Hand Cannons

Overview

Hand cannons are heavy ranged weapons in Crimson Desert that fire explosive projectilesdealing damage in an area of effect around the point of impact. They occupy the dedicated ranged weapon slot and represent the most destructive ranged option in the game. Oongka is prominently shown using a hand cannon in gameplay footage. This reflects the weapon's raw, brute-force character.

Where rifles deliver precision single-target damage and pistols provide quick mobile shots, hand cannons fill a distinct explosive niche. Each shot creates a blast radius that damages all enemies caught in the explosion, making hand cannons the only ranged weapon in the game with true area-of-effect capability.

Combat Style

Hand cannon combat revolves around positioning and timing. The weapon fires a single explosive projectile per shot, and each shot requires a significant wind-up period. Players must aim carefully because the ammunition is limited relative to other ranged weaponsand every missed shot represents wasted time during the reload window.

The explosive shots deal heavy damage at the point of impact and moderate splash damage to everything within the blast radius. This makes hand cannons devastating against groups of enemies standing close together. A well-placed shot into a cluster can stagger every enemy in the group simultaneously, disrupting their formations and creating openings for melee follow-ups.

Hand cannons also apply strong stagger to whatever they hit. Even large enemies and mini-bosses can be staggered by a direct hand cannon shot, interrupting their attack animations. This makes the hand cannon valuable as an opener against tough single targets as well, not just groups.

Available Hand Cannons

At launch, a single hand cannon is available in Crimson Desertthe Orc Blaster. It is Oongka's starting ranged weapon and cannot be purchased, dropped, or sold. The Orc Blaster is permanently bound to Oongka's inventory from the moment the player gains control of him at the end of Chapter 7.

Orc Blaster Stats

With 22 base Attack Power, the Orc Blaster outperforms every other ranged weapon in the game by a significant margin. The Bekker Bow starts at 10 ATK and the Jemel Pistol at 18 ATK, putting the Orc Blaster firmly at the top. Its 9 refinement slots (one fewer than the standard 10 for most weapons) allow for substantial upgrades over the course of the game. Each refinement level adds bonus Attack Power on top of the 22 base, making fully refined explosive shots incredibly destructive.

The 5 Abyss Core slots provide room for meaningful customization through Witch vendors. Cores that expand blast radius, increase stagger duration, add elemental effects to explosions, or boost raw damage output all complement the Orc Blaster's role as a crowd-clearing opener.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Tactical Applications

The hand cannon excels as a fight opener. Before engaging a group of enemies, firing an explosive shot into their midst scatters them, deals initial damage, and staggers the survivors. The player can then switch to a melee weapon and engage the disoriented enemies individually.

Against large bossesthe hand cannon's stagger potential is its primary value. A direct hit interrupts boss attack chains, creating safe windows for melee allies to deal damage. In encounters with multiple phases, saving hand cannon shots for critical moments when the boss is charging a powerful attack can prevent devastating hits.

Ammunition

Hand cannons require cannon balls to fire. Unlike bowswhich use arrows that can be crafted or found in large quantities, cannon ball supplies are more limited. Players can purchase cannon balls from merchants in towns and cities across Pyweland some enemies drop small quantities as loot. Stocking up on cannon balls whenever passing through a settlement is strongly recommended, since running out of ammunition mid-fight forces a switch to melee or an alternative ranged weapon.

The limited ammunition supply is intentional. Hand cannons are not designed for sustained ranged combat the way rifles or bows are. Each shot is expensive in terms of both ammunition and reload time, so the weapon rewards players who make every shot count by aiming into dense clusters of enemies rather than picking off individual targets.

Acquisition and Upgrading

Hand cannons are rarer than pistols or bows and typically appear in the inventories of Equipment Shops in later-game regions. They can also drop from heavy enemies and bosses. Refinement increases base blast damage, and Abyss Gear augments can expand the blast radius, increase stagger duration, or add elemental effects to explosions.

Recommended Playstyle

Hand cannons complement aggressive, crowd-control-oriented playstyles. Pair them with a heavy melee weapon like an axe or hammer for a loadout that dominates group encounters: open with an explosive shot to scatter and stagger, then wade in with sweeping melee attacks to finish off weakened enemies.

Fire elemental enhancements pair naturally with hand cannons. An explosive shot imbued with fire applies burn to every enemy in the blast radius, creating sustained damage across the entire group.

Oongka and the Hand Cannon

Oongka is the primary hand cannon user in Crimson Desert. Born into an orc tribe and later recruited into the Greymanes mercenary band, Oongka fights with brute force rather than finesse. The hand cannon fits his personality and combat philosophy: a single devastating blast that overwhelms enemies through sheer power. His arm-mounted Orc Blaster reflects this approach perfectly.

Oongka becomes playable at the end of Chapter 7 in the main campaign, and the Orc Blaster is already equipped when the player first takes control of him. His three weapon builds each pair a heavy melee weapon with a ranged option, and two of those builds feature the hand cannon:

The Siege Titan and Mountain Breaker builds both use the hand cannon as the ranged component. In both cases, the typical engagement pattern is the same: open with an explosive cannon shot to soften and stagger a group, then close the distance with sweeping melee attacks to finish off the scattered survivors.

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 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 with Other Ranged Weapons

Crimson Desert offers four categories of ranged weaponseach filling a distinct tactical role. Understanding how hand cannons compare with other options helps players decide when to use each type.

The hand cannon's 22 base Attack Power is the highest of any ranged weapon. It is the only ranged option with true area-of-effect damage, which makes it irreplaceable for opening fights against groups. However, its very slow fire rate and limited ammunition mean it cannot sustain ranged combat the way bows or pistols can. Players who prefer sustained ranged pressure should consider bows or the Wrist Crossbow, while those who want a single devastating opening shot before switching to melee will find the hand cannon ideal.

Wrist Crossbow Alternative

Oongka's other wrist-mounted ranged option is the Wrist Crossbowwhich 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.