Operation High Stakes' defender Denari is the most creative operator Ubisoft have released to Rainbow Six Siege since Azami.
The Swiss operator offers endless of possibilities to slow down the attackers in multiple fields, from intel gathering to roam cleaning and pushing a specific room. Denari achieves that by creating unique, personalised connection lineups, which make him even more satisfying to use: players aren't limited to doorways as the gadgets can be deployed anywhere. The limit of the device is set to the player's imagination.
All in all, the way the T.R.I.P. Connectors work make Denari an excellent defender, possibly the best operator concept Ubisoft have ever thought of in years. However, should we expect Denari to steal the show in Operation High Stakes? Will he become the new meta? Let's have a look at what Denari brings to the table and then answer some of your questions.
Denari's loadout
Denari isn't just about his operator gadget — his loadout is as aggressive as versatile. Including the Scorpion and the FMG-9, Denari's primary guns are all extremely useful to roam. These two weapons are different to each other, and that's what makes Denari even better: players won't find it difficult to adapt to him, at least from a gun point of view.
His loadout also includes a slug shotgun, the Glave-12, which produces 63 HP of damage. With Fenrir and Lesion losing their secondary shotguns, and with Doc and Rook likely falling behind the expected Operation High Stakes meta, Denari having a secondary shotgun could be differential.
Last but not least, Denari brings a deployable shield, which is extremely useful. Overall, Denari's weapons, gadget, and operator traits already make him a great option to play any role in Rainbow Six Siege X.
Denari's device
Denari's T.R.I.P. Connector is the most creative operator gadget released to Rainbow Six Siege since Azami's Kiba Barriers; and that's purely because these traps, unlike Aruni or Kapkan's, can be placed and connected anywhere on the map — as long as the connectors are separated by a maximum of 20 meters.
The possibilities that Denari offers are endless and he's set to become one of the best trap operators in the game, alongside Lesion, Fenrir, and Kapkan. Here are some of the ways players can use Denari in Rainbow Six Siege X:
Bomb site Denari lineups
Denari allows you to block multiple entry points and planting spots in any bomb site in the game. In the post attached above this paragraph, you have some examples of lineups on Chalet, Clubhouse, and Border.
Denari bomb site lineups will require players to attach the T.R.I.P. Connectors to places where attackers can't see the devices. This means they won't be able to shoot the connectors, making it harder for them to push the site. To unlock the lineup's full potential, convince a teammate to bring a Jäger or a Wamai to cancel any grenades thrown.
Recently, players discovered that T.R.I.P. Connector lasers can go through bullet holes. This is also something to consider when placing the devices; it will be way more difficult for attackers to spot the gadget's location.
Cancelling intel gathering tools and other devices
Denari's lasers have also been used by the community to block drone holes and other spaces frequently used for attackers to sneak a drone in the site. This can also be used to cancel other utility like fragmentation grenades.
For instance, when attacking Consulate's basement, attackers often throw the drone hole next to the Garage wall to gather information regarding the bomb site. Meanwhile, attackers like Sledge, Finka, or Iana throw fragmentation grenades to the space between the wall and the ceiling to make Bandit-tricking harder. Placing a Denari connection there will block both, making it even more difficult for attackers to open that key wall.
Slowing down roam cleaners
Denari's connectors don't necessarily have to be in the site, he can also place them in other spots of the map. One of the best ways to use them is thinking of slowing down roam cleaning tasks like the ones executed by Deimos, Dokkaebi, Jackal, and Lion.
To slow down these operators, simply use Denari's connectors as mini Kapkan traps. As he has seven connectors, he can create at least three traps. You can make more by placing all of the T.R.I.P. Connectors in the same room. It will force these attackers to clean the gadgets before hunting Denari, whose loadout makes him a perfect roamer.
Is Denari overpowered?
Denari may be really creative and strong but it's not overpowered. Denari is balanced and in a good position to establish himself as a strong defender, but nothing more.
Denari's T.R.I.P. Connectors are extremely powerful yet the big number of counters available make them easy to be dealt with. We're talking of an extremely innovative gadget, likely to be the device that requires the most skill in Rainbow Six Siege X, so it will take time for defenders to fully learn how to use it, but, especially, it will take attackers a lot of time and effort to fully adapt to play against Denari.
When you're an attacker, playing against Denari is all about patience. The counters are definitely there; you can shoot the gadget, you can blow it with a grenade, explosives, you can use EMPs, you can use IQ's scanner, Twitch and Zero's tasers, and even Brava's Klutch Drones. If none of these work, you can even throw a standard drone to temporarily cancel the connection. However, let's be real here: Rainbow Six Siege X players aren't precisely known for being patient, possibly the most priceless skill to have in the game.
While Denari's concept may be overpowered, the amount of counters automatically balances the gadget. This being said, to have it easy to counter the device, players must drone well during the preparation phase to have a solid idea of what T.R.I.P. Connector lineups will Denari put down. If Denari goes unnoticed and attackers don't bring gadgets that can counter the Swiss defender, the attackers will definitely have it tough to win the round. So, Denari's ceiling isn't just about players knowing how to use his device, but mostly about attackers adapting to the gadget — and, just like patience, adaptation is not something all players have.
Does Denari need a nerf?
Denari doesn't need a nerf now, but he could do with one in the future. We think a good potential first nerf would be making T.R.I.P. Connectors to not regenerate the link once a laser has been triggered.
As of now, the connection between two T.R.I.P. Connectors will be regenerated a few seconds after it has been triggered, similarly to Jäger's ADSs. After all, Denari's device is a trap, and, in Rainbow Six Siege X, once a trap is triggered — like Ela, Lesion, or Kapkan — it's simply gone. However, Denari's traps are always there, unless they are shot or destroyed. This could make Denari's gadget too strong. Again, though, we don't think this change should be introduced asap; it can wait to Operation High Stakes mid-season patch.
Is Denari the best trap operator?
When we think of trap operators in Rainbow Six Siege X, we automatically think of Kapkan, Lesion, Ela, Frost, and even Fenrir. Now, with Denari in the house, some players believe he will become the best trap operator in the game. We don't think they are wrong.
Operation High Stakes isn't just bringing Denari to the game but it's also nerfing three of the trap operators mentioned in the paragraph above: Frost is losing her magnifying scope while Lesion and Fenrir are losing their secondary shotguns.
With Ela having the same gun as Denari (Scorpion) and the same operator traits, we believe Denari is slightly better than the Polish defender — mainly due to gadget reasons. Meanwhile, Denari having a slug shotgun as a secondary is something Fenrir and Lesion can't really match anymore. So, right now, we think Denari and Lesion are the best trap operators, right above Kapkan and Fenrir.
This is a very early answer to this trap operator-related question, and only time will tell if we're right or wrong. We will see how players adapt and use Denari in the upcoming days, especially in the first fortnight of Operation High Stakes, when players won't be able to ban the Swiss defender.
This is our opinion about Denari only a couple of days after Ubisoft opened the doors of the Operation High Stakes Test Server. While we don't think Denari is broken, we still think Ubisoft must keep an eye on his evolution, the evolution of his tech, the challenges that he can create to attackers, and if solving these is as easy as some people may think. Based on that, nerfs should be explored; but, again, we don't think these are needed as of now.
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