Fitting to mark Year 7 ofRainbow Six Siege, Season 1’s Operation Demon Veil revealed Azami, a new Defender armed with a modified kunai that releases a compound that solidifies on surfaces, allowing players to patch up walls and create brand new defensive lines. This masked Defender can make a lot of changes to the overallRainbow Six Siegelandscape, and her new defensive strategy is a must-have for players used to the typical mayhem and chaos caused by a typicalSiegematch.
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However, getting the hang of Azami and her kunai’s mechanics can get quite tricky at first. With the right approach and the right mindset, this newSiegeOperator can easily become a Defender main’s favorite, provided they understand the deeper nature of her mechanics first.
Azami: The Basics
Before diving deep into Azami’s more gameplay-intensive aspects, it’s important to fully understand her basic capabilities as an Operative. At its core, Azami is a Defender that specializes in securing defensive spaces, courtesy of her Gadget. Unlike other Defenders that either carry defenses with them (Shields) or secures the position with reconnaissance and knick-knacks (Drones, etc.), the straightforward portability of Azami’s defensive capabilities can be a godsend to more mobile teams. Here are other statistics players should note:
To Rotate Or Not To Rotate
Unlike other Defenders that normally have a recommended approach, Azami is more fluid given the mobile nature of her Kiba Barriers. As such, she’s not one to primarily defend a point or secure them in a mobile manner, but rather could do a bit of both. However, this does pose some restrictions regarding her playstyle:
Primary: Build Or Destroy
When it comes to heroverall loadout, Azami and her weapon choices give players a lot of possibilities in regard to her approach as a Defender. With her Gadget being surface-based, Azami’s loadout emphasizes her ability to both build defenses and destroy the competition – it’s only up to the player how hard they want to approach a certain concept. This is particularly applicable to her choice of Primary Weapon, as this dictates her hardline approach to defense:
Primary 1: 9x19VSN SMG For Fast Kills
Rainbow Six Siegeplayers who want to use Azami fast and loose will want to rely on the9x19VSN SMG, which is used often by the Spetsnaz and Defenders like Kapkan and Tachanka. While not among the best SMGs in the game, it’s certainly not the worst. Its 34-damage and 30-magazine count with 750 ROF make the 9x19VSN quite a beast to handle, especially in tight firefights where Azami needs to secure the kill quickly after detecting enemies.
Primary 2: ACS12 Shotgun For More Punch
People who want to make more impactful plays with Azami might wish to get a bit slow on the uptake with theACS12 Shotgun, usually used by the GIS and by Defenders like Alibi and Maestro. While much slower than the 9x19VSN, the ACS12 Shotgun shoots where it hurts, and it packs quite a punch with its 27-damage, 30-bullet magazine. Unlike other pump-action and semi-auto shotguns, the faster rate of fire for the ACS12 Shotgun can help Azami tear through obstacles up close, making it quite useful for both rotations and defending points.
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Secondary: D-50 Deagle Fits Close-Ranged Encounters
When it comes to the Secondary, Azami touts the trustyD-50 Deagle, associated usually with the Navy SEALS and Jaeger Corps and used by other Operatives such as Blackbeard, Nokk, and Valkyrie. Despite the low magazine count, the D-50 Deagle boasts some of the best damage for handguns available, making it agreat short-range allyfor Azami, especially when caught off-guard.
Secondary Gadget: Securing Offense Or Defense
Aside from her Primary Gadget, Azami has the choice of one Secondary Gadget, that being the Impact Grenade or Barbed Wires. For players, this choice depends on the kind of playstyle they want to pursue with Azami, as she can become a mobile or stationary Defender depending on this choice. Ideally, players need to consider the following elements:
Barbed Wire For Detection
In principle, theBarbed Wireisdesigned as a movement detrimentfor enemy Operators and Drones. Once deployed, the Barbed Wire usually occupies a space close to the Operator’s feet and can cover 1.25 meters. Barbed Wires may not go through obstacles, and can’t “overlap” their effects, but more Barbed Wires means covering more ground. While immune to bullets, explosions and melee attacks can destroy them.
Where Barbed Wires shine, though, is through its main shtick: preventing movement. Barbed Wires can slow down Attackers by as much as 50-percent as it prevents sprinting inside them, and even generates a slight vibration on view that can potentially distract them. Most importantly, Azami can use the rustling sounds of Barbed Wires to detect nearby Attackers. This makes Barbed Wires excellent as a form of stationary defense.
Impact Grenade For Aggression
At its core, theImpact Grenadeonly deals damage as it detonates on impact. Moreover, it has quite the drop-off as damage essentially becomes zero if they’re more than 2-meters away from an opponent. When thrown, the Impact Grenade can go up to 20 meters before exploding, making it a handy ranged weapon. Damage-wise, the Impact Grenade can deal numbers ranging from 45 damage (Heavy Armor) to 60 damage (Light Armor).
Considering how the Impact Grenade can create large-enough holes for walking or crouching at the proper height, Impact Grenades can heavily contribute to creating new rotation paths. For Defenders like Azami, Impact Grenades can be used aggressively to confirm kills or even bait Attackers. When used defensively, Impact Grenades can force Attackers to defend an extra angle, making firefights disadvantageous to them.
Kiba Barrier: Solidify Defenses
Azami shines truly with her Primary Gadget, theKiba Barrier. Each Kiba Barrier is shaped like a kunai or throwing knife, and acts primarily as such. Instead of being thrown into people, however, Azami built them to be thrown and stuck onto surfaces. Afterwards, it then deploys a liquid that solidifies into a surface. The Kiba Barrier’s properties dictate its general uses and limitations:
Get Creative With Kiba Barrier Obstacles
Given the straightforward expanding-solidifying nature of the Kiba Barrier, Azami and her players have a lot of creativity when it comes tofinding ways to maximize the gadget. When used properly, Kiba Barriers won’t just disrupt enemy movement but even annoy them to submission. Players need to remember these uses of the Kiba Barrier:
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Augment Annoyances With The Kiba Barrier
It’s one thing to use the Kiba Barrier to augment the team’s overall defense, but it’s another thing entirely to use the KIba Barrier toenhance the player’s way of annoying opponentsinto submission. Instead of creating “traps,” players may want to try using the Kiba Barrier in such a way that it simply makes it much harder for enemies to pursue their objectives, making them more vulnerable. Here are examples:
Stop Certain Strategies With The Right Use
Aside from creating formidable defenses and annoyances for Attackers, the right use of the Kiba Barrier can stop effective plays entirely. This makes the Kiba Barriermore of a situational tool, but it’s worth the use once players spot certain opportunities:
Mind The Kiba Barrier Limits, Weaknesses
While the KIba Barrier can make Azami quite the stellar Operative, it also does pose some of her greatest weaknesses. Players who overestimate the Kiba Barrier’s abilities can show opponentssome glaring weaknesses, especially to those aware of the loopholes they could use to stop Azami on her tracks. Players using Azami should know the following in regard to the Kiba Barrier, so they know how to circumvent potential weaknesses:
