Elite squad soldiers tier list
How to become the best
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Welcome pros and casuals to Tom Clancy Elite Squad’s best Soldiers Tier List. Like most other playlists it’s meant for the endgame but it can be extremely helpful for new players. All Soldiers are filtered by Tiers and all other categories. There are 5 quality Tiers where Tier 1 represents the best possible Soldiers while Tier 5 represents the worst. For the full and detailed information about Biography, skills or gameplay, click on the picture of the Soldier.
The list will be updated as the game gets updated, so you may expect us to react to every major change, and shift the heroes’ positions accordingly. We also hope that the community will help us make a better and more accurate List, so be free to share your ideas, critics, and suggestions with us. Our goal is to make the best possible Tier List that will help all players. Thanks in advance and we hope you’ll enjoy it!
If you are looking for the Best Teams, use the link below.
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Our recommendations for the best soldiers…
Have in mind that tier lists and best soldiers can differ from one player to another, and this is not meant to be a strict way of deciding what to do in the game, this is meant to give you a pro player’s guideline throughout the game.
Note: Use the button “TIER LIST” in the lower right corner to jump back to this section.
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Arrow is Rank 2 Pointman from Hawx Squadron Faction. He has a Caring Trait…
biography
Raised in an Air Force family, First Lieutenant Cole Bowman spent more time with fighter planes than watching Saturday morning cartoons. Growing up with the military was not ideal for someone always searching to express himself creatively. Forever the outgoing showman, when he’s not in trouble for throwing rowdy parties on base, Cole livestreams popular tabletop roleplaying games, where he slyly tests tactical ideas against unsuspected players. At Langley, Cole’s teammates nicknamed him “Arrow” as a knock against his trendy hairstyle, and it stuck. Despite the hair jokes, Cole’s natural leadership and gifted air combat skills are undeniable. When the firefight starts, Cole is a focused operator, both in the air and on the battlefield. Now that H.A.W.X. has teamed up with Elite Squad, Cole joins the fight against UMBRA. Cole doesn’t mind going back underground on clandestine business, though he does have some concerns about how this mission could affect his live subscriber count.
Weapon and skills
Arrow uses Pistols: GSH-18, MK19MM, P45T, and Maxim 9.
His Rank 1 Ability is “Skybug”. Arrow uses a Skybug drone to recon the battlefield permanently increasing all allies’ Ability Damage by 35% and Potency by 90%.
His Rank 4 passive ability is “War Games”. It allows him to permanently increase all allies Resistance by 90% if his target preparing an ability.
gameplay
Arrow has really good base damage considering that he is wearing a Pistol. His ability recharges in 25 seconds and he has increased Resistance to enemy skills. His active ability suggests that Arrow is a Support character and that is true but he can be very dangerous because his damage potential is awesome. Additionally, his active ability may seem useless since it doesn’t cause damage but since it permanently increases Ability Damage and Potency it also increases the overall damage output of assaulting skills of all his allies. Since the buff he provides is stackable his active Skill can be extremely effective especially in PVE. On top of that on Rank 4, he increases the Resistance of all allies when his target starts preparing ability making them almost immune to enemy abilities (also stackable). Arrow will be most likely underrated since he is a Pointman with Pistol but in reality, if he is combined with Soldiers who have powerful and potent abilities he can turn the tide of almost any battle if his ability is used first. This means that “Recharge” is mandatory if you use Arrow.
Arrow can currently be farmed through Faction War H.A.W.X and by opening ARENA O.R.B.s
ash
Ash is a Rank 5 Striker from R6: Green Squad Faction. She has an Intimidating Trait.
biography
As Team Rainbow’s fast-thinking breaching specialist, Elizabeth Cohen is drawn toward high-risk scenarios. Born and raised in Jerusalem, her career spans service in the Israeli Defense Force, Air Force, and the FBI, where he was ultimately recruited into Rainbow Six. Cohen conducts her affairs with a serious and intense attitude: she mostly keeps to herself, yet still seeks the approval of her fellow operators. A chronic overachiever, she holds degrees in engineering, mathematics and can fluently speak Hebrew, English, Arabic, and Greek. Cohen has warned her team for years about the coming dangers if Umbra. Believing personally that Team Rainbow has become training focused and lacking the assertiveness needed to stop global insurgent groups, she has requested a transfer to Elite Squad. Cohen enjoys being proven right about most things, except for when it comes to preventable terrorist attacks. Now after UMBRA’s recent attacks across Europe, Cohen knows her combat-proven capabilities will help turn the tides and is eager to join the fight.
Weapon and skills
Ash uses Semi-Automatic Rifles: SG 552, M4 Carabine, G36, and ARX-160.
Her Rank 1 ability is “Breaching Round”. It allows Ash to fire 2 breaching rounds, each at a random enemy in cover causing 100% Ability Damage to each enemy. If there are no enemies in cover, she fires rounds on the lowest health enemy but causes only 1/2 the damage.
Her Rank 4 passive ability is “Killer Entrance”. It allows her to start battle with 100% Ability Charge and 100% Ability Power.
gameplay
Ash’s offensive capabilities are almost unmatched. Her Base damage is very good. Her active ability is extremely powerful and can be used at the start of the battle immediately crippling enemy formation and seriously injuring 2 random enemies behind cover (most likely squishy enemies). Recharge of this ability is kinda long (40 seconds) but that is for a reason. Ash’s sustenance, on the other hand, is not very good and she is very squishy but since she is a pure damage-dealer, she will often deliver her salvo and decide the outcome of the battle before she is even being focused by enemy troops. Ash has a special synergy with Fury and Vasily from the Intimidating perk and she delivers extra damage against targets that are stunned by Echo or controlled by Dokkaebi. Ash is a Top Tier Soldier without a doubt and when you find her she will have Rank 4 passive ability ready for use which means that she will be OP immediately.
Currently, Ash cannot be farmed through Ash Event.
Winston Banks
Winston Banks is a Rank 1 Support Soldier from Last Man Battalion Faction. He has a Caring Trait.
biography
Once a loyal Soldier and active philanthropic volunteer, Special Forces Medical Sgt. Winston Banks suffered a bitter fall from grace after losing his wife and five-year-old son to a terror attack in New York. Distraught, Banks became disenchanted with the US government, which he blamed for his family’s death. He later identified with dogmatic LMB leader Charles Bliss’ vision for “revised US patriotism” and joined the PMC, committing greater atrocities for revenge. Banks has been offered the chance for redemption by providing medical support for [Classified]. However, he’s uncertain where his loyalties lie, as Banks still believes the government has as much to prove to him as he does to them.
Weapon and skills
Banks use SMGs: SMG-10, ITA SF SMG, 9X19VSN, and FMG-9.
His Rank 1 ability is “Combat Medic”. It grants him Shield equal to 30% Ability Power after which he moves to the lowest Health ally healing them for 100% Ability Power over 4 seconds. In the end, Banks heal that ally and any allies in a medium radius for 50% Ability Power.
His Rank 4 passive ability is “In the Zone”. Banks upon receiving Shield removes all Control effects and receive Control immunity for 4 seconds.
gameplay
Banks is a decent Medic whose ability is capable of healing almost half of the ally’s Health and it has a small AOE effect when the healing ends. He has really good survivability but his damage output almost doesn’t exist. His healing is indeed better than the healing of Enrica Villablanca’s or Alex Nolan’s but he doesn’t protect allies while he heals them meaning that they will often die before Banks is able to help them. On the other hand, he protects himself before healing so he doesn’t suffer much from removing from cover.
Banks can be obtained relatively early since he can be farmed in Allies 04-G and Underworld 01-N missions.
Bard
Bard is a Rank 3 Guardian from Phantoms Faction. He has an Enduring Trait.
biography
Alexander Berrin is the leader of a rogue Ghost unit known as the Phantoms. A black spot on the prestigious history of the Ghosts, Berrin, and his group of AWOL operators have made a name for themselves as elite mercenaries selling their services to the highest bidder. A poet and a visionary, Berrin’s words and bravado earned him the unwavering loyalty of his unit. He sees the Phantoms as an opportunity to build a legacy to rival that of the Ghosts. So when [Classified] made his unit a priority acquisition, this played right to his ego. However, relinquishing control of the unit to someone else doesn’t sit right with him. For now, Bewrrin will play the good soldier, but it’s only a matter of time before he finds an opportunity to reunite with his unit and go rogue once again.
Weapon and skills
Bard uses Pistols: GSH-18, MK19MM, G2000, and Maxim 9.
His Rank 1 ability is “ADS Shield”. It allows him to deploy ADS Shield in front of him taunting all enemies who are not in cover. While the Shield is deployed Bard reflects 20% of all incoming damage back to attackers and charges the Shield. After 5 seconds unleashes Shield charge, sending a wave across the battlefield damaging all enemies for 20% Ability Power + 40% of all reflected damage.
His Rank 4 passive ability is “Tactical Suit”. When the Control effect is placed on Bard, he applies Shield to self, equal to 60% Ability Power.
gameplay
Bard is a very powerful Guardian who has the ability to seriously harm all members of the opposite team, which is not something that is in common to other Guardians (except Charles Bliss). The more damage he receives while his active ability is active the more punishment enemies will suffer. He is very sturdy and can withstand almost anything that comes in his way. At the top of that, when he is affected with debuff he places a powerful Shield on himself becoming even harder to kill. As a Phantom, he can be combined with Coda to provide her increased Ability Damage (he himself will not benefit much from Phantoms perk). He also has a synergy with Red Fang or Sam Fisher because of his Enduring Perk which significantly increases his sustain when under 40% of HP. Bard is definitely a Top Tier Soldier who is an essential part of several current METAs.
Bard can be farmed by opening Basic and Advanced O.R.B.s or he can be purchased at Vendor via Underworld Bundle or Ultimate Commander: Villains.
Charles Bliss
Charles Bliss is a Rank 4 Guardian from the Last Man Battalion faction. He has an Enduring Trait.
biography
Self-aggrandizing and quick-tempered, Lt. Charles Bliss could never stomach orders from top military officials whose leadership he deemed inferior to his own. Bliss found greater fortune in private military ascending to the rank of Lt. Colonel, he finally had command of his own private army. Obsessed with power and control, Bliss would ultimately lead the PMC to ruin. He’s been offered a presidential pardon for his crimes in exchange for his allegiance to [Classified], under the strict supervision of Sam Fisher and Fourth Echelon. Bliss has grudgingly agreed to help, but despite Fisher’s promise that stepping out of line will land him at the wrong and of a gun barrel, his ego won’t stay in check forever.
Weapon and skills
Charles Bliss uses LMGs: M60, QBB-T95, PKP, and G8A1.
His Rank 1 ability is “Air Support”. Bliss calls in a support helicopter to fire a spray of bullets in a wide line at the current target, damaging any enemies hit for 110% ability Power. Receives a Shield of 50% Health for each enemy damaged.
His Rank 4 passive ability is “Over Protective”. It allows him to immediately taunt for 3 seconds all enemies targeting an ally whose health dropped below 35% and grants him a Shield equal to 40% of Ability Power for each enemy taunted.
gameplay
Charles bliss is one of the best Guardians at this moment. His survivability cannot be matched to Montagne’s. Bard’s or El Sueno’s but his damage output is devastating. More importantly, his sustenance increase with the number of enemies affected by his active ability, and whenever the Health of an ally drops below 35%. Also, there is hard to find someone who is better at protecting allies because Bliss will always take all the fire from the opposite side when some of his allies are near death allowing medics to heal injured allies. Bliss is maybe not the toughest Guardian in Elite Squad but he is most certainly one of the most useful . If he is combined with another LMB Soldier (Ning Wang, Winston Banks …)his sustenance will be significantly increased whenever an ally dies. Also, he has special synergy with Enduring Soldiers ( Bard, Sam Fisher, Faye Lau, Jon Ming, Redfang …) that further increase his survivability when his HP is under 40% Unlocking Charles Bliss will change your gameplay completely.
Charles Bliss can be farmed in Presidential Pardon Event, Ghosts in Hell O.R.B., Charles Bliss O.R.B., and in Advanced O.R.B. He also can be purchased at Vendor in Elite Underworld Bundle.
Karen Bowman
Karen Bowman is a Rank 1 Support Soldier from the Ghosts: Nomad Squad. She has a Caring Trait.
biography
CIA field officer Karen Bowman is an enigma. She may not be a member of the Ghost Recon team, “Karen Bowman” may not even be her real name, but she certainly has a lot of experience working alongside the Ghosts under that alias: in 2008, in Moscow during an ultranationalist coup, and most recently in 2019, in Bolivia, as a part of Operation Kingslayer. Given her history with the team, she was an obvious choice to support them on their newest assignment, joining with the Elite Squad initiative to help bring down UMBRA. With the technical skills, fierce intelligence, fighting spirit, and heart, equal to that of a Ghost, “Karen Bowman” is an elite specialist in her own right, and she is more than ready to prove it to anyone who thinks otherwise.
Weapon and skills
Karen uses Pistols: PM, M1911, G2000, and KARD.
Her Rank 1 ability is “Everybody has a Price”. It allows her to interrogate the current target to inform on a teammate – Karen and all allies currently targeting the enemy instantly reload with +30% Accuracy and +50% Weapon Damage, focusing on that enemy for +6 seconds.
Her Rank 4 passive ability is “Intelligence gathering”. Whenever an enemy offensive ability is used, Karen Cleanses and permanently increases all allies’ Tenacity by 20%.
gameplay
Karen is a very interesting soldier. As a Pistol Support Soldier, her damage output almost doesn’t exist but her abilities can crucially influence the outcome of the battle. Her active ability significantly increases the damage output against the selected enemy but that enemy has to be targeted by at least 2 other allies. This practically means that Karen’s active ability is best used against enemy Guardians who will be eliminated a lot faster if Karen is in a team. Also, her passive skill can be very useful against enemies who rely on debuffs because Karen can make her team completely immune to negative status effects. However, a serious lack of damage and the inability to significantly improve the team’s sustenance makes her less desirable, especially if she is not on Rank 4. Karen has a special synergy with Ghosts: Nomad which increases her weapon power as long as she is not targeted. She has also a Caring Trait which increases the healing received allowing her to be the ideal partner of Juana Pedriel or Winston Banks.
Karen can be farmed in Underworld 04-G and Close Quarters 01-G missions, in Ghost Recon faction War Event, and in Advanced and Basic O.R.B.
Isaac Briggs
Isaac Briggs is a Rank 2 Technician from 4th Echelon Faction. He has an Intimidating Trait.
biography
The son of a professor and a diplomat, Briggs is a straight arrow as well as being a deadeye shooter. Hand-selected by Anna Grimsdottir to serve in Fourth Echelon, he has proven his worth time and again during the Blacklist crisis. Along the way, he even managed to acquire some of Sam Fisher’s talent for creative interpretation of orders, making him an even more efficient and deadly agent. Briggs has deep moral reservations about the [Classified] initiative. He’s still enough of a straight arrow to find working with villains problematic, and he worries when, not f, they’re going to turn on their putative allies. So he’s keeping one eye on the target. The second someone steps out of line, Briggs will be there.
Weapon and skills
Isaac Briggs uses Sniper Rifles: R8, VSK-94, SA-50, and PSG-1.
His Rank 1 ability is “Airfoil Projectile”. It allows him to fire a ring Airfoil Projectile at the current target. The impact damages the target for 60% Ability Power and Stuns for 4 seconds.
His Rank 4 passive ability is “EEV”. Whenever an enemy switches target and focus on him, Briggs will silence that enemy for 6 seconds.
gameplay
Isaac Briggs is a Sniper Technician who becomes available to everyone at the start of the game. His base damage is the lowest of all Snipers and he mainly relies on his active ability, which can Stun an opponent. His damage potential does not justify major investment but he is needed for some events where you will need only Sniper Soldiers (“El Cardinal Event” for example). If he is upgraded to Rank 4 his sustenance drastically increases because he prevents enemies from using skills against him for a considerable amount of time. 4th Echelon perk grants 100% Accuracy, Critical Damage, and Critical Chance to the 4th Echelon Soldier with the highest Weapon Power ( Sam Fiser most likely) but it is unlikely that you will lead a full 4th Echelon Squad. Combining Isaac with Resourceful Soldiers grants increased Critical Chance but since no other 4th Echelon Soldier has Resourceful Trait it is highly unlikely that Isaac will be used for this synergy. 4 seconds Stun can be useful on some occasions but Isaac Briggs doesn’t offer enough to be considered as an effective Soldier, therefore he shouldn’t be a primary choice in any team.
Isaac Briggs can be farmed in Allies 03-G mission and via Advanced or Basic O.R.B.
Bronson
Bronson is a Rank 2 Guardian from The Division Faction. He has a Dutiful Trait.
biography
A tall imposing figure, Bronson is a skilled weapons expert. If it exists and shoots bullets, he can handle it. He’s fiercely loyal to his squadmates and will always bail someone out if they’re in trouble – whether it’s in the field or with the brass. It’s a given; no matter what, Bronson always has your back. Bronson is also an expert tactician. For all that he’s fond of making jokes to break the tension of field ops, he knows when to get serious and how to best attack a situation. Fiercely patriotic, he loves his country – especially his adopted home city of New York – and will fight to the best of his abilities to protect it.
Weapon and skills
Bronson uses Pistols: GSH-18, MK19MM, P45T, and D.50.
His Rank 1 ability is “Ballistic Shield”. Bronson fully deploys a ballistic shield reducing 30% of all incoming damage for 4 seconds and healing for 60% of all ability damage received during this time.
His Rank 4 passive ability is “Kinetic Breaker”. It grants him 80% reduced damage received from Assault Rifles and Snipers.
gameplay
Bronson is a simple forward Guardian whose only purpose is to protect the team and take all incoming damage. Until Rank 4 he is nothing special since his active ability does not provide him very efficient protection even he is granted healing equal to 60% of received ability damage. Also, he has no means of forcing enemies into attacking him so his team is very vulnerable if the enemy uses Focus Fire Order or abilities that focus on targets with high Attack. However, on Rank 4 he becomes an impenetrable beast because all the damage from Assault rifles and Snipers is reduced by 80% which is overpowered in every way. Since he cannot redirect enemy fire to himself, even with Rank 4 Bronson is not useful against well-balanced teams and he will often stay alone on the battlefield waiting for enemies to finish him off. Nevertheless, Rank 4 Bronson can be very useful in PVE and since he can be farmed easily it might be wise to focus resources on him. The Division perk instantly fills up the Ability Charge of the Division Soldier with the highest Ability Power which may seem powerful but in reality, Division Soldiers do not have very String Abilities except Faye Lau who is really hard for developing at the moment. As a Dutiful Guardian Bronson has a special synergy with Doc, Dokkaebi, Fixit, and Richard Kingsley in a mighty Dutiful team. However, it is highly unlikely that you will use Bronson instead of Ironclaw (also Dutiful) except in Allies Campaign.
Bronson can be farmed in ALLIES 01-N and UMBRA 08-N missions or via Advanced and Basic O.R.B.
Marcus Brown
Marcus Brown is a Rank 3 Enforcer from the Ghosts: Mitchell Squad. He has an EnduringTrait.
biography
A heavy gunner with a sunny disposition, Brown always has a wisecrack to go with his deadeye shooting. Physically the strongest member of the Ghosts, he has seemingly inexhaustible stamina in combat. He is a veteran of numerous Ghost ops, but is always ready to volunteer for fresh action – he claims it keeps him from getting bored. In that vein, Brown volunteered for duty with [Classified]. He claims it’s to brush up on new tactics and approaches, but his squadmates know better – he’s just looking for a new audience for his jokes.
Weapon and skills
Marcus Brown use LMGs: M60, LMG-E, M249 SAW, and MK249.
His Rank 1 ability is “Heavy Gunner”. Brown unleashes a spray of bullets at the current target damaging enemies in a large cone for 24% Ability Power each second for 5 seconds. Enemies damaged 3 times will Bleed for an additional 40% Ability Power over 4 seconds.
His Rank 4 passive ability is “Inexhaustible”. Whenever Marcus is damaged by Ability Power, he decreases Potency by 25% and Weapon Damage by 20% for 5 seconds to all enemies.
gameplay
Marcus Brown is a very useful Enforcer whose damage potential can be deadly if enemies are positioned inside Marcus’ targeting perimeter (cone AOE). Marcus Brown has very good survivability considering that he is not Guardian and his ability allows him to greatly contribute to the team’s overall damage output. His full potential is reached when he is upgraded to Rank 4. On Rank 4 he significantly reduces the damage potential of all enemies every time an enemy uses an ability on him. This is extremely useful because it cripples enemy offensive capabilities and improves the sustenance of allies at the same time. Marcus Brown cannot be easily farmed therefore it is really hard to develop him early in the game on Rank 4 when he starts to really shine. Later after enough Arena battles, when you develop him enough he can be used along with Alicia Diaz or Sam Mitchell who are also from Mitchell Squad along with some other enduring Soldiers such as Sam Fisher, Faye Lau, Jon Ming, or Redfang.
Marcus Brown can be farmed in Ghost Recon Faction War Event and via Arena, Advanced or Basic O.R.B.
Buck
Buck is a Rank 2 Striker from R6: Blue Squad Faction. He has a Resourceful Trait.
biography
A Montreal native, Sebastian Cote aka Buck always wanted to lead an unconventional life. He enrolled in the Canadian Armed Force via the Regular Officer Training Plan, which allowed him to attend University and obtain a degree in criminology. After graduation, he became an MP in the Canadian Army. When his time in the Army was completed he joined Royal Canadian Mounted Police and eventually became a part of the Emergency Response Team. After excelling in his ERT role he was invited by the Canadian military to re-up and become a member of JTF2.
Weapon and skills
Buck uses Assault Rifles: SG 552, AKS-74U, P416, and Scorpion EVO 3.
His Rank 1 ability is “Frag Grenade” Buck throws a Frag Grenade at the target with the highest Weapon Damage score exploding in a small radius and causing 70% Ability Power.
His Rank 4 passive ability is “Skeleton Key”. During Reload, Buck fires 2 shots from the Skeleton Key, causing damage equal to 20% Ability Power to all enemies in a small cone.
On Rank 6, his Weapon Damage increases by 5% when he is in the same team with an Intimidating ally.
gameplay
As a Striker with Assault Rifle, Buck is causing decent damage during the entire battle. His Base damage is pretty high but he is kinda squishy and can be killed easily if he is not protected. His active ability can be recharged really fast but it is not very potent. It has a very big AOE but since it always targets the highest Weapon Damage enemy it will most often affect only 1 separate target causing moderate damage. At least 3 Frag Grenades are needed to eliminate an average target of the same power which means that Buck needs a whole minute to eliminate just 1 enemy with his skill. On Rank 4 he can provide additional damage to the team while he reloads his rifle. The damage from the Skeleton Key is not great but is better than nothing. Since Buck is available to everyone through Daily rewards you will most likely invest some resources in him at the beginning until you find a better Striker, but truth to be told, Buck is nothing out of ordinary and he will not help you progress to higher Arena Ranks. Recently, Buck became more important because of the extremely powerful R6: Blue Squad Perk that is totally Overpowered in a full R6 team but even there Buck is only needed as a 5th member of the team who would be replaced immediately if there is another R6 Soldier.
Buck can be farmed every day by completing all daily missions and via opening Advanced or Basic O.R.B.
Caveira
Caveira is a Rank 2 Striker from the R6: Red Squad Faction. She has an Intimidating Trait.
biography
While other Operators were specially selected to be part of the [Classified] initiative, Taina “Caveira” Pereira, Rainbow’s anti-social, no-nonsense former BOPE interrogator, was the only member to file a personal request to join the mission. Resourceful and self-assured, Taina knew she’d be an asset to the team, especially given her background. Raised on the outskirts of Sao Paolo, Taina spent most of her youth on the wrong side of the low. She knows better than most what it means to be given a second chance. She believes in the system and that some of these criminals can change-or at the very least, make a positive contribution to the mission.
Weapon and skills
Caveira uses SMGs: MPX K, A-99, M12, and T-5 SMG.
Her Rank 1 ability is “Interrogation”. Caveira sneaks through to the entire battlefield to interrogate the furthest enemy stabbing them for 120% Ability power, placing Bleed that causes damage equal to 80% Ability Power over 5 seconds. The stabbed enemy is Stunned for 2 seconds and it will be under the effect of Root during the skill duration. If the enemy is killed during the Bleed, Caveira increases the damage received of all enemies by 15% for 5 seconds. During the skill, Caveira cannot be stopped.
Her Rank 4 ability is “Silent Step”. When Reloading Caveira enters Stealth for 2 seconds and gains +30% Ability Charge.
gameplay
Caveira is a very powerful Striker who is capable of crippling 1 enemy whenever she uses an active ability. Even she is using SMGs, her Base damage and weapon damage potential are considerably high and it will shred enemies’ health in most situations. Guardians cannot protect squishier targets from Caveira because she moves during the entire battle focusing on damage dealers and completely avoiding targets she cannot kill with her ability. On Rank 4 she becomes invisible whenever she reloads a weapon and her Ability Charge is increased by 30% allowing her to execute ability much more often. Once she is successfully targeted by an enemy she will endure long enough to avoid instant killing thanks to her amazing survival capabilities. All in all, Caveira is a deadly soldier who can help almost any team composition but her true power can only be seen in an extremely dangerous Intimidating team along with El Sueno, Fury, Ash, and Vasily. She also has a special synergy with Gridlock, Tachanka, Twitch, and Valkyrie which allows her to instantly remove controlling effects and to transfer it to an enemy for a significant amount of time (only in full R6 Red Squad team) Because of all that she is extremely hard to obtain.
At this moment Caveira can be farmed only by opening Advanced O.R.B.
Coda
Coda is a Rank 4 Enforcer from Phantom Faction. She has a Resourceful Trait.
biography
Intimidating, ruthless, and unforgiving, Jayla Gabriel is the muscle behind the mercenary group of former Ghosts known as Phantoms. Manu cocky men have underestimated her in the past; most have not lived to tell the tale. A stone-cold killer, Jayla always has the last word in an argument, which is where her call sign, Coda, comes from. Jayla lives for the thrill of dangerous missions. [Classified] is the perfect opportunity for her to cut loose and not give a damn about the consequences. She’s more than happy to rack up a body count for the good guys as long as that Presidential pardon comes through at the end.
Weapon and skills
Coda uses Shotguns: RMB-93, TAC 12 SG, SASG 12, and DTF-SG.
Her Rank 1 ability is “Relentless Assault”. Coda loads 3 custom shells and fires at a random target causing damage equal to 70% ability Power to all enemies in a small cone while decreasing their Resistance by 70% for 7 seconds.
Her Rank 4 ability is “Intimidating presence”. All enemies who are targeting Coda have their weapon damage decreased by 60%.
gameplay
Coda is the first Rank 4 Operator available to free-to-play players. Her intel is gathered by completing Commendations and she can be recruited after 5-6 days of playing. At this point in the game, she can be really good since she comes with Rank 4 ability that provides her significant survivability, but she cannot be compared with other Soldiers of higher rarity. Her active ability does not provide enough damage to crucially influence the outcome of the battle and she has no means of protecting her allies if the enemy focuses on someone behind her. However, her increased sustenance can be especially effective in PVE where she can endure a lot while you focus your healing on other team members and her ability can be deadly if she is combined with another Phantom Soldier (Bard is the best option bu far, but you can use others as well). As a Resourceful Soldier Coda will have synergy with Soldiers like Nomad, Midas, Ning Wang, Buck, Alicia Diaz, etc… which will grant her increased Critical Chance depending on the number of Resourceful Soldiers (60%, 80%, or 100%). That opens a lot of possibilities of assembling a decent PVP team but be sure to avoid Composed teams (heals on critical hits). In short, you will develop Coda most certainly but as the game progress, you will find stronger and more useful replacements.
Coda can be farmed by finishing Commendation Objectives, by opening Advanced or Basic O.R.B., or by purchasing Ultimate Commander: Villains bundle at Vendor.
VIVIAN CONLEY
Vivian Conley is a Rank 3 Technician from the Rogue Agents Faction. She has a Resourceful Trait.
biography
Vivian Conley is best described as a woman of preparation who can out-work and out-research every foe. She’s an idealist, ready to burn brightly for the right cause. For recreation, she sets her mind to learning and devours any academic paper she can find. Seeing the JTF falter led Conley to turn rogue, and she climbed up to the ranks of the Cleaners to the point of being the acting leader when Joe Ferro, their former commander, went MIA.
Recruiting Conley was simple. Once she read the files on Elite Squad, she saw them as the cause she could burn for. Here, Conley’s gifts as a chemical engineer – and talents as a counter-terrorism agent – will not go to waste.
Weapon and skills
Vivian Conley uses Shotguns: 720, Tac 12 SG, Ru SASG, and KSG Tactical.
Her Rank 1 ability is “Firestarter Sticky Bomb”. Vivian fires a firestarter sticky bomb at her target, igniting them on impact and causing them to run in [Fear] for 3 seconds. While under the effect of [Fear] enemies are burning for 70% ABility Power over 3 seconds. When the affected target comes within a meter of another enemy, the Burning effect is also applied to that enemy while Burning duration is refreshed on the initial target.
Her Rank 4 passive ability is “Chemical Engineer”. Vivian’s bullets are laced with chemicals, causing an extra 5% Ability Damage with each shot. If the target is burning, the chemicals ignite causing 15% Ability Damage instead.
gameplay
Vivian Conley is a very dangerous Soldier who may not seem very potent at first glance but whose damage potential can be amazing. She has base Ability Power at maximum but her Active Ability is not that strong initially if not applied on more than one target. If it will be applied to another target heavily depends on the enemy formation and if Vivian is against only one Defender she may be harmless because targets will be far away from each other and her ability will not spread among them. The true power of Vivian comes when she learns her passive ability because then she will be capable of utterly destroying any Burning targets with just one clip of her weapon (+15% Ability damage with each bullet against burning targets). More importantly, if she is combined with Rogue Agent her every bullet will cause Confusion on Burning targets (once in 6 seconds). Obviously, Vivian will need at least one other Rogue Agent (preferably Aaron Keener or Javier Kajika) to reach her full potential but as a Resourceful Soldier, she can be an ideal supplement for gaining Resourceful buff with a lot of other Resourceful Soldiers. In my opinion, she works best with Pac Katari if you want to from 2-Man Resourceful buff, but keep in mind that Vivian along with Aaron Keener also significantly improves the potency of the “Root Trio” (Tachanka, Gridlock, NingWang) forming a 2 Composed/3Resourceful/2 R6 Red/2 Rogue Agents team that is capable of being META in PVP. It is really hard to predict Vivan’s true potential without testing her in combat so this is all a theory craft but according to her ability descriptions, versatility, and possible synergies she definitely belongs in Tier 2 of our Tier list. However, if I was wrong her placement will be changed immediately.
Vivian Conley’s Intel will be farmable in the Vivan Conley “Rivals” Event.
Victor Coste
Victor Coste is a Rank 3 Enforcer from the 4th Echelon Faction. He has a Dutiful Trait.
biography
Sam Fisher’s oldest and closest friend, Victor Coste is also a heavy-duty operator in his own right. The founder and owner of Paladin Nine Security, Vic served with Sam before branching off to start his own PMC – one that could be counted on to back the right people in a fight, not the ones who could pay the most. Gruff but good-humored, Coste was seriously wounded by members of the criminal organization The Engineers during the Blacklist operation, before they were recruited into UMBRA. Now fully recovered, he’s itching for a fight and ready to take it to UMBRA to show them they can’t keep a good man down. Reunited with the team from Fourth Echelon, Coste is ready to do whatever it takes – and work with whoever can help him – to get his own back.
Weapon and skills
Victor Coste uses Shotguns: 720, Tactical Shotgun, F0-12, and SIX12 SD.
His Rank 1 ability is “Chaff Grenade”. Coste throws a Chaff Grenade at the enemy with the highest Ability Damage stat, causing 80% ability damage to all enemies in a large radius around the primary target. The explosion purges all buffs and decreases the Ability Damage of all enemies hit by 45% for 8 seconds.
His Rank 4 passive ability is “Wardog”. Victor receives +55% Weapon Critical Damage Reduction.
gameplay
Victor Coste is a very tough Enforcer who can endure a lot and who reduces the effectiveness of enemies’ abilities. His damage potential is decent although he shouldn’t be considered as some who can carry the team. On Rank 4, his survivability is further increased because he negates the additional damage of Critical Hits. We could say that Coste is Similar to Coda but unlike her, he significantly decreases enemies’ damage output by crippling their abilities power and he has slightly lower damage potential than Coda. If you need an Enforcer to replace Coda in Hero missions Victor Coste is the Soldier for you but if you don’t need him it is highly unlikely that you will have the urge to invest too many resources in him. With the introduction of Squad Perks, Victor Coste has a special synergy with Dutiful Soldiers and 4th Echelon Soldiers. He will be needed in Hero Raids as a part of the Dutiful team but I doubt that he will replace El Sueno or Ironclaw in the mighty Dutiful PVP team. 4th Echelon squad is not that powerful in my opinion and Coste’s role there is to enhance the power of Sam Fisher. Having a team that fully relies on one soldier is not a good strategy so I suggest that you avoid striving to assemble that team in full power.
Victor Coste’s Intel can be found in Dutiful Raid Hero O.R.B., Advanced O.R.B., or Basic O.R.B. It can also be farmed via Guild Rank Rewards.
David Crenshaw
David Crenshaw is a Rank 2 Guardian from H.A.W.X. Squadron Faction. He has an Enduring Trait.
biography
David Crenshaw has spent a lifetime in the air, piloting experimental fighter jets on high-stakes combat missions. A decorated member of the 16th fighter squadron, Crenshaw took command of the High Altitude Warfare Experimental Squadron (aka. H.A.W.X.). A recipient of both the GWOT Service Medal and the Bronze Star, he risked his life and limb to stop rogue PMC, Artemis Global Security, from carrying out nuclear attacks against the US mainland. After sustaining life-threatening injuries, the Air Force reassigned him to desk duty, but it didn’t stop Crenshaw from leading H.A.W.X. from the ground. These days, Crenshaw’s team is running routine surveillance missions, while training with off the record space fighters. When the order came to join with Elite Squad, Crenshaw had already been tracking IMBRA’s whereabouts for months. Having worked closely in the past with Fourth Echelon and Ghost Recon, Crenshaw is no stranger to joint operations. His expertise at cutting down insurgent groups is crucial to the success of Elite Squad’s primary mission.
Weapon and skills
David Crenshaw uses SMGs: SMG-10, ITA SF SMG, Commando 9, and MP7.
His Rank 1 ability is “Chaff Flare Countermeasures”. David deploys Chaff Flares at the current target, blinding all enemies in a large line for 5 seconds, and interrupting any abilities.
His Rank 4 passive ability is “Personal ERS”. All incoming Ability damage against David Crenshaw is reduced by 70%.
gameplay
David is a Guardian who relies on blinding opponents. His base Armor and Resistance is decent but cannot be compared with pure Guardians like Montagne. He can use his ability quite often since it has only 25 seconds to recharge time. If he is positioned well, he can prevent enemies from using abilities significantly increasing the team’s survivability. However, his damage output almost doesn’t exist and his defensive capabilities are pretty lower compared to other Guardians. Also, he has no means to redirect enemy fire to himself which means that his protection heavily depends on the number of enemies he successfully blinded. David Crenshaw is available at the start of the game and it is most likely that you will use him if you want to lead 2 Guardians in the early Allies Campaign missions. As a part of the HAWX Squadron faction, David is needed for assembling a full HAWX team that has an insane 5-man ability to instantly kill one enemy when the health of all members drops below 80%. That perk is definitely one of the best in the entire game but on the other hand, the HAWX team is not good enough to prevail against the current METAs. All in all, David is the Soldier who will be used sometimes and who will be improved most certainly since he can be farmable on the mission which provides Crafting Tools IV but who doesn’t offer crucial help to your operations and therefore will not have a crucial impact on your progress.
Davis Crenshaw can be farmed in Underworld 04-N and Close Quarters 04-G missions. His intel can also be gained in Faction War (H.A.W.X.) Event and via some login milestones.
Pablo Cuellar
Pablo Cuellar is a Rank 2 Enforcer from Kataris 26 Faction. He has Enduring Trait.
biography
A truck driver for many years, Pablo knows the boondocks of Bolivia like the back of his hand, never happier than when drifting around a vertiginous mountain track at breakneck speed. Rather than be coerced into trafficking drugs for the Cartel he joined the Kataris 26, and quickly found a family in its midst. Loyal as Doberman, Cuellar is renowned for his strength and courage. Give him a weapon and he’ll follow you quick as a shot. Need to get out in a hurry, just put him behind the wheel! When the call came from Elite Squad, Cuellar was an obvious choice to join the team
Weapon and skills
Pablo Cuellar uses LMGs: RPK-74, QBB-T95, M249 SAW, and G8A1.
His Rank 1 ability is “Convoy”. Pablo launches a flare at the enemy with the Lowest Health causing 75% Ability Power damage and removing 10% ABility Charge per living ally. If the enemy HP is below 15% a flare signals all allies to synchronize fire at the target for 3 seconds.
His Rank 2 passive ability is “Fighting Spirit”. When Pablo is damaged by a Critical Clip, he forces that enemy to Reload and permanently reduces the enemy’s Critical Chance by 10%.
gameplay
Pablo Cuellar is Enforcer who doesn’t offer much. All his stats are mediocre and the recharge time of his Active Ability is very long (40 seconds). After the recent update, his Active Ability is completely changed and now Pablo can be a threat at least. On Rank 4, Pablo becomes stronger and he is able to make an enemy who inflicts Critical Hit on him to Reload permanently reducing their Critical Chance. Like other Kataris Soldiers Pablo is also improved significantly but he is still not good enough to justify any investment in him. As an Enduring Soldier, he can have increased sustenance if combined with another Enduring Soldier but unfortunately in Kataris faction only he has the Enduring perk meaning that he will not benefit from it since it is highly unlikely that you will use him in custom teams when there are much better options.
Pablo can be farmed in UMBRA 07-N and Underworld 03-G missions. His intel can also be found in Faction War Event (Kataris 26), login milestones, Advanced and Basic O.R.B.
Deuce
Deuce is a Rank 2 Technician from the Phantoms Faction. He has a Dutful Trait.
biography
Charlie Sayer is the wildcard of the Phantoms. It’s very difficult to predict his mood from one moment to the next, but it’s always clear that he means business. His erratic personality has led some to believe that his call sign, “Deuce”, comes from an undiagnosed split personality disorder. This is all just hearsay, though. Charlie’s mental faculties are in full working order; he just enjoys keeping people on their toes. With a penchant for heavy weaponry and a “go big or go home” approach to missions, Charlie is eager to jump into action with [Classified]. The offer of a Presidential pardon is of little consequence to him, he’s just desperate to get back out on the battlefield and raise hell.
Weapon and skills
Deuce uses SMGs: SMG-10, ITA SF SMG, 9X19VSN, and T-5 SMG.
His Rank 1 ability is “Blackout”. Deuce throws a Blackout grenade at the current target. The grenade explodes over a wide radius, damaging enemies hit for 60% Ability Power and destroying their weapon clips, forcing them to Reload. If the affected enemy is already reloading a weapon, their clip explodes causing additional damage equal to 120% Ability Power.
His Rank 4 ability is “Buying Time”. On Reload, Deuce applies Blind to all enemies that target him for 3 seconds.
gameplay
Deuce is a Technician who has the ability that can affect a very large area. This ability causes moderate damage and it has a long recharge time (32 seconds) but if it is used inappropriate time (right before the enemy starts to change clips) it can be devastating. Players who can learn when Soldiers Reload weapons will find Deuce combined with Recharge Order extremely deadly but for all other Deuce is nothing special. On Rank 4, Deuce practically becomes immune to damage while reloading which increases his survivability significantly. He has a special synergy with Phantoms and Dutiful Soldiers allowing him to be a part of the 2Phantoms/3Dutful team where he will use his ability more often with increased efficiency. Deuce is not a bad soldier but he needs Pro player who will use Recharge Order in the appropriate time, and since a majority of players are casual players we cannot place Deuce above Tier 4 of our Tier list.
Deuce can be farmed in UMBRA 06-G and Underworld 02-N missions. His intel can also be found in login milestones, Advanced and Basic O.R.B. or it can be bought via the “Ultimate Commander: Villains” bundle.
Alicia Diaz
Alicia Diaz is a Rank 1 Striker from the Ghosts: MItchell Squad Faction. She has a Resourceful Trait.
biography
A living legend among the Ghosts, Diaz has earned her reputation as a deadly sniper many times over. Born with an insatiable sense of wanderlust, she joined the army in order to see the world and quickly proved herself elite. Patient and laser-focused, she remains cool and collected on the battlefield. Socially reserved, Diaz will join in an activity but won’t instigate one. She volunteered for [Classified] reluctantly, as much to serve as the Ghosts’ eyes and ears on the team as to confront the UMBRA threat. Diaz has precisely zero trust in the plan to recruit criminals, and when one of them turns, she plans on being there to deal with it.
Weapon and skills
Alicia Diaz uses Snipers: Scout, 308 Carbine, L115A3, and Mk 17 SSR.
Her Rank 1 ability is “Headshot”. Alicia targets the lowest Health enemy and fires a high impact bullet, causing damage equal to 115% Ability Power.
Her Rank 4 passive ability is “Sniper’s Hide”. While Alicia is not targeted she receives +100% Armor Penetration and +50% Ability Power.
On Rank 6, her Weapon Damage is increased by 5% while she is in the same team with Composed ally.
gameplay
Alicia Diaz may seem not to be a very dangerous Soldier since she is Rank 1 but in reality, there are only a few Soldiers who can match her damage potential. Her ability is recharged every 15 seconds which is amazing and its power is increased by 50% if Alicia is not targeted by anyone. As long as she is not targeted Alicia also practically ignores enemy Armor. Alicia needs to be well protected to be effective. She is very squishy and will die after just a few hits but that is not important because you don’t need her to tank enemy fire – you need her to harass enemies with constant Headshots. She has special synergy with Resourceful and Ghosts: Mitchell Squad soldiers but these perks are not as powerful as some others. As a matter of fact Ghosts: Mitchell perk suits her perfectly since it grants her Styealth allowing her to unleash her power in full. Unfortunately, other members of this team are not as good as she is. She can be farmed early in the game and she is Sniper (Snipers are needed for “El Cardinal” Event) so it is obvious she could be developed to Rank 4 easily if you focus your resources on finding her. Alicia needs Rank 4 to be fully effective so if you want her in your team don’t forget to replay her mission every day, even that mission provides only 1 Training Token 01 – it will pay off in the end because Alicia will surprise you in all segments of the game.
Alicia Diaz can be farmed in Faction War (Ghost Recon) Event, and in UMBRA 03-E and Close Quarters 06-N missions. Her intel can also be found in Advanced and Basic O.R.B. or it can be purchased at Vendor via the “Ultimate Commander: Allies” bundle.
Ricardo Diaz
Ricardo Diaz is a Rank 1 Guardian from the Kataris 26 Faction. He has a Dutiful Trait.
biography
Ricardo Diaz joined the Guardia Nacional in his early twenties and was a proud member of the rural Carabineros brigade in Santa Cruz for thirty years, rising to the rank of Teniente Coronel. Appalled at the rate at which his fellow officers succumbed to temptation and impotent in the face of a tidal wave of avarice and corruption sweeping across the force, he defected to join the rebellion. Much respected and a little feared amongst the ranks of the Katari, his unparalleled tactical skill meant that he was capable of planning and leading major military operations against the Cartel to considerable success. Somewhat jaded by his past experiences, at heart he enjoys the sense of discipline that comes along with being second to Elite Squad, even if he is still distrustful of their true motives.
Weapon and skills
Ricardo Diaz uses Pistols: PM, M1911, P45T, and LFP586.
His Rank 1 ability is “Lead the Assault”. Ricardo raises his Shield gaining 50% Damage Reduction for the next 6 seconds. 200% of Health lost during the duration of skill is redistributed equally to all allies.
His Rank 4 passive ability is “Frontline”. If no one is targeting Ricardo, he Taunts all enemies for 2 seconds healing himself for 10% of Ability Power per taunted enemy over 10 seconds.
gameplay
Ricardo Diaz is not an ordinary Guardian. He is not as sturdy as some other Guardians nor he can endure long enough to be considered an impenetrable Soldier but he most certainly can play a protecting role while providing considerable healing to himself and the rest of the team. With Ricardo in the team, the sustenance of the whole team is increased and if he is Rank 4 he can successfully redirect fire to himself when the enemy starts focusing on damage dealers. Even his damage output is slightly greater than some other Guardians. With the introduction of the Squad Perks, Ricardo becomes even more important because if he is combined with other Dutiful Soldiers like Doc, Dokkaebi, Fixit, and Richard Kingsley for example, he will use his healing all the time ( because of Dutiful Perk) and along with Doc’s healing this team will be literally immortal. Many will overlook Diaz because Montagne and David Crenshaw are available from the beginning but Ricardo can be very useful especially in PvE, where he can help you earn 3 stars in missions you couldn’t before.
Ricardo can be farmed in Faction War (Kataris 26) Event, and in UMBRA 08-G and Allies 03-N missions. His intel can also be found Dutiful Raid Hero, Advanced and Basic O.R.B.
Doc
Doc is a Rank 4 Support Soldier from the R6:Blue Squad. He has a Dutiful trait.
biography
Rainbow’s Gustave “Doc” Kateb is a genuine altruist, always willing to put the safety of others ahead of his own. So when the news came in of the devastation caused by UMBRA’s initial wave of attacks, he was the first in line to get out there and help those affected. Everything in Gustave’s career has been building up to this moment. From GIGN to Rainbow, he’s been able to help more and more people. [Classified] is a natural progression; being part of this initiative, he’ll be able to help people on a global scale. And while he’s not happy to be aligning himself with former enemies, personal opinions aside, Doc is here to help those in need. If he can help more innocents from being hurt, then siding with the devil is a necessary evil.
Weapon and skills
Doc is using SMGs: MPX K, BZ19, UMP 45, and P90.
His Rank 1 ability is “Stim Pistol”. Doc administers a Stim Syringe to the soldier with the lowest Health, healing them for 150% Ability Power. The syringe can be administrated at range using the Stim Pistol.
His Rank 4 ability is “Never Over”. Doc fires a Stim Syringe at the first ally downed (including self) to Revive them with 40% Health. Can only be used Once per battle.
gameplay
Doc is without a doubt the best Medic in Elite Squad currently. He can heal his allies instantly from distance and the amount of his healing is second to none. His healing is activated very often since the recharge time of his Active Ability is only 25 seconds. On top of that, he can endure almost the same amount of damage as Guardian. On Rank 4, he gains an ability to Revive 1 fallen ally once per battle which is extremely useful in a mission where enemies can one-shot your squishier Soldiers. Doc’s only weakness is his damage potential which practically doesn’t exist. Nevertheless, the survivability Doc can offer to the team greatly overcome the fact he is harmless and it can open for new strategies in which you can replace Guardian with Enforcer gaining the additional damage potential. Doc is a Top Tier character without a doubt and as such it will be very hard to recruit him if you are a free-to-play player (available only with Gold Prestige). With the introduction of Squad Perks, Doc’s importance is slightly diminished since there are other medics (Juana Pedriel and Jessica Kandel) that can heal as good as he can, but he is still extremely important because he is an irreplaceable member of full Dutiful team and full R6: blue Squad team which is both META at the moment.
Doc’s intel can be bought at the Vendor by purchasing “Elite Allies Bundle” or spending Gold Prestige. Also, it can be found in Dutiful Raid Hero and Advanced O.R.B.
Dokkaebi
Dokkaebi is a Rank 4 Pointman from the R6: Green Squad. She has a Dutiful Trait.
biography
Grace’s skills earned a National Scholarship at KAIST (Korean Advanced Institute of Science and Technology), but after graduating she decided to join the Army. Her athleticism and daringness paid off, and she was assigned to the ROK Army Special Warfare Command before earning a spot in the 9th Special Forces Brigade known as Ghosts. Despite her unorthodox behavior within the highly disciplined ROK army, she gained notice for her exemplary tech skills and for being highly adaptable to situations. After Grace participated in joint training with Detachment K Green Berets, the American instructors encouraged her to try out with the 707th Special Mission Battalion: White Tigers. The White Tigers were a better fit for her skills, but Grace inadvertently butted heads with Major General Kuh, an old guard soldier with political ties all the way up to the Blue House, who followed orders to the letter and expected unflinching loyalty from his subordinates. Kuh made life difficult for Grace, preventing her from exploiting her full potential. Grace heard about Rainbow during training exercises with the SAS, and it sounded like the opportunity she had been seeking… the chance to contribute through her strengths. She knew that Major General Kuh would never put her on the list, so she did what she always did and thought outside of the box.
Weapon and skills
Dokkaebi uses Snipers: Scout, 308 Carabine, SRS, and MK 14 EBR.
Her Rank 1 ability is “Logic Bomb”. Dokkaebi hacks the PDA of the enemy with the highest Ability Damage causing it to ring loudly. When that happens an enemy must disable PDA for 3 seconds during which it is Blinded. All allies instantly Reload and focus on the Blinded target with 20% increased Accuracy and 35% increased weapon damage. Allies are focused on that target as long as it is Blind.
Her Rank 4 ability is “Virus”. Whenever an enemy receives a limited-time Positive Effect from any source. Dokkaebi duplicates the effect on self.
gameplay
Dokkaebi is an amazing Soldier in every way. Her attacking and defensive attributes are at the maximum while her skill works like Focus Fire Order but it is significantly stronger. When Dokkaebi’s active ability is ready you can be certain that you will cripple the most dangerous target that relies on Abilities. It is important to point out that Dokkaebi’s ability increases the overall damage output of the entire team and since she has not an ability that will cause damage her damage in the battle will be lower than other Soldiers, but do not be fooled by that since Dokkaebi herself is the reason why others provided higher damage than usual. On Rank 4 she duplicates positive effects on enemies even it comes from Tactic Orders. Dokkaebi has no real weaknesses – she is a simple-forward damage dealer at its best. If she is combined with other R6 Green Squad members (Ash if possible) their damage against controlled targets (Dokkaebi’s ability is controlling skill) will be increased significantly. Also, she has a special synergy with Dutiful soldiers so combining her with Doc and 3 other Dutiful characters will lead to amazing results. Same as Doc, Dokkaebi will be really hard to recruit for free-to-play players. It is hard but is not impossible and since she is literally awesome we must place her in the high 2nd Tier regardless of the fact that she will not be available to everyone.
Dokkaebi’s intel can be purchased at Vendor via the “Elite Allies” bundle or by spending Gold Prestige. Also, it can be found in Composed Raid Hero and Advanced O.R.B.
James Dorsman
James Dorsman is a Rank 3 Enforcer from the Last Man Battalion Faction. He has a Composed Trait.
biography
Loud and domineering, James Dorsman intimidates others to do his dirty work for him. Considering himself to be the “alpha dog”, he didn’t last long in the real military; instead, opting for more lucrative opportunities in the private sector. Dorsman felt right at home with the elite, but impulsive PMC team, The Last Man Battalion. But, when the LMB sank, Dorsman went down with the crew. The chance to work alongside living legends like Scott Mitchell on [Classified] appeals to Dorsman’s ego. He’s hungry to prove his superiority on the battlefield.
Weapon and skills
James Dorsman uses LMGs: RPK-74, LMG-E, M249 Saw, and Alda 5.56.
His Rank 1 ability is “Tear Gas”. James throws Tear Gas at the current target, exploding over the vide radius. The explosion causes damage equal to 90% of Ability Power and leaves a cloud of gas for 6 seconds. While in the gas, enemies’ Accuracy is reduced by 40% for 3 seconds.
His Rank 4 ability is “Alpha”. Whenever an enemy places a Control Effect on James, he permanently reduces the Armor and Resistance of that enemy by 70%.
gameplay
James Dorsman is an Enforcer with increased damage potential. His survivability is decent and his active ability can be very useful if used against multiple targets (enemies must be within effect radius) Reducing the Accuracy of enemies is helpful for the entire team and reduces overall damage-received. However, James’ active ability has a very long cooldown and it can be used less than 3 times in 2 minutes which is not good at all. On Rank 4, James specializes for enemies with Control impairing effects who will become extremely vulnerable if their abilities are used against James. He has a special synergy with Composed Soldiers and LMB Soldiers but both of these Squad perks are not nearly as powerful as it should be. If combined with Composed Soldiers h will become immune to critical hits and will even heal upon receiving it while his sustenance will be almost doubled when his LMB ally dies. All in all, James is an Enforcer who will definitely be a nice addition to the Villains team but truth to be told it is highly unlikely that he will be used instead Coda although his base damage potential is similar.
James Dorsman’s intel can be purchased at the vendor via “Ghosts in Hell” bundle and boost or it can be found in Ghost in Hell, James Dorsman, Advanced, and Basic O.R.B.
JAMES DRAGOV
James Dragov is a Rank 1 Guardian from the Rogue Agents Faction. He has Enduring Trait.
biography
There are few details about how exactly James Dragov, a former NYPD SWAT officer and rogue SHD agent, managed to become the head of the Rikers faction. What intelligence exists, shows a devout man who embodies the virtues of strength and authority. A pragmatic and survivalist of few words, Dragov prefers to let his imposing presence and impressive fighting skills speak for him.
As part of Elite Squad, Dragov looks to put his combat skills to good use. HE takes his penance seriously and is looking forward to opening a quiet chapter in his life when he finds peace and absolution.
Weapon and skills
James Dragov uses Pistols: PM, M1911, P45t, and Desert Eagle.
His Rank 1 ability is “Explosive Sticky Bomb”. James attaches an explosive sticky bomb to the enemy with the highest Weapon Power, [Bliding] them for 3 seconds, after which the bomb explodes, causing 60% damage to all enemies in a large radius and destroying the clip of all enemies hit, forcing them to Reload.
His Rank 4 ability is “Armor and Riot Shield”. Starts the battle with a full suit of armor, reducing the damage received by 30%. When he reaches 50% Health, the armor is destroyed and the bonus is lost. The Riot Shield grants him +40% Critical Damage Reduction.
gameplay
James Dragov is a beast and the fact that he is available for everyone in Allies 02-n and Underworld 02-n missions should be exploited constantly, sooner the better. His Active Ability is extremely useful against teams who rely on high Weapon Power because he practically makes the enemy with the highest Weapon Power almost harmless forcing them to reload whenever he uses the ability. and harming them in the process. The damage of the ability is decent for a Guardian ( James base Ability Power is really good) and it can affect at least 2 enemies regardless of the enemy team formation. Dragov starts the combat literally impenetrable but he needs to have his Health above 50% all the time in order to maintain the initial sustenance. His passive also reduces the damage of all Critical Hits by 40% so he is especially effective against Resourceful synergies. If he is combined with another Rogue Agent he will also confuse the Highest Weapon enemy with every use of his ability but unlike other Rogue Agents, Dragov does not need Roues synergy to fulfill his duties. As an Enduring Soldier, he can be used as the main tank with a lot of other Soldiers if he is combined with Sam Fisher or Red Fang. For example, Sam Fisher, Redfang, James Dragov, Fury, and Vasily forms an extremely deadly synergy but in my opinion, Dragov will shine the most if combined with Jon Ming, Faye Lau, Vivian Conley, and Jessica Kendel. This team (2Division/2Rogue/2Resourceful/3Enduring) has so much control that the enemy will not play during the half of the battle because of Fear and Burning. James’s main weakness is the inability to stay alive when his Health drops below 50%. His base stats are amazing indeed (his defensive stats are second only to Holt, Montagne, and El Sueno) but it will not be enough once he drops below 50% because then he becomes an ordinary guardian. I will be bold and put him in the 2nd tier of our list because I am not the only one who is amazed by his abilities, but honestly, the true evaluation of his value will be only seen when some of those mentioned synergies become a reality and not only a theory craft.
James Dragov can be farmed in Allies 02-N, and Underworld 02-N missions.
Emile Dufraisne
Emile Dufraisne is a Rank 1 Enforcer from the John Brown’s Army Faction. He has a Composed Trait.
biography
Born to wealth and privilege, Dufraisne nevertheless wanted more. The founder of the domestic terror group John Brown’s Army, he tried and failed to obtain red mercury in order to detonate a nuclear blast in New York Harbor. Haughty and defiant even after his capture, he nevertheless remains a logistical genius able to plan detailed operations that run with clockwork precision. Dufraisne has no love for Sam Fisher, whom he regards as having personally betrayed him. Beyond that, he appreciates his role in [Classified] as being better than prison, and he is careful not to jeopardize the freedom that comes from acting as part of the team. His revenge, he’ll take it later.
Weapon and skills
Emile Dufraisne uses LMGs: RPK-74, QBB-T95, PKP, and Bren MG.
His Rank 1 ability is “Six Shooter”. Emile targets the enemy with the highest Weapon Damage rating and fire 6 shots, damaging for 30% Ability Power each. On the 6th shot, if the target is below 30% Health, the shot will execute them.
His Rank 4 ability is “Self-Preservation”. Healing received from all sources is increased by 35%.
gameplay
Emile Dufraisne is an Enforcer who is available to everyone on the game start. According to the active ability skill description, it may seem that Emile is a very powerful soldier but all his attributes are extremely low so the damage output of his ability is not great either despite the description. On Rank 4, all the healing applied to Emile is increased significantly so it may be wise to use Combat Aid order when leading him. He has a special synergy with John Brown’s Army Soldiers and with Intimidating Soldiers. Since he is one of few Intimidating Defenders he can be really useful especially since his ability becomes devastating if there are at least 3 Intimidating Soldiers in the team. John Brown’s Army Perk is not powerful even though it literally cripples one enemy at the start of combat but it is possible to assemble 3Intimidating/2Caring/2JohnBrown’s Army team if you add Enrica Villablanca and Juana Padriel or Ryan to assist Emile and 2 more Intimidating Soldiers. Because of this synergy and because of relatively easy development, Emile should be considered as a Tier 3 Soldier at least.
Emile Dufraisne can be farmed in UMBRA 03-N, Allies 02-N, and Close Quarters 02-G missions. He can be purchased at Vendor via the “Elite Commander: Villains” bundle. Also, his intel can be found by opening Advanced and Basic O.R.B.
Echo
Echo is a Rank 3 technician from the R6: Green Faction. He has a Composed Trait.
biography
For the intelligent and ambitious Masaru, ‘Echo’ Enatsu, accepting the offer to join [Classified] as a representative of Rainbow seemed like a ‘no brainer’. A natural prodigy in robotics, he was originally enticed into law enforcement to test his cutting-edge devices in the field. Taking part in the [Classified] initiative will give him a much bigger platform to showcase his talents… albeit with much higher stakes. Hyper-focused and efficiency-obsessed, Masaru cares about nothing other than the task at hand. The fact that he’s been asked to work alongside known criminals hasn’t even crossed his mind, the mission always comes first. Masaru will do everything he can to provide his team with the technological edge they’ll need to succeed against the UMBRA threat.
Weapon and skills
Echo uses SMGs: MPX K, BZ19, UMP 45, and Mx4 Storm.
His Rank 1 ability is “Yokai Drone”. Echo deploys a Yokai drone that fires 4 ultrasonic bursts at random enemy targets. Enemies hit by the ultrasonic bursts are Stunned for 2 seconds and damaged for 25% Ability Power.
His Rank 4 ability is “Easy target”. Echo prioritizes targets under Control effects. Each shot that hits an enemy under a Control effect damages for an additional 15% ability damage.
gameplay
Echo is a decent Technician who relies on his technology to Stun multiple targets for a brief period of time. On Rank 4 his damage against Stunned targets is moderately increased but that doesn’t significantly improve his overall effectiveness. His damage potential is mediocre, he is not squishy nor tough and his ability is not very powerful despite the fact that it can Stun 4 targets simultaneously. If his ability could be used more often his overall usefulness would be much greater but in reality, Echo is nothing out of ordinary. He doesn’t excel in any category therefore he can’t be considered a powerful soldier. With the introduction of Squad Perks, Echo gained a new role. He is an irreplaceable part of R6:Green Squad where he allows his allies to inflict significantly higher damage to all targets that are stunned. He also has a synergy with Composed characters allowing him to be combined with Tachanka, Walker, and 2 more R6: Green Squad Soldiers (preferably Ash and Dokkaebi), but the Composed Perk bonus is not that powerful outside of this very rarely assembled team. However, since Echo is currently used in the Arena very often and since his Stun can remove Shields from Guardians and because a lot of players complained about his low Tier I decided to put him in Tier 3 with the possibility to increase his position even further if he proves that he is as good as the majority of players think. For now, he belongs in Tier 3.
Echo’s intel is farmed through Raids (5 intel = 650 Raid Points). He can also be purchased via the “New Allies” bundle at Vendor. Additionally, his intel can be gained by opening Composed Raid Hero, Advanced and Basic O.R.B.
El Cardenal
El Cardenal is a Rank 4 Support Soldier from the Santa Blanca Cartel Faction. He has a Caring Trait.
biography
Excommunicated by the Catholic Church for preaching the Santa Muerte, Gustavo Serrano lost everything. His life then gained new meaning when he was invited to join the Santa Blanca Cartel by El Sueno himself. Taking on the mantle of El Cardenal, he used religion and education to influence civilians, taking care of the cartel’s public image. A godman at heart, Serrano hoped that the good he could do for the people of Bolivia would outweigh the evil being carried out by the Cartel. In hindsight, his hopes now seem misguided. With the cartel in ruins, Serrano has lost everything once more. Only his faith remains. The faith he believes has been rewarded thanks to an offer from [Classified]. Putting his life on the line to help others is the penance needed to absolve himself of past sins, to clear his conscience, and to get back right with God.
Weapon and skills
El Cardenal uses Pistols: PM, M1911, 5.7 USG, and LFP586.
His Rank 1 ability is “Divine Protection”. El Cardenal spread his faith among all allies healing them for 40% Ability Power and increasing their Resistance by 100%.
His Rank 4 ability is “Ultimo Recurso”. The first time each ally reaches 5% Health, El Cardenal blesses them granting invulnerability for 3 seconds and +50% Ability Charge.
gameplay
El Cardenal is a very interesting Soldier whose Faith heavily influences the course of the battle. His damage output is not bad for a Support character and he can withstand heavy assaults as he is an Enforcer and not Support. His active ability offers minor healing to all allies and makes them practically Immune to Control effects which can be crucial against Soldiers who rely on Control. On Rank 4, he prolongs the life of all allies whose HP drops below 5% granting them invulnerability for 3 seconds and causing that they use their ability almost instantly. The problem with this ability is because having live Soldiers with less than 5% Health happens rarely and mainly Defenders will be blessed by El Cardenal because all others will die before they can receive a blessing. This ability is extremely useful with El Sueno or Holt, that is true but generally, its usefulness is questionable. As a Caring Soldier El Cardenal can be combined with Juana Pedriel for providing amazing sustenance to the rest of the team or with another Santa Blanca Soldier to grant them second life when their health drops below 15%. Despite his obvious potential for healing in certain situations, El Cardenal have synergy with very few Soldiers therefore he cannot be ranked above 3rd Tier of our Tier List
El Cardenal’s intel can currently be farmed only in “El Cardenal” Event (5 Snipers are needed) aside from being available as Advanced O.R.B. drop.
El Muro
El Muro is a Rank 3 Enforcer from the Santa Blanca Cartel Faction. He has a Dutiful Trait.
biography
Francisco Ricardo Munguia, aka El Muro (The Wall), was the head of security for the Santa Blanca Cartel and personal bodyguard to El Sueno himself. The childhood best friend of Sueno, El Muro was the wall between him and his enemies, between him and death. Cold, ruthless, and professional, El Muro could be considered as the Cartel equivalent of a Ghost… although the Ghosts who finally brought him down would likely have something to say about that. Still, a man as well trained and well connected as El Muro can be put to good use. Which is why [Classified] has brought him on board. Untrusting of everyone, he has his reservations about throwing in with the supposed good guys – the people who tore his family apart – but he knows that the only chance he has at revenge is if he plays ball now.
Weapon and skills
l Muro uses LMGs: RPK-74, LMG-E, PKP, and Bren MG.
His Rank 1 ability is “Bodyguard”. El Muro guards the lowest Health ally. If the enemy targets the ally Al Muro is guarding, he Taunts that target for 5 seconds decreasing its Weapon Damage And Ability Power by 50% (70% if El Muro is below 50% HP). If there are no allies when the ability is activated El Muro decreases the Weapon Damage and Ability Power of all enemies by 70% for 5 seconds.
His Rank 4 ability is “Revenge”. When an ally dies, El Muro instantly reloads targets an enemy with the lowest Health for 4 seconds causing additional 10% Ability Power damage with each bullet.
gameplay
El Muro has very good stats, both offensive and defensive. He can endure more than the majority of other soldiers while his damage output is second only to Nomad’s (among other Enforcers). His ability is defensive in nature and it protects the most injured ally in the time of need so they can be healed in time. His Rank 4 ability allows him to focus on squishier targets whenever an ally dies which can be decisive in some situations. El Muro is good in different ways and he will be a nice addition to the full Dutiful team (he can successfully replace Ironclaw) if you want to use him outside his natural environment which is the Santa Blanca Cartel team. Also, El Muro is very similar to James Dorsman if we look at attributes but unlike him, he provides significant sustenance to the team. In my opinion, El Muro belongs to Tier 2 especially since he is usable in the Dutiful team, but since he can’t be farmed easily at the moment I decided to place him in Tier 3.
El Muro’s intel can be gained by opening Advanced and Basic O.R.B.
El Sueno
El Sueno is a Rank 5 Guardian from the Santa Blanca Cartel Faction. He has an Enduring Trait.
biography
El Sueno, the enigmatic leader of the Santa Blanca Cartel, built his empire on the bodies of those who dared to challenge him. Brutal, insightful, and a brilliant leader, Sueno is exactly the kind of man UMBRA needs to expand its influence. This is why [Classified] made him a priority target; better to have the devil on your side than to go up against him. Despite the recent downfall of his Cartel, Sueno still believes in the Santa Muerte with every fiber of his being. A guest at Guantanamo Bay’s Camp Delta following his extradition to the US, he prayed to her for guidance every night. So when the offer of a Presidential pardon came his way, he took it as a sign. Pledging his loyalty to [Classified] – for now – is but phase one of the master manipulator’s returns to glory.
Weapon and skills
El Sueno uses Shotguns: 720, Ita12L, SASG 12k, and Drum-12SG.
His Rank 1 ability is “Fearless Leader”. El Sueno Taunts all enemies and heals 40% Ability Power per each enemy taunted. All enemies who resist Taunt or not Taunted for some reason are instead Feared for 3 seconds
His Rank 4 passive ability is “True Believer”. Incoming AOE damage is reduced by 90% and El Sueno is granted regeneration equal to 0.5% Health per enemy targeting him.
gameplay
El Sueno is everything you want from the Guardian. He is very tough, every 25 seconds he redirects all enemy fire to himself, and he heals himself. In short, he cannot die and he can protect his allies successfully. On Rank 4 he practically becomes immune to AOE damage (most of the Abilities and AIR Strike Order) and he gains regeneration which power depends on the number of enemies that targets him – the more the merrier. Even his Base damage is higher than the damage of other Guardians. With the introduction of Squad Perks, El Sueno’s role remained the same – he is the first Guardian option regardless of perk although it would be good to combine him with another Enduring Soldier (Sam Fisher if possible) for additional survivability. It is important to say that El Sueno has a special connection with El Cardenal who is the best healing option for him by far. It is hard to decide who is more useful, El Sueno or Charles Bliss but 1 thing is certain El Sueno currently cannot be obtained by normal means (only through Legendary Event) and he is not available even for purchase. Nevertheless, the description of his skills places him in the Top Tier without a second thought. Whenever El Sueno becomes available for farming he should be a first priority Guardian for any player.
El Sueno intel is currently unavailable except in Legendary Events.
El Wey
El Wey is a Rank 3 Striker from the Santa Blanca Cartel Faction. He has a Dutiful Trait.
biography
Highly intelligent despite his thuggish demeanor, Pedro Gil, aka El Wey, is a key link in the chain of the Santa Blanca Cartel’s production operations. Ambitious and hardworking, Gil served as a buchon under the infamous El Yayo, running the cartel’s pyrolusite mines. Learning everything he could from the “King of Coca”, he hoped to one day take his place. Today, that wish has been fulfilled. With El Yayo in no position to fight for [Classified], Gil has been put forward to take his place – not quite what Gil originally had in mind, but he’ll take it. For him, [Classified] is an opportunity to prove himself, to finally make something of his life and become more than just another street thug.
Weapon and skills
El Wey uses Shotguns: RMB-93, TAC 12 Sg, RU SASG, and El Cuentista.
His Rank 1 ability is “Molotov Cocktail”. El Wey throws a Molotov Cocktail at the current target, creating fire in a 7-meter radius for 3 seconds. Any enemy caught by fire will suffer damage equal to 130% ability power over 4 seconds.
His Rank 4 passive ability is “Sicario”. All enemies targeted by El Wey have their Armor and Healing Received decreased by 20% per ally targeting them.
gameplay
El Wey is the only Striker who uses Shotgun. His damage potential is above average and his active ability can be very potent especially against enemy clusters. His Rank 4 Ability is significantly improved after the recent patch and now decreases Armor and Healing Received on the target depending on how many El Wey’s allies targeting that enemy. In other words, if El Wey is focused on the enemy Defender and all other allies are also targeting that Defender due to Taunt, El Wey will literally ruin that enemy preventing any healing that could help them. Most importantly El Wey now has an Intimidating Trait which allows him to be combined with other Intimidating Soldiers which will significantly increase his already powerful Ability Power and Weapon Power, making him more deadly than most of other Soldier of higher rarity. As a Striker he is squishy but his survivability is slightly lower compared to other Strikers which makes him very vulnerable to any kind of enemy attack. If he is targeted by a more powerful single-target ability, he will not be able to survive the attack. Despite the fact, that El Wey is heavily underrated by the majority of players he can be devastating if in the right team. If you see him in Arena, first check if there are more Intimidating Soldiers and attack only if not because maximized El Wey will ruin your team.
El Wey’s intel can be purchased at the Vendor via Raid Coins or it can be obtained by opening Advanced or Basic O.R.B.s.
ELA
Ela is a Rank 4 Ponitman from R6: Blue Squad Faction. She has a Composed Trait..
biography
Specialized at intelligence extraction and sabotaging enemy supply routes, Poland born Elzbieta Bosak is fueled by determination to win. Groomed for military life from a young age by her GROM Commander father and WWII veteran grandfather, Elzbieta is a seasoned pro with low tolerance for – and even outright defiance against – any teammate she doesn’t respect. Elzbieta’s expertise was honed by a lifetime of military Academies, PMC tours, GROM special operations, and joint combat missions with the legendary Ghosts, including Operation Orange Sky.
Recently, while on a mission with Rainbow Six, Elzbieta discovered evidence of a secret ObtainR operating base located in Poland. She requested to join Elite Squad knowing that her insurgency operations background will be an asset. Furious that this could have happened under her nose, Elzbieta has sworn to rid her country of the ObtainR threat, no matter the cost.
Weapon and skills
Elzbieta uses Shotguns: RMB-93,Ita12l, Fo-12, and SPAS-15.
Her Rank 1 ability is “Deployable Shield”. Ela deploys a Shield in front of self, gaining +150% Armor for 8 seconds. She also instantly reloads her weapon gaining a +40% Critical Chance for 3 seconds during which she focuses on the lowest Health enemy, receiving Taunt immunity during the ability duration.
If Zofia is in the same team, she will also focus on the same target receiving Taunt immunity for 3 seconds as well.
Ela’s Rank 4 ability is “Grzmot Mine”. All Control effects received by Zofia or herself have their Duration reduced by 30% which is stackable with Zofia’s passive ability (55% reduced duration in total). Additionally, Ela places 3 Grzmot Mines on occupied enemy cover positions that will explode when an enemy starts preparing an ability causing 30% ability damage to all enemies in a decent radius and granting +50% Armor Penetration for 5 seconds against affected targets. Whenever a Grzmot Mine detonates, it will be replaced with a new one.
gameplay
Ela is a Pointman with maximized weapon power potential and with increased sustenance. Her active ability is defensive in nature since it grants her significantly increased armor for a considerable amount of time. During that time Ela will focus on the target with the lowest health for 3 seconds and she will have a greatly increased Critical chance that will allow her to score critical with every second bullet, totally ignoring enemy Taunt. If Zofia is in the same team she will assist her against the lowest health target with the same buffs. It may seem that 3 seconds is a short period of time but if Ela and Zofia are on the same team there is a very high probability that one enemy will be dead whenever Ela activates her ability. Her Rank 4 ability is a story for itself. It permanently decreases the duration of all control effects (Stun, Root, Fear) and punishes 3 enemies whenever each of them starts preparing ability causing minor damage every time and increasing their damage received for a brief period. The damage inflicted by her Rank 4 skill is not high but it will occur several times during the battle greatly influencing the outcome. Even without Zofia, Ela is quite a formidable opponent against almost all teams but with Zofia, she becomes a Top Tier Soldier! (especially for PVP where she will control the whole battle with steady and constant damage while being extremely hard to eliminate because of her deadly active ability that offers her great protection as well). With new Squad Perks, Ela became a part of the META R6:blue Squad team which is capable of beating almost any opponent. This team will dominate the Arena and can be countered only by certain team compositions and Orders that are not often used. Ela has also synergy with Composed allies but Composed perk in its nature is not that useful and I do not suggest that Ela is used outside Blue Squad. I will place her in 2nd Tier but because of her synergy with Zofia and Blue Squad but if I looked only her general effectiveness and ability to help other soldiers outside of her team she would be placed lower.
Ela is a new Soldier and she will be available for farming through Event missions.
Sam Fisher
Sam Fisher is a Rank 5 Striker from the 4th Echelon Faction. He has a Composed Trait.
biography
The original member of the Splinter Cell program, Sam Fisher was recruited by Col. Irving Lambert to become a new kind of spy for the age of information warfare. Recruited by US President to head new counterintelligence agency Fourth Echelon, Sam is a lone wolf who finds himself in charge of a pack. Having faced and defeated several members of UMBRA before, Sam is willing and eager to take them on again.
Weapon and skills
Sam Fisher uses Automatic Rifles: SG 552, AR-C, G36, and SC-20k.
His Rank 1 ability is “Mark & Execute”. Sam marks the target with the lowest Health and fires a targeted shot. If the enemy is below 25% Health they are instantly executed, otherwise, they are damaged for 80% Ability Power. Sam repeats this attack until he fires 4 Shots.
His Rank 4 passive ability is “Silent Killer”. When Sam’s Health drops on 30% Health or below he enters Stealth for 5 seconds and automatically executes his active ability with 100% increased Ability Power..
gameplay
Sam Fisher is on the top of the food chain! As a Striker, he can endure as some Guardians (although his Armor is extremely low) and his damage potential is very high. What makes him different from other Soldiers is his extremely powerful active ability that can cause up to 320% Ability Power with a single-use which is the highest single-target damage in the game. If the enemy is on 25% Health they will be instantly killed allowing Sam to use the rest of the shots and other targets. Sam would be a Top Tier Soldier even without Rank 4 passive ability but with it, he becomes totally Overpowered. He will enter Stealth whenever his Health drops on 30% (can be activated more than once) preventing enemies to finish him off and he will automatically execute active ability with 100% increased Ability Power. This means that he will kill almost the entire enemy team without help and without fear that anyone could kill him before he unleashes his deadly salvo. For any serious player of Elite Squad, recruiting Sam Fisher should be the first priority. After the introduction of Squad Perks, Sam Fisher is slightly nerfed and he is not Overpowered as before. His sustenance is decreased and he can be killed very fast if he is against certain teams because now some Soldiers are capable of delivering an insane amount of damage in a few seconds with proper perks. This means that recruiting Sam Fisher will no longer grant you certain victories in the Arena especially since the perks he has are not very helpful to him. If you want to successfully use Sam Fisher in the Arena be sure to combine him with El Sueno.
Currently, the only way to recruit Sam Fisher is to spend 600 Platinum Prestige at Vendor. You will need to save all Platinum Prestige you get for a long time but it will pay off in the end.
Fixit
Fixit is a Rank 2 Technician from the Ghosts: Nomad Squad Faction. He has a Dutiful Trait.
biography
Ever since he got a toy car in his hands, Benjamin Jones has been obsessed with tinkering and repairing. First in the family car repair shop in his hometown of Chicago, Illinois, then as a talented MIT student. His drive to fix things soon became a strive for innovation; one only the most elite of the special forces could satisfy. It was joining Ghost Recon that uncovered another talent of his; despite his engineering perfectionism and tendency to joke under duress, Jones embodied team spirit like no one else. Known as a ‘drone guy’ when he’s not customizing his own inventions, he’s watching over his teammates like a mother wolf. When some of them joined the Elite Squad, he had to as well. Not just because of the access to the latest tech and world-class specialists, but Jones feared that without him no one in Elite Squad would ever crack a smile.
Weapon and skills
Fixit uses LMGs: RPK-74, QBB-T95, PKP, and LMG A1.
His Rank 1 ability is “Rocket Launcher”. Fixit fires a rocket at the target exploding in the 6-meter radius for 100% Ability Damage and reducing the Potency of all enemies hit by 80% for 5 seconds.
His Rank 4 passive ability is “Engineer”. Fixit deploys a permanent surveillance drone that spots enemies casting offensive abilities. The drone interrupts any enemy that is focusing on Fixit during the cast.
gameplay
Despite the fact that his Active Ability is extremely powerful useful, Fixit’s Weapon Power are so low that he is almost harmless to his opponents. He has increased survivability for the Technician, he stands out of cover, and his ability significantly lowers the potency of enemies caught in the explosion. It is true that on Rank 4, his survivability increases since he practically becomes completely safe from enemies’ abilities but that is not what makes him special. Fixit can spam his ability all the time if he is in a full Dutiful team which allows him to dominate the damage done table in almost all battles. As a core of a Dutiful team along with Doc, Fixit is ideal for both PVP and PVE. he doesn’t benefit much from his faction perk because he will always be the target of enemy bullets meaning that he will never receive Ghosts: Nomad Squad bonus, so it is not important to combine him with another Nomad Squad Soldier. Because of his versatility and overall usefulness in every segment of the game I decided to put him in the Top Tier of our list.
Fixit’s intel can be gained through login rewards and by opening Territory War O.R.B.
Nidia Flores
Nidia Flores is a Rank 2 Soldier from the Santa Blanca Cartel. She has a Composed Trait.
biography
Nidia Flores, aka Beauty Queen, is a manipulative and ruthless former head of trafficking for the Santa Blanca Cartel. Extremely smart and analytical, Nidia rose through the ranks of the organization, earning the trust and admiration of cartel head, El Sueno. However, Suneo’s trust was ultimately misplaced, as Nidia rolled on the cartel after being captured by the Ghosts and threatened with having her daughter, Valeria, taken away. A born survivor, Nidia will do anything to protect herself and daughter, which is why she has agreed to lend her talents to [Classified]. Like it says in her Kingslayer file, ”Nidia Flores is a f**king genius” and it doesn’t take a genius to work out that falling in with good guys will benefit her and her family in the long run, especially when a vengeful Sueno catches up with her.
Weapon and skills
Nidia Flores uses Assault Rifles: AK-47, AR-C, American AK, and Her AK-47.
Her Rank 1 ability is “Head of Trafficking”. Nidia reloads the weapon clip with trafficked ammunition, granting +15% Critical Chance and +65% Critical Bonus to herself and the highest Weapon Damage ally for 3 seconds. The first shot on their targets causes them to Bleed for 35% Ability Power over 3 seconds.
Her Rank 4 passive ability is “Protect the Queen”. If Nidia is targeted by 2 or more enemies, she forces all those enemies to find a new target, granting +15% Damage Reduction to all allies.
gameplay
Nidia Flores is a pure damage dealer who has sustenance as the toughest Guardians. Her active ability doesn’t influence the outcome of battle significantly but can be useful if you have luck. This ability is recently improved and now it causes Bleeding on the enemy improving the overall damage potential greatly. The buff from her ability lasts only 3 seconds and it is symbolical but that doesn’t matter since Nidia constantly delivers enormous amounts of damage from her AK-47 and can be used instead of Enforcer for additional firepower. Rank 4 ability prevents multiple enemies from targeting her which sometimes can be dangerous because enemies could focus on squishier allies instead of Nidia who would tank all that damage otherwise. However, that is justified by increasing the damage reduction of all allies by 15%. Nidia may seem useless because of her active skill but in reality, her presence on the battlefield opens various strategies and team combinations. On top of that, Nidia’s Weapon Damage is greatest in the game which is recently confirmed
Nidia Flores’ intel can be farmed in Allies 01-G and Underworld 03-N missions or it can be gained by opening Advanced and Basic O.R.B.
Fury
Fury is a Rank 4 Pointman from the Ghosts: Nomad Squad. She has an Intimidating Trait.
biography
Getting on the wrong side of Kim Hernandez is dangerous. A trained boxer and former jujitsu champion, Hernandez can and will take on anyone who questions her skills or gets in the way – and she is not in the habit of losing. Skilled, fearless, and iron-willed, Hernandez was one of the first women to be recruited into the US Navy SEALs. Her track record of handling the most complex and dangerous missions soon secured her a place within DEVGRU, before being headhunted for the Ghosts. It took Nomad’s personal recommendation to convince Hernandez to meet with Elite Squad, but their ambitious plans to defeat UMBRA got her attention. Elite Squad would need the very best military specialists to succeed – specialists like Hernandez. Her answer was straightforward; with her in the team UMBRA would not last long.
