Full disclosure... I use Thorn. In my opinion, it is absolutely ONE of the best guns in crucible. I don't think it is any better than the other "top tier" weapons, such as Last Word, Vex, and Red Death. I don't notice myself getting killed by it more than other guns. I find The Last Word much more difficult to deal with. I think the reason people hate the Thorn is that they can "win" a gun battle and still be killed by the DoT.