The Sidearm archetype intrigues me, a lot. It suits my aggressive, mid-distance play style and the weight of all the PVP Shotgun guilt has been weighing on my shoulders for far too long. Here is the thing. The community hasn’t really shared any data on the weapon type to the extent of everything else. I’d like to start a discussion with the intent to change that. I’d like you to help, please. The easy part is that our focus will only be on four models. All the Sidearms come from the same foundry, Hakke, which “provides” improved muzzle velocity. All data was pulled from http://db.planetdestiny.com/items/weapons/special/sidearm?tier=8 and a potentially inaccurate thread https://www.reddit.com/r/DestinyTheGame/comments/37h1rn/weapon_upgrades_perks_and_modifications/ Firstly, I’d like to discuss the or at least my intended role for a proper Sidearm. It is a backup to my primary weapon. It needs to be ready to finish a closing opponent that has been damaged but I don’t have time to reload or can’t keep out of the shortest of ranges without significant damage. The Sidearm is not to be used as the main damage dealer therefore perks that require kills to proc, then profit are less valuable compared to most other platforms. The common weaknesses of all Sidearms are [u]impact[/u], [u]range[/u], and [u]capacity[/u]. [u]Impact[/u] is a tough nut to crack and is only buffed via the perks Crowd Control/Reactive Reload/Surround and High Caliber Rounds. But damage boosts aren’t where the money is in my opinion. [u]Range[/u] is where the most bang for buck can be had and where rolls should be focused. Rangefinder and Handloaded/Reinforced Barrel are what to hunt for. [u]Capacity[/u] is the least of your concerns as far as weaknesses go but keep in mind that the Havoc Pigeon is handicap at 12 round magazines unlike 15 that the others carry. If you insist, look for Appended Magazine in place of Handloaded/Reinforced Barrel in the third column. [b]Legendary[/b] [b]Sidearms[/b] [u]Conviction II[/u] http://db.planetdestiny.com/items/view/2093303808 Magazine-15 Range-39 Stability-78 Reload-86 Aim Assistance-89 Recoil-80 Equip-66 [u]JabberHakke-D[/u] http://db.planetdestiny.com/items/view/2651271602 Magazine-15 Range-38 Stability-80 Reload-87 Aim Assistance-80 Recoil-90 Equip-60 [u]Havoc Pigeon[/u] http://db.planetdestiny.com/items/view/3863768569 Magazine-12 Range-40 Stability-81 Reload-85 Aim Assistance-85 Recoil-90 Equip-43 [u]Ironwreath-D[/u] http://db.planetdestiny.com/items/view/3068424913 Magazine-15 Range-37 Stability-82 Reload-88 Aim Assistance-71 Recoil-100 Equip-54 [b]Sights[/b] Available (and what they provide) [u]Truesight IS[/u] Stability +5/Reload +8/Handling +8 Fastdraw IS Stability +4/Reload +10/Handling +10 Quickdraw IS Stability +0/Reload +15/Handling +15 ---------------------------------------------------------------- [u]Steadyhand IS[/u] Stability +6/Reload +8/Handling +8 Sureshot IS Stability +2/Reload +12/Handling +12 [b]First Perk Column[/b] (and what they provide, * for sight redundancy) [u]Rangefinder[/u] (ADS increases range +10% of base value, +20% to falloff range) [i]Zen Moment[/i]* (damage increases stability +13% of base value for 5 hits for a +66% cap) [i]Army of One[/i] (unassisted kills reduce grenade & melee cooldowns) [i]Crowd Control[/i] (kills increase damage) [i]Reactive Reload[/i] (reloading after kill increases damage) Danger Close* (increased reload & handling in proximity of 2+ enemies) Surrounded (increased damage in proximity of 3+ enemies) Last Resort* (increased reload & handling when last alive) [b]Second Perk Column[/b] (and what they provide, * for sight redundancy) [u]Hot Swap[/u] (readying increases accuracy) [u]Spray and Play[/u]* (increase reload when emptied +50% of base value) [i]Feeding Frenzy[/i]* (kills increase reload +120% of base value) [i]Cascade[/i]* (melee kills increase reload +150% of base value) Outlaw* (precision kills greatly increase reload) Battle Runner (kills increase sprint speed) Partial Refund (assists can partly refill magazine) Relentless Tracker (kills enhance radar) [b]Third Perk Column[/b] (and what they provide, * for sight redundancy) [u]Hand Loaded[/u] (increases range +20) [i]Appended Magazine[/i] (increases magazine, decreases reload -20) [i]Snapshot[/i]* (aiming is faster) [i]Reinforced Barrel[/i] (increase range, decreases stability) Quickdraw* (increases handling) Speed Reload* (increases reload +50) High Caliber Rounds (increases stagger, impact +5, decreases handling) Skip Rounds (rounds richochet, increases reserve, decreases handling) Feather Mag* (increases reload +40, decreases magazine) The conclusion I have come to is that for a Sidearm’s intended role, you can’t get much better than a Conviction II with Steadyhand IS/Rangefinder/Hot Swap/Handloaded. Let me hear your thoughts. I would like to see this post evolve and for my ideal Sidearm to change…