15. Lesion (Anti-Entry, Trapper)

Lesion is one of the oldest operators in the game, but thanks to the balancing fixes that the devs do regularly, he, alongside other old school operators, remains a big part of the game and can definitely compete in the current meta. Not only compete, but even excel. Lesion is one of the most versatile operators that you could play because he’s not one of those situation operators. He pretty much works well regardless of the situation or map you’re playing in. And of course, what allows him to do so is his special gadget, the Gu Mines, which makes him more powerful as the round goes on.

And what I mean by that is because the deployment of his Gu Mines is through cooldown, as the round goes on he’ll be able to deploy more Gu Mines around the map. The Gu Mines activate a damage over time effect on enemies who step on them, and it also causes a pretty loud sound that could be heard from a good distance. So not only does the Gu Mines inflict some damage to enemies, they’re also great earning warning devices. And another effect that the Gu Mines inflict on the enemies is that until they remove it, an enemy who has stepped on a Gu Mine will not be able to sprint. 

What Makes Lesion a Great Defender:

• The longer he stays alive throughout the round, the stronger he gets, because he will be able to deploy more Gu Mines around the map
• He’s a very versatile operator that can be played well regardless of the map and situation as his gameplay is pretty simple yet troublesome for enemies
• Enemies who step on his Gu Mines will be unable to sprint and experience a damage over time effect that will last until they remove it
• When an enemy steps on one of Lesion’s Gu Mines, it will create a pretty loud sound cue that is usually enough to warn the defenders
• Lesion can bring two impact grenades per round and they’re very useful for creating rotation holes, destroying unreinforced hatches, or countering shield operators
• Lesion has access to great weaponry like the T-5 SMG which is a good fully automatic primary weapon, and the SIX12 SD which is a devastatingly powerful shotgun

Choose Lesion if:

• You’ve noticed that the enemy team has a really good Montagne or Blitz player, because Lesion’s Gu Mines are one of the best counters to them
• Your team needs someone who can rework the map, because Lesion has access to two impact grenades which he can use for creating rotation holes
• Your team needs a solid anchor, because Lesion’s Gu Mines are very good at slowing enemies down, and warning the defending team of enemy presence

Best Loadout for Lesion:

https://www.gamersdecide.com/articles/r6-best-lesion-loadouts

14. Thunderbird (Support)

Operator Thunderbird is one of the best defenders that you could play because like Lesion above, she’s not really situational. She works well in almost all situations and on any map. I can’t think of any objective spot, map, or situation where she’s not viable. That’s because what she brings to the table will always be valuable to any defending team. And that is healing, as well as revival from a down-but-not-out state. Through her three Kona Stations, she can provide a lot of healing to all the defending team members, and she’s a great support operator to have.

A defender who’s in a down-but-not-out state can also revive themselves when they’re within the radius of one of Thunderbird’s Kona Stations. This essentially makes the whole defending team tougher to take down, as when they get damaged, they can just go to one of the Kona Stations and receive healing. As for her fragging capabilities, Thunderbird has the very powerful Spear .308 assault rifle which is great at any distance, has high stopping power, and manageable recoil. If the user chooses to, she can also equip the SPAS-15 shotgun which is great for reworking the map and taking out opponents at close range.

What Makes Thunderbird a Great Defender:

• Thunderbird is able to provide a lot of healing to all the defending team members as the heals from her Kona Stations are only limited via cooldown
• Thunderbird’s Kona Stations are also able to revive defenders who are in a down-but-not-out state as long as they’re within the Kona Station’s radius
• Aside from being able to provide a lot of support, Thunderbird is also great at fragging opponents because of her Spear .308 assault rifle
• She also possesses the ability to rework the map with her SPAS-15 shotgun which has high destruction rate per shot and is great at taking out enemies at close range
• Now that she has access to the Bearing 9 machine pistol, Thunderbird can freely equip the SPAS-15 shotgun as her primary as she’ll still be able to frag enemies at medium range
• Her bulletproof camera is a great secondary gadget as it provides another way for defenders to gather intel, and it can also shoot EMP blast that disables enemy electronics

Choose Thunderbird if:

• You want to be able to provide a lot of support to your teammates through healing and being able to revive them or yourself from a down-but-not-out state
• You want to play an operator with a shotgun as their primary weapon and a machine pistol as their secondary weapon
• You want to play a very balanced operator with 2-heath and 2-speed rating that can provide a lot of support as well as dish out heavy firepower

Best Loadout for Thunderbird:

https://www.gamersdecide.com/articles/rainbow-6-siege-best-thunderbird-l...

