Hey all, this is your NGN Siege fanboy who tends to write way too much about this game. Like how it made me play with my microphone for the first time or how it’s still the most intense game I play even after 150 hours (approaching 200 at this point). When Ubisoft released the patch notes for their upcoming mid-season patch I couldn’t wait to test them out and see how the game feels now. I want to break down why this patch is so important and how Rainbow Six Siege just keeps getting better and better.
Let’s start with the major changes to the three operators: Twitch, Blackbeard, and Doc. (Videos taken direct from patch notes).
1. Twitch has a second shock drone and will be able to use it during prep phase.
Every Attacker has drones in Siege to scout out the area ahead. Twitch’s drone can shoot a dart which can destroy traps and damage players. Too bad it was practically useless in reality since it was destroyed fairly easily. A shock drone in the prep phase will change the opening round dramatically.
Before, Defenders could run around worry-free placing traps and preparing. Now they have to worry about taking damage from a Shock Drone or their defenses being destroyed. A true Siege player knows the little time they have to set up defenses is imperative. Even if Twitch’s drone only delays the enemy it will give a huge advantage to Attackers who run a speed offense.
There are already some discussions whether this is too much of a buff. I’m on the fence currently. I love the idea of two shock drones but having one during prep might be a little too strong. My friend loves Twitch and spends his prep phase taking out all of Jagar’s defenses that stop grenades mid-air. Then again, we never have that problem because we just shoot the drone before it can bother us. We’ll see how it goes.
We’ll see how it goes.
2. Blackbeard’s shield’s HP is dramatically reduced and he is getting two of them.
Blackbeard is a beastly pick. In a game where headshots often win the firefights, having a shield planted in front of your face gives an unfair advantage. The shield could technically break…but it never did. This meant Blackbeard could sit in a window with his body covered by the building and his head covered by his shield. He wasn’t 100% invincible, but he was damn near close to it. The ability to break his shield now means Blackbeard players will have to be somewhat cautious and play more tactically. Nothing is as frightful as having your shield shattered in the middle of a fight. A Defender now won’t feel as useless if they get several decent hits on the shield either. Since it will be working towards the goal of destroying one of the shields, making it easier for the next Defender to get the kill.
The ability to break his shield now means Blackbeard players will have to be somewhat cautious and play more tactically. Nothing is as frightful as having your shield shattered in the middle of a fight. A Defender now won’t feel as useless if they get several decent hits on the shield either. It will be working towards the goal of destroying one of the shields, making it easier for the next Defender to get the kill.
I’m sure people will call this too big of a nerf, but Blackbeard will still have the advantage in the beginning of a shootout. The fight will start evening out the longer the shootout lasts, giving Defenders more of a chance to counterattack instead of running for their lives…like they do now.
3. Doc can now heal himself and his teammates at any point.
Doc is a great operator in a very specific scenario. When a teammate gets injured on the ground (not dead) he could shoot a dart from a distance to heal them. It didn’t happen often, but it could change the flow of the game. Now Doc will be able to heal his teammates (and himself) even when they aren’t down. This means when you have 1 health left, Doc can get you back up to 100 if he has enough darts. Doc can even overheal to boost a player to 120 HP. This gives the possibility of some awesome pre-mediated teamwork before the big gunfight if you knew you had to go toe-to-toe with an enemy.
I got in a shootout with an enemy and came out the victor, but I was left with low health. This used to mean I was almost out of the round, better to hang back and stay on cameras. Now, Doc can get my health back up so I can jump right back into the action. It’s a huge difference and makes me really glad I have a friend that mains Doc.
Smaller changes that are still quite deadly
Those three tweaks alone are enough to change the game dramatically. A worrisome drone in prep phase is enough of a difference, but a Doc that can heal allies throughout the match? Insane. Those two features alone could change the whole meta but a little Blackbeard nerf never hurts anyone…except Blackbeard lovers.
Next are two new features being added. One I see affecting the meta in a big way and another won’t change all that much…I think.
1. Some Attackers will get claymores.
There is a huge problem (depending on who you ask) about Siege having too many roamers on Defense. While most people assume a Defender will sit in the objective room protecting it, that’s not always the case. Many Defenders leave the room and hide throughout the building hoping to catch an Attacker off guard. It used to be one or two roamers, now it’s usually four or even all five Defenders running-and-gunning. I’m putting whether or not that is an issue aside for now.
The Attackers ability to leave claymores behind them will help cover their flank and will prevent roamers from moving freely. This isn’t anything overpowered to prevent roaming, it will only hinder the roamers. They won’t be able to run around worry-free. They’ll have to check where they are stepping, and at the very least, this will slow them down. Sometimes it’s impossible to cover your flank and advance. Being able to place one claymore in a doorway behind you will go a long way in keeping your butt from being shot.
2. Some Defenders will get impact grenades
This is an interesting addition. Some Defenders have one C4 charge they will throw at an enemy often with massive destructive power. A little too unfair I say. Now some Defenders have their C4 replaced with two impact grenades. They’re weaker. While one C4 charge can take out multiple people, it will take multiple impact grenades to take out one person. They are more for blowing holes in the wall or flushing out attackers who backed themselves into a corner.
I love the concept and enjoy using them. I definitely haven’t had enough experience to form a full opinion just yet, but I like the idea of taking away C4 from Defenders. Playing against five people with C4 made riot shields useless and this is a little step to possibly getting riot shields picked again…a small step. But really, these impact grenades speed up roamers ability to navigate a level (like so) and also give Defenders more options to escape when backed into a corner.
All in all…
I love every change that was made to Siege in this patch…so far. It’s still early and we’ll have to see how the game develops from here. There are people still testing all the differences now between the new gadgets and I haven’t even touched on the long barrels or muzzle breaks (hint: equip muzzle break on all your weapons. All of them. Now.). This mid-season patch is just another example of the developers listening to the community and making adjustments. Siege is an ever updating game that is only getting better and better (minus the hit registration and other buggy issues that Siege can’t seem to shake sadly). It’s even still selling really well ten months later. It’s something that I can’t help but write about (probably too often), but for now, I’m diving back into the addiction.
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