The 9th year of Siege opens up with Operation Deadly Omen which brings us some of the biggest changes that Siege ever had, particularly when it comes to how weapons and attachments work. That’s why it’s time to revisit each operator’s weapon’s loadouts to determine which ones work best for them in the current meta.

Ace is one of the few operators in the game which specializes in hard breaching, and since he can deploy his hard breaching device from a distance, he usually plays the role of the backline support or the secondary entry after breaching, and that’s one of the important things to keep in mind when determining which loadouts  are the best for him.

5. M1014 with Reflex B and Laser + P9 with Suppressor and Laser + Claymore

Even before Operation Deadly Omen, shotguns have received some big changes. One of those changes is that it is now more rewarding to go into aim-down-sights stance with them, because doing so will increase its range as well as tighten its pellet spread. You want a tighter pellet spread on your shotgun because it’ll cause more damage to your opponents the more pellets hit their bodies. This kind of goes into one of the biggest changes that came with Operation Deadly Omen, however.

Because with this new season, going into aim-down-sights stance with practically every weapon is much slower. That’s because the devs changed the laser attachment attribute and made it so that it now increases aim-down-sights speed instead of the previous one which tightens the weapon’s hip fire spread. That is the reason why it’s very important to equip the laser attachment to weapons nowadays, particularly with shotguns, because as explained before, they become much more effective when the player is aiming-down-sights with them.

Excels in:

• The laser attachment on the M1014 shotgun will allow the player to go into aim-down-sights faster which is important because the devs made ADS speed on weapons slower
• The M1014 shotgun will give the Ace player the superiority in close range encounters due to its heavy damage per pellet and it shoots eight pellets per shot
• The Reflex B 1.0x sight on Ace’s M1014 shotgun will provide the player with a clear front view as well as the surroundings because of its small frame and reticle design
• The suppressed P9 handgun will allow the Ace player to shoot defender gadgets silently as well as shoot enemies from distances that are beyond the reach of the M1014 shotgun
• Ace having two claymores on his generic gadget slot will allow him to protect himself from roamers and runouts, which is important when the attacking team is breaching.

Build Details:

• Primary weapon - M1014 with Reflex B and Laser
• Secondary weapon - P9 with Suppressor and Laser
• Generic gadget - Claymore

4. AK-12 with Magnified B Scope, Flash Hider, Angled Grip, and Laser + P9 with Suppressor and Laser + Breach Charge

Even though shotguns in the game have been buffed with their increased effectiveness when the player is aiming-down-sights with them as well as their destruction rate per shot, it’s still true that non-slug shotguns like the M1014 are basically only effective at close range. That’s why the AK-12 assault rifle is still the clear choice for Ace players when choosing their primary weapon. With it, they’ll have a fully automatic weapon which deals heavy damage, has a fast rate of fire, and can hit targets at close range.

With that said, even before Operation Deadly Omen, the AK-12's recoil has always been a bit of a challenge to hold down. That’s why it’s important for it to have at least one recoil control providing attachment, and in this setup, that would be the flash hider. As for the angled grip, its benefits to weapons have been changed, and now it provides +20% reload speed instead of the previous one which was a bonus to ADS speed. With this loadout setup, it’ll be faster for Ace to get out of sticky situations because he’ll be able to reload his AK-12 much faster.

Excels in:

• Ace in this setup will excel at high traffic situations because he’ll be able to reload his AK-12 assault rifle much faster due to the +20% reload speed boost from the angled grip.
• The Magnified B Scope on Ace’s AK-12 will provide 2.5x zoom as well as pinpoint accuracy due to its arrowhead reticle which doesn’t obstruct the player’s view of the target at all
• The flash hider barrel attachment on Ace’s AK-12 assault rifle will provide the much-needed vertical recoil control that the player will need because the AK-12 can be a challenge to control
• The suppressed P9 handgun as Ace’s secondary weapon will allow him to silently shoot enemy gadgets and that’s important for a more tactical approach to the objective spot
• The breach charges in Ace’s arsenal will allow him to excel at soft breaching, which is also great for vertical plays because it will allow him to destroy the wooden floors above the objective spot

Build Details:

• Primary weapon - AK-12 with Magnified B Scope, Flash Hider, Angled Grip, and Laser
• Secondary weapon - P9 with Suppressor and Laser
• Generic gadget - Breach Charge

Recoil pattern test on the AK-12 in this setup with the author’s own recoil control applied:

3. AK-12 with Magnified B Scope, Suppressor, Vertical Grip, and Laser + P9 with Muzzle Brake and Laser + Claymore

The suppressor on the AK-12's barrel partnered with the vertical grip used to be my best combination for Ace. However, because of the recent big changes that came with Operation Deadly Omen, this has been demoted to the third spot. That’s because the vertical grip’s recoil control has been reduced to 20% from 25%, so now, even with a vertical grip it can be quite a challenge to handle the AK-12's recoil. With that said, this setup is still a very viable loadout for Ace.

That’s because the suppressor retains its previous benefits which is the removal of the directional threat indicator from your shots as well as their muzzle flash. It’ll also greatly muffle the sound of Ace’s AK-12's gunshots, making it harder for enemies to ascertain his location when he’s shooting. In other words, this setup is still great because it will allow the player to excel in stealth which always plays a major role in Siege gameplay given that it’s a highly tactical multiplayer shooter.

Excels in:

• The suppressed AK-12 assault rifle will not have a muzzle flash and directional threat indicator when being shot, so it’ll be harder for enemies to immediately learn where Ace is shooting from
• The suppressor on Ace’s AK-12 assault rifle will also muffle its gunshot sounds, making it even harder for enemies to determine his location through sound cues.
• Even though it’s been nerfed, the vertical grip is still a great attachment to have for controlling the weapon’s vertical recoil which is important for weapons like the AK-12 which has a strong weapon kick
• The P9 handgun doesn’t need to be suppressed in this setup because Ace will have the capability to shoot silently with the suppressed AK-12, so it’s better to equip the P9 with a muzzle brake that’ll increase its recoil control.
• Ace having two claymores in his arsenal will allow him to protect himself and his teammates from roamers and run outs when they’re breaching or planting the defuser

Build Details:

• Primary weapon - AK-12 with Magnified B Scope, Suppressor, Vertical Grip, and Laser
• Secondary weapon - P9 with Muzzle Brake and Laser
• Generic gadget - Claymore

Recoil pattern test on the AK-12 in this setup with the author’s own recoil control applied:

2. AK-12 with Magnified B Scope, Flash Hider, Horizontal Grip, and Laser + P9 with Suppressor and Laser + Breach Charge

The horizontal grip is the newest item in Rainbow Six Siege that came along with Operation Deadly Omen. It’s a brand-new grip attachment and what it does is to increase the operator speed by 5%. Now when it comes to going from one point to another, that 5% speed boost won’t really make much difference. I actually tested it on a 1-speed operator, and what would normally have taken 4.1 seconds to get to will take 3.9 seconds when the horizontal grip is equipped on the operator’s weapon.

On the Siege subreddit, it also seems to the general consensus that 5% speed boost is practically useless. However, I disagree. While it may be practically useless for getting from one place to another, that 5% speed boost does a lot when it comes to making it harder for you to get hit. That’s why I’m placing this loadout setup at a high place in the list. With this, Ace will be able to move a bit faster while still having good recoil control on his AK-12 through the flash hider barrel attachment. It’ll also help him cover more ground faster when performing an entry role after hard breaching.

Excels in:

• The horizontal grip on Ace’s AK-12 assault rifle will make him harder to hit when he’s in motion and will also allow him to cover more ground faster when pushing after a hard breach
• The flash hider on Ace’s AK-12 assault rifle will be the attachment that will provide the much needed recoil control on the weapon because the AK-12's stock recoil is pretty rough
• The magnified B scope will provide plenty of zoom for Ace to be able to see his targets well even at long distance, and that usually translates to better accuracy especially with the scope’s arrow tip reticle.
• Since the AK-12 in this setup will be loud, the suppressed P9 as Ace’s secondary weapon will provide him with the means to silently shoot defender gadgets when he’s attempting a stealthy approach
• The breach charges as his generic gadget will allow Ace to easily destroy unreinforced walls or the floors above the objective spot if he’s going for a vertical play.

Build Details:

• Primary weapon - AK-12 with Magnified B Scope, Flash Hider, Horizontal Grip, and Laser
• Secondary weapon - P9 with Suppressor and Laser
• Generic gadget - Breach Charge

Recoil pattern test on the AK-12 in this setup with the author’s own recoil control applied:

1. AK-12 with Magnified B Scope, Flash Hider, Vertical Grip, and Laser + P9 with Suppressor and Laser + Claymore

As mentioned before, the devs have lowered the recoil control benefits from the vertical grip from 25% to 20%, and that has a lot of impact on weapons like the AK-12 which has a pretty challenging stock recoil to begin with. That’s why I’m putting this loadout setup at number one. With this, Ace will have the best control on his AK-12 because both the vertical grip and the flash hider attachments will work hand in hand to lower the vertical recoil of the weapon, and the more stable the recoil is, the better the accuracy of the player will be.

Being able to control the AK-12's shots as best as possible will be huge for Ace, because as mentioned before, he usually plays the backline support or second entry role after hard breaching, and that means engaging enemies in high traffic situations or in sudden encounters. And to have the ability to control the AK-12 with its high rate of fire will really allow Ace to excel in those situations. The laser is also a very important part of this because it will allow him to go into aim-down-sights stance much faster than the new normal.

Excels in:

• Having the best recoil control on Ace’s AK-12 because of the presence of both the flash hider barrel attachment and the vertical grip which will work hand in hand to lower the weapon’s vertical grip
• Being able to go into aim-down-sights faster than the new normal due to the presence of the laser attachment on Ace’s AK-12 assault rifle as well as his suppressed P9 handgun
• Having great accuracy when targeting enemies because of the high zoom level from the magnified B scope as well as its arrow tip reticle which promotes pinpoint shooting
• Having a secondary weapon in the suppressed P9 handgun which will allow Ace to shoot enemy gadgets with much less chances of alerting them to his whereabouts
• Ace having access to two claymores per round will allow him to score kills on enemies who will attempt run outs or hit Ace and his teammates from behind, especially when they’re breaching and pushing.

Build Details:

• Primary weapon - AK-12 with Magnified B Scope, Flash Hider, Vertical Grip, and Laser
• Secondary weapon - P9 with Suppressor and Laser
• Generic gadget - Claymore

Recoil pattern test on the AK-12 in this setup with the author’s own recoil control applied:

Attention operator, please be advised. There is a new directive from Six. Read up on these related articles, and prepare for deployment:

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