Kali and Wamai: Analyzing Rainbow Six Siege’s newest operators

Operation Shifting Tides is live on the Rainbow Six Test Server and presents two new viable operator choices. Kali and Wamai serve as the newest additions to the roster of Rainbow Six Siege and while they may be designed as alternatives to other operators, these two bring their own appeal into the field.

Let’s dive into what sets these operators apart from their predecessors. 

Kali

Kali, the two-armor, two-speed attacker arrives on the Test Server with her unique CSRX 300 bolt-action rifle. The inclusion of a bolt-action sniper rifle seems a bit off-brand considering Glaz has a semi-automatic rifle and he’s rarely of use these days. The difference here appears to be the intent behind giving Kali a bolt-action. Glaz became a problem when he took on the role of an entry fragger, which is far from what he was designed to be. 

The Indian attacker was designed to support her team from a distance. Ubisoft has gone so far as to give her an adjustable 12x zoom on her scope, which still doesn’t seem very useful at the moment. Her CSRX 300 rifle is a one-hit down on any operator, even with a Rook armor plate. Obviously, a headshot is a headshot and the victim will be immediately deleted by the CSRX 300. 

Speaking of the CSRX 300, players will find Kali’s unique ability is an under-mounted LV Explosive Lance. The Explosive Lance is a clear alternative to Thatcher when it comes to removing defender entry denial gadgets like Bandit Batteries and Mute Jammers, but Kali’s gadget functions drastically different from Thatcher’s. Her gadget launches a projectile that can drill into reinforced and electrified walls before detonating a small explosion meant to destroy defender gadgets on the other side. Players will have three LV Explosive Lance rounds at their disposal.

Thatcher bans have become much more common, especially in the Latin American division of the Pro League, so Kali comes to Siege at the perfect time. Kali’s gadget is a bit more involved than Thatcher’s EMP Grenades but she will be a welcome alternative since Thatcher is seeing higher ban rates these days. It will also allow players to experiment with different playstyles going forward. 

Kali will have access to the Korean CTU favored C75-Auto and the SAS favored P226 MK25 for her sidearms. Her secondary gadgets are the Breach Charge and the Claymore. Everything in her loadout pegs her as a backline operator. She’s clearly not meant to be the operator rushing in first and seems best suited for support. The C75-Auto seems like her best bet at surviving close-quarters encounters so she won’t be completely helpless if push comes to shove. 

Wamai

The Kenyan defender Wamai is a clear parallel to Jäger. The two-armor, two-speed defender named Wamai will have access to the Mag-Net system. This new method of denying attackers the ability to use throwables is a strong alternative to Jäger’s Magpies. Many fans have already criticized Wamai’s gadget for being underpowered when compared to the Magpies but the differences between how these gadgets operate are what make them both extremely valuable to the defensive side. 

Wamai’s Mag-Net system functions by creating a magnetic field that grabs throwables out of the air and pulls them into the high powered magnet before they trigger or detonate. Mag-Nets are one-time use gadgets and will be on a Lesion-like refill system. Wamai has access to five of the Mag-Nets but they will only be accessible as the meter fills, which is exactly how Lesion’s Gu Mines operate. This mechanic encourages players to play it safer than they would as Jäger, essentially forcing the player into a more reserved and cautious play style. Mag-Nets and Gu mines are no good if you’re not alive to use them, so going for a runout or spawn peek in the opening of a match is not advisable.

While the Magpies may be able to take a total of six throwables out of action, Wamai’s Mag-Nets are silent. This means that unless attackers lucked out with a well-placed Explosive Lance or a Thatcher EMP, attackers will likely waste a precious grenade before realizing the Mag-Net is active in the area. IQ seems to be a strong counter here as well. It’s a nice perk but if we had to guess, the Mag-Net might get the Air Jab treatment and get slapped with an audio cue for balance. 

The newest defender’s loadout is looking strong from the outset. Wamai has access to the AUG A2, which was previously exclusive to IQ. Ubisoft has actually given Wamai two previously exclusive weapons by allowing him to use Mute’s MP5K. These are two extremely solid primaries to have and Wamai joins Mozzie and Jäger as one of the few defenders that have access to an assault rifle. 

Wamai can choose from Rhino D-40 and the P-12 for his secondary. The inclusion of these two weapons in his kit hint that Ubisoft has listened to fans following the weak loadouts of Operation Phantom Sight. Operation Ember Rise looked to partially remedy the weak recycled loadout issue but Operation Shifting Tides gives players amazing kits to work with, especially in Wamai’s case. Barbed Wire and a Deployable Shield will round out the defender’s kit. 

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Operation Shifting Tides is live on the Test Server. Fans are encouraged to send feedback to Ubisoft and to also report any bugs or glitches they come across while testing out the new operators.

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