15. Thatcher

Thatcher could easily be in the #1 spot, but I put him in last place because he’s almost unusable in Ranked mode now since he’s the most banned operator across all ranks. But I did say that he could easily be on the top spot, and that is because Siege isn’t just a straight up shooting game. It’s very tactical, and gadgets, as well as positioning, are very important. It just so happens that most of the gadgets in the game are made of electronics, and Thatcher hates electronics.

That is why his specialty is disabling Defender electronic gadgets with his EMP grenade. Ironically made of electronics. His primary role in ranked games is to enable hard breach operators like Thermite, Hibana, and Ace, to do their job by disabling anti-hard breach devices from the Defenders. Having Thatcher paired with a hard breach operator is the best and fastest way to perform a hard breach in Siege, and that is why during the rare times that he’s not banned, you or one of your teammates should really pick him.

What Makes Thatcher Powerful:

• Disables enemy gadgets En masse
• Has the easiest and fastest way of enabling hard breach operators to do their job
• Has claymores for backline support

14. Jackal

There was a time that Jackal was the most banned operator in Siege, luckily, some balancing changes on the operator made players think about banning others too. Regardless, Jackal’s ban rate is still very high and you should consider yourself lucky if you’re able to use him in a Ranked game. That is why he’s so far up on this list. But don’t get me wrong, when he’s available, he’s one of the best operators that a team could use.

A Jackal in the Attacking team basically means it’s over for the Defending team’s roamer. With his Eyenox Model III special gadget, he can see if a Defender passed by a particular area because his special gadget will highlight their footprints. The most frightening thing about Jackal’s special gadget is that it allows him to scan those sets of footprints and once the scan is finished, it will keep pinging the footprints’ owner for several seconds. And this ping is available to everyone in Jackal’s team.

What Makes Jackal Powerful:

• His special gadget can provide real time intel on an enemy’s location
• His special gadget lets him know if a roamer passed by in a particular area
• Has a wide variety of loadout choices

13. Montagne

The third most banned Attacker, for that reason, again, he’s high up on the list. But if it wasn’t for that, I’d estimate that he’d probably be inside the top ten. Monty may not be much for those who doesn’t main him, but in the hands of an experienced Monty player, he’s very deadly. Monty mains can play him offensively so well that it almost always means death if you turn your back and run from him, because they’ll quickly take that opportunity to switch to handgun mode and frag you.

Montagne is the hardest to kill shield operator because his extendable shield can cover all of his body from any gunfire and explosions in a frontal angle. This makes Montagne really troublesome to deal with because he does a really good job at covering his teammates, as well as adding panic to Defenders. It’s also very hard to stop a smoke and plant strategy with a Montagne because he can protect his back with his shield while planting the defuser. This is why Montagne is one of the strongest operators for Ranked games, and a team would always benefit from having him when he’s not banned.

What Makes Montagne Powerful:

• Able to provide intel while distracting enemies
• Best operator for a smoke + plant strat
• Able to induce panic to Defenders inside the objective spot

12. Jager

Both his 416-C Carbine and Active Defense System have received nerfs throughout the years, and as a result, his pick rate suffered. A lot of players are now asking, is Jager still playable? My answer is definitely yes. Despite the nerf on his ADS, it’s still great at countering grenades and other enemy projectiles. When all three are placed in one spot, it’s guaranteed that no enemy projectile will survive within the three ADS’ radius.

Although admittedly, Wamai is a better alternative now when it comes to countering projectiles. Jager’s ADS still holds some advantages. With Jager, he only needs to deploy his three ADS in common spots where enemies throw their grenades and once all three are deployed, Jager can concentrate on killing enemies. He can even go roaming. Wamai on the other hand, mostly has to stay and anchor in order to maximize the full utility use of his Mag-NETS.

Besides, Jager’s 416-C is still a very powerful gun and is very customizable because of the wide variety of attachments available to it. Except the high zoom level scopes of course. Aside from the 416-C, another reason to pick Jager is his M870 which is considered by many as the most powerful shotgun in the game. It reloads fast, has a great rate of fire, and has devastating damage at close range.

What Makes Jager Powerful:

• His ADS are great for neutralizing enemy projectiles
• Has the great M870 shotgun in her arsenal
• Unique primary assault rifle does a lot of damage and has a very high rate of fire

11. Smoke

One of the favorites in pro-league, and deservingly so. Smoke is the best area-denial operator in the game, and that is because he can go inside the radius of his gas grenade and not be affected by it. Tachanka can't go inside the radius of his fire grenades. Capitao also can't with his asphyxiating bolts. Gridlock can walk over her Trax stingers but the Trax stingers can be destroyed by the enemies. So, Smoke’s Gas Grenade isn't only for hurting enemies and denying them area. He can also use it to outmaneuver enemies.

Smoke also excels at any range because the SMG-11 can be used as his primary weapon for medium to long range shooting, and he can use his M590A1 shotgun for close range superiority. The combination of his weapons of choice and his Gas Grenade is really deadly because he can use the Gas Grenade to cover his approach and get close to where the enemies are, and then pound them with heavy shots from his shotgun.

What Makes Smoke Powerful:

• Able to deny area for several seconds
• Can use his gas grenade to outmaneuver enemies
• Excels at any range because of his weapons

10. Kapkan

Another operator representing the original lineup of Siege. The buff that made him able deploy multiple EDDs in one entryway made his pick rate skyrocket, and that’s very understandable. Who wouldn’t want the ability to get an instant kill with just one activation of your special gadget. Not to mention that it’s from traps which you can just leave somewhere you please and then go about your business. Kapkan has become one of the most terrifying Defenders in the game and teams should really take advantage of him.

Kapkan’s traps can also serve as early warning devices for Defenders because their loud explosions effectively compromise the location of enemies and gives the Defenders an idea on which direction the Attackers are trying to push. What’s more terrifying is that, even when Attackers are very careful and are checking every entryway, they’re already basically caught in Kapkan’s trap because checking every doorway will slow them down and can leave them vulnerable to Defender fire.

What Makes Kapkan Powerful:

• Able to get instant kills now with just one activation of his special gadget
• Can make his enemies really uncomfortable
• Great secondary gadgets for firepower superiority

9. Dokkaebi

Intel plays a major role in Siege gameplay, and to be able to provide it to your whole team with one quick activation of your gadget is already a really powerful ability. What makes Dokkaebi a really great Ranked operator is that she doesn’t only provide intel to her whole team. She can also deny it to her enemies. The ability to have such a huge control over intel on both sides can be considered as one of the most powerful abilities in the game, so it’s no wonder why Dokkaebi is among the Top 10 operators with the most win rate.

Her Logic Bomb forcefully calls the Defenders mobile phones and the loud ringing from their phones can compromise their locations. This is a great tool for Dokkaebi and her team to ascertain if an area or angle is clear. The ringing of the phones can also muffle the noises that Dokkaebi and her teammates make, negatively affecting the sound cues that the Defenders can hear. During this call, Defenders also can’t access their cameras.

Dokkaebi can also hack a dead Defender’s mobile phone, granting her access to all their cameras, including special gadgets like Maestro’s Evil Eyes, Valkyrie’s Black Eyes, and bulletproof cameras. This is a really troublesome ability because it practically turns the Defenders’ gadgets against them. 

What Makes Dokkaebi Powerful:

• Can provide intel to teammates and deny intel to enemies
• Can compromise enemy cameras
• Her Logic Bomb can mask sound cues from Dokkaebi and her teammates

8. Finka

Can you believe that I actually got flamed by some random teammates before for using Finka? They claimed that the Adrenal Surge’s added recoil control makes them miss. Well, that’s all in the past now because her Adrenal Surge doesn’t add any recoil benefits anymore. But in return, she gained the ability to activate it even when she’s in a down-but-not-out (dbno) state, and that made her pick rate, as well as her effectiveness in Ranked, much higher.

The claim of those random teammates may actually be true to many players, because a lot of players consider the recoil of their guns when placing their crosshair on a particular level. So, the update on Finka that removes the Adrenal Surge’s recoil benefits may actually be a positive to many players. Of course, it’s not just her revive ability that makes her a valuable Ranked teammate. Finka can also heal the whole team or add hp to their full hp gauge.

On top of the heal and the revive, Finka’s Adrenal Surge also provides a lot of buffs to her and her whole team. When it’s active, Attackers will be able to walk over barbed wires faster, hear less ear-ringing effects from explosions nearby, have faster reload speed, be more resistant to the blind effects of stun grenades, and have any concussion effects removed upon the Adrenal Surge’s activation.

What Makes Finka Powerful:

• Able to revive herself and all other downed teammates
• Can add or heal teammates’ hp
• Provides great buffs

7. Valkyrie

As mentioned above in Jackal and Dokkaebi’s entries. Intel is very crucial in winning a match in Siege. And among the Defenders, Valkyrie is the best when it comes to providing intel. Her three Black Eyes can provide the whole Defending team with a 360-degree view of the surroundings. They’re very small too and when they’re not being used, they can just look like a speck of dirt on a wall or ceiling. That’s why smart Valkyrie players only use the Black Eyes to look at the surroundings very quickly.

Equipped with the intel from her Black Eye cameras, roamers, including her, become much more effective. And Valkyrie is the best when it comes to countering Attackers pushing above wooden floors because she can take out a number of them with her c4-under-the-floor strat. And it’s not only real time intel that the Black Eyes can provide. They can make the Attackers very uncomfortable too when they’re always pinged and can’t figure out where the pings are coming from because the Black Eyes are so well hidden and placed in very awkward angles.

What Makes Valkyrie Powerful:

• Can provide a 360-degree view of the surroundings to all of her teammates
• Can provide real time intel on enemy locations
• Special gadget is perfect for the dreaded c4-under-the-floor strat

6. Kaid

With Thatcher being almost unplayable nowadays because he’s almost in an auto-ban state, Kaid has become the best anti-hard breach Defender, and that’s because the alternatives to Thatcher, I.e., Maverick, Kali, and Twitch, find it harder to disable Kaid’s Rtillas compared to Mute’s Signal Disruptors and Bandit’s Shock Wires. Kaid can attach the Rtillas in awkward places. Places where Mav’s frag grenades, Kali’s LV Explosive Lance, and Twitch’s Shock Drone will find hard to reach.

Kaid is also the only Defender that can prevent a hard breach on reinforced hatches. This makes him a very important pick especially when defending the basement area of maps. But it’s not only his Rtillas that make him such a valuable operator in Ranked matches. His loadouts, particularly his TCSG12 primary gun which deals very heavy damage, and practically makes Kaid a Defending sniper, makes him a very formidable foe offense-wise. His nitro cell can easily inflict fatalities to his enemies, and his barbed wires can be used strategically, especially when electrocuted by his Rtillas.

What Makes Kaid Powerful:

• Only operator that can prevent a hard breach on hatches
• Basically, a defending sniper, which is very dangerous.
• Able to hide to deploy his anti-hard breach device in awkward and hard to see angles

5. Melusi

When it comes to slowing down enemies, no one beats Melusi. Her Banshees greatly reduce the speed of enemies that get inside their radius. And they don’t just slow enemies down, they also emit a very distinct sound whenever they’re activated, so these special gadgets also serve as great early warning devices for Defenders. Those two abilities, I.e., slowing down and disrupting the rhythm of enemies, as well as warning the Defenders of enemy presence, are very valuable in Siege.

Melusi’s only real weakness really is the lack of scope that can provide higher levels of zoom in her loadouts. But other than that, Melusi is a solid operator with 3-speed rating which she uses to rotate and quickly engage enemies that are caught in the encumbering effects of her Banshees. Her impact grenades also help the team a lot when it comes to creating rotation holes or for countering Osa.

What Makes Melusi Powerful:

• Has the best special gadget for slowing down enemies
• Secondary gadgets work so well in conjunction with her special gadget
• Low recoil submachine gun

4. Maverick

The best alternative to Thatcher when it comes to neutralizing anti-hard breach Defender gadgets. His Breaching Torch might take longer to do the job than Kali’s LV Explosive Lance, but once Maverick starts to work on the bottom and top parts of the reinforced wall, it’ll be impossible for Mute or Bandit to deploy their anti-hard breach special gadgets without endangering themselves. Kaid would be the best operator to stop a hard breach initiated by Maverick, but if Kaid is banned then there is no other way to stop him aside from killing him.

Aside from destroying anti-hard breach gadgets, Maverick’s gameplay involves creating murder holes on reinforced walls in order to frag the enemies inside. And even when he doesn’t have a visual on the enemies through the murder holes he created, he’s already successful in basically making that particular angle unavailable to the Defenders, because as soon as they move there, they would be dead. This tactic is also great for unsettling the Defenders inside and messing up their rhythm.

What Makes Maverick Powerful:

• Able to neutralize enemy gadgets that can prevent hard breach devices
• Able to create murder holes on reinforced walls
• Claymores

3. Ace

In some of the entries above, we discussed the importance of intel in winning a match in Siege, but intel is only one of the big factors in Siege gameplay. Another great factor is positioning, and one of the best ways to have better positioning against the Defenders is by doing a hard breach. And Ace is the most picked hard breacher right now. His breaching device may not work as fast as Thermite’s, but he has three and because of that number, it’s more versatile.

Ace also has something that is very powerful and isn’t available to Thermite or Hibana. And that is the claymore. Claymores play a big role in Siege for protecting backline supports like Ace from runouts. It is also a great utility tool for countering roamers. And now that operators who have claymore in their loadout choices can carry two, there are even more reasons now to pick Ace over Hibana and Thermite.

What Makes Ace Powerful:

• Three hard breaching devices
• Claymores
• More versatile than other hard breachers

2. Mira

Mira may not be that great in certain areas such as the second floor in Consulate, but in others, like the basement area of Oregon or the second-floor area in Border, having a Mira makes it at least two times harder for the Attackers to push. Pushing an angle that is protected by Mira’s Black Mirror is very hard, especially when it’s protected by anti-grenade devices such as Wamai or Jager’s. If you can’t get near it in order to shatter it with a melee attack, it’ll be better for you to just find another avenue of attack.

Despite the recent nerf that made her Black Mirrors shatter when hit with a melee attack. Mira has become more powerful after Operation Demon Veil came out because of a great combo with Azami. Mira can attach her Black Mirror on the middle area of an unreinforced wall, and with her Kiba Barrier, Azami can make the bottom part of the unreinforced wall bulletproof. This tactic allows Mira to create holes on the upper part of said unreinforced wall for throwing over her nitro cell to the enemy.

What Makes Mira Powerful:

• Able to hold angles and make it close to impossible for Attackers to push that angle
• Great synergy with Azami
• Very customizable weapons

1. Wamai

Wamai is at #1 because it’s unthinkable to play a defend round in Ranked without an anti-grenade operator and Wamai is the best we have right now when it comes to neutralizing grenades. Ranked players, especially the high-ranking ones, know all the common Defender angles, and when they’re using an Attacker that has frag grenades in their arsenal, all they have to do is throw it over to a common Defender angle, and score an easy kill. If that Defenders doesn’t have an anti-grenade operator, that is.

With Wamai’s Mag-NETs, you can upset a lot of attempts from the Attackers to score kills with frag grenades, push with smoke grenades, or disable the Defenders inside with stun grenades. He can deploy a total of six Mag-NETs in one round, so that means six enemy projectiles neutralized. And don’t forget that what the Mag-NETS do is pull projectiles, so in some rare cases, Wamai can kill Attackers with their own frag grenades.

What Makes Wamai Powerful:

• Able to neutralize grenades
• Able to render enemy projectiles other than grenades, useless.
• Great guns and secondary gadgets

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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