Operation Ember Rise is set to introduce Goyo and his Volcán Shield into Rainbow Six Siege along with an unintended synergy with an existing defender.
Goyo’s Volcán Shield features an attachable incendiary device that can be triggered via gunshot or explosive device. Many players have found Kapkan’s Entry Denial Devices (EDD) to be the perfect trigger for Goyo’s Volcáns.
The Kapkan and Goyo combo requires a Volcán to be placed in a doorway and one of Kapkan’s EDDs to be placed on the doorframe. Upon jumping over the Volcán, the attacker will trigger the EDD, which in turn triggers the Volcán. The amount of damage dealt instantly deletes the unlucky attacker from the round. It can be frustrating to deal with this when playing an operator that lacks the proper utility to deal with this specific combo.
While the combo is undoubtedly strong, it’s nothing to fear in the context of the game at large. The community is going to experience a lot of this combo throughout the Test Server (TS) period and probably a few weeks after the official launch of Operation Ember Rise. What’s important to remember is that this isn’t the first insta-kill synergy that Siege has featured.
Operation Blood Orchid players will remember the inclusion of the deadly Frost and Lesion synergy that became the norm for a little while. This particular synergy saw Frost lay out a Welcome Mat and Lesion place one of his Gu Mines about a meter in front of the Welcome Mat. Upon triggering the Welcome Mat, the attacker enters a Down But Not Out (DBNO) state, similar to the EDD effect, which then causes the attacker’s leg to trigger the Gu Mine.
Despite the strength of the combo, it isn’t something players run into all that often. While the Frost and Lesion combo was prevalent for a decent amount of time, it was also easy enough to spot and deal with. Basically, if you’re not paying attention, then you’re getting punished—which is pretty much one of the main pillars of Siege.
The addition of another synergy that results in an insta-kill could actually be a good thing in terms of “getting good.” Players will notice an alarmingly sparse amount of drone work being done at the lower levels of Siege and the threat of an insta-kill could make players more keen on droning more frequently and thoroughly. Aside from winning gunfights, drone work is one of the most crucial gameplay elements of Siege, so the new synergy could actually help players get their rank up in the long term.
The Goyo and Kapkan combo also relies on the same thing that killed the Frost and Lesion combo—players have to choose both operators. It’s unlikely that there will be a Kapkan and Goyo in every match of Siege. Sure, for a while, players may see defenders trying to pull off this combo. But in the end, it’ll likely just die off like the Frost and Lesion combo did. It’s still there, but choosing to bank it all on these combos when a team could bring other ops is a huge gamble.
Operation Ember Rise is shaping up to be one of the more stable seasons in recent history. Goyo is definitely a highlight of the season, with or without Kapkan. Ubisoft is hosting a free week event for Siege that runs from Aug. 28 to Sept. 3.
