Back in the Season of the Witch—long before the Pyramids pulled their final vanishing act—I stumbled upon the Malediction hand cannon as if it were a dusty old revolver in a space wizard’s attic. Three years later, in 2026, this 120 RPM kinetic beast still claps cheeks in the Crucible like a metronome forged from bad intentions. It’s not just a gun; it’s a slow, deliberate jazz drummer that makes every shot feel like a punctuation mark at the end of a Guardian’s career.

I’m not exaggerating. Malediction is the sort of ritual weapon that feels like a barista handing you a triple espresso after you’ve pulled an all-nighter: suddenly everything snaps into focus. Its base stats—61 range, 49 stability, 47 handling—are unreasonably generous for an Aggressive Frame, and the perk pool could make even a casual weekend warrior start narrating their own montage.

How to Get This Boomstick (Even in 2026)

First, the good news: if you’re reading this as a New Light who just woke up in a pile of glimmer, you can still earn Malediction the old-fashioned way. Reach Rank 16 with Zavala, Shaxx, or the Drifter by grinding their respective playlists. I know, I know—nine thousand reputation points sounds like a part-time job, but think of it as a pilgrimage. Every strike, match, and gambit invasion is a brick in the cathedral of your future two-tap.

Personally, I recommend living in the rotating Crucible playlist for a few hours. Game modes like Momentum Control or Team Scorched end faster than a Vex milk carton at a convention, and before you know it, you’ve ranked up while barely breaking a sweat. If you’re a glutton for punishment, Gambit invasions can speed things along by keeping the enemy team in a perpetual state of rage—a win-win, really.

For those who’ve been around since the Tower had a disco ball, you can also snag Malediction from the Exotic Kiosk (provided you’ve unlocked it from collections), but honestly, that’s like buying a pre-framed motivational poster. The real satisfaction comes from earning it and then flaunting its ornaments like a peacock in Fenchurch’s warehouse.

Ornaments: The Holy Trinity of Flex

Here’s where the true grind becomes a personality trait. Malediction has three glorious ornaments, each tied to resetting a vendor rank and then climbing all the way back to Rank 16 again. It’s the Destiny equivalent of asking for a second dessert after you’ve already eaten the whole cake.

Aged Allegiance (Vanguard)

This one is the mountaintop that requires you to reset your Vanguard Rank with Zavala and then scale Rank 16 a second time. In 2026, Vanguard rep still accumulates slower than a Hive ritual on a Tuesday. My advice: wait for a double-rep week and chain Nightfalls until your eyes feel like they’re lined with Ascendant shards. The Aged Allegiance ornament makes Malediction look like it’s been passed down from a Titan who used it to parry a Thresher—worth every gray hair.

Seasoned Temper (Crucible)

Seasoned Temper requires a Crucible rank reset plus another climb to Rank 16. Skip Competitive (that uses Glory, not Valor), and dive into whatever fast-paced mode is on rotation. If you’re a PvP shark, Rumble is your playground. This ornament gives Malediction a smoldering “I’ve seen things” aesthetic, like a gun that’s been whispered to by angry red crayons.

Mulled Envy (Gambit)

Ah, Gambit. To earn Mulled Envy, you must reset your Gambit Rank and then kiss the Drifter’s ring by hitting Rank 16 again. Play with a premade fireteam if you value your sanity; otherwise, become the invader who ruins everyone’s day. The ornament itself is a love letter to the Drifter’s questionable hygiene—bronze and emerald, like a goblet you’d find in a Derelict’s breakroom. Beautifully cursed.

Perk Alchemy: Making a Hand Cannon Sing

Now, let’s talk about the heart of Malediction: its curated perks. Out of the box, it comes with Fluted Barrel and Flared Magwell, which already taste like a perfectly balanced cocktail. But the twin trait columns are where the magic brews.

In the left column, Discord is an option, but Enlightened Action is the real star. This perk boosts handling and reload speed as you land hits, turning your gun into a well-oiled machine that practically begs to be fanned. Imagine a hand cannon that behaves like a trained falcon: the more you feed it damage, the more elegantly it returns to your grip.

Pair Enlightened Action with Explosive Payload from the right column, and you’ve got a PvP dueling masterpiece. Each shot deals a tiny splash of explosive damage—15% extra in PvE—and in the Crucible, it flinches opponents like they’ve just been poked in the eye by a Void psion. The effective range stretches beyond what the stat bar suggests, and suddenly you’re winning peek-fights against pulses and scouts because your bullets arrive with a cheeky afterthought of boom.

If you’re feeling spicy, you can run Harmony to enable a two-tap scenario if you’ve just landed a kill with another weapon. But let’s be real: in a 2026 sandbox where Resilience is often above tier five, Harmony is more of a party trick than a philosophy. Explosive Payload is the reliable friend who always brings snacks, while Harmony is the eccentric cousin who juggles fire—entertaining, but you’ll probably get burned.

Why Malediction Still Matters

I’ve seen hand cannons come and go like seasonal allergies, but Malediction is the stubborn uncle at the family reunion who refuses to leave—and honestly, we’re all better for it. For PvE, it’s a dependable kinetic workhorse that staggers majors and clears mobs with a satisfying thump. For PvP, it’s a teacher that forces you to pace your shots, rewarding discipline with ghostly “headshot” notifications.

Even if you have an Igneous Hammer gathering dust in your vault, Malediction offers something special: a fixed roll that requires zero rng tears. No need to pray to the loot gods while your fireteam groans over another mediocre adept drop. This gun is the equivalent of a master key that opens the door to high-level gunplay without the existential dread of RNG. For New Lights, it’s a baptism by fire that leaves you with a lethal companion; for veterans, it’s a nostalgic knockout punch wrapped in a ritual bow.

So, whether you’re a returning Guardian who vaguely remembers what season we’re in, or a fresh-faced recruit who still gets lost in the EDZ, do yourself a favor: chase Malediction, slap on the Aged Allegiance ornament, and walk into the Crucible like you own Shaxx’s favorite helmet. The meta might shift, but a 120 hand cannon with perfect timing will never go out of style. Trust me—I’m the guy who still uses it to send Stasis hunters back to their cryo pods.