There is no doubt about it. Rainbow Six Siege is one of the biggest multiplayer games of all time, and it is still growing.
Even with the growing player base, Rainbow Six is still a notably intricate and difficult game to play, and more specifically learn, for new players. Learning the maps, the recoil, and even those pesky angles are hard.
Do you know what I believe is the hardest to decipher in this game, though? All those gadgets, speeds, and loadouts that come with our friends that we have to pick at the start of every round…
The operators.
The bread and butter of Rainbow Six Siege. It is easy to get fed up with playing recruit, and with all that hard-earned renown, you are looking to pick the best operator.
But, who do you pick?
Which are the best Rainbow Six Siege operators for beginners?
Operators are on two sides, attackers and defenders. With 30 on each side, it is very easy to get lost in which to start with. The meta for R6 is ever-changing, and operators are always growing and developing based on their pick rate.
Here we will be discussing which are the best Rainbow Six Siege operators for beginners in ranked (or unranked) play in 2022, before the up and coming season, Crystal Guard. The main considerations for beginners are the cost of in-game currency, difficulty to learn, usefulness for the team, and, of course, how good the guns and abilities are!
Before picking your operator, it is imperative that you have the right settings for your console or PC. So make sure to do that beforehand!
Table of Contents
Top Attacking Operators For Beginners
Ace
One of the newer operators, this guy is probably amongst the best and most useful in Rainbow Six Siege. He is a hard breacher, which means his gadget allows him to break through reinforced walls.
Pros
First of all, Ace is equipped with one of the most powerful weapons in the game, the AK-12. This has a manageable recoil which is perfect for new and experienced players alike. It comes with a range of scopes, allowing for a multitude of ranges to hit those sweet headshots. It also comes with the highest damage per second (DPS), what is not to love!
Secondly, the gadget is useful in all sorts of situations due to the ranged breaching capability. The gadget, named Selma-12, is a throwable charge that can mount onto reinforced walls to open holes in the wall. It has the capability of opening hatches(not as well as Hibana, though) and removing gadgets such as deployable shields.
Finally, the operator is quite an easy operator to learn as a beginner. This allows you to play a support role for your team while being probably the most important attacker. Who doesn’t like to be a VIP?
Cons
Like most operators, it comes with its drawbacks. Selma charges are susceptible to Jager’s ADS and Wamai’s Mag-NET. If these aren’t cleared out, defenders could get rid of your charges before you even get started! Ace is also prevented by Bandit charges, Mutes, and Kaid’s Electroclaw, meaning these need to be cleared before using the gadgets. Although the gadget is ranged, the destructibility is not as great as thermites. Finally, it is quite a high budget option, costing 25000 renown. This is not possible for the majority of new players.
Sledge
More of a budget pick, this is one of the OG operators, and he has a hammer… Do I need to say anymore?
Pros
This operator is extremely useful in helping beginners understand the game’s destructibility. You can open up walls, floors, hatches, and barricades with this operator, relatively undetected. Sledge excels at soft breaching above site, so if they are in an objective with a soft ceiling, like Garage in Consulate, this operator is perfect for vertical play.
The loadout on this legend is not to be taken lightly. The L85A2 is a hard-hitting firearm, with a 2.5x sight perfect for long-range gunfights. The recoil is low and it even comes with the SMG-11. Let’s be honest, the SMG-11 is the best sidearm in the game.
Let’s not forget one thing with Sledge, other than the versatility…
GRENADES!
Cons
While Sledge’s primary is hard-hitting, the fire rate is not the best. This is not too much of a problem in a game like R6 though, as headshots are just too important!
The range of the hammer is limited, therefore you cannot just throw it at a ceiling or barricade like Thor, you have to get up close and personal. This could leave you vulnerable with your hammer out!
Maverick
Another newer operator, this soldier has a blowtorch that can cut through reinforced walls. Thatcher is almost the better option, but he is regularly banned!
Pros
Maverick is one of the most versatile when it comes to getting those important reinforced walls open. He can open holes in the wall to destroy the gadgets for Ace, or even make a hole for Zofia to blow open if the hard breacher has died.
