Soldier weapons (competitive)

This article is for competitive play, based on the standard community competitive format.
The community competitive scene changes frequently. Some or all info may be outdated.

Some Soldier weapons may be banned in your league. For a list of banned weapons, please see the Weapon Ban List.

The Soldier is a class that is highly dependent on his primary weapon. The primary weapons available are unique to the Soldier, and allow him to accomplish many things, including Rocket Jumping to obtain a height advantage or reach a Control Point faster, and keeping enemies suspended in air, also known as juggling. The Soldier's secondary and melee weapons grant him additional abilities, but the focus is usually on his primary weapons. The Soldier is one of the core classes of the standard competitive lineup, thanks to his good survivability and mobility. Rollouts are an important part of playing Soldier. Reaching the midfight first gives the team a big advantage in there, thus it often leads to winning the midfight. Winning the midfight gives the team an enormous advantage in trying to capture the next Control Points, which makes it very important for the Soldiers to learn their rollouts and rocket jumping in general before playing the game.

In competitive 6v6, the Soldier usually falls into one of the two categories: pocket or roamer.

A pocket Soldier's primary purpose is to keep their team's Medic alive. This means staying with the Medic at all times, and even sacrificing their life for the Medic's life if needed. He often calls out enemy locations in voice chat. The pocket Soldier also leads his team in pushes, because he can absorb higher amounts of damage than anyone else on his team, due to the fact that he is overhealed and paired with the team's medic most of the time. The pocket soldier usually equips the stock Rocket Launcher or the Original, along with a Shotgun and the Escape Plan

The Roamer's main role often consists of getting important enemy picks. He gets overhealed and rocket jumps into the enemy, trying to kill their Medic, or force them to use their Übercharge. Roamers rely on health kits for maintaining their health, instead of using their Medics, leaving most of the heals for his Pocket Soldier and the rest of the team. Most roamers equip the Rocket Launcher or the Original, the Gunboats, and the Escape Plan for added mobility.

Primary Weapon

The Soldier’s versatility is greatly complimented through the usage of his Rocket Launcher. Important uses of the Rocket Launcher include rocket jumping, rollouts, spam angles, and aerials, often referred to as airshots. Another important use of the Soldier's primary weapons is juggling enemies, thus even übercharged players can be juggled with the knockback from one's rockets, although they will take no damage while übered.

Rocket Launcher

The stock Rocket Launcher is useful for dealing large quantities of damage to a variety of enemies. It deals great splash damage, which allows the Soldier to hit Scouts, but it also can be aimed at specific enemies to deal greater damage. It serves as the best for rocket jumping, which is one of the main tactics in the Soldier's arsenal. Although it can not finish off targets in one shot, it deals impressive damage when crit-boosted using the Kritzkrieg, making the Soldier a good target for a Kritzkrieg Übercharge.

Weapon	Damage	Critical Damage	Function Times	Special
Rocket Launcher	Point-Blank: 105-112 512 units: 50-90 Over 1024 units: 45-60 Backlash: 27-89 RJ Backlash: 27-46	Critical: 270 Point-Blank Mini-Crit: 122-151 Over 512 units Mini-Crit: 68-81	Attack Interval: 0.8s First Reload: 0.92s Consecutive Reloads: 0.8s	Effective for juggling and rocketjumping.

Below is a table displaying the availability of the Rocket Launcher in the Global 6v6 Whitelist.

Weapon	Global 6v6 Whitelist
Rocket Launcher	Allowed

The Original

The Original functions almost exactly like the stock Rocket Launcher, but with some minor changes. The viewmodel is located at the bottom-center of the screen, instead of the side, several sound effects such as switch, firing, and explosion sounds are replaced with sounds from Quake. The Original fires rockets from the center of the screen, as opposed to being fired from an angle with the stock Rocket Launcher.

Weapon	Damage	Critical Damage	Function Times	Special
Original	Point-Blank: 105-112 512 units: 50-90 Over 1024 units: 45-60 Backlash: 27-89 RJ Backlash: 27-46	Critical: 270 Point-Blank Mini-Crit: 122-151 Over 512 units Mini-Crit: 68-81	Attack Interval: 0.8s First Reload: 0.92s Consecutive Reloads: 0.8s	Effective for juggling and rocketjumping.

Below is a table displaying the availability of the Original in the Global 6v6 Whitelist.

Weapon	Global 6v6 Whitelist
Original	Allowed

Liberty Launcher

The Liberty Launcher features a 25% larger clip, 40% faster projectiles, and 25% less damage taken from rocket jumps. This comes at the cost of -25% damage done, thus making it more accurate and mobile at the cost of dealing less damage.

Weapon	Damage	Critical Damage	Function Times	Special
Liberty Launcher	Point-Blank: 79-84 512 units: 38-67 Over 1024 units: 34-45 Backlash: 27-89 RJ Backlash: 20-35	Critical: 203 Point-Blank Mini-Crit: 92-113 Over 512 units Mini-Crit: 51-91	Attack Interval: 0.8s First Reload: 0.92s Consecutive Reloads: 0.8s	Carries 5 rockets in it's clip instead of 4. +40% projectile speed. 25% less damage taken from rocket jumps. -25% damage penalty.

Below is a table displaying the availability of the Liberty Launcher in the Global 6v6 Whitelist.

Weapon	Global 6v6 Whitelist
Liberty Launcher	Allowed

Black Box

The Black Box is a rocket launcher that grants the user up to 20 health points for every successful hit (cannot overheal). The Soldier will not receive health if the target is a cloaked Spy or an enemy under the effects of an ÜberCharge. However, health will still be awarded if the target is a Scout under the effects of Bonk! Atomic Punch or a disguised Spy. This comes at the cost of a 25% reduced clip size, fitting 3 rockets in its clip instead of 4.

Weapon	Damage	Critical Damage	Function Times	Special
Black Box	Point-Blank: 105-112 512 units: 50-90 Over 1024 units: 45-60 Backlash: 27-89 RJ Backlash: 27-46	Critical: 270 Point-Blank Mini-Crit: 122-151 Over 512 units Mini-Crit: 68-81	Attack Interval: 0.8s First Reload: 0.92s Consecutive Reloads: 0.8s	Grants the user 1 HP per 4.5 damage dealed (max 20 health gained per rocket). 25% reduced clip size.

Below is a table displaying the availability of the Black Box in the Global 6v6 Whitelist.

Weapon	Global 6v6 Whitelist
Black Box	Allowed

Direct Hit

The Direct Hit's deals increased damage, allowing the Soldier to finish off enemies. Its rockets fly faster, providing less time for enemies to dodge or airblast incoming projectiles. However, it deals little splash damage, removing the Soldier's ability to deal large quantities of damage to many targets at once. It deals mini-crits to any target launched airborne by an exlposion, such as another rocket-jumping Soldier. Overall, its reduction of splash damage removes the Soldier's primary method of dealing damage to many targets at once.

Weapon	Damage	Critical Damage	Function Times	Special
Direct Hit	Point-Blank: 140 512 units: 112 Over 1024 units: 59 Backlash: 27-89 RJ Backlash: 27-46	Critical: 169-338 Point-Blank Mini-Crit: 95-189 Over 512 units Mini-Crit: 76-152	Attack Interval: 0.8s First Reload: 0.92s Consecutive Reloads: 0.8s	Mini-Crits if target is airborne due to explosions or enemy attacks. -70% splash radius. +80% projectile speed. +25% damage done.

Below is a table displaying the availability of the Direct Hit in the Global 6v6 Whitelist.

Weapon	Global 6v6 Whitelist
Direct Hit	Allowed

Rocket Jumper

The Rocket Jumper is a Rocket Launcher that is mostly used for practicing rocket jumps and rollouts, as it has triple the ammo of the stock Rocket Launcher It deals no damage to any player, and deals knockback only to it's user, although the user is still subject to receiving fall damage from the rocket jumps. In some strategies, it is used to sneak past the enemy and quickly try to capture a Control Point.

Weapon	Damage	Critical Damage	Function Times	Special
Rocket Jumper	All: 0	All: 0	Attack Interval: 0.8s First Reload: 0.92s Consecutive Reloads: 0.8s	Stores 60 reserve ammo instead of 20. Doesn't deal any damage. User can still take fall damage. Wearer cannot pick up the Intelligence or PASS Time JACK.

Below is a table displaying the availability of the Rocket Jumper in the Global 6v6 Whitelist.

Weapon	Global 6v6 Whitelist
Rocket Jumper	Allowed

Cow Mangler 5000

The Cow Mangler 5000 is a rocket launcher that functions similiarly to the Soldier's other primaries, but it has a special ability. If it's clip is full, using alternate fire will consume all ammo in the clip, and charge up a laser projectile while slowing down the Soldier. The laser deals Mini-Crits, ignites players that are hit by it, and disables buildings for 4 seconds, but otherwise functions like normal rockets. This weapon has reduced damage against buildings, and cannot be Crit-boosted by the Kritzkrieg, as it always Mini-Crits whenever it would normally Crit.

Weapon	Damage	Critical Damage	Function Times	Special
Cow Mangler 5000	Point-Blank: 105-112 512 units: 50-90 Over 1024 units: 45-60 Backlash: 27-89 RJ Backlash: 27-46	Critical: N/A Point-Blank Mini-crit: 137-151 Over 512 units Mini-crit: 68-122	Attack Interval: 0.8s First Reload: 0.92s Consecutive Reloads: 0.8s	Has an alternate fire that expends all 4 shots to Mini-Crit, inflict afterburn damage, and disabling buildings for 4 seconds. Does not require ammo. No critical hits, even if boosted with the Kritzkrieg. Mini-Crits whenever it would normally Crit. Deals only 20% damage to buildings.

Below is a table displaying the availability of the Cow Mangler 5000 in the Global 6v6 Whitelist.

Weapon	Global 6v6 Whitelist
Cow Mangler 5000	Banned

Beggar's Bazooka

The Beggar's Bazooka can unleash high damage quickly, but its overall firing time setback is a large loss, and prevents the Soldier from reacting to enemies appearing quickly. Using multiple rockets for rocket jumping will not cause the user to jump any farther. The 3º deviation can be a huge penalty, as it reduces the effectiveness of airshots or long-range shots, and overall makes the Beggar's Bazooka a lot less accurate. The inability to grab ammunition from Dispensers is quite situational, but it reduces a Soldier's ability to spam chokepoints on Attack/Defend or Payload maps. Finally, the rockets have a 20% smaller splash radius, making it less effective against large groups of enemies, but this is compensated by the ability of firing up to 3 rockets very quickly.

Weapon	Damage	Critical Damage	Function Times	Special
Beggar's Bazooka	Point-Blank: 105-112 512 units: 50-90 Over 1024 units: 45-60 Backlash: 27-89 RJ Backlash: 27-46	Critical: 270 Point-Blank Mini-crit: 122-151 Over 512 units Mini-crit: 68-122	Attack Interval: 0.24s + reload time First Reload: 1.196s Consecutive Reloads: 1.04s	Can load and fire up to three rockets at once. -20% splash radius. +3 degrees random deviation. Chamber overloading causes a misfire and damage to self. Cannot collect ammunition from Dispensers while active.

Below is a table displaying the availability of the Beggar's Bazooka in the Global 6v6 Whitelist.

Weapon	Global 6v6 Whitelist
Beggar's Bazooka	Allowed

The Air Strike

Projectiles fired by the Air Strike deal 15% reduced damage and have a 10% smaller splash radius. While rocket jumping, its attack speed is increased by 65% and the explosion radius is further reduced by 20% (which is a total of 30% smaller compared to a standard rocket's splash radius). Each kill using this weapon increases its clip size by one, storing up to 8 rockets in its clip after 4 kills.

Weapon	Damage	Critical Damage	Function Times	Special
Air Strike	Point-Blank: 95 512 units: 76 Over 1024 units: 40 Backlash: 23-75 RJ Backlash: 23-39	Critical: 230 Point-Blank Mini-crit: 103-129 Over 512 units Mini-crit: 103	Attack Interval: 0.8s First Reload: 0.92s Consecutive Reloads: 0.8s	-10% splash radius -15% blast damage from rocket jumps. +65% attack speed and -20% splash radius while rocket jumping. Each kill using this weapon adds +1 rocket to the clip (max 8 clip size).

Below is a table displaying the availability of the Air Strike in the Global 6v6 Whitelist.

Weapon	Global 6v6 Whitelist
Air Strike	Allowed

Usage

Soldiers will usually use the Rocket Launcher instead of Direct Hit. The Direct Hit’s main weaknesses is its inability to deal damage to many enemies at once. Pocket Soldiers in particular are more suited to the standard Rocket Launcher, as defending the team’s Medic from Scouts is usually easier at close range with the Rocket Launcher's splash radius. The Black Box, when available, is good for a roaming Soldier to stay alive for longer. The Liberty Launcher is useful for aerials and rocket jumping, however the decreased damage lowers the Soldier's main damage output. The Rocket Jumper is useful with the Market Gardener or Pain Train, for fast back caps, but otherwise makes the Soldier useless. The Cow Mangler 5000 has general functionality, and its increased ammunition makes it highly useful. However, if the Soldier does not win in a direct engagement, he will have to retreat due to reload times. The Beggar's Bazooka can be useful for ambushing and a quick spam, but remove the Soldier's ability to react quickly and constantly fend off the enemy team. Generally, soldiers use the stock Rocket Launcher due to its large clip size and strong splash damage. Some Soldiers will opt for the Original should they wish to use its center-firing rockets to push out from wrong-handed corners more effectively.

Secondary Weapon

Soldier's secondaries can generally be divided into three categories:

Shotguns, that can deal remarkable damage at medium range, and are highly effective at finishing off enemies that are low on health

Banners, that fill a Rage meter for dealing damage to enemies, and once filled can be used to provide a buff to the Soldier and his nearby teammates. The buff can consist of many different effects, such as healing for damage done, faster movement speed, overall damage resistance, and so on. Most banners require dealing 600 damage to enemies for the Rage meter to be completely filled, with the exception of the Concheror, which requires dealing 480 damage.

Boots, that provide passive bonuses to the Soldier. For example, the Mantreads reduce the knockback that the Soldier would receive from sources of damage, allow the Soldier to deal extraordinary amounts of damage by landing on an enemy, and provide increased air control while blast jumping.

Shotgun

The Shotgun is a reliable sidearm for the Soldier. It deals significant damage at medium range and almost as much damage as the Rocket Launcher at close ranges. The Shotgun is highly effective at finishing off wounded foes, and can be useful against Scouts, who can dodge rockets but cannot dodge hitscan weapons such as the Shotgun. Switching to the Shotgun in order to conserve loaded rockets can be very helpful when faced with multiple enemies. Because the Shotgun is a hitscan weapon, it can be useful in finishing off fleeing foes who are low on health.

Weapon	Damage	Critical Damage	Function Times	Special
Shotgun	Point-Blank: 9/pellet 512 units: 6/pellet Over 1024 units: 3/pellet	Critical: 18/pellet (max 180) Point-Blank Mini-Crit: 8.1-12.2/pellet Over 512 units Mini-Crit 8/pellet	Attack Interval: 0.625s First Reload: 1.0s Consecutive Reloads: 0.5s	Affected by fixed weapon spread (1 extra pellet at center).

Below is a table displaying the availability of the Shotgun in the Global 6v6 Whitelist.

Weapon	Global 6v6 Whitelist
Shotgun	Allowed

The Buff Banner

The Buff Banner, commonly known as Bugle, is rarely used in competitive play, as it restricts the Soldier to only one ranged weapon. It is usually better to let a Pocket take the Buff Banner, as the Roamer is less likely to survive long enough to build up his rage meter without a Shotgun. It has a Rage meter that fills once the Soldier has dealt 600 damage to enemies in a single life, at which point he can use it. During the 10 seconds following the usage of the rallying call, all hits made by the Soldier's teammates positioned within 450 units of the Soldier, including his own, become mini-crits.

Weapon	Damage	Critical Damage	Function Times	Special
Buff Banner	N/A	N/A	Trumpeting: ~3s Buff: 10s	Grants user and their allies within a 450 units radius Mini-Crits on use. Gains rage equal to damage dealt (600 needed to fill). Gains rage even when not active.

Below is a table displaying the availability of the Buff Banner in the Global 6v6 Whitelist.

Weapon	Global 6v6 Whitelist
Buff Banner	Allowed

The Gunboats

The Gunboats reduce damage from rocket jumps by 60%, allowing a Soldier using them to safely traverse a map. However, the loss of a Shotgun greatly reduces the Soldier's damage output. The Gunboats are well suited to a roaming Soldier who can quickly push forward without losing much health. The damage reduction does not apply when the rocket damages an enemy.

Weapon	Damage	Critical Damage	Function Times	Special
Gunboats	N/A	N/A	N/A	Reduces rocket jump damage by 60%. Reduces all backlash damage that doesn't hit other players.

Below is a table displaying the availability of the Gunboats in the Global 6v6 Whitelist.

Weapon	Global 6v6 Whitelist
Gunboats	Allowed

B.A.S.E Jumper

The B.A.S.E. Jumper allows the user to deploy a parachute mid-air, slowing their descent. Air control is vastly reduced while the parachute is deployed, and when the parachute is deactivated mid-air, it can not be activated again until the Soldier has touched the ground. It replaces the Soldier's secondary weapon, thus it is rarely used in competitive play, since slower gliding is often not worth limiting the Soldier to only one ranged weapon.

Weapon	Damage	Critical Damage	Function Times	Special
B.A.S.E. Jumper	N/A	N/A	N/A	Allows the player to activate a parachute mid-air, slowing their descent by ~37%. 50% reduced air control while parachute is deployed. The parachute can not be activated again, if it is deactivated mid-air.

Below is a table displaying the availability of the B.A.S.E. Jumper in the Global 6v6 Whitelist.

Weapon	Global 6v6 Whitelist
B.A.S.E. Jumper	Banned

The Battalion's Backup

The Battalion's Backup is rarely used in competitive play, as it restricts the Soldier to only one ranged weapon. Similar to the Buff Banner, the Soldier's Rage meter is filled through dealing damage 600 damage to other players in a single life; once filled, the pack can be used to make all nearby teammates within 450 units, and the user themselves, immune to critical hits, and grant them 35% resistance to regular damage for 10 seconds, and a 50% resistance to sentry damage. The release of the buffing effect can be delayed by holding down the primary fire key. The Battalion's Backup grants the Soldier 20 additional health points, raising his maximum health to 220 and the maximum overheal to 330.

Weapon	Damage	Critical Damage	Function Times	Special
Battalion's Backup	N/A	N/A	Trumpeting: ~3s Buff: 10s	Grants self and allies within 450u Crit immunity, 50% resistance to damage from Sentry Guns and 35% overall damage reduction. Gains rage equal to damage dealt (600 needed to fill). Gains rage even when not equipped.

Below is a table displaying the availability of the Battalion's Backup in the Global 6v6 Whitelist.

Weapon	Global 6v6 Whitelist
Battalion's Backup	Allowed

The Concheror

The Concheror is rarely used in competitive play, as it restricts the Soldier to only one ranged weapon. It is usually better to let a pocket Soldier take the Concheror, as the Roamer is less likely to survive long enough to build up his rage meter without a Medic, due to his disposable nature. The Concheror regenerates +1 health per second, increasing to +4 health per second over time. Unlike the Buff Banner and the Battalion's Backup, the Concheror only requires dealing 480 damage to enemies, for it to be fully charged. The buffing effect can be delayed by holding down the primary fire key, similiarly to the Battalion's Backup. While the Concheror's buff is active, allies within 450 units are speed boosted, and are healed for 35% of the damage they deal.

Weapon	Damage	Critical Damage	Function Times	Special
Concheror	N/A	N/A	Trumpeting: ~3s Buff: 10s	While the buff is active, allies within 450 units are healed for 35% of the damage they deal and receive a speed boost identical to one from the Disciplinary Action. Speed buffs from the Concheror and the Disciplinary Action do not stack. Gains rage equal to damage dealt. Charges after 480 damage. Gains rage even when not active. Regenerates +1 health per second, slowly increasing to +4 health per second.

Below is a table displaying the availability of the Concheror in the Global 6v6 Whitelist.

Weapon	Global 6v6 Whitelist
Concheror	Allowed

The Mantreads

As with other secondaries, the lack of a Shotgun leaves soldiers weak in combat. However, the Mantreads reduce knockback received from damaging weapons and airblasting by 75% (does not apply to self-damage), which makes the Soldier hard to move. The Mantreads "stomp" damage is more of a gimmick, but a good Soldier can deal an easy 100 damage to a target, or more when landing on them from a rocket jump. When landing on an enemy, they will be dealt 10 damage plus triple the fall damage the Soldier would have recieved, and the Soldier himself does not take any fall damage. The fall does not have to be preceded by a rocket jump for the stomping mechanic to work. The Mantreads grant the Soldier +200% air control while rocket jumping.

Weapon	Damage	Critical Damage	Function Times	Special
Mantreads	N/A	N/A	N/A	-75% reduction in push force taken from damage and airblasts. Deals 10+3x the falling damage the user would have received to the player you land on. The fall does not have to be preceded by a rocket jump. +200% air control while rocket jumping.

Below is a table displaying the availability of the Mantreads in the Global 6v6 Whitelist.

Weapon	Global 6v6 Whitelist
Mantreads	Allowed

Reserve Shooter

The Reserve Shooter allows the Soldier to deal increased damage to targets, that are airborne due to knockback. With a faster switching time of 20%, the Soldier can shoot a rocket at an enemy's feet to send them airborne, deploy the Reserve Shooter, and fire off a shell, dealing mini-crits to the target. It has a reduced clip size, but otherwise deals identical damage to the Shotgun.

Weapon	Damage	Critical Damage	Function Times	Special
Reserve Shooter	Point-Blank: 9/pellet 512 units: 6/pellet Over 1024 units: 3/pellet	Critical: 18/pellet Point-Blank Mini-Crit: 8.1-12.15/pellet Over 512 units Mini-Crit: 8/pellet	Attack Interval: 0.625s First Reload: 1.0s Consecutive Reloads: 0.5s	Affected by fixed weapon spread (1 extra pellet at center). 20% faster weapon switching speed. Mini-crits targets sent airborne due to knockback for 5s after the weapon becomes active. Has a reduced clip size by 34%, holding 4 shots in a clip instead of 6.

Below is a table displaying the availability of the Reserve Shooter in the Global 6v6 Whitelist.

Weapon	Global 6v6 Whitelist
Reserve Shooter	Banned

Righteous Bison

The Righteous Bison is useful when ammo is scarce, as it does not require any ammo to be used. It can however damage multiple enemies at the same time, as it's projectiles penetrate targets, and can not be reflected using airblasts. However, the damage dealt to buildings is reduced by 20%.

Weapon	Damage	Critical Damage	Function Times	Special
Righteous Bison	Point-Blank: 20 512 units: 16 Over 1024 units: 11	Critical: 60 Point-Blank Mini-Crit: 27-32 Over 512 units Mini-Crit 22	Attack Interval: 0.8s First Reload: 0.92s Consecutive Reloads: 0.4s	Does not require ammo. Projectiles penetrate enemies. Projectiles cannot be deflected. Deals 20% less damage to buildings.

Below is a table displaying the availability of the Righteous Bison in the Global 6v6 Whitelist.

Weapon	Global 6v6 Whitelist
Righteous Bison	Allowed

Usage

The Shotgun is the most common choice for Soldiers, as it is a reliable weapon useful for finishing off foes to conserve rockets. The Gunboats may be useful in 5-CP maps for faster rollouts, or quickly traversing the map, especially for Roaming Soldiers. The extra mobility compensates for the lack of a sidearm. The banners have yet to prove their worth in competitive play, as they are rarely if ever used. The Reserve Shooter can frequently deal more damage than the stock Shotgun, but must be used more sparingly due to reduced ammunition. The Righteous Bison can help deal with multiple enemies at once, and has unlimited ammo, if a reduced clip size. Overall, soldiers tend to use the stock Shotgun, but may use the Gunboats under some circumstances.

Melee Weapon

While melee combat rarely comes into play in a competitive environment, a Soldier's choice of melee weapon may result in benefits outside of melee combat. While most Soldiers in 6v6 use the Escape Plan, other melee weapons can be useful in certain situations as well.

The Shovel

The Shovel is the Soldier’s standard melee weapon. It deals some intermediate close-range damage, but has alternative options which are generally more useful.

The Bat Outta Hell, Conscientious Objector, Crossing Guard, Freedom Staff, Frying Pan, Ham Shank, Memory Maker and the Necro Smasher have the same stats as the Shovel.

Weapon	Damage	Critical Damage	Function Times	Special
Shovel	Melee: 65	Critical: 195 Mini-Crit: 88	Attack Interval: 0.8s	Stock melee weapon.

Below is a table displaying the availability of the Shovel in the Global 6v6 Whitelist.

Weapon	Global 6v6 Whitelist
Shovel	Allowed

The Equalizer

Due to the “last resort” nature of melee weapons, the Equalizer can be put to good use in combat. At very low health, a single strike with the Equalizer can deal over 100 damage. However, the Soldier receives 90% less healing from his team's Medic while wielding this weapon (does not affect Dispensers and health kits). It also provides the user with the Grenade taunt, sneaking behind enemies and using it can be highly effective if pulled off correctly.

Weapon	Damage	Critical Damage	Function Times	Special
Equalizer	Melee (at 200+ HP): 33 Melee (at 114 HP): 65 Melee (at 52 HP): 88 Melee (at 1 HP): 107	Mini-Crit (200 hp+): 45 Mini-Crit (114 hp): 88 Mini-Crit (52 hp): 119 Mini-Crit (1 hp): 144	Attack Interval: 0.8s	Wielder receives 90% less healing from Medic sources while active. Damage is based on exact health, as follows: Base Damage = 107.25 - 0.375*Health. Mini-Crit Damage = 144.79 + 0.5*Health. Provides the Grenade taunt.

Below is a table displaying the availability of the Equalizer in the Global 6v6 Whitelist.

Weapon	Global 6v6 Whitelist
Equalizer	Allowed

The Escape Plan

The Escape Plan provides the Soldier with improved survivability, as when he is deathmatching with another Soldier or Demoman, he can quickly escape because of the speed boost if the fight turns against him and he takes a lot of damage. While active, the Soldier receives 90% less of the health he would normally get from a Medic (does not affect Dispensers and health kits), and his speed will not allow him to outrun Scouts. The Soldier is marked for death while the Escape Plan is active and for a short period after holstering it. The Escape Plan provides the Soldier with the Grenade taunt, capable of killing large groups of enemies if executed unnoticedly, similiarly to the Equalizer.

Weapon	Damage	Critical Damage	Function Times	Special
Escape Plan	Melee: 65	Critical: 195 Mini-Crit: 88	Attack Interval: 0.8s	-90% healing from Medic-based sources while active. Provides a speed boost while the Escape Plan is equipped and the Soldier is at low health, up to a +60% relative speed boost at below 40 health. The Soldier becomes marked for death while the Escape Plan is active, and for a few seconds after holstering it. Provides the Grenade taunt.

Below is a table displaying the availability of the Escape Plan in the Global 6v6 Whitelist.

Weapon	Global 6v6 Whitelist
Escape Plan	Allowed

The Pain Train

The double capture speed that the Pain Train provides allows Soldiers to perform back-caps on unguarded capture points more effectively. This can be useful in many different ways, including forcing advancing enemies to abandon a push in order to defend their besieged Control Point. Soldiers using the Pain Train must be wary, however, as they become slightly more vulnerable towards hitscan weapons, such as Shotguns, Scatterguns, and Pistols by having -10% hitscan damage resistance.

Weapon	Damage	Critical Damage	Function Times	Special
Pain Train	Melee: 65	Critical: 195 Mini-Crit: 88	Attack Interval: 0.8s	Gives the Soldier doubled capturing rate. Increases taken damage from hitscan weapons by 10%.

Below is a table displaying the availability of the Pain Train in the Global 6v6 Whitelist.

Weapon	Global 6v6 Whitelist
Pain Train	Allowed

Half-Zatoichi

The Half-Zatoichi presents the advantage of the health granted upon a melee kill. However, once the player has drawn their Half-Zatoichi, they can switch to another weapon but will deal 50 damage to them until they have made a kill. The Soldier's slower speed combined with this handicap makes the Half-Zatoichi impractical at best in competitive play.

Weapon	Damage	Critical Damage	Function Times	Special
Half-Zatoichi	Melee: 65	Critical: 195 Mini-Crit: 88	Attack Interval: 0.8s	The Soldier gains 50% of his base health on kill (can overheal). This weapon is Honorbound, and once drawn, holstering it deals 50 damage to the user unless they kill an enemy with it first. Will insta-kill any enemy Soldier or Demoman who is wielding the Half-Zatoichi as well.

Below is a table displaying the availability of the Half-Zatoichi in the Global 6v6 Whitelist.

Weapon	Global 6v6 Whitelist
Half-Zatoichi	Allowed

Disciplinary Action

Since the Soldier's melee weapon is rarely used, the decreased damage dealt is, more often than not; considered meaningless. The boost granted from hitting the Soldier's teammates can be useful at the beginning of a Control Points map, allowing the team to reach the point faster using said speed boosts, thus giving the team a considerable advantage in the midfight. The Disciplinary Action has a 70% longer range than other melee weapons, despite not being mentioned in it's description.

Weapon	Damage	Critical Damage	Function Times	Special
Disciplinary Action	Melee: 49	Critical: 146 Mini-Crit: 66	Attack Interval: 0.8s	Hitting a teammate boosts both the Soldier's and the target's speed for several seconds. -25% damage penalty.

Below is a table displaying the availability of the Disciplinary Action in the Global 6v6 Whitelist.

Weapon	Global 6v6 Whitelist
Disciplinary Action	Banned

Market Gardener

The Market Gardener grants guaranteed critical hits while the Soldier is rocket jumping. This means that a Soldier, skilled enough to rocket jump to the location of an enemy player, can be almost guaranteed to get a kill, which can be useful in picking off an important enemy unit such as a Medic. In competitive play, random critical hits are disabled, thus making the Market Gardener function as a direct upgrade from the Shovel, aside from it's 20% slower firing speed.

Weapon	Damage	Critical Damage	Function Times	Special
Market Gardener	Melee: 65	Critical: 195 Mini-Crit: 88	Attack Interval: 0.96s	Deals guaranteed critical hits while the wielder is rocket jumping. No random critical hits. -20% firing speed.

Below is a table displaying the availability of the Market Gardener in the Global 6v6 Whitelist.

Weapon	Global 6v6 Whitelist
Market Gardener	Allowed

Usage

The Equalizer is generally superior to its counterparts in melee combat, but slows down the rate at which the Soldier is healed significantly. The Escape Plan provides the advantage of allowing Soldiers who are low on health to quickly escape what could be certain death. The Pain Train, at the cost of decreased hitscan damage resistance, can be useful for a roaming Soldier, if they were to try and backcap, thus forcing the attacking team to retreat. The Disciplinary Action can be useful for a pocket, as he will frequently have a Medic near him, making the Equalizer's healing rate problematic. The Market Gardener can be used as a niche weapon, which can provide a surprising burst of damage, but is relatively easy to dodge.