The French attacker Montagne doesn't do subtlety. Montagne is the French translation for Mountain, and it's hard to think of anything else as the hulking shield operator brings up his extendable shield and rolls forwards into battle in Rainbow Six Siege matches.
Montagne's shield is everything, and a successful Montagne player will have the perfect mix of aggressive and defensive play, and your reward is terrifying defenders as you rattle towards the objective.
Understanding Montagne
Gilles "Montagne" Touré is well-named, seeing as he's a man-made mountain. Clad in dense armor and clutching an extendable shield, he's the closest thing to a walking tank Rainbow Six Siege has, even capable of blocking explosives with his shield.
| Category | Spec |
|---|---|
| Ability | Le Roc |
| Primary | Le Roc |
| Secondary | LFP586P9 |
| Gadget | Smoke GrenadesFlash Grenades |
| Armor | 3/3 |
| Speed | 1/3 |
| Price | FreeGet R6 Credits here |
Montagne is a tough hero to play, as he needs your team to work around you, and an incredible knowledge of positioning to keep yourself protected. However, when it all falls into place it's nearly impossible to stop him as he's impervious to most things as long as his shield is blocking the way. As a three armor, one-speed operator he's easy to outmaneuver, but stay the course and you can create a nasty situation for the opposing team.
Compared to the more aggressive shield-wielding of Blitz and the probably-don't-use-it shield of Fuze, Montagne is a ticking time bomb for the defenders to attempt to defuse before you reach the objective.
Montagne's gadget and ability
Montagne's gadget is Le Roc, the vast shield you hold out in front of you. It's pretty bulky in its compact form and will let you melee enemy players that get close for an instant kill, and hip fire your pistol from the relative safety of behind the shield.
However, most of the time you'll spend with the shield extended, which protects you from damage within around a 90-degree angle in front of you. Effectively, with correct positioning, you can avoid pretty much all damage from 180 degrees in front of you, with some luck. You'll also be extremely resistant to explosive damage, although Frost's welcome mats, Smoke's gas canisters, electrified items and any explosives that get behind your shield will make quick work of you.
The key thing to bear in mind here is that with Montagne you have to commit to an attack in a way no other Operator has to: because if you move quickly, you'll be exposing yourself, and potentially your team, to a deadly crossfire by moving your big bulletproof shield out of the way.
Montagne guns and best loadout
This one will be short because there's no real conversation to be had here about what is or isn't more worthy. To play Montagne you need to bring his P9, as the hipfire accuracy will let you deal damage more consistently than the damaging but woefully inconsistent revolver. Lean into this more by slapping the muzzle brake on the P9, and you've got a good chance of spamming down players with a few rounds.
Otherwise, your only option is the shield. Bring smoke grenades as your tactical item to cover an angle you otherwise would be vulnerable from, and you should be good to go.
Montagne tips and tricks
When your shield is on your back, you'll be immune to damage from the rear. This is useful if you have to retreat from a position, but also can be used to your advantage when you're planting a bomb, as enemy rounds will ping off your back like a paramilitary turtle.
One of Montagne's biggest strengths is relaying information. As you come upon enemy positions you're perfectly positioned to ping enemy positions and relay on voice chat what the enemy are up to. This requires some smart call-outs, but when you spot a defender you should ping them, clearly state on voice chat who the Operator is, and where they are.
"Hey, there's a Valkyrie behind the desk," or "Watch for Smoke, he's behind the wall of Wine Cellar" is spot on. Don't underestimate how much of a psychological effect the shield will have on opponents, who at lower ranks will likely freeze-up entirely as you approach. Take advantage of this and pair up with another Operator and you will find that roamers are easy to take out, and site takes will feel a little less hairy.
A corner might feel safe, but you can only cover 80 degrees of the 90-degree angle, meaning you can get shot in the game. Position yourself well, and keep moving to remain a threat.
Stopping the mountain
Let's talk about what will get you killed. The overhead part of Le Roc consists of three separate panels, and they have gaps between them. Anyone with a slight elevation over you from the front can put a round between this and because that's where your head is, it'll be over pretty quickly. Similarly, anyone directly above you will make short work of you.
Some Operators have gadgets that will directly counter Montagne. I've mentioned Frost's Welcome Mats and electrified objects, but these can all be avoided by keeping your eyes open. A more real threat are Smoke's Gas Cannisters which will go through your shield, while Echo's Yokai drone and Ela's Grzmot Mines will make you drop your shield if you're hit by them.
The absolute worst thing that can happen to you as a Montagne is to stand on one of Lesion's Gu mines. You take a small amount of damage at first which isn't a huge problem, but you'll then start taking damage over time until you can remove the Gu mine, with your speed also taking a hit. These two weaknesses negate your threat entirely, but they also mean you have to make a hasty retreat, something that will often get a Montagne and his team-mates killed. Stay the course and you'll eventually drop dead from the poison, which is an embarrassing end for the giant.
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