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Rainbow Six Siege Vigil Guide:
How To Play Vigil in 2023?

Vigil takes on the crucial role of Anti-Intel, empowered by his one-of-a-kind gadget – the ERC-7.

With this remarkable device, he becomes a formidable force in preventing attackers from pinpointing his exact location. This exceptional ability naturally categorizes him as a Dedicated Roamer.

Beyond his distinctive utility, Vigil’s entire loadout and kit make him the ideal operator for those who relish the art of roaming, offering a dynamic and elusive playstyle that keeps adversaries guessing throughout the match

PROS:

  • Good primary – K1A
  • Perfectly suited for roaming
  • Great intel-denial

CONS:

  • Only one reasonable primary weapon option
  • Both secondaries have a trade-off
  • Not suitable for anchoring

OPERATOR GUIDE – VIGIL
TABLE OF CONTENT


VIGIL Utility Guide

What is the ability of Vigil?

In this chapter, we’ll delve into Vigil’s utility in Rainbow Six Siege. Understanding his gadgets and how to use them effectively can make a significant difference in your gameplay.

ERC-7 – The cloaking Device

Vigil is equipped with the ERC-7, a remarkable cloaking device that renders him invisible to attackers on surveillance devices, such as drones and cameras, even those hacked by Dokkaebi or Brava. It’s essential to note that Vigil’s utility is active, meaning he has to be alive and manually activate it to impact the video feed.

Keep in mind that while the ERC makes you invisible on the video feed, your actions can still be heard by drones. So, don’t assume you’re completely silent.

The ERC-7 has a limited duration of a maximum of 12 seconds and takes 6 seconds to fully recharge. The good news is that you can deactivate and reactivate the cloaking device freely. This means you can use it strategically, much like Caveira or Nokk. As long as you have at least 20% of the bar filled, you can activate your utility.

Detecting nearby drones

Another valuable feature of the ERC is its ability to detect drones within a 12-meter radius of your location.
When you activate the cloaking device and a drone is nearby, you’ll receive a notification indicating that an observational tool has been deceived. Take this as a hint to search for the nearby drone and eliminate it.

Vigil Glitch Effect

Now, let’s discuss a crucial aspect of Vigil’s utility—interferences and glitches that may give away his position.

In the past, most actions performed by Vigil would deactivate his cloaking device. However, Ubisoft recently made a change to his utility. Now, the device remains active even when you shoot, throw grenades, or reinforce walls and hatches.

There is a catch, though: a glitch effect will be visible on the video feed when you perform these actions, revealing your position and operator.

Additionally, sprinting will also cause a glitch effect to appear on the attackers’ screens, which is an unfortunate nerf as part of this change.

The Benefit of Vigil Rework

You might wonder about the point of this rework. The primary benefit is that Vigil no longer needs to manually reactivate the device after performing these actions.

Imagine activating the ERC to avoid drone detection, eliminating an attacker, and then needing to escape quickly to avoid being refragged.
Such situations can get quite chaotic. Before the rework, you had to remember to reactivate your cloaking device while running away to maintain your invisibility.

Now, you don’t need to worry about that—you simply activate the ERC once, and it remains active.

Interference on Drones and Cameras

Furthermore, when the ERC is active, Vigil causes interference on drones and camera feeds within a 12-meter radius.
Devices near you will have visual and audio cues indicating Vigil’s presence. The closer you are to the device, the stronger the interference.

How To Use Vigil Effectively?

Vigil’s ERC-7 cloaking device is a game-changer. Its primary purpose is to counter intel on Vigil’s exact location. This forces attackers to either waste precious time searching for him or take the risk of “face checking.” While the current meta often prioritizes fast-paced action, droning remains vital, particularly in higher ranks where teamwork and intel are paramount.

When wielded skillfully, Vigil can provide three significant benefits to his team:

  1. Wasting Attackers’ Time:
    If attackers decide to clear roamers before pushing the objective, Vigil can use his ERC to become an elusive target. He can continually change positions and eliminate drones that come too close.
  2. Setting Up Ambushes:
    His cloaking device is perfect for ambushing unsuspecting attackers, especially at the beginning of the action phase when denying entry or spawn peeking. However, it can be just as effective later in the round.
  3. Intimidation Factor:
    Vigil can also be a psychological force, instilling fear in less confident opponents. Confidence plays a crucial role in Rainbow Six Siege, and having intel can significantly impact an attacker’s confidence in their ability to progress through the map and engage defenders. By denying potential intel, Vigil can intimidate attackers who lack confidence in their gunplay and game sense.

USING ERC-7

When using the ERC-7, remember its key purposes:

  • Hide Your Location:
    Stay hidden from surveillance devices.
  • Conceal Your Direction:
    Make it challenging for attackers to predict your movements.
  • Check for Nearby Drones:
    The device can help you spot nearby active drones.
  • Create Vertical Confusion:
    Signal interference can penetrate ceilings and floors, creating confusion about your location.

WHEN TO USE ERC-7

Knowing when to activate your cloaking device is crucial. Here are some common scenarios:

  1. Entry Point Denial:
    When attempting to spawn peek or deny access to the building, turn on the ERC a few seconds into the action phase. Keep in mind that interference may give away your presence, but it can also make attackers hesitate and waste time.
  2. Anticipating a Push:
    Activate ERC-7 when you expect attackers to converge on your location. Look for signs like barricades being shot, nearby footsteps, or drones checking nearby spots. Even if you don’t see drones actively searching for you, they may be pre-placed or positioned outside your field of view.
  3. Rotating as a Roamer:
    As a roamer, you should frequently change your position. Staying in one spot makes you an easy target. Vigil’s ERC-7 enhances your unpredictability and helps deny intel about your movement direction.
  4. Attempting a Flank:
    Attackers often leave drones near potential flank routes. When attempting a flank, activate the cloaking device to prevent them from gaining visual information about your approach. Just keep in mind that players spectating drones and cameras can still hear you!

Vigil’s Synergies with other operators:

Unlike some operators in Rainbow Six Siege, Vigil doesn’t have many direct synergies with his fellow defenders.
However, there are moments where teamwork can shine, particularly when anchors, defenders responsible for objective protection, provide him with valuable intel.

INTEL SYNERGY WITH ANCHORS

Vigil’s gadget, the ERC-7 cloaking device, positions him as an independent roamer, often far from the objective. While this might seem like a solo mission, there’s an important synergy that can kick in early in the round.

During the opening moments of a match, anchors often have spare time. This is a great time for anchors to support roamers, like Vigil, with intel from default cameras.

Countered by Vigil:

Now, let’s delve into who Vigil counters within the world of Rainbow Six Siege. He serves as a specific counter to two attackers and is adept at thwarting the intel-gathering capabilities of various surveillance devices.

VIGIL COUNTERS LION

First on our list, Vigil poses a particular challenge to Lion, whose EED scanner struggles to ping Vigil when his ERC-7 cloaking device is active. It’s worth noting that if Vigil’s cloaking system is inactive, he becomes susceptible to Lion’s pings, just like any other operator.

VIGIL COUNTERS GRIM’S BEES

Similarly, Vigil can utilize his ERC-7 to avoid pings from Grim’s bees. Just like with Lion’s EED scanner, his cloak must be active to evade detection.

VIGIL COUNTERS SURVEILLANCE DEVICES

But Vigil’s prowess extends beyond these specific interactions. He excels at countering intel from a wide array of drone and camera devices.
This includes deceiving feed from default drones as well as specialized ones deployed by operators like Flores, Twitch, and Brava.
Even Zero’s cameras can’t detect Vigil as long as his ERC is active. Moreover, any surveillance devices hacked by Dokkaebi become vulnerable to his cloaking device.

VIGIL’S COUNTERING DEPENDS ON DEVICE RELIANCE

In essence, Vigil’s ability to counter attackers hinges heavily on their reliance on surveillance devices.
The more an attacker depends on these tools for information, the more effective Vigil becomes in disrupting their plans and maintaining his stealthy advantage.

Counters to Vigil:

Now, let’s explore the counters to Vigil’s utility. While Vigil can be a formidable operator, there are certain attackers who possess the tools to counter his abilities effectively.

VIGIL COUNTERED BY JACKAL

First up, we have Jackal, known for his ability to track footprints. Unlike Caveira, Vigil’s footsteps remain visible to Jackal, even when he’s actively using his ERC-7 cloaking device. This means that Jackal can still hunt down Vigil and pinpoint his location based on his footprints.

VIGIL COUNTERED BY IQ

The second counter for Vigil is IQ, who can detect Vigil on her electronics scanner when he’s within range and has his cloaking device active. This interaction works in a similar way to how IQ can spot Pulse when he uses his cardiac sensor. IQ’s scanner can reveal Vigil’s presence and potentially expose his position.

RARE COUNTERS WITH THATCHER AND TWITCH

Additionally, there are interactions with Thatcher and Twitch that theoretically allow them to disable Vigil’s ERC-7 with their utility. However, it’s crucial to note that these interactions are extremely rare. In fact, in all my years of playing the game, I have yet to witness such a scenario. While it’s possible in theory, it’s not a common occurrence in practical gameplay.


Vigil Playstyle Guide

Playstyle role of Vigil

DEdicated roamer

In this chapter, we’re diving into Vigil’s playstyle as a dedicated roamer in Rainbow Six Siege.
Alongside Caveira, he stands out as one of the operators best suited for this role. While technically, he could stay on-site, doing so is often unproductive. Defenders have plenty of other, more suitable options for anchoring the objective.

Vigil truly shines as a roamer, thanks to several key factors.

VIGIL’S ROAMER ADVANTAGES

First and foremost, Vigil’s operator specifications make him an ideal roamer. He’s a 3-speed and 1-armor character, offering high mobility paired with low armor. These characteristics are perfect for pesky roamers who can move faster and more quietly than their bulkier counterparts.

Furthermore, Vigil’s loadout kit is tailored for roaming. He wields two automatic weapons, both as primary and secondary firearms, but without access to magnifying scopes. Additionally, he carries impact grenades, allowing him to create new avenues of movement or set up ambushes.

Perhaps most crucially, we have Vigil’s utility – the ERC-7. It’s perfect for constant movement, keeping enemies guessing and uneasy, all while wasting their precious time.

ROAMING EXPLAINED

For those unfamiliar with the term “roaming,” here’s a brief explanation. Roaming involves defenders leaving the objective site to traverse the map, disrupting, and flanking the attacking team. Roamers typically fall into two categories: disruptive and sneaky.

Disruptive roamers focus on denying attackers entry to the building and consistently harassing them, diverting their attention from the objective. Sneaky roamers, on the other hand, rely on concealing their location and presence to flank unsuspecting attackers during the latter stages of the round, precisely when it hurts the most.

VIGIL AS A DISRUPTIVE ROAMER

Vigil can excel in both roaming types, but he’s more commonly used for disruptive roaming, whereas Caveira tends to be a sneaky roamer. Therefore, when playing Vigil, your goal is to be a thorn in the attackers’ side. Avoid an early demise, and prioritize wasting precious round time. However, if you notice attackers decisively pushing the objective early, don’t hesitate with your flank. Getting caught in constant clutch situations with multiple enemies left is a clear sign of not fulfilling your role as a disruptive roamer.

In conclusion, Vigil’s role as a roamer in Rainbow Six Siege is all about mobility, disruption, and time-wasting.
He’s a formidable force when used correctly, and his ERC-7 utility is a valuable tool in the hands of a skilled roamer.

To delve deeper into the art of roaming with Vigil specifically, check out our guide on “How to Roam in Rainbow Six Siege” using the link below.

Difficulty of Vigil– Medium

In my personal ranking, I’d place Vigil in the medium range of difficulty when it comes to playing him effectively in Rainbow Six Siege. It’s important to note that roaming, in general, is a more challenging role to excel at compared to being an anchor on the objective site. As a result, playing Vigil as a roamer naturally adds a level of complexity to the operator’s difficulty.

