The best Rainbow Six Extraction operators to fight through the horde

Rainbow Six Extraction best operators will do a huge amount to change the way you play and persevere against the alien zombies known as the Archaeans. Understanding the characters, their abilities and their strengths is essential to successful missions, using their skills creatively and cautiously while you prowl the sticky hallways and infested corridors of this gloopy R6 spin-off.

Like in Siege before it, each operator in Rainbow Six Extraction is very much their own entity, with special skills, stats and weapons to take into missions and put to use against all these creeping horrors. However, as much as they've attempted to balance all the operators, we can't say all hired goons are created equal. As much as we love Sledge's oxymoronic "Tactical Hammer", it's not as good as some of the other powers the Rainbow team has ready. So here's all the best operators laid out for you, as well as what they're bringing to the table.

Rainbow Six Extraction best operators

It's worth mentioning that we're still unlocking some of the later operators, some of which don't bother showing up to help until Development Milestone 17, but there's plenty of well-equipped thugs ready and waiting in just the starting lineup and early unlocks. These mercs will manage nicely at any point in the game, so feel free to select them if need be, though bear in mind the obvious - team comp in Extraction is very important, so balance out your teammates so you're ready for what's ahead.

Doc

Rainbow Six Extraction best operators — (Image credit: Ubisoft)

Any team should go out with at least a little healing capacity, and Doc is pretty good for that. Aside from being built sturdily with extra armor, his Health Shots power allows him to shoot healing shots into injured or even downed players, including himself. It's not fancy, but it's one of those basic, solid abilities that makes him the backbone of any team.

Finka

The alternative to Doc for those who want a bit more of an all-rounder, Finka's power is to briefly buff and heal herself and everybody around her. Limited use, but if you're backed into a corner with half your team down, it'll turn the tide pretty effectively. She's also a little more balanced between speed and armor, allowing her to get to those who need help more efficiently. We also prefer her weapon options to Doc's, as she starts with a rather punchy AR that balances power, accuracy and a big silencer.

Lion

Between Lion and our next choice, we'd say Lion is a more superior solider. Extraction is a game where keeping stealth up for as long as possible can do a lot to help you, and Lion's EE-One-D Drone is great for that. It marks moving enemies around you through walls as a passive power, giving you a fairly reliable short-range omniscience. The only downside is that it won't mark anything that's standing still, but it's still a power that works effectively in either creeping caution or a frenetic firefight, allowing you to shoot targets through walls without loss of accuracy. We also like Lion's selection of assault rifles and good armour/movement balance, which keep him versatile and effective.

Pulse

Just behind Lion we have Pulse, who's a little more geared towards being a scout - he's quicker, squishier, and his guns are all pretty short range. His Cardiac Sensor picks up a lot more than Lion's drone, but it's also all pointed in one direction, and uses up both hands in the process. Pulse is great in the sneaking, stealthy stages, checking through walls for nests and grunts, before dropping them with a burst of silenced fire or a well-placed knife. He struggles more in the louder, lengthier gunfights, so you might need to make sure he has a smoke grenade on him at all times for a quick exit.

Vigil

For pure stealth, solo missions and general mastery of the unseen, Vigil's probably your best bet. Used right, he can effectively enter stealth whenever he wants by using his Disruptor power, which briefly upsets all Archaeans so much that they just cover their eyes and ears for ten seconds like you're playing an impromptu game of hide and seek, giving you a chance to find cover and vanish. He's also got a surprisingly diverse weapon pool, with SMGs, shotguns and assault rifles ready to go once you've levelled him up a little. However, his weak armor means that he won't do well in open combat - make sure you play him sneakily whenever possible!

All Rainbow Six Extraction operators

Rainbow 6 Extraction operators fighting Archaeans press image — (Image credit: Ubisoft)

Below we've listed the full roster of operators available in Rainbow Six Extraction, along with some info on their main ability. Not all of them will be available from the beginning, but you'll have them all eventually. Just make sure they don't go MIA, or you'll need to check out Rainbow Six Extraction MIA Operators guide to get them back!

Alibi - Can deploy a decoy from Drones to lure and distract any enemies in the area. Enemies attacking the decoy become scanned.
Capitão - Silently shoots bolts which detonate on impact. Can alternate between smoke screen bolts and venom bolts.
Doc - Fires his Health Pistol to heal or revive himself or his teammates when Downed.
Ela - Throws sticky proximity mines, stunning enemies caught in the blast. Mines recharge over time.
Finka - Temporarily boosts the team's reactivity and survival. Revives any Downed teammates and they always go Downed while active.
Fuze - Deploys remotely detonable charges on walls and barricades, releasing cluster grenades on the other side upon activation.
Gridlock - Throws and deploys ground traps. Enemies hit by the trap take damage and move at a slower pace for a limited time.
Hibana - Shoots remotely detonable sticky explosives that stick to all surfaces. Detonate to deal armor penetrating damage.
IQ - Detects React Equipment through obstacles.
Jager - Deploys an automated turret, attacking enemies and intercepting projectiles in the area.
Lion - Detects all moving enemies in an area for a medium duration, requires a recharge after each use.
Nomad - Shoots proximity mines, knocking back enemies caught in the blast. Also clears the area of hazards.
Pulse - Detects VIPs, MIAs, and enemy Nests through obstacles.
Rook - Drops a pack of armor plates for the team, granting damage resistance. Anyone wearing armor always falls to Downed instead of K.O.
Sledge - Equips a robust tactical hammer which can stun parasites and destroy walls to create new paths.
Smoke - Throws remotely detonated Smoke Gas grenades, dealing damage to any enemy in the gas.
Tachanka - Deploys a mounted LMG for anyone to use.
Vigil - Disrupts enemies making him undetectable for a medium duration. Requires a recharge after each use.