Thorn is one of the best anti-entry and trapper operators. With her Razorbloom Shell special gadget, she can really disrupt the attacking team’s momentum and push them back. That’s because it acts like a proximity mine and will start its detonation counter when an enemy enters its radius.
When it detonates, it results in a blast that has a similar explosion power to a nitro cell, so enemies caught within its radius are likely to die. Thorn is even stronger now because of the addition of the scope 1.5x to her UZK50GI which greatly increases her accuracy, especially at close to medium range.
5. UZK50GI with Scope 1.5x, Muzzle Brake, and Angled Grip + 1911 TACOPS with Suppressor and Laser + Barbed Wire
Thorn’s UZK50GI is a great weapon because of its high damage, low recoil, and now it’s compatible with the scope 1.5x which will allow Thorn to see her targets well and that of course translates to better accuracy. Perhaps the only downside to using the UZK50GI is its small magazine capacity. But with this loadout setup, Thorn will be able to offset that drawback. That’s because this setup on Thorn’s UZK50GI specializes in short burst firing, and when it comes to short sprays, it’s okay to have a small magazine capacity.
Short sprays with this UZK50GI setup will have good recoil control because the muzzle brake on its barrel will greatly lower the weapon’s first shot recoil. While it only affects the first shot, it has the tendency to stabilize the subsequent few shots. As for the angled grip, it’ll allow Thorn to go into aim-down-sights quicker than normal and that’s great for flick shots followed by a short burst which goes well with Thorn’s gameplay. With this loadout setup, Thorn will be able to respond fast to her enemies.
Excels in:
- The UZK50GI with a muzzle brake on its barrel will have a really low first shot recoil and for fully automatic weapons, that means that the subsequent few shots will feel more stable.
- The angled grip on Thorn’s UZK50GI will allow her to go into aim-down-sights stance faster than normal and that’s great for flick shots and short burst firing
- The addition of the scope 1.5x on Thorn’s UZK50GI is one of the best buffs she’s ever received because with it, she’ll be able to see her targets well at close to medium range
- The suppressed 1911 TACOPS handgun will allow Thorn to disable enemy gadgets such as drones or claymores when she’s roaming or rotating with less chance of alerting enemies to her presence
- The barbed wires are great for slowing down enemies. They’re also great for ruining the enemies’ momentum and they can act as early warning devices because they make a lot of noise when being destroyed
Build Details:
- Primary Weapon - UZK50GI with Scope 1.5x, Muzzle Brake, and Angled Grip
- Secondary Weapon - 1911 TACOPS with Suppressor and Laser
- Generic Gadget - Barbed Wire
Recoil test on the UZK50GI in this setup with the author’s own recoil control applied:
4. UZK50GI with Scope 1.5x, Suppressor, and Vertical Grip + 1911 TACOPS with Muzzle Brake and Laser + Barbed Wire
Because of the UZK50GI’s low recoil, Thorn can afford to equip it with attachments that don't provide additional recoil control. With that, Thorn can take advantage of other benefits such as the stealth benefits from the suppressor. With the suppressor on her UZK50GI, her shots with it won’t create a directional threat indicator as well as a muzzle flash. Its gunshots will also be more silent. With that, the enemies’ reaction to being shot by Thorn could be delayed because they won’t immediately know where they’re being shot from.
Another great thing about equipping a suppressor on weapons is that since their gunshots will be more silent, it’ll allow the user to hear incoming enemies better even while they’re shooting. With the suppressed UZK50GI as Thorn’s primary weapon, chances are, her enemies will be much slower to react, therefore, they’ll be ineffective in countering as well as protecting themselves. As for her generic gadget, the barbed wires go well with her Razorbloom Shells as they’re great in slowing enemies down.
Excels in:
- The suppressed UZK50GI has a chance of making enemies slower to react to Thorn’s shots because they won’t be receiving a directional indicator of where the shots are coming from
- The suppressor will also remove the muzzle flash on the UZK50GI as well as greatly dampen its gunshot sounds, and with that, it’ll be harder for enemies to determine Thorn’s location
- The vertical grip on Thorn's UZK50GI will help her maintain control of the weapon especially when it’s being fired continuously
- The 1911 TACOPS in this setup will be great for fragging enemies due to its low recoil from the muzzle brake and tight hip fire spread from the laser attachment
- The barbed wires as Thorn’s generic gadget will slow down enemies on entry spots, and when placed well, they can prevent enemies from escaping the Razorbloom Shell’s explosion
Build Details:
- Primary Weapon - UZK50GI with Scope 1.5x, Suppressor, and Vertical Grip
- Secondary Weapon - 1911 TACOPS with Muzzle Brake and Laser
- Generic Gadget - Barbed Wire
Recoil test on the UZK50GI in this setup with the author’s own recoil control applied:
3. UZK50GI with Scope 1.5x, Flash Hider, and Angled Grip + C75 Auto with Suppressor + Deployable Shield
This setup on Thorn’s UZK50GI provides a good amount of vertical recoil control on the weapon while also allowing Thorn to be able to aim at her opponents faster than normal. The vertical recoil control will be handled by the flash hider attachment on the UZK50GI’s barrel while the aim-down-sights speed boost will be from the angled grip attachment. This is a very solid setup for Thorn because it allows her to respond to enemies fast while also maintaining a good handle on the weapon’s recoil.
