Rainbow Six Siege is one of the most popular shooters for PS4, PC, and Xbox One, but it can be quite frustrating for beginners. MeinMMO has put together 5 tips to make getting started easier for you.
What are these things? In our list, we have tried to answer both general questions and address things specific to Rainbow Six. The tips are primarily aimed at new players who are just starting out or have recently begun.
We particularly try to address the questions that beginners in Rainbow Six often ask and provide a satisfactory answer to them.
However, advanced players might also be able to learn a thing or two here. If you have been playing for several hours but feel like you are not making progress, check out our list.
Where do these tips come from? A large part of the tips has been compiled by me (Benedict Grothaus) as a Rainbow expert for MeinMMO. I have played several dozen hours myself and have watched many plays of the pros.
During this process, I thought about what problems I had when I started and asked acquaintances from my team where they had difficulties. The result is a fairly broad portfolio of smaller things that can often be resolved with a single tip.
Additionally, tips and guides from other colleagues, such as from GameStar and directly from Ubisoft, have also contributed to this list.
1. Learning maps is the “A and O”
Why should I learn maps? Rainbow Six Siege currently has over 20 different maps. While not all maps are in the playable rotation for each season, that’s still quite a lot.
The special thing about the maps of Rainbow Six is that you have a strong vertical component. Each map has multiple levels above and below. Many walls and even several floors/ceilings are destructible.
This creates a new dynamic in each round: Where is the opponent? How can I reach them? Where do I need to be cautious? To answer these questions and avoid being surprised, you should know quite well where opportunities are available on which map. With enough experience, such fast rounds through risky rush tactics are possible for you:
Moreover, map knowledge is critically important for communication. If you can quickly inform your teammates with a precise call about where something is happening, victory becomes much closer.
How do I learn maps? The only way to really know every map is probably to play frequently and observe your teammates closely. When you think about why certain walls are reinforced or destroyed while playing, it helps you understand the map better.
However, you can prepare yourself to not have to jump completely into the deep end. Ubisoft has now provided “tutorial videos” on the maps and operators. You can find a list of these videos compiled by the colleagues from GameStar.
If you are already somewhat familiar with the maps but want to continue learning, eSports is a great option. You can watch pros play on the maps. Currently, the GSA League is active in German, where you can follow four exciting matches every Thursday.
Rainbow Six Siege: So seht ihr die Deutsche Liga
Alle Infos, Ankündigungen und Streaming-Pläne zur großen deutschsprachigen GSA-Liga.
2. Key bindings, sound, and co. – The right settings
Why are options important? In shooters in general, you should ensure that the feel of the game for weapons and aiming feels natural. Specifically in Rainbow Six, you want the first shots to hit because they can end the fight in fractions of a second.
This is why it is important that your settings are adjusted accordingly. You need the right sound settings to quickly locate opponents, as well as the proper key bindings to react quickly.
However, these settings are of no use if your aim is hindered by movements with the mouse or analog stick being too fast or too slow, so you should also keep an eye on sensitivity.
How do I set the options correctly? A general statement cannot be made here. It always depends on your system, your devices, and even your environment. However, you should generally pay attention to the following:
- assign the quick melee action to an easily reachable key (for example, on the mouse for PC)
- important actions (shoot, crouch, run, reload …) should be easily accessible – less important ones (cameras, slower gadgets) can be assigned “further away” from your fingers
- footsteps and sound effects such as movements and gadget uses should always be clearly audible
- unimportant sounds should be dampened
- the sensitivity of your aiming (mouse or analog sticks) should match your gaming feeling – the settings of the pros should serve as guidelines, not as fixed requirements
While playing, you will likely find settings that suit you better or worse. Experiment a bit; it may take a while to find the perfect options.
3. What are the best attachments? Properly adjust weapons
Why is this important: The weapons in Rainbow Six Siege come without attachments by default, and when you play an operator for the first time, you start with a “naked” weapon. However, the attachments are what really make the weapons strong and useful.
You do not need to unlock attachments; you have immediate access to each attachment and can simply use it during weapon customization. This can be done either in the operator screen in the main menu or even within a round itself when adjusting your equipment.
The attachments enhance the weapons with better aiming options, better recoil control, and other advantages. This ensures that the weapon is better suited to your playing style and the current situation in which you want to use it.
How do I properly adjust weapons? Most weapons share several attachments. Many, like the ACOG sight, are not available for all weapons. In general, you should adjust each weapon to your play style, but some fundamentally strong attachments are:
- Barrel: Flash Hider
- Sight: ACOG for longer distances (Holographic if ACOG is not available), Reflex for shorter
- Grip: Vertical Grip
What about suppressors? Players frequently ask about suppressors, and they occupy a special position. Suppressors hide the direction from which your shots come as well as the bullet traces.
You become harder to detect but deal less damage, which means it takes longer for a kill. The attachment is worth considering if it fits your playing style and for pistols to eliminate gadgets silently. However, you should be aware that you might miss potential kills as a trade-off.
4. Which operator suits me, which is the best?
These are the best operators: Ubisoft regularly publishes designer notes on the Rainbow Six blog, showing the win and pick rates of all operators. These are displayed in a graph showing how strong the various operators are:
The further to the right an operator stands, the more popular he is. The further up he stands, the stronger he is. Therefore, you will likely find the strongest operators at the top right of the graphs. However, how strong an operator really is largely depends on the combination in which they are played.
Operators in Rainbow Six all have unique abilities. In many situations, it is useful to have one of the so-called “Hard Breachers” on your team: Hibana, Thermite, Maverick, or the newly added Ace from Y5S2. Only they can breach reinforced walls.
Which one should I buy? The first operators you buy should be those that suit you. Their roles are usually quite clear, and their equipment is typically tailored accordingly. A small selection of recommendations:
- Recon attackers: IQ and Thatcher
- Hard Breachers: Hibana and Thermite
- Attackers who control the enemy: Nomad and Zofia
- Recon defenders: Valkyrie and Mozzie
- Support roamers: Jäger and Bandit
- Traps and area control: Mira and Lesion
If you want more inspiration regarding the operators, eSports as well as the tutorial videos from Ubisoft are always good resources. There, you can see the various characters in action and get a better idea of who they are suited for.
Operators are always being adjusted, as recently Ying, who was nerfed right after a buff. Look out for such adjustments when selecting your next operator.
5. You must be able and willing to improvise
Improvisation is important for all shooters, but it plays a particularly significant role in Rainbow Six. You must be ready to deviate from your original plan to pursue a better one at any moment.
This is more crucial in Rainbow because situations can change or turn quickly. Destroyable walls and ceilings can create new paths and cover can be destroyed. Certain gadgets can render planned paths unusable. Even if you lose for several rounds, huge comebacks can happen if you play correctly.
Therefore, you should always communicate with your team about how you want to proceed and respond to your opponents if you want to win. It will take some time and practice, but you should at least be willing to change your approach during a round, try new things, and learn from mistakes.
Tip: Practice in situations
Rainbow Six Siege offers you scenarios/ situations to practice specific situations in the game against NPC opponents. This is useful for both beginners and advanced players who have issues with certain situations.
Especially as a beginner, you can use this to familiarize yourself better with the game and learn the first steps. Even for warming up or refreshing your knowledge, the situations are ideal.
Additionally, there are numerous tutorials as well as a practice mode against NPC opponents, where you can test your skills.
Rainbow Six Siege places a lot of importance on realism and is both a tactical shooter that is quicker with kills and slower in gameplay. This realism is something that even the shooter pro shroud cannot always cope with and something you need to embrace if you want to play.
