In Destiny 2, the Thorn makes a strong comeback. It can impress in both PvP and PvE. We show how powerful the poison syringe is now.
Why is the Thorn surprisingly strong? In Destiny 1, the Thorn was primarily known as an overpowered PvP weapon that sprayed enemies with poison and ruthlessly killed them.
In Destiny 2, it has recently returned – and the Thorn has managed to reclaim the weapon slots of many Guardians. It is particularly surprising in PvE, as the Thorn proves to be extremely useful in many situations.
The reason for this is a perk that allows players to clear entire Lost Sectors without having to reload even once. So, if you dislike reloading weapons, you should definitely acquire the Thorn. Let’s take a closer look.
In Destiny 2, the Thorn has a new perk
How to get the Thorn: The Thorn is tied to an Exotic quest. That’s the only way you can obtain it. You can read all about the Thorn quest here.
This is the new Thorn: The Thorn is an exotic hand cannon with a rate of fire of 150. For comparison: Luna’s Howl, Trust, or Nerf have a rate of fire of 180, while the Pikass has 140. The Midnight Coup also has 150 and belongs to the “Lightframe” archetype.
The perks of the Thorn: The Thorn has a new trick in Destiny 2:
- Mark of the Damned – exotic perk: Projectiles penetrate targets and deal damage over time. Kills with the weapon leave remnants.
- Soulsucker: Absorbing a remnant enhances “Mark of the Damned” and partially reloads the magazine.
The remnants are these green spheres that can only be picked up for a short time before disappearing:
This is how strong the Thorn is in PvE: Videos have already shown Guardians running through Lost Sectors without needing to reload once. The Soulsucker perk lasts for 6 seconds (up to 10 seconds if multiple are picked up).
During this time, the weapon deals increased damage. According to tests, the damage over time then causes 200% more damage.
Since you’ll need only 1-2 shots against most minor enemies and each remnant increases the magazine by about +4, you can aggressively march forward, pick up the remnants, and keep firing continuously.
A post on reddit is currently receiving a lot of support, where the user emphasizes how great the Thorn is in PvE. It was expected to be designed for PvP, but the grind for the Thorn is also worth it for PvE players.
With the Thorn, you can carve your way through enemy masses like butter, and it’s great how the remnants flow out. With the remnant buff, even big enemies can be eliminated quickly.
How does the Thorn perform in PvP?
The weapon expert known in the community, Mercules904, has already commented on the Thorn and rated its stats.
This is how the Thorn performs in PvP:
- The Thorn has a very fast time-to-kill from body shots (only 4 shots), very good handling, above-average range and stability, and high aim assist
- Reload speed is only average
- The Thorn has no drawbacks compared to other hand cannons of this archetype
- Optimal time-to-kill is 0.8 seconds, requiring 2 crits and one body shot
With other hand cannons of this archetype, you need 3 crits to kill in PvP, which gives the Thorn clear advantages here.
If you only hit the body, the time-to-kill for other hand cannons of this archetype is 1.6 seconds. For the Thorn, it’s 1.2 seconds – then you can retreat, and the poison from the Thorn takes care of the rest.
Mercules904 suspects that the Thorn will find its place in PvP. It won’t be the OP monster from Destiny 1, and it can’t quite compete with a Luna’s Howl or a Not Forgotten – based on raw TTK potential – but it forgives more mistakes.
According to Youtuber Aztecross Gaming, the flinch and recoil behavior of the weapon can pose a challenge, especially for console players. He recommends not firing the weapon as quickly as possible but instead going into cover after a shot and taking the next shot carefully.
If you pick up a remnant in PvP, the weapon becomes stronger for 6 seconds, allowing kills with 2 crits – provided the opponent has a low resilience of 6 or less.
However, keep in mind that the opponent does not immediately fall dead with both 2-crits kills or optimal time-to-kill. The poison must finish the job. However, you can go to cover after the required shots.
Have you already acquired the Thorn? How do you like it?