VIGIL’S EASE OF USE

Among the defenders specialized in roaming, Vigil is relatively easy to pick up and use in fundamental ways.
His utility, the ERC-7 cloaking device, is straightforward in terms of mechanics.

MASTERING VIGIL

However, truly mastering Vigil demands extensive experience and a deep understanding of the game’s maps. Knowing when to activate the ERC-7 requires a keen sense of the game and proper timing for flanking, which are skills that newer players may not initially possess.

Effective roaming hinges on having a comprehensive understanding of the maps and feeling comfortable maneuvering around them while creating new avenues of approach. This level of map knowledge and map control is essential for a successful roamer.

DIFFICULTY RATING

So, Vigil falls into that medium difficulty range. He has a relatively low skill floor, meaning that even newcomers can use him effectively to some extent.
However, to unlock Vigil’s full potential and become a formidable roamer, you’ll need a high level of game sense, map knowledge, and the ability to execute well-timed flanks.
This places him in the medium difficulty range with a low entry barrier but a high skill ceiling.


Vigil Loadout Guide

available loadout for Vigil

Primary WeaponsK1ABOSG
Secondary WeaponsSMG-12C75 AUTO
Universal GadgetsImpact GrenadesBulletproof Camera

suggested loadout for Vigil

Primary WeaponBarrelGripSight
K1ACompensatorVertical GripHolo A/B
Secondary WeaponBarrelGripSight
C75 AutoSuppressorN/AN/A
Universal Gadget
Impact Grenades

Why such loadout for Vigil?

PRIMARY WEAPONS

First, let’s talk about Vigil’s primary weapons. Before we get into specifics, let’s all agree that the BOSG shotgun is more of a meme gun, suitable for messing around rather than serious gameplay. In most cases, you should opt for the K1A over the BOSG. While the BOSG boasts extremely high damage per shot, it comes with a significant trade-off – it only holds two bullets before requiring a reload.

With that settled, let’s focus on the K1A setup.
The K1A is no longer the laser beam it used to be. Currently, the gun has a tendency to kick to the right and has a more pronounced vertical climb.
Personally, I find the horizontal kick more bothersome than the vertical one, so I prefer to use the compensator attachment with this weapon.
In the past, the angled grip was a viable choice, but considering the increased recoil and the nerf to angled grips, I recommend the vertical grip for better recoil control.

Since Vigil lacks access to magnifying scopes, I suggest choosing a 1.0 sight that suits your preferences. For me, it’s either the Holo A, Holo B, or Reflex A.

SECONDARY WEAPONS

Now, let’s delve into secondary weapons, which can be a more debatable topic than primary choices. Vigil is in a unique position with two automatic secondaries. I believe he might be the only operator with this option, or am I missing someone?

Both the C75 Auto and the SMG-12 have their significant trade-offs.
Your choice here boils down to whether you can tolerate the limited field of view of the C75 or the intense recoil of the SMG-12.

The SMG-12 has the advantage of offering the usual 1.0 sight options, while the C75 Auto can only be used with default iron sights, which, to put it bluntly, are not great. When aiming down sights with the C75, your field of view is severely restricted, making it challenging to see your target clearly. However, the C75 Auto compensates with more manageable recoil compared to the SMG-12, which has notoriously high recoil.

In terms of attachments, the C75 Auto has limited options, with only the suppressor available. Fortunately, the suppressor no longer reduces damage per bullet, so there’s no reason not to equip it.

SECONDARY GADGETS

Lastly, for Vigil’s gadget, the choice is clear – go with Impact grenades.
Impacts allow you to open up new lines of sight, angles, and provide Vigil with an emergency escape route when cornered. Vigil’s utility enhances this usage since his ERC-7 makes it challenging for attackers to confirm his presence in specific locations. This makes it easier to set up ambushes with vertical holes while playing Vigil compared to other defenders.

While the bulletproof camera has its uses, I don’t recommend using it as Vigil unless specific tactics call for it. Mobility is key when roaming, and impacts are your best way to create holes and adapt to the ever-changing battlefield.

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