Hand Cannon

Overview

The Hand Cannon, also referred to as the Arm Cannon, is a ranged weapon in Crimson Desert that fires explosive shots dealing area-of-effect damage. It is primarily associated with Oongka, who wears it mounted on his arm as a wrist-mounted device. The Hand Cannon fills a niche that no other ranged weapon covers: delivering explosive area damage to groups of enemies.

Unlike single-target ranged options such as bows, pistols, and rifles, the Hand Cannon specializes in hitting multiple enemies with each shot. This makes it one of the most effective tools for opening fights against clustered groups of opponents.

Combat Characteristics

How It Works

The Hand Cannon is mounted on Oongka's arm rather than held as a traditional firearm. When fired, it launches an explosive projectile that detonates on impact, dealing damage to the primary target and all nearby enemies caught in the blast radius. The explosion can stagger multiple enemies at once, briefly disrupting their actions and creating openings for follow-up attacks.

The weapon has a notably slow reload time compared to other ranged options. Where pistols allow rapid follow-up shots and rifles trade speed for precision, the Hand Cannon trades fire rate for raw destructive power and area coverage. This makes timing and positioning critical; firing into a tightly packed group yields the greatest effect.

Tactical Role

The Hand Cannon excels as a fight opener. Firing an explosive round into a packed group of enemies before closing to melee range is one of the most effective ways to start an engagement. The initial blast softens and staggers multiple targets, allowing Oongka to follow up with his heavy melee weapons like the Great Axe or Hammer to finish scattered survivors.

When facing large mercenary groups or dense enemy formations, the Hand Cannon's area damage provides crowd control that melee weapons alone cannot match at range. It pairs naturally with Oongka's heavy, sweeping melee attacks to create a playstyle centered on demolishing groups of enemies.

Unique Mechanics

According to a PC Gamer hands-on preview, Oongka has a special grapple-to-cannon combo. If the player hits the grab button with the right timing, Oongka can stuff an enemy onto the end of his arm cannon, aim skyward, and launch the enemy into the air. This combines his grappling abilities with the Arm Cannon in a way that is unique to his character.

The Hand Cannon can also be used in combination with alchemy tools and the grappling hook. Players can pull enemies with the grappling hook into alchemy traps, then follow up with an explosive Hand Cannon blast to create physics-driven chain reactions against clustered groups.

Weapon Builds

Oongka's weapon system allows pairing two weapons to create distinct build identities. The Hand Cannon appears in two of his three known builds:

In both builds, the Arm Cannon provides ranged versatility that complements Oongka's melee focus. The Siege Titan build pairs it with the Great Axe for a mix of wide melee sweeps and explosive bombardment, while the Mountain Breaker build combines it with the Hammer's charged attacks for maximum burst damage at all ranges.

Comparison to Other Ranged Weapons

The Hand Cannon is the only ranged weapon that deals area damage as its primary function. Bows offer versatility through different arrow types, pistols provide rapid fire for mobility-focused play, and rifles deliver precise single-target damage at long range. The Hand Cannon sacrifices fire rate and single-target precision for the ability to damage and stagger multiple enemies simultaneously.

Wrist Crossbow Alternative

Oongka's other wrist-mounted ranged option is the Wrist Crossbow, which fires incendiary bolts at medium range. The Wrist Crossbow offers a faster rate of fire and is useful for pulling individual enemies or finishing wounded targets. Players who prefer Oongka's Raging Berserker build (Great Axe + Wrist Crossbow) trade the Hand Cannon's area devastation for more frequent ranged attacks with incendiary effects.