Operation Vector Glare is shaping up to continue the recent revitalization ofRainbow Six Siege. Operator quarantine has been removed, allowing new characters to be used immediately by competitive players; certain operators such as Glaz, Kali, and Dokkaebi are getting additional secondary firearms to complement their loadouts; and even new players have reason to rejoice as Ubisoft is adding things like operator tips that reduceRainbow Six Siege’s barriers to entry.
A much-requested shooting range is finally being added in Operation Vector Glare, which will allow everyone to get a feel for each operator’s weapons regardless of they have the character unlocked. The new Team Deathmatch map, Close Quarters, features a two-floor arena with an open skybox and multiple see-through walls and floors.Rainbow Six Siege’s newest season also introduces Sens, a Belgian attacking operator whose R.O.U. projection system emits walls of light. Sens’s addition to the roster will no doubt affect all operator pick rates, but one niche defending operator - Warden - might finally get time in the spotlight.
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Warden’s Glasses Defined His Introduction
Collinn McKinley, AKA “Warden,” was introduced inRainbow Six Siege’s Operation Phantom Sight from 2019. He comes equipped with anM590A1 shotgun and an MPX submachine gun for primary weapons, a P-10C handgun and SMG-12 machine pistol for secondary weapons, and a nitro cell or deployable shield as his secondary gadgets. Warden’s primary gadget, the Glance Smart Glasses, are what make him unique.
The Glance Smart Glasses let Warden see through smoke, flash effects, and anything else that might obscure his vision. These glasses are usually used against attacker gadgets like Ying’s Candela or Blitz’s Flash Shield, but they can also bea great counter for stun and smoke grenades- secondary gadgets that multiple attacking operators come equipped with. Not every attacking team composition utilizes these vision-obscuring characters, however, which has made Warden a niche pick.
Buffs to Rainbow Six Siege’s Warden Weren’t Enough
Warden has received a few buffs, but few of them addressed his situational strengths. His speed and armor ratings were changed, making him a 2-speed, 2-armor operator instead of a bulky 1-speed, 3-armor; meanwhile his Glance Smart Glasses duration and cooldown were increased to 20 seconds. The later buff allowed Warden players to use his gadget more liberally, but this didn’t change the fact that the number of times they could be used effectively were few and far between.
Players have come up with ways to combine Warden with his fellow defending operators to make him more useful. One of the most notable strategies involvesusing Smoke’s Remote Gas Grenades to create coverthat Warden’s Glance Smart Glasses can see through. However, this forces teams to give up an operator slot that could otherwise be filled by a more useful defender.
Rainbow Six Siege’s Sens Will Make Warden a Must-Pick Counter
Instead ofbuffing Warden with secondary gadgetslike stun or smoke grenades, Ubisoft has decided to introduce more operators that can be countered by the Secret Service defender. As with every new season ofRainbow Six Siege, players tend to jump at the chance to try out any new operator en masse. This means most attacking teams for at least the first few weeks of Operation Vector Glare will have Sens in their roster.
This will be the perfect time for defending teams to add Warden, as his Glance Smart Glasses hard-counter Sens' R.O.U. projector system.Attacking teams inRainbow Sixlooking to enter areaswith little difficulty have to watch out for Warden, as he can see through the walls of light that Sens' gadget projects. Unlike Glaz, who needs to equip his HDS Flip Sight in order to see through the light, Warden can effortlessly see through obstacles without any movement penalties. He may not have gotten the buffs that fans wanted to see, but the addition of more attacking operators who create vision-obscuring scenarios positively affects Warden’s usefulness.
Rainbow Six Siegeis available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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