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"GPS satellites? Unmanned drones? Fookin' laser sights? The more crutches you have, the more it hurts when they're kicked out from under ya. If there's one thing I know for sure, it's that a six inch blade never loses reception."
— Thatcher

Mike Baker, codenamed Thatcher, is an Attacking Operator featured in Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege and Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Mobile.

Biography[]

Mike Baker was born in the coastal town of Bideford, England. Baker hailed from a long line of dockworkers and soldiers. Despite family pressure to join the family trade as a stevedore, he enlisted for active duty at age eighteen, though his younger brother Paulie would eventually become one. Despite this, Baker purchased and lived on an old ship in drydock called the Iron Maggie. Baker repaired the ship in his free time and frequently helped his brother out who was known to frequently incur debt with locals.

Immediately thrown into politically-charged conflicts, Baker's performance was exemplary. Further training and another conflict gave him a Distinguished Flying Cross and Conspicuous Gallantry Cross. His keen sense of observation and decisive manner, combined with his close-quarter combat techniques, made him invaluable on VIP protection detail.

Baker and James "Smoke" Porter teamed up and joined forces with SDU Operator Liu "Lesion" Tze Long on the latter's first operation, Operation Green Viper. Upon completion of the mission, the two helped celebrate Lesion's first successful mission with an extra day in Macau, filing the event as an off-duty bonus.[1]

A veteran of three wars, Baker was the oldest SAS operative on active duty until he was recruited by Rainbow in 2015. With extensive field experience and proficiency in SAS tactics, Baker was a critical asset to any Rainbow operation. He has honed his expertise with protective measures and electronic counter-measures and frequently worked with engineers to advance the equipment. As a Warrant Officer Class 1 (Regimental Sergeant Major) Baker served as a respected and effective mentor to new recruits.[2]

During a training exercise in 2018, Baker punched GIGN operator Olivier "Lion" Flament because of a comment the latter had made, almost resulting in a fight breaking out between their respective CTUs.

Following the conclusion of the Six Invitational in early 2022, Nighthaven cut ties with Rainbow and poached several operatives, including Smoke. This deeply affected Baker as he felt betrayed by his former teammate and friend. This was made worse by the revelation that Nighthaven was involved in criminal activity across the world. Baker was later placed on a team led by Yumiko "Hibana" Imagawa following Harry "Six" Pandey's reorganization of Rainbow.

A few months later, Baker learned that Ryad "Jackal" Al-Hassar had been asked to meet Hibana in Japan to investigate the assassination of Masayuki Yahata and that Nighthaven had been involved. Still feeling the effects of Smoke's betrayal, Baker tagged along with Jackal. In Japan, Baker and Jackal met with Hibana and Kana "Azami" Fujiwara at the site of Yahata's death. Jackal found two sets of footprints leaving the area and noted that one of the assailants was badly injured. All of them then followed the footprints to a nearby abandoned factory. After entering the building and cornering one of the assailants, Azami stood and locked eyes with him as the other three operatives remained behind cover. Hibana yelled for the assailant to drop his weapon but was ignored. Baker then threw an EMP grenade to disorient and detain the man. Azami approached him and demanded to know where they had gotten their weapons from. The assailant explained that they had received an encrypted message about assassinating Yahata but believed it was a joke until they had received a crate full of Nighthaven weapons, intel, and money. Moments later, Jackal found the crate and the other injured assailant beside it. The man told Jackal that they had received another message once they returned to the factory telling them to stay put.

As if one que, a helicopter opened fire on them, killing the first assailant. Azami threw several Kiba barriers, enabling Jackal to pick up the injured assailant and allow all of them to run to safety. The incident later resulted in Azami's recruitment into Rainbow.

In 2025, Rainbow learned that the private military company Sentinel was mass producing a nerve gas agent called "Amber Ruin" on the remote island of Auroa with the intention of selling it overseas to foreign militaries and terrorist groups. Seeking to stop all Amber Ruin production, identify potential buyers, and create an antidote, Liu Tze "Lesion" Long coordinated with Scott Mitchell to conduct a joint operation with Ghost Recon called Operation Amber Sky. With Lesion acting as mission control under the callsign "R6 Actual", Baker was deployed alongside Eliza "Ash" Cohen and Lera "Finka" Melnikova. The trio managed to reach the island by replacing a major buyer who was coming to purchase Amber Ruin and met up with Ghost Team Leader Anthony "Nomad" Perryman. Through their efforts, they successfully managed to complete all mission objectives.[3]

Psychological Profile[]

Baker is highly observant, calculating and decisive. While his demeanor may denote traces of impatient cynicism, Baker possesses a profound sense of ethical responsibility. It is recommended to assign Baker with junior operators of strong moral conviction, whom he can mentor.

Psychological Report[]

Knowing that Specialist Mike "Thatcher" Baker is cynical toward bureaucracy, I wasn't surprised that he was reluctant to meet me. I needed a different approach. Baker lives aboard the Iron Maggie, a boat in drydock that he repairs in his spare time. It's his "retirement plan." I suspect he moved there temporarily when his wife divorced him, be now he knows no other civilian home. […]

Baker has a distinguished record of military service. He's respected and in some cases idolized by those he mentors. When he welcomed me to his home, I could see why people describe him as down-to-earth. There's more to Baker's gruff, no-nonsense exterior - it just required some effort for him to trust me. […]

Raised in a coastal town, Baker has a strong connection with the water. We spent our entire meeting on the deck of his ship, overlooking the cold sea. Being someone who isn't handy - mastering a paper airplane as a kid was the peak of my craft - I wanted to know what Baker likes about boat building and working with his hands. He told me that besides appreciating the precision of it, he liked shaping the wood into something that has purpose. I suggested it was similar to how he mentors recruits. He replied that he doesn't care about the "why" of things the us "Uni types" do. […]

Specialist Seamus "Sledge" Cowden is one of his few close friends. Baker's tolerance of Specialist Mark "Mute" Chandar surprised me, since Baker is impatient with youthful bluster. When asked, Baker would only say, "Mute's a clever kid." He sounded almost envious. I wonder if Mute reflects someone Baker wishes he had been. […]

While by no means a Luddite, Baker does have an aversion to technology. To him, it's a tool - like a hammer or screwdriver - nothing more. The idea that people come to rely on it as a crutch is what annoys him. I suggested that he spend time in the engineering lab with Specialists Masaru "Echo" Enatsu and Emmanuelle "Twitch" Pichon. They have a lot to teach one another.

- Dr. Harishva "Harry" Pandey, Director of Rainbow[4]

Gameplay Description[]

A Medium Health Operator, Thatcher is equipped with three EG MKO-EMP Grenades. These grenades disable all electronics that are within its area of effect.

  • When an EMP Grenade is tossed, they will let out an electromagnetic pulse after 3 seconds, disabling defender gadgets caught within its 5.2 meter radius.
  • EMP Grenades use a regular grenade throwing profile.
  • EMP Grenade cannot be cooked.
  • The EMP will not affect any Attacker gadgets.
  • The EMP passes through surfaces, allowing Thatcher to disable devices on the other side of a wall.
  • EMP Grenades are unaffected by electricity, so throwing an EMP grenade directly at an electrified wall will not destroy the EMP grenade.
  • EMP Grenades are unaffected by Mute's Signal Jammers.
  • Like other throwable objects, hitting an Operator directly with an EMP Grenade will deal a minor amount of damage of 5 hit points (against all health ratings).
  • The EMP Grenade can be intercepted by Jäger's ADS and Wamai's Mag-NETs.
  • The following gadgets will be disabled for 10 seconds if they are caught within the EMP radius:
  • If there were heartbeats when affected by the EMP blast, the heartbeat icon will stay in place for the disabled duration.
  • Echo's Yokai drone. It will drop to the ground if it was attached to the ceiling when it was hit by the EMP. Vision on the drone will be disrupted.
  • Vigil's ERC-7
  • Maestro's Evil Eyes. The EMP will force an Evil Eye to lock halfway open, allowing for an Attacker to destroy it.
  • Alibi's Prisma's
  • Clash's CCE Shield's Taser
  • Attacker Drones hacked by Mozzie's Pests. Just like Echo's drone, vision on the drone will be disrupted.
  • Warden's Smart Glasses
  • Wamai's Mag-NETs
  • Surveillance Cameras
  • Melusi's Banshees
  • Aruni's Surya Laser Gates. If the Gate was ready to be activated when disabled, the switch will close up for the duration and reopen at the end of the disable.
  • Thunderbird's Kóna Stations
  • Aside from Gadgets, the EMP also affects some defender weapon attachments caught in its radius:
  • Defender Electronic Sights (i.e. Red Dot Sight, Reflex Sight, Holographic Sight) caught within the EMP radius will be disabled for 15 seconds, during which their reticle will disappear.
  • ACOG Sights will also be disabled, but only when the Defender is not aiming down sights.[5]
  • Defender Laser Sights will be disabled for the same duration, with a corresponding decrease in hip-fire accuracy.
  • Thatcher gets points for destroying and disabling gadgets, allowing an EMP grenade to function as a proximity sensor against Pulse and Vigil.

Synergies[]

  • Thermite, Hibana, and Ace benefit the most from pairing with Thatcher, as their biggest obstacle tends to be Mute's Signal Disruptors or Bandit's Shock Wires and Kaid's Electroclaws when it comes to destroying Reinforced Walls.
  • The benefits also extend to other Operators whose gadget can be disrupted by the Signal Disruptors, such as Blitz's Flash Shield.
  • Thatcher pairs well with Attacking operators tasked with dealing with electronics:
  • IQ can help Thatcher to see through walls electronics. With her Electronics Detector, she can ping to where the electronics are most clustered to get the best out of Thatcher's EMP Grenades.
  • Twitch can help in destroying individual electronic gadgets to help Thatcher reserve his EMP grenades for large clusters of electronics.
  • Kali can work in tandem with Thatcher in dealing with electrified gadgets (together with Mute's Signal Disruptors).
  • The latter applies to Zero and Flores.

Counters[]

  • The EMP Grenade does not affect mechanical devices such as Frost's Welcome Mat.
  • Because they are still grenades, Jäger's Active Defense Systems will eliminate chucked EMP Grenades out of the air, preventing defending gadgets from being destroyed or disabled. However, this only applies to when the Magpies have a line of sight of the Grenade, and can still be disabled through walls and other surfaces.
    • Wamai's Mag-NETs can also catch EMP Grenades, redirecting them to a location that was not intended by the Thatcher.
    • EMP Grenades thrown into Aruni's Surya Laser Gates will be intercepted.
  • While his Yokai Drone can be disabled temporarily, some ceilings Echo's Drone can attach to are high enough to avoid being affected by Thatcher's Grenades.
  • EMP grenades cannot disable Goyo’s Volcán Canisters as they are just explosives sealed within a bulletproof case.

Device Description[]

"Uses EMP Grenades to disable any electronics in range."
— EG MKO-EMP Grenade Description
R6S EMP Grenade

The EMP's efficiency in anti-electronic warfare has been known and studied since the early 1960s and features prominently in media depictions, but practical battlefield applications have eluded CTU squads until very recently. Team Rainbow's engineers recently made a breakthrough in solving the problem of creating a localized fission reaction, while keeping gamma radiation to tolerable levels, resulting in the EG MKO-EMP Grenade, a personal handheld device. No one is more suited to wield this novel device than Thatcher, known for his warnings against over-reliance on technology.

Device Evaluation[]

Device: EG MKO-EMP Grenade
Operator: Specialist Mike "Thatcher" Baker
Evaluation Lead: Specialist Jack "Pulse" Estrada

One of the biggest challenges for a team is Specialist Mike "Thatcher" Baker's EG MKO-EMP grenade since the electromagnetic surge can disable electronic gadgets within its radius. The EG MKO-EMP disrupts - in some cases it can destroy - quite a few of our devices. It locks up my Cardiac Sensor as it can't detect another pulse!

The EMP is deceptively simple. It's the grenade's impact that charges the electron particles. That concentrated energy cascades across an area - even through walls - and spike nearby electronics. Short of wrapping ourselves in a Faraday shield to protect our devices, there isn't much that we can do against that.

Despite how... exhausting Thatcher's "I told ya so" can be, I appreciate how the EG MKO-EMP is an extension of his personality. The same could be said about each of use, but Thatcher really owns it, man. It's as straightforward and direct as he is and keeps us on our toes... and he loves every damn minute of it.

- Pulse

Quotes[]

Thatcher's Quotes
Background Quote
  • "What you can feel, what you can touch - those are the things that are real. Everything else is just a distraction."
Spawning
  • "Follow my lead."
  • "Heheheheh. Just like old times."
  • "Here we go again."
  • "I know the drill."
  • "I know what I have to do, I hope the same can be said for you."
  • "Is this a special ops team or a daycare?"
  • "Is this amateur hour?"
  • "I've been doing this longer then you have been alive."
  • "Keep quiet and do your jobs."
  • "Remember, we don't need heroes out there."
  • "This is a waste of time."
  • "This isn't the time to lose focus."
  • "This isn't my first mission."
  • "We don't have time for this."
Throwing EMP Grenade
  • "Devices going dark."
  • "Disabling electronics."
  • "EMP incoming."
  • "Lights out."
  • "Tossing EMP Grenade."
Setting Breach Charge
  • "Breach Charge going up."
Detonating Breach Charge
  • "Breach Charge is activated."
  • "Breach Charge is active."
Setting Claymore
  • "Claymore mine deployed."
Deploying Drone
  • "Drone's activated."
  • "Drone's spinning up."
Reloading
  • "Cover me, reloading!"
  • "Reloading! Cover me!"
  • "Swapping mags!"
No More Ammunition
  • "Out of ammo."
Reviving
  • "On your feet!"
  • "Stay focused on the mission!"
  • "You're fine! Up with you."
Friendly Fire
  • "Friendly! Cease fire!"
  • "Watch your fire! Friendlies in range!"
Getting Hostage
  • "Do what I say, when I say it."
  • "I have the package."
  • "Package secured."
  • "We're moving out."
Moving Hostage
  • "Get moving."
  • "Hurry."
  • "Move."
  • "Move, quickly."
  • "Over there."
Dropping Hostage
  • "Don't move from this spot."
  • "Stay right there."
  • "Stay where you are."
  • "Stop right there."
  • "Stop and freeze!"
White Masks Reloading
  • "Tangoes reloading!"

Trivia[]

  • Thatcher's EMP Grenades have the Union Flag painted on top of it, the flag of the United Kingdom.
  • The EMP Grenades will also interact with the surroundings realistically, turning off lights temporarily. Not quite as long as the effect duration of the EMP Grenade. (10 seconds)
  • Thatcher's EMP Grenade was reworked in the Operation Shadow Legacy expansion to only disable all electric gadgets, instead of destroying some and disabling others.
  • Thatcher continues his agility training, abseiling, and has broken numerous mountain climbing records.
  • Thatcher's mask is that of an SF10, a Special Forces variant of the S10 NBC Respirator that was used by the SAS in the 1980s. His body armor is that of a modified SAS pigskin vest.
  • Thatcher has a stiletto blade attached to his left sleeve, which he can be seen using in his Operator video.
  • The ribbon on Thatcher's vest is that of a Military Medal, which were discontinued in 1993.
  • Thatcher has taken part of three different conflicts: the Iranian Embassy siege on Team Blue of Operation Nimrod, the Battle of Goose Green during the Falklands War and the Gulf War in the unit Bravo Two Zero.[6]
  • Thatcher's codename likely comes from former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, who was in office during those three conflicts that Baker participated in.
  • Thatcher's date of birth was originally stated in-game as 1961, however this has since been removed.[7]
  • Going by his original birthdate, Thatcher would have been just 18 years old when he participated in the Iranian Embassy Siege.
  • Thatcher appears as an available teammate in Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Breakpoint in the Operation Amber Sky live event. He is also available as a costume which can be obtained from completing missions for the event.
  • During gameplay, Thatcher commonly calls Nomad "rookie" and will comment on the effectiveness of his actions against enemies. Likewise, Nomad will call him an "old man" and ask if he is going to keep giving him a hard time for the entire operation.

Gallery[]

Customization[]

Concept Art[]

Models[]

The Elite[]

Stills[]

Icons[]

Video[]

Patch Changes[]


References[]

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