In Destiny 2, the powerful hand cannons have been rightfully nerfed. But there’s one exotic that benefits from it. We tell you why you should definitely try Thorn in PvP.
What happened to the hand cannons? At the start of the current season (Season of the Undying), Bungie adjusted the sandbox. Some hand cannons received a buff, but all experienced a significant nerf.
On the one hand, the 140 and 150 RPM revolvers now shoot a bit more accurately. The weapons have been given a new firing animation. This is intended to make the recoil easier to handle. Especially on consoles, shooting now feels better.
At the same time, the range of all hand cannons has been revised. Bungie found the firearms too dominant. Whether in close combat or at long distances, hand cannons were usually the best choice in PvP.
Since Shadowkeep, the damage dealt drops off much more quickly. For example, the famous Pikass could previously deal maximum damage from 34 meters away. Currently, the value is at 28 meters. Every additional meter between you and the opponent causes the damage to drop rapidly.
The other exotic and legendary hand cannons are similarly affected. All must yield to other weapon types at longer distances. All? No! One unyielding hand cannon withstands the nerf.
This weapon is about: Thorn is an exotic hand cannon for the kinetic slot. The weapon has been a fan favorite since Destiny 1 and is one of the most notorious exotics ever.
The exotic perks of the cursed weapon are:
- Mark of Punishment: Bullets penetrate targets and deal damage over time. Kills with this weapon leave remnants.
- Soul Devourer: Absorbing a remnant enhances “Mark of Punishment” and partially reloads the magazine.
The DoT (damage over time) makes Thorn so special. Shots with the weapon effectively poison opponents, dealing damage even after the shot for several seconds. Killed opponents noticeably increase your poison damage.
How Thorn performs in PvP: The hand cannon has a rate of fire of 150. Like all 150 RPM revolvers, it deals 68 damage for headshots and 43 damage for body shots in PvP. Additionally, there is poison damage. This deals 2 damage per tick and hits four times.
Even back in the “Destiny 1″ times, Thorn caused fear and dread in the Crucible. Its toxic bullets made it a monster for a time.
In Destiny 2, Thorn started off not as dangerous. While the poison effect was useful, it wasn’t nearly as strong as before. However, the range nerf of other hand cannons allows the DoT to shine in a new light.
Get Thorn out of the vault
Why you should dust off Thorn now: The effective range of hand cannons has been reduced across the board. This means it’s more common for not the maximum damage to be dealt.
In practice, this means that more shots are often needed to take down the opposing Guardian. Instead of the previous three shots, it can now be four or five – it all depends on the distance.
This is where Thorn comes into play. The poison damage over time is unaffected by range or damage drop-off. This means you usually compensate for damage drop-offs due to range easily. Thorn maintains its optimal TTK (time-to-kill) much longer than other comparable hand cannons.
If you collect the “remnants” of a defeated Guardian, the poison becomes even stronger. Buffed this way, Thorn can even eliminate an opponent with just two shots – but this only works against players with less than six resilience.
More good reasons to use Thorn: Additionally, Thorn benefits from the precision buff. The fact that range is currently no longer the most important stat for hand cannons also benefits the poison injector. Now that all revolvers are capped at around 30 meters, attributes like stability or handling can be prioritized.
Thorn has excellent handling, is ready to use in a flash, and feels very smooth. Its recoil value is a full 100/100 and the aim assist is strong at 85/100.
All of this combined offers a great overall package and we recommend every Guardian to take Thorn into the Crucible. As PvP expert Mtashed assesses, you can check out this YouTube video:
What do you think of Thorn – are you wreaking havoc in the Crucible with it? Read more about “toxic weapons” here:
