Destiny 2's Beyond Light meta has been dominated by hand cannons, and that appears to be the trend for the foreseeable future. The 120 RPM hand cannons have high impact, quick re-centering time, and pinpoint accuracy.
The benefits of using the 120s are hard to ignore, which is why there are so many people using them in Trials and the Crucible. However, there are a couple of other weapons that make the list despite 120 cannon dominance. Players that are dead set on using a hand cannon will want to pair it with one of the two shotguns below.
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7 Steady Hand
The Steady Hand has been a top PVP choice for a couple of years now. It has all of the attributes that make 120RPM hand cannons so good. High impact, moderate range, and solid aim assistance make the gun one of the top-tier options right now. The weapon kicks straight up, making it easy to control at extended ranges. The Steady Hand has a number of incredible roll combinations as well. If there were not a couple of hand cannons in the game with more perks and adepts mods, the Steady Hand would be higher rated among PVP weapons in Destiny 2.
6 The Messenger
The unique pulse rifle is a Trials reward with moderate damage and infinite range. On its own, the Messenger seems like a B-C tier weapon. However, any roll with Desperado is unquestionably top-tier. Desperado increases the firing rate of the gun if reloaded after a precision final blow. With each kill and reload, Desperado gets progressively faster. Very few, if any weapons have a comparable TTK if the Messenger has an active Desperado buff.
5 Astral Horizon
If Bungie ever gets around to nerfing Felwinter's Lie, Astral Horizon will be the first shotgun to replace it. The gun has an aggressive frame, which provides an increased fire rate after every kill. Even though the Astral Horizon does not have the range of the below shotgun, increased fire rate and a decent one-shot kill radius make it a great option in PVP. Unfortunately, the new rolls of the gun do not have Quickdraw. Those that do not have the perk yet will have to settle for an Astral Horizon with slower aim down sight speed.
4 Felwinter's Lie
Felwinter's lie has the longest one-shot kill range of any shotgun in Destiny 2. For that reason alone, it is the most popular secondary weapon in the community. Now that players can get the gun at the kiosk, it is readily available as well. A lot of people expect Bungie to release some type of balancing change to the weapon very soon. For now, guardians will want to use this overpowered shotgun as a secondary weapon until it is nerfed.
3 Dead Man's Tale
When Dead Man's Tale was first released, it was not well-received by the community. Scout rifles have been out of the meta for some time, and few saw the potential of the gun to compete with the 120s. The intrinsic trait of the gun provides a damage and reload speed buff for chained precision hits. This means that the more headshots a guardian hits in a row, the higher the damage output.
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Dead Man's Tale rewards precision accuracy and performs better in the hands of a skilled player. With the release of the catalyst for exotic weapons, the rifle received an RPM and hip fire buff. Now, the scout rifle fires faster than most of the meta hand cannons and it can be used against close-range weapons. The hip-fire on the rifle is incredible, and it gives gamers a chance against shotguns at close range.
2 True Prophecy
The second best weapon to use in PVP is the True Prophecy. It is a notoriously rare drop from the gunsmith that can take ages to find. The hand cannon fires at 120 RPM and has the potential to drop a host of beneficial perks. Rampage and Overflow are two of the top perks that drop with the True Prophecy. Having a base magazine of 9 is really good among the 120s as well. Anyone that is having trouble finding the gun can opt for the Steady Hand above.
1 Igneous Hammer
Nearly any 120 RPM hand cannon with a fortuitous roll could have made the top spot in this list. What sets apart Igneous Hammer is the probability of getting a top roll, as well as the ability to get an adept version of the weapon.
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To get the adept version of the gun, guardians will have to go flawless in trials. Gamers will want to get the Range Masterwork with a Smallbore barrel and Ricochet Rounds. Quickdraw is the top option in the third slot, and Rampage is god tier in the final slot. Because of the base handling stats of the 120s, Quickdraw is important at close ranges.