Rainbow Six Extraction has proven to be quite the sleeper hit and a huge part of that is its incredible enemy variety. The developers have really leaned into the alien/parasitical nature of their beasts and the game is much better for it.
We're going to break down all of the threats that you'll come across in the game including everything you need to know about them!
Rainbow Six Extraction - Low Threat Parasites
To start with, we're going to take you through some of the low threat and environmental parasites you'll find in Rainbow Six Extraction.
Nests
Nests are very common across Rainbow Six Extraction and despite not being a direct threat, they can cause major issues. Breaking stealth will cause them to start spitting out enemies until you destroy them.
They also cause Sprawl to appear on the map, so taking them down fast and quiet is paramount.
Sprawl
Sprawl is a Chimera parasite that will slowly cover a map and causes operators to move much slower. It does not slow down enemies though, meaning it can cause massive issues.
Additional Sprawl is generated by killing enemies out of stealth or when enemies on the map are generally aware of your presence. The best way to reduce the amount of Sprawl on a map is to sneak up on Nests and take them down while also being as stealthy as possible in general.
Rainbow Six Extraction - Deadly Enemies
Now we're onto the more traditional Chimera enemies, grouped together and known as Archaeans. These are split into four different tiers based on how dangerous they are!
Breacher / Bloater - Tier 1
Breachers and Bloaters are among the most annoying low-level enemies you'll encounter in Rainbow Six Extraction, but they're also very dangerous. They're scarily fast, meaning you want to take them down as quick as possible.
Approaching them for stealth is also risky as if they become aware of your presence, they'll self-detonate causing huge damage.
Grunt - Tier 1
Grunts are the base enemy in the game and are fairly easy to take down in stealth and combat. They can, however, gang up quickly and if this happens you'll need to be super accurate with your shots to take them out as fast as possible.
Spiker - Tier 1
Spikers are the final Tier 1 enemy and are very similar to Grunts. The only real difference is that they can attack from range.
They will rarely come up close and personal for attacks but have very good vision meaning they will take aim for quite far away meaning they can do decent damage before you even find out where they are.
Rooter - Tier 2
Rooters are the first Tier 2 enemy you'll encounter and they are a menace but easy enough to deal with. They're rapid and will shoot out spikes along the floor that can trap you for a short time.
They can absorb quite a bit of damage meaning it's best to try and take them out quietly with a takedown rather than bullets.
Sower - Tier 2
Sowers place traps around the map that can blind you and leave you very defenceless for a short time. They're simple enough to kill and not as tough as Rooters although their traps are a real annoyance.
Tormentor - Tier 3
Tormentors are like Spikers on steroids. They are much more mobile and can do much more damage from range.
It can also shapeshift in and out of Sprawl, so the more Sprawl that is on the map, the more dangerous Tormetors will be.
Smasher -Tier 3
The Smasher is the big brute of the Rainbow Six Extraction enemies. It's essential that you don't waste ammo fighting one head-on and wait until you have a clean shot at its glowing red weak spot.
Lurker - Tier 3
Lurkers are like the Warlocks of the Chimera parasite. They can make themselves and other units completely invisible which can make a simple fight turn into a deadly one very quickly.
Focusing them in a firefight is key although you once again want to try and eliminate them via stealth if possible.
Apex - Tier 4
Apexes are the only Tier 4 enemy for a reason. They summon other Archaeans to fight for it which means you need to be incredibly efficient in how to handle fights against them.
You'll have to deal with the immediate threat of the summoned enemies while finding a way to prevent the Apex from bringing in more reinforcements. All of your skills, abilities and REACT Tech will be needed in a fight against one.
Rainbow Six Extraction Proteans
The final enemy type in Rainbow Six Extraction is the Proteans which have taken on the form of Operators from your team. They not only take on the form of either Smoke, Alibi or Sledge but they also possess their abilities meaning fights can go south very quickly.
They are very difficult to take on solo and can even come heavily shielded in higher difficulties, proving a challenge even for a full squad to take down.