13. Goyo (Anti-Entry, Trapper)

Area-denial plays a crucial role in Rainbow Six Siege because it’s a tactical multiplayer shooter. So in many cases, the aim and reflexes of players aren’t the only deciding factor in the match. Oftentimes the player with better positioning and strategy are the ones who win, and area-denial is one effective way of preventing enemies from implementing their strategy. Goyo’s area-denial capabilities are very powerful because each of his Volcan Canisters can cover a large spot in fire that can damage opponents a lot.

The scary part is that the fire from Goyo’s Volcan canisters lasts for twenty seconds before dissipating, and in Siege where the round time is only a little over two minutes, that’s a long time to deny an area, especially if that area is a common planting spot. What’s more is that Goyo’s Volcan Canisters can be attached to most surfaces in the game, so he can deploy them on barricaded doors or windows, and that will make them automatically detonate when enemies destroy those windows or doors.

What Makes Goyo a Great Defender:

• Through his Volcan Canisters, he’s able to deny large areas to his enemies for long periods of time, preventing them from planting or taking control of an area
• His Volcan Canisters are compatible to most surfaces in the game, so he can attach them to barricaded windows and doors
• The fire from Goyo’s Volcan canisters inflict heavy damage to enemies so it’s not easy for them to just run through its effects
• Goyo has access to the TCSG12 shotgun which inflicts heavy damage per shot and is also great for reworking the map due to its high destruction rate
• Goyo can also equip the Vector .45 ACP submachine which has a very fast rate of fire, decent recoil, and is compatible to a wide variety of attachments
• Goyo has access to great utilities like the impact grenades, proximity alarms, as well as the bulletproof camera, and all of them have good synergy with his role

Choose Goyo if:

• You noticed that the enemy team is very organized and applies heavy pressure in an area that they can use for planting the defuser
• Your team will heavily benefit from an area-denial operator, and Goyo is one of the best at that because of his Volcan Canisters
• Your team needs an operator that can rework the map to the defending team’s advantage and Goyo can do that with his TCSG12 shotgun or impact grenades

Best Loadout for Goyo:

https://www.gamersdecide.com/articles/rainbow-6-siege-best-goyo-loadouts

12. Melusi (Intel, Crowd Control)

With Melusi in the defending team, it will be very hard for them to be caught off guard, and that makes her one of the best defenders around. Melusi’s special gadget, the Banshee Sonic Defense, can be attached to most flat surfaces in the map, and what it does is enemies who step into its radius will get slowed down a lot, and while this is happening, the Banshee will emit a loud sound that will usually be enough to warn defenders of the attacker’s presence. The best part is, Melusi has three Banshi Sonic Defense, and when they’re not slowing enemies, they’re bulletproof.

The only way to destroy them from a distance is through the use of explosive utilities, and the other way to disable them is to trigger their slow effect. That way, their top part will open up and attackers can shoot that part. This makes them quite troublesome to disable, and it’s even harder to disable them silently. And that’s why when Melusi is on the defending team, it’ll be hard for the attackers to surprise the defenders inside the objective spot. Melusi’s Banshee Sonic Defense is also great for making attackers use up their explosive utilities.

