10. Lion (Intel, Map control)
Compared to the other intel gatherers you’ll see in this list, the intel gathering capabilities of Lion may appear miniscule in surface level. That's because his EE-ONE-D scans will not ping enemies all the time, and when they do, the ping tracker lasts several seconds, but not as long as compared to Jackal’s tracker for example, which lasts for twenty seconds. However, Lion’s intel-gathering capabilities is actually quite layered, because his EE-ONE-D scans doesn’t only ping enemies, they’re also great for heavily discouraging them to stop moving.
That’s because enemies who will not stop moving when the EE-ONE-D scan is on-going will get pinged for the whole attacking team to see. Those who did not move may think they’re safe, but in reality, the attackers are able to gain ground while they were still and just waiting for the scan to be over. Lion’s EE-ONE-D scans are a great way to ruin the momentum of the defenders, and he’s basically telling them that if they do not want to give away their positions, then they will be punished in other ways. Lion’s EE-ONE-D scans are also quite loud and are capable of masking the sound cues that attackers make for a few seconds.
Why Lion is a Great Intel Gatherer:
- Through his EE-ONE-D scans, he’s capable of putting a tracker on enemies who will keep moving while the scans are on-going, and that tracker will last for several seconds
- The ping tracker that results from the EE-ONE-D scans will be visible to the whole attacking team and they can be seen even through walls or other unbreakable surfaces
- Even when the EE-ONE-D scans doesn’t pick up a defender, it will have a detrimental effect on them, as that means they weren’t moving while the attacking team is gaining ground
- Not only is Lion great at intel gathering, he also has a lot of offensive capabilities as well due to his wide array of choices for his weapons and utilities
Best loadouts for Lion:
https://www.gamersdecide.com/articles/rainbow-6-siege-best-lion-loadouts
9. Pulse (Intel, Support)
The ability to track enemy positions in real time is always a great intel gathering ability and that’s precisely why Pulse is in this list. With his special gadget, the Heartbeat Sensor, he can detect the enemies’ heartbeats in real time and within the distance of nine meters, which is quite far in Siege where the environment resembles that of urban warfare, and close quarters combat is more prevalent. The only downside is that when Pulse is using his Heartbeat Sensor, he won’t be able shoot his weapons, and that could leave him defenseless.
Regardless of that drawback, the benefits of him being able to detect enemy positions in real time far outweighs the drawback, as with the intel that he can gather, he will be able to advise his whole team when it comes to enemy positions. Pulse is also very dead when he’s below a wooden floor and he’s detecting multiple enemies above him, because he can choose the nitro cell as his secondary gadget, and with the nitro cell’s synergy with his Heartbeat Sensor, he’ll be effective at taking out the enemies who are on the wooden floor above him.
Why Pulse is a Great Intel Gatherer:
- With his special gadget, the Heartbeat Sensor, he can detect enemies within the distance of nine meters in real time, and that’s a very powerful tool for intel gathering
- Because the intel on enemies that he can gather is in real time, he can accurately advice his teammates on enemy positions and he can also deal with the enemies himself
- Pulse is the most effective operator when it comes to performing the c4-under-the-floor strat because after detecting enemies on the wooden floor, he can just simply switch to his nitro cell and blow them up
- Pulse can also equip the M1014 shotgun as his primary weapon, and it’s a great weapon for harassing enemies that are on the wooden floor above him as it has a high destruction rate per shot
Best loadouts for Alibi:
https://www.gamersdecide.com/articles/rainbow-6-siege-best-pulse-loadouts
8. Jackal (Intel, Map Control)
When it comes to hunting roamers, there’s no operator who’s better than Jackal. That’s because with his special gadget, the Eyenox Model III, he’d be able to see the footprints that the defenders leave behind, so he’ll always have a good idea about their movements. On top of that, and this is his most dangerous ability, he can scan a set of defender footprints from a distance of eight meters, and once that scan is successful, it will put a ping tracker on the owner of that set of footprints and it will last for twenty seconds. That tracker will also be visible to the whole attacking team.
As you can imagine just by that description, a roamer that has been tracked by Jackal would be rendered useless as they’ll be forced in the defensive, especially if Jackal is on an organized team and they’re hunting down the roamer in groups. The scary thing about Jackal is that apart from his excellent intel-gathering capabilities, he also possesses a lot of firepower with the choices he has for his primary weapon. As for his secondary weapon, he can carry the ITA12L shotgun which he can use to rework the map in order to intercept or outmaneuver the roamer that he’s tracking.
Why Jackal is a Great Intel Gatherer:
- His special gadget, the Eyenox Model III, allows him to see the footprints that defenders leave behind, and each defending team members’ footprints will even be in different colors
- Jackal can scan a set of defender footprints and once that scan is successful, it will ping the owner of those footprints for twenty seconds, and that ping will be visible to all attackers
- Jackal can use his Eyenox Model III to scan defender footprints from a distance of eight meters, and that’s quite a long distance and it means that Jackal can scan and track defenders even while he’s behind cover
- He can capitalize on the intel that he’s gathered because of high-powered weapons and utilities like the ITA12L shotgun that will allow him to create rotation holes or destroy soft hatches for outmaneuvering the defender that he’s tracking
Best loadouts for Jackal:
https://www.gamersdecide.com/articles/rainbow-6-siege-best-jackal-loadouts
7. Mira (Intel, Support)
When you have a full view of where the enemies are while they can’t see you, you know that you’re a great intel gatherer. That’s basically what Mira brings to the table. Her special gadget, the Black Mirror, is basically a one-way view mirror that is bulletproof. She has two Black mirrors, and they’re tinted on the front, while being all-clear from the back. So imagine being in a heavily tinted car where you can clearly see everything outside while the people outside can’t see you back. Apply that to a tactical multiplayer shooting game like Siege, and boom, you have a great intel gathering device.
Apart from the intel that the Black Mirror provides, it’s also incredibly deadly, as its usual setup is that Mira attaches it on a reinforced wall facing a usual path or attack or entrance that the attackers make, while the wall beside it is left unreinforced. That way, when Mira sees the enemies from her Black Mirror in front of her, she can just quick lean from it to the side and shoot them. This is the reason why Mira is the most banned operator in rank emerald and above. Because with Mira, it could be very hard for attackers to push two angles around the objective spot.
Why Mira is a Great Intel Gatherer:
- Her Black Mirror is a one-way view bulletproof mirror that allows defenders to see enemies on the other side while the attackers can’t do the same to them
- Mira has two Black Mirrors so she can make two angles leading to the objective spot very hard to push for the attackers as they can be clearly seen by defenders in those angles
- Mira’s Black Mirrors can be very deadly, as Mira or another defender behind them can just quick lean from their edge and use the intel they’ve gathered to accurately hit the enemies on the other side
- Mira can bring in two proximity alarms as her generic gadget and they will alarm when enemies steps into their radius, and that’s another great way for Mira to get intel and protect herself from flankers
Best loadouts for Mira:
https://www.gamersdecide.com/articles/rainbow-6-siege-best-mira-loadouts
6. Grim (Front Line, Map Control)
Grim isn’t just a great intel-gatherer operator, he’s also great at area-denial. That’s because his special gadget, the Kawan Hive Launcher, deploys swarms of nanobots that look like bees, and they will populate a large area on the map. Enemies who get caught in the radius of that will be pinged for several seconds, and that ping tracker will be in real time. That’s a really great way to compromise enemy positions and make them vulnerable to attacker gunfire. And it’s also a great way to forcefully displace defenders from their entrenched positions.
Obviously, because the defenders can see the swarm of nanobots from Grim and they know their effect, they would avoid spots where the Kawan Hives have been deployed, and that’s a great way for Gim to deny-area to defenders. Grim’s Kawan Hive Launcher excels at preventing enemies from flanking too, but their best use is for post-plant plays. After the attackers plant the defuser, the defenders will try a lot of things to take back control of the area where it’s been planted. But if Grim’s nanobots are swarming the flanking spots and the area near the defuser in general, the defenders will really have a hard time canceling it.
Why Grim is a Great Intel Gatherer:
- Grim can launch multiple swarms of nanobots from his Kawan Hive Launcher and they’re great at both intel gathering and area-denial
- For intel gathering, the Kawan Hive swarms will put a tracker on enemies that get into their radius, and that tracker will be in real time, can be seen by all attackers, and will last for several seconds
- As for his area-denial capabilities, defenders will always try to get away from the Kawan Hive swarms, and that will almost automatically put those spots in the attackers’ control
- Grim can now equip the bailiff 410 revolver shotgun as his secondary weapon and he can use that to create lines of sight on soft walls, destroy portions of wooden floors, as well as break unreinforced hatches
Best loadouts for Grim:
https://www.gamersdecide.com/articles/rainbow-6-siege-best-grim-loadouts
5. Solis (Intel, Support)
Solis is a very unique intel-gatherer in that all the other operators in this list can detect ditect intel on enemy positions, meanwhile, Solis specializes in detecting their electronic gadgets instead. While this might be a different kind of intel-gathering, it plays an equal, if not more, part in Siege’s gameplay. That’s because gadgets are a big part of Siege gameplay. In fact, the gadgets in Siege are what separates it from all the other multiplayer shooters around. And it just so happens that most of the utilities in Siege are made of electronics, especially from the attacking team, as droning is a big part of their gameplay.
Solis can easily detect attacker electronics in real time with her special gadget, the SPEC-IO Electro-Sensor, and the great thing about it is that she can easily share their position to her teammates by conducting a Cluster Scan that will tag all enemy electronics for the whole defending team to see. With that said, Solis can also gather intel on current enemy positions when they’re using their observation tool to view their drones or cameras, as the observation tool is also made of electronics. This is a great way for Solis to know when it’s safe to engage enemies and if there are claymores that are protecting them from run outs.
Why Solis is a Great Intel Gatherer:
- She can detect enemy electronic gadgets in real time, and that will allow her to easily disable them, as even if the attackers try to hide them in sneaky places, they’ll definitely be detected by Solis
- The observation tool that is used by operators to view their cameras or drones is also made of electronics, so when the attackers are using theirs, Solis will get a handle on their current positions
- Solis can perform a Cluster Scan which will share the positions of the enemy electronic devices that she’s gathered to the whole defending team, and this is a really great way to share intel to your teammates
- Solis can even equip the bulletproof camera as her generic gadget and that will provide the defenders with an extra way to gather intel, and it can also shoot EMP blasts that disable enemy electronics
Best loadouts for Solis:
https://www.gamersdecide.com/articles/rainbow-6-siege-best-solis-loadouts
4. Zero (Anti-Gadget, Intel)
Just like in the original series of games he’s from, Operator Sam “Zero” Fisher, excels at gathering intel, forming a strategy, and then capitalizing on the intel he’s gathered. In Siege, his special gadget is called the Argus Launcher. What it does is it launches a camera that can burrow through breakable surfaces like reinforced walls, floors, and others. It can provide a 180-degree view of the surroundings, but it’s really more like a 360-degree view because its view can also be switched to the other side of the surface that it’s been burrowed to.
The Argus Launcher can also drill Argus cameras on unbreakable surfaces like cement walls, but it won’t be able to switch views. Each of the four Argus cameras that Zero has can shoot an unlimited amount of lasers and is really only limited through cooldown. The lasers that they shoot can disable defender electronic devices, and that’s why Zero is considered as a good alternative hard breach enabler. All four of his Argus cameras can be accessed by all members of the attacking team even if Zero dies, and this really enhances the team’s chances of winning as they’ll always have a good handle on enemy positions.
Why Zero is a Great Intel Gatherer:
- Zero’s Argus Launcher can deploy four Argus cameras, and each of those cameras can provide a wide view of the surroundings which is great for surveillance on enemy positions
- When deployed on destructible surfaces such as reinforced walls, hatches, etc, the Argus cameras can switch view to either side of the surface, basically providing Zero with a 360-degree view
- The whole attacking team can access the camera feed from the Argus cameras and control them except for their lasers. This is great for intel gathering as it ensures that even dead attackers can contribute a lot
- Each Argus cameras can shoot lasers that are limited only by cooldown and they can disable defender electronic gadgets, making Zero one of the best hard breach enablers in the attacking side
Best loadouts for Zero:
https://www.gamersdecide.com/articles/rainbow-6-siege-best-zero-loadouts
3. Maestro (Anti-Gadget, Intel)
Maestro’s two Evil Eyes are great for intel gathering because they’re bulletproof and won’t even be disabled by the lasers of Twitch’s Shock Drones or Zero’s Argus cameras when they’re closed, yet they can continue being used for surveillance even when they’re closed and in bulletproof mode. They’re one of the most troublesome defender gadgets because they’re quite hard to disable and they can inflict a lot of damage too. That's because they can shoot lasers in quick succession before overheating, but before they overheat, they can do a lot of damage to an attacker’s health, or the attackers’ gadgets.
The only ways to disable Maestro’s Evil Eyes is to break their glass panel with a melee attack, shoot them when they’re open and shooting lasers, or through the use of explosives like frag grenades, gonne-6 hand cannon, or Ash’s Breaching Rounds. There are also many tricky ways when it comes to deploying Maestro’s Evil Eyes in order for them to not be reached by a melee attack or hide from the attackers. Maestro can also use his bailiff 410 revolver shotgun to rework the map and create lines of sight that his Evil Eyes can take advantage of.
Why Maestro is a Great Intel Gatherer:
- Maestro has two Evil Eyes and they can provide a wide view of the surroundings. He even has a thermal camera which will allow them to view enemies behind the cover of smoke grenades.
- Maestro’s two Evil Eyes are bulletproof when their glass panels are closed, so it’s very hard to disable them, so there’s a good chance that they’ll remain throughout the round for gathering intel
- There are tricky ways to deploying them in order for them to be hard to reach by a melee attack, and be hidden and safe from enemy explosives
- Maestro has access to the bailiff 410 revolver shotgun as his secondary weapon and it’s great for reworking the map, and the lines of sight that it can create can have a good synergy with his Evil Eyes
Best loadouts for Maestro:
https://www.gamersdecide.com/articles/rainbow-6-siege-best-maestro-loadouts
2. Dokkaebi (Intel, Map Control)
The way that Dokkaebi gathers intel on the defenders as well as deny intel to them has such a high impact in the round and that’s why she ranks so high in this list. She’s also one of the few operators in Siege that basically has two special abilities, and that’s what makes her so special. With her Logic Bomb, she hacks into defender mobile devices, forces them to turn on, and has them ring loudly. Oftentimes, that loud ringing from the defenders will be enough to give away their current locations, and the attackers can take advantage of that.
The Logic Bomb takes twelve seconds before turning off automatically, but attackers can turn it off manually. The thing is, it will take them five seconds to do it, and during that time, they won’t be able to do anything. Practically leaving themselves vulnerable. Another reason why Dokkaebi is a great intel gatherer is because she can hack into a dead defender’s mobile device. It will take six seconds where Dokkaebi won’t be able to do anything, so it’s best if she does it behind cover, and when the hacking is successful, the whole attacking team will be granted access to all defender cameras.
Why Dokkaebi is a Great Intel Gatherer:
- Dokkaebi forcefully switches the defenders’ mobile devices on and have them ring loudly, and that loud ringing from their mobile devices oftentimes compromises their current locations
- When a defender gets killed, they drop their mobile devices when Dokkaebi is present on the attacking team, and Dokkaebi can hack into one of them and that will grant the whole attacking team access to defender cameras
- The loud ringing from the defenders’ mobile devices caused by Dokkaebi’s Logic Bomb will last 12 seconds when left alone. Defenders can manually turn it off, but it’ll take them 5 seconds to do so, and during those 5 seconds, they won’t be able to do anything else.
- While the Logic Bomb is on-going, defenders won’t be able to access their camera feed, and when Dokkaebi gets access to their cameras, oftentimes, defenders will be forced to shoot them to prevent attackers from gathering intel on their positions
Best loadouts for Dokkaebi:
https://www.gamersdecide.com/articles/rainbow-6-siege-dokkaebi-loadouts
1. Valkyrie (Intel, Support)
Valkyrie’s special gadget, the Black Eye camera, is actually quite simple, but its simplicity is what makes it impactful when it comes to intel gathering. It’s pretty much a straight-forward intel gathering device. A camera that can provide a full 180-degree view of the surroundings. Valkyrie has three of them, and what really gives attackers a lot of trouble is their size. They’re quite small, probably smaller than a baseball, and they can be attached to most surfaces in the map. That’s why Valkyrie can deploy them to spots that can be hard for attackers to see, while still providing a good view of the surroundings. Since they’re small and they do not produce any light when they’re not being used, it can be really hard for attackers to find and disable them.
This is why even if Valkyrie herself gets taken out early in the round, she can still contribute a lot to the defending team as she can watch her Black Eye cameras and advise her teammates regarding current enemy positions. And since all members of the defending team can access them, anyone who gets taken out can use them and still be extremely useful. Like Pulse in one of the above entries, Valkyrie is also great at performing the c4-under-the-floor trick because she’ll know the proper timing to detonate her nitro cell due to the intel that her Black Eye cameras can provide.
Why Valkyrie is a Great Intel Gatherer:
- Valkyrie has three intel gathering special gadgets called the Black Eye cameras, and each of them can provide a 180-degree view of the surroundings
- Valkyrie’s Black Eye cameras are small and can be attached to most surfaces in the maps and that makes them easy to hide in angles or spots that won’t easily be seen by enemies
- When they’re not being used, the Black Eye cameras won’t emit any light, add that to the fact that they’re quite small and they can really be hard for attackers to find or even spot in open areas
- All members of the defending team can access the Black Eye cameras, so even dead defenders will be able to contribute a lot to the team by advising the remaining ones on enemy positions
Best loadouts for Valkyrie:
https://www.gamersdecide.com/articles/rainbow-6-siege-best-valkyrie-loadouts
Attention operator, please be advised. There is a new directive from Six. Read up on these related articles, and prepare for deployment:
