Grim Sky promises to change the Rainbow Six Siege meta in new and interesting ways, and that’s nominally thanks to the new defender, Clash. As the first shield operator on defence she adds a whole new dimension to established tactics like anchoring and roaming, giving you access areas that would normally get you killed, and even turn the tables on your opponent and start hunting them down across the map.
A shield operator on defence is a daunting prospect – especially when they come with tasers and a machine pistol – but Clash has a few drawbacks to watch out for. There are also a lot of new operator interactions that help ensure attackers have a way of combating this new threat. So if you’re playing Clash it’s useful to know what enemies to steer clear of and who you can afford to push.
In order to make sure you get off to the best possible start with Rainbow Six Siege Clash, we’ve prepared the following tips and tricks guide to the new Grim Sky defenders, from her stats, loadout, and ability, to specific tactics she excels at.
Rainbow Six Siege Clash loadout
CCE Shield
This shield comes fully extended by default, which means you can’t hip fire, aim down sights, or even melee while holding it. Thanks to its front-mounted tasers, however, you’re not totally helpless while using the CCE Shield. These tasers are activated with the left mouse button and will arc towards any nearby enemies, dealing three damage per second, and massively reducing their movement speed. The CCE Shield works on a battery though, and if you constantly use the tasers it will deplete, leaving you open to enemy attacks – the battery will regenerate slowly when not in use so just pull back from the attacker to buy yourself some time.
SPSMG9
Easily the better of Clash’s two sidearm choices, this burst-fire machine pistol can down an enemy with a couple of bursts at close range and is laser-accurate to boot. It’s a decent enough weapon, which is important for those situations where you don’t have any defenders nearby to bail you out. As an added bonus, both of Clash’s sidearms come already equipped with a red dot sight.
P-10C
An unremarkable pistol. The only reason to pick this over the SPSMG is if you dislike burst-fire weapons.
Secondary gadgets
Clash can carry either barbed wire or impact grenades with her, and which of these you’ll want to use depends on whether you intend on using her as a roam support or an anchor. Impact grenades can be very helpful for roamers like Ela who may need rotation holes between rooms, while barbed wire will make it even easier for Clash to halt enemies as they push towards the objective site.
Rainbow Six Siege Clash counters
Every attacking operator has one very useful means of countering Clash: she can actually be staggered with a single melee strike to her shield. But getting close isn’t particularly easy due to those tasers, so there are a few gadgets attackers can use to soften her up or help close the distance.
If you’re playing Clash then you should keep your eyes peeled for Capitao as his Asphyxiating Bolts can deal damage through the CCE Shield. As you’ll be moving very slowly as Clash, the damage from one of these bolts can stack up very fast. If you encounter a Capitao, either try to catch him off guard by quickly swapping to your sidearm as he readies his crossbow, or ask a teammate to flank and save you.
Thatcher is another threat to you, as his EMP grenades can temporarily disable the CCE Shield’s tasers, making it very easy for an attacker to close the gap, melee, and dispatch you. Finally, it’s worth watching out for Zofia, who can use her concussion grenades to temporarily stagger Clash.
Rainbow Six Siege Clash tips
Roam support
If you solo queue Rainbow Six Siege then this will be a tough tactic to pull off as it requires a lot of careful coordination, but it’s easily the best way to use Clash. This tactic involves working closely with one roamer, drawing plenty of attention to yourself, and occupying attackers for long enough that your teammate can flank them and mow them all down. You’ll also need a little help from the rest of your team in identifying where the attackers are coming from so you can meet them as they breach the building and draw them into your trap.
Caviera makes a great partner for this role as her small profile and Silent Step ability enable her to stealthily roam around nearby. You can also defend her while she interrogates downed enemies. It’s worth noting that both of you will want to remain relatively close to the objective as Clash’s low movement speed can make rotating back to site tricky.
Lure attackers into traps
Another tactic that requires coordination is to work alongside operators like Kapkan and Frost and attempt to lure attackers into areas that are filled with traps. This is best done away from the objective site – somewhere attackers wouldn’t expect to find traps. Get a buddy to rig a set of doorways with Kapkan traps then attempt to coerce the attacking team into them. Alternatively, have a Frost place her Welcome Mats beneath windows and around corners in the hopes that the enemy will be so distracted by Clash’s presence that they’ll walk straight into them.
If you want to be even craftier, you can have a roamer create a murder hole through the floor above you and attempt to pull attackers towards that. Lesion’s Gu Mines are also great for this tactic as Clash can keep the pressure on the afflicted attacker and stop them from safely removing the Gu needle.
Hard anchor
Clash is the first defender with the ability to completely block incoming fire, making her a great pick if you just want to lock down the objective room. But fulfilling the anchor role as Clash requires a great deal more effort than standing in a corner and soaking up bullets.
Again, you’ll need your teammates to cooperate with you in order to make this work, but as Clash is like a mobile Mira, fellow defenders can use the cover that the CCE Shield provides to lob C4 or Smoke’s Gas Canisters at attackers with relative safety. Even after those utilities have been used up, other anchoring defenders can still use the shield to pre-fire attackers – just make sure you don’t move if you’re playing as Clash or you might get caught in the crossfire.
Playing Clash solo
While playing Clash without a teammate to back you isn’t advised, she can get a kill in a pinch or waste a decent chunk of the attacker’s time while on her own. The best way to do this is to isolate an attacker and juggle your CCE Shield and SPSMG9 while moving between cover to get shots off and disorient them. Clash can swap to her secondary weapon very quickly, but you’ll have to watch out for the reverse switch, which can take a couple of seconds. In rooms with lots of cover like Admin on Consulate, it’s possible to take on a number of enemies at once if you time the weapon switches just right.
GATHERING INTEL
One of the most effective ways to use Clash is as a means of gathering information on the enemy team. As Clash can soak up pretty much anything the attackers throw at her, you’ll be able to occupy areas that defenders typically avoid, and even leave the building entirely to identify enemy operators and spawn locations before they’ve breached a single wall or window.
Injuring enemies
The damage over time that Clash’s CCE Shield deals is a very valuable asset as it can be used to injure or finish off an enemy. So, if one of your teammates manages to light up an attacker, you can push them with your tasers active in the hopes of downing them.
Escaping through hatches
Getting away from aggressive attackers can be pretty tough as Clash, especially if you’re on your own, so it pays to bring impact grenades along and blow a couple of hatches out so you can make a rapid exit. This is especially useful when you consider that you can do this without having to drop your shield – be sure to swap out to your SPSMG9 as soon as you land so you’re ready to respond to any attackers that pursue you.
Echo and Maestro roam
One way to play Clash without having a roamer alongside you is to have an Echo, Maestro, or both to cover your retreat and help waste time. Position yourself in a crucial choke point such as a staircase or doorway and have your teammates ready to use their utilities as the attackers begin to push you. This will give you the opportunity to either recharge your CCE Shield battery, or duck around a corner and pull out your SPSMG9 for a quick kill.
KILLING FROM WINDOWS
If you’re a particularly toxic Rainbow Six Siege player then Clash will open up a lot of avenues for cheap kills. Again, this particular tactic requires coordination with a teammate, but is very simple to execute. Whoever is playing Clash walks outside as soon as the preparation phase ends and attracts as much attention to themselves as possible. Meanwhile, the roamer gets ready to break a window overlooking Clash’s position and starts picking off the unsuspecting attackers.