Weapon and skills
Fury uses Assault Rifles: SG 552, AKS-74u, P416, and Scorpion EVO 3.
Her Rank 1 ability is “Shadow Stalker”. Fury picks a target with the highest Weapon Damage and stalks towards with the blade stabbing it 3 times and causing 75% Ability Damage with each strike. If the target is killed, Fury reset the skill and instantly attacks another target with the highest Weapon Damage. After the ability is complete Fury remains in stealth for 3 seconds.
Her Rank 4 passive ability is “Panther”. When an ally drops below 30% Health, Fury drops a Smoke Grenade to their position applying Stealth for 3 seconds. While in Stealth, the affected ally has 20% increased Accuracy and 40% increased Weapon Damage.
gameplay
Fury has a very deadly active skill that can allow her to start a killing streak if the conditions are proper. To be fully functional, Fury and her teams should be equipped with Recharge Order and she should use her skill only when it is certain that she will kill the highest Weapon Damage enemy target. Obviously, that cannot be done always but her ability is powerful enough (225% Ability Power) to seriously injure even the toughest opponent. On Rank 4, Fury prevents enemies from quickly eliminating squishier targets by protecting them with Stealth. The duration of Stealth is not long but it buys time and makes enemies pick other allies whose health is not in critical condition. Also, while in Stealth, injured allies will have significantly greater Damage Potential and Accuracy. Fury herself is not squishy as the majority of Pointman and her base damage is second only to Nidia Flores, Dokkaebi, and Redfang. With the introduction of Squad Perks, she became META because if combined with Vaisily she gains both perks which makes her one of the most versatile Soldiers in the game. To reach her full potential she needs another Intimidating Soldier alongside Vasily (Ash preferably) and with another 2 Soldiers who will have synergy between themselves (2 Spetsnaz, 2 Enduring, or 2 Dutiful), she will be the core of the PVP META team. In short, she is a dangerous Assassin who will singlehandedly eliminate the most dangerous enemies if she is used properly, therefore she must be considered as a Top Tier Soldier.
Fury’s intel cab be gained only through Events and appropriate Events Orbs.
G1U
G1U is a Rank 3 Pointman from the Phantoms Faction. He has a Caring Trait.
biography
Stealthy, sharp, and singularly focused, Li Si Yuan is the recon and sabotage for the rogue Ghost unit known as Phantoms. Once a rising star within the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Special Operations Forces, Si Yuan was assigned to serve with the Ghosts as a part of a reciprocal training program. However, under the supervision of corrupt Ghost Lead Alexander Berrin, he was swept up in his unit’s plan to go AWOL. Si Yuan tells himself that he went along with the plan out of fear of repercussion, but secretly there’s a part of him that enjoys the notoriety that comes with being a Phantom. [Classified] is an opportunity for him to get his old life back. The problem is, he’s not sure if he wants to go back to that life anymore.
Weapon and skills
G1U uses Assault Rifles: SG 552, AKS-74U, P416, and VHS-D2.
His rank 1 ability is “Oracle Scan”. G1U activates Stealth and scans the battlefield. Grants +40% Ability Power to all allies for 4 seconds and increases their Ability Charge by 4% for each enemy in the battle.
His Rank 4 passive ability is “Pre-battle Recon”. While in cover, all allies receive +40% Critical Strike Chance.
gameplay
G1U is a Pointman whose Weapon Damage reaches the maximum and whose damage potential should be one of the greatest in the game but in reality, he is far from that. His active ability increases the Ability Power of all allies and slightly increases Ability Charge Speed but it doesn’t guarantee that any Ability will be used during its duration and because of that it is important to manually decide when G1U will use his ability by using Recharge Order. Obviously, it isn’t a popular strategy but otherwise, G1U may waste his ability. After the recent update, he also causes minor Ability Damage to all enemies in stealth and behind covers. On Rank 4 G1U increases the Critical Chance of all allies while they are in a cover which sounds pretty good but when we know that Resourceful Perk increases Critical by 60% at least, increasing of 5% is definitely useless. Having a synergy with Caring Soldiers makes him an acceptable DPS pick if you want to increase the healing of his Caring allies, but his usefulness ends there. If he is a part of the full Phantoms team, G1U will be slightly more dangerous because of Phantoms buff but to be honest, he is only a liability to them and he is even worse than Deuce when we talk about damage potential. The only reason why he is not in the lowest Tier is the fact that I want to believe that I am wrong about him.
G1U intel can be found by opening Advanced and Basic O.R.B.
Alejandro Garcia Gomez
Alejandro Garcia Gomez is a Rank 1 Technician from the Black Arrow Faction. He has a Composed Trait.
biography
Alejandro Gomez is the Head of Security at Black Arrow, and personal bodyguard to Tom Reed. One of the few people who know that Reed is still alive, Gomez is privy to more than his fair share of secrets, luckily he knows how to keep his mouth shut. A no-nonsense operator, known for his savage efficiency and stoic mannerism, Gomez has never been one to question order or bother with internal politics – all qualities that have served him well during his time at Black Arrow. Gomez is indifferent about Black Arrow joining the Elite Squad initiative. For him, his mission remains the same: keep Tom Reed alive. And if that means protecting his employer from UMBRA operatives or even members from within his own squad – which is more than likely – he’s ready to do whatever it takes to get the job done.
Weapon and skills
Alejandro Garcia Gomez uses SMGs: SMG-10, Ita SF SMG, Commando 9, and MP7.
His Rank 1 ability is “Attacker Helicopter”. Alejandro damages all enemies in a narrow line for 60% Ability damage.
His Rank 4 passive ability is “Special Cargo”. The final bullet of the clip Bleeds the target for 60% Ability Power over 5 seconds.
gameplay
Alejandro Garcia Gomez does not excel in any category… He is very squishy, his damage potential (both Weapon and Ability) is moderate or lower and his Active Ability is very weak although it can affect multiple targets. On Rank 4 his overall damage output is increased because he can inflict an additional 60% Ability damage with every clip but that doesn’t crucially change his usefulness. After the introduction of Squad Perks, Alejandro’s Trait is changed to Composed allowing him to be healed upon receiving critical strikes. He also has a special synergy with the rest of Black Arrow characters which enables a player to use Orders more often. 5-Man Black Arrow team has a really strong Squad perk that silences 1 enemy during the entire battle, but this team lacks several other things to be considered as extremely powerful. It is very hard to justify any investment in Gomez – he needs to be leveled and available for missions where Enduring Technician is needed, but anything more than that is a waste of resources and energy.
Alejandro Garcia Gomez can be farmed in Faction War (Black Arrow) Event and in Allies 06-G mission. Also, his intel can be obtained by opening Advanced and Basic O.R.B.
Gremlin
Gremlin is a Rank 1 Technician from the Spetsnaz Guard Brigade Faction. He has a Resourceful Trait.
biography
Strong and intimidating, Timur Kuznetsov, aka Gremlin, is a mountain of a man but despite physical appearances, he is as intelligent as he is strong. A former member of the Russian Olympic team and a world-weightlifting champion, his physical talents, strong mental aptitude, and sheer determination made him a perfect candidate for the Spetsnaz Guard Brigade’s engineer unit, aka the Bears.
The Bears have a reputation as the toughest engineer corps in the world, and Gremlin is their poster boy. Be it physical or mental, Gremlin has never met a challenge he could not overcome or an enemy he could not defeat. Max Claymore is banking on Gremlin living up to his reputation because he’s exactly the kind of one-man wrecking crew Elite Squad needs to help bring down UMBRA.
Weapon and skills
Gremlin uses LMGs: M60, QBB-T95, PKP, and Bren MG.
His Rank 1 ability is “Bunker Buster”. Gremlin fires a mortar shell at the current target, exploding over a medium radius for 100% Ability Damage. Enemies behind cover caught in the explosion take an additional 20% Ability Damage.
His Rank 4 passive ability is “Incendiary Pellets”. While Gremlin targeting an enemy in cover, they burn for 20% Ability Power over +6 seconds.
gameplay
Gremlin is a soldier who specializes in dealing with enemies behind cover. His damage potential is decent ( he is the only Specialist besides Fixit who uses LMG) and he can endure a lot for a Technician. His ability inflicts moderate damage which is slightly increased against targets in cover. On rank 4 Gremlin’s damage output against targets in cover significantly increases and he becomes a viable pick in combat. As a Spetsnaz Soldier, he can instantly kill enemies when they are below 20% health if combined with another Spetsnaz while his Critical Chance can be drastically increased if you add him few other Resourceful Soldiers. If you chose to develop this Russian Bear, your priority should be increasing his Rank to Rank 4 as soon as possible. Since he can be farmed it shouldn’t be a difficult job – you will need just a little luck and patience. He may not be a Top Tier Soldier but the fact that he can be developed to Rank 4 without spending money and that he is part of incredible Spetsnaz Perk makes him very desirable.
Gremlin can be farmed in Faction Wars (Spetsnaz) Event, UMBRA 05-G, and Close Quarters 03-N missions. His intel can also be gained by opening Advanced and Basic O.R.B.
Gridlock
Gridlock is a Rank 2 Guardian from the R6:Red Squad Faction. She has a Resourceful Trait.
biography
Tori Tallyo Fairous, known as “Gridlock” by her teammates, was recruited in Rainbow Six after a daring but successful operation to rescue trapped firefighters in Western Australia. From an early age Gridlock manifested natural aptitudes in mechanical engineering, which she perfected in the Army Branch of the Australian Defense Force, and later in the SASR and Rainbow Six. A natural leader who doesn’t shy away from hard work, Gridlock’s inherent values have often earned her the respect of other operatives who have had the chance to see her in action in the field. Her mastery of mechanical gadgetry gives her a considerable tactical advantage on the battlefield, allowing her to slow down enemies and shape the combat area to her team’s advantage.
Weapon and skills
Gridlock uses LMGs: M60, QBB-T95, M249 Saw, and Alda 5.56.
Her Rank 1 ability is “Trax Stingers”. Gridlock deploys Trax Stingers at the current target location expanding into a large area. It Roots any enemy caught in the Area for 6 seconds, causing them to Bleed for 150% Ability Power over 6 seconds.
Her Rank 4 passive ability is “Stuck In”. Whenever Root is applied to an enemy, Gridlock receives a Shield equal to 80% Ability Power.
gameplay
Gridlock is a Guardian who has the sustenance of the Striker and whose damage output practically doesn’t exist. As a Guardian who can’t protect allies not cause damage, Gridlock relies on her active ability that Roots enemies and cause them to Bleed for a significant amount of Ability Power over 6 seconds. The overall damage inflicted by the ability is decent but it doesn’t substitute the lack of survivability and Weapon damage. However, Gridlock Roots multiple enemies because of the ability range, and since she is granted an insane amount of Shield with each use of the ability, her survivability is increased immensely – At rank 4, Gridlock is granted a Shield for each Rooted enemy. Since Gridlock’s active ability has a long cooldown (29 seconds) she will most likely be near death when her ability is ready to deploy but that doesn’t matter. She has a special synergy with R6:Red Squad which allows her to almost instantly remove negative control effects (she is definitely a META if combined with Tachanka). As a Resourceful Soldier, she can be used as the main Tank alongside other Resourceful Soldiers like Ning Wang who can also inflict Root on enemies providing more sustenance to Gridlock. Combining Gridlock, Tachanka, and Ning Wang was Overpowered even before the introduction of Squad Perks but now is even better. Gridlock fully shines in PVP when she is against 2 or more Defenders because they will form a cluster and they will all be affected with Gridlock’s ability allowing her to generate an incredible amount of shield and to cause probably the highest damage in a team. If we measured only PVP potential in custom premade teams against certain kind of enemies. Gridlock will probably be in the highest Tier but since this is a general Tier List that measures Soldiers for all segments of the game I decided to put her in the Second Tier despite the fact that she is almost META in the Arena.
Gridlock’s intel can be gained by opening Advanced and Basic O.R.B.
Anna Grimsdottir
Anna Grimsdottir is a Rank 4 Support Soldier from the 4th Echelon Faction. She has a Caring Trait.
biography
Quick thinking, and calm under fire, Anna Grimsdottir started as a contract programmer for the Navy. She soon caught the attention of U.S. Army Col. Irving Lambert and was recruited for an elite counter-intelligence unit known as Third Echelon. Today, Grimsdottir has advanced to Chief of Operations for the newly established Fourth Echelon. Desperate times call for resolute measures, and by direct order from the U.S. President, she has grudgingly teamed up with [Classified], loaning her combat expertise and technical wizardry to give strategic mission analysis in the field. Unfortunately for their adversaries, recruiting Grimsdottir to [Classified] is comparable to deploying a tornado to blow out a match.
Weapon and skills
Anna Grimsdottir uses Pistols: PM, MK19mm, G2000, and KARD.
Her Rank 1 ability is “Smi Support”. Anna calls in support from the SMI to Cleanse all negative effects and Shield all allies for 35% Ability Power.
Her Rank 4 passive ability is “OPSAT Uplink”. When an ally or Anna is preparing an Active Ability, Anna grants +150% Potency and +90% Ability Power for 3 seconds.
gameplay
Anna Grimsdottir is a Support Soldier who doesn’t offer Healing to her allies but whose presence on the battlefield crucially influences the outcome of every battle. Since she 4-Stars rarity she immediately has a Rank 4 ability which doubles the power of every Ability used by allies. Her active ability may seem week but since she buffs herself also it provides all allies with a Shield equal to 70% Ability Power which is amazing. Obviously, she works best with Soldiers who rely on Ability Power, therefore it would be best to assemble a team of Soldiers who have powerful Active Abilities. With the introduction of Soldier Perks, Anna’s Trait is changed to Caring which is not perfect and considerably lowers her possible synergies but still, she is a force to be reckoned with. As a 4th Echelon Soldier, Anna obviously works best with Sam Fisher, but Fixit is a Soldier who will benefit the most of her, for the majority of players. Caring trait increases healing which means that Doc’s healing capabilities will be higher and since Doc is Dutiful, same as Fixit, that practically means that Fixit can be used as the only Tank because with Shield Anna grants and increased healing of Doc he will be capable to endure long enough. In short, Anna should be combined with Doc, Fixit, Walkyrie or Juana Pedriel, and Sam Fisher for reaching her full potential and assembling a META team. Nevertheless, Anna can be used even without synergy because her Rank 4 ability is overpowered in every way. Anna’s offensive and defensive capabilities are average but that doesn’t matter since she makes all other Soldiers significantly more effective which makes her a Top Tier Soldier.
Anna Grimsdottir’s intel currently can only be gained by opening Advanced or Basic O.R.B.
Holt
Holt is a Rank 4 Guardian from the Ghosts: Nomad Squad Faction. He has a Composed Trait.
biography
Sergeant First Class Dominic “Dom” Moretta, aka Holt, is a technology specialist within the Group for Specialized Tactics, aka The Ghosts. An expert in intelligence and data decryption, he is also an excellent drone specialist. Obsessed with technology from a young age, Holt developed a passion for engineering. This passion has driven his entire career – to become a Ghost, and now to accept the offer from Max Claymore to join Elite Squad. Holt can’t wait to see what new and exciting toys they’re going to let him play with as part of this cross-agency op. A joker at heart, Holt uses his humor to keep the situation under control during tense moments. So he’s going to need to brush up on his comedy act given the situation he currently faces, going up against UMBRA.
Weapon and skills
His Rank 1 ability is “Armored Noisemaker”. Holt deploys an armored Noisemaker to fly at his target and Taunt all enemies in a large radius, forcing them to target Holt for 6 seconds and reducing their Weapon Damage by 25%.
His Rank 4 passive ability is “Medic Drone”. Holt permanently deploys a Medic Drone that heals him for 10% Ability Power every second. When Holt is defeated for the first time, Medic Drone will Revive him with 50% Ability Power and be destroyed
gameplay
Holt is a decent guardian who has powerful means of redirecting enemy fire to himself. The substitute for his not so great survivability is Holt’s Medic Drone that constantly heals him until he is defeated. When Holt is downed for the first time Medic Drone will revive him granting him new Health equal to 50% of Holt’s Ability Power. Unfortunately, upon reviving Medic Drone will be destroyed and Holt will remain on the battlefield without healing. Holt’s sustenance with Medic Drone measures the sustenance of the majority of other Guardians but it doesn’t exceed it. Holt’s true power is his ability to Taunt all enemies relatively often and to decrease their Weapon Power greatly but his very low damage potential makes him less desirable than some other Guardians who can cause serious damage while protecting their allies. Nevertheless, since he is part of Ghosts: Nomad Squad Faction he can be combined with a lot of soldiers (Ghosts: Nomad Squad has 8 Soldiers which is the most of all other teams) and he will grant them at least doubled Weapon Power as long as enemies are focused on him. As an Enduring Soldier, his sustenance is further increased when his HP drops below 40% but for that, he will need another Enduring character (Sam Fisher preferably). Holt’s versatility bought him a place in the Second Tier of our list but recruiting him will not be an easy task.
Holt’s intel currently can be found only by opening Advanced or Basic O.R.B.
Massoud Ibn-Yussif
Massoud Ibn-Yussif is a Rank 3 Striker from the John Brown’s Army Faction. He has a Composed Trait.
biography
A criminal and ally of John Brown’s Army, Ibn-Yusiff was arrested as part of the Red mercury incident. Released from jail to fight against UMBRA, he uses his well-honed skills and extensive web of contacts to further the cause. Soft-spoken and highly intelligent, Ibn-Yusiff has an insatiable curiosity, He disapproves of UMBRA’s methods mora than their goals, and his willingness to work against them can be chalked up to professional rivalry as much as anything else. He finds erstwhile allies in the JBA to be crude and overly blunt, but Jon Ming, on the other hand, strikes him as someone he can work with
Weapon and skills
Massoud Ibn-Yussif uses Assault Rifles: AK-47, AR-C, American AK, and F90.
His Rank 1 ability is “Grenade launcher”. Ibn-Yussif launches a grenade at an enemy with the highest Health. On impact, the grenade explodes in a small area, immediately damaging for 40% Ability Power. Enemies hit then Burn for an additional 15% Ability Power over 4 seconds. Ibn –Yussig repeats this until 3 grenades have been launched.
His Rank 4 passive ability is “Problem at Hand”. During the battle, Ibn-Yussif receives Taunt Immunity and always targets the closest enemy. While targeting an enemy with more Total health, he applies -40% Resistance, additionally causing 3% Ability Damage with each bullet.
gameplay
Massoud Ibn-Yussif is a Striker who has one of the greatest Weapon Damage potentials in the game. He is specialized in eliminating Guardians and Enforcers and as such he will clear enemy Protectors faster than anyone. On Rank 4 his damage output is further increased – he decreases the Resistance of his targets and he cannot be Taunted which allows him to focus on one target until he kills it. His Active ability has a small AOE with DOT (Damage over time) effect. It is ideal for narrow enemy clusters made of 2 Guardians or 2 Enforcers. The damage output of his Active Ability is above average and it will certainly cripple enemy Defenders despite their protections. Unfortunately, introducing Squad perks have not improved Massoud as it improved other soldiers – The composed perk grants him immunity to Criticals while the JBA perk cripples one enemy at the start of a battle. Those perks don’t open many possibilities for Massoud but he can still be part of the META team (Tachanka, Gridlock, Ning Wang, and Jon Ming). If you want a Tank killer, Massoud Ibn-Yussif is the right Soldier for you but obtaining his intel will not be an easy task.
Currently, Massoud Ibn-Yussif’s intel can be gained by opening AC Rivals O.R.B. (450 Gold – limited time), Advanced O.R.B., or Basic O.R.B.
Ironclaw
Ironclaw is a Rank 1 Enforcer from the Spetsnaz Guard Brigade Faction. She has a Dutiful Trait.
biography
Nadya Volkova is a true daughter of the Russian Spetsnaz Guard Brigade. Orphaned at a young age, Nadya was brought up and trained within SGB as a part of an off-the-books initiative designed to create the next generation of combatants for the Russian forces. Top of her class in every metric, Nadya quickly caught the eye of the SGB’s top brass. Smart, cunning, and ruthless on the battlefield, she was rewarded for her efforts with her own unit: the Volki, aka the Wolves. One of the most feared military units in the world, the Volki are known for their toughness, brutality and guile, and Nadya expects nothing less from those who serve alongside her. Nadya relishes the opportunity to join Elite Squad, to test her skills against formidable opponents such as UMBRA, and to see how she compares against the rest of the world’s most elite specialists.
Weapon and skills
Ironclaw uses Shotguns: 720, Tac 12 SG, Ru SASG, and Model 1216.
Her Rank 1 ability is “Wolf”. Nadya reduces Resistance by 65% and Armor by 40% to all enemies for 10 seconds.
Her Rank 4 passive ability is “Deep Strike”. When an enemy begins preparing an ability, Nadya reduces their Ability Power by 80% and targets them for 5 seconds. This can occur only once in every 5 seconds.
On Rank 6 her Skill Damage is increased by 5% if she is in the same team with Enduring ally.
gameplay
Nadya Volkova is another Russian Soldier who seems to be significantly less powerful than her western counterparts for no particular reason. Before she reaches Rank 4 Ironclaw is literally useless, her survivability is low, her damage output practically doesn’t exist and her active ability is harmless. Reducing the Armor of all enemies by 40% may seem powerful but in reality, the additional damage delivered is symbolic. However, on Rank 4, Ironclaw becomes an unsolvable enigma to all Soldiers who relies on Ability Power because she reduces their Ability Power by 80% once in every 5 seconds. If some can counter Anna Grmisdottir’s team composition that is Ironclaw with Rank 4 passive ability. After the recent update, Ironclaw’s importance has risen dramatically even though she was META for PVP before as well. She now has the 2 most powerful perks in my opinion (when we talk about 2-Man buffs) – Dutiful and Spetsnaz – which allows her to be part of more than 1 META team. She can be used in any Dutiful combination as the main Tank, while she needs only 1 another Spetsnaz to be able to execute enemies when they are on and below 20% HP. More importantly, Ironclaw is part of the most potent team I used so far – Redfang, Fury, Ironclaw, Ash, Vasily, and before I found em I used Doc, Dokkaebi, Fixit, Ironclaw, and Richard Kingsley thinking that they are the best. Those 2 teams can be countered only with the full R6 Blue team and with Tachanka/Gridlock/NingWnag combination but I am not certain if those teams can prevail when terms are equal. According to my Elite Squad experience, Ironclaw belongs to tier 1 without a doubt.
Ironcalw’s intel can be obtained by opening, Arena, Advanced, or Basic O.R.B. She can also be farmed in Faction Wars (Spetsnaz) Events.
Sergei Izotov
Sergei Izotov is a Rank 3 Support Soldier from the Spetsnaz Guard Brigade. He has an Intimidating Trait.
biography
General Sergei Izotov is the recently appointed commander of the Russian Spetsnaz Guard Brigade. A former Spetsnaz commando himself, Izotov has a fearsome reputation throughout military circles as a brilliant yet brutal tactician. Those naïve to his reputation may fall prey to his polite and charming demeanor but are quick to discover his true ruthless and calculating nature. Lofty in his ambitions, Izotov has his eyes firmly set on the presidency of the Russian Federation. In a blatant attempt to gain political favor, he has reached out to the Elite Squad initiative and pledged the support of the SGB in the ongoing fight against UMBRA. Max Claymore has accepted this offer and allowed a contingent of the SGB into his operation, but he remains wary of this seemingly altruistic act, all too aware of Izotov’s Machiavellian side.
Weapon and skills
Sergei Izotov uses Pistols: PM, M1911, P45T, and D.50.
His Rank 1 ability is “Threat of Exile”. Sergei threatens a random ally with exile, reducing their current Health by 20%. After that, the targeted ally instantly Reloads and for the next 5 seconds receives +50% Damage Reduction, +30% Armor Penetration, and +50% Lifesteal.
His Rank 4 passive ability is “Necessary Casualties”. All allies tart the battle with +100% Armor. When an ally drops below 50% Health, the bonus is lost and the ally with the highest Health permanently receives +30% Weapon Damage and +30% Ability Power and is healed for 50% Ability Power over 5 seconds.
gameplay
Sergei Izotov is a vicious commander without patty or remorse. His active ability punishes an ally forcing them to reload but at the same time, it strengthens them and allows them to heal themselves by focusing on an enemy with increased Armor Penetration. By entering in battle Sergei doubles the Armor of all allies. Sergei shows his cruelty by taking away the Buff from allies whose Health drops below 50%, just to increase his winning chances by improving and healing the Soldier who highest HP at that moment. Healing a Soldier with full Health is not very smart but Izotov does that nevertheless. Combat Mechanics of Sergei Izotov may seem strange but he shows his value in combat especially if he helped with other Spetsnaz Soldiers. Spetsnaz and Intimidating perk are used only with one strategy and that is to kill an enemy faster than they could kill you and since Sergei has both of those perks he can be a perfect Support for the deadly Intimidating/Spetsnaz team. If you cant use Ironclaw and you want benefits from Spetsnaz buff Sergei Izotov should be your first choice.
Sergei Izotov’s intel can be obtained by opening Territory War, Advanced or Basic O.R.B. He can also be farmed via Faction War (Spetsnaz) Event.
JAVIER KAJIKA
Javier Kajika is a Rank 2 Pointman from Rogue Agents Faction. He has an Intimidating Trait.
biography
Bringing over 25 years of experience fromSEAL Team Six, Javier Kajika is aging gracefully out of his prime as a field operative but is now evolving into a new role as a world-class master tactician. Precise, diligent, and professional, Kajika ensures long term survival by constantly mitigating risks. He even taught himself urban agriculture, apiculture, and hydroponics to reduce food scarcity for future crisis situations.
A hard man to track down, when Elite Squad did find Kajika they offered him the chance to support disaster relief in war-torn areas and oversee rebuilding efforts; he reluctantly accepted. After surviving the Green Prison pandemic, Kajika’s faith in the system is gone forever, but he’ll dance with the devil for another chance to fix the world.
Weapon and skills
Javier Kajika uses SMGs: MP9, Skorpion Vz.61, Commando 9, and FMG-9.
Her Rank 1 ability is “Shock Trap”. Javier throws a shock trap at the current target, causing electric arcs to spread to them and each enemy in a meter radius around them. Arcs cause 50% Ability Damage and Stun for 0 second(s), spreading the arc. Each enemy struck fuels Javier’s rage and permanently grants him +20% Ability Power
Her Rank 4 passive ability is “Infiltrator”. Every time Javier loses 25% Health, he gains Stealth for 3 seconds and is permanently granted +30% Weapon Power.
gameplay
Unlike other Rogue Agents, Kajika’s active ability is not very potent initially and doesn’t cause much damage but it can affect multiple targets 9if they are in a cluster) and can briefly stun each enemy which can be especially effective against targets who maintain their abilities. However, the strength of his Active Ability permanently rises with each use, and each enemy affected. When we know that Javier’s passive ability permanently increases his Weapon Power with every 25% HP lost (granting him Stealth with every tick) we conclude that Javier gets stronger and stronger the longer the battle lasts and that after 90 seconds he becomes so strong that he will literally eradicate everything in his path if he is alive long enough. Unfortunately, his defensive capabilities do not improve in time so if he is not protected he will be easily killed. Javier is similar to Elmaktoub Nomad in many categories but unlike her, he hasn’t synergy with other Soldiers who can stun (except Caveira). As an Intimidating Soldier, Javier can be used in various Intimidating combinations for building 2-Man or 3-Man Intimidating buff but he definitely has the best synergy with Caveira because it opens a possibility of assembling 2Intimidating/2Resouirceful/3 R6 Red/2 Rogue Agents team along with Conley, Tachanka, and Gridlock. To be honest, Kajika is not very versatile with other Soldiers, and aside from the full Rogue Agents team, his importance is not that great, especially since his physical proves is good only when he is near death. Kajika is not yet tested in combat so all this is just a theory craft, but according to his skill descriptions and his base attributes he cannot be placed higher than Tier 3 of Elite Squad Tier List.