The amazing thing with Maverick is that breach denials, like Kaid, cannot stop him from getting those walls or reinforced hatches!
Another thing, these holes are relatively quiet, so can make very sneaky kill holes! Another great primary option, the M4 has an immense fire rate with a high DPS, it is easily in the top 5 primary weapons in the game.
Oh, and again – GRENADES!
Cons
The blowtorch is actually quite difficult to master, as it can take a while to know how to make the holes. Especially if you are throwing grenades to destroy the Bandit charges. We do not want to be team killing! Despite this, a support operator is perfect for beginners and should be given a try!
Top Defensive Operators For Beginners
Bandit
Your team needs to be well-balanced if you want any chance of defending the objective. First and foremost, you need to pick someone to prevent entry through reinforced walls, making bandit a top pick!
Pros
I cannot stress enough how immense the MP7 is for Bandit, The high fire rate is perfect for newcomers and the maneuverability is immense.
Bandit is a 3 speed allows players to switch between a roamer and an anchor, whatever your team requires in a certain situation. He brings with him a C4 which is great to prevent planting and shield operators. Most importantly, Bandit has a very strong wall breaching prevention gadget.
This operator is necessary for any team, and you can be the player on your team who is perfect for the role!
Cons
I am going to be honest with you, it was extremely hard to think of a negative for Bandit, but then it hit me. Hatches! Bandit cannot prevent those entries like Kaid can, making his electro claws slightly better in wall and ceiling prevention.
It doesn’t help that he is a 1 armor operator, but you never truly notice!
Overall, a great versatile choice for a beginner!
Jager
Maybe you have an experienced teammate who knows how to bandit trick, or maybe you are just fed up with being constantly grenaded. This operator is for you!
Pros
Easily one of the most useful gadgets, this passive utility enables you to not have to worry about grenades or flashbangs, and even stops things like Ash charges and Ying Candelas! This is incredibly useful for beginners as you can play the support player for your team, by preventing the bandit from being grenaded by Maverick at the hard wall!
It is such a team-orientated utility, giving you bonus points before the game has even started! The 416-C, Jager’s primary weapon, is still a machine. Even with all the nerfs and downgrades (Fun Fact- it used to have an ACOG, as a defender!), it’s such a strong weapon. This gun competes with all sorts of weapons, even at range. Perfect for beginners! The ADS received an upgrade recently, becoming rechargeable so can be used throughout a round.
Cons
Recently, Jager took a nerf to its recoil. The gun used to be the one for beginners, but now takes a bit of time to master.
As well as this, due to the lack of speed and impact grenades/C4, he is not very useful to roam with, which is actually what I recommend a beginner to do! This helps to get used to maps, and attacking entry points!
Conclusion – Which R6 Operator Should You Buy First?
I am going to be honest with you. Operators being banned can be a problem when starting on Siege. If your main gets banned or taken, you are stuck. That is why I recommend buying a few operators first and seeing what goes well… and what goes not so well!
However, we all have to start somewhere. A beginner needs to choose their first operator. One that is cheap, helps improve gun skills, easy to use, and enables them to develop map knowledge. The operator perfect for that, and any beginner should buy first, is…
Ash!
This entry fragger is what I believe all newbies should run first. She is a 3-speed attacker who can blow stuff up and shoot. It is that easy to use!
She is the operator known for running in and just relying on gun skill, making it perfect for those to learn the map and common entry spots that work for you!
The R4C and G36c are both great guns, with the R4C taking the top spot, even after it’s huge nerf! It has a high fire rate, high DPS, and a low recoil making it easy to pick up and use for any player.
The explosive rounds in her gadget make the run-and-gun effect even more amplified than before, allowing her to blow up soft walls and run straight in!
It is a well-known fact that not every operator is right for everyone. It will take time to find the one that is right for you, and all it will take is some trial and error. The best Rainbow Six Siege operators for beginners above are great to start out with, but remember, it will take some time!
