimson

Crimson Destiny 2 Hand Cannon

Remember Red Death from Destiny 1? Crimson replaces it now. Basically, this isn’t even a HC. It’s a Mini Pulse Rifle, which fires a 3-Round Burst and, for some console players, Crimson is the best Hand Cannon for controller in Destiny 2! In addition to this, Crimson has just fantastic stats, especially with Catalyst, which will give it +20 Range. Remember the Exotic Perk, which starts Health Regeneration and restores 40 HP after Final Blows.

Austringer

Austinger Destiny 2

Banshee-44 frequently offers interesting weapons. One such weapon is the Austinger, which has appeared in his shop with its god roll several times. In addition, it is often included in the Destiny 2 Hand Cannon tier list. 

The first thing that catches your eye when obtaining this Hand Cannon is its impressive stats. Only with the recommended Enhanced perks and Ricochet rounds equipped will you get 79 Stability without sacrificing Range. Speaking of perks, the best combination for the PvP Austringer is Eye of the Storm + Zen Moment. These perks are perfect for any duel, as they provide improved accuracy with handling and reduced visual recoil and flinch.

Rose

Rose Guide

As of Season 23, the Rose Hand Cannon from Destiny 2 has become available again through Shaxx. Although the weapon is quite old, it continues to perform well as one of the top Hand Cannons in Destiny 2. It’s worth noting right away that Rose is the only Lightweight, which already makes it unique. Nevertheless, Rose has almost all the popular perks for this type of weapon apart from all this. It’s hard to name a real Godroll, as everyone will find the perks that best suit their style of play. So if you happen to have a Rose in the Vault, be sure to play with it.

Luna’s Howl

Best Energy Hand Cannon

Many Veterans may remember Luna’s Howl as one of the most broken guns in the entire history of Destiny 2 PvP Hand Cannons. After so many years, Luna has again slipped into the hands of Guardians, albeit not in its original form. Nevertheless, Luna’s Howl can still be considered the perfect HC for PvP thanks to its unique Archetype and Beautiful Perks, which suit any style of play.

Luna’s Howl is a Precision 140 RPM Hand Cannon, which gives it a unique recoil and increased Airborne Effectiveness, setting it apart from its competitors. What would Luna’s Howl be without the Magnificent Howl perk, which has been completely reworked? For each Precision Final Blow before reloading, you will receive a stack of Magnificent Howl buff, increasing the damage of one bullet by 50%. It won’t be spent if you manage to perform a Precision Kill with an active buff. Magnificent Howl allows you to destroy any Guardian with two Crit Hits, although you must make two Precision Final Blows.

Let’s move on to other perks that will improve gameplay with Luna’s Howl, making it the best Hand Cannon for Trials: 

Igneous Hammer

Destiny 2 Best Hand Cannons

Although 120 RPM Hand Cannons have suffered significantly after the major Crucible Patch in Season of the Wish, Igneous Hammer remains one of the best Hand Cannons for Destiny 2 PvP. Excellent Stats and the Precision Instrument perk primarily help this. Because of its increased Crit Damage, this HC is still capable of taking down any Guardian with two Crit one Body, which other representatives of the Aggressive Frame cannot do. Perks from the third column, such as Keep Away or Fragile Focus, will help you achieve 100 Range, allowing you to perform two Crit one Body takedowns without fear on almost any map.

Final Words

So, that’s our complete Destiny 2 Hand Cannon guide. We’re confident that all the weapons from this list will serve you in a long time. All you need to do to shine those weapons is heed our recommendations, train your aim, and shoot as focused as possible.

If you liked this guide and need help with other weapons, we have separate guides about Shotguns, Pulse Rifles, Sidearms, Sniper Rifles, Auto Rifles, and Scout Rifles. Each of them will also help you select the most meta guns in the game.

Do you need assistance getting HCs from the list? Don’t have time to farm them? Then Destiny 2 Services will help you, as professionals from WowVendor will fulfill any of your requests in the shortest possible time. You can take care of essential matters while your character levels up!

Thanks for Reading! Owl is Flying Away.

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