Best Rainbow Six Siege Attackers, Defenders & Operator tier list in Y8S4

Anyone looking to reach Champions or climb the ranks in Rainbow Six Siege will want to be using the best Attackers and Defenders, as the Operators at the top of our tier list will dramatically increase your chance of victory on each and every map.

Not only are the Operators defined by their guns in the game, but they each have bespoke gadgets that can often completely change the course of a round if used correctly. While not every Operator we've selected is easy to pick up, mastering them will surge you to the top of the leaderboard and make you seem like a pro to your teammates.

As attack and defence have their own dedicated Operators, our tier list is split into two sections, Attackers and Defenders, to accurately assess the two team's overall power levels.

As you can see, there is quite a split between the power levels of the Attackers in Rainbow Six Siege.

While any player can succeed with any Operator if they're skilled enough, you're going to have a much better time with those on the top, instead of annoying your teammates by picking those on the bottom.

Some of the best Operators in Rainbow Six Siege fall within the Attackers group, and they are often where you see the flashiest players and most skilled players.

The best Attackers in Rainbow Six Siege are Dokkaebi, Iana, Buck, Ace, and Ram, which is why they sit exclusively within the S-tier in the table above, making them the ideal choice if you're looking for the meta Operators right now.

Dokkaebi

I have always loved playing Dokkaebi for her precision and hacking capabilities, but she is firmly one of the strongest operators that you can pick on attack right now in Siege. Her Logic Bomb is incredibly strong for clearing out roamers and entering a site, making defenders move from their position or find themselves on the end of your gunfire.

This is especially strong if you're using one of the best headsets for Rainbow Six Siege, as you will be able to accurately pinpoint the vibration of a cell phone call if any defenders fail to turn it off. Additionally, her ability to hack all enemy cameras can completely derail a defensive intel set-up, making her easily one of the best attackers to counter a well-coordinated team.

Finally, her DMR has only grown in strength with historical buffs, giving her lethal precision that can also open up walls, windows, hatches, and more for your team.

Iana

If you ask most players right now, they'd tell you that Iana is the best Attacker in Rainbow Six Siege, and they've definitely got a point. She is never not useful to have on attack, as her clones will always give you information even if you don't manage to fool anyone.

She remains one of the best Attackers in Rainbow Six Siege even after her nerf in Y8S3.3, removing her frag grenades. While they were a big part of her kit, she is still overwhelmingly strong in nearly every situation, and even retains her counter-gadget capabilities with the addition of the Gonne-6 Secondary.

She has also technically received another nerf in Y8S4.2, as her G36C has had it's vertical and horizontal recoil increased. This has largely become her favoured gun in recent seasons, but she will still remain super strong across both the G36C and her alternative ARX200.

Buck

While Buck was already a strong Attacker, the recent shotgun buffs in Y8S3 have seen him instantly become one of the best Operators right now.

He has fantastic soft breaching capabilities that can work at multiple ranges and verticalities, making him an excellent pick for unlocking sites and flushing out hiding spots.

Furthermore, he now essentially has two top-tier primary weapons in one that he can quickly switch between, with the C8-SFW being as strong as ever, and now the Skeleton Key under-barrel shotgun capable of dropping people at both close and medium range.

Ace

If you're looking for someone to open up even the most secured bomb sites, then Ace is probably the top Operator in Rainbow Six Siege for you. He is arguably the best hard breacher in Rainbow Six Siege, as his S.E.L.M.A. Aqua Breacher will tear apart any wall it touches, and you can do it twice!

Furthermore, the AK-12 is arguably the strongest assault rifle in the game right now, and it was a joy when it was given to another Operator outside of the relatively weak Fuze.

Ace's strength compared to other hard breachers in the game comes from his flexibility. I find it so frustrating to be killed when I'm using my gadget as Thermite or Hibana, so being able to chuck his S.E.L.M.A.s from a distance and attack from safety is something I very much appreciate.

Ace was another operator on the receiving end of a nerf in Y8S4.2, having the fuse time for his gadget slightly increased. This does, of course, make him slightly weaker - but he remains still the strongest hard breacher to pick and an overall outstanding choice in any round.