As for her secondary weapon, Thorn is one of the few operators that can use the great C75 Auto machine pistol. I say it’s great because despite its very fast rate of fire, its recoil is very easy to manage. It also kind of has an integrated suppressor. I say kind of, because it’s the only available barrel attachment to it, and since it doesn’t reduce weapons’ damage anymore, there’s really no downside to equipping it when there are no other available barrel attachments for the weapon.
Excels in:
- The angled grip on Thorn’s UZK50GI will give her an aim-down-sights speed boost which is really helpful with sudden enemy encounters especially at close to medium range
- The flash hider will allow Thorn to have a good handle on the UZK50GI’s vertical recoil and it’ll hide the weapon’s muzzle flash, decreasing the visual cues that enemies could react to
- The scope 1.5x is the perfect sight for the distance where Thorn usually engages her enemies in which is at close to medium range
- Providing Thorn with an excellent machine pistol in the C75 Auto which has a great rate of fire while maintaining a very manageable recoil. It also kind of has an integrated suppressor.
- The deployable shield will provide an extra cover, not just for Thorn, but also for the other defending team members. It also has slits that’ll allow defenders to see the other side even when their crouched behind it
Build Details:
- Primary Weapon - UZK50GI with Scope 1.5x, Flash Hider, and Angled Grip
- Secondary Weapon - C75 Auto with Suppressor
- Generic Gadget - Deployable Shield
Recoil test on the UZK50GI in this setup with the author’s own recoil control applied:
2. M870 with Reflex B and Laser + C75 Auto with Suppressor + Deployable Shield
Thorn is one of the best anchors in the game, not just because of her Razorbloom Shells but also because she has access to the M870 shotgun. Throughout the years, it has remained as one of the most popular non-slug shotguns around. That’s because it has better range than most of your typical shotguns and it inflicts high damage per pellet. It’s even more powerful now with the recent rework on non-slug shotguns, making it more rewarding when players go into aim-down-sights stance with them.
Obviously, non-slug shotguns like the M870 have limited range, so this loadout setup might be intimidating to use, especially for beginners. But that’s where the C75 Auto comes in. The C75 Auto is basically like a mini submachine gun, so when you’re expecting enemy encounters at distances beyond the reach of the M870, you can have the C75 Auto ready instead, and for close range encounters, you should definitely switch to the M870 because it’s a monster at that distance.
Excels in:
- Thorn having the close range superiority because of the heavy damage per pellet from the M870 shotgun which also has better range than most non-slug shotguns in the game
- Having a tight hip fire pellet spread from Thorn’s M870 shotgun because of the presence of the laser attachment which makes Thorn even more effective at close range encounters
- The M870 is one of the shotguns that can fire in the middle of being reloaded, so even when it’s reloading in the middle of combat, the user would not be in too much of a disadvantage.
- Thorn having access to the C75 Auto is like having a mini submachine gun which she can use for fragging opponents that are well beyond the reach of the M870 shotgun
- The deployable shield is great for holding angles as it also allows a defender crouching behind it to see the other side from its slits
Build Details:
- Primary Weapon - M870 with Reflex B and Laser
- Secondary Weapon - C75 Auto with Suppressor
- Generic Gadget - Deployable Shield
Hip fire pellet spread test on the M870 in this setup at 5m range:
Hip fire pellet spread test on the M870 in this setup at 10m range:
1. UZK50GI with Scope 1.5x, Extended Barrel, and Vertical Grip + C75 Auto with Suppressor + Deployable Shield
As mentioned before, the UZK50GI’s weakness is that its magazine size is quite small. With this loadout setup however, that small magazine size will be offset by the weapon’s higher firepower from the extended barrel. Because its magazine size is small, it can only fire twenty-two bullets before needing to be reloaded, but with the increased damage from the extended barrel, those twenty-two bullets will count for more. That means that with the extended barrel, the user will have a higher chance of taking out an opponent before the UZK50GI needs to be reloaded.
The extended barrel, however, doesn’t add recoil control benefits, so it’s better to partner it with a vertical grip attachment. That way, Thorn will be sure to handle the weapon’s recoil, even though it’s generally manageable. The deployable shield on the other hand is a great combo to Thorn’s Razorbloom Shell, because when one is placed behind it and an enemy vaults over, it’ll start the Razorbloom Shell’s explosion countdown, and there’s a good chance that the enemy will get killed.
Excels in:
- The extended barrel on Thorn’s UZK50GI will increase its firepower as it now adds more damage to weapons as well as greatly decrease their range damage drop-off
- The vertical grip will help Thorn maintain good control over the UZK50GI’s vertical recoil which is great to have considering that the extended barrel doesn’t add more recoil control
- The scope 1.5x will allow Thorn to see her targets well when aiming-down-sights on her UZK50GI submachine gun and that is great for close to medium range encounters
- Having a great secondary weapon in the C75 Auto which is a machine pistol with great rate of fire but low recoil. It also kind of has an integrated suppressor because it’s its only barrel attachment
- Providing extra cover for Thorn and other team members with the use of the deployable shield generic gadget which has slits that allows the player ducked behind it to see what’s going on the other side
Build Details:
- Primary Weapon - UZK50GI with Scope 1.5x, Extended Barrel, and Vertical Grip
- Secondary Weapon - C75 Auto with Suppressor
- Generic Gadget - Deployable Shield
Recoil test on the UZK50GI in this setup with the author’s own recoil control applied:
Attention operator, please be advised. There is a new directive from Six. Read up on these related articles, and prepare for deployment:
