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How to Counter Noor in Rainbow Six Siege

Learn how to counter Noor in Rainbow Six Siege by surviving Horus Lance hits, protecting shield Operators, tracking his five projectiles, changing plant positions, and forcing him away from safe denial angles.

September 10, 202618 min read

How to Counter Noor in Rainbow Six Siege

Countering Noor is less about finding one perfect Operator and more about denying the situations his Horus Lance is designed to exploit. Noor is strongest when Attackers enter through a narrow route, group behind a shield, plant beside a predictable destructible surface, or give him enough information to fire from an adjacent room.

The reliable answer is to make the attack less predictable. Drone Noor’s position, pressure the room from which he wants to fire, leave the shield player a safe retreat path, and track how many of his five projectiles have been used. If a Lance lands on a shield, break line of sight before attempting to remove it and have another Attacker cover the exposure.

The most important counterplay principles are:

  • Do not send a shield into a narrow lane without support.

  • Drone the rooms above, below, and beside the intended entry or plant.

  • Count each Horus Lance Noor fires.

  • Make him spend projectiles on pressure that is not the real execute.

  • Avoid stacking several Attackers around one penetrable surface.

  • Clear Noor or force him away before planting in a predictable location.

  • Cover a shield player while the projectile is being removed.

Noor can still take gunfights after spending his utility, so exhausting the Horus Lance does not make the site free. It removes his unique denial advantage and lets the team approach the remaining defense more normally.

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Understand the Horus Lance Before Countering It

Noor carries five Horus Lance projectiles. They can pierce ballistic shields and destructible surfaces before producing flames around the point of penetration. Ubisoft also confirms that Noor can work through floors, ceilings, and adjacent rooms.

Against a shield, the initial impact causes a guard break. The shield player can remove the projectile to stop the flames, but the removal creates an opening for Noor or another Defender to shoot. That forced decision—not damage alone—is the core of Noor’s shield counterplay.

Why Predictable Attacks Make Noor Stronger

Noor gains the most value when he knows exactly where the attack must go. Common examples include:

  • A Montagne leading four players through one doorway.

  • A shield entering Barbed Wire with no quick retreat.

  • A defuser plant beside a soft wall, floor, or ceiling.

  • Several Attackers waiting behind the same penetrable surface.

  • A slow execute that gives cameras and sound cues time to locate the planter.

  • A team repeatedly attacking the same choke after Noor reveals his angle.

Each of these situations gives Noor a clear target and a predictable follow-up. The counter is to preserve multiple options. Attack from more than one lane, change the plant spot, and make Noor decide whether the pressure is real before he spends a projectile.

What Noor Needs From His Team

A Horus Lance is most dangerous when another Defender covers the reaction it creates. Noor may force a shield to retreat or expose itself, but a teammate must often convert that moment into an elimination.

Attackers should therefore identify the crossfire, not only Noor. Before entering the lane, ask which Defender can shoot the shield during removal, which angle covers the retreat, and whether a trap or slowing gadget prevents safe movement. Clearing one supporting angle can turn a deadly Lance hit into a manageable reset.

Why Range and Space Matter

The flames threaten the immediate area around the Lance rather than controlling an entire room. Open space gives Attackers more ways to leave the affected zone, while hard cover provides a place to remove a projectile safely.

Avoid fighting Noor on the exact terms he wants. A shield in a tight doorway has limited choices; a shield several steps behind hard cover can retreat, receive cover from a teammate, and reset the push. Even without a shield, keeping space between teammates prevents one Lance from disrupting the whole formation.

How to Survive a Horus Lance on Your Shield

The worst response to a Horus Lance is to continue pushing as though nothing happened. The projectile is intended to break the shield’s momentum and create exposure. Accept the lost space, reset safely, and preserve the Operator for the next attempt.

Stop Advancing and Break Line of Sight

Move away from Noor’s angle as soon as the Lance connects. The priority is not an immediate removal in the middle of the doorway; it is reaching hard cover before Noor or his teammate can punish the removal action.

Do not turn unpredictably in front of several Defenders. Back away along the route your support player already controls whenever possible. If the retreat lane is blocked by a teammate, trap, or obstacle, the team has already given Noor the compressed formation he wants.

Remove the Projectile Only From a Covered Position

Removing the Lance stops the flames, but it also reduces the protection of the shield during the action. Before beginning:

  1. Confirm that Noor no longer has direct line of sight.

  2. Tell the supporting Attacker that you are about to remove it.

  3. Make sure the teammate is aiming at Noor’s last known position or the likely swing.

  4. Complete the removal behind hard cover or concealed by a safe execute tool.

  5. Change the next entry angle instead of immediately repeating the same push.

Smoke can help conceal the removal, but it is not complete protection. Defenders may still have cameras, sound information, pings, or a pre-aimed position. Hard cover and teammate control remain more dependable than concealment alone.

Do Not Remove the Lance Inside a Crossfire

Noor wants the shield player to focus on the gadget while another Defender watches the body. If the only safe-looking cover is still exposed to a second angle, keep retreating or have the team clear that angle first.

The supporting Attacker should not stand directly behind the shield. Offset to one side so that the player can see Noor’s likely peek and so both players are not caught in the same denial zone.

Communicate the Removal Window

Simple callouts are enough:

  • “Lance on shield.”

  • “Backing out.”

  • “Cover Noor’s angle.”

  • “Removing now.”

  • “One Lance used.”

These calls tell the team what Noor has spent, where the shield is moving, and when the exposed action begins. Silence gives the defense an uncontested opening.

Countering Noor With Montagne and Other Shields

Noor was specifically designed to disrupt shield-led attacks, but shields do not become unusable when he is selected. They must operate with more space, information, and support.

Montagne Should Lead Information, Not Blind Commitment

Montagne can still gather information and occupy attention, but he should avoid walking deep into a narrow lane before Noor is located. Hold enough distance to retreat behind hard cover and keep a support player offset from the shield.

Use Montagne to show presence and test Noor’s discipline. If Noor spends a Lance before Montagne is committed, retreat and make the defense decide whether the shield will return or the attack will rotate. The goal is to trade a small amount of temporary pressure for one of Noor’s five limited shots.

Do not repeatedly re-enter the same doorway after removing a Lance. Noor may have another projectile ready, while the crossfire that supported the first attempt is likely still active.

Blitz Must Avoid Unsupported Close-Range Entries

Blitz depends on closing distance, which makes a prepared Noor especially dangerous. Drone the immediate room and displace Noor before sprinting into the choke. If Noor is holding from an adjacent room, a direct rush can give him the easiest possible shield hit.

Blitz is more effective when another Attacker pressures Noor’s escape route. Once Noor must watch two directions or move away from the penetrable surface, Blitz has a better opportunity to close the gap.

Other Shield-Based Attacks Need a Backup Plan

Any lineup using a carried or placed shield should avoid making that shield the team’s only method of entry. Bring enough destruction, reconnaissance, and ranged pressure to continue if Noor denies the intended lane.

If a shield becomes a repeated Horus Lance target, change its job. It can watch a flank, provide information, protect a different angle, or help sell a fake push while the main execute develops elsewhere.

How Non-Shield Attackers Should Play Against Noor

Noor’s headline role is countering shields, but he can also deny ordinary Attackers through destructible surfaces and around plant locations. A conventional attacking lineup must still respect his ability to create fire from a protected position.

Do Not Stack at Doors and Breaches

Several Attackers waiting beside the same wall or doorway give Noor maximum value from one shot. Maintain enough spacing for the front player to retreat without colliding with teammates.

Good spacing also preserves trades. If Noor forces the entry player away, the second Attacker should still have an angle on the Defender attempting to capitalize.

Move Out of the Denial Zone Immediately

Do not remain near the flames trying to finish a difficult gunfight. Leave the affected area, hold the likely Defender swing, and re-approach after the denial no longer blocks the route.

Moving sideways into an unchecked angle is not a successful escape. Drone or control the alternate route before relying on it as the answer to Noor.

Pressure the Firing Position

When a Lance arrives through a wall, floor, or ceiling, the direction and map geometry can narrow down Noor’s likely position. Call the suspected room and pressure it with drones, vertical destruction, ranged utility, or a coordinated swing.

Noor becomes less effective when he cannot remain beside the surfaces connected to the objective. Forcing him one room farther away may be enough to make the original plant or entry safe.

Do Not Chase Noor Through His Own Setup

Displacing Noor is often sufficient. Chasing him through Barbed Wire, crossfires, or another Defender’s traps can turn a successful clear into an unnecessary death. Once he leaves the denial position, secure the room and protect the objective route.

Drain Noor’s Five Horus Lances

Charge tracking is one of the most reliable ways to reduce Noor’s influence. He has five projectiles, so every low-value shot he spends makes the eventual execute easier.

Call Every Confirmed Lance

Whenever Noor fires, communicate the updated count. Do not assume all teammates heard or saw the activation.

Useful calls include:

  • “Noor used one—four left.”

  • “Second Lance on east entry.”

  • “Three used; two possible for plant.”

  • “All five confirmed.”

Only count a shot when it is confirmed. Incorrectly announcing that Noor is empty can cause the defuser carrier to walk into a final projectile the team forgot.

Present Pressure Without Giving Away the Real Execute

Show a drone, shield, sound cue, or brief entry threat from one lane while preserving the option to rotate. The fake must be credible enough to make Noor consider spending utility, but it should not risk several players in the same choke.

If Noor refuses to fire, the team has still gathered information about his discipline and likely position. If he commits a Lance, reset before the defense can turn that temporary denial into an elimination.

Do Not Waste Time Trying to Force Every Projectile

Draining all five is helpful, but it is not a requirement for winning. If Noor refuses to spend utility on fakes, clear his position or execute through a different route. The objective is to reduce his influence, not to make charge counting more important than the round.

Even after all five Lances are used, Noor still has a capable primary weapon. Treat the empty Launcher as permission to use the route more confidently, not as permission to stop droning.

Best Attackers for Countering Noor

There is no single Attacker that automatically removes Noor’s entire threat. The best choices find him, change the surrounding geometry, force him out of protected positions, or control his rotation.

These are strategic counters rather than guaranteed gadget-to-gadget shutdowns.

Iana and Zero for Reconnaissance

Iana can check a suspected Noor position without risking the body of an entry player. Repeated information is valuable because Noor may relocate after firing through a surface.

Zero can establish cameras that watch adjacent rooms, vertical positions, or the route Noor uses to rotate between denial angles. The cameras are most useful when teammates actively watch and communicate rather than leaving them unattended.

Standard drones remain essential even with either Operator. Save at least one drone for the objective clear instead of losing every piece of information during the initial entry.

Buck and Sledge for Vertical Pressure

Buck and Sledge can open destructible surfaces that Noor may be using for protected denial. Vertical destruction can expose his anchor position, remove the safety of an adjacent room, or create a new angle that forces him to move.

Do not begin opening the floor blindly. Drone the lower level, identify friendly positions, and watch for a Defender waiting to shoot through the same opening.

Flores, Ash, and Zofia for Displacement

Flores can send explosive pressure toward a protected anchor position, while Ash and Zofia can attack cover or utility supporting Noor’s hold. Their value is indirect: they make the position uncomfortable and create a safer opportunity for the team to swing.

Do not assume explosive utility neutralizes every Horus Lance interaction. Use it to move Noor or break the setup around him, then confirm the result with a drone.

Capitão for Execute Control

Capitão can help cut off Noor’s position or conceal an exposed action during the execute. Smoke may protect a shield removal or plant from direct sight, while fire can discourage Noor from holding a specific angle.

The team should first account for projectile-denial utility and Defender cameras. Capitão supports the counter plan, but his bolts do not replace the need to locate Noor.

Nomad and Gridlock for Rotation Control

Nomad and Gridlock help restrict the routes Noor may use after his firing position is discovered. This makes it harder for him to deny one lane and safely relocate to another.

Their utility is strongest after the team has taken enough map control to place it safely. Using it too far from the objective may protect a flank without affecting Noor’s actual denial route.

How to Protect the Defuser Plant From Noor

Plant denial is Noor’s strongest use when the attack does not bring a shield. A predictable planter beside a destructible wall, floor, or ceiling gives him a target without requiring a direct line of sight.

Clear the Connected Rooms

Before planting, identify every destructible surface connected to the chosen spot. Drone the adjacent room, check the level above or below, and remove Noor from any safe position that gives him a firing path.

Clearing only the bomb room is not enough if Noor can deny it from elsewhere. The plant is secure only when the team controls both the visible angles and the connected spaces from which indirect utility can arrive.

Change the Plant Position

Do not insist on the standard plant if Noor has already demonstrated a prepared angle for it. A slightly less comfortable position may be safer if it is separated from the relevant destructible surface.

The new plant still needs post-plant cover. Avoid solving the Horus Lance problem by placing the defuser somewhere the team cannot defend afterward.

Deny Noor’s Information

Noor is much less reliable when he must guess the plant location. Clear cameras, watch for pings, and use sound discipline where practical. Smoke blocks direct vision but does not remove information from surviving Defender observation tools or teammate callouts.

If the defense knows exactly where the planter is, expect Noor to fire even without seeing the animation himself.

Cover the Likely Escape Route

If a Lance interrupts the plant, the planter should already know where to move. Another Attacker must cover the Defender angle waiting for that escape.

Do not have the entire team watch the plant spot. Assign one player to protect the planter, one to hold Noor’s likely swing or rotation, and another to control the remaining Defender route when player count allows.

Map and Site Clues That Reveal a Noor Setup

Noor is most threatening where the environment provides safe penetration angles. Recognizing those conditions during the drone phase helps the team choose a better approach.

Expect Noor Near These Features

  • Soft floors or ceilings connected to common plant spots.

  • Small rooms beside a major site doorway.

  • Narrow stairs or corridors that shields commonly lead.

  • Castle Armor Panels or Azami Kiba Barriers protecting an approach.

  • Barbed Wire near a surface Noor can safely target.

  • A Deployable Shield protecting a Defender with access to the main choke.

These features do not prove Noor’s exact location. They identify the positions the attack should drone before committing.

Prefer Routes With Multiple Exits

An entry lane with two controlled exits is safer than a tunnel that ends at Noor’s crossfire. If the team must use a narrow route, secure the adjacent room or vertical level first so Noor cannot fire without being challenged.

Open routes also make it easier to preserve spacing. The goal is not to avoid every destructible surface on the map; it is to avoid entering a position where one Lance controls every available response.

Communication That Makes Noor Easier to Counter

Noor punishes teams that hold separate pieces of information without combining them. One player may know where he fired from, another may know the charge count, and the shield player may be preparing a removal. Those details must reach the whole team quickly.

Use Short, Actionable Calls

Strong calls describe one fact and one required response:

  • “Noor below default plant—clear lower floor.”

  • “Lance on Monty—cover removal.”

  • “Noor moved west—east plant may be open.”

  • “Four Lances used—one unconfirmed.”

  • “Do not stack breach; fire angle on the right.”

Avoid saying only “Noor there.” Name the room, level, surface, or direction whenever possible.

Correct the Charge Count Immediately

If the team realizes a shot was counted twice or missed, correct the call. Treat an uncertain charge as still available. Assuming Noor is empty is more dangerous than respecting one projectile that may already have been spent.

Common Mistakes When Countering Noor

Trying to Remove a Lance in Noor’s Line of Sight

The removal action is the exposure Noor wants. Retreat behind hard cover and make a teammate hold the angle before interacting with the projectile.

Sending the Shield Alone

A shield without support cannot safely clear Noor, watch the second Defender, and protect its own removal. Keep a teammate offset behind the shield with a clear firing lane.

Grouping the Entire Team Around One Breach

Stacking removes retreat space and lets one denial effect interrupt several players. Spread across complementary angles while maintaining trade distance.

Planting in the Default Spot Without a Vertical Clear

Noor can work through floors and ceilings. If the team controls the bomb room but ignores the connected level, the planter may still be denied from safety.

Treating Smoke as Complete Protection

Smoke blocks sight, not sound, pings, cameras, or a known default plant position. Remove Defender information and control Noor’s angle before relying on concealment.

Chasing Noor After He Leaves the Denial Position

Once Noor is forced away, secure the useful space. A deep chase may lead into traps or crossfires and leave the objective route unprotected.

Assuming Five Used Lances Mean Noor Is Harmless

Tracking all five removes his special denial, not his primary weapon. Continue droning and trading as you would against any armed anchor.

Expecting One Attacker Gadget to Solve the Matchup

Reconnaissance, vertical pressure, explosives, smoke, and rotation control all help, but none should be treated as an automatic win on every site. Counter the position and team setup supporting Noor, not only the Launcher.

How to Counter Noor FAQ

What Is the Best Way to Counter Noor?

Locate Noor before committing, pressure his adjacent or vertical firing position, keep shield players near hard cover, and count his five Horus Lance projectiles. Changing routes and plant locations prevents him from preparing one reliable denial angle.

How Many Horus Lances Does Noor Have?

Noor carries five Horus Lance projectiles. Call every confirmed use, but treat an uncertain projectile as still available.

Can a Shield Operator Remove the Horus Lance?

Yes. Removing the projectile stops the flames, but the action creates an opening for Defenders to shoot. Break line of sight and have a teammate cover the removal.

Should Montagne Still Be Picked Against Noor?

Montagne can still gather information, occupy attention, and support a coordinated attack. However, he should avoid entering narrow routes without hard-cover access and a teammate prepared to cover a Lance removal.

Does Noor Only Counter Shield Operators?

No. Noor can use the Horus Lance through destructible walls, floors, and ceilings to deny ordinary Attackers and interrupt predictable plants. Non-shield lineups must still clear his connected firing positions.

Which Attackers Are Good Against Noor?

Iana and Zero support reconnaissance; Buck and Sledge provide vertical pressure; Flores, Ash, and Zofia can displace protected Defenders; Capitão can support an execute; and Nomad or Gridlock can restrict rotations. These Operators enable the counter strategy rather than directly switching off Noor’s gadget.

How Do You Stop Noor From Denying the Plant?

Control the rooms above, below, and beside the plant, remove Defender information, force Noor away from the connected surface, and select an alternative plant position if the default is already covered.

Should Attackers Try to Drain All Five Lances?

Forcing low-value shots is useful, but draining every projectile is not mandatory. If Noor refuses to fire, clear his position or execute through a different route instead of wasting the round on repeated fakes.

Is Noor Still Dangerous After Using Every Lance?

Yes. He loses his unique shield and area denial, but he remains an armed Defender. Keep droning, isolate his angle, and trade the gunfight normally.

Final Thoughts on Countering Noor

The best way to counter Noor is to deny him a predictable decision. Do not feed a shield into a narrow lane, plant beside an uncleared destructible surface, or let the entire team gather around one breach.

Find the room from which Noor wants to fire, remove the information helping him aim indirectly, and force him to spend Lances on pressure that the team can abandon. When a shield is hit, retreat before removing the projectile and make a teammate cover the exposure.

Noor is powerful against rigid attacks, but he becomes much less oppressive when the team preserves spacing, alternative routes, and accurate charge information. Counter the setup around him, and the Horus Lance becomes a limited denial tool rather than the deciding factor in every execute.

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