10. Clash (Intel, Crowd Control)
Clash is a great crowd control operator because with her, the defending team will have a good handle on enemy positions and she’s great at locking down enemies at an angle, or at least, greatly slowing them down. With Clash holding an angle or a spot, the attackers will have a lot of trouble taking control of an area, therefore, they’d be forced to take other paths of attack that could prove much more difficult for them. A good example of this is the study area in Villa. If there’s a Clash holding the Study area in Villa and she’s supported by anti-projectile gadgets, it’ll be very hard for attackers to take control of that spot.
That would force them to try out the stairs which will make them vulnerable to defenders above. The top of red stairs in Villa is a high traffic area and for an attacker, unless they’ve taken control of the bedroom and trophy area, they’d have a hard time predicting where the defenders will hit them from, as there’s too many angles to watch out for. As for the main stairs and the ninety angle, they’re hard to attack as well because they’re quite tight and it’ll be easy for defenders holding the ninety angle to frag them. This is why Clash is still one of the most banned operators in the game, as she’s great at crowd control and preventing enemies from performing it.
What Makes Clash Great for Crowd Control:
- Her CCE Shield protecting most of her body from gunshots makes her a great crowd control operator as she can perform that role while remaining very hard to kill
- Clash’s CCE Shield can electrocute attackers, inflicting damage-over-time, and greatly slowing them down, and that makes it a great crowd control gadget as attackers will try to avoid that
- Since she can see enemies very well through the clear glass on her CCE Shield and she can slow them down with its electricity, Clash can advise her teammates on how to engage the enemy that’s being slowed down
- With Clash guarding an area and the attackers knowing that she can be very hard to kill, most of the time, they’d be forced to take other paths of attack that could be more difficult for them
Best Loadout for Clash:
https://www.gamersdecide.com/articles/rainbow-6-siege-best-clash-loadouts
9. Melusi (Intel, Crowd Control)
Crowd control, as the term implies, is all about having control over the crowd, which pertains to the enemies in Siege. When it comes to that, Melusi is easily one of the best, because her special gadget, the Banshee Sonic Defense, affects the movements of attackers, both directly and indirectly. For its direct effect, each of Melusi’s three Banshees are bulletproof when they’re not active. At that state, attackers can only destroy them using explosive projectiles like the gonne-6 hand cannon, frag grenades, and of course, special gadgets like Ash’s Breaching Rounds or the impact grenades from Zofia’s KS79 Lifeline.
They’re activated by enemy presence within their radius, and when that happens, they will greatly slow the opponents that are inside their radius. When activated, their top part opens and attackers can shoot that part to disable the Banshee, but that would mean they’d have to activate it first, which is always a negative for them as the sound from it can alert the defenders. And that brings us to its indirect crowd control approach. Because Melusi’s Banshees are troublesome to deal with without the use of utilities, attackers can find themselves avoiding them altogether and trying out different paths of attack.
What Makes Melusi Great for Crowd Control:
- Melusi’s Banshee Sonic Defense are some of the best utilities for hindering aggressive or rushing opponents, as they can greatly slow them down and warn the defenders of their presence
- Because attackers know that it’s very troublesome to deal with Melusi’s Banshees without the use of explosive utilities, they will try to use other paths of attack that could prove more dangerous to them
- Because Melusi’s three Banshees greatly slows opponents within their radius and they emit a distinct sound while doing so, it’s very hard for anchoring defenders to be caught off guard when she’s around
- Melusi’s Banshees are a great partner for Clash above as both of them can greatly slow opponents down, and with a Banshee, it’ll be really hard for attackers to get close to Clash in order to melee her shield
Best Loadout for Melusi:
https://www.gamersdecide.com/articles/rainbow-6-siege-best-melusi-loadouts
8. Frost (Anti-Entry, Trapper)
Frost is a great crowd control defender, obviously because of her special gadget, the Welcome Mat, but not just because of that. Her whole gameplay revolves around crowd control, and her weapons and utilities really help her with that role. Her three Welcome Mats are basically traps, and when attackers step on them, they’d get into a down-but-not-out state until another attacker revives them. This allows Frost to basically neutralize enemies with just one use of her special gadget. And since she has three of them, she can basically guard three spots with them and deploy them in tricky angles.
I mentioned Frost’s weapons and utilities, because one of the choices for her secondary weapon, the ITA12S shotgun, allows her to rework the map to her team’s advantage, and with rotation holes and lines of sight created with the use of the ITA12S shotgun, it’ll be easier for Frost to outmaneuver enemies and watch out for spots, especially the spots where she deployed her Welcome Mats. Another thing that Frost has which is great for crowd control is the deployable shield. With the deployable shield, she’ll be able to hold an angle for a long time, especially when it’s supported by anti-projectile gadgets like Wamai’s Mag-NETS or Jager’s ADS.
What Makes Frost Great for Crowd Control:
- Her special gadget, the Welcome Mat, renders opponents that it traps useless and dying until they get revived by their teammates, and that’s great for preventing flanks and sneaky attacks
- Frost has access to the ITA12S shotgun which she can use for creating lines of sight or rotation holes on soft walls, and that will allow her move around the objective spot easier for engaging enemies
- She can use the deployable shield as her generic gadget and it’s great for holding a spot or angle against an enemy or more, especially if it’s supported by anti-projectile gadgets like Jager’s ADS or Wamai’s Mag-NETs
- Frost has three Welcome Mats and they can be deployed in awkward angles or in very tricky ways that opponents won’t expect, and most of the time, a trapped opponent is easily finished off by the defenders
Best Loadout for Frost:
https://www.gamersdecide.com/articles/rainbow-6-siege-best-frost-loadouts
7. Nomad (Front Line, Crowd Control)
Nomad is one of the best crowd control attackers because her special gadget, the Airjab Launcher, deploys three sticky repulsion grenades on surfaces. They have a radius of three meters and when an enemy enters that radius, they’ll explode. The explosion from the repulsion grenades from Nomad’s Airjab Launcher isn’t fatal, however, it will knock down the enemy, and when Nomad or other attackers are near, that will usually be enough for them to finish off the defender that triggered the explosion. If not, then the sound from the explosion will warn them of defender presence.
This makes Nomad a great counter to roamers as well as flankers, and that’s why she’s in this list of great crowd control operators. With Nomad around, defenders won’t easily be able to get attackers from behind or through run outs. The repulsion grenades produce some sound while they’re sticking on a surface, and in many cases, defenders are able to hear them. However, even if they know that there’s a Nomad repulsion grenade on a spot, if it’s been deployed at an awkward angle, it could still be hard for them to disable it, and the process can also leave them vulnerable to attacker gunfire.
What Makes Nomad for Crowd Control:
- Her Airjab Launcher allows her to deploy sticky repulsion grenades which knocks down enemies who steps into their radius and makes them vulnerable to attacker gunfire
- Because of the repulsion grenades from her Airjab Launcher, Nomad is great at countering roamers, flankers, and run outs, and that’s what makes her a great crowd control operator
- She can bring in three stun grenades per round and they’re great utilities for crowd control as they blind and deafen enemies. Most enemies will also run or turn back when stun grenades are thrown to their spot
- Her other choice for her generic gadget, the breach charge, is also great for crowd control as when it’s used for destroying wooden floors for a vertical attack, they can really affect and limit enemy movement
Best Loadout for Nomad:
https://www.gamersdecide.com/articles/rainbow-6-siege-best-nomad-loadouts
6. Ying (Front Line, Crowd Control)
Ying’s special gadget, the Candela, is the best utility in the game when it comes to blinding enemies. It’s almost impossible to not get blinded by it when it pops off near you, even if you turn around and break line of sight from it. That’s because each Candela, Ying has four by the way, releases seven flash charges when they detonate, and that makes it hard to predict the spot where they won’t blind you. Really the best way to prevent that from happening is to have Wamai or Jager, but even then, Ying can throw her other grenades first before her Candelas.
Her Candelas are what makes her a great crowd control operator, because with her Candelas, she can clear a room of enemies all by herself. This also makes her a great flanker, as her Candelas works best when she’s alone anyway as it reduces the chance of her blinding her own teammates. Her smoke grenades are also great crowd control devices as they do not just provide cover for the attackers, most of the time, defenders will back away from the smoke so it’s kind of a good area-denial utility as well. And with that, Ying has more control over the opponents’ movements.
What Makes Ying Great for Crowd Control:
- With her Candelas that are the best utilities for blinding enemies, Ying can clear out a room of enemies all by herself, and chances are, other enemies will respond when they hear the Candelas popping off
- Because of her Candelas and her T-95 LSW that has high stopping power and huge magazine capacity, she’s a great solo flanker that can easily divert the attention of enemies
- Ying can bring in two smoke grenades per round and they’re not just great for providing cover, they’re great for crowd control as well as most defenders will back away from the smoke
- Since Ying is excellent in diverting enemy attention towards her, her other teammates can push more easily while Ying is flanking and engaging enemies
Best Loadout for Ying:
https://www.gamersdecide.com/articles/rainbow-6-siege-best-ying-loadouts
5. Ela (Crowd Control, Trapper)
Like Ying above, Ela is great at diverting the attention of pushing enemies because she’s a great roamer. With her 3-speed rating and the destruction rate per shot of her FO-12 shotgun, she can easily outmaneuver enemies and hit them from behind. Of course, that also allows her to escape more effectively when they begin hunting her, as the FO-12 shotgun allows her to rework the map to her advantage. Ela’s roaming capabilities can really mess up the momentum of the attackers when they’re pushing, especially since they’ll have to constantly worry about her hitting them from behind.
