I've gotten far enough with the Hunter class to come to a verdict. It's very good. Arc Blade(with Hungering Blade) makes for what is objectively the best super in the game. Throwing knife is a hell of a lot of fun and if it wasn't conjoined to the relatively underwhelming Golden Gun, it would probably tip the scales in the Hunter's favor.
As it stands, I still prefer Void Walker Warlocks, but I'll admit there's personal bias there. I like a ranged super, I stay relatively safe(although when I unlock Hungering Blade, that may very well become irrelevant) and don't feel like a blind dog in a meat market when I activate it. Axion Bolt along with the class perk and Voidfang is by far and away the best grenade of the bunch. But to crown it as that is selling it short, it's an altogether different advantage than any of the other 11 grenade types I've tried(between warlocks and hunters). Lastly, the warlock's recovery ability is so much more potent than a hunter's speed. Sprinting and jumping around is fun and also next to useless. Regaining shield/health quickly on the other hand, that allows a player to press the advantage a lot more aggressively when both parties are dinged up. The armor is a wash, obviously. Always switching weapons quickly and invisibility are cool as well, but not enough to turn the tide.
So there you have it. The slow, ponderous Voidwalker wins. Gunslinger has a fantastic melee and some fun abilities(I wonder how much difference gunslinger's trance makes), but The Golden Gun just isn't as formidable as some of the other supers. Arc Blade absolutely is, but it's ultimately the grenade selection and lack of recovery ability that leave it in second place. I still need to explore some invisibility stuff and it's a great change of pace, so I'll continue to enjoy using it.
PS: this is as it relates to the Crucible. In pve, Sunbros obviously rule due to that crazy phoenix down shit.
I leave you now with the only interesting bit of Destiny lore I've come across, it sums up this post: "He came at me with a knife. I put out my hand and - just so - made him into ash."
