As with all seasons in Rainbow Six Siege, Operation Brutal Swam introduces a slew of changes to Ubisoft's tactical shooter. New recoil changes, the permanent addition of the beloved Stadium map, and a new attacking operator called Grim are just a few highlights of this new season. All of these elements are looking to shake up the game in their own way but one of the new additions - the introduction of Impact EMP Grenades - is set to change one particular operator in a big way.
That operator is Mike Baker AKA Thatcher. Thatcher has been a meta pick in Rainbow Six Siege for as long as the game has been out. His EMP Grenade primary gadget can disable defender electronics and provide his team with opportunities to breach and enter. Now that Impact EMP Grenades might be putting Thatcher out of business, Ubisoft has done the right thing by making the English operator's gadget superior to the impact version.
The Impact Of Impact EMP Grenades
Once Operation Brutal Swam launches on September 6, attacking operators Sledge, Nokk, Blackbeard, Montagne, Lion, Dokkaebi, Osa, Gridlock, and the Recruit will have access to Impact EMP Grenades. When tossed at a surface, these secondary gadgets disable defender electronics within a 2-meter radius for 9 seconds. Impact EMP Grenades have two charges, so operators using them have to be careful when and where they use them. With the new secondary gadget in their arsenal, these 9 operators will be able to stand in as a substitute for Thatcher.
This not only provides attackers with more options but it also makes the operators carrying Impact EMP Grenades more versatile. One example is Nokk, whose main role is to infiltrate angles that the defending team doesn't expect her to come from. Nokk can sneak into position using her Hel Presence Reduction Device. When the defending team is distracted by her allies' actions, Nokk can toss an Impact Emp Grenade in the middle of the enemy's defenses and enter amidst the commotion. Players will have fun coming up with unique techniques and combinations to use Impact EMP grenades, so much so that the operators getting them will feel somewhat fresh and new again.
Don't Forget About Thatcher
When compared to Impact EMP Grenades, Thatcher's EG MKO-EMP Grenades are much more versatile. For starters, they can bounce and roll off surfaces for 3 seconds before detonating. This allows for some cheeky bank shots off walls and tosses through drone holes which provide the grenade with some added distance. The EG MKO-EMP Grenades also have more range and last longer; with an effective radius of 5.2 meters (more than double the radius of Impact EMP Grenades) and a duration of 15 seconds. This extra space and time provide attackers like Thermite with bigger windows to set up and execute their plans - most of which involve using a hard breach charge on a fortified wall or rotating to a different position.
Thatcher's EG MKO-EMP Grenades also have three charges which allow for more versatility when it comes to taking down defender electronics. Say an attacker like Dokkaebi uses up all her Impact Emp Grenades and the team finds themselves in need of another blackout. Thatcher can swoop in and toss one of his EG MKO-EMP Grenades, despite using two of them prior. Having an extra EMP grenade can mean the difference between whether an attacking team can breach an objective or not, and Thatcher is a master when it comes to making certain defenders obsolete.
Even though Impact EMP Grenades will provide alternatives to Thatcher, he is the best at what he does. His EG MKO-EMP Grenades have more range, duration, and charges to them, and they can also be used in more creative ways than just tossing them at a surface. Thatcher's pick rate will most definitely drop come next season, but this doesn't mean that the operator is going to become useless.
Rainbow Six Siege is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
