Destiny 2 Thorn Exotic Hand Cannon Quest - Independent Study

Thorn is an exotic hand cannon in Destiny 2. If you’ve played the previous game, you might remember it as one of the fan favorites. It has made a return, and it’s still as good looking as ever, at least. It has a perk that lets bullets pierce targets and poison them, dealing damage over time. This guide will show you how to get Destiny 2 Thorn exotic hand cannon by breaking down the Independent Study quest line for you.

Note: Thorn isn’t in the game yet. It’s supposed to be relased on March 12th, and all the info here comes courtesy of Destiny’s countless data miners.

How to get Thorn in Destiny 2?

You’ll start the quest by getting A Melted Hunk of Metal. Once you bring it to the gunsmith at the tower, the real fun starts. For the first step, he’ll ask you to gather Hardonic Essence. You can do this by completing bounties on Io, killing Warlocks in the Crucible or completing Nightfall strikes. That last one is the most efficient, but it’s also the hardest.

The second step requires you to find Plasteel Plating. To do so, you’ll need to complete bounties on Titan, beat Titans in PvP or complete Blind Well runs in the Dreaming City. Heroic Blind Wells are the best choice, if you can stand the heat. The last component you need is Sapphire Wire, which drops from bounties on Mars, killing Hunters in the Crucible or finishing Escalation Protocol waves.

Once you have all the components, you’ll have to defeat a number of Guardians in the Crucible with either void weapons or hand cannons. If you decide to use a void hand cannon, your progress will be multiplied. Each kill will count as several if it’s done in Competitive or Iron Banner. Afterwards, speak to Tyra Karn at the Farm and she’ll send you off to play a more difficult version of the Savathun’s Song strike on Titan. When you’ve done that, talk to Banshee-44, and you’ll get your precious Thorn.

If you need further help with Destiny 2 Shadowkeep, check out our guides on Dead Ghost Locations, Jade Rabbit Locations, and Eyes on the Moon - How to Start Vex Invasion. If it's Exotic Weapons that you're after, we've got you covered with our Pain And Gain Exotic Quest and Deathbringer Exotic Rocket Launcher - Symphony of Death guides. Going back in time for new players, we can offer you guides like Ikelos Weapons - How to Get SMG, Sniper Rifle, Shotgun, or, if you're playing Forsaken content, guides like Corsair Down & Badge - Dead Body Locations.