Okey dokey, So I posted a poll a while back and asked what the community would like to see me review. Exotic Hand Cannons won the vote, so I have been playing with these little fellas for the past week or so. I decided to review Thorn first, because it not only appears to be the most complained about Hand Cannon in recent events, but it's also fiercely defended by a lot of people. Also, my reviews are long and contain facts and opinion. If you simply want a conclusion, scroll to the bottom, and if you want to read all of my nonsense, read on! My first impressions of Thorn, which I later named Jessica, were unimpressive considering what I had to do to get it. It seemed to be just like any other hand cannon. Sure, the rate of fire and impact were good, but I didn't really appreciate the weapon until I got it upgraded. I run the Aggressive Ballistics perk on my setup. Jessica has a decent rate of fire, so being able to re-acquire a sight picture after firing (stability) is high on my priority list. The other ballistic set ups are decent, but I personally don't care for the range that they promote. I have always been trained that a hand gun is a defensive weapon. If I am going to snipe someone, I'm using a rifle. Final Round seems like a perk that was added just so you can poke your target in the chest a little harder before the succumb to the inevitable. Yes, it make a slight difference, but if you shoot the wheel out of your wheel gun to that point, you're either doing it wrong, or there is no enemy on the other team left to kill. It's there, it's not bad... Moving on. I run Perfect Balance on my setup. Again, acquiring the target is a primary concern when using a defensive weapon. One could argue that Snapshot would be important for that as well, but I feel that taming Jessica's recoil is more conducive to her overall design. Send It... Again, it's not a sniper rifle. Build this weapon as a defensive weapon, and you can ward off many that may come for you. Mark of the Devourer... This is Jessica's bread and butter. This perk is what single handedly makes this weapon so deadly. After unlocking this perk, you will be able to kill a target in the Crucible with two precision shots. It also prolongs shield regeneration a significant amount. Don't chase your targets with this weapon, there is no need. Hit them, let them run. You'll likely get an assist, or possibly even a kill. Is it fair? probably not, but I'm not complaining... It's surely not as easy as it looks. Conclusion: This weapon is controversial. It is capable of major damage in the Crucible, especially if you are skilled with a Hand Cannon. It seems to be overpowered, but I'm not so sure. It seems to be good, but only if the user is good too. Red Death can counter it's exotic perk, it leaves traces behind it's bullets that are green and visible for miles and the green dot sight is hard to focus on (for me) at times. Aesthetically, it's ugly as sin. I hate how this weapon looks, but it has a mean bite. All in all, I won't be using it regularly. See for yourself, go get one. You'll see that those "2 shot kills" aren't as easy as they look. Thorn users will know exactly what I mean. Questions, comments and concerns go below. I'm always open for criticism or debate. Let me know what you think in the poll at the top. Last, but certainly not least, if you read this entire post, I thank you.