With the imminent launch of Operation Phantom Sight, Ubisoft has opened up the Test Server (TS) to players. The new operators add a lot, but one may leave players wanting a bit more: Warden.
The TS has only been live for about a day, but players are already settled into the new operators. Warden and Nøkk are unique operators in the sense that their abilities are inspired by their attacker and defender counterparts. Nøkk’s ability borrows from Vigil’s cloaking ability and Cav’s Silent Step to make a terrifying combination. With Warden’s ability mirroring Glaz’s thermal scope and Ying’s optics that give her immunity to her own Candela charges, the operator feels strong. But there’s a problem with Warden. He’s extremely situational.
Over the course of playing several rounds, there were only a handful of times where Warden’s Glance Smart Glasses were useful. When there was an opportunity to use his ability, it was a life-saver, but for the most part, players might find themselves just holding angles like usual. Players will have to pay attention to the attacking team’s playstyle and adjust accordingly. There’s nothing “wrong” with his ability—it’s a good one—but its usefulness is limited to certain situations that a player may not come across in a session of Siege.
Warden’s loadout hits somewhere in the middle. The MPX is a solid SMG with a great rate of fire and the M590A1 is a strong favorite when it comes to shotguns. But due to the situational nature of his ability, it would have been nice to have an ACOG slapped onto the MPX to add another layer of usefulness. Warden is the third three-armor, one-speed defender that doesn’t have an ACOG and that specifically feels off for him.
Warden has access to the P-10C and the SMG12 for his sidearms, which are both solid picks. Players may want to stick with the SMG12 if they have a shotgun primary and save the P-10C for the MPX loadout. It could be that Warden just doesn’t feel like enough because of his recycled loadout combined with his situational ability. Perhaps he’s just a little underwhelming.
Nøkk seems like the stronger of the two new operators—at least at the outset of the TS period. The attacker’s HEL Presence Reduction ability is strong if you know how to use it. There’s definitely going to be a learning curve for newer players who are uncomfortable with striking out on their own in a match. Nøkk feels much stronger as a lone wolf than if she were used in a buddy system.
When testing, the easiest way to spot Nøkk was to look at barbed wire or debris on the cameras. If the barbed wire or debris move, that’s not a glitch—that’s Nøkk about to ruin your day. Out of all the minor counters Nøkk has, the most devastating and direct one is Lesion’s Gu mine. Lesion has always been strong, but with the addition of Nøkk, he almost becomes a necessity.
The attacker’s loadout is pretty strong. The FMG9 may rub some people the wrong way on attack, but if you’re comfortable using it with Smoke on defense, then there’s no real cause for concern. The SIX12 SD shotgun is solid and has the added fear factor attached to it when hearing the subdued blasts in your headphones—it’s almost certainly too late for you at that point. Nøkk also has access to the D50 and the 5.7 USG, which are both viable picks. The addition of the silencer to the D50 fits well with the character’s stealth focus, but it takes some getting used to when it comes to the muffled sound.
Overall, the new operators both show a lot of promise going forward. With a little help from the dev team, Warden could turn into an extremely-viable operator. But for now, he isn’t a must pick and may leave players wanting more from the defender.
Nøkk isn’t a must pick in all situations, but she does add the same layer of paranoia that attackers experience when going up against Cav. Nøkk’s ability to cause defenders to second guess their cameras causes hesitation, which is easy to capitalize on.
When playing as Nøkk, we were hilariously scaring the daylights out of players who thought they knew where we were. The “potato” aim has never been so prevalent. The fear factor will likely die down once players get used to Nøkk’s inclusion, but for now, it’s hysterical to see a three-speed Jager run away in terror after turning the wrong corner.
Players who already own Rainbow Six Siege can download the TS on Steam or Uplay under their “My Games” tab on Uplay or their “Library” tab on Steam. The TS went live on Tuesday, May 21, so players should hop on as soon as possible to get a shot at playing the new operators. But players shouldn’t skip school or work to try to get into the TS, according to the FAQ page.
