[Top 15] Rainbow 6 Siege Best Defender Weapons That Are Excellent

Top 15 Best Defender Weapons in Rainbow 6 Siege

Updated:

27 May 2022

15. SMG-11 (Best for close to medium range)

The SMG-11 basically allows Smoke and Mute to use the M590A1 shotgun instead of the MP5K submachine gun as their primary, because with the SMG-11 as their secondary, they can effectively shoot opponents at medium to long range, far from the effective reach of a shotgun. Realistically speaking, the best range for the SMG-11 is close to medium range, but experienced players can strafe opponents at long range with the SMG-11, especially since its recoil pattern only goes vertically straight.

With 1,270 rate of fire and 35 damage, the SMG-11 is one the weapons in the game that has the most damage per second (DPS). That’s why it can really make quick work of your enemies, especially in close to medium range, where there’s a better chance of making all your shots hit. Its weakness is its low magazine capacity, and very strong vertical kick, but as long as you pace your burst shots well, you can mitigate those weaknesses.

What makes SMG-11 awesome:

Very fast rate of fire
High damage output
Decent reload speed

Weapon stats:

Damage – 35
Fire rate – 1,270
Mobility – 50
Capacity - 16

14. FO-12 (Best for close range)

One of the most popular shotguns in the game and considered by many as the most powerful. Ela’s unique shotgun may look weak on paper with only 25 damage unsuppressed in its in-game description. However, its high damage per pellet, low damage drop-off, and fast rate of fire really makes this shotgun devastating in close range, especially since Ela uses this shotgun in conjunction with her Grzmot Mines. When you’re under the concussion effects of the Grzmot Mines, it’ll be much easier for Ela to get closer and pound you with heavy shots from her FO-12.

What’s more is that this shotgun has a wide variety of attachments available to it. For grips, Ela players can choose the angled grip for quicker flick shots or the vertical grip for added control to the FO-12's strong vertical kick. And for muzzle attachments, the extended barrel to further decrease the weapon’s damage drop-off, or the suppressor so that the enemy caught in the concussion effects of the Grzmot mines will find it harder to figure out exactly where you’re shooting from.

What makes FO-12 awesome:

High damage
Fast rate of fire
High magazine capacity
Availability of the extended barrel

Weapon stats:

Damage – 45
Mobility – 50
Capacity - 10

13. UZK50GI (Best for close to medium range)

A unique weapon for Thorn, and is the newest gun in the game. It is a fictional gun made for Siege but it’s definitely based on the Uzi, and unlike how Uzis are in most shooter games, the UZK50GI is quite a heavy gun. Heavy in a sense that it does heavy damage, and you can really feel that in the way the weapon kicks back, though fortunately, its vertical kick is not that strong, and its recoil pattern only goes on a vertical straight path. Its recoil diamond is quite wide, so it’s prone to random recoil, especially horizontally.

And that is why the UZK50GI is a beast of a gun especially with a compensator. The compensator will reduce its horizontal recoil, and its vertical recoil isn’t that strong in the first place because of its relatively slow rate of fire, so with a compensator, you’ll get pinpoint accuracy with this gun. Another great thing about this gun is that it’s highly destructive, so you can use it for making murder holes on unreinforced walls or wooden floors. Its weaknesses are its low magazine capacity and lack of scope that provide higher zoom levels.

What makes UZKG50GI awesome:

High damage
Good destruction profile per shot
Very manageable recoil

Weapon stats:

Damage – 44
Fire rate – 700
Mobility – 50
Capacity - 22

12. M870 (Best for close range)

The M870 is one of the most popular and powerful guns in Siege, and personally, I prefer this shotgun over Ela’s FO-12, because it’s easier to control and the damage is a lot more devastating. Despite lacking the attachments that the FO-12 has, the M870 feels like it could hit targets further and more accurately. And now that all 1x sights are available to all guns except handguns, the M870 has become even more popular because players can attach their preferred 1x sights to it and benefit from the added accuracy.

Like most shotguns, the M870 has high destructive power and can create rotation holes very quickly. It also has a fast rate of fire and fast reload speed. Its damage drop-off is decent. Its recoil is also very easy to control, so it doesn’t really have any perceived weaknesses for a shotgun, except of course when it comes to long range shooting. That is why a lot of Jager players opt to use the M870 these days, especially considering the nerfs on his 416-C carbine throughout the years.

What makes M870 awesome:

High damage
Fast rate of fire
Fast reload speed

Weapon stats:

Damage – 60
Mobility – 50
Capacity - 7

11. 9mm C1 (Best for any range)

Like the UZK50GI above, Frost’s 9mm C1 submachine gun does heavy damage per shot and you can really feel it with its kickback, but its recoil is very easy to handle because of its slow fire rate. Despite having one of the slowest rate of fire in the game, the 9mm C1 is far from being the weakest. That is because its heavy damage and low recoil more than make up for the slow rate of fire. It also has a high magazine capacity so it lessens the chances of you having to reload in the middle of a gunfight.

The Siege wiki page has the slow fire rate of the 9mm C1 listed as its only weakness, but I would say that the slow rate of fire actually benefits its recoil. Its real weakness is its lack of attachments that provide higher zoom levels as well as the lack of muzzle attachments. On the muzzle area, players only have a choice between the extended barrel and the suppressor, which is not that bad actually, because the 9mm C1 would be a powerful weapon with either of the muzzle attachments available.

What makes 9mm C1 awesome:

High damage
Low recoil
Fast reload speed
High magazine capacity

Weapon stats:

Damage – 45
Fire rate – 575
Mobility – 50
Capacity - 35

10. SPSMG9 (Best for close to medium range)

The SPSMG9 is one of the few available machine pistols in the game, but unlike the SMG-11, SMG-12, or the C75 Auto, the SPSMG9 actually has a very easy to control recoil. It really feels more like a submachine gun than a machine pistol, considering that the other machine pistols make the user hold on for his dear life whenever they’re fired. And even though its recoil is very manageable, its fire rate is one of the fastest in the game. It also has a very decent damage, so all of these three factors combined, the low recoil, fast rate of fire, and decent damage, makes the SPSMG9 one of the best weapons in the game.

The weakness of the SPSMG9 is the lack of attachments options and its relatively low magazine capacity. It has 20 bullets per magazine, and that may not sound that low, but if you consider the fast rate of fire of the SPSMG9, you’ll know that those 20 bullets will only last for a short time. But as long as the player uses it for short to medium range firing, it wouldn’t be much of a problem, because the SPSMG9 can make quick work of enemies on those distances.

What makes SPSMG9 awesome:

Decent damage
Very manageable recoil
High rate of fire

Weapon stats:

Damage – 33
Fire rate – 980
Mobility – 50
Capacity - 20

9. BOSG.12.2 (Best for any range)

Unlike most shotguns, the BOSG.12.2 fires a single slug instead of pellets that spread, so this double-barrel shotgun can be used for long range sniping, just like the shotguns that hunters use for hunting wild game. This shotgun deals very heavy damage per slug and can take down light armored operators from long range, and would instantly down any armor rating operator in close range. Of course, Rook’s Armor Plates will change that, but that won’t change the fact that the BOSG.12.2 is one of the hardest hitting weapons in the game.

In the hands of Vigil who has the ability to be invisible to attacker drones, the BOSG.12.2 turns into a more dangerous sniping weapon because Vigil can fire it with the aid of stealth. He can just camp in a corner and wait for an enemy to pass by and then boom, instantly take one down with the heavy damage from the BOSG.12.2. It’s a great hit and run weapon for Vigil which he can use to excel at any range.

What makes BOSG.12.2 awesome:

Very high damage
High destruction profile per shot
High ammo reserve

Weapon stats:

Damage – 125
Mobility – 50
Capacity - 2

8. UMP45 (Best for any range)

As the thumbnail on the video above suggests, the UMP45 is truly one of the best guns in Siege. Probably the most underrated as well, because on paper, the UMP45 may not look much. It has a pretty average damage, quite on the low side when it comes to magazine capacity, and it has a relatively slow rate of fire. What really makes it a great gun is its inherently low recoil, and the wide variety of attachments available to it.

Because of its low recoil, the player is free to choose attachments that don't provide recoil benefits such as the extended barrel to greatly lessen the UMP45’s damage drop-off, and the angled grip for a quicker switch to the aim-down-sights (ads) position. And even without recoil benefit-providing attachments, the gun would still be very easy to control. Another great thing about the UMP45, at least for operator Castle, is the availability of the 1.5x scope, which is one of the most balanced scopes in the game.

