- "Think of me as your conscience. I see everything, and I'm just as ruthless."
— Mira
Dr. Elena María Álvarez, codenamed Mira, is a Defending Operator featured in Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege, introduced in the Operation Velvet Shell expansion alongside Jackal. She is the Director of Rainbow's Research and Development Department.
Biography
Elena María Álvarez was born on November 18, 1977. Abandoned by her mother at birth, she and her sister were raised by their father in Madrid. When they were both young, Álvarez and her sister both received a doll. Her sister dressed her doll up and had tea parties while Álvarez took a knife and cut it open to see out it worked. Álvarez later found her purpose working for the family business. She started working alongside her father in his repair shop which helped form her intricate understanding of machinery and prompted her to study mechanical engineering and metallurgy at university. Instilled with a strong sense of justice and an obligation to serve, Álvarez joined the Cuerpo Nacional de Policía. Proving to have stellar strength, endurance and knowledge of vehicles sparked her progress in the ballistic field. She saw the need for better equipment and developed new bullet proof materials to protect her teammates while on operations.
Álvarez was later encouraged to join the Grupo Especial de Operaciones (GEO) and ended up beating more than 100 other recruits for the coveted position. While with the GEO, she developed and tested bulletproof materials on the field as well as enhancing bridging vehicles. In 2017, Álvarez accepted a position by Harry Pandey to be Rainbow's Director of Research and Development. She was later added to Rainbow's combat roster so that she could better test her developments and improvements under field conditions. She later worked with Emmanuelle "Twitch" Pichon to develop the CCE Shield for Morowa "Clash" Evans.
During Operation Blue Orion, Álvarez was forced to improvise a panic room at the Embassy of Spain in Tel Aviv. The ordeal resulted in a rivalry with Eliza "Ash" Cohen but also inspired Álvarez to designed a specialized laminated glass that she dubbed "Black Mirror". With Harry Pandey's promotion as the new Director of Rainbow in 2019, he tasked Álvarez with conducting evaluations of all Operator equipment. These evaluations resulted in several noticeable improvements such as adding a ballistic shield to Alexsandr "Tachanka" Senaviev's mounted LMG. She also collaborated with Lera "Finka" Melnikova and Monika "IQ" Weiss to refine Collinn "Warden" McKinley's Smart Glasses.
The continued global threat of terrorism eventually led Harry to conceive The Program. Álvarez oversaw the construction of Rainbow's new state-of-the-art training facility known as the Stadium. She also developed the SIM-SUIT to provide real-time simulated feedback of any damage an Operator may receive during exercises. In late 2019, Harry threw the first annual Tournament of Champions at the Stadium to serve as the ultimate test for Rainbow Operators. Álvarez and her team qualified for the final match, however, she was eliminated by Seamus "Sledge" Cowden with a grenade and her team subsequently lost.
Psychological Report
Specialist Elena María “Mira" Álvarez thinks on her feet. Someone this adaptable and versatile is difficult to predict. as they should be. She takes risks, though, and I'm hoping they're calculated ones. Álvarez is one of the operators who most strives to be a hero. Ferociously protective of teammates and those she considers friends, she can nonetheless dominate an operation, forcing others to blend their tactics with hers if they wish to succeed.
Álvarez enjoys her time in the lab and l'm grateful she accepted my offer to become head of R&D. Working surrounded by machinery reminds her of her father and the strong bond they continue to share.
As far back as she can recall it was only ever the two of them, though her father's shared memories of her grandmother gave her a second role model to look up to. One story stands out in particular: While working late in his garage, her father was pinned under a car. Álvarez found him. She was seven years old. Refusing to leave him, she struggled with the heavy jack – despite his protests – and got him free. Only then did she run for help.
This is the loyalty and stubbornness that I see in her, and that her team appreciates. It comes from a kind heart.
When not working, Álvarez is restless, which she's managed to channel into her art. Her metal sculptures are a source of great pride and she showed me photos of her portfolio. The way she incorporates used machine parts and ballistic glass is enchanting.
Alvarez uses her artistic sensibilities to visualize scenarios with unique clarity. The team should be encouraged to make better use of his talent.
Her ongoing rivalry with Specialist Eliza “Ash" Cohen is a clash of two strong- willed people. Both have solid leadership skills and both care about their teams. They simply approach challenges differently. We need to work through some scenarios where they can both apply their strengths to reach an acceptable outcome. Only through joint success will they see the value of each other's approaches.
