Rainbow Six Siege: Wind Bastion review

Ubisoft showed some gameplay updates for Rainbox Six Siege's newest operation called Wind Bastion as a part of the Pro League Finals last weekend. The first thing that will please the eye of those who like to consider locations in detail, is a map called “Fortress”.

Beautiful views of the Moroccan fortifications Kasbah and sandy landscapes. Try not to become a victim whenever you decide to distract your attention from the gameplay to look at frescoes and mosaics. There are many of them in the barracks.

Sometimes I get a bullet in my back when I let myself to be distracted by looking at the interior. Not the best teammate, sure. But at least I don’t kill my teammates.

According to the developers' legend, “Fortress” is the home and military training facility of the new Defender Kaïd. Therefore, you can appreciate the interior, in which one of the Operators lives. Pretty nice and cozy: traditional hammam, a lot of pillows in the living room and portraits of Kaïd on the walls. 

The main operation will take place on two floors of the structure. Each floor has the two objective sites per mode. It is easy to climb onto the roof from either side of the structure with a rope or by numerous stairs outside. Only the Attackers will be able to get inside through the towers, which have a transition to the second floor. Defenders should be vigilant and expect attacks from above. Ubisoft team also showed several positions, in which it is possible to achieve a goal for one side or the other.

“Defenders can lock down the 1st-floor hammam bomb site by funneling attackers into the showers. While attackers can counter by locking down Defender rotations with long lines of sight, between the bomb locations in the hammam and the sitting room.”

One of the most expected updates is the new Attacker Nomad and her Airjab. The device is the sticky, proximity-triggered air-blast grenade that shoves Operators back and throws them to the ground. Players can have hilarious moments when they punch the enemy through an unfortified wall by loading Airjab on them. The most remarkable thing is that Operators will be unable to shoot for some time after the Airjab’s impact. In this way, Nomad becomes a counter-pick for Mira or Clash, sending them to rest on their backs. It is the perfect moment to kill the enemy, while Clash’s trying to recover and return her shield to its place. Fun fact: you can drop an enemy with the Airjab from the roof in some locations of the structure. I’m definitely going to try this trick in the game. 

Think carefully about the Airjab’s location. If you or your teammates find themselves within the radius of its action, you will also take some damage. Do not give the enemy such an advantage and do not make this mistake. Teammates won't be happy about it. Nomad’s counter-pick will be Jager with his grenade deflection system. Nomad has two-speed and two-armor. She will also be useful in the attack phase. Sanaa “Nomad” El Maktoub can disarm the opponents with her special device and finish them off with AK-47 or AR X-200 assault rifles.

Nomad's teacher, Kaïd's willful Operator. Kaïd has one-speed and three-armor, so he will be especially good for the defending team. His Rtila allows electrifying the reinforced surfaces, barbed wire and deployable shields. The radius of the device’s impact allows one shell to power several objects at once. Electroclaw turns on the current after some delay. It won’t let you quickly disarm the enemy or somehow act on it. You will have AUG A3 SMG or TCSG12 semi-automatic shotgun for these purposes.

At the same time, three Rtila Electroclaws can protect the entire room with the correct placement, especially during the siege phase. The device has a small size and it is easy to place on reinforced hatches, protecting the object from invasions from above. However, IQ can spot them, Thatcher’s EMP grenades can destroy them, and Twitch’s drone can shoot them. 

Both new Operators, Kaïd and his student Nomad, are equipped with a powerful .44 Magnum sidearm with the scope, which will allow them to attack the enemy at any range. Players who own the Year 3 Pass will have immediate access to Nomad and Kaïd when Wind Bastion launches on PS4, Xbox One, and PC. All other players will be able to unlock them one week later.

We are interested in your opinion about the update. Feel free to share it with us in the comments. Are you waiting for the opportunity to try out the Nomad or you prefer the old Operators?