How to drone in Rainbow Six Siege

Okay, we get it — getting kills is cool. However, Rainbow Six Siege is more than that. Information is priceless in Rainbow Six Siege, which makes droning a very important part of the game.

In Rainbow Six Siege, attackers start droning during the preparation phase. From there, defenders have the power to shoot at drones if they get to spot one.

Read more: How to attack in Rainbow Six Siege?

What is the preparation phase in Rainbow Six Siege?

The preparation phase is the moment of the round where attackers drone while defenders reinforce walls and place their gadgets — including barbed wire, deployable shields, and other unique operator tools. It lasts for 45 seconds. 

Although teams can't kill their opponents at this stage yet, the preparation phase is arguably what decides the course of the round. Not reinforcing, not using gadgets, or ignoring attacking repick can have a huge impact on the round.

However, attackers can still drone after the preparation phase ends. Droning is essential to succeed in Rainbow Six Siege, as the game is all about having information and knowing how to exploit it. 

How to drone in Rainbow Six Siege

In Rainbow Six Siege, attackers have two standard drones — one used during the preparation phase and another one used during the action phase. Keep in mind that if defenders don't destroy your drone during the preparation phase, you will be able to use it during the action phase. 

This is key, and that's why our first advice is that you play your cards well during the preparation phase. Get information so you and your teammates can use attacker repick, but don't be too aggressive. At the end of the preparation phase, leave your drone in a spot to get information about a certain room or position for the whole round. 

Droning during the round is also very important. You must drone before entering the building or a certain room. Don't forget about droning specific corners. It can make the difference between an early death, and an early kill. 

Pinging is also very important while droning. In Rainbow Six Siege you can use drones to scan defenders, which creates a red ping that only attackers can see. However, when you do that, defenders get a notification that tells them they have been spotted — that doesn't happen if you use the yellow ping, a pinging system for both attackers and defenders. Although the yellow ping isn't as precise as the red ping, it doesn't tell the opponent it has been spotted.

You can also grab operators with more than two drones. For example, Twitch has three, as she has one standard drone and two Twitch drones. Another example is Flores, who has two standard drones and four RCE-RATERO drones.

Meanwhile, defenders can also drone. Although they don't have standard drones, Mozzie can hack the attackers' to use them to his advantage. Echo is another example, as he can use his Yokai Drones to get quick and very valuable information. He can even stick them to the ceiling!

Remember, the more information you have, the more precise you will be. And don't be selfish, sharing is caring! You must give callouts using the information obtained from drones! Even if you are dead, you can check the team's cameras. It can make a huge difference!

How to counter droning in Rainbow Six Siege?

Although it may look difficult, countering droning in Rainbow Six Siege is doable. Here are a few operators that can help you deal with drones!

Solis

Solis' device allows her to detect any kind of electrical device, including drones. Her gadget is very powerful during the preparation phase, as she can not only spot and destroy the drones but also anticipate where the attackers will come from based on the drones' locations.

For instance, if Solis spots a drone on Clubhouse's garage by the end of the preparation phase, it's likely that one of the attackers had strategically placed the drone there to clean that room first.

Mute

Mute's gadget is used to jam any type of attacking utility, including drones. Attackers can't drone freely around a site that's plagued with Mute jammers, which allows the defenders to protect their location from their enemies.

Mozzie

Finally, Mozzie's gadget allows him to hack attacking drones, including Twitch drones. Once they have been hacked, the Australian operator has full power over them. This means that he can drive the drone around the map as he pleases. However, he will lose control of a hacked drone if it spends over ten seconds outside of the building.