Lingering damage is the definition of bullsh*t (Destiny)

by Kahzgul, Wednesday, May 27, 2015, 16:01 (3262 days ago) @ someotherguy

Lingering damage also delays shield regen, which means a player who isn't killed by thorn is still out of combat for longer than if they were damaged by any other weapon.

Lastly, in Iron Banner and Trials of Osiris style fights, Thorn's damage + DoT appear to scale up more than other weapons, such that a level 34 player with Thorn gets more bonus damage against a level 33 player than a level 34 player with Hawkmoon would, for example. Or Thorn's damage just hits that sweet spot where it tips the scales with the bonus, but I know a level 34 player with Thorn kills a level 32 player in 2 body shots, which no other primary weapon can do.