Nomad is one of the best flank-guard operators in Rainbow Six Siege. Here’s a full guide on how to use her weapons and Airjabs effectively.
Rainbow Six Siege, a tactical first-person shooter developed by Ubisoft, has experienced tremendous growth throughout the years that it has existed. The game is still receiving constant updates to improve the experience and change the meta to keep things fresh.
Nomad is a 2-speed, 2-health operator and is currently one of the unique support operators in the game. The operator was introduced alongside Kaid in Siege’s Year 3 Season 4 Operation Wind Bastion You can unlock Nomad for 10000 Renown or 240 R6 Credits.
Here’s everything you need to know about this operator.
- Related Topic: Rainbow Six Siege’s Nomad receives her first Elite Skin
Nomad Operator Guide
Biography
“Deep down in my veins, I knew I had to travel. Now that I have, I’m certain I haven’t travelled enough.”
Brought up in a wealthy Moroccan family, Sanaa El Maktoub travelled considerably at a young age, visiting Europe and North Africa, and dreaming about braving remote regions. She enlisted in the military at 19 and later joined the Groupe d’Intervention de La Gendarmerie Royale (GIGR) after graduating from the legendary Fortress. She served 4 tours with the Mountain Infantry Battalion and took part in Flintlock exercises and joint missions with Trans-Saharan Counterterrorism Initiative partners. She became her unit’s expert on environmental operations.
Between tours, she undertakes solo expeditions. El Maktoub is among the few explorers who can cross the Sahara, climb up the Alps, trek through Asia’s rainforests, march along the Arctic Circle… and still return to her unit in operational shape. Rain or shine, desert or polar climates, she can walk through it all. Perceptive and resourceful, she’s an expert survivalist who sketches out her trips in her notebook.
Psychological Report
Specialist Sanaa El Maktoub is constantly on the move, thus her codename, “Nomad.” The only time she stands still is when she’s sketching in her notebook, and following the recovery of her fingers no less. […] I think her privileged upbringing instilled her with a private need to succeed, pushing her to conquer mountains and terrains her parents never faced. She likely got accused of being soft in her childhood, and she’s set out ever since to disprove it. In her it’s created a world-class extreme environment expert whose reputation precedes her. […]
Specialist El Maktoub possesses unmatched resilience to survive the elements, and her endurance is famous within military circles. In fact, the first time I encountered Specialist El Maktoub’s name was through a research paper about military fitness assessments. […]
First deployed to the Fortress at the start of her military career, she did extensive training under the leadership of Specialist Jalal El Fassi. It would be interesting to see them working together again under different circumstances. […]
During her expeditions, she encountered a number of secluded cultures, like the Maasai in Kenya and the Nenets of Siberia. It’s resulted in self-taught skills in cultural diplomacy. While Rainbow Six recruits specialists from around the world, I’d guess no one else has seen as much of the world on their own as she has. And still, she wants to become the first woman to cross Antarctica, alone on foot. I have no doubt she can accomplish that, but I hope it doesn’t cost her more appendages. I privately worry that she considers such injuries a badge of honor and proof that she isn’t some spoiled rich girl.
— Dr. Harishva Pandey (RIP)
Best Weapon Loadout
- Primary Weapon: AK-74M (ASSAULT RIFLE), ARX200 (ASSAULT RIFLE)
- Secondary Weapon: PRB92 (Handgun), .44 MAG SEMI-AUTO (Handgun)
- Secondary Gadgets: BREACH CHARGE, STUN GRENADE
- Unique ability: AIRJAB LAUNCHER
Nomad has two Assault Rifle options for her primary weapon: the AK-74M and the ARX200. Both these guns are very powerful, so choosing between them can be tricky and up to your personal preference. The AK-74M is a really good weapon in our eyes, because of its good damage stats (44 HP) and low vertical recoil, but the fire rate of 650 RMP is quite average. But the magazine size of (40+1) of the AK makes it stand out against the ARX200, as you can prefire angles to your heart’s content, without needing to reload often. For sight attachments, the AK-74M has access to 2.5x (ACOG) and everything lower than that.
On the other hand, the ARX200 rifle, which Iana players will recognize as she also has access to it, might be a better option for fragging out, as it has higher damage and rate of fire. But, you will run out of ammo often, as it has a small magazine size of 20+1 bullets. However, as Siege has a one-shot headshot mechanic, it doesn’t really matter how many bullets you can hold, as you only need to land a single headshot. So, in the hands of an experienced fragger, I think the ARX200 will be a better option
So which gun should you pick as a beginner? For people struggling to land headshots or who prefer pre-firing a lot, I will suggest using the AK-74M.
For her secondary weapon, Nomad’s two choices are the PRB92 pistol and .44 MAG SEMI-AUTO pistol. The .44 MAG has a unique 3x default scope attached to it, making it a great secondary to get some long-range kills. But, if you don’t prefer such a zoomed scope, then the PRB92 with a faster fire rate and lower recoil is a better pick.
Secondary Gadget
Nomad has two secondary gadgets to choose from: the Breach Charge and the Stun Grenade. Your decision should be based on how you intend to play the round and the full team’s game plan. The Stun Grenades is a more common pick for Nomad players, as in most rounds the role of soft breaching usually lands on other operators. However, if playing vertically is really necessary or if opponents are playing Castle, then picking the Breach Charge as a backup can be a wise choice. So, take a moment to see what your teammates are selecting and adapt your choice accordingly.
Unique Ability
Nomad’s primary gadget is called the ‘AIRJAB LAUNCHER‘. The main utility of Nomad is the Airjab, which is a sticky repulsion trap grenade. Using the launcher, Nomad can stick an Airjab to any surface, and it will detonate when an enemy is within its area of effect. Upon detonation, the Airjab will push back defenders, disorienting them and making them fall to the ground.
Nomad can switch to the Airjab Launcher by pressing the primary gadget button, similar to Buck’s under-barrel shotgun. A yellow continuos-laser sight shows where the Airjab will travel. The Airjab will stick to any surface (other than electrified surfaces) and she has 3 of them. There’s a 1-second delay between the Airjab adhering to a surface and getting activated. After activation, it emits a yellow light and a soft pinging noise to alert defenders when they get close to it.
Once detonated by a defender, the Airjab will push everyone in its radius, including Attackers. Once knocked down, operators are vulnerable for around 2 seconds, while they undergo the animation of getting up. While being thrown in the air if there’s a destructible wall, the operators will break through it, taking 5 HP damage.
Tips and Tricks
- Place Airjabs at common run-out spots early in the round, so even if you get killed early your teammates can stay safe.
- Save 1 Airjab for mid to late-round plays, as you will know where the defenders are most likely to flank from.
- You can use an Airjab while planting the defuser or after the defuser has been planted for safety measures.
How to counter Nomad?
As the Airjab is a projectile, it can be countered by Jager’s ADS and Wamai’s Mag-NETs. The Airjab will also be deactivated if it’s near a Mute jammer.
However, Airjabs most often won’t be placed near the site, so Solis is a much better counter to Nomad. Using Solis’s gadget you can see where the traps are placed, and shoot them carefully without detonating them or using an impact to get rid of them. Attackers won’t most likely be prepared for such a flank.
Should you pick Nomad?
As I have already stated above, Nomad is the best flank-guard or area-denial operator in Rainbow Six Siege as of the time of writing. A good flank guard is essential for almost every round in every map, so you can’t go wrong in picking Nomad.
However, Nomad’s full potential can be maximized in the hands of an experienced player. With better map knowledge, you can identify the common runout spots and flank routes of the defenders, and place the Airjabs accordingly.