Ram

Despite only just arriving in Y8S3, Ram has immediately become one of the strongest Operators that you can pick. Her BU-GI Auto Breacher gadget provides unmatched vertical breaching, making her an ideal choice no matter the scenario.

While still not as strong as it once was all those years ago, the R4-C remains an excellent weapon that can quickly take down enemies with precision - meaning that you won't be left at a disadvantage when your breachers have been depleted.

Time will tell as to whether Ubisoft will let Ram remain this strong, but for the time being it is undeniable that she is among the best Attackers that you can pick.

Ash

While nerfs to her iconic R4-C in recent years have seen her played a little less, Ash is still arguably the strongest entry fragger in the entire game, allowing you to take down many defenders before they even know what's hit them.

Her three-speed capabilities combined with the sheer fire rate of the R4-C allow you to rip through anyone that faces you - if your aim is good enough. Furthermore, her soft-breaching M120 CREM gadget will help you blow open any surfaces that the defenders were silly enough not to reinforce - with a slight delay that lets you prep your run-up too.

She has been sat in the A-tier of our ranking for a couple of seasons now, but the recent change in Y8S4 that has seen her as a strong counter to Mira was all that we needed to bump her up to S-tier as one of the best Attackers that you can pick in the game right now.

Ensuring that you have the right Defenders in play is perhaps slightly more important than the Attackers themselves, as their gadgets can really make or break a successful bombsite protection:

Much like the Attackers, things are quite split within this Rainbow Six Siege Operator tier list for Defenders. All of the choices within the top half are well worth picking.

However, you're almost wasting a spot in your team if you pick any of the lowest Operators, as the relative lack of utility they bring compared to the other options will be a pain to yourself and your team when trying to win each round, so you'd be better off picking one of the best Operators even if you aren't the most confident.

According to our tier list above, the best Defenders are Smoke, Azami, Solis, Mira, Warden, and Fenrir. In the right hands, these Operators can win you rounds single-handedly and will be a major thorn in the side of any opponent.

Smoke

Smoke is an ever-present Defender that will remain as one of the best Operators in Rainbow Six Siege for the game's entire lifespan.

His kit is simple but so strong, and with an ever-reliable weapon you really just can't go wrong here.

His Remote Gas Grenades can be used both proactively and reactively, allowing you to retreat to safety or to advance onto a vulnerable enemy. Furthermore, he remains one of the strongest Ops in the game for site setup, which is vital to learn if you want to climb the ranks in the game.

Azami

Azami is right up there with Smoke when you're talking about the best Defenders in Rainbow Six Siege, as her unique ability will never not be relevant within a defensive round.

The Kiba Barrier is an ability that fans had been requesting for years prior to Azami's release, as you really can't overstate how useful a hole-plugging ability is when defending.

No more do you have to worry about those pesky Attacker-favoured sightlines, allowing you to cross areas or anchor down without the fear that someone is going to drop you from an unknown angle - making her the perfect pick if you're looking for a meta Operator.

Solis

Gadgets are the name of the game in Siege, so having an Operator who can flush them out is incredibly useful and is why Solis sits at the top of our Defenders tier list.

You really can't understate the importance of intel on both an individual and team level in Siege, whether it be the safety of roaming without traps or being able to flush out an opponent who is sitting defenceless on their own gadget.

As Solis you'll likely be the lifeblood of your team with everything going through your eyes, so make sure that you're confident in communication before picking them up, as you'll want to make the most of their communication.

Mira

Mira is still by far the best site anchor in the game, allowing you to completely shut down enemy engagements from the perspective of fear alone.

Her one-way mirrors not only protect you from incoming gunfire but also give you an opportunity to pop out and pick up kills without the enemy even seeing you, which alone makes her one of the best Operators in Rainbow Six Siege for defending a site.

Once you master the best mirror spots on each map, maximising the sightlines that you can create, you will truly be able to shut down enemy attacks as they come into your path.

Your mirrors are even strong if there's no one behind them, as your opponents will likely expend resources in order to deal with them on the off chance that there's a Defender sitting in wait. Recent changes in Y8S4 have allowed operators like Ash and Kali to shatter the glass of her mirrors, making them slightly weaker. However, this still means that they have to expend utility to deal with you, continuing her strength as a deterrent and a nuisance above all else.

Warden

While the recent nerfs in Y8S3.3 have dropped his speed down from 2 to 1, and this has prompted us to drop him down to A-tier, Warden still remains one of the best Defenders that you can pick.

His gadget is incredibly strong and always useful - giving you protection from any attacker stuns, and letting you see through smoke, which is an invaluable skill in the current meta.

While he is a little slower now, and less capable on the roam, I still think that Warden is one of the best Operators you can pick to anchor down a bomb site, as he will nullify so much of an attacking execute - especially with the advanced optics of his 1.5x sight.

We will have to see truly how much this speed change affects his place in the current meta, but we are confident that he will remain a very strong pick who might just need to serve a slightly different role.

Fenrir

Fenrir has remained quietly a strong contender for the best Defender in the game ever since his release. There is a reason why he is being banned so much at the top level, and that is purely due to the sheer effectiveness of his F-NATT Dread Mine gadget.

If you happen to catch yourself in the middle of a F-NATT smoke cloud then you might as well be dead, as there is likely a Fenrir just around the corner waiting to pop out and drop you. Furthermore, these gadgets are also bulletproof until they are activated, so it is likely too late to take them out if you find that you're exposed to a well-hidden device.

In addition, the MP7 is near-enough the perfect weapon for this, letting Fenrir pounce on their enemies like a wolf with a blisteringly fast fire rate to ensure that the poor Attacker has no time to react.

Tubarao

While the recent nerfs in Y8S4.2 have seen his power decrease, Tubarao remains still extremely strong across the board and is a perfect addition to pretty much any defence in the game.

He's an outstanding anchor who is able to slow enemies down, detect them vertically, and counter various gadgets and breaching tools. You'll now need greater precision to pull off those hard breach preventions - but the ability is still there for the best players to take advantage of.

A good Tubarao can completely turn the tide of any round and completely cool off any Attacker push, so you'll definitely want to consider adding this Operator to your arsenal when climbing the ranks.

Staying on top of the meta can be very challenging, so here are the best Operators right now in-game:

• Ace
• Buck
• Dokkaebi
• Iana
• Ram
• Azami
• Fenrir
• Kapkan
• Mira
• Smoke
• Solis
• Tubarao
• Valkyrie
• Warden

There is a wide range of options listed above, but you can be confident in your pick if you select any of them regardless of the situation or map.

Iana and Fenrir are arguably the two best Operators right now for Attack and Defense, and their strengths are both unilateral and unmatched by the rest of the roster.

Deimos is the new Attacking Operator in Rainbow Six Siege, and I think he will make a strong addition to the cast in Y9S1. While I haven't had a huge amount of playtime with him so far, his kit looks strong yet not overpowered compared to some of the recent Operator releases.

His DeathMARK Trackers allow you to proactively ping any Defender that has been previously marked by your team, but only you can see these pings, and the marked Defender will also be able to see pings of your location in return. This creates a tricky balancing act of going after your target but not leaving yourself open to any danger.

Deimos will likely require a well-coordinated team to be successful, and can easily be countered by Defenders with good game sense and communication. However, if you are able to work effectively with your other Attacking Operators, Deimos could prove to be the most effective roam clear Operator in the game and an extremely dangerous force in both the early and late round stages.

His weapons are also strong which is a plus, and I personally will be favouring the AK-74M as it's an excellent weapon overall. He will be forced to use his unique .44 Vendetta when tracking an enemy, but this does offer a two-hit kill on any Operator so remains a lethal force in the right hands.

I haven't placed Deimos in our official tier list at the moment as I want to wait until we're able to see more of him in official matchmaking, but speculatively I'd predict that he'll squeeze into A-Tier.

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