- "If you don't constantly feel like you're being watched, then you aren't paying attention."
— Valkyrie
Meghan J. "Valkyrie" Castellano is a Defending Operator featured in Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege. She was introduced in the Operation Dust Line expansion alongside Blackbeard.[2]
Biography
Meghan Castellano was born and raised in the quintessential surf community of Oceanside, California. Her father was a respected Colonel in the Marine Corps who worked as a training officer. Her mother was a researcher at a nearby biotech company. From an early age, she was known as a high achiever in math and science and as an athletic prodigy. An Olympic hopeful in the 200-meter breaststroke, Castellano split her time between the pool and the army base. Her Olympic ambitions ended after she broke her arm in a car accident when she was sixteen.
She changed her focus after high school and enlisted in the Navy in the early 2000s. Castellano served four years before attending college on the Veterans Affairs bill. After graduating with a degree in Computer Science, specializing in Security and Cryptography, she transferred to the Navy's Information Dominance Corps. In 2007, Castellano collaborated with GROM Operator Elżbieta Bosak in Operation Orange Sky, acting as her source of intel.
Castellano's attention to detail and analytical skill made her one of the most sought-after specialists. She applied to become a SEAL when the position was opened to women and succeeded after several grueling years, acting as an encouragement for others to follow. During her training, she met Craig Jenson who served as an instructor for Hell Week. In 2016, Castellano accepted an offer to join Rainbow alongside Jenson.[3]
In 2019, Castellano and Twitch collaborated with Ghost Recon to conduct Operation Archangel in order to recover Caveira who had gone AWOL to Bolivia in order to search for her brother. While the mission was a success, it caused tensions to rise between her and Caveira.
Psychological Profile
Castellano is singularly focused. She is driven and does not know how to give up on the goal easily. She will do whatever it takes to accomplish the mission in the most seamless and effective way possible.[4]
Psychological Report
At the start of my first meeting with Specialist Meghan "Valkyrie" Castellano she struck me as someone who ticks all the boxes - someone who meets or exceeds expectations. Someone impeccable. But looking at the field reports I see someone aggressive, someone willing to do whatever it takes to accomplish the mission. This contrast interests me.
How Castellano views her role is more complicated than her initial polite response would indicate. While we've raised the bar and she appreciates the challenge, I can tell she's struggling with something.
Castellano isn't used to being around so many high-achievers. She's always been at the top of the class - the go-to person. The only other time that she felt "against the wall", as she put it, was during SEAL training. Normally I'd encourage her to interact with someone who can understand what she went through, another SEAL such as Specialist Craig "Blackbeard" Jenson, but I know he was one of the instructors during her Hell Week and while she respects him, I don't detect any great fondness there, either.
Castellano is currently enrolled for a helicopter pilot license, inspired by Specialist Elena "Mira" Alvarez, and language classes inspired by Specialists Yumiko "Hibana" Imagawa and Miles "Castle" Campbell.
The intimidation she feels at being surrounded by other exceptional minds is resulting in undue pressure. Self-improvement is fine if it's for the right reasons. Castellano is already a valuable operator, despite mounting tensions with Specialist Taina "Caveira" Pereira over the incident in Bolivia. I want Castellano to invest in a healthier view of what it means to be a team.
Beyond her deployments, Castellano doesn't travel. Vacation is home near the sand and surf. This hermit lifestyle doesn't entirely seem like it's her natural state of being. The intense pressure she's putting on herself needs some sort of... fulcrum. She's no longer carrying the banner for female operators alone and needs to accept the support of her peers. I'm convinced understanding this will help her find equilibrium. It will take some convincing. But we have time.
Gameplay Description
A Medium Armored Operator, Valkyrie's unique gadgets are three Mk2 "Black Eye" Gyro Cams, portable sticky cameras that can attach on almost any surface for increased surveillance.
- Valkyrie's Black Eyes can surveil an area when thrown at solid surfaces, which can then be viewed by the rest of the team. They are retrievable after being thrown, provided they are within reach.
- Unlike normal security cameras, Black Eye cameras are gyroscopic, making them capable of rotating close to 360 degrees and can look around faster than normal cameras. They also have a wider field of view.
- The Black Eye cameras also transmit a full-color feed, albeit with a slightly blue tint, instead of the monochrome feeds of the standard CCTV, making subtle but sometimes important details easier to spot.
- Black Eyes use a throwing profile similar to normal grenades, though they can't be thrown as far.
- They are rather fragile and can be destroyed by a single shot. However, they are small enough to be hidden in the environment. It is best that you conceal them to gain more intel.
- When a defender is viewing a Black Eye's live feed, the gadget will glow blue, making it easier to spot by an attacker.
Synergies
- Valkyrie works well with more aggressive Defenders, such as Caveira and Pulse. Given their abilities, having additional camera feeds around the map can help cover their backs whilst giving them more awareness around areas the Black Eyes can surveil where the standard CCTVs cannot.
Counters
- As an electronic gadget, Valkyrie's Black Eyes are vulnerable to the same disadvantages held by other gadgets of its type.
- Thatcher's EMP Grenades will make quick work of the Black Eyes if they are within their area of effect.
- Twitch's Shock Drone can destroy a camera in a single zap.
- IQ's Electronics Scanner can spot any Black Eye that comes within its range.
- Due to her ability to gain access to the Defender's CCTV once she gets a hold of a deceased Defender's phone, Dokkaebi will also turn Valkyrie's Black Eyes against the Defenders.
- Nøkk's HEL Presence Reduction will wipe her image from any surveillance tool, including Black Eyes.
Loadout
| Loadout | |
|---|---|
| Primary | |
| Secondary |
|
| Gadget |
|
 |
Black Eye x 3 |
- "Can set up "Black Eye" cameras, fee accessible by whole team via observation tools."
— Gyro Cam Mk2 Description
The Gyro Cam Mk2 "Black Eye" is a quick deployment sticky camera that is encased in a tinted silicone ball, coated in micro-suction cups, the quick deploy camera maintains a clear view thanks to the internal gyroscope that dictates the angle of the lens. The suction cups allow the camera to adhere to any surface, while the gyroscope mounted lens stabilizes the camera angle and focus.
Once deployed, the live video feed can be viewed by all defending operators in the same manner as normal cameras. These cameras have a wider field of view, capable of rotating 360 degrees when placed on the ground, and can look around faster than normal cameras. The image is in color with a blue tint. As with normal cameras, they may also be destroyed by the enemy team.[2]
Device Evaluation
Device: Gyro Cam Mk2 "Black Eye"
Operator: Specialist Meghan J. "Valkyrie" Castellano
Evaluation Lead: Specialist Meghan J. "Valkyrie" Castellano
I knew that Harry and Mira's plan of re-evaluating the entire loadout of the Rainbow team was going to be a huge task, but after arriving I saw just how massive an undertaking it was. I'm always happy to be in the thick of things!
This was good timing since the Gyro Cam Mk2's stabilization was due for a checkup anyway. Tests confirm that the camera is keeping the image on target at all times. I'd like to compare the evaluation of Specialist Adriano "Maestro" Martello's Evil Eye since I think it's using a different stabilizer design than mine. I understand that Specialist Emmanuelle "Twitch" Pichon worked on that and I'd like to compare notes with her.
Anyway, there may be other tweaks for my Gyro Cam at a later date. For now: Tests confirm that my Black Eye is *still* consistently the best quality, most adaptive and strategic real time intel-gathering device on the field. Too braggy? Too Bad!
- - V
Quotes
| Valkyrie's Quotes |
|---|
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Trivia
- Her name was first revealed with the announcement of the Operation Dust Line expansion on April 22, 2016.
- Her position as a US Navy SEAL contrasts the real-life Navy SEALs, which is currently only made up of male personnel. However, official materials acknowledged this fact by claiming she "was chosen to be one of the first women admitted to SEALs training."[5]
- Valkyrie's military apparel consists of multiple Crye Precision equipment, specifically the AC combat pants in Multicam, and a Jumpable Plate Carrier (JPC).
- Valkyrie may be left-hand dominant due to where her magazine pouches are located. Mag pouches are usually located on their wearer's weak side, and because her guns aren't meant to be wielded left-handed, she's likely ambidextrous out of necessity.
- There was a slight continuity error between the in-game art and her in-game model (not including her general facial dislikeness); her in-game art depicts her as O+ blood type, but her in-game model, both her JPC and her knee pad have written that she is B+ blood type. This has since been fixed.
- Valkyrie is one of the three operators that make an appearance Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Wildlands: Operation Archangel.
Gallery
Concept Art
Models
Stills
.jpg "Valkyrie (Flamenco bundle).jpg (78 KB)")
Icons
Video
Patch Changes
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References
- ↑ Valkyrie's In-game BIO (Pre-Patch 3.1.2)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Update 3.0 Patch Notes - Dust Line
- ↑ Valkyrie's In-game BIO > BACKGROUND section
- ↑ Valkyrie's In-game BIO > PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE section
- ↑ Rainbow Six Siege Website (US): Valkryie's Operator Info
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