Who pairs well with Smoke?

Echo: Gas and Yokai. Melusi: Gas and Banshee. Goyo: Fire and gas. Tachanka: Fire and gas.

Smoke: counters, combos and tips

Q: Who counters Smoke in Rainbow Six Siege?

Thatcher, Twitch, Brava, IQ and Kali. Thatcher: EMP disables canisters before the plant. Twitch: darts destroy canisters from range. Brava: Kludge hack destroys a canister.

Q: What does Smoke counter?

Finka and Montagne. Finka: double gas damage on boosted attackers. Beats Finka on the site. Montagne: gas goes through Le Roc.

Q: What is Smoke's gadget?

Compound Z8 Remote Gas Grenades. Three sticky remote-detonated gas canisters: a 10 s toxic cloud (15 damage every 2/3 s, kills in about 3 s) that blocks vision and denies the plant spot or a choke. Smoke must be alive to set them off. Deployable Shield added Y11S1.2.

Defender · Nighthaven · plant denial, anchor, area denial

Smoke is countered by Thatcher (EMP disables canisters before the plant), Twitch (darts destroy canisters from range) and Brava (kludge hack destroys a canister). Smoke counters Finka (double gas damage on boosted attackers) and Montagne (gas goes through Le Roc). Smoke pairs best with Echo, Melusi and Goyo.

Smoke's gadget: Compound Z8 Remote Gas Grenades

Three sticky remote-detonated gas canisters: a 10 s toxic cloud (15 damage every 2/3 s, kills in about 3 s) that blocks vision and denies the plant spot or a choke. Smoke must be alive to set them off. Deployable Shield added Y11S1.2.

Who counters Smoke?

ThatcherStrongEMP disables canisters before the plant.
TwitchStrongdarts destroy canisters from range.
BravaSituationalKludge hack destroys a canister.
IQSituationalfinds the canisters.
KaliSituationalLV Lance destroys canisters behind the wall.
ZeroSituationalArgus laser pops canisters.

What does Smoke counter?

FinkaStrongdouble gas damage on boosted attackers. Beats Finka on the site.
MontagneStronggas goes through Le Roc.

Best Smoke combos

EchoGas and Yokai.
MelusiGas and Banshee.
GoyoFire and gas.
TachankaFire and gas.
TubarãoFreeze and gas.
MiraHold the site together.
KaidHold the site together. Strongest on Kafe Dostoyevsky.

Where Smoke is strong

Smoke White Hall for free burn; best Stacks pick by far. Sites: Kafe Dostoyevsky Reading Room / Fireplace Hall.
Only real answer to a window jump into sinks plant. Sites: Kafe Dostoyevsky Kitchen Cooking / Kitchen Service.
Strong anchor on Oregon. Sites: Oregon Kids' Dorms / Dorms Main Hall, Oregon Dining Hall / Kitchen, Oregon Kitchen / Meeting Hall, Oregon Laundry Room / Supply Room.
Strong anchor on Border. Sites: Border Armory Lockers / Archives, Border Supply Room / Customs Inspection, Border Workshop / Ventilation Room, Border Bathroom / Tellers.

Smoke myths

Smoke denies the plant after he is dead. Canisters can't be detonated once Smoke is dead; his denial must need him alive.

Key Smoke facts (Y11S3)

3 canisters, light throw, stick to surfaces, remote-detonated; the cloud lasts 10 s, deals 15 damage every 2/3 s whatever the armour, blocks vision like a smoke grenade, and hurts everyone except Smoke.
Canisters still deployed when Smoke dies can no longer be set off.
Deployable Shield added to his gadget choices. (since Y11S1.2 (patch 11.1.2, Apr 14 2026))
Le Roc doesn't protect Montagne from gas, so Smoke can force a shield planter off the defuser.
Attackers boosted by Finka's Adrenal Surge take double gas damage (down in about 2 s).
Electronic: Thatcher's EMP disables canisters for 10 s, IQ detects them, and Twitch's darts, Kali's lance, Zero's lasers and Flores's RCE destroy them; Brava's Kludge destroys them on a hack. Fire and smoke from Tachanka, Goyo and Smoke also push attackers away from Osa's shield.

Sources

More defenders

Alibi Aruni Azami Bandit Castle Caveira Clash Denari Doc Echo Ela Fenrir Frost Goyo Jäger Kaid Kapkan Lesion Maestro Melusi Mira Mozzie Mute Noor Oryx Pulse Rook Sentry Skopós Solis Tachanka Thorn Thunderbird Tubarão Valkyrie Vigil Wamai Warden