Rainbow Six Extraction: Best Operators

The best Operators in Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Extraction can make all the difference, particularly on harder difficulties. Which characters and classes you and your squadmates select are critical for maximizing your odds of surviving an Incursion. The wrong squad composition can be one reason for Operators going MIA.

Each Operator has strengths and weaknesses, but a few stand above the rest. This Rainbow Six Extraction guide lists and examines the characters/classes you should play first.

The Best Operators in Rainbow Six Extraction

Finka

Health is a premium commodity in Rainbow Six Extraction, so Finka’s ability to temporarily give the team a health boost is an enormous difference maker in long or difficult excursions.

Using Adrenal Surge to instantly raises your health level, and brings people back from down-but-not-out status can snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

Finka’s Spear .308 rifle combines fast firing with good stopping power, making her a lethal member of the team and not just a glorified support class.  

Lion

The guns in Lion’s arsenal are some of the best in the game. His HK417 is a powerful sniper that can be equipped with a 3.5x scope, allowing you to target enemies’ weak points from far outside their visual range.

For a more aggressive option, you can opt into his V308, a light machine gun that can eviscerate entire groups of Archæans quickly.

His motion tracker ability allows Lion to see enemy movement through walls and will mark enemies at a higher level.

Smoke

Smoke is one of the most versatile Operators in Rainbow Six Extraction. His L82A2 assault rifle can be silenced and fit with a 1.5x zoom scope, allowing him to sit back and pick apart enemies undetected from afar.

Smoke also has remote-detonated grenades filled with a gas that is poisonous to Archæans, but harmless to you or your teammates. They are great for clearing rooms, damaging elite enemies, area defense, and can even remove the pesky Blinding Spores if you get them stuck to you. It’s a spectacular ability to have in any situation.  

Vigil

Invisibility. That’s it. That’s all Vigil needs to be great.

Playing as Vigil allows you to become temporarily undetectable by enemies. This can get you out of dangerous situations, let you move to advantageous positions, and set up stealth takedowns of elite enemies.

Even if they aren’t the best R6E has to offer, his K1A and MK 14 EBR are solid weapon options, well suited to sneaking or engaging in combat. Vigil can be helpful in a squad but excels in solo play.  

Jäger

More guns is never a bad thing in Rainbow Six Extraction Jäger takes this to another level with his deployable automated turrets.

You can cover your own back while on Incursions, set up traps to lure tough enemies into, or prepare defenses around objectives before waves of enemies attack. Combine those with the powerful M870 shotgun in Jäger’s arsenal, and you can hold areas against almost anything. 

Related guides

• The Best Weapon Attachments in R6E
• The Best Loadouts in R6E
• The Best REACT Gadgets in R6E
• How to Play Incursions Solo
• Research Studies Explained

These Operators are the best of the best, but you may find others suit your play style better. It’s good to experiment. Be sure to check out each Operators page to see how their abilities will evolve as they level up. For more tips on the best weapons, equipment, and loadouts be sure to check out our other Rainbow Six Extraction guides.