What Makes Melusi a Great Defender:

• She has three Banshee Sonic Defense special gadget and three is usually enough to cover the entrances to the objective spot
• Each of Melusi’s Banshee Sonic Defense can greatly slow down an enemy that are within their radius and they emit a loud sound while doing so
• Since Melusi’s Banshee Sonic Defense are bulletproof when they’re not actively slowing an enemy down, they can be quite troublesome to disable
• Since Melusi has three Banshee Sonic Defense and all of them are hard to disable, they can use up a lot of the attackers’ utilities
• Melusi can bring two impact grenades per round and they’re great for creating rotation holes as well as countering shield operators especially Osa
• Melusi also has access to great weaponry like the MP5 which inflicts decent damage per shot and has a very manageable recoil

Choose Melusi if:

• You want to play an operator that will make it hard for the attackers to push through the objective spot and surprise defenders
• You’ve noticed that the enemies are very aggressive and likes rushing, because Melusi’s Banshees are great for countering rushes
• You want to play a very solid anchor with a great special gadget as well as very decent weapons like the MP5 and the RG15 handgun

Best Loadout for Melusi:

https://www.gamersdecide.com/articles/rainbow-6-siege-best-melusi-loadouts

11. Alibi (Intel, Trapper)

Despite the recent changes with her utilities which many in the Siege community consider a nerf, Alibi remains as one of the most troublesome defenders to deal with. That’s because she can do so many things with her special gadget, the Prisma. With her Prisma, she can produce three holographic clones of her. They do not move, but they’re an exact copy of her default look, so it’s easy for enemies to mistake them for the actual Alibi. That’s their primary purpose. Because when an enemy shoots at them or passes through them, that enemy will get pinged for several seconds, and that ping will be visible to the whole defending team.

Basically, everything coming from the attackers that touch Alibi’s holographic clones will activate this tracker, be it their bullets, own bodies, projectiles, and so on. This allows Alibi players to be creative in the use of her holographic clones, as they can be used for other purposes than intel gathering and confusing enemies. One great example of that is Alibi can heavily discourage opponents from entering through a window by placing her holographic clones right behind them. That’s because the attackers know that if they vault over, their bodies will touch the holographic clone and they will get pinged and attract the attention of the defenders.

What Makes Alibi a Great Defender:

• Her Prisma holographic clones can cause a lot of confusion to the enemies and they’re also great for intel-gathering
• If the Alibi player is near a Prisma holographic clone that was just shot, they can substitute themselves for the holographic clone and bait the attacker that shot it
• Alibi can heavily discourage enemies from vaulting over windows by deploying her Prisma holographic clones behind them
• Alibi’s Mx4 Storm submachine gun is a very powerful gun with rapid rate of fire, manageable recoil, and has a wide variety of attachments
• Alibi also has access to the powerful ACS12 shotgun which deals heavy damage per shot, has a very low recoil, and can be equipped with high powered scopes
• She also has access to the bailiff 410 revolver shotgun which is a great secondary weapon to have as it can be used to rework the map

Choose Alibi if:

• You want to play the role of a roamer, because Alibi is one of the best roamers around due to her speed and Prisma holographic clones
• You want to play a very versatile operator that can gather intel on enemies, confuse them, and inflict heavy stopping power on them
• You want to play a defender that has the capability to rework the map through her weapons, as well as play the role of a powerful fragger

Best Loadout for Alibi:

https://www.gamersdecide.com/articles/rainbow-6-siege-best-alibi-loadouts

10. Maestro (Anti-Gadget, Intel)

Maestro truly deserves a place in this list because his presence in every match he’s in can really be felt by both teams. That’s because his two Evil Eyes are such a great help to the defending team when it comes to intel-gathering as well as enemy gadget disabling, and of course, the attacking team oftentimes find his Evil Eyes very troublesome to deal with. That’s because they’re bulletproof, and the only way to disable them is to use explosive utilities at them or by shooting them when their bulletproof glass is open when they’re shooting their lasers. Attackers can also disable its camera view by hitting its glass panel with a melee attack.

But when the Maestro player knows what they’re doing, they can deploy the Evil Eyes on angles that are very hard to reach with a melee attack. Great Maestro players also really time their laser attacks well, wherein they’ll immediately stop and veer the Evil Eye away quickly after shooting to prevent it from being shot while its glass panel is open. As for fragging opponents himself, Maestro has the ACS12 shotgun and the Alda 5.56 LMG as his choices for his primary weapon, and both of them are great. Honestly, whenever I play Maestro, it’s always a hard choice for me which primary weapon I would run him with.

What Makes Maestro a Great Defender:

• Maestro is a great intel gatherer due to his two Evil Eyes that are bulletproof when not actively shooting their lasers and they can provide a wide view of the surroundings
• The lasers from Maestro’s Evil Eyes are great for disabling enemy gadgets as well as rapidly damaging them, especially when they’re stationary like when planting the defuser
• Maestro’s Evil Eyes can provide a wide view of the surroundings and can be deployed in angles that can be hard to reach with a melee attack
• Maestro has access to the great ACS12 shotgun which inflicts heavy amount of damage and can be used as a utility for reworking the map to the defending team’s advantage
• The Alda 5.56 LMG which is Maestro’s unique weapon is unique in that it has a very manageable recoil despite being an LMG and has a fast rate of fire
• Maestro can equip the bailiff 410 revolver shotgun and it’s a great utility for reworking the map to the defending team’s advantage

Choose Maestro if:

• Your team needs an intel gatherer, because his two Evil Eyes can provide a wide view of the surroundings and they’re bulletproof
• You want to play an operator that is a great intel-gatherer as well as a gadget disabler, because the Evil Eyes’ lasers are great for disabling enemy utilities
• You’ve noticed that the enemies are going for the smoke + plant strat, because Maestro’s Evil Eyes can see through the smoke and can shoot enemies through it

Best Loadout for Maestro:

https://www.gamersdecide.com/articles/rainbow-6-siege-best-maestro-loadouts

9. Warden (Anti-Gadget, Intel)

A lot of players underestimate Warden because his special gadget, the Glance Smart Glasses only works on him, so they think that he’s not much of a team player. However, with the addition of Sens in the game, Warden’s value as a defender definitely rose up. That’s because his Glance Smart Glasses allows him to see through the effects of smoke grenades, as well as Sens’ R.O.U. Projector Systems. This usually surprises attackers who think that they’re so safe behind the cover of smoke or Sens’ special gadget.

On top of that, Warden’s Glance Smart Glasses also removes the blind effects from stun grenades and Ying’s Candelas. This makes him great at holding high traffic areas because attackers would usually lead with stun grenades in order to frag the defender holding the spot that they want to take control of. Warden is also one of the defenders who now has access to the newest gadget in the game which is the observation blocker. The observation blocker allows him to hide from attacker drones during prep phase, and that allows him to surprise them with his presence.

What Makes Warden a Great Defender:

• His Glance Smart Glasses allows him to see through the effects of smoke grenades and Sens’ R.O.U. Projector Systems
• His Glance Smart Glasses also allows him to remove the blind effects from Ying’s Candelas as well as regular stun grenades
• He has access to the observation blocker which will allow him to effectively hide from attacker drones during the prep phase
• His nitro cell has a great synergy with his Glance Smart Glasses as it will allow him to take out multiple enemies behind the smoke or Sens’s R.O.U. Projector Systems
• Since he has the SMG-12 machine pistol as his secondary weapon, he can freely equip the M590A1 shotgun for close range superiority
• His other weapons are great as well as the MPX has great recoil control and decent damage while the P-10C handgun offers great accuracy with its red dot sight

Choose Warden if:

• You want to play an operator that can see through the cover of smoke and Sens’ R.O.U. Projector Systems and surprise enemies
• You’ve noticed that there’s a really good Ying player on the other team and you want to surprise her with a counter
• The enemies like leading with stun grenades or Ying’s Candelas before pushing and your team doesn’t have Jager or Wamai to counter them

Best Loadout for Warden:

https://www.gamersdecide.com/articles/rainbow-6-siege-best-warden-loadouts

8. Kapkan (Anti-Entry, Trapper)

Kapkan is one of the most troublesome defenders for attackers to deal with, because his special gadget, the EDD, can heavily damage attackers who aren’t being careful, and there are even times that they’ll just be straight up killed. That’s because even one of the EDDs can deal massive damage to an attacker’s health and Kapkan has access to five of them. The EDD is basically a trap that is deployed on entryways, and when it's triggered by an attacker touching its laser sensor, it will explode.

The scary part is that Kapkan can deploy more than one EDD in one entryway. He can even deploy all five of them in one entryway. Even though just two or three of them is usually enough to kill an attacker. And because Kapkan has a very balanced 2-health and 2-speed rating, after he has deployed his EDDs, he can perform the role of a roamer or an anchor. In fact, as a roamer, he can even lure attackers into entryways where he has deployed his EDDs. All in all, when Kapkan is around, the attackers will really need to be careful. 

What Makes Kapkan a Great Defender:

• Just one of his EDDs can deal a huge damage to an enemy, and now he’s able to deploy multiple EDDs in one entryway
• Kapkan’s EDDs are one of the best gadgets in the game for countering rushes, as rushing enemies tend to not look for them in entryways
• With Kapkan around, attackers with an aggressive playstyle are forced to slow down, because if they don’t check entryways for EDDs, they’ll get burned
• Kapkan is one of the defenders that can contribute to the team even when he’s been taken out in the round, because his EDDs can still deal damage or kill enemies
• For fragging enemies, Kapkan has the very reliable 9x19VSN submachine gun which deals a good amount of damage per shot and has a manageable recoil
• If the Kapkan player excels in using shotguns, he also has access to the SASG-12 shotgun which is very powerful and has an integrated suppressor

Choose Kapkan if:

• You want to play an operator that can contribute to the team even when he’s dead, because the EDDs can still damage or kill enemy players even when Kapkan is dead
• You’ve noticed that the enemies like rushing or has a very aggressive playstyle, because the EDDs are a great counter to them
• You need an operator with a huge presence in the match and can also rework the map, since Kapkan has access to the impact grenades

Best Loadout for Kapkan:

https://www.gamersdecide.com/articles/rainbow-6-siege-best-kapkan-loadouts

7. Solis (Intel, Support)

Solis is one of the newest operators in Siege and she is actually quite underrated. That’s probably because her players will usually have to switch to and from her special gadget, the Spec-IO Electro Sensor, and so her gameplay can be a bit more complicated than most operators. But once the player gets used to it, Solis can have a lot of contribution to her team when it comes to intel gathering and enemy gadget disabling. Especially because she can share her scan results on enemy gadget positions to her teammates.

And that is what her Spec-IO Electro Sensor basically does. When it’s active, it allows her to detect enemy electronic gadgets, and she can cast their positions to her whole team. This is very useful for disabling drones that were hidden by attackers for surveillance as well as destroying their drones during prep phase in general. This makes Solis one of the best intel-denial operators in the game. It also allows her to be effective at run outs because she’ll know if there’s a claymore behind a window before she vaults outside.

What Makes Solis a Great Defender:

• She’s a great intel gatherer because her Spec-IO Electro Sensor allows her to detect enemy electronic gadgets and share that intel to her teammates
• She’s also great at denying intel to the enemies because she’ll be able to detect their drones and other cameras easily
• Solis is great at run outs because before vaulting onto a window, she’ll be able to detect whether a claymore was deployed behind it or not
• She’s also great at detecting current enemy positions when they’re using their drones, as she’ll be able to detect the signal from their observation tools
• She has access to the SMG-11 machine pistol which allows her to freely equip the ITA12L shotgun as her primary and she’ll be able to excel at close range as well as medium range
• She can bring two impact grenades per round and they’re great for creating rotation holes as well as counter shield operators like Blitz and Osa

Choose Solis if:

• You want to play an excellent intel-gatherer operator who can also easily share the intel that she’s gathered to all her teammates
• You want to play an operator who’s great at intel-denial, as Solis is excellent at hunting down attacker drones and their other surveillance devices
• You have an aggressive playstyle as a defender and you want to perform run outs safely, as Solis will be able to detect claymores on run out spots

Best Loadout for Solis:

https://www.gamersdecide.com/articles/rainbow-6-siege-best-solis-loadouts

6. Fenrir (Trapper)

Fenrir is the newest addition to Rainbow Six Siege and is also now the most banned. Which is kind of appropriate with his special gadget, the Dread Mines, and the season name he’s been introduced in which is Operation Dread Factor. Because a lot of players apparently fear him. That’s not to say that their dread is not understandable because his Dread Mines are one of the most troublesome defender gadgets to deal with when you’re an attacker. They are basically proximity mines that activate once an attacker steps into their radius.

And once they’re activated, they will severely limit the vision of the attackers that are within their radius, effectively making them very vulnerable. On top of that, the Dread Mines are quite small, so Fenrir can hide them in hard-to-find spots, making them quite hard for attackers to disable. Fenrir also brings five Dread Mines with him and he can make three of them active at a time. That’s quite a lot, especially since experienced players know where the usual pushing and planting spots are. This makes Fenrir a very dangerous defender to deal with.

What Makes Fenrir a Great Defender:

• With his Dread Mines, he can severely limit the enemies’ field of view, making them very vulnerable to defender fire
• Fenrir’s Dread Mines also serve as good area-denial devices as most of the time, attackers who are caught in their effects will back away
• The Dread Mines can also act as early warning devices for the defending team as there will be a sound cue produced from them when an attacker steps in their radius
• Fenrir can equip the bailiff 410 revolver shotgun as his secondary weapon and it’s a great utility for reworking the map to the defending team’s advantage
• Fenrir’s MP7 submachine gun is a very underrated gun because it deals a good amount of damage per shot and has a very manageable recoil
• If the player excels in using shotguns, Fenrir also has access to the very powerful SASG-12 shotgun which is perfect for finishing enemies under the effects of the Dread Mines

Choose Fenrir if:

• If he’s not banned, because most of the time now he is, and if he’s not banned, you should use him as he really brings a lot to the table for the defending team
• You want to play an operator who is excellent at anchoring and one that can perform area-denial and intel-gathering
• You want to play an operator that has the capability to rework the map while also hindering enemies with an aggressive playstyle

Best Loadout for Fenrir:

https://www.gamersdecide.com/articles/rainbow-6-siege-best-fenrir-loadouts

5. Smoke (Anti-Entry, Trapper)

As mentioned in Goyo’s entry, area-denial plays a crucial role in Siege, as with area-denial, you’re basically ruining the enemy’s momentum and their strategy. Forcing them back, or making them panic. And when it comes to area-denial, Smoke is one of the most effective. That’s because he possesses the unique ability to get inside the effects of his area-denial device without getting hurt by it. His area denial device is called the Remote Gas Grenade which can envelope a large spot in yellow gas.

That gas is very damaging, and can take out any enemy in just a few seconds, regardless of their armor rating. So just tanking it or even running through it is most of the time a bad idea. And since Smoke can enter the gas effects without being harmed, he can detonate his Gas Grenade into an area, have the enemies retreat, and quickly take back control of the area. As for his offensive capabilities, Smoke has the very powerful M590A1 shotgun for close range superiority, and for shooting opponents at medium range, he can equip the SMG-11 as his secondary weapon.

What Makes Smoke a Great Defender:

• His area-denial device, the Remote Gas Grenade, is very effective at pushing back enemies as its damage per second is high
• Smoke can enter the effects of his Gas Grenade without being harmed, which allows him to quickly take back control of an area that was pushed by enemies
• The cloud of chemicals from his Gas Grenade is quite large and can obstruct vision a lot, so Smoke can even use it as cover for pushing back enemies
• Smoke can equip the powerful M590A1 shotgun as his primary, and it has a good synergy with the effects of his Gas Grenade as it allows him to get closer to his enemies
• His SMG-11 machine pistol will allow him to frag enemies beyond the reach of the M590A1 shotgun, and that setup allows him to excel at both close and medium range
• He now has access to the proximity alarms which works well with his special gadget and helps the whole defending team a lot in terms of warning them of enemy presence

Choose Smoke if:

• You want to play an operator that can easily push enemies back even when they have a good strategy and they’re pushing through the effects of the smoke grenade
• You want to play an operator which is great with a shotgun as their primary while also excelling at medium range shooting because of their machine pistol secondary weapon
• You’ve noticed that the enemies like pushing in one spot while being led by a Montagne or another shield operator and they’re using smoke grenades a lot

Best Loadout for Smoke:

https://www.gamersdecide.com/articles/rainbow-6-siege-best-smoke-loadouts

4. Kaid (Anti-Entry, Anti-Gadget)

Kaid ranks so high in this list because his role is very important and is almost essential to many situations in the game. That’s because his special gadget, the Electroclaw, is one of the best hard breach preventing devices that the defenders have access to. It’s also the only gadget on the defenders’ side that can prevent reinforced hatches from being breached. That’s because Kaid can attach them to most surfaces in the map and their radius is quite wide. And preventing attackers from hard breaching is very important.

That goes double when the objective spot has a wall that leads to the outside. That’s because if the attackers breach that wall, they will be like one step closer to winning the round, since it will be much more convenient for them to shoot defenders from the outside rather than taking other paths of attack through the objective spot where they’d be more vulnerable to defender fire and roamers. That’s why in many cases, it’s important for Kaid to be in the defending team, because the contribution of his Electroclaws is very crucial.

What Makes Kaid a Great Defender:

• Kaid is the best hard breach denial operator now because the range of his Electroclaws makes them hard to disable when Thatcher is banned
• Kaid is still the only defender in the game that can prevent reinforced hatches from being breached
• His barbed wires have a good synergy with his Electroclaws because he can electrocute them and make it harder for enemies to pass through an area
• Kaid can also electrocute deployable shields, making it harder for enemies to vault over them or take control of them and use them as cover
• Kaid has the very powerful TCSG12 shotgun which allows him to deal heavy damage to enemies and it can even be equipped with a high-powered scope
• Kaid can also use his TCSG12 shotgun to rework the map to the defending team’s advantage due to its high destruction rate per shot

Choose Kaid if:

• The objective spot that you’re defending has a wall that leads to the outside, because if that wall is breached, it could be very hard to stop the defenders from pushing
• If the objective spot you’re defending is at a lower floor and you need to stop attackers from breaching the hatches
• You want to use an excellent operator overall, not just for hard breaching, but also for inflicting heavy damage to enemies

Best Loadout for Kaid:

https://www.gamersdecide.com/articles/rainbow-6-siege-best-kaid-loadouts

3. Azami (Anti-Entry, Support)

Azami is easily one of the most versatile and tactical operators in the defending side, and that’s because her special gadget, the Kiba Barrier, can be used in many different ways. Of course, since it creates a huge bulletproof cover, its main purpose is for providing more cover for the defending team members. However, it can also be used for intel and area-denial. For its intel denial-function, Azami can use them to cover drone holes around the objective spot, especially the ones that are commonly used by attackers for their drones.

As for area denial, Azami can easily deploy them on entryways and prevent, or at least delay, attackers from entering. That’s because for attackers to destroy Azami’s Kiba Barriers, it’ll take three hits with a melee attack, or them using one of their explosive utilities. The Kiba Barriers being used to provide more cover can also surprise a lot of attackers, because it can make their pre-firing ineffective. With her Kiba Barriers, Azami is also the only defender that is capable of creating quick fixes on broken hatches and walls.

What Makes Azami a Great Defender:

• Through her Kiba Barriers, she can provide more cover for the defending team members to better protect themselves
• Her Kiba Barriers can also be used for intel denial, as they can be deployed to block drone holes around the objective spot
• Azami’s Kiba Barriers are also excellent area-denial utilities as they can be deployed to block entryways and it’ll take utilities or three melee hits to destroy them
• Azami has access to the powerful ACS12 shotgun which deals heavy stopping power and can be used as a utility for creating rotation holes and lines of sight
• Azami can also equip the very handy 9x19VSN submachine gun which has a very decent damage, and a manageable recoil
• Azami can bring two impact grenades per round which are great for reworking the map as well as countering shield operators

Choose Azami if:

• You want to play an operator that is great for anchoring, as her Kiba Barriers are excellent for creating more cover around the objective spot
• You want to play a very versatile operator that can do a lot with her special gadget aside from its main purpose
• You want to play an operator that doesn’t only have a very useful utility, but also has high offensive power

Best Loadout for Azami:

https://www.gamersdecide.com/articles/rainbow-6-siege-best-azami-loadouts

2. Wamai (Anti-Gadget, Trapper)

Wamai ranks so high in this list because he’s a very important part of any defending team. He’s also not a situational operator, so he can be used in any map or situations and he’ll always be useful. That’s because projectiles, especially grenades, are a huge part of the attacking team’s arsenal, and when they’re successful at using them, it can make it much easier to push or kill defenders. Wamai’s main role is to stop attackers from capitalizing on their grenades through the use of his special gadget, the Mag-NET.

Wamai starts the round with one Mag-NET, and would gain another one every forty seconds, and he can deploy a total of six in one round. Wamai’s Mag-NETs pull attacker projectiles towards them, effectively messing up the direction in which the attackers want them to pop off. In some instances, Wamai’s Mag-NET can even pull back a frag grenade and kill the attacker who threw it. Even if the attackers don’t use projectiles, Wamai is very deadly with his MP5K that can be equipped with a scope 1.5x, and he has access to the impact grenades.

What Makes Wamai a Great Defender:

• Wamai is a great counter against enemy projectiles, especially grenades, as his Mag-NETs, will pull them back and basically neutralize them
• Wamai’s Mag-NETs are also great early warning devices as they produce a loud sound when they’re pulling attacker projectiles
• Wamai can equip his MP5K with a scope 1.5x, making him a defender with great offensive capabilities, as the scope 1.5x will make his accuracy better
• Wamai can also bring two impact grenades per round which are great for creating rotation holes, destroying unreinforced hatches, and countering shield operators
• The keratos .357 as his secondary weapon is a great handgun due to its heavy stopping power and high destruction rate, which makes it a good utility for creating lines of sight
• His proximity alarms are also a good alternative secondary gadget when other members of the defending team can create rotation holes instead

Choose Wamai if:

• You want to play an operator that is great at neutralizing enemy projectiles, especially grenades that can easily kill defenders or make pushing easier for the attackers
• You want to play a defender that can equip a high-powered scope to their weapon, as Wamai’s MP5K can now be equipped with a scope 1.5x
• You want to play a defender that has good offensive power while also possessing the ability to rework the map through his impact grenades and keratos .357

Best Loadout for Wamai:

https://www.gamersdecide.com/articles/rainbow-6-siege-best-wamai-loadouts

1. Rook (Support)

Rook has the highest rank in this list because his contribution to the defending team is so huge now that his special gadget, the Armor Pack has been reworked. It was already really good before, as it added more health rating to members of the defending team that wears his armor plates. Basically, making them much tougher. But now with the rework, Rook’s armor plates also add the ability to self-revive for defenders who are wearing them. This makes Rook a really great support as he can basically make the whole defending team much tougher to kill.

But it’s not only his supportive capabilities that makes him such a great defender. He’s one of the very few defenders that can use the scope 2.0x on their guns. And because it’s such a high-powered scope, it provides Rook with great accuracy, and with it, he can even exchange fire effectively against attackers at long distances. Rook can also bring two impact grenades per round, which will allow him to create rotation holes and destroy unreinforced hatches. So Rook is actually a very versatile operator that doesn’t only excel as a support. He’s great at teamplay as well and has powerful offensive capabilities.

What Makes Rook a Great Defender:

• He’s able to provide all members of the defending team with extra health points which will make them much tougher and can take more shots before being killed
• His armor plates now provide anyone wearing them with the ability to revive themselves from a down-but-not-out state, allowing them to have a second chance in the fight
• Rook is one of the very few defenders that can use such a high-powered scope like the scope 2.0x which will greatly increase his accuracy
• Rook also has access to the P90 which is a great primary gun due to its huge magazine size, and very manageable recoil despite its fast rate of fire
• Rook can also bring two impact grenades per round which will allow him to create rotation holes, destroy unreinforced hatches, and they’re very effective at countering shield operators
• He’s one of the operators that now have access to the observation blocker which is very useful in denying intel to attacker drones

Choose Rook if:

• You want to play an operator that is great at anchoring and can also provide a huge buff to your teammates
• You want to play a defender that can equip high powered scopes like the scope 1.5x or the scope 2.0x as they’re compatible with Rook’s weapons
• You need an operator in your team that has access to the impact grenades because they’re great for reworking the map and countering shield operators like Osa

Best Loadout for Rook:

https://www.gamersdecide.com/articles/rainbow-6-siege-best-rook-loadouts

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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• Rainbow 6 Siege Tier List [Rainbow 6 Siege Best Operators]
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