# The Project & Paintjob

Since Monument of Triumph is our last hoorah before we drive into the sunset with our sparrows, as a lifetime Hunter I felt the need to immortalize my love for the franchise in a special way. 

I have been playing Airsoft for a while now and I have always wanted to bring a piece of Destiny into this other hobby. So when the idea of making a destiny design on a replica dawned on me, I got to work and started to conceptualize multiple themes for the weapon. I went through a decade of content in search of inspiration: concept art, community artwork, in-game descriptions, exotic perk icons, flavor texts, grimoire cards...everything; and at the very end, I felt that the most fitting theme would be that of the iconic handcannon of our beloved Cayde-6.

The paintjob itself was quite the challenge: I had never done a paintjob like this before, let alone on a replica, so although I had a plan, most of the actual painting and distressing was improvised in true hunter fashion. While the main body is somewhat close to the original design, the magazines feature the hunter insignia on the inner side and multiple symbols on the other. 2 magazines feature spades from the perks and weapon itself, while the remaining one I will leave as a little easter egg of one of the earlier designs i came up with ;) Lmk if you know the reference.

All things considered, I am quite happy with how it came out (even if it doesnt trigger explosions irl...), love the banged up feel it has and, most importantly, It also was a great opportunity to spend time with my dad (a fellow hammer throwing, thunder crashing titan). 

# The Weapon

I have always loved theorizing about new exotics and perks, so I wanted to complement the weapon with its very own perk selection. (Feel free to discuss how you would buildcraft with it hehe)

♠️ **Dead Man's Hand**

**Weapon Type:** Auto Rifle (Kinetic Damage) **Archetype:** Rapid-Fire Frame (900 RPM - Deeper ammo reserves. Slightly faster reload when magazine is empty.)

>

*"Banshee, listen to me," the Hunter said, leaning his elbows on the gunsmith's counter. "The Ace of Spades is a masterpiece, I'm not denying that. But Sometimes you don't have time to aim for the head. Sometimes you just need to... clear the table, fast."*

*Banshee-44 examined the black and white metal chassis, tracing the spade engraved on the side of the magazine.*

*"Spits lead real fast. It'll be unstable," the Exo muttered, without looking up.*

*"That's the point," the Hunter smiled, picking up the rifle and racking the charging handle. "It aint no ace in the hole, but by the time they see my cards, there won't be anyone left to fold."*

**Exotic Perks & Traits**

* **Intrinsic Trait: The House Deals -** Landing consecutive hits on a target builds stacks of *Winning Hand*, escalating this weapon's damage and stability. At maximum stacks, projectiles become overcharged and stagger enemies.
* **Exotic Perk: Burn Card -** Sustained damage against a target while *Winning Hand* is at maximum stacks triggers 3 Solar shockwaves that damage and **scorch** nearby targets.

**Exotic Catalyst**

* **All-In:** Defeating **scorched** targets grants more *Winning Hand* stacks and partially refills the magazine from reserves.

# The Long Goodbye

I started this journey when I was 11, during the D1 beta, and man, I still can't grasp the idea that I've spent more than half of my life roaming the stars and worlds of this franchise. I'm 23 now, many things have changed in my life, but Destiny has always been a constant, a familiar place to return to, even after all the highs and lows that we guardians have been through.

Like many of you, I have made countless memories, met incredible people and experienced all kinds of marvelous things during the thousands upon thousands of hours I have poured into this game.

I have nothing but the deepest respect and gratitude for the team at Bungie that made this one of a kind adventure possible and I also want to thank you, whether we have met in patrol zones, faced each other in the crucible or fought gods together in raids and dungeons, you have helped make this universe and this journey one of the most precious experiences one could ever wish for. I don't know what the future may hold, but I do know that Destiny and its community will always have a special place close to my heart.

*Per Audacia ad Astra*, my fellow Guardians.

\------------------------------------------------------

Credits to [https://www.deviantart.com/josephbiwald/art/Ace-of-Spades-Poster-803566124](https://www.deviantart.com/josephbiwald/art/Ace-of-Spades-Poster-803566124) for the background image in the first pic.

Saying farewell to Destiny 2 with an Ace of Spades inspired Concept & Paintjob: Dead Man's Hand