Gameplay Description
Mira can punch her Black Mirrors through walls, reinforced or not, to create a one-way view to the other side. This allows her and her teammates to look out from the safety of the air-compressed glass. If the Defender attending the Black Mirror wants, they can break the gas canister to create for themselves a murder hole.
- Mira spawns with two Black Mirrors. She can deploy her Black Mirrors on any breachable or reinforced wall, and she can even place them over the border between a reinforced and non-reinforced wall.
- The Black Mirror is a bulletproof one-way mirror; it is see-through only from the side it was deployed from. The Black Mirror appears as an opaque black glass on the opposite side.
- A deployed Black Mirror ejects the section of the wall/reinforced wall that it is deployed on.
- Mira can deploy a Black Mirror while crouching or standing, but cannot set down Black Mirrors when prone.
- Deploying a Mirror takes 5 seconds.
- Once deployed, Black Mirrors cannot be manually removed in any case.
- Mira can only deploy a Black Mirror on the deployed side of a reinforced wall.
- Non-reinforced walls cannot be reinforced if a Black Mirror was deployed first.
- Thermal breaching gadgets, i.e. Thermite's Exothermic Charge and Hibana's X-KAIROS pellets, can still be deployed on the opaque side of the Black Mirror. Hibanna's X-KAIROS pellets cannot affect the deployed side of the Black Mirror.
- A gas canister is located on the bottom frame of the deployment side of a Black Mirror. The gas canister can be destroyed by gunfire, melee, explosives, or darts fired by Twitch's Shock Drones. Once destroyed, The Black Mirror will eject their bulletproof window after a 4-second delay, creating a viewing port that players can shoot through.
- The gas canister can be destroyed by Wamai's Mag-NETs and Goyo's Volcán Shields.
- Breaking the canister releases a small puff of smoke and a soft noise that can be heard on both sides of the Black Mirror.
- After the Black Mirror is ejected, the Black Mirror's frame will still remain.
- There are four anchors on the Black Mirror, two located at the top side and two on the bottom. Should they be destroyed by a thermal breaching gadget, the black mirror will be instantly and completely destroyed, not leaving behind a frame.
- However, when the Black Mirror's frame is destroyed the area where it was set down will also be included in the opening.
Strategies
- Some specific maps have locations that allow Mira to place her Black Mirror at an elevated height.
- If both Black Mirrors are deployed on two seperate reinforcements then one can be ejected and the other can remain untouched.
- If one reinforcement is deployed on a two reinforcement wall then Mira can deploy a Black Mirror on the reinforced side and leave the other unreinforced. Mira can then blast a few eye-level holes in the unreinforced wall in order to create a dangerous setup. The Black Mirror can then be used as a view port and the opened up unreinforced wall can act as makeshift murder hole.
Synergies
- Mira works well with Operators like Mute, Bandit and Kaid as their gadgets are able to prevent Attacker gadgets from destroying the Black Mirrors if deployed on a reinforced wall.
Counters
- Twitch's Shock Drone is capable of shooting its shock darts and destroy Black Mirrors' gas canisters.
- Thermite and Hibana's gadgets, when deployed on a reinforced wall with the Black Mirror, will destroy the Black Mirrors.
- If the Black Mirror is deployed on a non-reinforced wall, destruction of the wall around the Black Mirror will remove the Black Mirror with it. Ash's breaching rounds can easily destroy such a Black Mirror from a distance.
- Because of the nature of the Black Mirrors, Blitz and Ying, as well as any Attacker with a Stun Grenade, are still able to blind Defenders through them.
- Maverick's Breaching Torch can take out the locks of the Black Mirror, destroying it instantly provided he knows where they are exactly located.
- Maverick can also create a small hole underneath the Black Mirror, allowing him to shoot the gas canister and eject the black mirror easily.
- If deployed correctly, Ace's S.E.L.M.A. will be able to destroy the Black Mirror and provide a larger view port.
Loadout
Loadout | |
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Primary |
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Secondary | |
Gadget |
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Black Mirror x 2 |
- "Deploys a one-way bulletproof mirror on breakable and reinforced walls. Also can be ejected to create a murder hole."
