Rainbow Six Siege Survival Guide for New and Old Players

Rainbow Six Siege Survival Guide for New and Old Players by PrdBlackWatch

Contents

1. Intro
2. General Gameplay
3. Attacking
4. Defending
5. Operator Specific Tips
6. DLC Operator Recommendations
7. Closing

Intro

Rainbow Six Siege is a video game. Rainbow Six Siege is a fun video game, and much like a martial artist with a hatred for donkeys, Rainbow Six Siege will kick your ass.

I can hear you now: “But Black Watch, everybody says this in their guides! They then usually mention the steep learning curve that provides unparalleled reward through varied gameplay experiences!”

You’re absolutely correct, but at the end of the day this is my guide not yours.

If you’ve made it this far then I’m surprised very proud of you, but there’s more to come. The Siege community is like fine porcelain in the average household; beautiful, elegant, useful, and sometimes streaked in feces.

I have no doubt in my mind that you will one day encounter the raiders who roam the badlands hoping to spoil the fun of the daywalkers with teamkilling and random vote kicks, but this isn’t the only worry you’ll have. Sometimes, there are those that sit in the middle, those that are normally quite reasonable patrons of the almighty Siege who find themselves twisted into the horrific Eldritch terrors that I’ve already mentioned when the right circumstances come about.

Whilst this kind of behaviour is ultimately inexcusable, the usual triggers can be avoided with the right knowledge. I didn’t call this a Survival guide for nothing.

General Gameplay

• Be aware of where you’re standing, the last thing you want is to kill a TM or be killed by one because you weren’t paying attention to your own presence.
• Be considerate of other player’s situations. If a roamer is sneaking around, don’t stomp around near them giving away their position.
• Don’t try to own the place on mic. Be considerate and reasonable, but don’t be afraid to make a suggestion.
• Don’t shoot the hostage, it never ends well.
• Be wary of the doors and windows you open, while you might want the extra angle, keep in mind that that extra angle might kill your TM’s or you.
• Strange one but if you’re on console, keep your controller in your hands when you’re about to spawn in, picking it up might bump the trigger and ruin both your and your poor, innocent, dead TM’s days.

Attacking

• During the prep phase, move your drone, if you don’t you may receive a kick vote before you even spawn.
• Be very careful when shooting the external cams, do not hit your teammate instead.
• At the start of the round, wait a few seconds before leaving the spawn, and use cover. Death by spawn peeking is common but avoidable.
• If you’re carrying the defuser and are fairly new, I’d recommend dropping it at the start of the round, some of the mouth breathers out there might be inclined to kill you to get it for themselves.
• Don’t forget to use your drones! You have them for a reason, and the intel they gather for you makes your push safer.
• Don’t panic if the objective starts to receive action, consider the situation before you act.
• Buddy up! Try not to travel alone, it’s much safer and more emotionally fulfilling to have a pal near you.
• Don’t plant breaching charges on doors unless you feel like .45 ACP is good for your feet.

Defending

• Don’t reinforce Kid’s Bedroom on House. Ever.
• Don’t double stack barbed wire, the slowdown is not a stackable effect, keep them spread out to maximise effctiveness
• Don’t reinforce between bomb sites, open up holes between them instead.
• Be careful with your explosives, the knuckle draggers may be tempted to off you at the mere suggestion of splash damage. Who even plays Dirty Bomb anyway?
• Don’t leave the objective alone, it needs friends too.
• Don’t overcrowd the objective, it just needs some space, guys.
• Try not to be too aggressive to begin with, it takes time to be able to pull it off well.
• Consider using hatches on the site floor as escape/flanking routes, but be aware of the added exposure this leads to.
• Similarly, some roamers may wish to use hatches above the objective to open new sightings for them.

Operator Specific

Attack

Thermite

• Only ever use your Exo Charges on non-reinforced (known as soft or clean) surfaces as a total last resort, it’s a total waste otherwise.

Thatcher

• Don’t use more than one EMP in the same place unless Bandit is tricking a wall (advanced technique)

Twitch (Newly added tip)

• Make sure that you’ve destroyed all the enemy cameras and gadgets on site before starting to taser players, that 10 damage tick isn’t as good as the ADS not being there to save Rook from a big hairy frag grenade.

Fuze

• DON’T USE YOUR CLUSTER CHARGES ON HOSTAGE
• Only cluster the same window twice if you’re certain it will gain something. Most defenders will instinctively open the window and potentially kill you if you’re using it twice.

Ash

• Don’t use breaching rounds on wooden barricades, just shoot them with your rifle instead.

Defense

Smoke

• Be very careful with where you place his babes, especially on hostage.

Anyone with deployable gadgets

• Don’t place them next to/on walls that are likely to be reinforced, they’ll be destroyed by the reinforcement, this is particularly true for Rook and Jäger.
• Once the walls are reinforced, Bandit and Mute are free to place their gadgets on them. Other operators should avoid this, particularly if Bandit has shocked the wall. Your gadget, if it’s electronic, will be destroyed.

Kapkan

• Don’t put mines on windows.Doc
• Don’t waste all your stims on overheals/yourself.

Castle

• Don’t barricade windows/immediate entrances to the objective, it doesn’t help and will often leave roamers stuck outside the objective in panic situations.

Pulse

• Be comfortable with your use of the sensor, but don’t be caught with it out in a firefight. Its range is only 9m so keep that in mind.

Jäger and Bandit

• You don’t have to be at the opposite end of the map to succeed with these guys: roaming can still occur fairly close to the objective.

Bandit

• Avoid electrifying your barbed wire, save it for walls
• Don’t underestimate how strong it is for him to be able to place 3 spools of barbed wire rather than the usual 2
• Don’t electrify walls that are Muted

Mute

• Try to put jammers in safe positions if you choose to jam drones, rather than putting them in the doorway, put it off to the side.

DLC Recommendations

Those of you that have been playing for a little while may feel as though you want to take the next step into the Siege world and purchase some of the DLC ops. A lot of who you pick will be preference and sometimes nationality, but as a general guide for those who are unsure, here is my priority list with reasons for each pick:

1. Buck (JTF-2)

This was a toss up between Buck and Valkyrie. Whilst Valkyrie is objectively more important for the team, Buck is a little more straightforward. He has one of the strongest semi-auto rifles in the game in the form of his CAMRS, and a decent AR with some mean recoil in the C8-SFW. He’s essentially Sledge with a twist, and can be fun to run around with. With the addition of frag grenades he becomes a solid pick in most situations. Simple, loud, bien.

2. Valkyrie (Navy Seals)

Valk is one of my favourite operators in the game, not just to play as but also to have on the team. The Intel you can gather with her Black Eye cameras can literally win you games. Her weapons may not be the best, but they get the job done. The reason she is second is because of the map knowledge required and the nuance of her cameras that relies upon intelligent placement to truly be effective. Practice makes perfect, but as a general rule, try to cover all the rooms that lead to the objective, and maybe consider throwing one outside where there’s likely to be activity. Nuanced, versatile, essential.

3. Hibana (SAT)

Hibana is a very solid operator. For you Thermite mains out there, I’d recommend giving her a try as she’s a bit of a hybrid between him and Ash. Her gadget is incredibly versatile and can be used to breach multiple reinforced surfaces simultaneously. It’s especially good for hatches as, unlike Thermite, she doesn’t need to expose herself to take them out. Her primary assault rifle is a solid piece but the real shiner is the Bearing 9 SMG she has as a secondary which is arguably the best secondary in the game. Fun, fast, efficient.

4. Blackbeard (Navy Seals)

While only a shell of his former, ridiculously OP self, Blackbeard still does the one thing he was supposed to do, even if he doesn’t do it with as much ease as he used to: Blackbeard wins firefights. The MK17 is really the only option for Blackbeard as the DMR he has is incredibly difficult to control due to the increased recoil with his rifle shield attached. As Blackbeard, use windows and cover effectively to keep only your head exposed to the enemy, and don’t overextend or else that shield will overextend into your face. Slow, dude bro, bullet resistant face.

5. Jackal (GEO)

Jackal is another one of my favourites. His ability is incredibly fun to play about with, and the feeling you get when you end the hunt yourself is brilliant, and comes with an added voiceline to boot. His C7E assault rifle is a melt machine and his PDW isn’t exactly bad either. Both of these will be more than capable of helping your prey “Reach the finish line” as our man would say. Just be careful not to overuse his visor as it may land you in trouble if you’re caught in a firefight with it on. Hunter, killer, gorgeous voice.

6. Echo (SAT)

If you like Rook and have always wanted to pilot a drone then Echo is the man for you. His primary MP5SD lacks damage but makes up for it with their precision. His drone has a similar effect to Smoke ‘s babes but without the risk of having to expose yourself to use it. However, be sparing with it, because once Yokai is dead, you’re just Rook but slightly worse. Edgy, phone obsessed, teenaged.

7. Frost (JTF-2)

We’re currently in the “Not particularly good but easier to play than X” territory. Frost has a shotgun that used to be able to snipe the gods off of Olympus but now just gives them some noise to complain about. Her SMG is quite slow firing and is very ok overall. If used properly, her Welcome Mats can make for some very fun moments. Try to avoid obvious spots like right in front of doorways or over deployable shields, instead opt for the side of doorways or areas where blind strafing is likely. Keep a mental note of their locations so that you can finish off your prey before they get help. Sneaky, inhumane, I swear that wasn’t there a second ago.

8. Capitão (BOPE)

This man used to be my favourite. Unfortunately, ever since he was robbed of his frags and his Para received its nerf, he’s been a fringe pick, scraping just to get that fifth spot on occasion. His gadget is unique, but very situational, and his kit doesn’t make up for how situational it is. Give him a bash as a mix up from your usual 3 speed attacker, but be warned, he’s not the man he used to be. Yarr, harr, please give his eye back.

9. Mira (GEO)

Now hold on there, playa. Mira is genuinely one of the most valuable ops on the defensive roster. Her mirror is an oracle of fear and Intel when used correctly and her weapons are far from tame as well. She’s a true objective defender, and one that specialises in keeping the enemy on a knife edge with the rogue element of her black mirror. Simply put, there’s no way of knowing what’s behind it until, sometimes, it’s too late. The reason I’ve put her so low in the priority list is the complexity of her mirrors and where to place them. Whilst they can win you rounds, they are also more than capable of losing them too. If popped prematurely, they offer the enemy a free murder hole, and leave a significant portion of the site unusable by anchors. If you want to use her well, think about how exposed it is from all sides, how dangerous would it be if it were opened unintentionally? Above all else, don’t let Twitch pop it. Difficult, risky, rewarding.

10. Caveira (BOPE)

Aside from Doc, Caveira is my favourite defender. She provides an experience that is completely unique to her character. She is the definition of risk/reward, because one interrogation can literally end a round in the right circumstances, even if your team is outnumbered. However, she is one of, if not the hardest operator to play well. Map knowledge is essential to play her, and it’s definitely worth watching some videos about how to use her well before you jump in. When you do jump in, be cautious and listen. Don’t rely too heavily on cameras, use your eyes, ears and instincts to predict where people will be. Don’t dive into interrogations, make sure you’re safe first, but don’t hesitate too much. Believe me, there is nothing more thrilling in this game than hunting someone down and stabbing them in the head. Terrifying, formidable, exhilarating.

At the end of the day, as I said, the ops are down to preference in a lot of ways, but if I were going in fresh, this is how I’d pick them with the knowledge I have. Feel free to ask me about them!

Jargon buster:

• Roamer: People defending outside the objective, moving freely around the building
• Anchor: People defending inside/very close to the objective
• Hybrids: People roaming relatively close to the objective who can switch between roaming and anchoring depending on the situation
• Breach denial: Operators like Mute and Bandit who prevent breaching with their gadgets
• Hard breacher: Hibana/Thermite (can destroy reinforced walls)
• Soft breacher: Sledge, Buck, Ash (can breach unreinforced walls)
• EDD: Kapkan tripmine
• ADS: Jäger’s trophy system
• Spawn peek: When a defender peeks out a window at one of the attackers spawns
• Pixel peek: When a player peeks outside/inside the building through a sightline that is incredibly small, look out for flashes of light near the bottom of windows
• Interro(gation): If you hear this its likely that a player on your team is being interrogated (if you’re an attacker), if this is the case then try to get out of the building if you’re inside or go for the roof if you’re outside. On defence, get ready to hunt.
• Boofed/Drunk: Used to describe someone who’s been hit by Echo’s Yokai drone
• Murder/Kill hole: A hole made in a wall as a sightline

These are just a few of the various tips I can think of to minimise the kind of bullshit you may encounter from the dodgy part of the community. Hopefully some of the other stuff should give you a little head start over the competition and make your first little while in the game a little easier.