The 5 Best Operators In Rainbow Six: Extraction Ranked

While "Rainbow Six: Extraction" (formerly "Rainbow Six: Quarantine") has left some critics a tad underwhelmed, players feel the title still delivers on its promise of a PvE "Rainbow Six" experience and offers some worthwhile fun — especially for those who get the game free through Xbox Game Pass. 

"Rainbow Six: Extraction" sets a team of three players against the rapidly expanding threat of the alien Chimera parasite, descending into hot zones to complete objectives and eliminate the Archaean enemies that follow the interstellar infestation. Utilizing a roster of Operator characters, players will have to wager individual Operator loadouts and abilities against losing the Operator or having them return injured. Operators are the lifeblood of "Rainbow Six: Extraction," and knowing the best ones to take into the fray can make all the difference.

Among the 18 Operators in "Rainbow Six: Extraction," some perform decidedly better than others. Considering the title's focus on stealth and tactical gameplay, long-time "Rainbow Six: Siege" favorites like the hammer-wielding Sledge might not be as applicable as other Operators that can offer quiet support. Here are the five best Operator picks in "Rainbow Six: Extraction," ranked.

Ideally, during any excursion in "Rainbow Six: Extraction," players don't want to alert the swarms of Archaean and the nests they spawn from — but sometimes things don't go according to plan. When the best laid plans go astray, it's good to have someone around who can get things under control. Thankfully, Alibi can do just that with her Prisma ability. Prisma allows players to toss out a decoy for Archaean to attack while everyone else moves in the opposite direction. Alibi's ability is even useful before a fight breaks out, opening the option for players to use the decoy as a means to lure Archaean away from an objective or the path forward. 

Alibi may not have much armor compared to other Operators, but with increased speed and a primary submachine gun (complete with silencer), players shouldn't have an issue keeping this Operator one step ahead of the Archaean. Alternatively, players can unlock the ACS12 auto shotgun or the heavy ALDA machine gun, but both options forgo the use of the all-important silencer. Alibi starts with the powerful-but-loud Bailiff 410 revolver, but players can also unlock a silenced revolver alternative upon reaching level 6.

To make the most out of Alibi, players should stick to at least one weapon with a silencer, preferably the primary weapon the Operator starts out with. For REACT Tech, Alibi works best with either Scan Mines or Smoke Grenades and an Explosive Harness or Recon Drones.

Players may find that they don't use Finka's ability nearly as often as they might use another Operator's, but they'll be glad to have it if the need ever arises. Finka has the ability Adrenal Surge, which the Operator can use to revive fallen teammates. Considering the fact that Operators go MIA if a player is downed twice, Finka is great to have around. Adrenal Surge also temporarily boosts team response and survival, but players ought to reserve its use for the most dire of situations. What makes Finka's ability especially useful is that it revives all downed allies when used. This means if a team of three is unlucky enough to lose two players and they're located close to each other, Finka can save both.

Finka isn't particularly fast or tough-skinned, but the Operator has quite a few weapons to choose from, several of which have options for silencers. There's even an opportunity to use a silenced shotgun with Finka, among other choices like the standard SPEAR automatic rifle, an LMG and a silenced submachine gun. For secondary weapons, Finka has access to two 9mm handguns, both with the option of suppressors.

Finka is an ideal choice for excursions loaded with dangerous Objectives. Players should play her cautiously, taking silenced weapons and hanging back behind other teammates. After all, the last thing players want is to have to use Adrenal Surge on themselves. 

Health is a currency in "Rainbow Six: Extraction." Individual Operators won't heal at the end of a mission, but instead heal through the progress of other Operators. On top of this, there's no way to heal Operators directly while they're on a mission, since health packs only grant temporary HP. In this sense, it's imperative for players to have as much of a HP buffer as possible to avoid taking any actual damage. Doc is just the Operator to help remedy this situation, as the character can use the Health Shots ability to pull out a Stim Pistol for on-the-go healing. Health Shots can even revive a fallen teammate in a pinch, making each of the three shots extremely useful.

Doc is slow, but fairly well-armored. The medic starts out with a shotgun and a silenced pistol, but every other primary weapon the Operator can unlock has the option for a silencer. If players don't want to take two silenced weapons into the fight, Doc can also unlock a powerful revolver as a secondary.

Players using Doc should keep their eyes peeled for any Ability pick ups during their excursion. Health Shots gives Doc three shots that grant 20 temporary HP each, falling just 10 HP shy of the amount a health pack heals if combined on a single ally. Each Ability pick up is nearly equivalent to a full health pack for Doc.

For players to find consistent success in "Rainbow Six: Extraction," they'll need to learn how to pick and choose which battles to fight. Taking the wrong path towards an objective can lead to unnecessary confrontations — and in the worst scenarios, possibly even an Operator's fall. 

There is an Operator, however, who can identify nearby Archaean and make life much easier for themselves and their team. Lion has the Ability EE-ONE-D Drone and it allows the Operator to detect and reveal all moving enemies within a certain proximity. While the stipulation of moving enemies might deter some players, Lion's ability will still reveal the majority of what players are going to come up against. 

Lion has a bit of both speed and Armor, but the Operator's ability and loadout ensure players won't need to worry too much about running from foes or taking their blows. Lion starts off with a V308 silenced battle rifle and an effective hand cannon, but players can opt for other silenced assault rifles or even a shotgun. Lion's Secondary slot is a little light with only one other option, but the silenced P9 handgun serves well enough as a quiet sidearm.

Lion is all about revealing enemy locations and taking them out quietly. Players can support this playstyle with any number of silenced weapons and standard REACT Tech options, including Smoke Grenades and Recon Drones.

Pulse serves as an alternative to Lion, allowing players to see Archaean nests, MIA Operators and VIP rescue targets with the Cardiac Sensor ability. Although Pulse isn't able to see an Archaean patrolling on the other side of a wall, he can deploy the Cardiac Sensor at any time to help locate Objective targets or prevent the team from walking into a room full of nests. Pulse's ability fits into team composition in a similar fashion to Lion's, helping the team choose the best path forward and allowing a peek at what lies ahead.

Pulse has above average speed and armor, making the Operator an impressive squad leader when coupled with the recon potential of Cardiac Sensor. Players will start with shotgun and a silenced 9mm pistol, and every weapon earned through leveling him up will be compatible with silencers. 

Players looking to make the most out of Pulse should take a Field Wall (if available) or Smoke Grenades For gear, Pulse shouldn't need to worry about Recon Drones and can instead choose either Body Armor or a Revive Kit, depending on which will be most valuable for the team composition at hand. Players shouldn't run off alone as Pulse, but the character has one of the best recon abilities in the game and they'll likely be the first to spot trouble; these equipment option ensure players will be able to live long enough to tell their team what they've found.