Rainbow Six Extraction Archaeans Guide: All Enemies And Weak Points Explained

Ubisoft’s tactical PvE co-op shooter Rainbow Six Extraction is finally here. It blends the tight teamwork of Siege with a busy alien ecosystem of intimidating foes. You’ll have to take down a wide variety of dangerous Archaeans in order to succeed, and the best way to do that is to stay quiet and out of sight. Here is every type of Archaean enemy and their various weak points in Rainbow Six Extraction.

Nests

Nests are potential spawn points for more Archaeans, which are located around each section of the map. The nests can be located on the floor, ceiling, and walls, so it’s important to keep your eyes open to take them down. Nests can be either destroyed using melee takedowns or by shooting them, neither of which will awaken the nests. Nests will awaken if an Archaean notices you and lets out its alarming shriek, after which nests will continuously spawn more enemies until destroyed.

Grunt

The lowest-tier enemy in Rainbow Six Extraction, Grunts will use melee attacks against operators if they see them. The Grunts are visually distinct from other enemies because of their arms, which are just giant spikes. A Grunt’s weak point is their head, which can be used to take them down quickly and silently if you’re using a silenced weapon. Every weapon in the game can one-shot kill Grunts if shot in the head.

Spiker

The Spiker is similar in appearance to the Grunt, but instead of using melee attacks, the Spiker will shoot spikes at players from a distance. Also similar to Grunts, a Spiker’s weak point is their head, but if alerted to the player’s presence they will attempt to block their face with its left arm. Spikers can still be taken down with a single headshot, so it’s best to kill them before they notice you.

Breacher

Breachers are a crawling enemy with a massive red bulb on its back that will explode when killed. Breachers will attempt to rush you, exploding when they get close enough, dealing massive damage but dying in the process. Luckily, the massive red bulb is their weak point, which will kill them when shot. The explosion caused by Breachers dying will do damage to both players and enemies, so be careful when shooting them. If needed, you can also take out Breachers (and the below Bloaters) by shooting their limbs so as not to set off their explosive bulbs.

Bloater

Bloaters are similar in both appearance and function to Breachers. The bulb on their back is green instead of red, and releases a toxic gas upon death instead of exploding. The gas will linger in the air temporarily, dealing damage to anyone who gets too close to it. A Bloater’s weak point is also the bulb on their back, however the toxic gas does not damage other Archaeans.

Rooter

Rooters can be more difficult to deal with than some of the other common enemies. Rooters crawl around on all fours, throwing spikes like the Spiker, except these spikes will root you in place. A Rooter’s weak point is the back of their head, however the majority of their body is covered in thick armor, so they can be difficult to kill if you don’t get behind them. If a Rooter is alerted to your presence, they will avoid turning around, making the weak point difficult to hit.

Sower

Another crawling enemy, Sowers aren’t interested in fighting you head on. Instead they crawl around placing mines that will explode and blind you if you get too close to them. The mines can be destroyed by shooting them. A Sower’s weak point is on their belly, which can be difficult to shoot when they are crawling around. Sowers will rear up on their back legs when they go to alert the rest of the Archaeans to your presence, which is the best time to shoot them.

Tormentor

Tormentors are tall and fast moving enemies that can sink into the Sprawl and reappear elsewhere. They fire orange spikes that deal a ton of damage and occasionally fire explosive black balls. Their weak point is their head, but between their fast movement and large health pool, Tormentors can still be difficult to take down quickly.

Smasher

The Smasher is the tank of the Archaeans, with thick armor coating the majority of its body. The massive enemy will charge toward you, dealing a massive amount of damage upon collision. Since it’s a charging enemy, naturally their weak point is located on their back. It can be taken down stealthily by getting behind it, but if they’re alerted to your presence you will need to play the role of a matador to take them down.

Lurker

Lurkers play the role of support, giving buffs to nearby Archaeans and even turning them invisible. Lurkers will try and avoid fighting you directly, instead buffing other nearby enemies. While invisible, they can be found through a distortion in the air. A Lurker’s weak point is their head, however they have a flower-like armor around their head that will close when they are attacked. It will eventually open back up, but your time might be better spent unloading bullets into them instead of waiting for the weak point.

Apex

The Apex looks visually similar to the Tormentor, however this powerful enemy can spawn other Archaeans around it. Apexes can also shoot projectile attacks that will blind you for a short period of time. These enemies cannot be taken down in stealth, as they will immediately be alerted to your presence if you get too close. The weak point for the Apex is their head, but they can still take a high amount of damage before it goes down.

Proteans (Smoke, Alibi, Sledge)

Proteans serve as a type of mini-boss in Rainbow Six Extraction, functioning as mimics of some of the operators in the game. Currently there are only three versions, Smoke, Alibi, and Sledge, however more could be added in the future. The Proteans don’t appear very frequently, but are deadly when they do. These enemies don’t have a weak point and have very deep health pools, proving to be a challenge for most squads.

For more tips on how to best take on the parasite and the Archaeans, check out our Rainbow Six Extraction beginners guide and our guide to the best operators.