I've just posted a new guide on Steam that is meant to be for beginners to the game of Rainbow Six Siege. It probably would've been better if I posted this well in advance of the free weekend just past but oh well, maybe it can be used next time, or for anyone who has recently purchased the game as a result of the free weekend (Rainbow Six Siege was 50% off during that weekend).

This is basically going to be a copy of what is on Steam so there's nothing new here if you've already favourited the Steam guide, but it's placed here for those of you that like to bookmark good ol' webpages :).

Introduction

There are a plethora of guides on Steam but once you've discounted the joke guides there's only a few guides here that are worth their salt. If you're looking for a guide on advanced gameplay concepts, this guide is not for you, but if you're an absolutely new player that wants to know a few tips in using each operator, then you've come to the right place.

Credits

I want to thank the following people for helping me out with this guide:

redcon-1
Lanna

FBI Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT)

Ash

Ash can use her breaching grenade on any breakable surface - even wooden floors and deployable shields...
It's sometimes ideal saving up her breaching grenade for Castle's bulletproof reinforcing. You can use your guns to break holes in windows reinforced by wood after a few hits but it takes way too long with Castle's bulletproof reinforcing.
Ash only wears light armour but this also means she's fast - an ideal operator when running away with the hostage.

Thermite

Thermite is able to breach through reinforced walls although only if they're not electrified and there are no jammers nearby. You may need Thatcher or line of sight to these devices in order to destroy them and then set the charge
Remember you're vulnerable while planting a charge, ensure the coast is clear, you use a claymore or you have backup before planting

Castle

Never use the bulletproof reinforcing on doors between bomb sites
Also never use the bulletproof reinforcing on main doorways until roamers have had a chance to pick up armour and get out.
Remember, the bulletproof reinforcing works both ways. While it prevents enemies shooting in, it also prevents you shooting out.
The bulletproof reinforcing is ideal for windows with a direct line to sniping spots, however keep in mind Glaz's rifle is powerful enough to penetrate through the bulletproof reinforcing; Fuze's cluster charge can also penetrate through.

Pulse

Pulse's Heartbeat Sensor has a limited range so it's best used near external walls with windows so you can ambush enemies close by.
Minimise use of the heartbeat sensor as not only can IQ spot you while you're using it but you don't want to be caught with your pants down while putting the sensor away either.

Groupe d'intervention de la Gendarmerie nationale (GIGN)

Montagne

Montagne is a difficult class to play as his primary ability doesn't allow him to attack
Montagne could be ideal on secure area maps as he can capture the point with his extendable shield up
Montagne is also ideal when there are limited entrances to objective rooms as he can block entry for any roaming defenders
The trick to using Montagne would be attempting to get your enemy to waste all their ammo so you can go in for a counter-attack
Shield operators like Blitz and Montagne are ideal for bomb defusal maps as they can help defend the planter
Be careful not to get too close to enemy defenders that carry nitro cells - they can make short work of you
Also be careful of enemies when your extendable shield ability is not being used; if an enemy manages to run up to you and knock your shield away, you're vulnerable for a second.
It might be worth attaching a laser sight on your pistol especially if you're going to be firing with the shield up; this applies to all shield operators.

Twitch

Twitch's shock drone is handy for scouting ahead of the main group and disabling any traps and electronic devices
Twitch's shock drone is also handy in creating a distraction and can be used to great effect if you can coordinate an attack with teammates.
Twitch also gains access to a 417 marksman rifle if you want to provide cover fire from afar.
Twitch's shock drone can't jump like normal drones so be aware of its limited mobility.
Since version 4.2, Twitch now has two shock drones instead of one shock drone and two ordinary drones. She also gains access to her shock drone during the Preparation phase; this means she can wreak havoc on enemy defences even before they've had a chance to properly setup. She can also get cheap kills by electrocuting AFK players but you never saw that tip on this guide ;).

Doc

Doc is more useful in Terrorist Hunt than Multiplayer as bots don't tend to finish you off when you're in a DBNO state.
Revives by Doc give you back 75% health instead of 50% so it's better that he performs revives
Doc is also able to revive himself although it is recommended you do so if the enemy has no line of sight - otherwise it's wasted.
Doc is useful at reviving teammates across a room if they've safely crawled to some cover while in a DBNO state. Doc can also revive the hostage on hostage maps if he/she is in a similar state.
Since version 4.2, Doc can now heal himself and teammates 40 HP with his Stim Pistol. You can even "over-heal" to 120 HP but the health will gradually decline to 100.

Rook

If you place the armour pack down, your job is done as Rook! Recommended operator for beginners
Make sure to drop the armour pack down as soon as you enter the game.
Be aware that any remaining armour plates left in the pack can be used by the enemy!
Also be aware that any operators that have been revived from a DBNO state can grab any remaining armour plates meaning they can potentially use them twice in a round.

Grenzschutzgruppe 9 der Bundespolizei (GSG 9)

Blitz

Be careful when Mute's jammers are nearby. Blitz's flash won't work if there are.
Be careful not to get too close to enemy defenders that carry nitro cells - they can make short work of you
Also be careful of enemies that manage to run up to you and knock your shield away; you'll be vulnerable for a second as a result. Be prepared to pre-emptively strike the enemy before this happens.
When using the flash with Blitz, make sure to sidestep from the spot you were in as even a blinded enemy can still kill you if they continue to fire in a straight line.
Shield operators like Blitz and Montagne are ideal for bomb defusal maps as they can help defend the planter
It might be worth attaching a laser sight on your pistol especially if you're going to be firing with the shield up; this applies to all shield operators.

IQ

If your team is unable to find the bomb site, IQ's scanner can spot where it is
IQ is able to carry a H&K HK21 LMG if you want some extra firepower
IQ is good for spotting any electronic devices including traps, cameras, jammers and active defense
IQ only wears light armour but this also means she's fast - an ideal operator when running away with the hostage.
IQ can detect when Pulse uses his heartbeat sensor
Since the Velvet Shell update, IQ can now carry frag grenades. Use these for destroying traps and deployable shields, as well as enemies. Just be careful when throwing them near a hostage!

Bandit

Bandit's shock wire when placed on reinforced walls means Thermite can't use Exothermic charges on it
When Bandit's shock wire is used on barbed wire, this can be an effective way of destroying drones
Bandit's shock wire can also be used on deployable shields which makes for a shocking surprise for any enemies vaulting it
If you want to delay the enemy grabbing the hostage on hostage maps, put some shockwire around the hostage
It's sometimes worth placing electrified barbed wire under a hatch. At the very least, it will stall the enemy as they try and clear it; at best, you can end up with a kill.

Jäger

Place Jäger's active defense where you expect Fuze to use his cluster charge. While it might not get all the grenades, it should get some of them.
Don't place the active defense on walls that are about to be reinforced since that will destroy your active defense.
Jäger's active defense can also be placed on the floor as well as walls.
If your team is willing to take the risk, sometimes it might be worth not placing Active Defense in the room with the hostage on a hostage map; this is because if the enemy inadvertently kills the hostage, the defenders win the round.

Special Air Service (SAS)

Sledge

Sledge’s hammer is not only useful for breaching windows and doors but breaching any breakable surface. This allows him to open up new avenues of attack for your team
Sledge is one of the few operators that carries frag grenades. These can be used to not only dispatch enemies but destroy deployable shields and traps. Just be careful when throwing them around a hostage!

Thatcher

Thatcher’s EMP grenades are useful at disabling devices that you have no line of sight on (e.g. a Mute jammer placed behind a reinforced wall). Use his EMP grenade to help other operators like Thermite to use his exothermic charge. Also handy disabling Jaeger’s grenade active defense, Bandit's shock wire, Valkyrie's cameras and even temporarily disabling Pulse's scanner.
As you can't prime EMP grenades it's sometimes difficult disabling devices from outside when they aren't on the ground floor. On some maps, you can still disable these devices if you throw an EMP grenade on the roof just above the device.

Mute

Learn the maps and keep tabs of where all the doors, windows and “letterboxes” are.
At the beginning of the round, don’t do anything else but rush to mute all the potential ways drones can get into the room
Keep in mind it might not be enough to just place a drone in front of a door/window/letterbox if it still has line of sight to the objective. This means the opposing force will still spot it.
Mute’s jammers can also be useful placing them behind breakable surfaces and even reinforced ones as they jam the ability to use exothermic charges.
Mute’s jammers are also effective at jamming Blitz’s flash shield
Use Mute’s nitro cell against targets around corners and enemies with shields
On some maps, placing Mute's jammer on a table underneath a reinforced hatch prevents Thermite from breaching the hatch

Smoke

Smoke can’t be killed by his own gas grenade. This means you can advance on an enemy without fear of choking to death
Careful not to use the gas grenades around friendlies or the hostage.
Smoke’s gas grenades are especially useful as a delaying tactic when there’s not much time left on the clock
Smoke’s gas grenades could also be handy if the opposing force has already planted a defuser in a confined space

Spetsnaz

Fuze

You can use Fuze on hostage maps but if you do, be especially careful not to trigger your cluster charges in the same room as the hostage. If you do, there’s a risk you’ll lose the round after killing the hostage.
Fuze can use his cluster charge on any breakable surface. Sometimes walls that seem reinforced might have a little gap that isn't. Be creative.
Fuze’s cluster charge could also be used as a defensive measure when waiting for a bomb to defuse.
Try to think like a defender when playing Fuze – usually deploying the cluster charge on rooms adjacent to the objective are where you’re more likely to get kills.
If possible, try to get a teammate to lure enemies to a room you have a cluster charge setup with a drone.
Be careful when deploying the cluster charge on windows when you’re up against Pulse – he can make short work of you while he’s still alive. Enemies near the window can also hear you and if they're quick enough, can shoot the cluster charge device before it deploys (and if you're unlucky, you too).

Glaz

Take advantage of Glaz’s Dragunov SVD on maps which have elevated platforms and windows looking into the objective. Glaz is especially effective on the Plane map shooting in through the passenger windows or the Bank map when firing into the office.
Glaz's Dragunov SVU can usually destroy barricaded windows and doors in three hits. The gun can also penetrate through Castle's bulletproof reinforcing.
Glaz’s scope can highlight enemies through smoke. Be sure to deploy smoke grenades to give yourself a tactical advantage.

Kapkan

Place explosives in areas where you expect there to be a firefight. When the enemy panics, they’re more likely to trip over traps.
Even better, try to devise a plan to funnel enemies towards a room that you’ve trapped. You may need assistance from your team for this tactic to be effective though.
If possible, try to stay hidden from drones while placing explosives as then the enemy team will know their position

Tachanka

Despite Tachanka getting a bad rap in multiplayer, he can be quite useful in Terrorist Hunt where a machine gun is a good thing against swarms of predictable enemies
Tachanka can still be useful in multiplayer through the sheer fact nobody expects anyone to actually use Tachanka. If using him in multiplayer, try to find corridors that have choke points and place the gun against unbreakable surfaces (so there’s no chance of you being shot in the back)
If drones are watching, either don't place the machine gun until they've been destroyed, or place it but then move it elsewhere, or keep it there as a decoy.

Joint Task Force 2 (JTF2)

Buck

Buck's underslung shotgun called the "skeleton key" can be used for breaching doors and as a quick close-quarters weapon.
Buck has an advantage over other operators if he exhausts ammo with the primary weapon: he doesn’t need to holster his primary and draw the secondary.
Buck is one of the few operators to carry frag grenades. Use these for destroying traps and deployable shields, as well as enemies. Just be careful when throwing them near a hostage!

Frost

Place bear traps behind deployable shields. Enemies vaulting the shield will get caught in the trap.
Also place bear traps just underneath windows. If the enemy aren't careful they will get trapped. This also works for when the enemy attempts to escape out the window with a hostage too.
Try to be close by to the traps so you're able to take the enemy out once they are trapped.
Don't be greedy. If you're pinned down, don't go out to take out a trapped enemy.
It might also be worth placing bear traps around the hostage on hostage maps. At the very least, it will delay the enemy grabbing the hostage.
Place traps under hatches. If the attackers aren’t cautious in looking before they leap, you’ll get one in your trap.

United States Navy SEALs

Blackbeard

Your rifle shield does offer you some additional protection but it can be eventually destroyed - you're not invincible
Hanging upside down at a window is probably the ideal configuration for Blackbeard as nobody will notice the cord and none of your body will be exposed to enemy fire.
Blackbeard can use an SR-25 marksman rifle as a primary weapon and consequently can be used in a sniping role if need be.
Since version 4.2, this is especially the case; rifle shields only absorb 150 HP of damage now instead of 800 HP. However, you now get two rifle shields instead of one.
Blackbeard runs slower when he has the rifle shield on. Keep that in mind if time is of the essence.

Valkyrie

Try to place cameras in hard to detect places
Also try to setup a camera outside if possible (you may need to wait until the end of the preparation phase to do so)
Save one camera so you can observe the room you're in (just in case anyone tries to sneak up on you while you're watching the camera feeds)
Attempt to intercept enemies you spot on the cameras once you know where they are.
If your team are being attacked it's probably a good time to come out of hiding and flank the enemy. This way you can take advantage of the confusion and you lower the risk of not being able to defend the objective in time.
Just be aware some Valkyrie players can get touchy if you use their cameras, especially spotting with them (since spotting usually gives away the fact a camera is in the room, resulting in its imminent destruction). If you have voice comms and want to keep the cameras concealed, be sure to tell others through voice comms first instead of spotting. However, sometimes spotting is a more accurate way to pinpoint the enemy locations and if you're not using voice comms, it's probably more effective than typing. Use your judgement and talk to your team.

Batalhão de Operações Policiais Especiais (BOPE)

Capitão

Careful when using the asphyxiating bolts and there’s debris in the way, you might kill yourself
Careful when using the asphyxiating abolts around the hostage.
The crossbow bolts require to hit something in order to trigger. Consequently the bolts are probably more effective in smaller rooms with lots of debris meaning lots of surfaces to target, as opposed to large, empty rooms.
Remember that you can fire bolts through letterboxes
The M249 is a beast. It has little recoil when compared to other LMGs yet still has that 100 magazine capacity.

Caveira

Caveira is a difficult operator for beginners as she has low armour and you need a good knowledge of maps to use her effectively.
Learn the maps if you want to play as Caveira as once you've found an enemy, you'll need to know the best way to sneak up behind them.
Caveira's low armour and short range weapons means she's generally not effective at range. Consequently, it's best to sneak from behind.
Use Caveira's silent step ability to sneak around the building from room to room; Caveira's speed and stealth is her best defense.
Keep in mind that you can't interrupt reloading with the SPAS-15, unlike some of the other shotguns (as you have to reload the whole magazine). Be prepared to switch to pistol or retreat.
Headshots with the pistol or melee with the Silent Step Ability will put enemies in a DBNO state
While at range, Caveira's Luison pistol is very ineffective, in close quarters, it can do a whopping 99 damage.

Special Assault Team (SAT)

Hibana

Hibana carries a weapon that fires small exothermic charge pellets called X-KAIROS pellets. This allows her to breach through reinforced walls, just like Thermite.
Hibana can fire her X-KAIROS pellets at range, just like Ash.
Also just like Ash, sometimes your pellets will be wasted if fired upon an unbreakable surface so use it with caution.
Hibana's X-KAIROS pellets can be jammed, just like Thermite's exothermic charge.
Hibana's X-KAIROS pellets are useful when you want to open new lines of sight (especially useful for snipers) yet unlike Thermite, you don't need to blow open a whole panel - meaning the enemy can't run out.
Hibana only requires one salvo of X-KAIROS pellets to breach reinforced hatches - this means she can breach a total of three reinforced hatches as opposed to Thermite's two.
Hibana only wears light armour but this also means she's fast - an ideal operator when running away with the hostage.
S.A.T. members are able to equip an Uzi-based sub-machine gun as their secondary weapon

Echo

Echo is a defender with heavy armour which actually makes him ideal when making a final push as defenders, if the team ever gets pinned down.
Keep in mind that the Yokai drone only sticks to the roof if it's totally stable - e.g. the Yokai can't deploy on a rafter.
When using Yokai, the circle in the middle of the screen will highlight red once an enemy enters it.
You can only use Yokai's sonic attack in a salvo of three. After that you have to wait a while before the device charges up again.
Place the Yokai drone at choke points where it's easier to disorient a group of enemies and where it forces the enemy to slow down.
Echo is unable to use Yokai to spot unlike cameras. He's also the only operator that can use the drone.
Echo is equipped with a shotgun but also the MP5SD. The MP5SD unfortunately does low damage but it's silenced and has low recoil. Keep this in mind if equipping it.
S.A.T. members are able to equip an Uzi-based sub-machine gun as their secondary weapon. This means Echo is one of the few operators that can equip two SMGs at once.

Grupo Especial de Operaciones (GEO)

Jackal

Jackal is an anti-roamer thanks to his ability to scan footprints which then pings the enemy's position every few seconds for a minute. You're able to use this ability three times during a match.
Careful when you come close to Mute's jammers since they are able to jam Jackal's footprint scanner making you unable to see
Don't be too eager while pursuing a roamer - they might be relying on you to follow them and leading you into an ambush!
Footprints are colour coded with red footprints being ones that were recently left behind and green ones being ones that were made quite some time ago.
Caveira's footsteps don't show up on Jackal's scanner when she uses the Silent Step ability. So be careful if you're following Caveira's footprints and they suddenly disappear, she's probably about to ambush you!

Mira

Mira's mirrors are one-way mirrors. That means you can see out but you can't see in.
Mira's mirrors are bulletproof but they can be destroyed by Thermite or Hibana
Meleeing or shooting the canister just below the mirror will break it open - this is a double edged sword though since you can now shoot out but the enemy can shoot in too. Placing the Mira windows in the room with the objective is probably not a good idea if you intend to break them open.
Placing Mira's mirrors at key choke points could be handy as a means of getting visual intel on enemy movements
Mira's mirrors can be a distraction if placed next to a breakable wall. Opponents might instinctively attempt to breach the mirror but you can use this opportunity to shoot
through the breakable wall while they hesitate.
Mira's Vector is quite a formidable weapon with a whopping 1200RPM fire rate

Special Duties Unit (SDU)

Ying

Each candela that Ying possesses has 6 charges (basically mini-flash grenades). She wears special goggles that prevents her from being blinded by her own flash grenades meaning she can storm into a room while the device is going off.
Ying has a choice of either throwing the candela like a grenade or deploying it on a breakable surface like Fuze.
Ying is also able to "cook" the candela - the longer you hold the mouse button down, the longer the delay that occurs after releasing the mouse button.
Ying's candelas are not affected by Mute unlike Fuze's cluster charge.
Remember, despite the candelas bearing some similarities to Fuze's cluster charges, the candelas deploy automatically after 0-3 seconds once you've placed them on a breakable surface; this is unlike Fuze's ability where you actually have to detonate the charge manually. So whatever you do, don't hit the button twice or you'll end up blinding any teammates nearby!
On broken windows it's sometimes tricky to place the candela in the right spot. With Fuze, you're just prevented from placing a cluster charge if there's no suitable location; with Ying you end up throwing the candela if it's an unsuitable location - which is another good way of blinding your own teammates. Be careful!

Lesion

Lesion can place up to 7 poisoned caltrop mines (aka Gu mines). When enemies step on them, they either have a choice of pulling out the poisoned caltrops or slowly dying to the poison.
Lesion cannot place all 7 of his mines at once; he needs to wait for a cooldown timer before deploying more meaning the longer he survives the more effective he becomes.
Lesion's mines have a shimmering optical camouflage which makes them very hard to spot (and ideal for spotting by someone like IQ) - however, they aren't totally invisible and can be spotted with the naked eye if you look carefully enough.
Enemies that are poisoned by Lesion's mines can't sprint and see things through a swampy, queasy filter.
Lesion is currently the only operator that has icons to show him where all his mines are located and whether they've been destroyed/triggered or not.
Gu mines are retrievable
Gu mines are not able to stick to surfaces like Ela's Grzmot mines
If someone who is poisoned by Lesion's Gu mines is placed in a DBNO state, the poison disappears.

Grupa Reagowania Operacyjno-Manewrowego (GROM)

Ela

Ela carries Grzmot mines which are basically concussion mines. These mines can stick to almost any surface meaning you can get quite creative in where you place them (including places which are challenging for attackers to get line of sight)
The Grzmot mines have a similar effect to Echo's Yokai drone and also prevents you from sprinting or aiming quickly.
When Ela is in a DBNO state she can still deploy a concussion charge on herself. This will affect anybody else in the vicinity too creating opportunities for allies to rescue her while any nearby enemies are stunned.

Zofia

Zofia can either use an assault rifle similar to Fuze's AK-12 (but with a slower fire rate) or an LMG
Zofia can launch 4 concussion grenades which has a similar effect to Ela's Grzmot mines. Since she uses a grenade launcher, she isn't as vulnerable as those who need to lob a grenade manually.
Zofia is resistant to the effects of concussion grenades and recovers quicker than other operators
Zofia can fire 2 impact grenades from her grenade launcher. This means new avenues of attack can be opened quickly.
Zofia's impact grenades can destroy deployable shields
If Zofia is in aDBNO state she has the ability to revive herself although she will only have 1 health after this happens.

707th Special Mission Battalion

Dokkaebi

Dokkaebi can hack phones left by fallen enemies. If Dokkaebi hacks into one of these phones she can gain access to enemy cameras including Valkyrie Black Eye cameras.
A potential trick is to lure enemies into an ambush - this will make it easier for Dokkaebi to hack enemy phones and gain access to enemy cameras
When playing attackers, it might be worthwhile keeping defender cameras intact especially if there is a good chance Dokkaebi will gain access to them, although it is a tough call since you will be at a disadvantage while they remain unhacked.
Dokkaebi's Logic Bomb can be used twice and it causes enemy phones to ring which means you'll be able to hear enemies nearby (except Echo, since he was the only clever bugger to not bring his phone on the mission); it's also quite distracting.
If you're able to time the deployment of the Logic Bomb right, you can catch the enemy unawares; it's useful to trigger them prior to entering a room.
Note that defenders can destroy any phones left on the ground, preventing them from being hacked (since Echo doesn't bring his phone on missions, he doesn't even drop one in the first place).
IQ can detect defenders turning their phones off.
Dokkaebi gets the choice of using either a shotgun or the Mk 14 EBR marksman rifle; While not as powerful as other marksman rifles in the game it's still a useful long range support weapon.
707th Special Mission Battalion members get access to two machine pistols as secondary weapons: the C75 Auto and the SMG-12 - the C75 Auto does more damage but has a slower fire rate than the SMG-12.

Vigil

Vigil's ERC-7 Video Disruptor makes him effectively invisible to drones and cameras (which is useful if Dokkaebi hacks the defender cameras).
Keep in mind though that despite being invisible to drones and cameras, they will be able to still tell when you're within the vicinity due to visual interference on the drone or camera.
IQ can detect Vigil when he uses the ERC-7 and Thatcher can temporarily disable the device with his EMP grenades. Even Twitch can disable the ERC-7 if her shock drones hit Vigil (but good luck trying to find him with the drone while he's using it).
Almost every action in the game (except for reloading) will automatically turn off your ERC-7.
Vigil can be employed as an effective drone hunter as not only can the drones not see him but any drones affected by the ERC-7 will have their lights turn white, making them easier to spot if they're in dark corners.
Vigil gets the choice of using either a shotgun or the K1A SMG; it does similar damage as Caveira's SMG yet with a faster fire rate.
707th Special Mission Battalion members get access to two machine pistols as secondary weapons: the C75 Auto and the SMG-12 - the C75 Auto does more damage but has a slower fire rate than the SMG-12.

Last updated: 14/03/2018

A Beginner's Guide on the Operators of Rainbow Six Siege