25. IQ as a Hard Breach Enabler

https://youtu.be/xDXVGEVhB6o?t=266

Even with the addition of the impact EMP grenades, Thatcher is still always banned, especially in the lower elos. And while the impact EMP grenades are a great addition to the game, only a few attackers have them, and most players would prefer to carry their operator’s original secondary gadgets rather than the impact EMP grenades. Besides, they’re not that effective because the range of their EMP is very limited.

That’s why when Thatcher is banned, the attacking team would still greatly benefit from alternative hard breach enablers, and one of the best when it comes to that is IQ. With her special gadget, the RED Mk III Spectre, or just Electronics Detector for short, she can scan the hard-breach preventing devices from above or below a wooden floor. And from there, she can use her pistol to disable said hard-breach preventing gadgets.

24. Mind the Metal Beams

https://youtu.be/xDXVGEVhB6o?t=312

This is really the only downside to IQ trying to disable enemy utilities from above or below. Oftentimes, you will hit the metal beams on the wooden floors which will produce a loud metal-on-metal sound. This is why it’s much better to equip the suppressor on IQ’s P12. Without the loud gunshot sounds of the P12, you’ll be able to know immediately if you’re hitting a metal beam and that’s the reason why the utility below isn’t being disabled.

The metal beams on the wooden floors are also the reason why you should really go almost directly above or below the enemy utilities. That’s because if you try to shoot them from a distance, the angle will probably just let you hit a metal beam or another object in the map and the utility that you’re targeting won’t get hit. So, when playing IQ and you’re trying to disable enemy utilities vertically, the key is patience.

23. Run with the Scope 1.5x

https://youtu.be/xDXVGEVhB6o?t=334

When running with her 552 Commando, the best scope that IQ could use is the scope 1.5x. That’s because it will provide a really good balance between zoom levels and peripheral view. Due to the nature of her gameplay and role where she would have to disable enemy gadgets from below or above, IQ would mostly be engaging enemies at close distances. And when it comes to close quarter engagements, the 1.5x takes the cake.

With the scope 1.5x, the IQ user will not lack the peripheral view when aiming down her sights, while also still being able to magnify the enemies well, making them appear bigger so as to hit their heads easier. Besides, the scope 1.5x is the only available scope to IQ’s 552 commando that can provide higher zoom levels than 1.0x, so you might as well run with it rather than any of the 1.0x sights. Objectively, the scope 1.5x is just better than any available 1.0x sights right now.

22. IQ is Excellent Against Vigil

https://youtu.be/dd9G_9ifbxQ?t=118

IQ is such an underrated operator because her special gadget, the Electronics Detector, can scan electronic gadgets and their positions in real time. And most special gadgets in Siege are made up of electronics, and some of them stay on the operator’s person rather than being deployed somewhere. One good example of that is Vigil’s ERC-7, which allows him to be invisible to cameras while it’s active.

The great thing about IQ’s Electronics Detector is that it can scan Vigil while his special gadget is active, and IQ’s electronic detector has a pretty long range, which is twenty meters. That’s a lot when it comes to countering Vigil who is one of the most troublesome roamers in the game. With IQ’s electronics detector, you’ll be able to hunt Vigil really well, either by locating him through the electronics detector and pre-firing or wall banging him, or by issuing callouts to your teammates about his location.

21. Play IQ When there’s a Mozzie

https://youtu.be/xDXVGEVhB6o?t=466

Just like with Vigil above, IQ is the best when it comes to countering Mozzie. His special gadget, the Pest Launcher, allows him to shoot small robots that are called “pests”, and these tiny robots can hack attacker drones including Twitch’s Shock Drones. Once hacked, the former attacker drones can be used by Mozzie to gather intel on attacker locations, usually by placing them on awkward angles or sneaky spots so that they won’t be easily seen by attackers.

Drones can jump and they’re small so they can fit into many spaces so it’s very easy to hide them. That’s why when there’s a Mozzie on the defending team, it will be very good to use IQ, because with IQ’s electronic detector, you’ll easily know where Mozzie hid his hacked attacker drones. Plus, if your drone can’t proceed to an area because you know that there’s a Mozzie pest waiting for it there, you can disable that Mozzie pest from below or above using IQ’s electronics detector.

20. IQ Can Scan Phones

https://youtu.be/dd9G_9ifbxQ?t=59

Since the nerf on Lion’s EE-ONE-D scan makes it only ping enemies that move during it instead of having their outlines be seen through walls in real time, IQ’s electronics detector has become the closest thing to a wall hack. That’s because it can detect enemy electronics through walls with a distance of twenty meters in real time. And unbeknownst to many is that IQ’s electronics detector can also detect enemy mobile phones when their operators are using them to scan their cameras.

As you can see from the video above, BikiniBodhi was able to detect an enemy while she’s using her mobile phone to view her cameras, and with that intel, BikiniBodhi was able to wall bang and kill her. This is a really great way to counter defender roamers because a lot of them will use their observation tools to get an idea on the attackers’ positions.

19. Her Pistol is Great for Killing too

https://youtu.be/dd9G_9ifbxQ?t=153

One of the reasons why IQ is so underrated and so underused is because most players think that it’s hard to kill enemies with her pistol, the P12, which will be the weapon that’s going to be at the ready when IQ is using her electronics detector. This is also why most players, when they play IQ, rarely use her electronics detector, because they’re afraid that when an enemy appears before them while they’re using it, they’ll lose the gunfight.

But that’s not necessarily the case, because IQ’s P12 handgun is one of the best handguns in the game. It has high damage, good magazine capacity, and has a very manageable recoil. It also allows the user to go into aim-down-sight faster than IQ’s primary weapons, especially when they’re equipped with a vertical grip. The only real downside with IQ’s handgun is that when the electronics detector is active, its blue screen might make it harder to see enemies, but once the player is used to it, it won’t be that hard anymore.

18. Don’t Sleep on Her AUG A2

https://youtu.be/dd9G_9ifbxQ?t=745

IQ’s Aug A2 is actually a really powerful gun and there are many players in the higher elos who prefer this gun over the 552 Commando when they’re using IQ. That’s really because this weapon has a wider variety of scopes to choose from. It basically has all the scopes available to it from the 1.0x to the 2.5x range. It also has a better recoil than the 552 Commando and a slightly faster rate of fire.

Its only downside compared to the 552 Commando is that it has a slightly lower damage, and it doesn’t have attachment choices when it comes to grip. Basically, when you’re using the Aug A2, you’ll be stuck with its default vertical grip with no chance of improving your aim-down-sight speed with an angled grip. But if you ask me, those downsides are really miniscule, and the Aug A2 shouldn’t be slept on.

17. Don’t Sleep on her Breach Charges

https://youtu.be/dd9G_9ifbxQ?t=130

Most players, including me, usually run with the claymores when playing IQ. That’s especially the case now that she can carry two of them, so players will be able to cover more spots with them and the chances of scoring kills with them have doubled. However, there are also times when it will be better to run with the breach charges instead.

That’s especially the case when the objective spot is on a lower floor and there are wooden floors above it. With the breach charges, you’ll be able to break large portions of the wooden floors in order to expose the defenders below. Of course, when you’re lucky and the defenders didn’t reinforce a hatch above their objective area, you can use one of your breach charges to open up that hatch and create another path of attack for you and your teammates.

16. IQ is Great for Post-plant Plays

https://youtu.be/dd9G_9ifbxQ?t=446

As mentioned before, IQ’s electronics detector, as its name implies, will scan electronics, and it can scan them in real time. The thing is, the device that defenders use for canceling the defuser is made up of electronics as well. That’s why IQ’s electronic detector will definitely pick it up when a defender is trying to cancel a defuser.

This makes IQ such a great post-plant operator. Because if the defuser was planted on a wooden floor, all IQ has to do is to go down that floor and wait for a defender to try to cancel the defuser. When that happens, it will appear on IQ’s electronic detector and all IQ has to do is to wall bang that defender, or should I say floor bang? Of course, when there’s a wooden floor above the defuser, IQ can also go above and do the same thing.

15. Don't Sleep on Her G8A1

https://youtu.be/dd9G_9ifbxQ?t=140

If you watch the whole video above, you’ll find out that for most of the video, BikiniBodhi was using IQ’s G8A1. And while I would generally run with the Aug A2 or the 552 Commando when playing IQ, there’s no denying that the G8A1 is also a great weapon and it has a huge magazine size advantage over the Aug A2 and the 552 Commando.

Unlike most light machine guns, the G8A1 doesn’t take a week to be reloaded, and its recoil remains very manageable even after the recent recoil progression overhaul that came out with Operation Brutal Swarm. The G8A1 can actually be equipped with a suppressor for its barrel attachment instead of a recoil-benefit providing one and its recoil would remain very manageable as long as it has the vertical grip.

14. Use the Flash Hider with her Aug A2

As mentioned in one of the entries above, the Aug A2 is a great choice for IQ’s primary weapon and a lot of people in the higher elos actually prefer it over the 552 Commando. Its recoil pattern mostly only goes on a straight vertical path so it’s quite easy to control. However, since it has no attachment options available for its grip, it’s better to go with the flash hider when using it. That way, the player will be able to further lower down its recoil and its weapon kick will be a lot more stable.

13. IQ is the Best Counter to Echo

https://youtu.be/dd9G_9ifbxQ?t=306

Despite the nerf on Echo’s Yokai drones making them a lot easier to see than before, the Yokai Drones remain very troublesome and hard to see in a lot of cases, especially when it’s being controlled by a good Echo player. They can be hidden in awkward angles on the ceiling, especially when the objective spot’s ceiling has a lot of wooden beams like the second-floor in Chalet. However, Echo’s Yokai drones have a really big weakness.

And that is IQ’s electronics detector. With IQ’s electronics detector, Echo’s Yokai drone will be so much easier to disable, and they’re usually placed right outside the objective spot, so in most cases, they won’t be protected. This is why you should really use the attacker repick option and repick into IQ if you’re not using her already when you detect an Echo on the defending team. With an IQ on the attacking team, Echo will be rendered almost useless.

12.  Attach the Vertical Grip on her 552 Commando

It used to be that the 552 Commando’s recoil is so easy to control that players can simply attach an angled grip to it and benefit from the increased speed when it comes to getting into aim-down-sights position. However, because of the recent recoil progression overhaul across the board, it has become harder to control the recoil of weapons, especially on longer sprays, and the 552 commando isn’t an exception.

That is why it’s better to use this weapon with a vertical grip. Don’t get me wrong, its recoil will still be manageable even with an angled grip but you’d really have to stick to short burst firing, and if you want to be able to spray the weapon longer without its recoil going crazy, you’d have to attach a recoil-benefit providing barrel attachment to it. But I recommend running this weapon with a suppressor, and because the suppressor doesn’t have recoil control benefits, you’d better use a vertical grip with it.

11. Use the Scope 2.0x for her Aug A2

If you’re going to run with the Aug A2 when playing IQ, the scope that I would recommend you to use is the scope 2.0x. That’s because IQ would be engaging enemies mostly at close quarters combat due to her role as a utility disabler. With the scope 2.0x on the Aug A2, IQ will be able to frag enemies very effectively because its high zoom level will make enemies appear bigger, making it easier for IQ to target their heads. Plus, the thin frame of the scope 2.0x’s structure makes it easy to see enemies on the sides despite its high zoom level, so you wouldn’t be compromising a lot when it comes to peripheral view.

10. She’s a Great Counter to Warden

https://youtu.be/dd9G_9ifbxQ?t=350

Like Vigil in one of the above entries, Warden’s special gadget, the Glance Smart Glasses, remains on his person instead of getting deployed somewhere in the map. And Warden’s smart glasses are made of electronics. Obviously, that’s the reason why IQ can scan it with her electronics detector, and that’s why IQ is the best counter to Warden.

It’s actually really easy to bait Warden with this. If you know that there’s a Warden in the defending team, you can ask one of your teammates to throw a smoke grenade as bait, and usually, Warden players wouldn’t be able to resist swinging the smoke with her special gadget. That’s when you hit him with a counter because as IQ. His smart glasses will be on his head so you just have to aim your pistol where the electronics detector is picking up his smart glasses.

9. Attach a Suppressor to her 552 Commando

Even with the recent recoil progression overhaul on all weapons in Siege, the 552 commando’s recoil is still relatively easy to hold down as long as it has at least one recoil-benefit providing attachment on it. That is why I recommend using the vertical grip for it, and with the vertical grip, IQ players would be free to run the 552 commando with a suppressor.

The overhaul in the recoil progression of weapons in the game isn’t the only big change that Operation Brutal Swarm gave to us. Another big change to the game is the removal of the damage penalty from the suppressors. And with that, the suppressor has become a lot more viable now to most weapons, and that includes the 552 commando. As long as it has a vertical grip, the player will benefit more from the stealth benefits from the suppressor than any of the recoil-benefit providing barrel attachments.

8. Scan for C4 Under the Floor

https://youtu.be/dd9G_9ifbxQ?t=707

Well, unfortunately BikiniBodhi died from the c4 under the floor before he was able to disable it, but as you can see from the clip above, he was able to scan the nitro cell under the floor with IQ’s electronics detector. This makes IQ a great counter to c4-under-the-floor strats, especially on certain areas on maps that are prone to it. So if you know that you’re attacking those kinds of areas, might as well pick IQ so that you and your team will be safer.

One such area is the wooden platform on the 3rd floor in Kafe Dostoyevsky. That wooden platform below the new hatch is one of the most common paths of attack that attackers take when pushing the 3rd floor area. And usually, defenders who have a nitro cell in their arsenal will leave one below it, so that they can just detonate it when they see attackers pushing from that platform. But with IQ, you can easily detect and shoot that nitro cell through the wooden floor.

7. Use Her Combo with Dokkaebi

https://youtu.be/xDXVGEVhB6o?t=347

As mentioned in one of the entries above, IQ’s electronics detector can pick up the signal of defender mobile phones when they’re using them for viewing their observation tools. But with Dokkaebi’s Logic Bomb, the defenders will be forcibly having their mobile phones ring, and that will make them visible on IQ’s electronics detector.

This makes Dokkaebi a really good combo for IQ, because through Dokkaebi’s logic bomb, IQ will be able to issue callouts on enemy positions, making their operator combo very useful when it comes to rushing. It’s also very useful when hunting roamers, because Dokkaebi can just call and the roamer’s position will be detected by IQ’s electronics detector in real time, and most of the time, roamers are behind soft walls, so all that IQ has to do is wall bang them.

6. Use the Suppressor on Her Handgun

https://youtu.be/dd9G_9ifbxQ?t=187

I see a lot of players run with the muzzle brake when it comes to IQ’s P12 handgun, and that is a mistake, especially now that the suppressor does not lessen the weapon’s damage anymore. Without the damage penalty from the suppressor, the muzzle brake’s only advantage over it really is its recoil control benefits. However, the P12 doesn’t really have a strong recoil to begin with, the user is free to equip it with a suppressor and its recoil would still be very manageable.

The suppressor will greatly dampen the P12’s gunshot sounds, reducing the chances of you giving away your position whenever you shoot. It will also remove the muzzle flash of the P12, and that will lessen the visual cues that enemies could react to when you’re shooting at them. Most importantly, with a suppressor, your shots will not produce a directional threat indicator, so you could be wall banging enemies and they won’t immediately know where your shots are coming from.

5. Go with Her Claymores

https://youtu.be/xDXVGEVhB6o?t=375

While the breach charges are also excellent secondary gadgets for IQ and will be more useful in certain situations, in general, the claymores will benefit IQ more. That’s because she can now carry two of them, and of course, the more claymores you have, the more chances that you’ll get a kill from them. Claymores are extremely effective when it comes to countering roamers, especially since they can be placed in very awkward or tight angles.

If you’re able to place them in those angles, you’ll lessen the chances of enemies noticing their lasers, and of course, that’ll increase the chances of them detonating your claymore. It’s also really good to place them above stairs especially when those stairs have a red carpet, because the color red could mask the red laser from the claymore and make it harder to notice. 

4. IQ is the Best Counter to Pulse

https://youtu.be/dd9G_9ifbxQ?t=167

Pulse is a really troublesome operator to deal with especially when you’re not playing with a coordinated team. That’s because with his special gadget, the Heartbeat Scanner, he’s able to know the attackers’ locations in real time. And when attackers are on a wooden floor and he’s below it, chances are, those attackers will get killed by him using the c4-under-the-floor method. However, Pulse isn’t the only one who can track opponents in real time with a scanner.

Because Pulse’s heartbeat scanner is made of electronics, IQ will be able to detect it in real time using her electronics scanner. And unlike Pulse who can’t use any weapon while he’s using his special gadget, IQ can frag her enemies with her P12 handgun while she’s using her electronic detector. So, all she has to do is track Pulse with her electronics detector and wall bang him. I wouldn’t suggest attacking Pulse from above because his nitro cell is too dangerous.

3. She’s the Best Counter to Valkyrie

https://youtu.be/xDXVGEVhB6o?t=297

What makes Valkyrie a pain in the ass to deal with is because her Black Eye cameras are hard to find when they’re not being used, especially when the Valkyrie player is creative when it comes to the spots and angles on where she hides her Black Eye cams. But with IQ’s electronics detector, the attackers will instantly know where Valkyrie’s Black Eye cams are, especially because IQ can ping them and their location will be visible to all attackers.

But it’s not only when it comes to finding the Black Eye cams that IQ is great for countering Valkyrie. Valkyrie is a great roamer because normally, she would have eyes in many areas of the map due to her Black Eye cameras. However, IQ is a complete counter to her because she can also detect her while she’s using her Black Eye cameras, and that’s because IQ’s electronics detector can also pick up defenders’ mobile phones when they’re being used. That’s why it’s very dangerous for Valkyrie to roam when there’s an IQ.

2. Take Out Utilities from Below or Above

https://youtu.be/dd9G_9ifbxQ?t=428

One of the best uses for IQ’s electronics detector is for taking out as many defender utilities as she can, and usually, she can do this by going above or below the objective spot and shooting the defender utilities through wooden floors. As you can see from the clip above, BikiniBodhi was able to take out a ton of defender utility in a matter of seconds, especially because they were placed in one area. Obviously, the defenders placed their utilities in that area because that area is a default area for pushing.

That is why the role that IQ plays is very important and it could be argued that she’s better than Thatcher when it comes to disabling enemy utilities, because through her electronics gadget that is equipped with her P12 handgun, she can permanently disable defender utilities as opposed to Thatcher’s EMP grenade which mostly just disables defender utilities temporarily.

1. Run with the 552 Commando

https://youtu.be/xDXVGEVhB6o?t=66

When it comes to fully automatic weapons, the choice between the Aug A2 and the 552 Commando is really hard to make. Both are excellent weapons, however, what I would ultimately recommend for IQ’s primary weapon is the 552 Commando, and that’s mainly because of its higher damage compared to the Aug A2. The higher damage of the 552 Commando is very important to IQ due to her role of having to disable enemy utilities through her electronics detector.

That role requires her to penetrate the mission building early, and usually, she would be below or above the objective spot. The risk of disabling enemy utilities vertically is that IQ could be prone to roamers, and that means she would have to deal with them usually at close range and during sudden encounters. And for sudden encounters with enemies, having the ability to finish your opponent quickly is the best thing to have, and that’s why the higher damage from the 552 Commando is very important.

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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