Cantata-57 is an Arc adaptive (140 RPM) hand cannon reintroduced to Destiny 2 in The Witch Queen era. As a world drop, it can be found from virtually any Legendary engram or vendor rank-up, making it an accessible and highly sought-after weapon for PvP enthusiasts.
This hand cannon fits well with a precise, dueling-oriented playstyle. It shines in PvP due to its best-in-class base stats and perk options like Eye of the Storm, Opening Shot, and Rangefinder, which synergize to create an incredibly consistent and forgiving dueling experience. Titans leveraging Peacekeeper builds with an Arc subclass, Warlocks using Ophidian Aspects, and Hunters with Stompee5 or targeting exotics can all make this weapon feel like a natural extension of their kit. In PvE, the weapon is more of a generalist but can be serviceable with perks like Rapid Hit and Focused Fury for sustained damage.
From this guide, you will know:
- How good is the Cantata-57 HC
- How to get Cantata-57
- Stats and Perks of Cantata-57
- Cantata-57 God Roll
- If Cantata-57 craftable
If you value consistency and want a hand cannon that helps you win your one-on-one fights in the Crucible, the Cantata-57 is a timeless classic worth keeping an eye out for.
Is Cantata-57 HC Good?
Short answer: Excellent. Cantata-57 is a consistent 
S-tier in PvP and a 
B-tier in PvE due to its specialized perk pool.
Cantata-57 Tier list:
- PvE: S-tier. One of the most consistent and dueling-focused 140 RPM Hand Cannons available.
- PvP: B-tier. Outclassed by other Hand Cannons with superior damage or add-clear perks.
Why PvE S-tier: Its combination of high base Aim Assistance (82) and access to top-tier dueling perks makes it incredibly forgiving and consistent. A roll with Eye of the Storm + Opening Shot is arguably the best pure dueling combo in the game, dramatically boosting your accuracy and stability in the middle of a gunfight. This perk package, on top of its already great stats, makes it a menace in the Crucible.
Why PvP B-tier: It lacks strong damage or add-clear perks that define the PvE meta. While a roll with Rapid Hit and Focused Fury is serviceable for dealing with minor enemies, it can’t compete with weapons that have perks like Incandescent, Voltshot, or more potent damage bonuses. It gets the job done, but isn’t a top pick for serious content.
How to Get Cantata-57 in Destiny 2
Cantata-57 is an Arc adaptive hand cannon that re-entered the loot pool during The Witch Queen era. As a world drop, it doesn’t have a specific source, meaning you’ll need to leverage systems that pull from the entire world loot pool to find one.
Step 1: Engage with Core Playlists
Cantata-57 can drop from completing activities in the Vanguard Ops, Crucible, and Gambit playlists. While the drop chance is random, focusing on the most efficient and fastest activities (like Lake of Shadows strike or Mayhem when it’s in Crucible) will increase your chances over time.
Step 2: Turn in Materials to Vendors
This is one of the most reliable methods. Visit vendors like Banshee-44 (the Gunsmith) at the Tower and spend your Gunsmith Materials and Legendary Shards. Lord Shaxx (Crucible) and Commander Zavala (Vanguard) also offer engrams that can contain world drops when you rank up with them.
Step 3: Focus Umbral Engrams
When the seasonal vendor (like the War Table or Sonar Station) has a “Worldly Weapons” focus option, use it. This allows you to directly focus your Umbral Engrams into weapons from the world loot pool, giving you a targeted way to farm for Cantata-57.
Step 4: Open World Engrams
Keep an eye out for any Legendary (purple) engrams that drop from enemies or chests out in the world. While entirely random, this is a passive way to potentially get the hand cannon while you’re doing other activities.
Fastest Way to get Cantata-57:
The most targeted approach is to accumulate Gunsmith Materials and Legendary Shards, then turn them in to Banshee-44 — while also playing core playlists and using the “Worldly Weapons” Umbral Engram focus when available.
Keep turning in materials and focusing engrams until you land a strong roll (Eye of the Storm + Opening Shot for PvP).
Cantata-57 Farming Tips:
- Prioritize Banshee-44: His reputation engrams have a very small loot pool, making him one of the best sources for a Cantata-57.
- Complete Bounties: Picking up and completing daily bounties from Banshee, Shaxx, and Zavala is a great way to earn experience and additional rank-up engrams.
- Dismantle Unwanted Gear: Dismantling unwanted Legendary gear provides Gunsmith Materials, fueling your primary farming method at Banshee.
- Be Patient: As a world drop, acquiring your perfect “god roll” can take time and luck. There is no guaranteed shortcut.
Quick Summary
- Cantata-57 is a random world drop with no dedicated source.
- Best way: Turn in Gunsmith Materials to Banshee-44 and use “Worldly Weapons” Umbral Engram focusing.
- Focus perks: Eye of the Storm + Opening Shot for PvP.
- Since it’s a world drop, it can be a long farm, but it’s always available.
Perks of Cantata-57 HC
Column 3 Perks
This column is focused on improving the weapon’s handling, stability, and reliability.
- Eye of the Storm: The top-tier pick for PvP. This perk progressively increases handling and accuracy as your health gets lower, directly helping you win the gunfights where it matters most. It’s the definition of a dueling perk.
- Rapid Hit: An excellent alternative. Landing precision hits quickly boosts stability and reload speed, making the weapon feel more stable after the first kill and helping in 1v2 scenarios.
- Surplus: A strong consistency perk if you manage your ability cooldowns. With all abilities charged, it provides a substantial buff to handling, stability, and reload.
