Most hard breachers have to earn their breach by standing next to a wall and hoping nobody is watching. Ace doesn't. He throws a device from across the room, stays behind cover, and opens the wall while the defenders are still figuring out what happened. That one difference — breach from safety — is why Ace has been the best all-around attacker in Rainbow Six Siege since he arrived, and why he tops every best R6 attackers tier list in the current meta.
This guide is Ace mastery: SELMA mechanics, the throw angles that make him unkillable, how to balance his fragger and breacher halves, the framework for picking him over Thermite or Hibana, and the mistakes that waste charges.
Who Ace Is: The Role, The Kit
Ace — Håvard Haugland, Norwegian Rescue Specialist — is a 2-speed, 2-armor attacking hard breacher introduced in Operation Steel Wave (Year 5 Season 2). His gadget is the S.E.L.M.A. Aqua Breacher: a throwable device that sticks to breachable surfaces and unfurls downward, detonating two sequential explosive charges to open reinforced walls, hatches, and barricades. He carries three SELMAs per round.
His role is hard breacher, but his identity is *survivability*. Where Thermite must walk up to the wall and endure a long exposed placement animation, Ace triggers his breach from behind cover or a different room. That safety is why Ace is the default hard breacher in the current meta while Thermite has become the specialist.
If you're still learning what hard breaching is, our hard-breach playbook covers the fundamentals through Thermite. This guide is what comes after: the safest breacher's playbook.
Loadout Breakdown: What to Bring and Why
Primary: the AK-12 assault rifle. One of the best weapons in the game: high damage, controllable recoil, a generous magazine, strong optics. It's what makes Ace a genuine fragger, not just a utility bot. Most players run it with a vertical grip and a 1.5x or 2.0x scope. Treat him like a gunfighter who happens to breach, not a breacher who happens to have a gun.
Alternative primary: the M1014 shotgun. Situational — devastating in close-quarters maps with heavy soft-destruction needs, but it sacrifices the AK-12's range and versatility. For most ranked rounds, the AK-12 is the correct answer.
Secondary: the P9 handgun. Standard sidearm for emergencies. If you're pistol-fighting as Ace, the round has already gone sideways.
Secondary gadgets: Breach Charge or Smoke Grenade. The default for most ranked rounds is the smoke grenade: Ace's breach usually *is* the execute, and smokes turn an open wall into a won round. Take breach charges when the team plan needs extra soft destruction and someone else has the plant covered.
SELMA Mechanics: What the Device Actually Does
Get the mechanics exactly right, because every throw decision depends on them:
- Three devices per round. Each SELMA is a separate throw — three total breaches (or hatch openings) per round.
- Throw and stick. The SELMA is thrown in an arc like a frag grenade and sticks to the first breachable surface it contacts — reinforced walls, hatches, barricades, even some ceilings. It does not need line of sight after the throw; once it's stuck, it works on its own.
- Two sequential detonations. After sticking, the SELMA unfurls downward and triggers a first charge that destroys the initial reinforcement, then a second that expands the opening — a large breach, bigger than Hibana's pellets, slightly smaller than Thermite's charge.
- What it opens. Reinforced walls, reinforced hatches, and barricades (including Castle's armored panels, which the second charge destroys). It does not open soft walls — use your breach charge or another tool for those.
- The throw is the vulnerability. Unlike Thermite's placement animation, Ace's exposure happens at the moment of the throw — a brief animation, from range, usually from cover. That's the entire safety advantage.
- What stops it. Electrified surfaces (Bandit batteries, Kaid claws) destroy a SELMA deployed onto them, just like any breach device. Mute jammers prevent deployment entirely — a SELMA thrown at a jammed wall simply fails. Jäger's ADS and Wamai's Mag-NET can intercept a thrown SELMA mid-flight if it passes through their radius, so don't throw blindly through undroned space.
One mechanic people get wrong: the SELMA's arc means you can throw it *over* obstacles and around corners — the device lands where the arc takes it and works from there. This is the basis of the angles masterclass below.
(Loadouts and gadget behavior shift with balance patches — verify specifics in-game, and check the best R6 attackers guide for current meta context.)
The Breach Angles Masterclass
This is the section that separates Ace players from Ace masters. The SELMA's throwable arc turns every breach into a geometry problem with a safe solution.
Throw from safety, always. If you're standing in the open throwing a SELMA, you're playing Ace wrong. Throw from behind hard cover or an adjacent room. Before every throw, ask: "Am I exposed right now?" If yes, reposition first.
Long-angle breaches. On exterior walls, throw from 15+ meters away — a window, a rooftop, across a courtyard. Drone the wall first to confirm it's clear of denial, then throw from maximum range. Defenders holding the wall angle will never see you. This is the play that makes Ace fundamentally safer than Thermite.
Hatch plays. Thrown devices land on hatches from above or adjacent angles, opening vertical pressure without an exposed plant. On basement sites, the hatch can be your whole round.
Throwing through small openings. The SELMA's arc lets you land it on surfaces through doorways, drone holes, or destroyed soft-wall sections — you don't need a straight line to the wall. Practice in custom games: arc-throwing muscle memory is the single highest-value Ace skill.
The double-breach play. With three SELMAs, you can open two walls (or a wall and a hatch) in a single execute — one for the main push, one for the crossfire. Plan both throws in the drone phase; the mastered play is two coordinated openings that split the defense.
The rule: every SELMA throw should have a planned landing spot, a planned purpose, and a safe thrower. Random throws are wasted charges.
The trade-off to respect: SELMA holes are smaller than Thermite's exothermic breaches. For executes needing a massive opening — multiple attackers pushing simultaneously, a plant directly through the wall — Thermite's hole is still king. Ace wins on safety and flexibility; Thermite wins on raw breach size. Know which the round needs.
Ace as Hybrid: When to Frag vs When to Breach
Most players pick a lane: pure breacher (throw SELMAs, then hide) or pure fragger (ignore the SELMAs, hunt kills). Both are wrong. Ace is a hybrid, and the mastery is in the switching.
Breach first, frag after. The first 60–90 seconds are the breach phase: drone the walls, confirm denial, throw the SELMAs, open the execute. Don't take 50/50s while holding three unused SELMAs — the team needs the walls open more than it needs your opening pick.
After the breach, you're an entry. The walls are open — now Ace's job changes completely. Push with the execute, take the fights the breach created, hold the plant angles. The best Ace players get most of their kills *after* the SELMAs are spent, playing off the space they opened.
Hold one SELMA for the mid-round. A fresh breach on a secondary wall or hatch when the defense has committed to stopping the main push breaks stalemates. The Ace who throws all three SELMAs in the first minute has no utility for the moments that matter most.
Read the round, not the script. Sometimes the team needs you fragging early; sometimes the breach plan changes mid-round (main wall denied, pivot to the hatch). Rigidity is the enemy — the hybrid adapts.
With a stack: coordinate the breach sequence with your Thatcher and entry players, then transition to a defined execute role. In solo queue: you're self-sufficient — drone your own walls, throw your own SELMAs, and play the post-breach aggressively. Ace is one of the best solo queue operators in the game precisely because he needs so little from teammates. Our guide to building a balanced ranked team covers where the hybrid breacher fits in a full comp.
Ace vs Thermite vs Hibana: The Decision Framework
The three hard breachers, honestly compared:
Ace: the safe default. Ranged SELMA throws, elite AK-12, three devices, self-sufficient. Pick Ace when you're solo queueing, the breach walls have dangerous sightlines, or you need a breacher who frags. In the current meta, Ace is the answer to "who should our breacher be?" most of the time.
Thermite: the big-hole specialist. Largest breaches in the game, but slow, exposed, and team-dependent. Pick Thermite when the execute needs a massive opening and the team has Thatcher coordination. Our hard-breach playbook is the full Thermite mastery guide — the two operators are complements, not rivals.
Hibana: the precision and hatch specialist. X-Kairos pellets allow controlled hole sizes — sightlines, vaultable holes, precise hatch openings. Pick Hibana when hatches are the priority or you need surgical openings, or the team already has a primary breacher and needs a secondary.
The decision rule: Default to Ace. Switch to Thermite when breach *size* is the win condition. Switch to Hibana when *precision* is the win condition. If you're unsure, Ace is unsure-proof — he does every job well enough that the pick is never wrong, just occasionally not optimal.
