When we think of the most popular operators in Rainbow Six Siege, we may think of Ash, Iana, Jäger, Thermite, and Thatcher. But, how many times have you seen them using a shotgun?
Well, shotguns are very common in Rainbow Six Siege. However, these are mainly used by defenders. Think about it, defenders are the ones who have to protect the site, so it's important to have weapons that can destroy walls and give them a better chance at short-distance gun fights.
Meanwhile, attackers are often seen with assault rifles and 1.5x, 2.0x, and even 2.5x scopes to have a better shot at long-distance gunfights.
So, what's the best shotgun to use in Rainbow Six Siege? We have built a Tier List to answer this question while guiding you across all of the shotguns in the game.
Read more: Who is the best operator in Rainbow Six Siege?
Rainbow Six Siege Shotgun Tier List
We have ordered every shotgun in Rainbow Six Siege on a Tier List. While building it, we considered multiple aspects, including:
- How much is the shotgun used?
- How efficient is the shotgun in gun fights?
- Shotgun's recoil.
Having that in mind, we can firmly say that Rainbow Six Siege's best shotgun is Ela's FO-12. It's also worth mentioning Buck's Skeleton Key, Smoke and Mute's M590A1, and Caveira's SPAS-15.
Here's a brief rundown of every space in the Tier List!
Tier S
Ela's shotgun is semi-automatic and has ten bullets per magazine, which makes it deadly in short-distance gun fights. If you pair it with Ela's gadget, the stun combined with the shotgun's power is too much for any attacker.
Tier A
Buck's Skeleton Key is one of the best gadgets in the game. The destructibility this weapon offers is pivotal for the attackers on maps like Consulate and Kafe, where most of the floors and ceilings are soft. Moreover, Buck's strength in short-distance gun fights can't be ignored.
Read more: What is a soft breacher in Siege?
Smoke and Mute's M590A1 is one of the best shotguns on defense mainly because it's used to create valuable rotations and new angles that make a huge difference during the round. On top of that, this shotgun is deadly: one shot is often enough to kill any attacker.
Caveira's SPAS-15 is a semi-automatic shotgun, just like Ela's shotgun and Buck's Skeleton Key. Combining the SPAS-15 with Caveira's Silent Step is a nightmare for the attackers, as they must get rid of the Brazilian operator without getting too close.
Tier B
Most of the players in Rainbow Six Siege underrate the Super Shorty. This gun does everything, from opening hatches to vertical plays. It's also a good weapon to use for killing, despite only having three bullets. For these reasons, the Super Shorty has made the Tier B.
Tier B also includes Frost's shotgun, which was the best back in the day... OG fans know how deadly it was.
We have also included Kapkan's shotgun, Amaru's shotgun, and Nøkk's shotgun. Although some operators don't use them much, these three can be seen using their shotguns every now and then.
Tier C
In Tier C we have put some of the most unique shotguns in Rainbow Six Siege.
Vigil's BOSG.12.2 is difficult to control, but it's extremely deadly and rare: one shot often ends up in one kill.
Maestro, Alibi, and Azami's shotgun is also in this tier, as the gun's popularity isn't the best in the game, but it gives them the chance to be good in long-distance gun fights. We still prefer Kaid's shotgun, though.
We have also included Bandit and Thorn's shotgun, Valkyrie's shotgun, and Mira's shotguns.
Tier D
Finally, we think that the SG-CQB is the worst shotgun in Rainbow Six Siege.
There are multiple reasons why we have decided to put this weapon at the bottom of the list. While it's easy to control, this shotgun only has seven bullets per magazine. It's also a pump shotgun, which doesn't make it efficient: if you miss your first shot you will probably end up dying.
Moreover, all of the operators who can use this weapon have better guns in their loadouts. Doc and Rook, for example, can use the MP5, which has a 1.5x scope. All Lion, Twitch, and Grim also have better loadouts.