The 5 best defenders in Rainbow Six: Siege Year 6

With Rainbow Six Siege heading into its sixth year, we take a look at the best defenders to use in Operation Crimson Heist and beyond in Ubisoft’s tactical FPS. 

Very few titles are able to boast an engaged and substantial fan base in their sixth year since launch, but Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege is able to do exactly that. 

The frequent addition of balance updates, map reworks and, of course, new operators have seen Ubisoft’s tactical FPS display stick around for much longer than you’d expect in the world of video games.

However, the above additions mean that the game’s meta is regularly shaken up, so the once-dominant operators probably don’t rule the roost anymore. 

Here, we’re running through our picks for the five best defenders going into Operation Crystal Guard.

• Read More: Rainbow Six Siege Operator tier list

This is of course based on their gadgets, weapons and how well they can hold down an objective. Because they’re our picks, you might not agree. This list is also in no particular order. 

Valkyrie

After stating this list is in no particular order, we’re going to instantly undermine that by saying that Valkyrie is the best defender in the game at the moment. 

There’s a big emphasis on “at the moment” there, because the changes to attacker drone phases coming in Year 6 (which allow operators to change their ops after scouting defenders) could spell trouble for Valkyrie. The ability to pick an IQ after seeing an enemy Valk will make finding her cameras far easier. 

Having said that, Valkyrie’s strength Year 6 is obvious to any Siege player. She’s able to massively increase the amount of information available to a defending team, as well as having a decent SMG to back her up. Pair this with a Nitro Cell and a secondary capable of environment destruction, and she possesses very few genuine weaknesses. 

Jäger

Jäger is a base operator, having been in the game since its inception all the way back in 2015. Originally a three-speed, one-armor operator, Jäger gained a notorious reputation as a defender ideally placed to spawn peek. 

His relegation to two-speed, two-armor constituted a hefty nerf, but his Active Defense Systems are as useful as they’ve ever been. The same can be said for the 416-C Carbine AR which, even without the most desirable scopes, remains one of the best weapons available to any defender. 

Ubisoft may have slowed Jäger down, but his gadget and weapon are still keeping him among the best operators in the game. 

Read More: Rainbow Six Siege Operation High Caliber leaks

Melusi

Melusi was added back in Operation Steel Wave of Year 5. She has promptly established herself as a top tier defender, combining a strong ability with a strong weapon in the MP5. It’s not quite as good as the T-5 SMG she once had, but it’s a solid weapon nonetheless. 

• Read More: Five Melusi tips to help you dominate in Rainbow Six

Her Banshee Sonic Defense devices are essentially elite Proximity Alarms. Not only are they difficult to destroy and a nuisance for rushing attackers, but the sound they emit is an excellent way to inform the whole defending team where an advancing enemy is coming from. 

Mozzie

Mozzie is, as his name suggests, a pest to any attacking operator. The ability of a defender to have their own drones has long been sought after, and came true when Mozzie and his Pest Launcher dropped with Operation Burnt Horizon. 

When used effectively, Mozzie gives a ridiculous amount of information to a defending team. Not only does he essentially provide extra cameras, his ability to move them around the map quickly is very useful for organising a defence and anticipating attacks. He also has access to the P10 RONI, probably the best SMG in the game, and one of the best overall weapons. 

However, like Valkyrie, his biggest counter is IQ and the changes coming to drone phases in Year 6 could adversely affect the pesky Aussie. For now, though, he’s undoubtedly one of the best defenders there is. 

Bandit

While our last couple of picks have been fairly late additions to Siege, we’re rounding off our list with Bandit, one of the game’s base operators. 

His ability to electrify walls remains as useful as ever, particularly as banning Thatcher became more and more common throughout Year 5. It instantly slows defenders down and makes attacking environment destruction considerably more difficult. 

• Read More: The best attackers in Rainbow Six

The MP7 is still a solid SMG and, unlike his German counterpart Jäger, he remains a three-speed operator. All these factors combined make him an excellent pick for any defensive site. 

That rounds off our list of the best defenders going into Rainbow Six’s sixth year. Do you agree with our list? Make sure to check out our recommendations for the best attackers, too!