What makes UMP45 awesome:

Very decent damage
Wide variety of attachment choices
Very low recoil

Weapon stats:

Damage – 38
Fire rate – 600
Mobility – 50
Capacity - 25

7. Nitro Cell (Best for countering plant attempts)

Now this is a true Defender weapon because only Defenders can use it. It may not be a gun, but it is a very powerful weapon nonetheless. The nitro cell, more popularly known for its shorter name, the c4, has the most powerful explosion in the game. Capable of killing multiple enemies within its blast radius and even above wooden floors. It’s one of the best ways to stop a smoke + plant strat and also for countering vertical attacks.

In the hands of Pulse and Valkyrie, the nitro cell turns into an even more potent weapon, because they can use the nitro cell while armed with the real-time intel from their special gadgets. For most Defenders who have the nitro cell in their choices of secondary gadgets, it is very hard not to choose it over the alternative, because one can easily get kills with it as long as it is thrown well.

What makes Nitro Cell awesome:

Great for stopping smoke + attempts
Great for countering vertical attacks
C4-under-the-floor strat is hard to beat
Can take out multi enemies in one detonation

Weapon stats:

171 damage vs light armor operators
144 damage vs medium armor operators
126 damage vs heavy armor operators
Lethal for up to 2m distance

6. Mk 14 EBR (Best for any range)

The Mk 14 EBR on the Defender side, more specifically, for Aruni, may not have the 2.0x, 2.5x, and 3.0x Scopes that Dokkaebi’s Mk 14 EBR has, but it’s not really that much of a downgrade considering Aruni’s role. For Aruni, who is mostly an anchor operator, engaging enemies in close to medium range is the norm, and for those ranges, the 1.5x scope provides just enough zoom for Aruni to hit her targets well while also not putting her at a disadvantage in close range.

Aruni’s Mk 14 EBR only has two muzzle attachment options. The suppressor and the muzzle brake. But just like the scopes mentioned above, it doesn’t really matter. For a single-shot gun like the Mk 14 EBR, the best muzzle attachment for more recoil control is the muzzle brake, and if the player wants to take advantage of his shots not giving the enemy a directional threat indicator, muzzle flash, and loud gunfire sounds, he or she can opt with the suppressor instead.

What makes Mk 14 EBR awesome:

High damage
High penetration
High destruction profile per shot
Can destroy hatches
Manageable recoil

Weapon stats:

Damage – 60
Mobility – 50
Capacity - 20

5. Remote Gas Grenade (Best for area denial)

Another item in the list that is not a gun, but is obviously a weapon. A very powerful one that is. Smoke’s Remote Gas Grenade is the best area denial gadget in the game. What’s in the canister? We don’t really know, and we’re afraid to ask. What we know is that its gas, when released by Smoke, can quickly kill enemies caught in it, so enemies have no choice but to vacate the area or face certain death. Its gas effects also last for 10 seconds. While 10 seconds may not be much, normally speaking. In Siege, it’s a long time, especially when the time is running out and your team is still struggling to plant the defuser.

Its gas effects cover the area with a thick yellow mist, and in many areas of the map, it’ll be hard to see behind it. And since Smoke can go inside the effects of his gas grenade without being damaged, he can use it to gain better position against the enemies that he denied area with using the gas grenade. This tactic is great for Smoke users who prefer the shotgun because they can get closer to the enemies unnoticed most of the time.

What makes Remote Gas Grenade awesome:

Great for stopping plant attempts
Great for outmaneuvering enemies
Great for inducing panic on enemies
Also good at blocking enemy vision

Weapon stats:

5-meter diameter gas effect
15 damage points per 2/3 of a second
Lasts 10 seconds

4. DP27 (Best for close to medium range)

Reworked Tachanka’s unique gun. Although admittedly, I miss Lord Chanka’s original special gadget, the DP27 that we have right now is also great since Tachanka is able to carry it around wherever he goes and its high destructive power per shot can easily create rotation holes which are very important in Ranked matches. It can also destroy hatches with just a few shots, and of course make murder holes on unreinforced walls. This light machine gun has great penetration power so it’s great for wall banging as well.

Its slow rate of fire is forgivable since it makes the recoil a lot more manageable. Its biggest weakness really is its lack of attachment options. The user will only be able to change its 1x sight, and thankfully, Ubisoft has now made all 1x sights available to all primary guns, including the DP27. So, players like myself who find the default Reflex D for this gun terrible, can change it to another 1x sight that they’re more comfortable with. This weapon’s weakness is its long-range strafing, so I recommend the red dot sight for more accuracy.

What makes DP27 awesome:

High damage
High destruction profile per shot
High magazine capacity
Able to create rotation holes

Weapon stats:

Damage – 49
Fire rate – 550
Mobility – 50
Capacity - 70

3. Luison (Best for close range)

Caveria’s unique handgun. It comes with a custom suppressor, and one can imagine that it was Cav herself who made it. Each shot it makes is very silent and is hard to hear unless you’re near Cav. This handgun and her Silent Step ability makes Caveira a really terrifying stealth operator. The Luison has a whopping 65 damage, and it can down-but-not-out (dbno) Attackers of any armor rating with just a couple of shots at close range. The Luison is designed to only put Attackers in a dbno state in order for Cav to perform her interrogation ability easier.

However, the Luison will kill opponents that are already in a dbno state, even though the in-game description says it’s non-lethal. Its biggest weakness really is its poor damage drop-off, so it’s really ineffective when it comes to long range. Although the Siege wiki page says the Lusion has a strong recoil, I personally disagree because I’ve never found the Luison’s recoil to be strong in all my years of playing Siege. What’s really holding it back is its huge damage drop-off and lack of sight options for long range shooting.

What makes Luison awesome:

Subsonic gunshot sounds
Puts enemies on dbno instead of straight up killing them
Huge damage in close range

Weapon stats:

Damage – 65
Mobility – 45
Capacity - 12

2. TCSG12 (Best for medium to long range)

The TCSG12 is basically a Defender marksman rifle, although it’s classified as a shotgun, it is a single-slug firing shotgun, and can be equipped with a 2.0x scope, so for all intents and purposes, it’s a sniper rifle. And a sniper rifle in the hands of a Defender is really deadly, especially since the Defenders who can use it, which are Goyo and Kaid, are both anchor operators. An anchor’s job is to basically camp, and I don’t need to tell you how troublesome a camping sniper is.

The TCSG12 is one of the heaviest damaging guns in the game with 63 damage per shot unsuppressed. It also has a high destruction profile per shot, so even though it fires a single slug per shot, it can create rotation holes and destroy hatches. Its drawback is that its recoil is quite steep so it’s a bad idea to fire it fast. It also has no muzzle attachments that can provide recoil control and the user only has a choice between going suppressed or unsuppressed. But overall, this is a great gun as long as the user knows how to pace his shots. Easy to get headshots with as well.

What makes TCSG12 awesome:

High damage
High destruction profile per shot
High penetration damage

Weapon stats:

Damage - 63
Mobility – 50
Capacity - 10

1. ACS12 (Best for close to medium range)

Like the TCSG12 above, the ACS12 is classified as a shotgun but fires a single slug per shot, and that’s why it’s also basically like a rifle. It’s a lot better than the TCSG12 though because it has higher damage, more attachment options, semi-automatic, and above all, its recoil is very low. Like the title of the video above, it’s pretty much overpowered, and even though it does have a slow rate of fire, it’s still better than all the single-slug firing shotguns, and most guns for that matter.

It’s just really hard to beat its very high damage and very low recoil combination. The cherry on top is its high magazine capacity which is 30. Its only real weakness is its high damage drop-off, so even though it has the damage and scope of a marksman rifle, its damage at long range isn’t that good. This weapon is perfect for close to medium range shooting, and Maestro, Alibi, and Azami players are very lucky to have this gun in their arsenal.

What makes ACS12 awesome:

High damage
High destruction profile per shot
Very low recoil
High magazine capacity

Weapon stats:

Damage – 69
Fire rate – 300
Mobility – 50
Capacity - 30

Attention operator, please be advised. There is a new directive from Six. Read up on these related articles, and prepare for deployment:

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Kristoffer A. A.

A veteran of thousands of quests. Slayer of trolls. Survived the dragon attack in Loc Muinne. Kristoffer now spends his days as a scribe after receiving a permanent injury when a tavern stool gave und

Gamer Since:

1994

Favorite Genre:

FPS

Currently Playing:

Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege

Top 3 Favorite Games:

Rainbow Six Siege, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Wildlands

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