Currently, it is uncertain how to farm Kajika’s intel but soon we should learn about that.
Jessica Kandel
Jessica Kandel is a Rank 3 Support Soldier from The Division Faction. She has a Resourceful Trait.
biography
Gifted with wickedly sharp intelligence, Dr. Jessica Kandel is one of the world’s leading virologists. Pressed into service during the Green poison crisis, she’s a natural-born puzzle solver. Whether those puzzles are related to her field of expertise or tactical makes little difference. With no military background, Kandel is an unusual choice for a field op but her experience in the field and desire to stop more innocents from being hurt made her volunteer. Cool under fire and able to work with whatever’s handy, she is an ideal choice for high-pressure situations. She frankly does not care that she’s working with villains as long as they get out of her way and let her do her job.
Weapon and skills
Jessica Kandel uses SMGs: SPSMG9, A-99, M12, and Helical SMG.
Her Rank 1 ability is “Support Station”. Jessica deploys a Support Station near the ally with the lowest Health. Each second station heals all allies in a medium radius for 30% Ability Power for 7 seconds.
Her Rank 4 passive ability is “Immunizer”. When an ally is healed from any source, Jessica removes all Control effects and grants them Control immunity for 3 seconds.
gameplay
Jessica’s only purpose is to heal her allies. Her healing is very potent and unlike the majority of other Medics, she can heal multiple allies simultaneously if they are close enough to the Support Station. To effectively heal her team during the entire combat Jessica has increased sustenance and she can endure a lot. Her damage potential is minimal but if she succeeds in keeping her allies alive that will not count towards her usefulness. The only problem with Jessica is because her active ability has a very long cooldown and that she will not be able to protect her allies from fast initial Ability nukes. To prevent that Jessica’s team must be equipped with Recharge Order so she can provide healing whenever it is needed. Jessica has a special synergy with The Division and Resourceful Soldiers. She can be used as the main healer for a bunch of frequently used soldiers with Resourceful Trait (Coda, Buck, Midas, Nomad) but she shines only if combined with “The Root Trio” (Tachanka, Gridlock, Ning Wang) + Megan (synergy with Jessica and Tahcanka) who will grant Divison Perk to this powerful team allowing Ning Wang to use her ability immediately at the start of combat. Nevertheless, that is a very narrow niche so I placed Jessica in 3rd Tier of our list.
Jessica’s intel can be obtained by opening Advanced or Basic O.R.B. Also, she can be farmed in Faction War (SHD) Event.
Pac Katari
Pac Katari is a Rank 3 Technician from the Kataris 26 Faction. He has a Resourceful trait.
biography
Thought to have been decapitated by the hand of El Sueno during operation Kingslayer, reports of his death have been grossly exaggerated; at least according to a man purporting to be Pac Katari who has been steadily reconsolidating his position at the head of rebel forces in Bolivia. Having learned double-crossing the Ghosts can be counterproductive, Pac is eager to persuade the fourth echelon that he can be a trusted and invaluable partner. As a master tactician and commanding the utmost loyalty amongst his following, he is key to keeping rebel recruits in line. Eloquent and charismatic, like Ramiro Nieves, he claims to be the direct reincarnation of Tupac Katari, an Incan leader who raised an army to siege the Spanish-occupied la Paz in 1781. Betrayed, captured, brutally tortured, and eventually quartered by colonial troops, his final words were, “I die but will return tomorrow as a thousand thousands”.
Weapon and skills
Pac Katari uses Snipers: R8, VSK-94, Sa-50, and SVD.
His Rank 1 ability is “Revolution”. Upon executing ability there Pac confuses the enemy with the highest HEalth to attack their allies for 3 seconds. All other enemies have a 25% chance to also become Confused. Enemies that resist are damaged for 20% Ability Power.
His Rank 4 passive ability is “The Resistance”. When an ally is killed, Bleeds all enemies for 50% Ability power over 7 seconds.
gameplay
Pac Katari is recently reworked and now he poses a threat to everyone against him. With his Active Ability, he now Confuses an enemy with the highest HEalth for 3 seconds while all other have a 25% chance to be also confused. His Rank 4 Ability remained the same but now it actually has its purpose especially if Pac is in full Kataris team. Pac’s Trait also remained the same meaning that he now has a special Synergy with other Resourceful soldiers for gaining 60/80/100 % increased Critical Chance. Sniper with Pac’s attributes who will almost always cause critical hits is an extremely dangerous opponent in any situation. Having in mind that Pac also turns one enemy against their allies once in 30 seconds and that he can cause serious Weapon damage with passive punishment for every dead ally suggests that Pac will be on the Top of damage done in most battles. With Juana Pedriel greatly improved Pac can now be a part of the META team along with Ning Wang, Gridlock and Tachanka. Because of that and other mentioned reasons, Pac Katari’s placement on our List is greatly improved
Pac Katari’s intel can be obtained by opening Territory War, Advanced and Basic O.R.B. or it can be farmed via Faction War (Kataris 26) Event.
AARON KEENER
Aaron Keener is a Rank 5 Enforcer from the Rogue Agents Faction. He has a Composed Trait.
biography
Aaron Keener believes he is the best of the best and indispensable. He is a master manipulator, who knows how to get people to do what he wants and make them think it was their idea. Secretly, he is terrified of being considered irrelevant and instead chooses to make himself notorious.
Now, Keener is one of Elite Squad’s most valuable assets. Whether in or out of battle, his unique talents can almost always ensure the success of the mission. Keener has accepted the team’s terms quicker than expected, and a surveillance team keeps a close eye on whether his allegiances are true or if this is another one of his manipulations.
Weapon and skills
Aaron Keener uses Assault Rifles: Sg 552, Ar-C, P416, and F90.
His Rank 1 ability is “Red Poison Canisters”. Keener launches a red poison canister at his current target causing 80% Ability Damage, then applying 1 stack of Infection to them (max 3). After that, he causes an extra 50% Ability Damage per stack to the affected target with each bullet. If the target is already at 3 stacks, 1 stack of Infection is spread to all enemies around them in a meter radius.
His Rank 4 passive ability is “Red Poison Infection”. It grants negative effects to all targets affected by stacks of Infection:
- 1 stack – Removes 3% Ability Charge each second, and deals +10% Ability Damage
- 2 stacks – Grants -150% Reload Speed and causes 5% ability damage
- 3 stacks – Grants -30% Accuracy and causes 5% Ability damage
gameplay
Aaron Keener is a single-target killing machine. Regardless of class, whoever is infected by Aaron Keener’s ability is as good as dead sooner or later. For example, if Keener infects El Sueno with his ability he will cause 80% Ability Damage initially, he will prevent him from gaining Ability Charge, he will cause 10% Ability Power damage each second, and 50% Ability Power Damage with each bullet. If El Sueno somehow survives before Aaron place him another stack of Infection, his Reload speed will be reduced by 150% and he will now take 15% Ability Power damage with each second along with all other effects from the first stack of Infection. On the third stack of Infection, damage per second is 20% of Ability Power, while El Sueno’s Accuracy is reduced by 30% as he is almost Blind. In my opinion, the target will survive more than 1 stack of Infection on very rare occasions which may be a problem because only then Aaron can spread the Infection to other targets. To be fully effective Aaron needs Rank 4 passive ability but that will not be a problem since he will be recruited with 5 stars. In short whoever is the Aaron’s target will die sooner rather than later and the certain death can be avoided only by cleansing at the right moment. As a leader or Rogue Agents, Aaron is the key member of that team but he can be used in other synergies as well. Composed Trait is not that useful but it allows him to be combined with Tachanka, Echo, Ela, or Walker which opens vide variety of options and possible synergies. It is still early to jump to conclusions but according to the skill description, Aaron is so overpowered that he must be nerfed soon after people start using him in the Arena. Ability to cause 50% Ability Power with each bullet from Assault Rifle (he is the only Defender with Assault Rifle) cannot be matched by any other ability and I think it must be lowered at some point. At this point, only Anna Grimsdottir and Karen Bowman can cleanse negative effects while Jessica Kendel and Winston Banks can remove Control effects but I am not sure that Infection will be considered as a Controlling effect. So basically, if you want to counter Aaron you must have Anna who is not available for farming by any existing means. Too salty for my taste, I would say. One thing is certain Aaron Keener deserves an entirely new Tier and he will get it.
Aaron Keener’s Intel will available through his Legendary Event.
Kestrel
Kestrel is a Rank 2 Pointman from the 4th Echelon Faction. He has a Composed Trait.
biography
A hard-line former agent for the Russian intelligence agency VORON, Kestrel – real name Mikhail Andreyevich Loskov – went freelance following his rescue by Fourth Echelon. Originally trained for counterinsurgency work, he transferred to VORON following an ambush. After being betrayed by his own agency, he struck out on his own, but when the offer came to join [Classified], he decided to sign up. Loskov is an old-school door kicker, a man of few words, and many bullets. His motivations for joining [Classified] are complex – maybe he’s using the group to get closer to his personal targets, or maybe he’s just trying to prevent others from getting treated the way he was – but what remains clear is his consummate professionalism. As for working with criminals, he doesn’t care. He’s been on the “wrong” side of the line before and knows that sometimes, it’s just a matter of perspective.
Weapon and skills
Kestrel uses Shotguns: RMB-93, Tactical Shotgun, SASG 12k, and KSG Tactical.
His Rank 1 ability is “Killer Instinct”. Kestrel thrives under the pressure of battle instantly Reloading his weapon and permanently gaining +20% Weapon Damage and +20% Lifesteal.
His Rank 4 passive ability is “Tough as Nails”. Whenever a Control effect is received, Kestrel gains +70% Ability Charge and permanently increases his Tenacity by 30%.
gameplay
Kestrel is a simple-forward weapon damage dealer. His ability permanently increases Weapon damage by 20%, granting 20% Lifesteal and it is stackable. However, the cooldown of his ability is 45 seconds which means that he can use his skill maximally 2 times per combat. Since he has no offensive Abilities that can harm enemies, Kestrel solely relies on his damage output which is very good, to be honest. Obviously, as the Battle goes on Kestrel becomes more deadly and harder to kill (heals himself with each shot). Because of his passive Rank 4 ability, Kestrel is looking forward to being affected with Control ability and to speed up the recharge time of his ability which will grant him significant improvement. Kestrel’s main weakness is the fact that he is very squishy and that he cannot survive powerful single-target Offensive abilities which means that he will often die before he gets strong enough to influence the course of the battle. With the introduction of Squad Perks, Kestrel’s Trait has been changed to Composed, and now he becomes immune to Criticals if combined with another Composed ally. Unfortunately, it is highly unlikely that Kestrel will be the first pick for assembling a Composed perk, therefore, he will be needed only for assembling a powerful 4th Echelon full synergy. Since assembling that synergy means having Anna Grimsdottir and Sam Fisher fully maximized, Kestrel won’t be used by the majority of players and he cannot be placed above the 4th Tier of our list, regardless of the fact that his weapon potential is really good and that he can be extremely useful in long-lasting PVE missions.
Kestrel’s intel can be farmed in Underworld 02-G and Close Quarters 03-G missions. Besides that, his intel can be gained by opening Advanced and Basic O.R.B.
Richard Kingsley
Richard Kingsley is a Rank 1 Pointman from the Black Arrow Faction. He has a Dutiful Trait.
biography
Raised in a remote mountain town northwest Arkansas, Richard Kingsley grew up longing to escape his surroundings and travel the world. Independent and adventurous, Kingsley was ultimately drawn to the military to satisfy his wanderlust. He joined the Marines at 18 and never looked back. An adept in hand-to-hand combat, Kingsley taught MCMAP at various training facilities across the US – but he still longed to travel the globe. That opportunity finally came in the form of Black Arrow. Headhunted by Jeremy Prentis, Kingsley was brought into the PMC with the express purpose of traveling the world, recruiting, and training a new generation of Black Arrow mercenaries. Now, with Black Arrow joining the Elite Squad initiative, Kingsley has been asked to leave the training room behind and bring his skills to the battlefield. Traveling the world and kicking ass – Kingsley finally has the life he always wanted.
Weapon and skills
Richard Kingsley uses Assault Rifles: M16A3, M4 Carabine, G36, and VHS-D2.
His Rank 1 ability is “Throwing Knife”. Kingsley throws a knife causing 200% Ability Damage to the closest enemy and targets them for 10 seconds. Anyone targeting the same enemy receives +100% Armor Penetration for 10 seconds.
His Rank 4 passive ability is “Stubborn”. When taunted, instantly Reloads with 100% Critical Chance.
gameplay
Richard Kingsley is a very powerful Rank 1 Pointman. His ability does 200% Ability damage but since his base Ability damage is quite low it causes moderate damage especially since he will target Guardians or Enforcers on most occasions. That being said it is obvious that Richard Kingsley is specialized for quickly eliminating enemy protectors. While doing that he will have great help from his allies focusing on the same target because they will have their Armor Penetration increased by 100% which is amazing. His rank 4 passive ability is also very useful and it grants him instant Reload and certain Critical Hit whenever Kingsley is Taunted by someone. Most importantly, Kingsley’s Weapon Damage potential is one of the greatest in the game and he will do his job most efficiently. After the introduction of Squad Perks, Richard became even more important because he is now an essential part of the powerful Dutiful team (Doc, Fixit, Dokkaebi, Ironclaw) that is capable of dealing with almost everyone. Black Arrow Perk is not useful and I don’t suggest that anyone should strive to test the full Black Arrow team. Despite being a low Rarity Soldier, Richard Kingsley belongs in the Second Tier of our Tier List and it would be wise to start farming him as soon as you clear the appropriate farming mission.
Richard Kingsley can be farmed in Faction War (Black Arrow) Event and UMBRA 07-G mission. His intel can also be gained by opening AR Rivals (limited Event), Advanced or Basic O.R.
John Kozak
John Kozak is a Rank 3 Guardian from the Ghosts:Micthell Squad Faction. He has an Intimidating Trait.
biography
A first-generation Russian-American, Kozak is either the nerdiest badass of the most badass nerd you’ll ever meet. Obsessed with gadgets and new technology, he’s the Ghosts’ point man for all the new tools they’re given to work with. Kozak is both ambitious and conscientious and has hopes of someday serving as Ghost Lead. In the meantime, however, he’s been seconded to [Classified], a move he’s ambivalent about. On the one hand, he’s excited to play with the tech the team will have at their disposal. On the other, he regards himself as a Ghost first and foremost and doesn’t want to spend any more time away from his unit than necessary.
Weapon and skills
John Kozak uses Shotguns: RMB-93, Tactical Shotgun, F0-12, and KSG Tactical.
His Rank 1 ability is “Decoy UAV”. Kozak deploys a decoy UAV with 25% Health. The UAV Taunts a random enemy every second absorbing 45% incoming damage for 5 seconds or until destroyed.
His Rank 4 passive ability is “Safe Reload”. When Reloading, Kozak receives a Shield equal to 45% Ability Power.
gameplay
John Kozak is a decent Guardian who has only 1 role in battle – to redirect fire from his allies on himself and his UAV decoy. His toughness is not as great as Montagne’s (for example) but since his UAV can tank a considerable amount of incoming damage, that doesn’t matter in the end – John Kozak and his UAV will endure long enough that you will not notice a difference between him and some tougher Guardians. John Kozak’s damage potential is very low but since he has synergy with Intimidating and Ghosts: Micthell Squad Soldiers it can be significantly increased in certain conditions. On Rank 4, John Kozak receives additional sustenance after each Reload. The Shield he receives is not great but greatly increases his life-span. Being the only viable Tank solution for full Intimidating and full Ghosts: Mitchell Squad team John may seem like a very important Soldier but somehow those teams when fully assembled do not perform well as some other combined synergies. Because of that, I had to place him in the 4th Tier of our list. John Kozak can fulfill Guardian duties as well as any other and he has no real weaknesses besides the fact that he is practically harmless in the offense but something Is missing on him and I can’t say exactly what is that.
John Kozak’s intel can be farmed in Faction Wars (Ghost Recon) Event and via Login rewards. It can also be purchased at Vendor in the “Ultimate Commander: Allies” bundle, or can be gained by opening Territory War, Advanced and Basic O.R.B.
Faye Lau
Faye Lau is a Rank 4 Technician from the Division Faction. She has Enduring Trait.
biography
Focused and dedicated, Faye Lau has been training for the end of the world her entire adult life. A consummate professional, she spent years as a deeply embedded Division agent waiting for the call. When the UMBRA attacks came, she was activated and seconded to [Classified]. Ultimately pragmatic, Lau can give orders or take them as the situation demands. The good of the mission is her overriding goal, and she’ll do whatever it takes to get the job done. If that means working with criminals, then she’ll hold her nose and follow orders – the job always comes first.
Weapon and skills
Faye Lau uses Assault Rifles: SG 552, AR-C, Mk16 CQC, and F90.
Her Rank 1 ability is “Sticky Bomb”. Faye attaches a Sticky bomb to the current target making them to run in Fear. After 2 seconds Sticky Bomb detonates damaging everyone in a medium radius and causing damage equal to 90% of Ability Power.
Her Rank 4 passive ability is “Explosive Rounds”. Faye’s Critical Clips are loaded with exploding rounds, damaging all enemies in a narrow radius for 4% Ability Power.
gameplay
Like all Technicians, Faye Lau also relies mainly on the Ability Power but her Weapon damage is considerably high as well. Her active ability does not inflict high initial damage but it can affect several enemies and removes the primary target from cover. With little luck, Faye Lau can totally cripple half of the enemy team with just one Sticky Bomb. On Rank 4 her Critical Hits become AOE attacks that cause increased damage against all enemies in narrow Radius. Faye Lau’s main weakness is her vulnerability to basic attacks and low amount of Health. Since her Ability Power will be most certainly the greatest in the team she may die quickly from enemy abilities that target the highest Ability Power target, so be sure to not deploy her against Soldiers with those abilities if it isn’t necessary. Nevertheless, the damage potential of Faye makes her very desirable but still, she doesn’t deserve more than the third Tier of Elite Squad Tier List. Squad Perks have not improved Faye’s overall potential because it is almost impossible to combine her with Composed Soldiers and she really needs benefits from Composed perk (her damage potential relies on critical hits). As an Enduring Soldier, she can be combined with Sam Fisher, Jon Ming, Charless Blis, Bard or El Sueno fer getting improve sustenance but she needs another Division Soldier to be fully effective. Since Jessica Kendel is Resourceful, in reality Faye can be combined only with Megan or Ryan which doesn’t open a lot of possibilities for assembling a META team. In my opinion, the ideal team for Faye Lau is Anna Grimsdottir, Sam Fisher, Ryan, El Sueno or Holt, and Faye Lau.
Faye Lau’s intel currently can be gained only by opening AR Rivals (limited time), Advanced or Basic O.R.B.
Jimena Martins
Jimena Martins is a Rank 3 Pointman from the Kataris 26 Faction. She has an Intimidating Trait.
biography
An orphan from an early age, Jimena as breaking rocks in the silver mine at Potosi from the age of 12. Determined not to be a Peon forever she resolved to become an engineer and with the help of a local benefactor priest managed to achieve this goal. Close to her twin brother Benicio, she was devastated when he was brutally murdered at the hands of El Boquita and resolved to join the rebels in their fight against the Santa Blanca Cartel. With her practical skill, she quickly rose through the ranks of Katari 26 providing valuable know-how and support, especially where a little demolition was concerned. Generally calm and methodical, Jimena is passionate when roused and furious in the face of injustice, a useful ally in the fight against UMBRA.
Weapon and skills
Jimena Martins uses Assault Rifles: AK-47, AR-C, American AK, and F90.
Her Rank 1 ability is “Rise Up”. Jimena damages her current target for 40% Ability Power and heals herself for the same amount, before granting +15% Weapon Damage and Life Steal per each 10% HP missing to all allies.
Her rank 4 passive ability is “Miners Endurance”. After every Reload Jimena Critical Chance is permanently increased by 20%.
gameplay
Jimena Martins is a Pointman who is very similar to Nidia Flores who should have significantly higher damage potential and lower survivability according to the Attributes diagram but in reality, it is quite opposite. Nevertheless, Jimena’s weapon damage potential is one of the greatest in the game and when we count the additional damage and sustenance granted to all allies from her active ability we conclude that Jimena is a very useful Soldier. On rank 4, her offensive capabilities are increased since she gains a permanent +20% Critical Chance after each Reload and this bonus can stack allowing her to constantly increase her Critical Chance as the battle goes on. This passive bonus is not strong as before because Resourceful Perk now grants a significantly higher Critical Chance increase, and since Jimena has Intimidating Trait it is very hard to make that she benefits from the Resourceful buff. As an Intimidating Soldier, Jimena can be combined with a lot of other Intimidating characters for achieving an extremely powerful intimidating buff. I do not recommend assembling a full Kataris team even though they are all improved, but I strongly suggest that you try using her with Fury and Vasily among others. Obviously, Jimena is not as powerful as Ash and it will be highly unlikely to use Jimena instead of her while assembling a 3-man Intimidating buff, but I assure you that Jimena will prove her worth only if you give her a chance (most of the players cannot recruit Ash but Jimena is available to everyone). After the rework of her Active Ability, she is considerably stronger and she will surprise you totally. She is so good that I use my Raid Credits only on her.
Jimena Martins’ intel can be farmed in Faction Wars (Kataris 26) Event or by spending Raid points at the vendor. Also, it can be gained by opening AR Rivals (limited time), Advanced or Basic O.R.B.
Megan
Megan is a Rank 2 Strike from the Divison Faction. She has a Composed Trait.
biography
Megan grew up an army brat in the shadow of Ft, Bragg. Her father was a part of Delta, and she inherited a lot from him: A sense of responsibility for others, quick decision-making skills, and a belief that she could do some good in this world. Driven and focused, Megan also has a strong compassionate streak. If she sees someone in trouble she’ll immediately try to help, no matter what the situation is. A leader by example, she inspires trust and loyalty in her fellow agents. They know that whatever trouble she gets them into, she’ll lead them right back out again.
Weapon and skills
Megan uses Assault Rifles: M16A3, M4 Carbine, MK16 CQC, and ARX-160.
Her Rank 1 ability is “Portable Turret”. Megan deploys a Stationary Turret to fire 20 rounds at the enemy, each causing damage equal to 10% Ability Power. The turret always fires at Megan’s current target.
Her rank 4 passive ability is “Destructive”. Whenever Megan uses a Critical Clip she will decrease the armor of her target by 85% for 7 seconds.
gameplay
Megan is available at the start of the game and as such, she is familiar to all players. Her offensive capabilities are above average and she is capable of delivering a considerable amount of damage if she is protected while doing that. She needs protection since she is very squishy and becomes extremely vulnerable when deploying her turret. The damage potential of her turret is quite good but often it will not be able to eliminate the target because it focuses on Megan’s current target which will be in cover most likely. The fact that Megan is losing a lot of health while deploying a turret can be very dangerous because Megan can die before she unleashes her salvo. On Rank 4 Megan significantly lowers the Armor of her primary target with each Critical hit. Rank 4 is crucial for Megan’s overall effectiveness so developing her on Rank 4 should be the first priority if you want to rely on Megan’s services. After the recent update, Megan’s sustenance is increased because Composed Perk now grants her immunity to critical hit and even healing if there are 3 or more Composed Soldiers. However, it is really hard to assemble a useful Composed team with Megan especially since she also has the Divison perk and it practically impossible to combine her with any other Division Soldier while expecting decent results. It is highly unlikely that Megan will be chosen as the second or third Composed Soldier and since the Full Division team does not offer very much to the player, I expect that Megan will be used only in Territory War when players do not have better solutions. I will not place her in the lowest Tier because she can easily be farmed and everyone has her maximized but in reality, there is not much to say about Megan that would justify investing in her.
Megan’s intel can be farmed in Faction War (SHD) Event, UMBRA 05-N, and Underworld -5-N missions. Her intel can also be purchased at Vendor via the “Division AR Elite” bundle (limited time) or by opening AR Rivals (limited time), Advanced or Basic O.R.B.
Midas
Midas is a Rank 2 Technician form the Ghosts: Nomad Squad Faction. He has a Resourceful Trait.
biography
Sergeant First Class Rubio “Midas” Delgado is as tightly wound as they come. Often described by his teammates as a “raw nerve”. He’s a slave to his emotions and tends to care a little bit too much about everything. If there is good to be done somewhere in the world Midas will do it, be it liberating captives from insurgent groups in the Middle East, supporting rebel freedom fighters to bring down an oppressive narco-state in Bolivia, or simply providing spiritual counseling to his fellow soldiers, Midas will do it – because he cares. Midas is the kind of soldier you want by your side when things go wrong and you’re caught in a crossfire, which is exactly why Max Claymore has requested he join Elite Squad. Because when things get tough, you need people who care too much.
Weapon and skills
Midas uses Assault SMGs: MPXK, BZ19, UMP 45, and AUG A3 Para XS.
His rank 1 Ability is “Explosive Drone”. Sends an explosive drone at the current target, exploding on arrival and causing 160% Ability Damage to any enemies in a wide radius.
His Rank 4 passive ability is “Under-Barrel Grenade Launcher”. At the end of every magazine, before reloading, launches a grenade at the current target, causing damage equal to 50% Ability Power in a medium radius.
On Rank 6, Midas’ Skill Damage is increased by 5% when he is teamed with a Composed ally.
gameplay
Midas is another Soldier who is available at the start of the game. His usefulness is often overlooked because he is very squishy and using SMGs that provide the lowest damage potential but the Power of his Active Ability is one of the greatest in the game and he is capable of eliminating multiple enemies with just one explosive drone. On Rank 4, his overall damage output is further increased because he now fires grenades that cause decent AOE damage before every Reload. Besides his squishiness and low weapon damage potential, Midas’ main weakness is the fact that his drone must fly for a certain period of time before reaching its target which sometimes ends in completely missing the target who was forced to leave cover at the moment of sending the drone. Experienced players will not have this issue because with Recharging Order they will be able to manually decide when he will use his skill but new players will think that his ability is not very useful. That is obviously a mistake because if the Drone is released when Midas’ target is near other enemies the effects could be devastating. Unfortunately, Midas does not benefit much from the Perks that became available to him after a recent update. Both Resourceful and Ghosts: Nomad Squad Perk increases the effectiveness of Soldiers’ weapon potential and since Midas’ true and only strength lies in his Ability Power, those Perks are practically useless for him. That doesn’t mean that he is useless because he can be used as a sure pick for assembling both Perks but in reality, there are only a few available synergies that could benefit from Midas’ presence. Combining Anna Grmimsdottir and Midas is always a good thing regardless of Perks so if you want to build a team around him, be sure to place him with her. I will be bold and place Midas in the Third Tier of Elite Squad Tier List regardless of the fact that Midas’ ability is one of the strongest in the game especially against Defender clusters (3 Defenders synergies).
Midas’ intel can be farmed in Faction War (Ghost Recon) Event and in Allies 06-N mission, or it can be gained by opening Advanced and Basic O.R.B.
Jon Ming
John Ming is a Rank 4 technician from the John Brown’s Army Faction. He has an Enduring Trait.
biography
The leader of the Lucky Dragon Triad, Ming is a complicated figure. On one hand, he sent agents to infiltrate Third Echelon to obtain intel he could sell to Russian spy operation The Shop. On the other hand, he reneged on the deal with the Shop and saved Sam Fisher’s life, albeit for reasons of his own. Family matters deeply to him, as he will do anything to protect his ailing mother in Hong Kong. In fact, it was only once he was shown that [Classified] had prevented an attack on Hong Kong that he agreed to come aboard and join the teams. Ming is quiet and reserved, but capable of extreme, stunning violence once he decides to act. A thoughtful tactician, he’s not afraid to get his hands dirty when the time comes.
Weapon and skills
John Ming uses Sniper Rifles: R8, VSK-94, Sa-50, and SVD.
His Rank 1 ability is “Dragon Breath” John fires a Dragon Breath round at the current target. The round Burns all enemies in a medium line, causing them to run in Fear for * seconds while damaging the for 80% Ability Power over 7 seconds.
His Rank 4 passive ability is “Payback”. When a teammate receives the Control effect, John removes 30% Ability Charge to the enemy who applied it.
gameplay
The ability to Fear multiple enemies can be extremely powerful and Joh Ming is capable of doing exactly that. Unfortunately, the skill description does not offer us information about the duration of the Fear effect so we cannot precisely calculate the real effectiveness of John Ming before we can see him in action by ourselves (the content will be updated accordingly). Despite the fact that we don’t have all information about John Ming we can say that his weapon damage potential is relatively good and that he needs protection since he is very squishy. His Rank 4 passive ability can be useful sometimes but it is nothing special because when an enemy applies a control effect they will most likely do it by using skill so reducing their Ability Charge is pointless if they used an ability a moment before. The full JBA team is definitely very interesting because of Perk that cripples up to 2 enemies during the combat (On start and when 3 allies remain) and Confuses one enemy for a very long 8 seconds at the start of the battle. This synergy can be devastating and the true Jon’s importance is that he is part of it. As an Enduring Soldier, Jon can be combined with Faye Lau because their abilities have synergy (both causes Fear) but it is highly unlikely that Jon will be the first option for a team that is built around Sam Fisher, Bard, or Charles Bliss. Since there are only a few uses for Jon Ming and since he cannot be farmed by any means I decided to put him in Tier 4 of our list.
John Ming’s intel currently can be gained only by opening Advanced or Basic O.R.B.
Scott Mitchell
Scott Mitchell is a Rank 2 Pointman from the Ghosts: Mitchell Squad Faction. He has a Dutiful Trait.
biography
Scott Mitchell is the rock the Ghosts are built on. Steady, dependable, and unflappable in a crisis, he has gotten his team out of more tight spots than they can count. A man of few words, Mitchell prefers that his deeds do the talking for him. Officially, Mitchell has no opinion about joining [Classified] or who he might have to work with. For him, the mission is everything, and the rest is just details. Privately he might feel a bit differently, but for the sake of his troops and the mission, he’s maintaining a stoic dedication to the ends, not the means.
Weapon and skills
Scott Mitchell uses SMGs: SPSMg9, Skorpion Vz.61, Commando 9, and Vector .45 ACP.
His Rank 1 ability is “Rally the Troops”. Deploy an Ammo Box, instantly filling Weapon Clips and granting +20% Ability Charge Speed and +20% Critical Chance to all allies for 2 seconds.
His Rank 4 passive ability is “Tactical Lead”. When an ally drops below 50% Health, Scott increases their Armor by 50% for 10 seconds. Can only occur once per ally.
gameplay
For one of the most important people in Ghost Recon, Scott Mitchel’s combat characteristics are pretty average at best. His offensive capabilities and damage potential are moderate since he uses SMG which is a weapon with the lowest damage output. His active ability is almost useless because it lasts only 2 seconds but at least it instantly reloads the weapons of all allies. His true potential can only be seen when he is developed at Rank 4 and only then he starts to influence the outcome of the battle. On Rank 4 he significantly increases the Armor of all allies whose Health drops below 50% allowing them to survive heavy bursts of enemy fire of “Focus Fire” Orders. Unfortunately, Scott Mitchel will die as soon as someone uses a strong offensive ability against him or when more than 1 enemy focuses their fire on him. The only reason why he is not placed in the lowest Tier is his synergy with Dutiful Soldiers and that he may be needed for a full Dutiful team (75% Cooldown Reduction which is overpowered in every way). Ghosts: Mitchel Squad does not have another Dutiful Soldier and assembling this team will not lead to great results because John Kozak, Alex Nolan, and Scott Mitchell are below average Soldiers.
Scott Mitchell’s intel can be farmed in Campaign rewards, Faction War (Ghost Recon) Event, and in Underworld 06-N mission. Also, his intel can be obtained by opening Advanced or Basic O.R.B.s.
Montagne
Montagne is a rank 3 Guardian form the R5:Blue Squad Faction. He has an Enduring trait.
biography
Following the resurrection of the Rainbow Program, Gilles Toure was recruited from GIGN as a point man for the team. Tough as nails and fiercely protective of his teammates, he quickly gained the respect and admiration of those who served alongside him. Now, amidst a wave of global terror attacks on an unprecedented scale, Toure has been seconded to [Classified] as the leader of a team of representatives from Rainbow. He has his work cut out for him, as not all of his team are happy to be aligning themselves with known criminals. Luckily, the team has every faith in him to keep this operation on track. Tuore call sign, Montagne, translated to Mountain, and like Everest, these villains may want to think twice before trying to walk all over him.
Weapon and skills
Montagne uses Pistols: GSH-18, M1911, P45t, and Wild Boar.
His Rank 1 ability is “Le Roc”. Montagne fully deploys a Shield known as “La Roc” and Taunts the 2 closest enemies for 5 seconds. While Le Roc is deployed. Montagne reduces incoming damage by 85%.
His Rank 4 passive ability is “Heavy”. For every 25% Health missing, Montagne receives +100% Armor.
gameplay
Montagne is one of the Soldiers who are recruited at a game start and as a soldier with the highest rarity available to all new players he will be the rock around which the majority of new players will assemble their initial teams. Montagne has only 1 purpose and that is to endure as long as possible. His damage potential almost doesn’t exist and he Taunts only the closest enemies meaning that he will most often draw the fire only from enemy Guardians or Enforcers which is not very helpful if you need protection against breaches into your backline. On Rank 4 he becomes almost unkillable with an Armor increased by 300% when he drops below 25%. However, that doesn’t help a lot when he remains alone on the battlefield. Without any offensive capabilities whatsoever, Montagne is practically useless in the late game but since he is the member of the utterly overpowered R6: Blue Squad team and since he will be the main tank during the entire early game process, I couldn’t place him in the lowest Tier. All in all, Montagne will be the most valuable Soldier at the beginning but as the game progresses his value will gradually diminish until you find needless to use someone who can’t contribute to overall damage output at all.
Montagne’s intel can be farmed in UMBRA 06-N and Close Quarters 05-N missions. It can also be purchased at Vendor via the “Elite Allies” bundle or can be obtained by opening Advanced and Basic O.R.B.s.
Carson Moss
Carson Moss is a Rank 2 Guardian from the John Brown’s Army Faction. He has a Resourceful Trait.
biography
A former Mercenary, Carson Moss, washed out of Displace, Intl. for excessive brutality. He wound up as the head of security for John Brown’s Army and Emile Dufraisne’s right-hand man. A relentless bully, he trusts no one except Dufraisne, and even there he has limits. Moss is filled with explosive rage and he doesn’t really care who he takes it out on. He’s happy to work with anyone so long as he gets to dish out some pain. The [Classified] mission couldn’t mean less to him as long as he’s given the freedom to hurt someone. This week, it’s UMBRA. Next week, who knows?
Weapon and skills
Carson Moss uses Shotguns: 720, Ita12L, SASG 12, and SPAS-15.
His Rank 1 ability is “Clear the Path”. Carson loads a Flash Bang Shell and fires at the current target. The flash Blinds any enemies in a large cone for 3 seconds and causes damage equal to 50% Ability Power.
His Rank 4 passive ability is ”CQC Expert”. Carson Moss permanently receives 25% less damage from close range weapons (Pistols and Shotguns).
gameplay
Carson Moss has decent defensive capabilities but unlike some other Guardians, he can actually cause some damage with his Active ability. That damage is not great but it is still damage and can contribute to the overall team damage output which is very good for a Guardian. His active ability also Blinds enemies caught in the explosion significantly reducing the threat from those opponents for 3 seconds. On rank 4. Carson Moss becomes resistant to Pistol and Shotgun fire which can be very useful in some (rare) situations. Carson Moss’ weapon damage potential is very low despite the fact that he is using Shotguns. If he could use his active ability more often he would be much more useful but since it has a cooldown of 35 seconds, Carson must be under fire all the time to be effective. Since he is not as tough as some other Guardians and does not have any protection what so ever he will often die before he can influence the outcome of the battle. It is highly unlikely that Carson will be used as a Tank for full Resourceful buff and since assembling JBA Faction Perk will be no one’s priority. Carson Moss can only rely on his good looks to be picked in a team. Sadly, good looks can grant him only the lowest Tier on our List.
Carson Moss’ intel can be obtained by opening Territory War, Advanced or Basic O.R.B.s.
Alex Nolan
Alex Nolan is a Rank 1 Support Soldier from the Ghosts: Mitchell Squad Faction. He has a Caring Trait.
biography
If the Ghosts had a kid brother, it would be a Nolan. Liked by everyone in the unit, Nolan is brave, determined, and something of a thrill-seeker. The last continually gets him into trouble but it’s also what makes him an excellent fit for the Ghosts. Nolan was the first Ghost to volunteer for [Classified]/ The chance to take on the Engineers in new battlegrounds appealed to his sense of duty. As for the potential to be working alongside some of those he’d rather be fighting, Nolan puts the mission first – but keeps an eye out, just in case.
Weapon and skills
Alex Nolan uses SMGs: SPSMg9, Skorpion Vz.61, Commando 9, and Aug A3 Para XS.
His Rank 1 ability is “Backup”. Nolan administers a Med injection to the soldier with the lowest Health, healing them for 70% Ability Power and granting +200% Armor and +20% Weapon Damage for 5 seconds.
His Rank 4 passive ability is “Safeguard”. When an ally is preparing an Active Ability, Nolan grants them Shield equal to 15% Ability Power.
gameplay
Alex Nolan is a Medic whose healing is the lowest in the game and whose damage output is so low that he practically does not influence the combat at all. Unlike other Medics, Alex Nolan is also extremely squishy and will die after just a few rounds fired at him. Luckily Alex has other qualities that are useful and that prevent him from being placed in the lowest Tier. First of all, when he heals an ally he increases their Weapon Damage and grants an enormous increase in Armor which allows them to live and punish enemies for 5 seconds. Nolan’s active ability has a cooldown of 25 seconds which means that he can use it more often than most of the other Medics (except Doc). On Rank 4 Nolan grants a useful Shield to all allies who are preparing an active ability. This is crucial for some Soldiers who are especially vulnerable while preparing ability such as Megan. Upon a recent update, his Trait is changed to Caring so he can now be combined with another Caring Soldier which will allow him to heal his allies significantly better. He is also a part of decent Ghosts: Mitchel Squad synergy which can be assembled relatively easily since all its members can be farmed constantly. As someone who can be farmed from the start of the game, he will be used as a main healer by some free-to-play players, but even they will replace him as soon as Juana Pedreil becomes available for them. Nevertheless, despite his extremely low combat capabilities, Alex Nolan has virtues that separate him from Soldiers who belong in the lowest Tier of Elite Squad Tier List, so he is not placed there.
Alex Nolan’s intel can be farmed in Faction Wars (Ghost Recon) Event, UMBRA 04-N, and Close Quarters 06-G missions. His intel can also be obtained by opening Advanced and Basic O.R.B.s.
El Maktoub Nomad
El Maktoub Nomad is a Rank 3 Technician form the R6:Green Squad Faction. She has a Caring Trait.
biography
Brought up in a wealthy Maroccan family, Sanaa traveled considerably at a young age, visiting Europe and North Africa, and dreaming about braving remote regions. She enlisted in the military at 19 and later joined the Groupe d’Intervention de la Gendarmerie Royale (GIGR) after graduating from Flintlock exercises and joint missions with Trans-Saharan Counterterrorism Initiative partners. She became her unit’s expert on environmental operations. Between tours, she undertakes solo expeditions. El Maktoub is among the few explorers who can cross the Sahara, climb up the Laps, trek through Asia’s rainforests, march along the Arctic Circle… and still return to her unit in operational shape. Rain or shine, desert or polar climates, she can walk through it all. Perceptive and resourceful, she’s an expert survivalist who sketches out her trips in her notebook. She is constantly on the move, thus her codename, “Nomad”.
Weapon and skills
El Maktoub uses Pistols: PM, M1911, G200, and Bailiff 410.
Her Rank 1 ability is “Airjab Launcher”. El Maktoub fires an Airjab at the current target’s location. After 2,5 seconds the Airjab detonates in a narrow radius. The explosion stuns any enemy hit for 0 seconds and damages for 25% Ability Power.
Her Rank 4 passive ability is “Unmatched Endurance”. When an enemy receives a Control effect, increase their damage taken by 15% for 5 seconds and they cause 25% less Ability Damage.
gameplay
El Maktoub aka Nomad is a technician who is not capable of fighting, to be honest. As a Technician with Pistols, her damage potential is extremely low while her active ability causes minimal damage in a narrow radius meaning that it will most likely hit only 1 enemy for a miserable amount of damage. Her survivability is also not very great but it’s not worst since she can endure a few hits. On Rank 4, her active ability becomes somewhat more potent because it will slightly increase affected enemy damage-received and it will decrease their Ability potential. However, the duration of her Stun with Active Ability is what makes her special and makes her the first choice for many players in the Arena. Having that in mind, the introduction of Squad Perks obviously only improved her. She is now in the same squad with Echo meaning that their already existing synergy (both can stun) is significantly improved and since they now cause increased damage to controlled targets, their minimal weapon potential is not any more minimal, on the contrary. More importantly, she has now a Caring trait which means that she can be used as a second Caring soldier for increasing the healing of Medics like Juana Pedriel, Winston Banks, Alex Nolan, Enrica Villablanca, or El Cardenal which can be essential in both PVP and PVE. On top of all that, she can even improve Doc’s healing by teaming with Zofia which opens a possibility to assemble an amazing META team made of Doc, Dokkaebi, Echo, Zofia, and Elmaktoub Nomad (2 Dutiful, 2 Caring,3 R6 Green, 2 R6 Blue). She is very close to being considered as a Top Tier Soldier.
El Maktoub’s intel can be obtained by opening Territory War, Advanced or Basic O.R.B.s.
Nomad
Nomad is a Rank 5 Enforcer from the Ghosts: NOmad Squad Faction. He has a Resourceful Trait.
biography
Lieutenant Colonel Anthony “Tony” Perryman, aka Nomad, is an accomplished and revered Ghost team leader. Calm under even the greatest pressure, he is the one making the important decisions in the heat of battle when things get tough. Trained to leverage the expertise of each member of his squad for success, he does not understand the meaning of the word “failure”. Which is exactly the kind of attitude Elite Squad needs if they are to succeed in their mission to eliminate the rising UMBRA threat.
Battle-weary from his previous two-year operation in Bolivia, Nomad still has the fire in him to complete one last mission. But how long will that fire remain under control when he finds out he’s about to be working alongside members if the oppressive and murderous cartel he has just brought to justice?
Weapon and skills
Nomad uses LMGs: M60, LMG-e, M249 Saw, and LMG A1.
His Rank 1 ability is “Sync Shot”. Nomad marks the 3 lowest Health enemies and fire synchronized shots causing damage equal to 150% Ability Power and purging all positive effects. If any of the targets are below 35% Health they killed instantly.
His Rank 4 passive ability is ”Thermal Vision” Nomad immediately targets any enemy that enters Stealth increasing his Accuracy to 100% for 5 seconds.
gameplay
Nomad is one of the best and the most deadly Soldiers in the game, if not the best and the most deadly. His active ability literally cripples enemy Ranks, being able to instantly eliminate 3 enemies if their Health is below 35%, If it is not they will suffer heavy damage and be near-dead ready to be eliminated by the rest of the team. At the top of that his active ability has only 27 seconds cooldown which means that it can be used multiple times during the battle. Rank 4 passive ability allows Nomad to punish anyone who tries to escape him in Stealth, preventing any enemy strategy that involves Stealth. Most importantly Nomad’s Weapon Damage potential is at maximum while his survivability is second only to full-protection Guardians like Montagne or El-Sueno. Nomad is overpowered in every way and recruiting him will mean only 1 thing – you will be able to dominate all PVE and PVP missions without problems. Because of all this, recruiting Nomad will be one of the hardest tasks in-game. With the introduction of Squad Perks, Nomad’s importance hasn’t changed. He now has a resourceful Trait which allows him to be combined with a handful of Soldiers for gaining unlimited Critical hits and as a leader of Nomad Squad, which has the most of available Soldiers, the possibilities of making a super strong team are literally unlimited. Before Soldier Perks, there were 2 OP characters in the game – Sam Fisher and Nomad. Now it’s only Nomad.
Nomad’s intel currently can be gained only in Legendary Event “Ghosts in Hell”. You will need Twitch, Rook, Scarecrow, Charles Bliss, James Dorsman, Ning Wang and Winston Banks fully leveled and developed to start farming Nomad’s intel.
Alexei Noskov
Alexei Noskov is a Rank 2 Pointman from the Spetsnaz Guard Brigade. He has a Composed Trait.
biography
A promising young soldier, Alexei Noskov was one of the Spetsnaz Guard Brigade’s best and brightest. But his career took a turn during the Second Chechen War when an insurgent’s grenade cost him his leg. No longer eligible for active combat, Noskov was reassigned to clerical duty. Refusing to let his slow him down, Noskov vowed to one-day return to the battlefield. In his new position, he excelled at planning and directing operations remotely. A keen analyst, he can instantly spot an enemy’s weakness and exploit it. But despite his successes away from combat, he still longed to be back in the fray. Now Noskov is about to get his wish. Cleared for active duty as part of the SGB contingent sent to fight against UMBRA, Alexei Noskov will finally get to prove to everyone that he is still every bit the elite soldier everyone thought he could be.
Weapon and skills
Alexei Noskov uses Assault Rifles: AK-47, AKS-74u, American AK, and SR-3m.
His Rank 1 ability is “Analyze Weaknesses”. Alexei increases the Armor of any ally currently being targeted by 90% per enemy targeting them for 7 seconds.
His Rank 4 passive ability is “Rising Temper”. Fills own Ability Bar by 50% every time an ally goes below 50% Health or Taunts. When triggered by low health, it also Shields the ally for 30% Ability Power
gameplay
Alexei Noskov may seem like another Spetsnaz Soldier whose in-game value is considerably lower than other soldiers but in fact, Alexei Noskov can be very useful. His active ability that increases Armor to all targeted allies maybe is not effective in quick battles such as Arena but in PVE where you will face multiple waves of enemies, it can be crucial for clearing the mission with 3 stars. On Rank 4, his influence on the team’s survivability is further increased since he will speed up charging of his ability every time an ally is seriously injured. After the recent update Alexei’s Rank 4 ability is reworked and now affects allies who Taunt and grants Shield to allies whose HP drops below 50%. His Trait is changed to Caring allowing him to be combined with various Caring healers as an ideal supplement for Caring buff. on top of that, Spetsnaz Perk is totally overpowered, and having 2 Spetsnaz Soldiers is always a good thing in vide variety of synergy combinations. In short, Alexei Noskov has decent fighting capabilities himself while his combined survivability and damage potential is quite good which makes him an ideal solution whenever you need Caring or Spetsnaz Soldier. He may not belong to the group of the most useful soldiers but having him maximized and prepared to jump into Caring or Spetsnaz synergy is definitely a smart decision.
Alexei Noskov’s intel can be farmed in Faction War (Spetsnaz) Event. His intel can also be gained by opening AR Rivals (limited time), Arena, Advanced or Basic O.R.B.s
THEO PARNELL
Theo Parnell is a Rank 4 Support Soldier from the Rogue Agents Faction. He has a DutifulTrait.
biography
Theo Parnell is a brilliant and analytical thinker who achieves his victories through a unique mix of deep technical skills, expertise in drone warfare, and his inclination towards “creative” problem-solving. A former Navy RPA pilot turned SHD agent, he was initially lost with many of the Green Poison pandemic’s First Wave and was assumed to have turned rogue because of his previous association with Aaron Keener.
Despite his mistrust of authority, Parnell accepted Elite Squad’s offer quickly. Ultimately, he prefers a clear moral path to the hard realities of life as a rogue agent.
Weapon and skills
Theo Parnell uses Sniper Rifles: R8, Vsk-94, SRS, and M1A.
Her Rank 1 ability is “Hologram Decoy”. Theo deploys an invincible hologram decoy that taunts the 3 furthest enemies for 3 seconds plus 0.1% Ability Power converted in seconds after it destroys itself.
Her Rank 4 passive ability is “Striker Drone”. At the start of the battle, Theo deploys a striker Drone. The Drone attaches to the ally with the highest Weapon Power and fires on the same target as them, assisting them by causing Ability Damage equal to 10% of the assisted Ally’s Weapon Power and 10% of Theo’s Ability Power with each shot. If the assisted ally dies, the drone moves to a new ally. If Parnell dies, the drone is destroyed.
gameplay
Theo Parnell is not ordinary Support. As the only Support who uses Sniper Rifle, he is capable of causing serious Weapon damage which combined with the extra damage from his Rank 4 passive ability significantly increases the overall damage of every team. To be fully effective he must be combined with someone who has really high Weapon Damage and the difference will be seen immediately. However, his passive ability is not what makes him special – his active ability is what divides him from other Support soldiers. He cannot heal that is true, but his ability to taunt 3 furthest enemies (enemy damage dealers most likely) for 3 seconds + 0.1% of his ABility Power second/s ( if he has 4000 Ability power that is 4 seconds) can be so useful that it exceeds any possible healing in my opinion. Regardless of his extremely powerful Active Ability, I cannot say that Theo is very versatile since he fits in basically only two teams – full Rogue Agents team and full Dutiful team. If he is combined with other Rogue Agents he will be the main protector (along with James Dragov) of insanely strong synergy that cannot be matched by any other in my opinion (we will see since it is still a theory craft). For reaching full potential in other custom teams, he needs a full Dutiful buff so his active ability is used all the time. In my opinion, there is the only way to assemble a full Dutiful team with Theo – to combine him with Doc, Dokkaebi, Fixit, and Richard Kinglsey. He could be combined with Ironclaw as the main Supporter instead of Doc for various other Spetsnaz combinations but I think all those possible teams will not be good as full Dutiful synergy. All in all, Theo Parnell is an unorthodox Support who will definitely bring changes to the existing game balance but who is still not good enough to be compared with the best Soldiers in-game
Theo Parnell’s Intel currently cannot be farmed.
Juana Pedriel
Juana Pedriel is a Rank2 Support Soldier from the Kataris 26 Faction. She has a CaringTrait.
biography
With quinoa going from ‘chicken scratch’ to superfood Juana thought she was set for life with the small farm inherited from her father. However, as agribusiness took over and boom turned to bust in the Andes she lost everything, and rather than growing coca leaf for the cartels she turned to the rebels for succor. The Katari took her in and trained her in the art of guerrilla warfare and she discovered a singular aptitude for the work. Singled out by Nomad and recommended by the CIA as a useful operative; endlessly resourceful, discreet, and street smart, she would make a good spy material were it not for her ready tendency to resort to violence.
Weapon and skills
Juana Pedriel uses SMGs: SPSMg9, Bz19, M12, and Helical SMG.
Her Rank 1 ability is “Heroes Call”. Juana heals for 150% Ability Power spread equally amongst all allies..
Her Rank 4 passive ability is “Pre-packed Supplies”. When an ally Health drops below 50%, Juana grants them healing equal to 110% Ability Power over 5 seconds (Once per ally) and have all incoming Healing permanently increased by 25%.
gameplay
After the rework, Juana became a Top Tier Soldier! Her ability now heals all allies equally and the power of that healing is the highest of all other Medics. On Rank 4 Juana increases the overall sustenance of the entire team by granting potent single Heal to every ally once per battle when their Health drops below 50% and more importantly overall healing from all sources is increased permanently by 25% (this increase is stackable and affects the Healing Order as well). This can be useful in all game segments but it is extremely effective in PVE missions for achieving 3 stars. Unlike Doc, Juana has a Caring trait which allows her to increase her healing even further if she is combined with another Caring Soldier. Possible combinations are limitless but in my opinion, the best partner for her is Zofia because she has synergy with her and Doc which allows you to combine Doc and Juana together making your team literally immortal. You may think that Juana and Doc together seriously decreases the damage potential of any team but with new Soldier Perks, you will not need more than 3 damage dealers if the combination is right. If Juana is combined with another Kataris Soldier they will harass enemies with constant DOTs (damage over time) during the battle but to be honest Kataris Perk is one of the weakest Perks in-game especially if there are less than 5 Kataris Soldiers. However, combining Juana with another Kataris Soldier and assembling a team from there is extremely easy especially since Ricardo Diaz has a Dutiful Trait while Jimena Martins has an intimidating trait allowing you to combine Caring/Intimidating or Caring/Dutiful combos. Juana’s damage potential is minimal but it exists unlike with some other SMG users. Her survivability is quite good and she can survive several hits before dying. All this along with Juana versatility makes her a Top Tier material without a doubt.
Juana Pedriel’s Intel can be farmed in Faction War (Kataris 26) Event or can be obtained by opening Arena, Advanced and Basic O.R.B.s.
Jeremy Prentiss
Jeremy Prentiss is a Rank 2 Striker from the Black Arrow Faction. He has an Intimidating Trait.
biography
A perfectionist and a bully, Jeremy Prentiss demands nothing but the best from those who serve under him. The ranking officer in the field of any Black Arrow operation, Prentiss rules over the shady PMC with ruthless efficiency. Few dare question Prentiss’ brutish and heavy-handed methods, and those who have… well, none survived to tell the tale. A serious type-A personality, driven by ego, Prentiss can’t handle not being in complete control of a situation. This is why he despises Tom Reed, who despite being ‘officially’ dead, still keeps a hand in the running of Black Arrow, much to the chagrin of Prentiss. Elite Squad is Prentiss’s opportunity to step out from the shadow of Tom Reed and show the world how good he really is. And if something were to happen to Reed in the field… well, that wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world.
Weapon and skills
Jeremy Prentiss uses SMGs: SMG-10, Skorpion Vz.61, UMP 45, and T-5 SMG.
His Rank 1 ability is “Take Hostage”. Jeremy chooses a target to take hostage. The hostage Bleeds for 80% Ability Damage for 6 seconds. Every time the Bleed damages them, it Purges any Positive Effect from them. If the target is below 20% Health they are executed instantly.
His Rank 4 passive ability is “Threaten”. When Jeremy switching targets, threatens the and Purges any Positive Effects.
gameplay
Jeremy Prentiss is the only Striker besides Caveira who uses SMGs but unlike her, he doesn’t have the very potent active ability. Using SMGs usually means that the damage potential is significantly lower and that Soldier relies on speed and active ability. The active ability of Jeremy Prentiss causes moderate damage over 6 seconds and it is not very powerful. It can indeed eliminate the target instantly if their Health is below 20% but that doesn’t justify heavy investing in him. When we know that Strikers are extremely squishy and that their main virtue is powerful weapon damage output we conclude that Prentiss does not have any virtues to rely on. After the Update, Jeremy gained a new Intimidating Trait which should make him more useful but I doubt that anyone will use him for gaining 3-Man or 5-Man Intimidating buff. Being a Black Arrow Soldier does not help him at all since only Richard Kingsley and Sawn Robertson can be successfully used in other synergies but neither of them does not require Jeremy as help. After all, having Combat Orders ready after a kill is less useful than almost any other 2-Man Perk. Because of all that, I must place Jeremy in the lowest tier of the Elite Squad Tier List.
Jeremy Prentiss’ intel can be farmed in Faction War (Black Arrow) Event, Allies 02-G, and Underworld 06-G missions. It can also be obtained by opening Advanced and Basic O.R.B.s
Redfang
Redfang is a Rank 2 Striker from the Spetsnaz Guard Brigade Faction. She has Enduring Trait.
biography
Samara Morozova was born into a family with a long and storied military background – her father was a former general, her mother an elite sharpshooter, and her grandmother before her one of the original soviet female snipers of WWII – it was inevitable that she would follow a similar path into the forces. Samara’s ascension through the ranks of the Spetsnaz Guard Brigade was rapid and her natural skills as a sniper unparalleled. However, despite her achievements, she could never escape the shadow of her family’s reputation. Still fiercely proud of her ancestry, Samara longed to carve her own path – to be her own person.
Weapon and skills
Redfang uses Sniper Rifles: R8, VSK-94, SRS, and M1A.
Her Rank 1 ability is “Snipe”. Redfang targets the furthest enemy and fires a shot causing 90% Ability Damage. If the target is behind cover increases the damage by 20%.
Her Rank 2 ability is “Feared”. Redfang’s current target has their Tenacity reduced by 90%.
On Rank 6 Redfang’s Weapon Damage is increased by 5% as long as she is in the same team with an Enduring ally.
gameplay
Redfang is a simple forward Sniper whose only purpose is to quickly eliminate the most dangerous enemies. She is very similar to Alicia Diaz but unlike her, she can’t use the active ability as often as Alicia (20 seconds cooldown) and Redfang’s Rank 4 passive ability is slightly less powerful. However, after rework Redfang’s Rank 4 ability is greatly improved and now she is definitely more deadly than Alicia. On Rank 4, Redfang’s ability to damage her targets is immensely increased since she now reduces their Armor and Ability Resistance by 90% which is incredible. Redfang’s weapon damage is excellent but she is extremely squishy and will die almost instantly if she is not well protected by gear, allies, or by Strategic Orders. The amount of damage Redfang is capable to constantly deliver within one minute cannot be matched by one other Soldier except maybe Sam Fisher in the right circumstances. Having Spetsnaz Perk is a MUST for Redfang and she definitely needs another Spetsnaz Soldier to be fully useful. With Spetsnaz Perk she will instantly kill almost any non-Defender target with a single use of her ability. Enduring Trait allows her to be combined with a variety of other Enduring soldiers such as Sam Fisher but it doesn’t help her much if she under fire because if she is too long exposed she will die regardless of increased damage reduction. Having a Spetsnaz Perk on your team is always a good thing and since Redfang is the best Spetsnaz Soldier after Ironclaw (my opinion) you will use her a lot. All those fact and the fact that she can be farmed easily forced me to put her in the 2nd Tier of our Tier List.
Redfang’s intel can be farmed in Faction War (Spetsnaz) Event, Allies 04-N, and Close Quarters 01-N missions. It can also be obtained by opening Advanced or Basic O.R.B.s.
Tom Reed
Tom Reed is a Rank 3 Support Soldier from the Black Arrow Faction. He has a Resourceful Trait.
biography
Living off the radar, Reed has been keeping a hand in the running of his own private military company, Black Arrow. A brilliant strategist, always two steps ahead of his enemies, Reed has used his cunning and guile to position Black Arrow as one of the world’s most elite forces. Now, with Black Arrow joining the Elite Squad initiative, along with the promise of a Presidential pardon to all members for any previous wrongdoings, Reed is ready to step out from the shadows – but will he be an asset to the squad ot a distraction? And given his past, can he be trusted.
Weapon and skills
Tom Reed uses Pistols: GSH-18, Mk1 9mm, G2000, and Maxim 9.
His rank 1 ability is “Tech Warfare”. Tom selects a random ally and adds a 70% Ability Charge. If the ability is triggered all allies receive +15% Damage Reduction for the next 5 seconds.
His Rank 4 passive ability is “Cyber Security”. If an ally is Silenced, apply Shield to that ally equal to 100% Ability Power.
gameplay
Tom Reed may seem a useless Soldier to new players but in reality, his support can be more useful than any existing healing. Being able to instantly speed up the active ability of an ally makes him an ideal choice for the teams made of soldiers who relies on powerful abilities. The cooldown of his Active ability is 30 seconds which means that he will most likely use it after his allies already used their abilities for the first time and that he will practically allow some of them to use the ability two times in a row. When this combined with Recharge Order, certain Soldiers can use their powerful active ability 3 times in a row, devastating the enemy ranks completely. On Rank 4, Tom gains the ability to counter EMP Order granting a huge Shield to anyone who is silenced. This can be especially effective in the Arena. It is important to say that Tom Reed also increases the sustenance of the entire team if his ability trigger other ability instantly, granting 15% Damage Reduction to all allies. Tom Reed’s damage output is not great but he can endure a lot, almost as some Guardians. However, after the introduction of Squad Perks Tom Reed’s importance greatly diminished because now Ability cooldown can be reduced more easily and his Faction Perk does not offer him anything useful, on contrary (5-Man Black Arrow Perk silences the enemy for the entire battle and since Tom prevents Silence it means that he is useful only against another Black Arrow team which is illogical at best). Also, it is highly unlikely that you will pick Tom for a supplement for Caring buff so he doesn’t benefit from that Per either. Tom Reed is definitely an interesting Soldier who allows you to use some new unorthodox strategies but sadly, I do not think that many players will use him until Black Arrow Faction gets improved like Ubisoft improved Kataris 26 Faction in the latest update.
Tom Reed’s intel can be farmed in Faction War (Black Arrow) Event and via login rewards. Also, it can be obtained by opening Arena, Advanced or Basic O.R.B.s.
Ringo
Ringo is a Rank 1 Enforcer from the H.A.W.X. Squadron Faction. He has an Intimidating Trait.
biography
Reclusive aerospace engineer and fighter pilot, First Lieutenant Takashi “Tak” Sakai is responsible for the H.A.W.X. squadron’s experimental division. A natural problem solver and an adept at both aerial and ground combat techniques, Sakai has an ice-cold view of modern-day warfare, believing that enemy insurgents are nothing more than a technical glitch he can fix with the right tools. Tipped off by a memo leak, Elite Squad learned about Sakai’s zero-gravity weapon prototype, designed to “rain precision fire from the heavens. Concerned about Sakai turning rogue-scientist, they’ve requested his immediate transfer to the team. Sakai doesn’t mind joining Elite Squad as long as he’s left alone to finish his work. He has also theorized that he can find a solution to the world’s UMBRA problem, which is exactly what Max Claymore is counting on.
Weapon and skills
Ringo uses Pistols: GSH-18, Mk19mm, P45t, and 45t.
His Rank 1 ability is “Targeting Ping”. Ringo pings all enemies reducing their Resistance by 80% for 10 seconds. The 3 lowest health enemies have 80% Ability Charge removed.
His Rank 4 passive ability is “Focused Anger”. Ringo removes 70% of the target’s Ability Charge every 5 seconds.
gameplay
Ringo is an Enforcer who is extremely useful in Arena and some PVE missions where you need to neutralize an enemy with a powerful ability. His active ability reduces the resistance of all enemies making them more vulnerable to allied abilities but most importantly it practically prevents the 3 lowest health enemy (their Ability Charge percent is the highest) from using abilities. In combination with EMP Order, Ringo can (in hands of a skillful player) make those enemies can’t use abilities at all. On Rank 4, Ringo literally locks down his target and stops their Ability Charge. Ringo’s survivability is decent but is lower compared to other Enforcers. His damage output is somewhat increased but it is still too low to be considered important for the battle outcome. Full HAWX Perk buff is really overpowered according to the description ( I haven’t tested it against META teams) and Ringo will be needed for assembling it. Intimidating Perk allows him to be combined with other Intimidating Soldiers forming a formidable Intimidating trait that proved to be extremely efficient in PVP. Ringo is a pure PVP Soldier who totally disrupts the plans of an enemy team. There are indeed better Enforcers out there, but Ringo’s potential is unique because only Ironclaw can defend her team against enemy abilities better than him.
Ringo’s intel can be farmed in Faction War (H.A.W.X.) Event and in Underworld 01-G mission.
Shawn Robertson
Shawn Robertson is a Rank 2 Enforcer from the Black Arrow Faction. He has Enduring Trait.
biography
Loud, boisterous, and extremely aggressive, Major Shawn Robertson is not known for his stealth and tact on the battlefield. But when you’ve got the skills and physical prowess to overcome any situation head-on, then there’s no sense in being quiet about these things. As second in command at Black Arrow and Jeremy Prentis’ right-hand man, Robertson is afforded unlimited agency to lead missions anyway he sees fit. His brash go-big-or-go-home approach to missions both inspires and intimidates his subordinates – the perfect mix of emotions to garner results in the heat of battle. Often described as having a death wish, Robertson’s devil-may-care attitude to missions does little to disprove the theory. Robertson relishes the challenge of going up against UMBRA. To him, this is a once in a lifetime mission – one that he may not make it back from.
Weapon and skills
Shawn Robertson uses Shotguns: RMB-93, Tactical Shotgun, SASG 12, and TCSG12.
His Rank 1 ability is “Thriving in Chaos”. Shawn randomly applies -100%, -80%, or -60% Armor to all enemies for 5 seconds.
His Rank 4 passive ability is “Unforgiving”. If an enemy prepares a Healing ability, Shawn reduces incoming Healing Receive on the lowest health enemy by 80% for 5 seconds.
gameplay
Shawn Robertson is an Enforcer whose Physical abilities are almost at maximum. His Weapon damage potential and survivability are extremely high and he would be deadly even without abilities. However, with abilities, he becomes a fierce adversary to anyone who opposes him. With Active ability, he increases the damage received of the entire enemy team by randomly reducing their Armor from 60% to 100%. With a little luck after triggering Shawn’s ability, enemies will be so vulnerable that they will be eliminated within seconds. On Rank 4, he literally disables the healing potential of enemy Medics which is crucial for some PVE missions but is also extremely important in PVP especially since Doc and Juana are significantly buffed with the introduction of Squad Perks. As an Enduring Soldier, Shawn Robertson is an ideal supplement for Sam Fisher or Redfang. Unfortunately, the only Black Arrow Soldier who has some qualities is Richard Kingsley and it is extremely hard to combine these two powerful Soldiers for acquiring Black Arrow Perk that can be very useful in all segments of the game for all players who relies on Orders (Sam Fisher, Shawn Robertson, Fixit, Doc, and Richard Kingsley forms an amazing synergy though). Shawn Robertson may not be a Top Tier Soldier but his ability to prevent the enemy’s healing will be welcomed by anyone who wants to neutralize Doc and Juana in PVP.
Shawn Robertson’s intel can be farmed in Faction War (Black Arrow) Event, Allies 05-G, and Close Quarters 04-N missions. His intel can also be obtained by opening Advanced or Basic O.R.B.s.
Rook
Rook is a Rank 1 Guardian from the R^:Green Squad Faction. He has a Resourceful Trait.
biography
Julien NIzan is a natural-born athlete and expert marksman, with unmatched defensive ability. Starting his career as an architect, he trained for the French Republican Guard and was recruited into the GIGN before joining Rainbow Six. NIzan is passionate about defending others. He doesn’t mind getting shot if he’s properly prepared. Nizan never leaves for a mission without his highly flexible body armor – and especially if it’s in the service of defending another operator. He’s a constant optimist who believes that you should set life goals and adapt to any challenge. Nizan’s ability to back up his positivity with precision performance tends to energize his fellow operators, which makes him an ideal Specialist for Elite Squad.
Weapon and skills
Rook uses SMGs: SMG-10, Skorpion Vz.61, 9X19VSN, and P90.
His Rank 1 ability is “Impact Grenade”. Rook throws an impact grenade to the closest target causing 65% Ability Damage and stunning all enemies who are focusing on Rook and who are caught in the explosion. The others are Taunted.
His Rank 4 passive ability is “Rhino-Armor Pack”. At the beginning of each battle, Rook grants 40% Gun Damage Reduction, 40% SMG Damage Reduction and 40% Shotgun Damage Reduction to all allies. This bonus will be removed when an ally’s Health drops below 30%. When an ally loses the Rhino bonus they will get a 40% Ability Charge.
gameplay
Despite being a low rarity Rank 1 Guardian, Rook has all characteristics to be considered as extremely useful Soldier in every situation. His survivability is very high and he can endure a lot before dying. His active ability redirects enemy fire to himself and at the same time causes damage and stuns enemies who are targeting Rook. Unfortunately, Rook’s weapon damage potential almost doesn’t exist but, to be honest, that is the problem with almost all other Guardians. Rook’s full potential is reached when he is developed on Rank 4. Then he significantly increases the sustenance of the entire team by making them partially resistant to all Gun, SMG, and Shotgun incoming damage. This bonus is very important and makes Rook extremely desirable for situations when you need to face enemies with the mentioned weapons. Rook reaches his full potential when he is combined with other R6: Green Squad members for acquiring powerful R6: Green Squad buff. In that team, 3 members can stun (Rook, Almaktoub Nomad, and Echo), Doakkebi controls the target with her active ability while Ash’s offensive abilities are ideal for exploiting the buff that doubles damage against controlled targets. On top of that, when those 5 are together, all those controlling effects last twice as long. It is hard to describe in words the true power of full R6:Green Squad Perk, so I suggest that you test it yourself. As a Resourceful Guardian, Rook can be used a defending supplement for obtaining increased Critical chance but I doubt that he will be used for that purpose instead of Coda who is fully maximized in every squad. Rook can be easily recruited if you cleared Underworld 05-G mission but until he reaches Rank 4 his usefulness will be limited and for that, you will have to farm him every day for at least 50 days. Keep in mind that Rook is needed for unlocking Nomad, so farming him should be a priority even you don’t want to assemble all R6: Green Squad.
Rook’s intel can be farmed in Underworld 05-G mission or can be purchased at Vendor for Raid points. It can also be obtained by opening “Ghosts in Hell” (limited time) O.R.B.
Ryan
Ryan is a Rank 1 Pointman from the Division Faction. He has a Caring Trait.
biography
Ryan is a perfectionist. IF a job’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right, and that includes tackling UMBRA. He hews to the straight and narrow and plays by the rules, That’s true even in the wildest of situations; Ryan always has a guideline to look to and follow. Other Agents joke about Ryan’s demeanor it an affectionate way, as he is highly regarded among those who responded to the call. In the field, however, there’s no joking, as Ryan’s courage under fire is well known. He’s a natural leader, cool under fire, and willing to sacrifice to get the mission done.
Weapon and skills
Ryan uses Assault Rifles: M16A3, M4 Carbine, G36, and Scorpion EVO 3.
His Rank 1 ability is “Seeker Mine”. Ryan releases a seeker mine to track down the current target and detonates at arrival. The explosion damages and Pulses all enemies in a medium radius for 80% Ability Power. Allies targeting a Pulsed enemy receive +35% Weapon Damage for 5 seconds.
His Rank 4 passive ability is “Last Stand”. At 50% Health, Ryan moves to cover, forcing any enemies targeting him to Retarget. While under 50% Health, Ryan’s weapon damage is increased by 200%.
gameplay
Ryan is a Striker who is available to everyone in the early game and who can fulfill Pointman’s duties most efficiently. His Weapon damage is really high and his survivability is decent allowing him to endure several hits. Ryan’s full potential can only be seen when he is developed at Rank 4 because then his damage potential rises drastically and Ryan is capable of singlehandedly crippling enemy ranks in the right situations. His active ability is not very potent unless it is used against enemy clusters made of Guardians and Enforcers who will receive significantly more damage after being caught in Ryan’s explosion. With the introduction of Squad Perks, Ryan’s importance is even increased because now he has special Synergy with Caring soldiers which makes him an ideal DPS supplement to any Caring Medic. Also as he is part of the Divison Perk he may be combined with a non-healing Caring Soldier for increasing the healing capabilities of fellow Division partner Jessica Kendel. This could lead to the assembling of powerful 2 Caring/2 Division/ 3 Resourceful synergy. Full Division synergy is interesting but members of the Divison Faction are not so strong individually to carry you against META teams. Ryan can surprise you in many ways, so investing time and energy in farming him will pay off in the end. I suggest it most certainly.
Ryan’s intel can be farmed in Faction War (SHD) Event, UMBRA 04-G, and Allies 05-N missions. It can be also gained by opening Advanced or Basic O.R.B.
Scarecrow
Scarecrow is a Rank 4 Pointman from the Last Battalion Faction. He has an Intimidating Trait.
biography
A first wave Division agent, Scarecrow bought wholeheartedly into Aaron Keener’s philosophy and turned on his allies. He’s a trained killer with no conscience and a fierce competitive streak. No one among the first wave except Keener racked up more kills of Division agents, and the numbers were closer than you’d think. Scarecrow is also an accomplished hacker and isn’t shy about using those skills in the field. Many Division agents confidently deployed a turret only to have Scarecrow turn it lethally against them. He gets his nickname from his gear of choice, a filter mask that makes him look like a figure of Halloween horror.
Weapon and skills
Scarecrow uses Assault Rifles: AK-47, AKS-74u, P416, and VHS-D2.
His Rank 1 ability is “Rogue Agent”. Scarecrow releases a Gas Charge Seeker Mine to track down the target with the highest Health detonating on arrival. The explosion Confuses the enemy into attacking the closest ally for 3 seconds and causes 30% Ability damage. Scarecrow attacks the same target for the effect duration.
His Rank 4 passive ability is “Hacked”. Whenever an enemy is preparing an Offensive Ability, Scarecrow has a 15% chance of Silencing them for 5 seconds.
gameplay
Scarecrow is a Pointman whose offensive and defensive capabilities are average or a little above but his active and passive ability are what separate him from other Soldiers. With his active ability, he will confuse the enemy with the highest Heath (most probably a damage dealer who was protected in cover until that moment) into attacking the closest ally for 3 seconds. During that time Scarecrow will attack the same target which will be seriously injured when the Confuse ends. By Confusing an enemy Scarecrow redirects enemy fire from allies to enemies for a double-winning effect. On Rank 4, Scarecrow has a small chance (15%) to silence any enemy who prepares an offensive active ability. The chance may be small but statistically, Scarecrow will silence at least 1 enemy every minute which can be crucial in PVP battles. As an Intimidating Soldier, he can be an ideal pick (if you don’t have Ash) for assembling a 3-Man Intimidating Trait (Fury+Vasily) which proved to be overwhelming in PVP. LMB Perk buff is not powerful as Intimidating buff but Scarcrow can be combined with Ning Wang (Intimidating/Resourceful synergy) for gaining a considerable amount of sustenance when some of them die. Scarecrow can be indeed useful but his physical prowess does not allow him to be considered as Top Tier Soldier. Nevertheless, he will be most welcomed in many teams.
Scarecrow’s intel can be purchased at Vendor via the “Elite Underworld” bundle or can be obtained by opening “Ghosts in Hell” (limited time) and Advanced O.R.B.s.
Sonnet
Sonnet is a Rank 2 Technician from the H.A.W.X. Squadron Faction. She has a Resourceful Trait.
biography
Future-minded technologist and gifted fighter pilot, Captain Kelsa Townsend leads the H.A.W.X. team’s advanced AI weapon division. The daughter of a truck driver, Townsend grew up in rural towns across the U.S> With aspirations of space travel from a young age, she eventually put herself through college, ROTC, and achieved degrees in engineering, biological science, mathematics, and computer science. Although she identifies more with computer geeks than guns, her drive to excel led her to qualify for special operations, where Townsend trained to be both a door-kicking ground operator and a skilled fighter pilot wrapped into one of the H.A.W.X. team’s top specialists. After finally logging enough flight hours to qualify for astronaut training, Townsend is not thrilled about joining Elite Squad. However, she understands the high-stakes of the mission and knows that her expertise will give the team a much-needed combat edge. Townsend hopes that once the dust settles here on Earth, she can finally reach the stars.
Weapon and skills
Sonnet uses Sniper Rifles: Scout, 308 Carbine, Sa-50, and PSG-1.
Her Rank 1 ability is “Pandora UCAV”. Sonnet commands a Pandora UCAV to fire at the current target causing 10% Ability Damage 10 times in a row and then fires a missile that explodes for 50% Ability Damage in a 5-meter radius around them.
Her Rank 4 passive ability is “Double Agent”. When Sonnet is targeted by an enemy, she Confuses that enemy for 1 second.
gameplay
Sonnet is a Technician who primarily relies on her active ability since her weapon damage is moderate at best. Her survivability is kinda low but when she reaches Rank 4, Sonnet’s sustenance greatly increases. On Rank 4 Sonnet is able to Confuse for 1 second anyone who targets her which helps her to avoid being focused by an enemy and increases the overall damage output against an enemy team. Unfortunately, Sonnet’s active ability can not inflict serious damage to enemies even though after the initial Single-target salvo, it causes decent AOE damage in a 5-meter radius. Sonnets base Ability Power is average at best so her active ability is not extremely dangerous and sadly the cooldown of her ability is 38 seconds which means that she will not use it often in combat. In my experience, Sonnet will never be the first Technician choice for a Resourceful buff as long as Ning Wang has the role she currently has. On the other hand, assembling a full HAWX team looks promising because their Perk buff description sounds amazing so it may not be bad to develop Sonnet slowly and constantly when energy and resources let you. Unlike some other Soldiers, Sonnet has not proved her value in combat like some other soldiers so her Tier degraded after the introduction of Squad Perks.
Sonnet’s intel can be acquired through Arena Rank rewards at the end of Sonnet’s week.
Tachanka
Tachanka is a Rank 5 Enforcer from the R6: Red Squad Faction. He has an intimidating Trait.
biography
Former Russian Spetsnaz operator, Alexandr Senaviev, aka Tachanka, is well known for being outspoken and acerbic. His limited social filter has gotten him into trouble in the past, so it came as no surprise that he was the most vocal about not wanting to align with the criminal element when selected to represent Rainbow as a member of [Classified]. Luckily for Alexandr – and his superiors – his professionalism always wins out. He may not be happy with his current mission, but he’s dedicated to the cause. Despite his outspoken nature, he’s a true professional. Always calm in a crisis, when the bullets start to fly he’ll be mounted and ready to protect his allies, regardless of their background.
Weapon and skills
Tachanka uses Shotguns: 720, Ita12L, Ru SASG, and ACS12.
His Rank 1 ability is “Sentry”. Tachanka deploys a mounted LMG and sprays 20 piercing rounds at the highest health target, causing 15% Ability Damage and removing 7% Ability Charge with each shot to all enemies in a medium line. While using LMG, Tachanka receives +40% Armor and Roots damaged enemies for 5 seconds.
His Rank 4 passive ability is “Barbed Wire”. While targeting an enemy, they are Rooted. Whenever an enemy is Rooted, decreases their Resistance by 80% for 10 seconds.
gameplay
Tachanka is a sturdy Enforcer who relies on his active ability to cripple the enemy ranks. His active ability has the potential to cause 300% ability damage against the target with the highest health while also damaging all other enemies in his line of fire. The enemy targeted with this ability will not be able to charge their ability while LMG fires, which means that they will not be able to retaliate with ability after taking heavy fire which is the usual course of action. After a full round of Tachanka’s LMG, an enemy will most certainly die but if they survive they will not pose a threat for a considerable amount of time. Tachanka’s Rank 4 ability Roots enemies who are targeted by him and this is in close synergy with Gridlock who is granted Shield whenever an enemy is Rooted. Since Tachanka is heavily relying on his active ability it is important to say that the cooldown of the skill is 35 seconds which is very long. However, if Tachanka endures enough to use his ability it will most certainly decide the outcome of the battle. Tachanka base weapon damage and survivability are not at maximum but it is high enough to keep him alive and contribute to the team overall damage output until his active ability is ready. R6: Red Squad buff is not as powerful as r6: Green or R6: Blue, but it opens literally limitless options for assembling an extremely powerful team made of Soldiers who supplements Tachanka. Obviously, in every team, he will be accompanied by Gridlock but the other 3 Soldiers can be used from a wide variety of other teams. He can be combined with Ning Wang for assembling an extremely powerful “Root trio”. Several combinations can be added to this trio as we described for every Soldier individually. Tachanka and Gridlock can also be combined with Caveira, Echo, and Amaktoub Nomad for assembling a powerful Stun team that is almost as powerful as the full R6: Green Squad. On top of that, Tachanka is Composed so he can be used as the second Composed Soldier with literally every other Composed character because with Composed Trait his sustenance will dramatically increase. Despite the fact that Tachanka’s physical proves is not at maximum and that his ability has a very long cooldown, his versatility makes him a Top Tier Soldier, especially if Recharge Order is used on him.
Tachanka’s intel can be farmed in “Lord & Savior” Legendary Event only. For participating in the event you will have to assemble a team from Doc, Echo, Caveira, Valkyrie, Dokkaebi, Gridlock, and El Maktoub Nomad.
Twitch
Twitch is a Rank 2 Technician from the R6: Red Squad Faction. She has a Dutiful Trait.
biography
Emmanuelle Pichon is Team Rainbow’s elite tech-disabler, intel-gatherer, and attacking operator. Raised in France, with a family that valued education to a competitive degree, Pichon is an analytical problem-solver with a passion for masterfully designed gadgets. A self-trained robotics expert, at one time she aspired to be an engineer for her favorite company, Skell Technologies. Pichon shares the company’s philosophy that technology’s greatest purpose is to improve and even save lives; she applies this to her homemade arsenal of tactical drones. Pichon’s action-packed pedigree is loaded with achievement. Obsessed with science, engineering, and math, she became an Army engineer at 16, and by 20 years old she was the youngest operator ever to be accepted into the GIGN. After being on Elite Squad’s radar since the origin of the team, Six and Max Claymore have made an agreement; Elite Squad gets access to Pichon and the other operators, and in return, critical UMBRA intel gets relayed back to Team Rainbow. With the deal struck, UMBRA now has one more reason to surrender, but they’ll likely remain unconvinced before tasting Pichon’s hard-hitting drone assaults.
Weapon and skills
Twitch uses Assault Rifles: M16A3, AR-C, Mk16 CQC, and VHS-D2,
Her Rank 1 ability is “Shock Drone”. Twitch releases a Shock Drone to fire 5 shots, each at a random enemy target, silencing them for 2 seconds and causing 50% Ability damage with each shot.
Her Rank 4 passive ability is “Preparation”. During the battle when a wave ends, Twitch grants +60% Ability Charge to all allies.
gameplay
Twitch is a Technician with awesome weapon damage potential and a very potent active ability if luck is on her side. Her active ability can be almost useless if all shots are distributed to different targets but if some enemy takes 2 or more shots on itself it will be heavily injured or even dead. Twitch active ability can also silence enemies which can be useful if they are about to prepare their abilities. On Rank 4 Twitch became one of the best PVE Soldiers in the game. She will grant a +60% ability charge after each wave meaning that all allies will be ready to trigger their abilities as soon as enemies appear in the second or third wave of combat. As a member of R6: Red Squad it is highly unlikely that she will be used unless in a full synergy but since she has a Dutiful Trait as well, she can be an ideal supplement for the full or partial Dutiful synergy. With Dutiful buff, she will be able to use her ability more often which makes her a very desirable companion for Doc/Fixit/Dokkaebi/Ironclaw combo. I prefer using Richard Kingsley instead of her but she can be quite as good if not even better. Twitch’s main weakness is her extremely low survivability – she will die almost instantly as someone targets her, so she needs permanent protection from both Soldiers and Orders. Developing Twitch to Rank 4 should be your first priority if you decide to use her.
Twitch’s intel currently can only be obtained by opening “Ghosts in Hell” (limited time) O.R.B. and by containing Arena Rank Rewards from Twitch Arena weeks.
Valkyrie
Valkyrie is a Rank 3 Support Soldier form the R6: Red Squad Faction. She has an Intimidating Trait.
biography
An Olympic hopeful in the 200-meter breaststroke, Castellano split her time between the pool and the army base, where her father was a training officer. Her junior year, Castellano broke her arm in a car accident, putting an end to her Olympic ambitions. After high school, she enlisted in the Navy and was chosen to be one of the first women admitted to SEALs training. She served four years before attending college on the Veterans Affairs bill. Upon graduation, she returned to the Navy as a career intelligence officer.
Weapon and skills
Valkyrie uses SMGs: MPX K, A-99, Commando 9, and Aug A3 Para XS.
Her Rank 1 ability is “Black Eye”. Deploys a Black Eye camera over the battlefield, permanently granting +15% Accuracy and +5% Critical Chance to all allies.
Her Rank 4 passive ability is “Battlefield Surveillance”. When an enemy prepares an Offensive Ability, Valkyrie grants +60% Resistance to all allies for 7 seconds. When an enemy prepares a Defensive Ability Valkyrie grants +30% Ability Power to all allies for 4 seconds, instead.
On Rank 6 her Health is increased by 5% if she is in the same team with an Enduring ally.
gameplay
Valkyrie is classified as Support but in reality, she acts as the best possible Striker with increased survivability. Her weapon damage output is at maximum despite the fact that she is using SMGs. Her active ability has a very long cooldown but once it is triggered it grants permanent Accuracy and Critical Chance boost which is stackable during the whole battle. Obviously the longer the combat lasts the damage of the entire team is higher and higher. On Rank 4 Valkyrie boosts allies depending on the ability that will be used by enemies. This boost is activated whenever an enemy uses an ability and it is crucial in longer battles. Because of her unbelievable weapon potential and very good survivability, Valkyrie is a viable option for the Arena but her full potential can only be seen in PVE. After the introduction of Soldier Perks, Valkyrie’s Trait has been changed to Caring, and now she literally can be used with every other Caring Soldier for assembling 2-Man or 3-Man Caring trait. Obviously she works best with Juana but there a lot more other possibilities to increase overall healing done. She can be even combined with Doc and another Caring without fear that you will lack in weapon damage. Valkyrie is a key member for every Close Quarters Campaign mission, she can be sued in PVP for several purposes and she looks cool. If you are lucky enough to recruit Valkyrie do not hesitate to spend all available resources on her.
Valkyrie’s intel can be farmed through login rewards and daily objectives. It can also be obtained by opening Advanced or Basic O.R.B.s.
Vasily
Vasily is a Rank 3 Striker from the Ghosts: Nomad Squad Faction. He has an Intimidating Trait.
biography
Born in Brooklyn, New York, to a second-generation Chinese immigrant family, David Zhang joined the army at 18 to prove himself as a “real American”. Soon, his aptitude for long-ranged combat earned him a place among the Ranger’s top marksmen. His callsign is named after Vasily Zaitsev, a Soviet Sniper renowned for killing 225 enemy soldiers during the Battle of Stalingrad, and truth to be told, Zhang is not far behind on those numbers; despite his relative lack of combat experience compared to the other Ghosts. When the threat of UMBRA required all hands-on deck, Zhang knew what must be done, and was one of the first to join.
Weapon and skills
Vasily uses Sniper Rifles: Scout, VSK-94, SRS, and Mk 17 SSR.
His Rank 1 ability is “Steady Aim”. Vasily steadies his aim and targets the furthest enemy, firing a long-range shot that deals 150% Ability Damage. On targets with full Health, additionally Stuns for 3 seconds.
His Rank 4 passive ability is “Sharpshooter”. When reloading, Vasily has a 25% chance to instantly Reload.
gameplay
Vasily is a simple-forward Sniper. He has great damage output and can inflict serious single-target damage with his Active Ability. Vasily’s active ability is more powerful than Alicia Diaz’s or Redfang’s and it can stun targets with full health but it has a significantly longer cooldown and can’t be used as often as abilities of other simple-forward Snipers. On Rank 4, Vasily instantly Reloads every 4th clip he is using witch gives him more time to fire, therefore, with more damage he can contribute to the team. With the introduction of Squad Perks Vasily’s importance jumped to skies because along with Fury he makes the only duo of soldiers that have the same Faction Perk and Squad Perk. Intimidation Perk significantly increases his already high overall damage output, while Ghosts: Nomad Perk increases his incredible weapon power as long as he is not targeted by anyone. To let Vasily reach his full potential it is not smart to combine him with a lot of defenders, on contrary. He needs only 1 defender and 3 more damage dealers (1 Intimidating if possible) and in 75% of cases, he will not be targeted by other enemies unless he has the highest Weapon Power or Ability Power (happens rarely, only if he is better geared than his companions). The team made of Redfang, Vasily, Fury, Ash, and Ironclaw proved to be the best PVP team in my experience. This team is making between 2500dps/sec and 3000dps/sec average per soldier against teams of the same power and it is capable of winning against full synergy teams that are 30000 Power stronger. If you don’t believe me, try it yourself. Vasily is a silent killer who doesn’t exceed in any category but who devastates everything as long as he is combined with Fury and not targeted by others.
At this moment, Vasily’s intel is unavailable for farming.
Enrica Villablanca
Enrica Villablanca is a Rank 2 Support Soldier from the John Brown’s Army Faction. She has a Caring Trait.
biography
A well-meaning activist whose monkeywrenching activities went wrong, Villablanca was forced to go on the run. She ended up falling in with the criminal organization John Brown’s Army and quickly earned her place as their technical specialist. But, her interactions with Sam Fisher during the Red Mercury crisis made her reconsider her role. Villabalnca sees [Classified] as her personal shot at redemption. She never intended to go rogue in the first place; it was only a combination of bad luck and bad timing that landed her in her current predicament. Now, by fighting terror, she’s hopeful she can rehabilitate her name and get out from under the weight of her past.
Weapon and skills
Enrica Villablanca uses Pistols: PM, M1911, 5.7 USG, and 45t.
Her Rank 1 ability is “Tech Medic”. Enrica moves to the ally with the lowest Health and administrates aid, Healing them for 85% Ability power instantly, the Healing herself for 60% Ability Power over 3 seconds. If the target ally or Enrica is below 50% Health, they are immediately Shielded for 55% Ability Power before moving.
Her Rank 4 passive ability is “Weapons Expert”. When an ally Reloads, grants them +15% Weapon Power for 3 seconds.
gameplay
Enrica Villablanca is a decent Medic who can successfully fulfill her role providing healing in crucial moments. Her healing is not the greatest but since she can Shield herself and the injured ally when the healing is triggered, she decreases the additional damage received while being outside of the cover. On Rank 4, her supporting abilities are significantly increased since she can grant additional Weapon Power whenever an ally reloads a clip. This Weapon Power boost is moderate and lasts only 3 seconds but the overall additional damage inflicted from this boost is significant and can turn the tide in close battles. Enrica’s Weapon potential is decent considering that she is using pistols, while her survivability allows her to survive even the most dangerous attacks. She now has a Caring Trait which allows her to have increased healing potential if she is with another Caring Soldier but since she is from the JBA faction there are not many meaningful synergies available for her, It is highly unlikely that anyone who played the game for more than a month will decide to prioritize Enrica over other Caring Medics so her importance in the game is minimal. Sadly, I doubt that she will be the first healing pick even in the Villains’ Campaign.
Enrica Villablanca’s intel can be farmed in the “Secrets in Singapore” Event and Close Quarters 02-N mission. It can also be obtained by opening “Intimidating Raid Villain” (limited time) O.R.B.
Virgil
Virgil is a Rank 3 Striker form the Phantoms Faction. He has a Composed Trait.
biography
If there’s one word to describe Miguel Vasquez, it’s angry. He’s angry with the top brass of the US Army for not giving him command of his own unit. Angry at his current lead, Bard, for treating him like a grunt. And angry at the rest of the Phantoms for not having his back. Miguel’s fury is directed at everyone and everything other than himself because nothing is ever his fault. Luckily, for Miguel, he’s always been able to channel his rage into his work. It’s what makes him tough and keeps him focused. It allows him to get the job done, no matter what. Which is what makes him useful to [Classified]. Despite his personality flaws, he’s a man that can get things done – just don’t expect him to make any friends while doing so.
Weapon and skills
Virgil uses Sniper Rifles: Scout, 308 Carbine, L115A3, and SR-1.
His Rank 1 ability is “ADS Drone”. Virgil deploys the ADS Backpack Drone to fire at the current target, unleashing a heat beam in a narrow line causing 70% Ability Damage and destroying any Shields to all enemies hit.
His Rank 4 passive ability is “Slow Death”. Critical Clips cause the target to Bleed for 15% Ability Power over 7 seconds.
gameplay
Virgil is a Striker whose Weapon Power is at maximum and whose overall contribution to the team damage output is awesome. However, the potency of his Active ability is not very great although it can hit multiple enemies. Abilities that affect enemies in a narrow line are not very dangerous in Elite Squad since they need proper positioning of the enemy soldiers to be effective which is often impossible. On Rank 4 Virgil’s damage output is further increased and causes enemies to Bleed over time. It is important to point out that Virgil is extremely vulnerable to enemy attacks and that he cannot survive any serious ability used on him as well as more than a few rounds from enemy fire. With the introduction of Soldier Perks, Virgil’s ability is improved and now can instantly destroy all shields (extremely effective against Gridlock, Montagne, Anna Grimsdottir …) as well as can be significantly empowered if he is combined with another Phantoms Soldier. Phantoms Per can be very useful especially since practically needs only 2 Phantoms Soldiers but all strategies with that buff are reckless in my opinion and heavily depends on RNG. Assembling a full Phantoms team could lead to some positive results because the 5-Man buff instantly prepares all abilities and Blinds all enemies for 15 seconds but this team cannot grant you constant victories in PVP nor can be useful in PVE since someone will die most likely. As a composed Soldier Virgil can be a safe pick for assembling Composed buff but I cannot think of many other synergies that would benefit from Virgil’s presence in Composed duo. In a matter of fact, the only team I can think of is Tachanka, Walker, Virgil, Gridlock, and Coda. Despite his incredible Weapon damage potential, Virgil will be placed in the 3rd Tier of Elite Squad Tier List because he is not very versatile and will be not used often unless someone wants him at all costs.
Virgil’s intel can be purchased at Vendor for Raid Coins or it can be obtained by opening “Enduring Raid Villain” (limited time), Advanced and Basic O.R.B.s
Walker
Walker is a Rank 3 Striker from the Wolves Faction. He has a Composed Trait.
biography
The merciless leader of a rogue unit called Wolves, Lt. Colonel Cole D. Walker is a highly trained and deadly opponent. Walker is an elite operator even amongst his peers. A former 101st Airborne, Delta Force team member, he’s broken every possible training record, graduated top of his class, and has survived countless missions. At one time Walker was a patriot, who fought tirelessly for his country. Feeling betrayed, he turned against the United States, renouncing it is a nation of divided fools. Despite his grievances with America, Walker knows that joining forces with Nomad and Scott Mitchell is the only way to take down UMBRA. The team’s leaders have agreed to put aside their differences and work together, but it won’t be long before Walker’s predatory instinct puts him back on the prowl.
Weapon and skills
Walker uses Assault Rifles: SG 552, AR-C, P416, and F90.
His Rank 1 ability is “No Mercy”. Walker fires a single shot from his sidearm at the lowest Health enemy causing 210% Ability Damage. If the enemy health drops below 25%, Walker fires another shot and executes them, otherwise leave them to bleed for 80% Ability Damage over * seconds.
His rank 4 passive ability is “Skell Tech”. When Walker’s current target receives a Shield, he reduces its value by 50% and causes 120% Ability Damage to that target.
gameplay
Alongside Montagne, Walker is the first Rank 3 Soldier who joins your team at the start of the game. Unlike Montagne whose usefulness diminishes as the game progress, Walker gets stronger and stronger during the time. Walker is a Striker whose weapon damage output is high but not on maximum and who should have increased survivability due to his perks. His active ability is an extremely powerful single-target attack that eliminates the target in most cases. This ability is so strong that my PVP strategy in the first 20 days of playing depended solely on Walker’s ability and Recharge Order. Basically, I started every combat by using Recharge Order on Walker and the bottom line was that every opposite team immediately lost one member at the start of the battle which made every combat significantly easier. I can’t say that Walker is a Top Tier Soldier because his physical proves do not justify Top Tier recognition but Walker is definitely someone who is most welcomed in any team especially in the early game. On Rank 4 he becomes even more powerful since he negates any Shield placed on his Target and punishes that target for a serious amount of damage when the Shield is placed. This is crucial in the fight against Guardians and Enforcers who are not easy targets for Walker and can even help against Anna Grimsodttir although Walker will not survive even the weakest enemy’s ability while Anna is in the opposite team. With the introduction of Squad Perks Walker’s importance has not diminished even though he is the only member of his Faction because his Faction Perk buffs him nevertheless. As a composed Soldier, Walker can be used with every other composed character for gaining 2 buffs – Low of Nature (+20% Weapon Damage and Stealth for 5 seconds when ANY Soldier die) and Composed (ignore criticals). As a lone wolf, Walker is the ideal 5th pick for various combinations of two 2-Man synergies and as such he can be used in almost all game segments including end-game PVP.
Walker’s intel can be gained at the game beginning via Daily Objectives or it can be purchased at Vendor via the “Walker Boost” bundle.
Ning Wang
Ning Wang is a Rank 3 Technician from the Last Man Battalion Faction. She has a Resourceful Trait.
biography
A two-time Annual Warrior Competition gold medalist, Ning Wang was a proud member of China’s First Female Special Operations Company. But, following a failed mission, blame was conveniently pinned on Wang, and she was slapped with a dishonorable discharge. Embittered, she headed west, where she was headhunted by elite PMC, The Last Man Battalion. From here, Wang’s situation went from bad to worse, as the LMB would lead her down a much darker path. Wang has been offered a chance at redemption if she directs her expertise to support [Classified]. Still brooding over past injustices, she maintains her restraint. A good marksman knows when to be patient, and when to squeeze the trigger.
Weapon and skills
Ning Wang uses Sniper Rifles: Scout, 308 Carbine, SRS, and M1A.
Her Rank 1 Ability is “Piercing Round”. Ning Wang fires a piercing round at the current target, causing 100% Ability Damage and making them Bleed for an additional 100% Ability Power over 3 seconds. On impact, the round splinters and sprays shrapnel in a small cone behind the target, causing 140% Ability Damage to all enemies hit.
Her Rank 4 Passive ability is “Pin Down”. If Wang’s current target is below 20% Health, she Roots them for 10 seconds.
gameplay
Ning Wang is another powerful Soldier who becomes available early in the game through initial Events. She is a Technician with decent weapon damage potential and very low survivability. She needs to be protected all the time to fully take advantage of her extremely dangerous active ability. As a Technician, Ning Wang’s Ability Power is significantly increased which combined with her active ability gives amazing results. Her full potential is reached when she fires a piercing round against frontline enemies because after impact shrapnel can damage nearby enemies who are behind the primary target causing unbelievable total damage with a single shot. Her Rank 4 ability pins down enemies who are near dead preventing them from moving to cover or receiving healing from Medics. Ning Wang is fully maximized in almost all rosters and she is widely used by more than 90% of players for a reason. She must be properly positioned though (bottom right side) to be fully effective so be sure to try different Soldier positions before you find the proper one. As a Resourceful soldier, she can be combined with Coda (Phantoms/Resourceful) or Gridlock (Root synergy/Resourceful) as a part of a lot of other different synergies. She also can be combined with Charles Bliss and other LMB soldiers for an LMB perk that significantly increases the sustenance of the entire team when an LMB soldier dies. Versatile as she is, she definitely deserves the second tier of our List regardless of the fact that is available to everyone.
Ning Wang’s intel can be gained in daily objective rewards or by opening “Enduring Raid Villain” (limited time) Advanced and Basic O.R.B.s
Weaver
Weaver is a Rank 2 Striker from the Ghosts: NOmad Squad Faction. He has a Composed trait.
biography
Master Sergeant Coray Ward, aka Weaver, is known among his fellow Ghosts as the ‘scholar armed with a sniper rifle”. HE speaks two languages, graduated magna cum laude from Princeton with a Doctorate in Psychotherapy, and is an expert with almost any firearm. Weaver is as smart as they come and twice as deadly. But it doesn’t take a degree for Weaver to understand a single bullet can turn a battle around. A deadeye sniper expertly trained to bring down enemies quietly and efficiently, a single bullet is often all Weaver needs to get the job done. Since becoming a Ghost, he and his commanding officer Nomad have been inseparable – a brotherhood forged in combat. Now, in the face, if their greatest threat yet, going up against UMBRA as part of Elite Squad, Weaver follows his brother into battle once more…
Weapon and skills
Weaver uses Sniper Rifles: Scout, 308 Carbine, L115A3, and Mk 17 SSR.
His Rank 1 ability is “Multi-Shot”. Weaver lines up a sniper shot on the current target and their closest ally, firing on both in rapid succession and causing 150% Ability Damage to each.
His Rank 4 passive ability is “Long Range Specialist”. Each shot causes a bonus 0.65% Ability Damage per meter the bullet travels.
gameplay
Weaver is a Striker Sniper with above-average weapon potential and low survivability. Despite his low rarity his active ability is fearsome and can cripple two enemies at once. Being able to deliver serious damage to two targets simultaneously sets him apart from similar Sniper Soldiers and makes him much more desirable. On Rank 4 his overall weapon damage potential is significantly increased especially if he is targeting furthest enemies. With each meter, the potency of every bullet can be increased up to 10% which dramatically improves Weaver’s overall damage potential. Like all Snipers, Weaver also needs all the protection he can get to efficiently do his job, so keeping him alive should be your first priority in combat. Since Weaver’s intel can be farmed it is of utmost importance to clear the appropriate mission as soon as possible and to auto-attack it every day. With the introduction of Soldier perks Weaver’s importance has been narrowed and now he can be used in practically only 2 synergies. His new Composed Trait doesn’t help him much since the only solution for Weaver is to be combined with Walker and Tachanka for com 3-Man Composed perk along with Vasily and Fury who will grant him 3-Man Ghosts: Nomad Perk. This team is extremely dangerous (1 Lone Wolf, 3 Composed, 3 Ghosts: Nomad, and 2 Intimidating) granting Weaver +85% Weapon power as long as he is not targeted and the ability to heal after receiving Critical hits. However, this team lacks sustenance despite the fact that it is deadly against Resourceful Perk based Soldiers. Weaver can also be used in a full Ghosts: Nomad Squad team along with Nomad, Midas, Fury, and Vasily (5 Ghosts: Nomad Squad, 2 Resourceful and 2 Intimidating). This team has potential but also lack survivability that will grant you certitude in numerous Arena battles. Before the recent update, Weaver was arguably the best sniper in the game but now his importance and versatility is significantly lower compared to some other Snipers like Vasily, Ning Wang, or Redfang.
Weaver’s intel can be farmed in Faction War (Ghost Recon) Event and in Close Quarters 05-G mission. It can be also obtained by opening Advanced or Basic O.R.B.s.
Zeal
Zeal is Rank 3 Striker from the H.A.W.X. Squadron Faction. He has a Composed Trait.
biography
A rogue mercenary with a track record for apprehending dangerous criminals, Major Curtis Bowman is a skilled soldier who walks the line between darkness and light. A former US Air Force pilot who turned to the mercenary life after surviving a mountainside plane crash. Calling himself “Zeal”, Curtis is a self-styled, military dogmatist who lives by personal codes and believes himself to be a direct descendant of an ancient warrior monk. Curtis is unpredictable, a violent brawler, an elite ground operator, an expert fighter pilot, and a card-carrying spy who goes by multiple identities. Recently, he has come under investigation for his “questionable methods”. Not coincidentally, Elite Squad has offered Curtis a shot at the redemption of he chooses to fight on their side. He’s managed to stay on the correct side of the law so far, and knows that turning down the offer could mean tipping the scales. Curtis isn’t ready for life on the run just yet, but he always considers it as a future possibility.
Weapon and skills
Zeal uses Pistols: GSH-18, M1911, 5,7 USG, and Bailiff 410.
His Rank 1 ability is “Firestorm”. Zeal fires down the Firestorm laser in a 5-meter radius around the target, causing 4 times 50% Ability Damage to all enemies hit.
His Rank 4 passive ability is “Lone Mercenary”. When Zeal is Taunted, he removes the Taunt and gains +50% Ability Charge.
gameplay
Zeal is a Striker who despite using Pistols is capable of delivering serious weapon damage and who has significantly increased survivability considering that he is a damage dealer. His physical proves is very good but that is not his biggest virtue – his active ability can cause devastating damage in a large radius because his Ability Power is amazing. Being able to rapidly strike an enormous Area 4 times in a row causing 200% Ability Power to all enemies caught in an explosion makes Zeal one of the most deadly Soldiers in his class who is a very desirable addition to any team. Zeal’s main weakness is his inability to be farmed on regular basis and the fact that it is almost impossible to develop him on rank 4 currently. Developing Zeal on rank 4 is of utmost importance because he becomes immune to Taunt and he speeds up his Ability Charge by 50% whenever someone Taunts him. His passive ability is what makes him unique and what is needed that he is considered as Tier 2 Soldier. However, with the introduction of Soldier Perks, it is very hard to put Zeal anywhere outside the full HAWX team because other HAWX soldiers (including Arrow) are not very useful in PVP and the Composed trait does not offer many possibilities for building useful synergies. The safe course of action is to combine Zeal with Tachanka and Walker and to add them another 2-Man synergy like Enduring (Sam Fisher+Holt), Resourceful (Nomad+Midas) Caring (Walkyrie+Juana), Dutiful (Fixit+Doc) or Intimidating ( Fury+Vasily). The assembling of one of those teams will certainly lead to positive results in different segments of the game including PVP but, to be honest, neither of these teams can be considered as META. Zeal’s abilities are indeed powerful but his reduced versatility and the fact that he as a Striker uses a pistol could not place him in the higher TIer than Tier 3.
Zeal’s intel currently can only be gained by doing certain daily objectives that occur on very rare occasions.
ZOFIA
Zofia is a Rank 3 Enforcer from the R6: Blue Squad Faction. She has a Caring trait.
biography
Born in Poland as the eldest daughter of a ruthless GROM Commander, Zofia Bosak tackles breaching missions as naturally as breathing. Zofia is a resilient and decisive soldier with numerous achievements to her home, including joining Rainbow Six. Despite a tendency for callous aggression on the battlefield, she has a soft spot for family, particularly for her sister Elzbieta Bosak aka Ela, for whom she feels directly responsible.
The pain of losing her father allowed Zofia to fortify her will and hone her skills as an elite operator. Concerned Ezlbieta could meet the same fate as her father, Zofia fought relentlessly to join Team Rainbow in order to keep an eye for her. Having turned down an offer to join Elite Squad, Elzbieta’s recent request to transfer teams has changed her mind. Zofia has withstood greater threats than ObtainR, but her biggest fear is failing to protect the people she loves.
Weapon and skills
Zofia uses LMGs: M60, LMG-e, M249 Saw, and LMG A1.
Her Rank 1 ability is “Lifeline”. Zofia fires a Lifeline at the enemy with the highest Weapon Damage. If her health is above 50% she fires an impact grenade that causes 155% Ability damage in a medium radius. If her health is below 50%, she fires a concussion grenade causing 90% Ability Damage to all enemies hit, removing 70% Ability Charge from them, and decreasing their Accuracy by 50% for 6 seconds.
Her Rank 4 ability is “Withstand”. This skill decreases all Control effects duration by 25% and it is stackable with Ela’s passive (55% reduced Control Effects time in total if Ela is in the same team). Additionally, it grants resurrection to Zofia when she is downed for the first time, reviving her with 60% Health.
gameplay
Zofia is an enforcer who relies on Ability Power. Her survivability is slightly lower compared to other Enforcers but she is granted another chance when she is killed for the first time. Her active ability can be extremely potent if it can affect more than 2 enemies but that will depend on the enemy formation. When Zofia is near dead her skill prevents enemies from casting abilities by removing their current Ability Charge and significantly reduces enemy fire efficiency for a considerable period. This compensates for Zofia’s lower defensive capabilities and buys more time for her and her team. Obviously, Zofia works best with her sister Ela. When they are together the duration time of all Control Effects (Stun, Root, Fear, Blind …) is reduced by more than half which makes her an ideal counter against Soldiers like Echo, Gridlock, or Ning Wang. However, after the introduction of Squad Perks Zofia’s versatility has been drastically increased, and now she doesn’t rely on Ela anymore, on contrary. We already mentioned several times before that the full R6: Blue Squad team is current META in every segment of the game but we haven’t told that the damage potential of this team practically full relies on Zofia and the fact that she will be healed by Doc most often which will increase the power of her ability and overall damage output incredibly. But being part of R6:Blue Squad is not the only thing that makes Zofia a Top Tier Soldier. She also has a Caring Trait which allows her to be a supplement for any Caring Medic. Having Doc, Zofia, and another Caring Medic in the same team automatically grants 2 partial buffs (R6: Blue and Caring) which opens numerous possibilities for making other META teams for both PVP and PVE. Possibilities are literally limitless and Zofia’s presence in the team along with Doc and another Caring Medic guarantees that you will be able to clear almost all PVE missions with 3 stars. I personally prefer assembling a team made of Zofia, Doc. Juana, Fixit, and Karen Bowman/Jimena Martins. This team defines the meaning of the word “universal” and can be used for both PVE and PVP. Zofia is without a doubt a Top Tier Soldier and all mentioned teams mainly depend on her strength so be sure not to waste Zofia’s intel because it is really hard to collect it.
Zofia is a new soldier who will be obtainable through Events missions.
