Attacker Repick is the ability to pick new Attacking operators during the prep phase in response to the Defensive setup. While the concept is simple, in practice this drastically changes both how Attack and Defense operate. With the completion of Stage 1, there has been enough time to see the initial effects of this new mechanic. While I’ll mostly focus on the influence of Attacker repick on the Attack, the Defense has had to adjust to this way more than what you’d expect from a mechanic that only Attackers use.
So far, Attacker Repick offers the Attacking side more operator flexibility than previously allowed. Even before 6th Pick, attacking lineups had to be relatively static. It was hard to prepare for what the Defense was going to do, so the best course of action was to create a lineup that could respond to almost anything well enough to get by. Off-meta picks were saved for pocket strats and hard reads. This static lineup traditionally took the form of a hard breach (Thermite, Hibana, Ace), an entry op (Ash, Zofia, Iana, Finka) a flank watch/util disable (Thatcher, Nomad, Maverick) a soft breach (Sledge/Buck) and a flex (anything else, usually the in-meta op). At best, teams would create variety through switching up the minor details, changing the Thermite to a Hibana, for attacking a specific site or changing off the Nomad to a Gridlock to get smokes instead of flashes.
It was uncommon to see huge off-meta picks by the Attack, especially in comparison to the Defense. Since Attack is responding to whatever the Defense does, Defenders playing something off-meta like Caviera or Kapkan is inherently disruptive, regardless of it succeeds. On the flipside, picking an off-meta attacking operator like Fuze was a dangerous prospect, anything the Defense did could nullify the pick. A site change, different op, or new setup could prevent whatever 200 IQ strategy was planned despite the Defense not even doing it intentionally. Attacker Repick changed this.
In the NAL alone, the teams that have wholeheartedly adopted this new mechanic and use it to its full extent are the teams that are most competitive. Teams like SSG, DZ and bC were willing to blow up attacking lineups to completely change operators going into a round. While these are some of the most competitive teams in the NAL, this willingness to test the limits of Repick is also a likely reason for their standings in the NAL. Teams like TSM, and Mirage were more static with their lineups, often only changing 1 or 2 ops at most. While not the only reason for those teams to struggle as much as they have, an unwillingness to fully utilize the tools available on the Attack put them at that much more of a disadvantage. The best teams in the region, like OXG, are somewhere in between the no holds barred insanity of SSG and the unchanging lineups of Mirage. The team isn’t afraid to change things up but isn’t going crazy. That healthy balance is part of the reason the team did so well.
Already the way Attacker Repick is used can be related to the success of teams. Much like how teams like SK tried disrupting the meta using hard breach bans and found early success, the willingness to abuse Attacker Repick has proven to be an advantage, albeit a temporary one. The shock and awe of wacky strats will be lessened over time and the use of the mechanic will normalize. Mastery of Repick will still be important, but the lesser teams will eventually catch up and learn how to use it, rather than the teams at the cutting edge losing potency.
But what Attacker Repick offers is the ability to more often take off-meta picks and use more out there pocket strats without as much risk. We’ve already seen an increase in the usage of ops like Blitz, Ying, Dokkabei, and Jackal. All of which were useful and good at what they do, but a little too niche and light in utility to be used consistently. As already mentioned, Attackers previously had to predict when to use off-meta picks, but that decision can now be made off of info during the prep phase. It also allows for players to have comfort picks on the attacking side again. One of the NIP players was once a notorious Glaz that always had the op in their back pocket, even before the banana scope. With 6th Pick, their ability to take advantage of such expertise was limited and Repick unlocks it once more. Past all the interesting repicks made for strategies, expect a lot more comfort picks being taken on Attack as time goes on. It will never be common, but it is once again possible.
Beyond that, some teams have gotten even more creative with Repick, Beastcoast using Glaz and Amaru for site specific purposes comes to mind, and they’re only one team in one region. Heroic used Fuze to great effect on Clubhouse and APAC is a crazy enough region to truly push the limits of the meta.
Overall, Attacker Repick looks to be a strong addition to Siege in Year 7. Both removing 6th Pick and adding something actually constructive to the game as replacement serves as a huge accomplishment for Ubisoft. While its impact can already be seen at every level of play, the best is yet to come for a mechanic like Repick.