What is a hard breacher in Rainbow Six Siege?

Rainbow Six Siege is quite complicated compared to other FPS titles, with some people comparing it to a chess game — and just like in chess, each piece has its own functionality. 

If we stretch the circle on the attacker side, we find many different roles within it. We have the supports, the flank-watchers, the entry-fraggers, and last but definitely not least, the hard breachers. 

Here’s everything you need to know about being a hard breacher in Rainbow Six Siege.

What is a hard breacher in Rainbow Six Siege?

Hard breachers focus on opening reinforced walls. To be a hard breacher, you must have good communication with your teammates, especially the supports, as these should help you at getting rid of Kaid’s Electro Claw, Bandit’s batteries, or Mute’s jammers. 

Although many people in online games prefer to play with entry-fraggers or operators with better weapons, the truth is that, without a hard breacher, teams will struggle at taking any site. It is the team’s duty to try to read the opponent’s moves and decide which hard breacher fits better in the squad.

• Guide: What is an entry fragger in Rainbow Six Siege?
• Guide: What is a soft breacher in Rainbow Six Siege?
• Guide: What is a support in Rainbow Six Siege?

Rainbow Six Siege hard breacher operators

A total of four operators have hard breaching abilities. And, as we mentioned before, these should partner with support operators such as Kali, Thatcher, or even Flores or Twitch, so the job gets easier and quicker. 

Thermite

When we think of a hard breacher, Thermite comes to mind. He was the first hard breacher introduced in the game, and probably the best one. He has two exothermic charges that can destroy a wall completely, so you can walk or run through without the need to vault. His only downside is that he must place them manually, so he has to get to the wall or the hatch in order to place the charge.

If that wasn’t enough, his set includes good and manageable weapons and two smoke grenades, which help get cover to plant. His kit really makes him the perfect hard breacher.   

Hibana

The Japanese operator was the second hard breacher introduced to the game. She has many differences when compared to fellow teammate Thermite. Hibana’s hard breaching tool, known as X-KAIROS, can be deployed to walls from distance. This means that she doesn’t have to manually place it into a wall or a hatch, unlike Thermite.

Historically, the X-KAIROS launcher had 18 and could only throw six at a time – always in a rectangular shape. However, Hibana can now change the number of X-KAIROS thrown, throwing two, four, or six. This makes it way easier to play her, as she doesn’t have to waste six for a reinforced hatch – four is enough. It also helps in dealing with Bandit tricking.

Her set includes three soft breaching charges and three flashes, which really make her a strong operator at attacking some sites. Her only downside is that she can only open an entire wall, so you must choose wisely. Will you waste all your X-KAIROS on a wall, or will you distribute them? 

Ace

If you can’t choose between the first two options, maybe Ace is your man. This operator has three SELMA charges, his hard breaching tool. He doesn’t have to manually place them, so that’s something good. They also destroy a good part of the wall, with people being able to go through by vaulting or by bending. 

Ace SELMA's can also destroy defender shields, which can help a lot in some sites. 

His kit is also strong, as you can choose between a claymore and three soft breaching charges. His weapons are also something to take into account, as the AK-12 is probably one of the best in the game — although recent tweaks to it have made it difficult to control it, you can perfectly master it with time!

His downside is that he needs two SELMA charges to open an already reinforced hatch, so he might not be the best option if your intention is to take a site with hatches. 

Maverick

Last but not least, Maverick. This operator’s gadget is completely different to the ones described before. Maverick has a blowtorch that can open any kind of destructible wall or hatch. Not only that, but he can create small holes to look through. If you combine him with any other operator, you can really hurt the defenders. 

Maverick’s kit includes a claymore or two grenades, which really help him. It is very common to see Maverick combined with another hard breacher, with him opening a hole and throwing a grenade inside to destroy any Bandit battery, Kaid Electro Claw, or Mute jammer. 

His downside is that he has to get really close to the wall, which gives defenders a chance to shoot him while he is using the blowtorch. 

There are many ways to use Maverick though, and it’s pretty common to see him destroying walls all by himself. His gadget has the ability of turning hard breaching walls to soft walls, as you can see in the video down below. He can also open hatches by himself, although that takes some time. 

In conclusion, Maverick’s multi-tasking and his kit make him one of the best operators in the attacker’s pool.

Are there any alternative hard breachers?

Luckily, we are in 2021 and the game has changed a lot since it was launched. Now, some other operators can breach reinforced walls with the gadget “hard breach charge." These include two hard breach charges that can open hatches or open a decent hole into walls that operators can use to vault on site.

These are the operators that can be equipped with them:

• Amaru
• Buck
• Capitão
• Fuze
• Montagne
• Nokk
• Ying
• Zero

Although we highly encourage you to use hard breaching operators instead of hard breach charges, sometimes bringing a hard breacher might not be necessary, and a couple of hard breaching charges might do the job. However, you will have to sacrifice important utility to bring them into the battlefield, as Ying, Fuze, and Montagne would lose their two smokes, or Buck would lose his three flashes. 

As we said before, you must read between the defender lines, and choose wisely. Picking the right operator and the right set of utility might decide the round, even before the droning phase begins! 

How do I improve at hard breaching in Rainbow Six Siege?

If you want to improve at hard breaching, you must have strong communication with your teammates. That's pivotal and, if you can, try to get someone to help you for coverage or to deactivate certain devices that block the hard breaching tools. 

It is also very important to have good usage of your drones, as hard breachers also focus on clearing utility and information. You must master your utility usage and droning skills, while your calls should be clear and concise.