Thunderbird is a defending operator in the FPS video game Rainbow Six: Siege with the unique ability to place down a Kona station which acts as a healing device. The Kona station is capable of healing your teammates multiple times, but it can potentially do the same for enemies that get within range of it.
On top of this healing ability, Thunderbird also has a powerful arsenal of weapons at her disposal, which makes her one of the best operators in Rainbow Six: Siege. Although Thunderbird isn't particularly difficult to play, there are many things that you can learn about how to control this operator.
10 Place The Kona Station In The Objective Room
The Kona station should always be placed in the objective room unless you're roaming around the map. This is because most defenders are located in the objective room, and therefore the Kona station will heal the most amount of teammates in this location.
On top of this, the Kona station will be hidden away from enemies, so they can't destroy it without entering the objective room, which is fairly difficult.
9 Don't Allow Twitch Drones Near The Kona Station
Twitch drones can destroy the Kona station, which may come as a surprise considering how little damage they deal to players. The most dangerous thing about twitch drones is that they're small, so they can hide in a vent or under a table only to come out and destroy the station later.
This tip is also relevant for certain other pieces of equipment; however, it's especially dangerous for the Kona station since it's used to heal teammates.
8 The Q-929 Is Thunderbird's Best Secondary Weapon
There are many great pistols in Rainbow Six: Siege and the Q-929 is the strongest pistol that Thunderbird can equip. Although the Q-929 has heavy recoil, it's still worth using because of its incredibly high damage per shot.
The Q-929 is also a semi-automatic weapon, which means that it performs well up close since it fires rather quickly.
7 IQ Can See The Kona Station
The attacker IQ can see the Kona station by using her gadget, which detects many different types of technology throughout the map.
It's likely that if IQ spots a Kona station, she may try to destroy it since it is such a detriment to the attacking operators. There isn't any way to prevent IQ from spotting the station; however, it's important to take caution if you see IQ on the other team, especially if an opposing player was playing as this operator during a previous round.
6 You Must Stand Within 2 Meters Of The Kona Station To Get Healed
The range to get healed by the Kona station is very small, you have to be within 2 meters, or the station won't fire a projectile. This could be considered a problem depending on where you place the Kona station since an operator may not be capable of traveling to it when an enemy is nearby.
With this in mind, the best location to place a Kona station is in the middle of a room so that every operator can easily get to it. Alternatively, you could place the station in the corner of a room so that a specific operator can exclusively use it.
5 Thunderbird Can Be Played In A Variety Of Ways, Including As A Roamer
Thunderbird has low armor; however, she has the highest speed possible. This means you can roam while playing as her; however, it's much riskier than roaming with a 3-armor character.
The safer way to play as Thunderbird is to stay near the objective room and roam around within a small range of the objective; however, it's important to note how versatile this character is since you may not realize how many different ways you can try out.
4 Deployable Shields Work Well With The Kona Station
Deployable shields are one of the best items you can use to hide a Kona station since they can be placed down almost anywhere on the map. Hiding a Kona station is important since they can be so easily destroyed by all types of enemy attacks, which is why having a teammate with one of these shields is incredibly helpful.
You can place down the Kona station next to an object and use a deployable shield to hide it from the other side. However, make sure to place the deployable shields in a normal position so that enemies don't think anything of it.
3 Equip The Spear .308 Rifle
The Spear .308 rifle has many advantages as it is a great weapon. However, the most notable of these advantages is that it's easy for newer players to use since it has very low recoil compared to most weapons. The recoil in Siege can be difficult for new players to get a grasp on, specifically with the recoil on primary weapons.
However, the Spear .308 does have one major disadvantage, which is its slow fire rate, but this could also be beneficial for players that prefer accuracy over a high fire rate. The Spear .308 deals 42 base damage.
2 Equip Nitro Cells As Your Gadget
Nitro cells are the equivalent to C4 in Rainbow Six Siege, and they are useful for every type of defender in the game. You can use nitro cells to distract an enemy, break down walls, or set a trap for opposing players.
There are a few different gadgets that Thunderbird can equip; however, nitro cells are the best option since they have so many uses. Although Nitro cells don't specifically help Thunderbird with her gadget, they're useful in many different situations.
1 The Kona Station Takes 38 Seconds To Respawn, But Replacement Will Cancel The Countdown
One of the most important facts to note about the Kona station is that picking up and replacing it while in cooldown mode will cancel the countdown. It's easy to miss this tidbit about the gadget since it isn't directly explained anywhere in Siege.
Keeping this in mind is important while playing as Thunderbird since canceling the countdown can change the number of times that you and your teammates can get healed by a station. Remember this fact while deciding where to place the Kona station and whether or not to stay close to it during a match.