The Thornbak is a beginner-friendly burst rifle introduced in The Vallis Undermind update, first appearing in The Teacher quest as part of the game’s tutorial.
During this quest, players obtain the Thornbak, a reliable rifle that fires four-round bursts with solid status potential, making it effective for elemental builds.
Although it’s one of the earliest weapons you acquire, the Thornbak remains a strong choice for early progression thanks to its steady damage and versatile performance.
How To Get Thornbak?
Thornbak is obtained during The Teacher quest, which is later kept by the Tenno after its completion and meant to be one of the starting weapons they can use.
If additional copies of this weapon need to be obtained, you may purchase them from Cephalon Simaris at the cost of 100,00 Standing.
Thornbak Crafting Requirements
Thornbak Blueprint
- 15,000 Credits
- 300 Alloy Plate
- 2 Neurodes
- 100 Polymer Bundle
- 100 Circuits
To know more about some of the effective “Thornbak Builds” read the below guide:
Thornbak Stats
Thornbak fires an accurate 4-round burst with every shot, which features a high Status Chance that makes it easy to proc Status Effects.
The following are Thornbak’s stats:
PRIMARY | |
Fire Rate | 6 |
| Magazine | 52 |
Accuracy | Very High |
| Trigger | BURST (4x) |
DAMAGE | |
Critical Chance | 6% |
| Critical Damage | 1.4x |
Status Chance | 36% |
| Puncture | 9.3 |
Slash | 9.3 |
| Impact | 9.3 |
Total | 28 |
Thornbak Vs Other Beginner Weapons
The Thornbak stands out among beginner weapons thanks to its four-round burst fire, which offers better precision and consistent damage compared to the full-auto MK1-Braton.
Its high status chance allows new players to experiment with elemental damage early on, making it more versatile than many other starting rifles.
While the damage per shot may not seem high initially, its accuracy and ease of control make the Thornbak more reliable for clearing enemies efficiently in early missions.
Thornbak Tips
The Thornbak has excellent accuracy, so aiming for headshots is encouraged to maximize damage and take down enemies more efficiently.
Focusing on Primary and Secondary Element mods is highly beneficial, as this weapon’s high Status Chance allows it to easily apply effects that weaken or damage enemies.
Timing your bursts carefully lets you fire more rapidly, reducing the delay between shots and maintaining consistent pressure on groups of enemies.
Verdict
The Thornbak offers solid accuracy, making it easy to land multiple hits per burst and maintain steady damage output even at medium range.
As a beginner weapon, investing in early mods for the Thornbak can help you progress smoothly through the Star Chart until stronger weapons become available.
While its high Status Chance makes it ideal for elemental-focused builds, it can also work with critical setups if properly modded before upgrading to better gear later on.