— Black Mirror Description
Álvarez came up with the idea for Black Mirror during Operation Blue Orion, when she was forced to improvise a panic room at the Embassy of Spain in Tel Aviv. She used this experience to design a specialized laminated glass, which when deployed with oxyacetylene can carve out a one-way mirror on any wall. If the air pressure is disrupted, however, the glass is ejected and creates a daring opening for both defenders and attackers.
Device Evaluation
Device: Black Mirror
Operator: Specialist Elena “Mira" Álvarez
Evaluation Lead: Specialist Jordan "Thermite" Trace
Mira (Dr. Elena “Mira" Álvarez, Director of R&D) wanted an unbiased evaluation of her Black Mirror so I volunteered to test it. We ran the composite glass (technically a layer of laminate over glass fibers embedded in plastic) through multiple test phases. Its durability is impressive. The one-way mirror is both bullet- and blast-resistant, but it's the frame that transmits kinetic energy the most efficiently, putting less stress on the mirror to absorb the shock of impacts.
When deployed, the oxyacetylene burns through reinforced and unreinforced walls alike, while the gas-driven pneumatics lodge the frame into the wall and push out the obstructing material. When the oxygen canister is destroyed, the pins are pushed back and the glass drops, creating a murder hole. Mira asked that I check vulnerabilities to Specialist Erik "Maverick" Thorn's torch so I've attached those results as well.
Honestly, I don't know what she's got against my Brimstone charges. We're both doing the same thing. My version's just more efficient.
(Comment_E. Álvarez: Dream on, Jordan.)
- - J. Trace
Quotes
Mira's Quotes |
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Trivia
- Mira was first teased in the Operation Red Crow Mid-Season Reinforcements website, and later officially introduced in the Operation Velvet Shell expansion as playable character alongside Jackal.[1][2]
- Mira means "look" in Spanish (a commonly used AR verb). The similarities between "Mira" and "mirror" are notable as well, as her gadget is called the Black Mirror.
- Mira was the lead engineer that created the specialized ballistic shield for Tachanka's LMG.[3] She, alongside Twitch, also worked on the creation of the CCE Shield for Clash.[4] She also designed Nøkk's HEL device, and potentially Ash's M120 as well.[5]
- Mira has gone through many confusing changes in her basic information.
- Mira's original name was Elena Álvarez Del Manzano. This later changed to Elena María Álvarez. The original name is still used in some official materials, and the Ubisoft website displays her name as Elena Maria Alvarez del Manzano.[6]
- Mira's original date of birth was stated to be on November 18, 1971. The year was later changed to 1977.
- Even her height changed from 1.78 meters to 1.65. If this had remained, she would have been one of the tallest female operators in the game, but is now among the shortest.
- Mira's original psychological profile stated that she was an only child. This was removed in the Operation Void Edge update. The expansion's subsequent Battle Pass stated that she has a sister.
- Mira developed a rivalry with FBI SWAT Operator Eliza Cohen following Operation Blue Orion.[7]
- The reinforced armor she wears is of her own design.
- She flies helicopters in her spare time.
- Mira's Season Invitational charm "Mira's Family" is inscribed with "40°26'04" N", "3°43'45" W", and "Tu Padre" (lit. "your father"). The coordinates correspond to a bunker in the Parque del Oeste in Madrid, Spain, left over from the Battle of Ciudad Universitaria in the Spanish Civil War.
- The same charm is also found on Mira's hat in her Elite Uniform, Inspiración, themed after a Spanish Civil War fighter.
- In Nokk's concept art #5, Mira is seen working on her gadget with the quote "Always a pleasure to see another professional at work."
- Mira is the one who ran diagnostics of Kali and Wamai's gadgets and weapons.
- Mira's operator logo is a black mirror.
- Mira, Finka, and IQ all collaborated to refine Warden's Smart Glasses.
- Mira finds Warden a nuisance for repeatedly asking her to develop new styles for his Smart Glasses.
Gallery
Models
Stills
Elite
Icons
Video
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Patch Changes
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References
- ↑ Update 5.2 Patch Notes - Mid-Season Reinforcements
- ↑ Update 2.1.0 Patch Notes - Velvet Shell
- ↑ Rainbow Six Siege patches/Patch 5.2
- ↑ Clash's In-game BIO > NOTES section
- ↑ Harry's Board: "Our operators aren't only soldiers, doctors, engineers, inventors, artists..."
- ↑ https://rainbow6.ubisoft.com/siege/en-us/game-info/operator/mira.aspx
- ↑ Mira's In-game BIO > PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE section