Destiny 2: All Exotic Hand Cannons, Ranked (2024)

Destiny 2 is filled with many different weapon types to choose from. One of the most popular types of weapons is the Hand Cannon. Usually designed like a revolver, these futuristic cowboy guns pack a punch. They offer a great way for players to do a lot of damage from a single shot.

Destiny 2 offers dozens of Exotic weapons to choose from as well, and ten of these are hand cannons. Each Exotic Hand Cannon features a unique design and special perks that are often much better than standard weapons.

Updated on August 28, 2024, by Nathan Halsey: Hand cannons struggled for a while to find their original, strong place in PvE in Destiny 2, mainly due to how strong ability spam was (and is) and the abundance of other, spammier weapons like SMGs and pulse rifles. Since Lightfall and into The Final Shape, Hand Cannons have skyrocketed in relevance with some of the best weapons in the game coming from said weapon type. This update will detail all of the Hand Cannons in the Exotic tier and outline their relevancy and recommended uses in PvE and PvP if applicable.

10 Sturm

Works Best Only When Paired With Drang

• How To Get: Buy it from the Monument to Lost Lights in the Tower (Red War Exotic)
• Cost: 1 Exotic Cipher, 100k Glimmer, 1 Ascendant Shard
• Element: Kinetic
• RPM: 120

Sturm is one of the least popular hand cannons in Destiny 2. It features a unique look that doesn't resemble a revolver like most hand cannons. Its first perk is that it refills the player's other energy weapons' mags on each kill.

Its second perk is quite unique in that it requires players to be using another weapon called the Drang alongside it. Kills with the Drang reload the Sturm and fill it with a bonus round. This weapon is a remnant from when Destiny 2 required players to run two Primary weapons, which is why players must do so to take full advantage of the weapon.

9 Eriana's Vow

A Special Ammo Hand Cannon That Destroys Barrier Champions

• How To Get: Buy it from the Monument to Lost Light in the Tower (Shadowkeep Exotics)
• Cost: 1 Exotic Cipher, 100k Glimmer, 1 Ascendant Shard
• Element: Solar
• RPM: 90

The only Special Exotic Hand Cannon is Eriana's Vow. This hand cannon has an intrinsic strength against Barrier Champions, thanks to its shots that have the ability to pierce shields.

While aiming down sights, players get bonus damage on the first aimed shot of their magazine. If this shot lands on a shield or crit spot, the next round does the same, incentivizing players to be extremely accurate from the jump and letting it reload itself through its catalyst or mod when this rhythm is broken. While an interesting mechanic, this weapon struggles to compete with Arbalest, which offers similar utility but at much longer ranges.

8 Crimson

A Unique Three-Short Burst That Works Well In PvP

• How To Get: Randomly drops from Exotic engrams
• Element: Kinetic
• RPM: 415

Crimson is unique in that it fires in quick 3-round bursts, making it the only Hand Cannon so far to do so. This weapon's main perk, Cruel Remedy, heals the user when securing kills and refills the magazine on headshot kills.

This combination is well suited for aggressive PvP players, allowing them to heal and automatically reload in between fights with little need for downtime. Additionally, the weapon is a bit easier to use, functioning more like a close-range Pulse Rifle, making it more forgiving to aim when compared to other Hand Cannons.

7 The Last Word

• How To Get: Buy it from the Monument to Lost Lights in the Tower (Forsaken Exotics)
• Cost: 1 Exotic Cipher, 125k Glimmer, 1 Ascendant Shard
• Element: Kinetic
• RPM: 225

The Last Word is a classic-looking revolver that features a cool fan-the-hammer animation to really get that cowboy vibe. Its main trait is Fan Fire, which allows it to be fired from the hip with almost no bloom. Doing so not only provides an absurd damage boost to headshots, but it also grants increased reload speed and accuracy depending on the amount of hits.

This is another gun that's popular with controller users due to its powerful aim assist. It is generally easy to use, especially when quickly picking off low health targets.

6 Hawkmoon

A Strong PVP Hand Cannon But Not The Best

• How To Get: Buy it from Xur every Friday-Tuesday before the weekly reset (randomized perks)
• Cost: 23 Strange Coins
• Element: Kinetic
• RPM: 140

Hawkmoon is one of the strongest weapons for PvP. It has a great perk that allows players to stack Paracausal Charge when hitting final blows and precision hits. The final round in the magazine deals bonus damage based on how many stacks were charged.

Unfortunately, if players stow the Hawkmoon when it reaches maximum charge, the bonus is removed, so it's important to keep Hawkmoon out to take full advantage of it. This gun can two-tap and maybe even one-tap foes in PvP, which gives it an incredible edge.

5 Lumina

An Excellent Buff To Damage In PVE

• How To Get: Buy it from the Monument to Lost Lights in the Tower (Forsaken Exotics)
• Cost: 1 Exotic Cipher, 125k Glimmer, 1 Ascendant Shard
• Element: Kinetic
• RPM: 140

Lumina was a somewhat weak weapon until it received some buffs in Season 16. Its Noble Rounds trait allows players to turn kills into rounds that can be hipfired into teammates to refill their magazines.

It's perk, Blessing of the Sky, heals one hit with Noble Rounds and grants both the shooter and the recipient a 35% damage boost for a short time, one of the strongest boosts available in the game. It's one of the few weapons that can be used as a support tool for teammates.

4 Thorn

• How To Get: Buy it from the Monument to Lost Lights in the Tower (Forsaken Exotics)
• Cost: 1 Exotic Cipher, 125k Glimmer, 1 Ascendant Shard
• Element: Kinetic
• RPM: 140

Thorn was extremely popular among PvP players for quite some time. Its main trait is Mark of the Devourer, which does damage over time on targets hit with its bullets, and its main perk is Soul Devourer, which creates Remnants on kills. Collecting a Remnant refills ammo, and increases the damage over time that Mark of the Devourer creates. This combo makes the gun incredibly useful when applying pressure in PvP, as well decreasing downtime by allowing players to passively reload from kills.

This weapon also has a bit of PvE potential thanks to Necrotic Grips on Warlock, which allows for the poison to spread naturally to nearby combatants when affected.

3 Malfeasance

High Single Target Damage

• How To Get: Complete the Exotic quest from Drifter
• Element: Kinetic
• RPM: 180

Malfeasance is one of the strongest Kinetic Hand Cannons in high end PvE. This comes from its Explosive Shadow trait, which causes enemies to explode after being hit consecutively with the weapon, granting it an absurd single target damage output. This makes Malfeasance particularly good in Grandmaster Nightfalls, as these explosions force normal enemies and Unstoppable Champions into stun-locked animations when the explosion goes off.

It should also be noted that Hunters can push this weapon further by using Lucky Pants, which allow for increased Hand Cannon damage on sustained hits, making it even more powerful against Champions and other mini-bosses.

2 Ace Of Spades

A Powerful Tool That Provides Several Useful Abilities

• How To Get: Buy it from the Monument to Lost Light in the Tower (Forsaken Exotics)
• Cost: 1 Exotic Cipher, 125k Glimmer, 1 Ascendant Shard
• Element: Kinetic
• RPM: 140

Ace of Spades is likely the most popular hand cannon in the game. Famous for being the gun that Cayde-6 uses in the game's lore, it has a bit of everything. It actually carries three perks: Precision kills increase reload speed and make the target explode, players gain increased damage for reloading after a kill, and radar is granted at all times, including while aiming down sights.

The Ace of Spades is a fantastic gun that sees most use in PvP. As such, it is among the Crucible favorites, right by Thorn.

1 Sunshot

Fires Explosive Rounds That Affect Multiple Targets

• How To Get: Randomized drop from Exotic Engrams
• Element: Solar
• RPM: 150

Sunshot is the best add-clear Hand Cannon in Destiny 2, and it's not even close. It fires solar explosive rounds that pack a punch and highlight enemies for the player. When enemies are killed with these rounds, they explode in a blast of Solar energy, spreading Scorch to nearby targets and causing them to explode as well if they are hit by subsequent explosions.

Each element in Destiny 2 has its definitive add-clear weapon, and Sunshot steals this position by a considerable margin. This weapon should be owned and experimented with by anyone attempting to craft a build around Solar damage.

Destiny 2

FPS

Systems

OpenCritic Reviews

Top Critic Rating:84/100 Critics Recommend:88%

Platform(s)

PS5 , PS4 , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S , Xbox One , PC , Stadia

Released

August 28, 2017

Developer(s)

Bungie