Seven Common Ace Mistakes
1. Throwing SELMAs into denial. The most expensive mistake. A SELMA thrown onto an electrified wall or into a Mute jammer radius is gone. Drone every breach target for batteries, claws, and jammers before the throw — the safety of the throw doesn't excuse skipping recon.
2. Wasting all three SELMAs early. Three devices, three breaches — but the round has phases. Throwing everything in the first minute leaves you with nothing for the mid-round pivot. Plan: two for the execute, one held for adaptation.
3. Standing in the open to throw. The whole point of Ace is safety. If you're exposed during the throw animation, you've thrown away his core advantage. Reposition to cover first — always.
4. Breaching the wrong wall. SELMA range tempts players to open whatever wall is closest. Breach the wall that unlocks the execute — the same wall-selection discipline our hard-breach playbook teaches for Thermite. Range doesn't excuse bad target selection.
5. Ignoring the AK-12. Some Ace players breach and then play passive, as if their job is done. It's half done. The AK-12 is elite — use it. Post-breach, you're a fragger.
6. Forgetting hatches. SELMAs open hatches, and hatch plays win basement sites. If the site has key hatches, earmark at least one SELMA for them.
7. Never varying the throw. The same throw from the same spot every round is readable. Defenders who learn your SELMA spots will denial-stack them. Unpredictability is free.
When NOT to Pick Ace
Mastery includes knowing when to sit him out:
When the execute needs Thermite's hole size. Some site takes need the biggest possible opening — a full-team push through one breach, a plant directly through the wall. Ace's holes are large but not Thermite-large. Know the difference.
When he's banned. Ace is a frequent ban target in ranked precisely because he's so strong. Have a Thermite or Hibana game ready — banning Ace is a compliment to the operator, not a reason to tilt.
When the team already has two breachers. Breach redundancy has diminishing returns. If someone locked Ace and another player took Hibana, your third breacher pick is wasted utility — take the entry, intel, or flank watch the team is actually missing.
When you need a different job entirely. Ace is a breacher who frags — he's not intel, he's not flank watch, he's not entry. Role coverage beats individual power, as our balanced ranked team guide explains.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many SELMAs does Ace have?
Three per round. Each is a separate throwable device that detonates twice, opening a large section of reinforced wall, a hatch, or a barricade. Plan them across the round's phases — two for the execute, one held for adaptation.
Can Ace's SELMA be destroyed?
Yes. Electrified surfaces (Bandit batteries, Kaid claws) destroy a deployed SELMA, Mute jammers prevent deployment entirely, and Jäger's ADS or Wamai's Mag-NET can intercept a thrown SELMA mid-flight. Drone for denial before every throw.
Ace or Thermite — who should I learn first?
Ace. He's more forgiving (ranged throws, elite gun, self-sufficient) and more meta-relevant, and he teaches hard-breach thinking without the punishing exposure of Thermite's placement animation. Learn Thermite second.
Can Ace open hatches?
Yes — and the throwable arc makes hatch plays safer than Thermite's walk-up placement. On basement sites, earmark at least one SELMA for the key hatch.
Why is Ace banned so often?
Because he's the most complete attacker package in the game: safe ranged breaching, an elite rifle, three devices, and self-sufficiency. Have a Thermite or Hibana game ready for when he's banned.
Is Ace good for beginners?
The gadget is intuitive (throw device, wall opens) and the AK-12 is forgiving, so he's one of the better picks for a developing player. But true Ace mastery — throw angles, SELMA economy, hybrid play — takes time. Graduate to this guide once hard breach is a job you want to own.
The Bottom Line
Ace mastery is four things: know the SELMA mechanics exactly (throwable arc, two sequential detonations, what stops it), throw from safety every single time, budget the three devices across the round (two for the execute, one for adaptation), and embrace the hybrid (breach first, frag after).
The average Ace throws devices at walls and hopes. The mastered Ace reads the denial, picks the angle, opens the execute from safety, and then wins the gunfights his breach created. Be the second one.
Browse the full roster in our Operators hub to find the picks that complete your game.