[b][i][u]READ THE POST BEFORE COMMENTING HOW MUCH I SUCK OR WHATEVER. I don't want a nerf to the gun, but since one is coming anyway (you know it is) we may as well make it one that doesn't break the gun or make it redundant[/u][/i][/b] Like many of you, I would like to see a reduction in thorn use in PVP, but I am also able to remember the plight of the SUROS regime, may it rest in peace. So now we are left with a dilemma- how do we weaken the thorn to make other guns viable while keeping it viable in itself. Well, many people have offered nerf ideas but the vast majority have been the unimaginative damage reduction and any others would make it unusable. There is a simple reason for why the damage shouldn't be reduced. If you lower the damage to make it a three shot hit, in any way, you make the gun pointless. A legendary handcannon would have the same effect but without taking an exotic slot Instead, there are three things that should (in my opinion) be done to reduce thorn usage while keeping it viable 1- buff auto rifles again. By removing 1/4 of the primary weapons from the effective weapons pool, it's natural people would shift to handcannons. Scouts and pulses aren't effective enough to deal with the CQC nature of the maps, so handcannons were the natural choice. By returning the most popular weapon type to its former glory, you can wean people off the thorn. 2- reduce thorn's firerate. As of right now, part of its popularity is from the fact that you can spam three or more shots before your opponent has had the chance to fire two. If you reduce the fire rate, it keeps the thorn deadly but more skill based and means you have to pick your fights, as well as increasing the TTK. This also makes it the opposite of TLW as most fights will have to be mid to long range to ensure victory. 3- lower the reload speed back to it's original stat. This is a smaller reduction but means that you can't just spam bullets for fear of being vulnerable when you most need to kill your opponent. Keep the magazine size the same, but it means you can't just reload in an instant. These three things are small enough to keep the thorn useful while limiting its usability in some areas. And it has minimal impact on PVE. TL;DR Buff autos, reduce thorn's firerate and reload speed. Keeps it strong while providing a weakness. New ideas- why not reduce the aim assist or make the bullets have travel time like the vex? It'll make getting hits require even more skill