Rainbow Six Siege is Ubisoft's tactical FPS built around destructible environments, unique operator gadgets, and asymmetric attack/defense gameplay. Each round, one team defends an objective while the other attacks, using 60+ operators with unique abilities. The game's depth comes from map knowledge, callouts, drone usage, and creative destruction of walls and floors. With over 20 competitive maps and a thriving esports scene, Siege rewards intelligence and teamwork above raw aim.
This walkthrough takes you from your first session to endgame content. Each phase has specific goals, priorities, and milestones. Follow this path to avoid common traps that stall most players.
Quick Progression Summary
| Phase | Area | Focus | Role | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Start | Bank | destructible environments basics | Intel Gatherer | 1-2 hours |
| 2. Early | Clubhouse | operator gadgets mastery | Intel Gatherer | 3-5 hours |
| 3. Mid | Coastline | droning + gear | Hard Breacher or Intel Gatherer | 5-10 hours |
| 4. Late | Oregon | Build optimization | Hard Breacher | 5-10 hours |
| 5. Endgame | Kafe Dostoyevsky | Min-max | Hard Breacher or Support | Ongoing |
Phase 1: Getting Started — Bank
A competitive map with vertical play through the main floor to basement. CEO/Server room (top floor) and Open Area/Vault (basement) are the main sites. Bank teaches vertical destruction — opening floors above basement is essential for attacking below.
Level/Difficulty: Competitive map pool Key Rewards: Learn vertical play, floor destruction, site anchoring
What to Do in Bank
- Learn destructible environments. Most walls, floors, and ceilings can be destroyed with explosives, shotguns, or melee. Spend your first session getting comfortable with this.
- Pick Intel Gatherer as your starting role. It's the most forgiving option.
- Use drones before entering any room — droning saves lives. A 10-second drone check prevents walk-in deaths. Always drone ahead of your push.
- Acquire your first weapons upgrade — MP5 (Doc) or whatever's available.
- Clear all main content before moving on.
Phase 1 Checklist
- Understand destructible environments fundamentals
- Intel Gatherer selected and functional
- Bank main content cleared
- Ready for Clubhouse
Phase 2: Early Game — Clubhouse
A bar/motorcycle club with two distinct floors. Cash Room/CCTV (basement) and Bedroom/Gym (upstairs) are primary sites. Strong for learning roaming paths and how to deny vertical play from above.
Level/Difficulty: Competitive map pool Key Rewards: Learn roam paths, cross-floor denials, garage wall control
What to Do in Clubhouse
- Work on operator gadgets. Each operator has a unique gadget: Thermite places exothermic charges on reinforced walls, Valkyrie throws cameras for intel, Mute jams electronic devices. This system becomes critical from here on.
- Farm for MP5 (Doc) if you haven't already. It's the key upgrade for this phase.
- Reinforce between bomb sites, not on them — reinforcing walls between A and B site creates a wall attackers can't breach. Don't reinforce rotation holes your team needs.
- Complete all objectives before pushing to Coastline.
- Consider whether Hard Breacher might suit your playstyle better than Intel Gatherer.
Phase 2 Checklist
- operator gadgets integrated into gameplay
- MP5 (Doc) acquired
- Clubhouse fully cleared
- Ready for Coastline
Phase 3: Mid Game — Coastline
A beachside hotel with heavy windows and external pressure. Billiards/Hookah and Kitchen/Service are main sites. Unique because many attacks come from outside through windows rather than traditional breaching.
Level/Difficulty: Competitive map pool Key Rewards: Learn window play, external pressure, penthouse control
What to Do in Coastline
- Master droning. Attackers have two drones per round for reconnaissance. This unlocks a new layer of gameplay.
- Start working toward R4-C (Ash). It's the best weapon and becomes accessible around now.
- Learn one attacking and one defending operator first. Master their gadget, weapons, and role before expanding your operator pool.
- This area is the main skill check. If you can clear it, you're ready for late game.
- Start investing in reinforcement placement for the tactical depth you'll need going forward.
Phase 3 Checklist
- droning mastered
- R4-C (Ash) acquired or in progress
- Coastline fully cleared
- Ready for Oregon
Phase 4: Late Game — Oregon
A compound with basement, first floor, and attic sites. Laundry/Supply Room (basement) is the most played site. Oregon teaches proper reinforcement strategy and how to play above/below objectives.
Level/Difficulty: Competitive map pool Key Rewards: Learn reinforcement strategy, basic competitive strats
What to Do in Oregon
- Finalize your build. You should be running Hard Breacher or Intel Gatherer with optimized gear.
- R4-C (Ash) should be your primary. If you don't have it yet, prioritize getting it.
- Sound gives away position through walls and floors. Walk when near enemies, crouch when directly above/below them. Sprint only when you know you're safe.
- sound propagation optimization starts here. Small improvements compound into massive advantages.
- Farm this area for the resources needed to push into Kafe Dostoyevsky.
Phase 4 Checklist
- Build fully optimized
- R4-C (Ash) upgraded to max
- Oregon fully cleared
- Ready for Kafe Dostoyevsky
Phase 5: Endgame — Kafe Dostoyevsky
A Russian cafe with three floors and strong vertical play. Mining Room/Train Room and Kitchen/Bakery are primary sites. Kafe rewards coordinated attacks using multiple entry points simultaneously.
Level/Difficulty: Competitive map pool Key Rewards: Learn multi-pronged attacks, coordinated breaching
What to Do in Kafe Dostoyevsky
- Kafe Dostoyevsky tests everything. Come prepared with your best build and gear.
- Barricades can be punched once to create peek holes without fully opening them. Two punches create a crouch hole. Three destroys the barricade.
- The endgame loop: run Kafe Dostoyevsky, optimize gear, push harder content.
- Experiment with Support for a fresh take once you've mastered the standard builds.
- This is where sound propagation mastery separates good players from great ones.
Phase 5 Checklist
- Endgame content on farm
- Best-in-slot gear acquired
- Kafe Dostoyevsky fully cleared
- Ready for challenge content
Common Progression Mistakes
- Not droning before pushing — running into a room without droning first is the #1 cause of death for attackers. Always drone, even if it takes 10 extra seconds.
- Reinforcing the wrong walls — reinforcing rotation holes (walls your team uses to move between sites) traps your own defenders. Learn which walls to reinforce per site.
- Spawn peeking constantly — defenders who peek windows at spawn kill one attacker but die every other attempt. The trade isn't worth it against prepared attackers.
- Playing without a microphone — Siege is a team game requiring constant communication. Map callouts, enemy positions, and gadget status must be shared verbally.
- Ignoring the preparation phase as attacker — the 45-second drone phase is critical for finding the objective, identifying defender positions, and placing drones for later use.
Key Tips for Smooth Progression
- Use drones before entering any room — droning saves lives. A 10-second drone check prevents walk-in deaths. Always drone ahead of your push.
- Reinforce between bomb sites, not on them — reinforcing walls between A and B site creates a wall attackers can't breach. Don't reinforce rotation holes your team needs.
- Learn one attacking and one defending operator first. Master their gadget, weapons, and role before expanding your operator pool.
- Sound gives away position through walls and floors. Walk when near enemies, crouch when directly above/below them. Sprint only when you know you're safe.
- Barricades can be punched once to create peek holes without fully opening them. Two punches create a crouch hole. Three destroys the barricade.
For detailed build optimization, see Rainbow Six Siege builds. For quick wins, check tips & tricks.
