Rainbow Six Siege Defender weapons tier list (Y9S1)

The weapons tier list for Rainbow Six Siege Defenders has been shaken up recently after the release of Y9S1 Operation Deadly Omen, with a ton of nerfs and buffs for several operators. This has led to a meta where players use the 2.5x sight as often as possible.

Many operators on defense gained the 2.5x ACOG sight, and some significant ones lost access to the 1.5x sight with the Y9S1 Deadly Omen update—the shell of which remains, albeit in the form of a 2.5x sight variant. This led to many defense operator weapons being picked up more often than others, causing a shift in the Defender weapons tier list.

In this article, we look at the Rainbow Six Siege Defender weapons tier list for Y9S1, which takes into account Y9S1.3 Defender Win Delta per Operator VS Presence for ranks Emerald and Above on PC and Console.

Note: This article is subjective and reflects the author's opinions.

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Defender Weapons tier list for Rainbow Six Siege Deadly Omen (Y9S1)

Defender weapons tier list in Rainbow Six Siege Y9S1 (Image via Tiermaker)

Defenders in Rainbow Six Siege have a wide roster of weapons, and considering the Y9S1 sight changes and ADS times, many have stood out as more effective during rounds than others. This effectiveness accounts for fire rate, damage per second, range, and TTK (time to kill). Although the Defender tier list Y9S1 doesn't directly impact this weapons tier list, the Win Delta VS Presence ranking influences both.

The Defender weapons mentioned below consist of all the primary SMGs, LMGs, DMRs, ARs, Shotguns, Secondary SMGs, and Machine Pistols. They're categorized into five tiers: S, A, B, C, and D. The S tier comprises the best weapons on the defensive side, whereas D has the most disappointing ones.

S tier

ALDA 556 is one of the best guns in Y9S1 (Image via Ubisoft)

The top choices in this weapons tier list include arguably the best guns on Defense in Rainbow Six Siege Operation Deadly Omen. They pack the most powerful punch across four different classes of weapons. These are the cream of the crop when it comes to LMGs, SMGs, DMRs, and Shotguns, excelling in fields like fire rate, damage per second, TTK, and effective range.

Of the six weapons in this S tier, three feature 2.5x ACOG sights, and all of the weapons boast a high overall damage output, which will make attackers think twice before taking a gunfight against these weapon wielders. The guns included in this tier are

ALDA 5.56 (LMG 1x for Maestro)
MP5K (SMG 1x for Mute, 2.5x for Wamai)
T-5 (SMG 1x for Lesion, Oryx)
AR-15.50 (DMR 2.5x for Tubarao)
MK 14 EBR (DMR 2.5x for Aruni)
M590A1 (Shotgun 1x for Smoke, Mute, Warden)

A tier

Vector shines well as a solid pick due to its 2.5x scope (Goyo) and extremely high fire rate (Image via Ubisoft)

The A tier consists of some of the finest guns in the Rainbow Six Siege Defender weapons tier list. Although they slightly fall short in some aspects to qualify for the S tier, they are formidable for dealing with attackers.

Be it high fire rate, high damage per bullet, lethal range, or low TTK, these are amazing choices for any player to pick up and destroy attackers. The A tier in this Defender weapons tier list consists of four classes of weapons and numerous offer the added advantage of 2.5x ACOG sight. The classes are SMGs, ARs, Shotguns, and Machine Pistols. The weapons in this tier are,

MP5 (SMG 2.5x for Doc, Rook, Melusi)
MP7 (SMG 1x for Bandit, Fenrir)
M870 (Shotgun 1x for Jager, Bandit, Thorn)
416-C Carbine (AR 1x for Jager)
K1A (SMG 1x for Vigil)
Vector .45 ACP (SMG 2.5x for Goyo, 1x for Mira)
MPX (SMG 1x for Valkyrie, Warden)
FO-12 (Shotgun 1x for Ela)
TCSG12 (Shotgun 2.5x for Goyo, Kaid)
SMG-11 (Machine Pistol 1x for Smoke, Mute, Solis)
9X19VSN (SMG 1x for Kapkan, Azami, 2.5x for Lord Tachanka)
9MM C1 (SMG 2.5x for Frost)
Spear .308 (AR 1x for Thunderbird)
MX4 Storm (SMG 1x for Alibi)
FMG-9 (SMG 1x for Smoke)
Supernova (Shotgun 1x for Echo)

B tier

The Junko UMP45 skin for Team SSG made by KOOBI (Image via Ubisoft)

This layer of the weapons tier list consists of a wide selection that falls significantly short in a primary aspect in Rainbow Six Siege, like fire rate, damage per bullet, range, or TTK. All the weapons mentioned below are known to struggle due to a sporadic recoil pattern that makes them inconsistent or low damage and bullet count, making them ineffective even at medium distances.

This tier in the defender weapons tier list includes weapons of four classes: SMGs, ARs, Machine Pistols, and Shotguns. Only a couple of the weapons come with the 2.5x; even then, areas like fire rate and TTK hinder their consideration for a promotion. The weapons in the B tier are as follows:

Aug A2 (AR 1x for Wamai)
Scorpion EVO 3 A1 (SMG 1x for Ela)
Bearing-9 (Machine Pistol 1x for Echo, Thunderbird, Lord Tachanka)
SMG-12 (Machine Pistol 1x for Vigil, Warden)
P-10 Roni (SMG 1x for Mozzie)
Commando 9 (AR 1x for Mozzie)
UZK50GI (SMG 1x for Thorn)
P90 (SMG 1x for Solis, 2.5x for Doc, Rook)
MP5SD (SMG 1x for Echo)
UMP45 (SMG 1x for Pulse, 2.5x for Castle)
Aug A3 (SMG 1x for Kaid)
ACS12 (Shotgun 2.5x for Azami, Alibi, Maestro)
SASG-12 (Shotgun 1x for Kapkan, Fenrir)
M1014 (Shotgun 1x for Castle, Pulse)
SIX12 SD (Shotgun 1x for Lesion)

C-tier

The C-tier weapons consist of guns that are inconsistent and suffer from major flaws in more than one field required in a Rainbow Six Siege Defender weapons tier list. These choices might even put you at a disadvantage when in a match.

This tier in the defender weapons tier list consists of three classes of guns: LMGs, Shotguns, and Machine Pistols. Although one of the eight weapons in this tier features a 2.5x ACOG sight, it is quite unreliable and almost guaranteed to put an unfavorable end to your round with most scenarios. The weapons in the C tier are,

DP27 (LMG 1x Lord Tachanka)
C75 Auto (Machine pistol 1x for Vigil)
BOSG. 12.2 (Shotgun 2.5x for Vigil)
Super 90 (Shotgun 1x for Frost, Melusi)
SPAS-15 (Shotgun 1x for Caveira, Thunderbird)
SG-CQB (Shotgun 1x for Doc, Rook)
ITA12L (Shotgun 1x for Mira, Solis)

Also read: How many maps are there in Rainbow Six Siege?

D-Tier

This tier consists of the worst guns in the game (Image via Ubisoft)

This lonely class of weapons only consists of two guns, and these are the worst ones to get in defense for this meta. Every alternative for these weapons the respective operators have will perform better in every scenario. From damage per second to TTK, effective range, and fire rate, it doesn't get worse than these. The weapons in this category are,