- Triple Tap: The primary PvE-focused perk in this column, useful for sustained damage against tougher enemies.
Column 4 Perks
This column is all about enhancing your effective range and initial shot accuracy.
- Opening Shot: Arguably the best PvP perk in this slot. It grants increased accuracy and range on the first shot of an attack, making your initial headshot more likely and extending your effective dueling distance. It’s a perfect pairing with Eye of the Storm.
- Rangefinder: A classic top-tier choice. While it has been adjusted, it still increases zoom and effective range, pushing out damage falloff and making the weapon feel more consistent at a distance.
- Moving Target: A fantastic consistency perk that grants +10 Aim Assistance while aiming down sights and faster movement speed. It makes acquiring your target slightly easier.
- Focused Fury: The main PvE damage perk, requiring sustained fire to activate. It’s serviceable but outclassed by other hand cannons with more potent perks.
Origin Traits
- SUROS Legacy: Reloading immediately after a kill grants a small amount of health.
Quick Take
- For PvP, the undisputed “god roll” is Eye of the Storm (Column 3) and Opening Shot (Column 4). This combination creates the most consistent and forgiving dueling experience possible, giving you a tangible advantage in primary gunfights. Pair this with a Range masterwork and Accurized Rounds.
- For PvE, the Cantata-57 is outclassed by many other options. However, a roll with Rapid Hit and Focused Fury is the most effective for general use, though it lacks the add-clear potential of other meta weapons.
Cantata-57 God Roll
The Cantata-57‘s reputation is built on its ability to combine raw statistical consistency with powerful, duel-winning perks in a way few other hand cannons can. Let’s look at what makes its PvP and PvE rolls stand out.
Cantata-57 PvE God Roll
In PvE, the Cantata-57 is a serviceable weapon but is outclassed by hand cannons with more potent damage or add-clearing perks. Its strengths lie in sustained fire and general use.
- Rapid Hit – The best-in-slot perk for PvE. Landing a few precision hits dramatically boosts your stability and reload speed, making the weapon feel smooth and responsive for dealing with multiple enemies.
- Focused Fury – The primary damage perk. After landing half of the magazine as precision hits, you gain a 20% damage boost for the remainder of the magazine. It works well with Rapid Hit for sustained damage against majors or minibosses.
- Timed Payload – A utility option that causes your shots to explode shortly after impact. This deals damage in a small AoE and can stun-lock weaker enemies, though its total damage increase is lower than other perks.
- Triple Tap – A good perk for ammo economy. Landing three precision hits returns one round to the magazine, allowing for longer sustained fire without reloading.
For a PvE roll, you’ll want Rapid Hit + Focused Fury for the best balance of consistency and damage. While effective, it lacks the add-clear potential of weapons with perks like Incandescent or Voltshot, making it a solid choice for general play but not a top-tier pick for endgame content.
Cantata-57 PvP God Roll
In the Crucible, the Cantata-57 is a dueling specialist. Your goal is to build for maximum range and choose perks that give you a tangible advantage in a one-on-one gunfight.
- Eye of the Storm – This is the quintessential dueling perk. As you take damage in a fight, it progressively grants you massive boosts to accuracy and stability. This actively helps you win engagements where your aim is being flinched, making your shots land when they otherwise might not.
- Opening Shot – A perfect partner for Eye of the Storm. It guarantees your first shot in a duel has enhanced range and accuracy, helping you secure that critical first headshot. The combination means your first shot is accurate, and your last shots become more accurate under fire.
- Rangefinder – While adjusted, it remains a top-tier perk for pure range extension. It pushes out your damage falloff, allowing you to duel effectively at further distances.
- Moving Target – A fantastic consistency perk that grants a +10 Aim Assistance boost while aiming down sights and faster strafe speed. This makes your target acquisition stickier and helps you evade enemy fire.
Together, these perks create an incredibly forgiving and consistent weapon. The undisputed “god roll” is Eye of the Storm + Opening Shot, a combination that provides a direct advantage at both the start and end of every duel.
For barrels and magazines, focus purely on Range (e.g., Hammer-Forged Rifling, Accurized Rounds, and a Range masterwork) to maximize your effective distance.
Can you craft Cantata-57?
You cannot craft the Cantata-57. It does not drop with Deepsight (red borders) and has no pattern to unlock, so there is no way to craft a personalized version at the Enclave.
The only way to get this Hand Cannon is as a random world drop. It can appear from nearly any source that rewards Legendary engrams, such as completing core playlist activities (Vanguard Ops, Crucible, Gambit), ranking up with vendors like Banshee-44, or opening Umbral Engrams focused into the “Worldly Weapons” category. This means if you want a specific god roll, you’ll need to rely on luck from these random drops and consistently turn in materials to vendors for more chances.
Conclusion
The Cantata-57 is one of the most consistent and sought-after hand cannons in the Destiny 2 Crucible. It brings together best-in-class base stats with a perfectly curated perk pool focused on winning one-on-one duels. In PvP, it feels incredibly reliable with perks like Eye of the Storm and Opening Shot, which actively help you secure kills under pressure. In PvE, it is a serviceable but outclassed weapon that lacks the potent damage or add-clear perks of its modern competitors.
Because it’s a world drop and not craftable, acquiring your perfect roll is a test of patience and luck. Players who main the Crucible, value consistency in their primary duels, or are searching for a definitive “feel-good” 140 RPM Hand Cannon should absolutely keep this weapon on their wishlist. If you primarily play PvE or already have a crafted weapon like the Austringer, you can safely skip the grind — but for any Guardian looking to gain an edge in the Crucible, the Cantata-57 is a timeless classic worth chasing.
