How to play Thorn, the newest 'Rainbow Six Siege' operator

Thorn is here, complete with a brand new weapon and an explosive new gadget. Here’s how to play the newest Team Rainbow member. 

Thorn’s gadget, the Razorbloom Shell, seems intimidating at first, but without a combination with another gadget it’s very easy to dodge. Effectively, the gadget functions like a combination of Kapkan and Ela’s gadgets, both of which require either carelessness from the other team or synchronization with teammates to maximize their effects.

A Thorn mine haphazardly placed is not an issue to players who are playing carefully at all. In fact, a Thorn mine placed alone won’t faze rushing players either, they can easily sprint past the mine before it explodes. 

Some natural synergy exists between Thorn and the other trap operators, as she fits in perfectly with the existing trap gadget synergy. In particular, she shines in conjunction with Frost and Melusi, two operators that are already strong in their own right.

Thorn gadgets are far more influential on windows than any other surface, towards the beginning of the season you’ll get some cheesy kills with Thorn mines placed on doors or hidden in maps, but once players realize you can just run past them they won’t be as effective as they will be on windows. The rappel entrance animation is long enough for the Thorn mine to gain a killing effect, and vaultable windows become death traps when combined with Frost Welcome Mats. 

Moreover, Thorn has access to an all-important Deployable Shield as a secondary option, something our presenter said was added at the behest of the competitive players. 

Luckily for players who are unable to control recoil: Thorn’s UZK50GI is incredibly easy to control, even with an angled grip. Don’t be fooled by the low rate of fire: this gun can shred extremely easily. The M870 will be great for players looking to have a little fun, but the weapon of choice should be the UZK.