Destiny 2 Guide: All The Hunter Gunslinger Skills

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The Gunslinger Hunter makes its triumphant return in Destiny 2 with significant mechanical refinements that enhance its solar-powered capabilities. This subclass represents the pinnacle of precision and flair, blending the classic six-shooter fantasy with modern ability synergies. Unlike its predecessor, Destiny 2’s iteration introduces enhanced mobility options and more dynamic combat flow, allowing Hunters to maintain constant pressure while dishing out substantial solar damage.

What truly sets the updated Gunslinger apart are the two innovative Dodge maneuvers that fundamentally change engagement dynamics. The first instantly reloads your equipped weapon, perfect for maintaining DPS during intense firefights, while the second generates melee energy, enabling more frequent use of your explosive throwing knife. This creates a compelling risk-reward system where positioning and ability timing become critical success factors.

For players transitioning from other Hunter subclasses or returning from the original Destiny, understanding these core mechanics is essential for maximizing your effectiveness in both PvE and competitive modes.

Activating the Golden Gun requires simultaneous input of L1 + R1 (LB + RB on Xbox One, F on PC), summoning a solar-infused pistol that vaporizes adversaries with concentrated Light energy. While the Super appears straightforward initially, mastering its deployment separates novice Gunslingers from true sharpshooters.

The Golden Gun’s effectiveness hinges on strategic positioning and timing rather than raw damage output. Optimal usage involves positioning at medium range where you can acquire targets quickly while maintaining cover options. A common mistake is activating the Super while exposed, making you vulnerable to sniper fire or team shots. Instead, use environmental cover during activation, then push aggressively once armed.

Advanced technique: The Golden Gun maintains its damage output regardless of range, making it exceptionally effective against both distant priority targets and nearby aggressive pushes. In PvP, focus on eliminating enemy Supers first, as the Golden Gun can shut down most other Super abilities with a single precise shot.

Passive Buffs: Way of the Outlaw

Way of the Outlaw enhances the Golden Gun Super with passive benefits that reward aggressive, mobile playstyles. This path excels in situations requiring rapid target acquisition and sustained pressure, making it particularly effective in Class Guide scenarios where adaptability trumps pure precision.

The key advantage of this path lies in its flexibility – it doesn’t demand pinpoint accuracy to deliver value. The Outlaw’s core strength emerges in chaotic engagements where landing consistent headshots becomes challenging. Its passive abilities provide tangible benefits even when you’re under pressure or engaging multiple targets simultaneously.

Pro tip: Combine the reload Dodge with weapons having long reload animations like rocket launchers or sniper rifles. This creates a powerful combat loop: fire your high-impact weapon, Dodge to reload instantly, then immediately resume firing. This technique can effectively double your damage output during critical damage phases.

Passive Buffs: Way of the Sharpshooter

If you possess exceptional aiming skills and consistently achieve precision eliminations, Way of the Sharpshooter delivers unmatched performance. This specialization rewards surgical precision with enhanced Super duration, critical damage multipliers, and ability energy regeneration.

The Sharpshooter path transforms the Golden Gun into an elite boss-melting tool. Each precision hit extends the Super’s duration, potentially allowing a single activation to eliminate multiple high-value targets. This makes it indispensable for Complete Guide endgame activities where every shot must count.

Advanced application: Against major enemies and bosses, aim for critical spots to maximize both damage and Super uptime. In Weapons Unlock scenarios where ammo conservation matters, the Sharpshooter’s efficiency becomes game-changing. Practice against moving targets in patrol zones to build muscle memory for those clutch moments in raids or competitive matches.

Pressing L1 (LB on Xbox One and Q on PC) unleashes the Gunslinger’s diverse grenade arsenal, each offering distinct tactical applications. Understanding cooldown timings and optimal deployment scenarios significantly enhances your combat effectiveness.

The Tripmine Grenade creates a laser trap that detonates when enemies cross its path. Perfect for area denial, place them at choke points or on capture points in objective-based modes. The Swarm Grenade releases multiple drone projectiles that pursue nearby targets, excellent for flushing enemies from cover or controlling limited spaces.

The Incendiary Grenade explodes on impact and sets enemies ablaze with damage-over-time. Use this to finish wounded opponents or deny revives in elimination game types. Remember that grenade effectiveness scales directly with your discipline stat – prioritize this attribute if grenades form a core part of your strategy.

Mastering the Gunslinger requires going beyond basic ability usage and developing sophisticated combat patterns. The melee Dodge ability synergizes exceptionally well with the explosive throwing knife – use Dodge to regenerate melee energy, then deploy the knife when at full charge for maximum area effect.

Critical mistake to avoid: Using your explosive throwing knife without full melee energy wastes its crowd control potential. Instead, maintain awareness of your melee charge status and time your engagements accordingly. The knife’s explosion creates substantial area denial, making it perfect for controlling heavy ammo spawns or objective zones.

Jump ability selection dramatically impacts your mobility and survival. The Triple Jump provides unparalleled aerial control for precision positioning, while the Strafe Jump offers rapid directional changes during firefights. Experiment in non-critical activities to determine which jump style best complements your personal combat approach.

For maximum optimization, pair the Gunslinger with exotic armor that enhances solar abilities or improves weapon handling. The right exotic can transform a competent Gunslinger into an absolute force on the battlefield.

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