Finka (Siege)

Finka
Nanobots, online.
General information
Real Name	Lera Melnikova
Organization	Rainbow CBRN Threat Unit Spetsnaz
Position	Attacker
Birthplace	Gomel, Belarus (Byelorussian SSR, Soviet Union)
Date of birth	June 7, 1989
Age	34
Height	5'7" (1.71m)
Weight	149lbs (68kg)
Unlock	15,000 360 Free for Season Pass owners
Statistics
Health Rating	●●○ Medium
Speed Rating	●●○ Normal

"Being afraid of a disease is sometimes worse than the disease itself. There is no cure for fear, so either you surrender to it or you fight it until one of you wins."
— Finka

Lera "Finka" Melnikova (Russian: Лера Мельникова) is an Attacking Operator in Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege. She was introduced in the Operation Chimera expansion alongside Lion.

Biography

Lera was born on June 7, 1989 in the irradiated city of Gomel, Byelorussian SSR, three years after the Chernobyl disaster. Lera and her two younger siblings grew up around children already suffering from birth defects as a result of the disaster. At age nine, Lera was diagnosed with a neuropathy that included the slow degeneration of muscles and the loss of sensation in the limbs and extremities. Her diagnosis was the realization of her fears, so when her parents encouraged her and her siblings to be physically active, she pushed herself even harder, determined to keep her body in peak condition to weather the neuropathy. Her young mind reasoned that she couldn't be sick if she stayed healthy.

All three Melnikova children grew up playing sports, with Lera excelling at those requiring agility and finesse but there was always the knowledge that the neuropathy would worsen unless someone found a more permanent solution. She decided that someone was herself.

Lera moved to Novosibirsk to study Cytology and Genetics at Novosibirsk State University and graduated with a PhD in Microbiology and Immunology. She remained at NSU in the Biotechnology and Virology Laboratory, her research uncovering treatments for a variety of pathogens and neuropathies including her own through drugs and self-dissolving nanites. While she hadn’t found a cure, she had found remission.

Lera might have stayed in Academia had she not received a visit from the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (FSB). Russian Spetsnaz operators and special agents faced the ever-growing danger of exposure to hazardous materials including organophosphorus agents like VX gas. For the first time in her life, Lera began thinking outside of her own concerns. Her research had saved the lives of perfect strangers, and now they were reaching out to her, sending grateful postcards and photos and letters. She could have a greater impact still. Lera jumped at the chance to work with Spetsnaz volunteers in a variety of conditions as she adapted the nanobots to their high-performance physiologies. Quickly, she came to enjoy the sense of competition, camaraderie, and the mental toughness of the Russian Special Forces members. She joined the Army with an eye on becoming a Red Beret herself, on the front lines of saving lives as a Chemical Biological Radiological Nuclear (CBRN) specialist.

Serving in the Russian Army, Lera rapidly proved herself physically and mentally tough enough to try out for the Spetsnaz. It was a brutal course, culminating in Close Quarter Battle (CQB) knife training with Kapkan. A misstep and a flourish from Kapkan, however, opened her face from brow to cheek, but Lera went for a series of bone-breaking punches to his nose and ribs before the pain overwhelmed her. They spent the night in the med tent, neither of them speaking, but enjoying a new, unspoken respect between them. From that day forward, she'd earned her moniker, Finka or "Knife."

Lera became the Spetsnaz CBRN Specialist, joining the Vympel Unit under the FSB and using her nanobots to help her unit survive hot zones; she was one of the only people capable of tailoring the nanobots to specific operators.

Her work in restructuring Russian battlefield protocols in the handling and neutralization of dangerous payloads earned her notice, and she became the go-to expert when it came to joint exercises with other CTUs. In 2018, Aurelia Arnot invited Lera to join Rainbow to help form their own CBRN Threat Unit. Following her recruitment, Lera recommended that Olivier "Lion" Flament join her on the unit for his leadership during the 2015 Nigeria Ebola epidemic, to which Arnot agreed.

Psychological Profile

Lera discovered that her neuropathy was slowly growing resistant to treatment. The old fears returned, every ache and pain analyzed and scrutinized as she pushed herself even harder to peak performance.

Now, she constantly tweaks and modifies her formula to stave off twinges and numbness that she imagines might be the onset of decline. She pushes herself to the point of throwing up after workouts with IQ and Valkyrie, though only Valkyrie understands that punishing limit of physical fitness. Lera unable to distinguish between the disease and normal fatigue and is driven by her fears and made excellent by them in the same maddening moment. She is not young anymore, though, but more desperate than ever to hold on to her life. She is trying to find a new treatment while keeping it a secret, but Doc knows and is closely monitoring her CMT in case it begins to affect her performance. She has not shared this with anyone else, not Kapkan who is her no-nonsense mentor, and not Tachanka with whom she drinks and flirts.

Lera has recently taken to creating a wall of letters and photos in her workspace, a reminder that her treatments are more than just about helping herself. But she’s still afraid that this might get ahead of her.

Psychological Report

Specialist Lera Melnikova has a dynamic personality that often takes a backseat in past reports because of her chronic illness. It's a shame. From the moment she entered my office with fresh coffee and croissants for our meeting, her vibrant energy swirled around the room.

While Melnikova prefers not to discuss her illness, it's clear that it looms over her every thought. Her fitness tracker constantly sets off reminders. Her thermos of water must be kept constantly topped up. She doesn't like to sit for too long, nor stand. Every movement is a calculation. She isn't fidgety or impatient, but hyper aware of each moment and careful of the needs of her body. [...]

Managing her health grounds Melnikova in the here and now. Her process — her rituals — have enabled her to achieve a high level of fitness and mental balance. It's the right approach and it works for her. My concern is that she may not be prepared for upsets to her careful order. So, I suggested that while maintaining the concept of a ritual, I'd like her to apply some variations to them. [...]

Melnikova's close connection with illness provides her with unique insight into how disability or inability affects a person's identity. Her research is driven by her sense of determination, but also guilt. She knows she can't help everyone. And frankly, it's crucial for her state of mind that she not lose sight of this. We're only human, after all. [...]

Her deep bonds with the Russian Special Forces members and her Rainbow team push her to be better and to maintain her focus. They understand the extreme level of commitment this requires. Her dedication to them is unwavering even if they don't always agree on a surface level. [...]

What stands out to me is Melnikova's wonderful, full laugh. It's a laugh that gets set aside too often when she's focused on her illness. I encouraged her to seek out those unrestrained moments of delight. Because her every decision is so carefully constructed, what would benefit her most is the ability to surprise herself.

- Dr. Harishva "Harry" Pandey, Director of Rainbow

Gameplay Description

A Medium Armored Operator, Finka comes equipped with her specially-designed nanobots. Having them injected into each of her teammates prior to each mission, her Adrenal Surge allows affected allies to gain a temporary boost in health and a reduction in recoil, on top of other small benefits.

• Three times per round, Finka is able to activate "Adrenal Surge" for 10 seconds. Adrenal Surge has a 20-second cooldown between activations.

• Finka cannot activate Adrenal Surge when she is within the range of Mute's Signal Disruptors.

• Upon activation, Adrenal Surge grants all Attackers the following effects:

• A temporary 20 health increase.

• The health buff is independent of the player's actual health capacity, allowing the player to be Overhealed beyond their normal health capacity.
• When the Adrenal Surge's duration is over, whatever temporary health is left will vanish. However, this will not reduce the Attacker's health below what they had initially.

• Downed attackers (excluding those downed by Frost's Welcome Mats) are revived with 5 health (in addition to the temporary 20 health boost).

• The revival process takes the same duration as the revival by Doc's Stim Pistol, which is 2.75 seconds.
• Finka cannot self-revive, as she cannot activate Adrenal Surge while downed.

• Concussion effects (from Ela's Grzmot Mines and Zofia's Concussion Grenades) are overridden.
• Disorientation effects from Echo's Yokai drone are overridden.

• While active, Adrenal Surge grants all Attackers the following effects:

• Recoil while Aiming Down Sights is reduced by about 45%.
• Aim Down Sights speed is increased by 25%.
• Reload time for weapons and gadgets is decreased by about 15%.
• Movement speed in Barbed Wire is increased by ~40%.
• The effects of gadgets like Stun Grenades and Ying's Candelas are reduced by 50%.
• Concussion effects received are reduced by 70%.
• Tinnitus from explosions are instantly removed.
• The Attacker can now be detected by Pulse's Cardiac Sensor from up to 14 meters away (compared to the usual 9 meters).
• Damage received from Smoke's Remote Gas Grenades are increased by 50%.

• The effects of Adrenal Surge are overridden for an Attacker when:

• The Attacker is hit by an ultrasonic blast from Echo's Yokai.
• The Attacker is poisoned by Lesion's Gu Mines.

Strategies

Synergies

• Finka's Adrenal Surge works well with Attackers who work best in active gunfights, allowing someone like Blackbeard to prevail due to the Adrenal Surge's ability to increase recoil control and reduce ADS time.

• This also applies to Operators with conventional gadgets (eg. Hibana's X-KAIROS, Buck's Skeleton Key, etc.), as their weapons will reload slightly faster.

• Because Adrenal Surge is also able to grant an increased resistance to Blinding and Concussion effects, Ying and Zofia work well with Finka.

• While Ying is already immune to her own Candelas, allied Attackers can make use of Adrenal Surge to recover faster from the Blinding effect as well.
• In Zofia's case, due to her innate resistance to Concussion Effects, the combined resistance causes her to recover from the effects in around a single second.

Loadout

Loadout
Primary	Spear .308 Assault Rifle 6P41 Light Machine Gun SASG-12 Shotgun
Secondary	PMM Handgun GSh-18 Handgun
Gadget	Breach Charge x 3 Frag Grenade x 2
	Adrenal Surge x 3

"The nanobots give the team a brief gain in HP and revives allies in a DBNO state."
— Adrenal Surge Description

Finka delivers a nanobot shot to each operator before an operation. The nanites are made of zinc with the pharmacological cocktail laced into the nanobot’s construction. When she activates her signal, the nanobots disintegrate with the zinc being treated as a nutrient by the body and facilitating the absorption of the drugs. The operators receive a short boost of health to get them back on their feet, to give them an extra push, and to steady their aim.

Device Evaluation

Device: Adrenal Surge
Operator: Specialist Dr. Lera "Finka" Melnikova
Evaluation Lead: Dr. Gustave 'Doc' Kateb

'Many studies on epinephrine (adrenaline) and other hormones/neurotransmitters are giving us a clearer picture of how our minds and bodies function under extreme stress. Along with advancements in nanomedicine this field of health research is really at its most exciting.

I read Lera's PhD: her extrapolation of unproven theories about self-propelled fluids and what is now called "active" matter was far ahead of its time. I suspect she had to pull back into more respected (older) fields of study to ensure her dissertation would be accepted. Here, she has no such constraints, so I will expect full and correct terminology from now on.

(Comment_L. Melnikova: Academia is a hard habit to break! I'll try.)

As for Lera's neuropathy and her continued research, these results and the attached test plan will certainly provide her with the data she needs for future enhancements. Harry, Elena, Lera and I have all agreed to have regular discussions to keep up to date on this fast-changing field.

(Comment_L. Melnikova: I'm grateful to Doc, Mira and Harry for being good sounding boards. My research is for all of us!)

- Doc

Quotes

Finka's Quotes

Outbreak: Sierra Paradise "I thought they would react to the helicopter but... no. Nothing." "As long as we're faster than they are, who cares?" "Some questions can't be answered by idle chatter alone." "There are so many of them. This really is an infestation." "Nothing is ever simple, is it?" "This is one hell of a way to meet. Are you alright?" "Stay focused. We need all of us if we're going to make it out of here alive." Outbreak: Sierra Veterans Wing "We're not really hanging on our entire plan on one researcher, are we?" "As a specialist, Mackintosh could be the only one who knows how to fight this thing." "Waiting here won't change anything. We keep moving." Outbreak: The Nest "Is this where you say something like 'expect the unexpected?'" "A fight like that, really gets the blood pumping." "Some people can't face the world. It doesn't mean they're weak, just scared." Spawning "Don't be too foolish." "I have low tolerance for that kind of behavior." "Try your best." "We'll get it done." Activating Adrenal Surge "Activating Adrenaline Surge!" "Here comes the adrenal surge." "Surge incoming!" Friendly Fire "Cease fire! Cease fire!"

Trivia

• The term Finka (Russian: Финка) refers to a type of knife, specifically Finnish ones.
• Finka and Lion's codenames were first revealed on February 1st, 2018.
• Finka has recently taken to creating a wall of letters and photos in her workspace as a reminder that her treatments are more than just about helping herself. She still fears that the wall might get ahead of her.
• Finka's Operator card shows her Spear .308 equipped with the standard Holographic Sight model despite using the Russian models in-game.

Gallery

Models

Finka armed with SPEAR .308

Finka armed with 6P41

Finka armed with SASG-12

Concept Art

Finka early designs.

Finka early designs.

Finka concept art.

Finka concept art.

Stills

Finka (In-game artwork)

Finka and Lion in an Operation Chimera promotional image.

Finka, Lion and Glaz investigating the capsule.

Promotional image of Finka.

Promotional image of Finka

Gameplay Video

Rainbow Six Siege - In Depth How to Play FINKA - Operator Profile

Patch Changes

Update 4.2.0; June 11, 2019 Patch: Adrenal Surge now clears tinnitus from explosions. Update 3.2.2; July 23, 2018 Patch: Adrenal Surge retweaked. Stun Grenades are replaced with Frag Grenades. Update 3.1.0; March 6, 2018 Patch: Introduction alongside Lion.