So, you want to know who the best Rainbow Six Siege operators are? It's a very complex shooter - perhaps one of the most intricate multiplayer games being played today. Depth comes from many places: destructible environments, map design, but most of all from the unique gadgets, stats and loadouts offered by each of the playing operators. We trained with elite soldiers to find out which operator was the strongest.
Here are the best Rainbow Six Siege operators:
Due to the game's asymmetric multiplayer gameplay, Rainbow Six Siege operators come in two flavors: attackers and defenders. There are currently 60+ Rainbow Six Siege operators in the game that can be unlocked and used in the game. We regularly update this list of Rainbow Six Siege Operators to best reflect the game's live meta, so rest assured that these are truly Tom Clancy's best Operators and we'll update this guide when the new season rolls around.
New Rainbow Six Siege operators are released every season, and you can unlock them earlier by purchasing the Battle Pass for that season, or wait until they go public and use your hard-earned in-game currency. It is earned by completing matches and completing daily quests, so it's useful to know which ones to get first in order to collect the remaining Operators even faster.
Best Rainbow Six Siege Attack Operators
Here are the best attack operators in Rainbow Six Siege:
Maverick
Thatcher is almost constantly banned these days, so finding another effective way to clear out Bandit's batteries or Qaid's claws is a must. While Kali can also be useful for this, Maverick is a better choice, but it requires a lot of practice if you want to safely and effectively open reinforced surfaces.
Once you get the hang of his gadget, he will become one of the toughest hitters in the game. Not only can he create lines of sight without having to clear defender hindrances like Mute Jammers and Kaid's Claws, but he can also replace Ace or Thermite if you have a soft cracker working with you. Maverick uses the method of removing a fortification by destroying its anchor points. On key maps like Clubhouse and Consulate, it makes it almost pointless to drop walls.
This versatility extends to other gear as well. The AR-15.50 is not often chosen as it is a semi-automatic rifle, but it is strong for long lines of sight, such as holding a server wall in a Clubhouse or a garage wall in a Chalet. It has two or three rounds and fires as fast as you can press the left mouse button, so give it a try. The best option is probably the M4 due to its high rate of fire, relatively low recoil, and the fact that it can be fitted with an angled grip for higher ADS speed. The Maverick can even carry Frag Grenades with him, which is without a doubt the most powerful secondary weapon in an attack.
Sledge
We like Sledge: not only is it highly useful, it's also a great fragger, and its download options tend to change infrequently. His adaptation becomes more important as vertical play begins to permeate even mid-tier ranked games, and with his hammer, he can single-handedly open entire floors.
With the addition of frag grenades, a superior assault rifle that can mount almost any scope, and the best secondary SMG, it's clear that Sledge is a top tier operator. It's quite common if you play Siege for a long period of time that you try out different operators who specialize in different roles, but there's something to be said for "core" operators like Sledge. They will always be strong and rewarding, and you will most likely return to them again and again.
Ace
Powered breaching is a vital role in a siege, and Ace's missile breachers can quickly open up a large area from a safe distance. You don't always want Maverick to carve out fortified walls in an area where rogues can get easy loot, so Ace is the best choice in these situations.
He is also one of the best fraggers in the game thanks to his AK-12 assault rifle. Statistically, the AK-12 is one of the most effective assault rifles in the game, and it doesn't hurt that it can be equipped with a 2x scope. Thanks to recoil changes in 2021, you'll probably want to equip it with a vertical grip.
To round out his kit, he can carry smoke grenades, making him a great goal-oriented operator who can rush, smoke, and take out solos. It doesn't handle hatches very well, however - you'll have to use two of its charges to open a hatch - so bring Hibana for sites like the church and Arsenal for the clubhouse.
Zofia
She is almost interchangeable with Ash, but we prefer Zofia for her solo play potential. She can open critical vertical spots on maps like Kafe and Coastline with her Bursting Charge, and since she has four projectiles in her launcher, she can also single-handedly clear a Jaeger stack to get rid of the shield.
Her main assault rifle is no longer usable thanks to recoil changes, but her LMG-E is quickly becoming one of the most popular pistols in the game. With a decent scope, a huge magazine and manageable recoil, you can destroy everything from soft walls to enemy operators. She doesn't have Ash's speed, but Zofia can be a great sharder if pushed.
Iana
Yana turned out to be surprisingly strong thanks to the versatility of her gadget and the fact that her weapon is one of the best in the game.
Jana's twin replicator creates a holographic replica of herself that can be controlled and looks exactly like herself to enemy operators. She even makes sounds, as if Yana is moving. This copy can't jump, shoot, or use gadgets, but it's great for gathering intel and burning out goodies like the Aruni Gate without wasting something more valuable, like a smoke or frag grenade.
In terms of gear, the ARX is a powerful assault rifle and one of the best weapons in Siege. She also has Frag Grenades, which is objectively the best secondary gadget, but she can also take the new Gonne-6, making her a good choice for solo players. You won't have to rely on anyone else to clear the shield or soft hatch.
Twitch
Twitch's appeal is quite simple: it has the best weapons in the game (arguably). The F2 assault rifle combines high damage, controlled recoil and a terrifyingly fast rate of fire - plus it has a 1,5x scope.
Additionally, Twitch's strike drone is handy for destroying Mira's black mirrors and other nasty defender gadgets like Bandit's batteries, jammers, and Jaeger's tops. Twitch's Scanner Drone uses stun guns that technically have an infinite range, allowing you to clear targets with crazy sniper angles. Additionally, Twitch starts with a standard drone, meaning she doesn't have to put one of her strike drones in harm's way while gathering information.
Buck
Buck used to compete with Sledge, but fell off the leaderboards due to a reduction in workload, but now he is back in his place. Buck is a versatile, competent operator who can perform many roles but does not specialize in any one. This is offset by the presence of some truly powerful weapons, making it a great choice for players with a thirst for kills.
Buck's flexibility comes largely from his attachment, an under-barrel shotgun attached to whatever primary weapon you choose. It is useful for soft hatches and soft walls, whether you want to open the rotation or just punch a hole. Like all shotguns, it is lethal to enemy operators and at close range.
While we're all howling for Buck's lost frag grenades, his flash grenades can still be useful for clearing out the growing number of goodies that appear in Siege, and he now has a Breach gadget, making him a great backup option. when you encounter reinforced hatches or walls.
The best defenders in Rainbow Six Siege
Here are the best defenders in Rainbow Six Siege:
Smoke
No defender has been able to beat Smoke when it comes to plant blocking and entry. Three of Smoke's gas grenades can stop an enemy charge for 30 seconds, dealing enough damage to kill any operator who tries to carefully squeeze through the toxic cloud or plant a defuser. These gas grenades are remote activated, so you can keep one near the entry point until the attackers try to push, and activate it just in time to ruin their game.
Smoke's SMG-11 is a headshot machine, and his M590A1 Shotgun is not only the best shotgun in the game, but is also vital for opening up any rooms that might be blocked by the enemy. Smoke can also carry a deployable shield, which is a very powerful secondary gadget and stacks well with other gadgets.
Hunter
No matter how much you nerf Jaeger, he is still one of the strongest defenders in the game. He is the most effective operator, soaking up utility and protecting defenders from frag grenades. Unlike Wamaya, Jaeger can freely place and leave his gadgets, which is very convenient considering that his assault rifle is one of the best defender primary weapons in the game.
If you arrange his gadgets correctly, then it will be incredibly difficult to deal with them. In addition, they now have an infinite charge with a cooldown period between uses, so a poorly coordinated attacking team can easily run out of all their throwables while trying to gain a foothold on the object.
Teacher
The Maestro is not an indispensable operator, but his LMG makes him useful when it comes to holding positions. If you miss the first burst, you'll have 90 rounds to do something before reloading. Its two Evil Eye cameras don't do much in terms of destroying shrapnel or scaring off attackers, but because they can see through smoke and are bulletproof, they're great for getting information about when attackers are pressing and landing.
His secondary pistol is essentially a mini shotgun, which is useful for a quick kill or (not so quick) turnaround, but it also has access to impact grenades. New operators like Osa can be vulnerable to Maestro's capabilities, so if the rest of the main roles are covered, you can't go wrong with this guy.
Injury
Lesion is one of those operators who are never indispensable, but always useful. His invisible needle mines accumulate over time, meaning Lesion is an operator who gets stronger as the round progresses and helps the defending team by slowing down attacking swoops, providing intelligence, and sometimes denying installations.
While Gu Mines don't deal much damage initially, they slow down movement speed and prevent enemies from landing, completely changing the course of the round. His T-5 SMG is very powerful and easy to use, and can bring in impact grenades to help open up an area or create escape routes if you're wandering.
Mute
Bandit or Caid could take this spot, but we think Mut is the better choice when it comes to keeping fortified walls intact for as long as possible. The main reason for this is that its jammers not only prevent gadgets from breaking through, but also prevent drones from obtaining information about the target. If you put it in tandem with Jaeger's ADS gadgets around the drone holes, it will be very difficult for attackers to breach the wall unless they have a good Maverick, Kali, or - unless by some miracle he is banned - Thatcher.
Like Smoke, Mut also benefits from the excellent combination of the SMG-11 and the M590A1 Shotgun. The MP5K is also reliable if you're not very familiar with shotguns. It can stop drones, stop a breach, open up an area and crush heads - Mute can do it all.
Aruni
Aruni proves to be a very effective trap for defenders. Her Suira Gate is indestructible and can only be destroyed by throwing something hard at it, such as a grenade or drone. They will also be destroyed if an enemy operator walks through them, but this will deal damage to them, which can lead to defeat if they have already been in a firefight that round.
Once the gate is down, there is a 30 second wait time before you can shoot the laser emitter to reset the gate and raise it back up. They are great for slowing down the pressure at any point in the match - from the early rush to the last moment. They can also give you information when they fall, and provide another obstacle for attackers to waste resources on.
Her secondary gadgets aren't anything to write home about, but she does have access to Mozzie's P10 Roni and Dokkaebi's Mk 14 DMR. Roni isn't as strong as he used to be, and Aruni doesn't have access to a 1,5x scope, but in the right hands he can still be deadly. The DMR is a reliable rifle for medium to long range if you know how to handle it, but it has its shortcomings in close combat.
Did we already say that she has a strong backhand? Aruni has a bionic arm that replaces her standard melee actions with a powerful punch capable of knocking out hatches and doors in one hit, as well as opening large holes in soft walls.
And here you go, our selection and list of the best Rainbow Six Siege operators. You can also check out our other selections of the best in their genre:
