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Rainbow Six Siege Operation Steel Wave Preview: Hi, Ace & Melusi

Rainbow Six Siege Operation Steel Wave will kick off the tactical shooter’s next season and brings with it two new operators, Ace and Melusi. Stevivor recently had the chance to check out the new characters and their gadgets.

First off the block is the attacker Ace, a new hard breacher who fills a niche somewhere between Hibana and Thermite. His gadget is the S.E.L.M.A. Aqua Breacher, a thrown satchel that uses water pressure to break open both soft and reinforced surfaces. After a few seconds, the satchel breaks a segment of the wall open then drops down to repeat the process. One SELMA can open about half of a wall vertically and opens them completely horizontally – be careful though as this gravity assisted gadget is nearly useless on hatches.

Ace is a 2 speed, 2 armor attacker who brings with him either the AK-12 assault rifle or the M1014 shotgun, as well as the P9 handgun found on GIGN operators. The AK-12 is widely considered to be the best gun in Siege thanks to its high damage and ease of use but has so far only been carried by the 1 speed Russian operator Fuze. Now with the much more mobile Ace having access to the weapon, it remains to be seen if it can live up to its reputation.

Joining Ace in Steel Wave is Melusi, a 3 speed 1 armor defender whose gadget is sure to cause pain for the attacking team. Her Banshee Sonic Defense system is a deployable bulletproof gadget that emits a sound to slow down opponents in its range. The Dubstep machine, as we affectionately named it, has a radius of around 5m and is a right pain for attackers to deal with. Being bulletproof, attackers need to either melee the gadget or blow it up via a grenade or Zofia’s Lifeline launcher, all while dealing with the slowing effect that is simultaneously alerting defenders to their position.

To compliment this already spicy gadget, Melusi brings with her either the T-5 SMG employed by Lesion, or Frost’s Super 90 shotgun as well as the RG15 pistol used by the Bosak sisters. While the “Sniper” 90 no longer lives up to its old reputation, the T-5 sits firmly among the best defender weapons currently on offer, giving Melusi strong fragging potential. Coupled with her gadgets set and forget nature and her high speed, Melusi is sure to be a demon defender to deal with once she releases in a few weeks. Jäger mains rejoice, for Melusi is here.

Both of these new operators will be available at the launch of Operation Steel Wave for season pass holders, and can be purchased a week later for everyone else. It’s worth noting that this is the second last season to feature two new operators, and the first time we’ve seen a male attacker and female defender for several seasons.

Rainbow Six Siege is currently available on Windows PC, Xbox One and PS4. Operation Steel Wave is expected soon.


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About the author

Hamish Lindsay

Avid reader and general geek, justifying the time I spend playing games by writing about them. I try not to discriminate by genre, but I remember story more than gameplay. I’ve been playing League for longer than Akali and I’m still Silver. Fallout 3 and MGS3 may be the pinnacle of gaming.