Rainbow Six Siege Jackal: what he can do and how to use him

As one of the few attackers that can track enemies, Jackal can be a particular nuisance to roaming defenders in Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege. Tracking where they have been is one important part of the puzzle of knowing where the enemy currently is. In this guide, you'll find out how to use the ability and what to do with this vital information.

Jackal operator guide

Reconnaissance is the key to using Jackal effectively and in our Rainbow Six Siege guide hub, we go further into how the intel gathered when using Jackal can be used well. There are however some things to know about how his ability works, what the colours mean, and who can counter it.

Jackal's Stats

Armour: 2
Speed: 2

Jackal's Weapon Loadouts

Jackal's primary weapons include the C7E assault rifle, the PDW9 submachine gun, and the ITA12L pump action shotgun. While the shotgun is destructive on walls, the selection of guns on offer to Jackal players does include two pretty good automatic weapons that are useful depending on the circumstances. It's really your personal preference as the selection on offer is good. Sidearms for Jackal are the USP40 handgun and the ITA2S pump action shotgun,. The shotgun is as good for punching holes in walls, but has a shorter range than the long-barrelled version.

Jackal's Gadgets

With the smoke grenade and the breach charge, it's a little tricky to know exactly which one is going to be more effective. Smoke grenades have very limited use, so it's probably better to go with the breach charge in most cases.

Jackal's Skill

Jackal's particular trick is to track footsteps using his Eyenox Model III. There is a lot to know about this particular ability. Firstly, there is a permanent visor that can see the footprints left by the enemy which gradually change colour depending on how long they were left behind, from red, to yellow, to green. You can also use your ability to get the last known position on a particular set of footprints, which also reveals the operator who left them. This information is known to the rest of the team as well, but that person will know they're being tracked.

With his ability, there are a few big caveats. If prone or vaulting, it becomes more difficult for him to track enemies since they're not leaving footprints. Even walking backwards can throw some players off the scent a little, provided they aren't actively tracking you or looking at the colour of the footprints. Caveira's silent walking ability also leaves no footprints when activated, though that player needs to ensure no footprints are ever left when not activated, in order to remain hidden. Mute's gadget also messes with his visor, completely disrupting his vision when close, though one bullet is enough to destroy it.

Should I pick Jackal?

As a more stalker orientated operator, Jackal is great for those who just like the thrill of the hunt. His ability when used effectively can be a great help to the team and ensure that any more defensive players are located in their HUD. He does have some rather simple counters, meaning that as soon as the enemy know that Jackal is on their opposing side, they'll be taking precautions and there won't be much you can do about it. He's good in combat, but once his identity is known he is severely compromised.

Since Jackal has a lot of counters, you may wish to learn more about those characters before heading into a game. Do have a gander at our main Rainbow Six: Siege operators guide which has links to each individual operator, as well as an overview on the more universally useful ones and which ones beginners should consider learning.