Of course, a big factor that makes Ela a great crowd control operator is her special gadget, the Grzmot Mine. She has three of them and they act like proximity mines, same with Nomad’s repulsion grenades above. Enemies who enter their radius will trigger them, resulting in them being under heavy concussion. The concussion will also prevent them from sprinting, so not only will their vision be heavily blurred, but they’ll also be slowed down as well, and that would make them primary targets for Ela and the other defenders. Ela specializes in disrupting enemy movements, and that’s what makes her a great crowd control operator.
What Makes Ela Great for Crowd Control:
- Her 3-speed rating as well as her ability to rework the map due to her FO-12 shotgun makes her a great roamer, and one that causes great disruption to the movements and momentum of the attackers
- Her three Grzmot Mines are great for slowing down enemies and inflicting heavy concussion on them, which also disrupts their momentum and movement and makes them vulnerable to defender fire
- Ela’s Grzmot Mines are quire versatile and can be used offensively as well, with Ela throwing them directly at the enemies in order to inflict heavy concussion on them
- Ela can equip the RG15 handgun which increases her roaming and crowd control capabilities as it allows her to hit enemies at medium to long-range due to its integrated red dot sight
Best Loadout for Ela:
https://www.gamersdecide.com/articles/rainbow-6-siege-best-ela-loadouts
4. Lesion (Anti-Entry, Trapper)
Like many of the operators we’ve already discussed above, Lesion is great at slowing down enemies, and that’s because of his special gadget, the Gu Mine. Enemies who step on his Gu Mines will get poisoned and will experience damage-over-time until they remove it. The Gu Mine will also prevent them from sprinting, and that can make them very vulnerable, especially since the Gu Mines produce a loud sound when triggered. More importantly, next season, the initial damage from stepping on a Gu Mine will be back and its damage over-time will be increased, so it’s a great time to be a Lesion fan.
The catch though is that the Gu Mine would now be visible, but it overall is still a buff for him because IQ won’t be able to detect them anymore and Brava and Twitch won’t be able to disable them with their special gadgets. So starting next season, Lesion would even be a greater crowd control operator that can slow enemies down, disrupt their momentum, and compromise their location. With Lesion around, there’s a high chance that enemy movements will keep being interrupted, and the defenders will have a good handle on their positions.
What Makes Lesion Great for Crowd Control:
- Lesion is great at disrupting enemy movements because his Gu Mines can slow enemies down and inflict damage-over-time on them until they remove it which takes a few seconds
- Lesion’s Gu Mines produces a loud and distinct sound when triggered, and that’s usually enough for the defenders to be warned of enemy presence, so with Lesion around, it’ll be hard for defenders to get caught off guard
- The longer the round goes, the more Gu Mines Lesion can deploy, so he basically becomes stronger the longer the round is, which makes his crowd control capabilities more powerful as well
- Lesion can bring in two impact grenades per round which he can use to create rotation holes which will allow him and his teammates to respond to enemy presence more effectively
Best Loadout for Lesion:
https://www.gamersdecide.com/articles/r6-best-lesion-loadouts
3. Blitz (Front Line, Crowd Control)
Blitz is a great crowd control attacker because he’s not just great at diverting the attention of defenders towards him, he’s also great at keeping it. When Blitz is charging at them, the defenders can’t just ignore him like they could do with Montagne. That’s because Blitz can blind them using his Flash Shield, which would make them vulnerable to being melee’d by him or be fragged by other attackers. This makes Blitz such an offensive menace, especially when he’s playing in an organized team. That’s when he can truly shine as a crowd control operator in the front lines.
For example, when the attacking team is rushing, Blitz can initiate the rush by destroying the door or wall near the objective spot with his breach charge. He can then proceed on charging the defenders while his other teammates support him. He won’t get easily killed because of his Flash Shield, and the defenders are forced to engage him or run away. This level of crowd control is why Blitz has such a high rank in this list even though I don’t usually play shield operators like him. Oh, and the blind effects from his Flash Shield shouldn’t be underestimated, because it has a surprisingly long range.
What Makes Blitz Great for Crowd Control:
- Because of his Flash Shield that can blind enemies, when he’s charging at them, they are forced to either engage him or run away from him, they can’t just ignore him like Montagne or Osa
- His Flash Shield protects most of his body, even his head, so it’s not that easy to kill him when he’s charging, and being a 2-speed operator, his charge can be surprisingly fast
- Blitz affects the movements of enemies a lot through his charge because most of the time they are forced to divert their attention to him as it’s in their best interest to bring him down as fast as possible
- Blitz players don’t have to always play him fast, he can also be used for gathering intel on enemy positions and with a more tactical approach, he can really surprise enemies with a sudden charge
Best Loadout for Blitz:
https://www.gamersdecide.com/articles/rainbow-6-siege-best-blitz-loadouts
2. Gridlock (Support, Crowd Control)
Gridlock’s special gadget, the Trax Stinger, is one of the best crowd control utilities in the game, and that’s why she ranks so high in the list. She has four Trax Stingers, and each of them spawns a lot of barbed mats around them. The number of barbed mats per Trax Stinger is nineteen, so each of them can cover a large spot. Any enemy who steps on them will get damaged and slowed down, so they’re very troublesome. They can be destroyed by gunfire and explosives, but that would mean that defenders will be making a lot of noise in order to clear out the Trax Stingers.
This makes Gridlock a very effective operator for blocking defenders from using flanking spots, and the Trax Stingers are also great for preventing enemy roamers from being effective. This makes Gridlock a great crowd control operator as with her Trax Stingers, she can prevent enemies from moving into certain spots. Another great thing about Gridlock is that she can use a shotgun as her secondary weapon and that allows her to rework the map to her advantage, be it for creating entry points or rotation holes for outmaneuvering enemies.
What Makes Gridlock Great for Crowd Control:
- Her Trax Stingers are some of the best utilities for blocking flanking sites and preventing roamers from hitting the attacking team from behind
- Gridlock’s Trax Stingers can populate a large spot with barbed mats which damages and slows down enemies, making them great area-denial utilities and for limiting enemy movements
- Gridlock can equip a shotgun as her secondary weapon which she can use for creating entry points, rotation holes, or a vertical play, which will also affect enemy movements
- The only way to get rid of Gridlock’s Trax Stingers is to use explosives to destroy them or to shoot them, either way, the defenders will be making a lot of noise when trying to destroy them, which will compromise their position
Best Loadout for Gridlock:
https://www.gamersdecide.com/articles/rainbow-six-siege-gridlock-loadouts
1. Lion (Intel, Crowd Control)
Lion is at number one because the amount of control he has over enemy movement is just insane. With his special gadget, the EE-ONE-D, he can heavily discourage enemies from moving. That’s because if they continue moving during the EE-ONE-D scans, they’ll get pinged for several seconds, and their positions will be compromised to the whole attacking team. So when Lion pops off his EE-ONE-D scans, the defenders only have two choices, stop moving, or give away their current location to the attackers, and at face value, stopping yourself from moving for a few seconds doesn’t really hurt, but in reality it does.
That’s because during those few seconds that the defenders aren’t moving, the attackers are gaining ground and are able to take control of strategic angles or positions. This is why Lion is such a great crowd control operator. He affects enemy movements a lot, and that plays a huge role in attacking. The scary part is that the effects of his EE-ONE-D scans are global, so no matter how near or far he is from them, he would be able to have an effect on his enemies. Two of his choices for his generic gadget, the claymore and stun grenades, are also great for crowd control.
What Makes Lion Great for Crowd Control:
- His EE-ONE-D scans heavily discourages enemies from moving, because if they continue to move during an EE-ONE-D scan, they’ll get pinged, and that ping will be visible to the whole attacking team
- While the enemies aren’t moving during the EE-ONE-D scans, the attackers can keep gaining ground and taking strategic positions, which is very advantageous in a tactical shooter like Siege
- Lion’s V308 assault rifle is great for crowd control because its huge magazine capacity and very manageable recoil makes it perfect when it comes to applying suppressive fire
- Lion’s two choices for his generic gadget, the stun grenade and claymore, are both great for crowd control as the stun grenades are for blinding enemies and the claymores are for countering roamers, flankers, and run outs
Best Loadout for Lion:
https://www.gamersdecide.com/articles/rainbow-6-siege-best-lion-loadouts
Attention operator, please be advised. There is a new directive from Six. Read up on these related articles, and prepare for deployment:
