Community Soldier strategy

“

I am going to enjoy killing each and every one of you sorry sacks of scum! Click to listen — The Soldier before a vicious massacre

”

As the general purpose assault class of Team Fortress 2, the Soldier is easy to pick up and play but difficult to master. The Soldier is capable of both long range and close quarters attacks, is quite accurate, and can often access places on various maps others cannot via rocket jumping. The Soldier is a solid "blast 'em everywhere" class, and experienced players can assault or defend key strategic points with ruthless efficiency.

Quick Tips

• Always take the high ground. You're harder to attack at higher elevations, and your rockets are harder to avoid.

• Look for rocket-jump shortcuts, especially in Capture the Flag.

• A team without Soldiers is probably offensively weak. Fill the role to push back the other team and accomplish the objectives!

General

• With 200 HP, you has the second highest non-boosted amount of health only to the Heavy. While the Pyro and Demoman have only slightly less HP than the Soldier, the Soldier can be overhealed to a maximum of 300 HP and is capable of engaging enemies reliably at most ranges, giving players more flexibility at longer ranges than the Pyro and closer ranges than the Demoman.

• Your base speed is the second slowest in Team Fortress 2, next to the Heavy's. This can give you less flexibility in attacking and retreating on the ground, so always be sure to plan ahead whenever possible. rocket jumping will greatly help you get to the field of battle or retreat quicker.

• To this end, you may sometimes choose to act like a Sniper, especially on defense, where you are capable of very rudely interrupting enemy captures if positioned properly, even taking damage falloff into account. This should only be done near a friendly Dispenser or an ammo/health kit spawn point, as the low ammo capacity of the Rocket Launcher inhibits the staying power of the Soldier at distance.

• Next to the Heavy, you are among the most threatening classes in combat. Players tend to take Soldiers into consideration far more readily than most other classes due to the significant amount of damage any of your primary weapons can cause at any range.

• Perhaps your greatest advantage over any other class is the ability to rocket jump. By using the your primary weapon in conjunction with jumping, it's possible to reach considerable heights and cross great distances faster than most classes. This mobility is essential in gaining an advantage over the enemy in combat.
  • In order to aid players, you will take only 60% damage from your own rockets; this translates to roughly 40 self-damage for each rocket jump. However, this damage reduction only applies when you are in midair when the rocket explodes, so any rockets fired while standing on the ground will do full damage.
  • Rocket jumping vertically can allow you to reach locations normally inaccessible to most other classes, so try to use this to gain a height advantage over other players. The height advantage makes it easier to hit enemies with splash damage from rockets.

• Help a friendly Medic build ÜberCharge by causing self-damage with rockets. Only do this if there is no chance of a surprise enemy attack.
  • It should be noted that ÜberCharge automatically builds up at the fastest rate during Setup time on the PC and Mac version, so this strategy is only useful after the round has begun.

• It's usually wise to enable the "Automatically reload weapons when you're not firing" option under Advanced Multiplayer options. When this option is enabled, weapons will automatically attempt a reload cycle after each shot, and can be interrupted by firing the weapon again. Due to the small magazine size of your weapons, it's handy to keep them fully loaded in-between and even during some fights, and the single-shot reloading makes it harder for enemies to surprise you while reloading. Being able to reload a rocket as soon as one rocket jumps onto the battlefield will be of great use.

• Your rockets will originate from the left or right of the character model when shot, depending on the orientation (right-handed models will generate the projectile from the right, left-handed models from the left). This can be used to fire rockets around corners without being fully exposed, and must be taken into account when rocket jumping. This does not apply when using the Original, which fires from the center of the screen.

• In the configuration settings, changing the "cl_interp" command will alter how late rockets come out. Finding the right setting is useful for more precise aiming. The default is 0.01; going up to say 0.03 will increase the delay, the opposite holding true as well.

• Falloff damage for rockets is calculated based on where the player is when they explode, not where they were originally fired from. This can be exploited in your favor by closing the distance on your enemies via rocket jumping toward large groups while firing down on them, increasing the potential amount of damage done.

Rocket jumping is essential to the Soldier, as it lets him get around maps quickly.

Rocket jumping

• Rocket jumping allows you to gain access to areas that are normally only accessible to other Soldiers and Demomen. They can also be used as shortcuts, to traverse areas faster, gain a height advantage over enemy players, or reach areas that are only accessible from the opposite direction.

• To perform a rocket jump, you simply fire a rocket at your feet while jumping. This will amplify the vertical component of your jump, allowing you to reach greater heights than normal.
  • Performing a crouch-jump, jumping and then crouching, before firing the rocket will allow you to gain even more height. This can be essential in reaching areas that are inaccessible with rocket jumps that do not utilize crouch.
  • Because a rocket jump merely amplifies existing momentum, it's important to keep your intended direction in mind when rocket jumping, and alter your ground movement as such.

• Rocket jumps can be used for horizontal mobility as well as vertical mobility. The direction of your momentum depends on where the rocket explodes relative to your center of mass, so launching a sideways rocket will allow you to gain significant forward momentum.
  • When performing horizontal jumps, try to use nearby objects such as walls to create explosions at the same level as yourself, rather than below.

• You can strafe while in midair; this can be helpful in dodging fire directed at you, especially explosives launched by enemy Soldiers and Demomen.
  • In conjunction with rocket jumps, air-strafing allows you to maintain a considerable amount of momentum even at the apex of your jump. In order to perform an air-strafe, simply hold a strafe key while releasing the forward key and turning in the same direction of the strafe. This allows the Soldier to strafe around corners or reach areas that are normally inaccessible through other means.

• Take into account the fact that rockets will spawn in the same direction of the Rocket Launcher. Right-handed models will spawn the rockets to the right of you, and left-handed models likewise to the left. This can affect rocket jump performance considerably, especially horizontal jumps.

• Always take the opportunity to reload the Rocket Launcher immediately after initiating a rocket jump. If performing ambushes or bombing runs on the enemy, it allows you to use one more rocket against the enemy, or give you the chance to escape if things go bad.

Weapon Specific

Primary Weapons

Rocket Launcher/Original

Weapon	Kill Icon	Ammo		Damage
		Loaded	Carried	Point Blank	Medium Range	Long Range	Self Damage	Critical	Projectile Speed
Stock Rocket Launcher		4	20	105-112	50-90	45-60	27-89	270	1100 Hammer units/sec
Promotional/Craft Original		4	20	105-112	50-90	45-60	27-89	270	1100 Hammer units/sec

• Always keep the Rocket Launcher loaded. With a maximum of four loaded shots, it's best to always be prepared.
  • Enabling the "Automatically reload weapons when you're not firing" option under Advanced Multiplayer options can help considerably.

• Since the rocket is a slow traveling projectile, be sure to lead targets to hit where they will be, as well as aim at the ground or any walls nearby in order to take advantage of the splash damage radius.
  • When shooting over long distances, try to lead the target and fire a second rocket at where they are likely to retreat. Doing this will greatly increase the chance of hitting enemies at long range. If the enemies are too far away, you can attack them with your Shotgun, rather than wasting your rockets. This won't do much damage, but the Shotgun can be reloaded far faster and the hitscan nature of the weapon denies any targets the opportunity to dodge the shots.
  • The splash damage radius of the Rocket Launcher allows you to damage enemies even if there is no direct line of sight. This allows you to fire around corners or at objects near cover in order to damage and kill enemies.

• Try to juggle or bounce enemies by shooting a rocket at their feet. While in the air, enemies lose control over much of their movement, with the exception of Scouts, who can double-jump, allowing you to follow up with a second shot easily. Throwing enemies into the air often disorients them, and they often have trouble shooting back.
  • Try to land a direct hit with a rocket on enemies trapped in midair. A direct hit does far more damage than splash alone.

• The Rocket Launcher reloads slower than many other weapons, and it's unlikely that emptying the magazine will result in all four rockets hitting enemies. For this reason, try to predict enemy movements and fire one rocket at a time. One of your greatest vulnerabilities is being attacked while reloading the Rocket Launcher, so having at least some rockets in reserve at all times can greatly increase your chances of surviving an ambush.
  • Consider switching to the Shotgun rather than waiting for the Rocket Launcher to reload during a fight. This will allow you to continue your attack uninterrupted, and keep the pressure up on the enemy. In a one-on-one match with an enemy Soldier, switching to the Shotgun at the right time could be the difference between life and death.

• When firing a rocket at an enemy at point-blank range, jump and fire the rocket at their feet. Remember that if you are damaged by your own rockets while in midair, the game will treat it as a rocket jump, and thus will minimize the amount of damage you deals to yourself, while distancing you from the enemy at the same time.

• When trying to clear a control point or the Payload cart, rocket jump above the target area and fire downwards onto it. A key element of this is to reload while in midair, so that all four rockets will loaded and ready to go at the peak of the jump. The high angle of attack will ensure the splash damage affects a large area of the cart or control point, which can be very useful.

• The Rocket Launcher is often a better choice if you intend to act as a Medic buddy than the Direct Hit. The wider splash radius of the Rocket Launcher's rockets allows you to damage any attacking enemies more easily, as well as juggle them and disrupt their attack. It's also more effective than the Direct Hit while under the effects of a Kritzkrieg's ÜberCharge.

• The Rocket Launcher is capable of dealing a significant amount of damage when firing a Critical rocket. Whether through luck or a Crit-boost, a single Critical rocket is capable of killing almost any enemy in the game with a single hit, or dealing enough damage to force a hasty retreat.

• When fighting classes with little health, such as Scouts, Engineers and Spies, rather than using two rockets, fire one rocket then finish them off with the Shotgun. This will help the Soldier by keeping one extra rocket loaded, allowing him to continue his assault or defense with ease.

• Because the Original fires directly down the crosshair, it's a bit more accurate than the Rocket Launcher, an advantage offset by the fact that you can't fire around corners as easily as the Rocket Launcher.

• Due to the Original's unique first-person view-model, rocket jumps can now be performed without having to compensate for the rocket's off-center blast, which is the case with all of your other primary weapons.

Direct Hit

Weapon	Kill Icon	Ammo		Damage
		Loaded	Carried	Point Blank	Medium Range	Long Range	Self Damage	Critical	Projectile Speed
Unlock Direct Hit		4	20	140	112	57	27-89	336	1980 Hammer units/sec

• The Direct Hit is an unlockable primary weapon for the Soldier, intended for sharpshooting. Rockets fired by the Direct Hit travel 80% faster than default rockets and deal 25% more damage, and have a 70% reduced splash damage radius. It also deals Mini-Crits against enemies sent skyward by explosives.

• Always try to aim directly at enemies instead of at their feet, especially at close ranges. Take advantage of the faster rocket speed in that targets do not need to be led as much as with the Rocket Launcher. Remember that the blast radius of Direct Hit rockets is so small that players can actively dodge rockets even at medium ranges and remain completely unharmed.

• The Direct Hit's higher base damage gives you a greater edge over 125 HP classes, such as the Scout, the Engineer, the Sniper, and the Spy, as one direct rocket at close range can potentially kill them. This is especially true against Scouts, especially those carrying the Sandman.

• Because the Direct Hit deals Mini-Crits against enemies who have been sent airborne via explosives, try to juggle enemies into the air with the rockets and hit them again for increased damage.
  • Remember that this applies for any explosives, including those of teammates or even the enemy. In particular, working with friendly Soldiers or Demomen can create opportunities to finish off enemies that they juggle.
  • Always keep an eye out for explosive-jumping Soldiers and Demomen, especially if they are trying to gain a height advantage or rob reach height parity against players that already have the high ground. With especially good aim, it's possible to hit them in midair to both interrupt their jump as well as deal Mini-Crit damage.

• The Direct Hit can destroy any unattended Engineer building with two rockets, rather than three with the default Rocket Launcher. For this reason, if an enemy Engineer has deployed a Sentry Gun out in the open, the Direct Hit may be a good loadout choice for dispatching it. Even if the Engineer is actively repairing the Sentry Gun, the Direct Hit can damage it faster than an Engineer can repair it.

Black Box

Weapon	Kill Icon	Ammo		Damage						Healing
		Loaded	Carried	Point Blank	Medium Range	Long Range	Self Damage	Critical	Projectile Speed	On Hit
Craft Black Box		3	20	105-112	50-90	45-60	27-89	270	1100 Hammer units/sec	15

• The Black Box is a craftable primary weapon for the Soldier. On hit, 15 HP is restored to you, but the Black Box is only capable of carrying 3 rockets instead of the Rocket Launcher's 4.
  • If a rocket hits more than one enemy, 15 HP will be healed per damaged enemy.

• By being able to heal +15 HP for each hit, you can take damage for longer than usual. However, remember that due to the smaller magazine size it's not possible sustain fire for as long as with the other primary weapons.
  • The Black Box can be used to Spy-check as well, as it will display the +15 health bonus when hitting a cloaked or disguised Spy.
    • If a Spy uses the Dead Ringer, the Black Box will not replenish health, which can be used as a warning that the Spy is still alive.

• Keep in mind that due to smaller magazine size, the time penalty on reloading the first rocket is more of a problem, so reload as often as possible, or try to reload rockets in strings rather than individually.

• Since the Black Box is designed to keep players alive and healed, it's not advised to use the Equalizer as a melee weapon. The suicidal tactics of the Equalizer don't couple well with the healing abilities of the Black Box, so using the Pain Train or Shovel is recommended.

• As the reduced magazine size means more time spent reloading, if charging at a Sentry Gun that is constantly being repaired by its Engineer, try to take out the Engineer or Dispenser first. The time that would normally be spent reloading is just long enough for an Engineer to easily repair his or her Sentry Gun, making shots a waste of time, ammo, and possibly an ÜberCharge.

• Try to take the Shotgun along when carrying the Black Box, in order to offset the smaller magazine size. As players will often be unable to sustain fire for long, the Shotgun can help to finish off any enemies that can't be killed with only three rockets, as well as a measure of self-defense if attacked while reloading.

• Try to engage Heavies at long ranges. Not only will the Heavy only be able to inflict minimum damage due to damage falloff, that damage should be healed instantly once the Heavy is hit with a rocket.

• If using the Gunboats with the Black Box, keep in mind that the reduced rocket jumping damage taken can be easily healed by a couple of long range rockets, allowing players to fire rockets at the apex of their jumps and gain health upon landing should they hit. However, in 1v1 fights with powerful classes, not having a secondary weapon is a large disadvantage. Use with caution.

• Enemy Scouts under the effect of Bonk! Atomic Punch will still replenish health when hit with the Black Box, though always keep an eye on the number of remaining rockets in order not to run out of them when Bonk!'s effect wears off, and remember to avoid being caught in the rockets' splash radius.

• When low on health, the Black Box can be used with a hit-and-run tactic. Retreat and hide behind cover while slightly healing to increase the chances of survival. Do this until you find a med-kit, Dispenser, or Medic.

Rocket Jumper

Weapon	Ammo		Damage
	Loaded	Carried	Point Blank	Medium Range	Long Range	Self Damage	Critical	Projectile Speed
Craft Rocket Jumper	4	60	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	1100 Hammer units/sec

• The Rocket Jumper is a craftable primary weapon for the Soldier. It deals no self-damage for rockets that explode near you and carries 60 extra ammo instead of 20, but it deals no damage to enemies, and you will suffer twice the amount of damage from enemy attacks.

• The Rocket Jumper, despite being meant for training only, has uses outside of such limitations. Due to inflicting no self-damage, you can perform consecutive rocket jumps and gain a considerable mobility advantage over other players.
  • Since the Rocket Jumper does no self-damage, players can fire rockets before hitting the ground after a high rocket jump as a cushion to prevent fall damage.
  • If using the Equalizer, remember that self-damage can only be inflicted with fall damage. Therefore, it's less advisable to try ambushing people with the Equalizer unless the enemy has already caused previous damage.

• The Rocket Jumper is particularly effective when coupled with with the Pain Train. Using the Pain Train allows players to use their enhanced maneuverability to capture points behind enemy lines at twice the capture rate.

• The Rocket Jumper works very well when playing Capture the Flag. Assuming there are no Sentry Guns locking down the Intelligence room, you can chain rocket jumps to quickly navigate through the corridors of the enemy base and escape faster than the enemy is able to react.

Liberty Launcher

Weapon	Kill Icon	Ammo		Damage
		Loaded	Carried	Point Blank	Medium Range	Long Range	Self Damage	Critical	Projectile Speed
Craft Liberty Launcher		3	20	105-112	50-90	45-60	27-89	270	1540 Hammer units/sec

• The Liberty Launcher is a craftable primary weapon for the Soldier. It has a 40% faster rocket speed, but can only hold 3 rockets at a time.

• Due to its lower clip size, it's important to keep the Liberty Launcher loaded and always go for airshots. Although the Direct Hit works better in this regard, the Liberty Launcher is more forgiving in terms of splash damage if you miss.

Cow Mangler 5000

Weapon	Kill Icon	Ammo		Damage
		Loaded	Carried	Point Blank	Medium Range	Long Range	Self Damage	Mini-Crit	Projectile Speed	Afterburn
Craft Cow Mangler 5000		5	8	117-121	45-81	41-43	24-80	109	1100 Hammer units/sec	36 damage over 6 seconds

• The Cow Mangler 5000 is a craftable primary weapon for the Soldier. This weapon fires five blasts of team-colored energy with an unlimited ammo reserve, at the cost of 10% less damage to players and 80% less damage against buildings. The Cow Mangler 5000 also has a 5% slower reload speed, does not roll for random Critical hits, and cannot be Crit-boosted at all.
  • When the "Mangler" bar, another way of representing the Cow Mangler 5000's clip, is full, pressing the secondary fire button will cause the weapon to begin charging up, after which a single charged shot is fired. This shot deals mini-crit damage to players and will cause them to suffer six seconds of afterburn damage at the same rate as the Flamethrower, and disable buildings for four seconds. During this process, the entire Mangler bar is consumed. Charging a shot takes 3 seconds.
    • The charged shot may ignite Huntsman arrows held by a friendly Sniper.

• Using your charged shot to kill an Engineer behind his buildings can be more advantageous than disabling his Sentry Gun. Engineers will die in a single charged shot if directly hit or dealt enough splash damage.

• Make use of cover when charging your secondary fire to avoid being a target, especially for enemy Snipers.

Secondary Weapons

Shotgun

Weapon	Kill Icon	Ammo		Damage
		Loaded	Carried	Point Blank	Medium Range	Long Range	Critical
Stock Shotgun		6	32	86-90	24-67	3-26	120

• Don't be afraid to use the Shotgun at medium range. Players should be able to take down any class, bar a Heavy (or Soldier at full health) at medium range with six rounds. Furthermore, due to its hitscan nature, it's an ideal weapon against players that are moving erratically at medium range and cannot be reliably damaged by rockets.
  • The Shotgun is also more viable for targets that are far away or trying to retreat.

• Pyros utilizing the compression blast to reflect rockets should die or be greatly weakened with six shots before they get within Flamethrower range. If they survive all six rounds, try to take them out with a rocket as they close in.

• The Shotgun, as a hitscan weapon, can destroy an enemy Demoman's stickies. While the Rocket Launcher can blast sticky traps loose and scatter them, they are still a threat to teammates as the Demoman can still detonate them. Destroying the stickies instead can safely clear a path for teammates rather than simply reducing the damage that they might take.

• One direct rocket and one Shotgun shot is often enough to kill light classes in most circumstances. Two rockets and one shell will usually kill Soldiers, assuming that the rockets do not hit the Soldier directly.

• If using the Direct Hit, it's highly advisable to use the Shotgun rather than a backpack buff item or the Gunboats.
  • Similarly, due to its smaller magazine size, the Shotgun is also a good secondary weapon to use when carrying the Black Box.

Buff Banner

Weapon	Effect
	Buff	Damage Dealt to Activate	Effect Time	Effect Range
Unlock Buff Banner	Allows your teammates near you to deal mini-crits.	600	10 seconds	450 Hammer units

• The Buff Banner is an unlockable secondary weapon for the Soldier. By dealing damage to enemies, you build up their Rage meters, and upon activating it, nearby teammates will gain a Mini-Crits boost, while still in proximity to the Soldier with the buff active, for ten seconds.

• The Buff Banner is best used when teammates are about to make a push, or to counter enemy pushes. If teammates are attacking the enemy, the Buff Banner can give them enough firepower to dispatch their targets more easily, allowing them to quickly accomplish objectives or prevent the enemy team from accomplishing theirs.

• The area of effect for the Buff Banner is large and passes through walls and floors. Use the Buff Banner from a safe position that helps teammates to push objectives. While this will reduce a player's ability to cause damage to the enemy, it also allows teammates to take make the most of the buff.

• Unlike Crits, Mini-Crits are still subject to damage ramp-up. Always take into account how far away enemies are, as a buff can help teammates to kill enemies more effectively at close range than at far.

• When you activate the Buff Banner's buff, you instantly become a priority target for the enemy team. Stand in the middle of teammates, preferably behind a tall class such as the Heavy.

• Just as with the Kritzkrieg, the Buff Banner is best when used with the Rocket Launcher. The wider blast radius will make it easier to build Rage, and also makes the Mini-Crit boost more effective.

• Though it's better to use the Buff Banner when there are many teammates around, the Rage meter is not carried over between deaths, so as with ÜberCharges it's best to use it instead of lose it, especially when alone.

• As a teamwork-oriented weapon, the Buff Banner can be employed far more effectively if working alongside a Medic.
  • When a friendly Medic ÜberCharges a teammate, contribute to the rampage by using the Buff Banner. This allows the Medic's heal target to deal increased damage while invulnerable. However, be sure not to use it during a Kritzkrieg charge, as the effects do not stack.

• If the Buff Banner is used next to an Engineer, that Engineer's Sentry Gun will fire Mini-Crits no matter where it's on the map, even if it's nowhere nearby.

• Snipers with the Bushwacka equipped can be effective with the Buff Banner's Mini-Crit boost, as their melee weapon deals full Critical hits instead of Mini-Crits.

Gunboats

Weapon	Effect
	Passive Effect
Craft Gunboats	60% less damage from your own rockets.

• The Gunboats are a craftable secondary weapon for the Soldier. When equipped, the Gunboats will take a further 60% reduced damage from rocket jumps, resulting in roughly 15 self-inflicted damage for each rocket jump.

• The greatest advantage of the Gunboats is that it provides you with considerable mobility without the risk of health loss. This can allow you to chain rocket jumps together to quickly reach your destination, or to ambush enemies with more health. It can also be used to quickly escape losing battles.

• One common strategy for the Gunboats is to perform bombing attacks or runs over enemies. Using your enhanced mobility, you can get behind enemy lines or quickly intercept pushing groups, then perform a rocket jump over the heads of an enemy group while raining rockets down.

• Firepower is reduced without the Shotgun, so make the most of the Rocket Launcher. Keep this in mind when encountering enemies that can easily dodge rockets, as well as when using rocket jumps to attack enemies from above.

• Combining the Black Box with the Gunboats may seem counter intuitive, but it can provide an edge in survivability and ambushing when playing as a roaming Soldier.

Battalion's Backup

Weapon	Effect
	Buff	Damage Taken to Activate	Effect Time	Effect Range
Craft Battalion's Backup	Protects nearby teammates from crits and blocks 35% of damage taken.	350	10 seconds	450 Hammer units

• The Battalion's Backup is a craftable secondary item for the Soldier. The Rage meter builds up by taking damage from enemy attacks, requiring 350 damage taken for a full charge. Once the buff is activated, all teammates within the vicinity of the Soldier will have all damage to them reduced by 35%. Teammates under the effect of the Batallion's Backup will also be immune to Critical hits.

• Like the Buff Banner, the Battalion's Backup is situational and most effective when multiple teammates are around to make use of it. It's best used when the team needs to make a push to accomplish an objective, or as a counter to an enemy push to prevent them from accomplishing an objective.
  • Kritzkrieg pairs can benefit from the damage reduction the Battalion's Backup provides if it's used to push in behind their ÜberCharge. Remember that the Kritzkrieg does not grant invulnerability to the Medic or patient, so they can still be damaged; the Battalion's Backup can give them the extra survivability needed to complete their task.
  • Try to pair a Battalion´s Backup with a friendly Soldier´s Buff Banner or Concheror. Using both will be very devastating.

• As with the Buff Banner, not having the Shotgun available can greatly increase vulnerability against enemies that can avoid being damaged by rockets. Always make sure to stick with teammates and have them assist against such enemies.

• The Battalion's Backup can act as a strong counter to the Buff Banner in that it can be used to completely nullify the Buff Banner's effects and protect teammates from an aggressive enemy push. However, this depends on being able to react quickly to the enemy push, as activating the banner takes time during which the enemy can still inflict Mini-Crits.

• The Battalion's Backup is excellent for pushing into areas covered by Snipers. Headshots count as Critical hits and will be nullified by the Backup's buff.
  • However, keep in mind that backstabs will still instantly kill anyone under the Battalion's Backup's effect.

• Since the Battalion's Backup's Rage meter is not dependent on the damage dealt to the enemy, it can be used in conjunction with the Direct Hit for an even bigger attack against Sentry Guns.

• The damage reduction bonus of the Battalion's Backup multiplies with other damage modifiers, instead of adding. For instance, a Demoman carrying the Chargin' Targe will have 67.5% fire resistance (50% + [0.35 * 50%]), rather than 85% (50% + 35%).

• When combined with other damage resistance effects, the Battalion's Backup will build Rage in different ways.
  • When equipped with the Tank Buster item set, players will take 20% reduced damage from Sentry Guns, but will still generate Rage as normal; this can be effective in building Rage faster while being attacked by Sentry Guns.
  • When under the effects of another Soldier's Battalion's Backup, players will take 35% reduced damage, and their Rage meters will build 35% slower.

Concheror

Weapon	Effect
	Buff	Damage Dealt/Taken to Activate	Effect Time	Effect Range
Promotional/Craft Concheror	Teammates are healed for 35% of damage dealt.	1133 dealt or 333 taken	10 seconds	450 Hammer units

• The Concheror is a craftable secondary weapon for the Soldier. It builds Rage both by inflicting damage against the enemy as well as taking damage, and when activated, will cause 35% of all damage dealt to the enemy to return as healing to whomever inflicted the damage.

• The Concheror's health replenishment abilities, like the Black Box, can be used for rooting out enemy Spies, since shooting a disguised Spy will heal the you.

• The Concheror's buff can bolster Medic healing considerably, taking pressure off of friendly Medics and allowing them to focus only on teammates who require the most attention.

• The Concheror is ideal for supporting a charge. Whereas the Battalion's Backup and Buff Banner are both useful for breaching enemy choke-points, the added survivability provided by the Concheror's buff can keep multiple teammates in the fight and on the front lines. This makes it especially valuable for attacking teams during Payload, some versions of Control Points, and King of the Hill.

Reserve Shooter

Weapon	Kill Icon	Ammo		Damage
		Loaded	Carried	Point Blank	Medium Range	Long Range	Critical
Craft Reserve Shooter		3	32	86-90	24-67	3-26	120

• The Reserve Shooter is a craftable secondary weapon for the Soldier. It allows slightly faster weapon switching, and will Mini-Crit airborne targets for up to three seconds after switching. However, it can only load up to three Shotgun shells at a time.

• Unlike the Direct Hit, the Reserve Shooter will Mini-Crit any airborne target, regardless of whether they were launched by explosives or not. This allows players to take advantage of falling and jumping enemies, as well as those juggled into the air by their rockets.

• The bonus to weapon switching applies to any weapon in the load-out, which can make for some easier mid-air melee kills with weapons like the Equalizer or Market Gardener.

• Scouts are easy targets with the Reserve Shooter, as double-jumping is one of their main forms of dodging fire.

Mantreads

Weapon	Kill Icon	Effect
		Damage	Passive Effect
Craft Mantreads		3x Fall Damage	75% reduction in push force from damage.

• The Mantreads are a craftable secondary weapon for the Soldier that serve as a more aggressive counterpart to the Gunboats. While worn, you receive only a quarter of the usual Knockback from enemy explosions, and can inflict stomping damage through long falls.

• As with most other Soldier secondary weapons, keep your primary weapon loaded as often as possible.

• The Mantreads can be used to hold high locations, where fall damage would do considerable damage, or perhaps even kill you.

• Using the Rocket Jumper with this weapon can increase its usefulness, but is situational to large and open maps such as Hightower.

Righteous Bison

Weapon	Kill Icon	Ammo		Damage
		Loaded	Carried	Point Blank	Medium Range	Long Range	Critical	Damage to Buildings
Craft Righteous Bison		4	8	17-63	11-42	11-42	36-60	4

• The Righteous Bison is a craftable secondary weapon for the Soldier. It functions completely differently from any of your other weapons. On fire, it produces a laser beam that pierces enemies and buildings. The Righteous Bison's laser beam also cannot be deflected. On the downside, however, the Righteous Bison does 80% less damage to buildings.
  • The Righteous Bison, much like the Cow Mangler 5000, also does not require ammo.

• Because of the obvious piercing attribute and reasonable damage, the Righteous Bison does wonderfully in close-quarters combat and in tunnel fights. It tends to perform spectacularly on maps like Nucleus, Turbine, and 2Fort. Conversely it does worse on open-terrain maps, since it's easier to strafe away from it.

• It is not recommended that you equip the Righteous Bison with the Cow Mangler 5000 unless you have a cooperative team as, upon reaching an enemy sentry, you will be completely powerless against it.

• If you fire the Righteous Bison at a friendly Sniper who is wielding the Huntsman, their arrow will be set alight and can be used to set enemies on fire if shot correctly at the target.

• The Righteous Bison can be useful for hitting Engineers who hide behind their buildings.

Melee Weapons

Shovel/Frying Pan/Saxxy

Weapon	Kill Icon	Attack Interval	Damage
			Point Blank	Critical
Stock Shovel		0.8 seconds	65	195
Promotional Frying Pan		0.8 seconds	65	195
Promotional Saxxy		0.8 seconds	65	195

The Shovel is a reasonable choice when conserving ammo

• The Shovel is a viable option for close-range enemies without the risk of inflicting self-damage by using the Rocket Launcher, or if reloading the Shotgun will take too long.

• Because you are slower than every other class, except for the Heavy, or a Demoman using the Scotsman's Skullcutter, running after an enemy is not a good choice with the Shovel.

• A tricky strategy is to use the splash damage from your primary weapon to bounce an enemy directly into your Shovel.

Equalizer

Weapon	Kill Icon	Attack Interval	Damage
			Point Blank	Critical
Unlock Equalizer		0.8 seconds	33-107 (Health-depending)	98-321 (Health-depending)

• The Equalizer is an unlockable melee weapon for the Soldier. You will move faster and deal more damage at low health while equipped with the Equalizer; however, you cannot be healed by Medics while the Equalizer is drawn.

• It's important to know how much damage the Equalizer can do at certain health brackets. Above 121 HP, the Equalizer does less damage than the Shovel, but at low enough levels it's capable of killing almost any class with just one or two hits.

• Rocket jumping and ambushing enemies is an excellent way to utilize the Equalizer. By using rocket jumps to hide in places where the enemy does not suspect, it's possible to ambush enemy players and score at least one or two kills, then use the speed boost to escape before they can react.

• The speed boost that the Equalizer grants you when you're injured can be used to reach combat just as fast as rocket jumping.

• The Equalizer can also be used as a tool of escape: the speed increase you receive allows you to outrun most classes. If a fight is not going well, equip the Equalizer and retreat.

• If you have the Equalizer drawn, you cannot be healed by Medics. If it is pulled out while being healed or during an ÜberCharge, the link to your Medic will be broken.

• Do not run into a fight alone with the Equalizer out; only take out the Equalizer when at low health and when already in the thick of an engagement. If there are more allies around than enemies, use the speed to run away for health packs. If there are more enemies around than allies, simply fight to the death. Even if the Equalizer isn't the active weapon, enemies will likely focus fire on Soldiers due to the high amount of threat they present on the battlefield. Usually, the only option is to make a last stand and take out as many enemies as possible.

• Be careful about when drawing the Equalizer. Players can easily gauge your health by looking at how fast your movement speed is, which can in turn cause them to focus fire on you and finish them off at range.

Kamikaze

	Kill Icon	Weapon	Damage	Duration	Details
Grenade		Equalizer	500	4 seconds	The Soldier throws his weapon, cracks his knuckles, rips a Grenade from his bandolier and pulls the pin. The blast kills him and any enemy within 6 feet.
	(Lumbricus Lid)				Just like the above description, but with a special "Hallelujah" sound clip that will play before exploding when the Lumbricus Lid is equipped.

• Kamikaze is the third longest-range taunt in the game. When this taunt is performed, the Soldier will die; any enemy players and buildings that are adjacent to you will also die or be destroyed, respectively.

• Wearing the Lumbricus Lid while taunting will play the "Hallelujah" sound clip roughly 1.5 seconds before the explosion, which may be long enough to warn nearby enemies to keep a safe distance away.

Pain Train

Weapon	Kill Icon	Attack Interval	Damage
			Point Blank	Critical
Craft Pain Train		0.8 seconds	65	195

• The Pain Train is a craftable melee weapon for the Soldier and Demoman. While equipped, it doubles the rate at which you capture control points, but leaves you more vulnerable to hitscan weapons.
  • The Pain Train's effects are passive, and do not require the Pain Train to be active.

• The Pain Train is an ideal weapon for helping teammates to accomplish capture objectives more quickly. While Scouts can often lack the firepower required to contest a point, a Soldier can reliably fight off any defenders that try to stop a capture.

• Never equip the Pain Train on a Capture the Flag map or while defending in an Attack/Defend Control Point map or Payload map. The doubled capture speed will not do anything on those gamemodes, but will still grant the +10% extra damage from bullets.

• The Pain Train is an effective tool for Back-capping, as it grants the same capturing abilities as a Scout.

• The healing from the Black Box can help to counter the 10% bullet vulnerability from the Pain Train.

Half-Zatoichi

Weapon	Kill Icon	Attack Interval	Damage	Healing
			Point Blank	Critical	On Kill
Craft Half-Zatoichi		0.8 seconds	65	195/Instant	200

• The Half-Zatoichi is a craftable melee weapon for the Soldier; it fully restores the player's health upon killing an enemy, however, the player cannot switch weapons until a kill has been made.

• Due to the Soldier's slow movement rate, it's often better to ambush enemies rather than try to attack head-on. Most players can easily outpace an approaching Soldier.

• Due to not being able to sheathe the weapon unless a kill is made, it's wise to only use the Half-Zatoichi either as a last resort or if a kill can be guaranteed. Failing to make a kill will leave players highly vulnerable to ranged attacks from enemies.
  • As such, it is often wise to switch between primary and secondary weapons upon spawning, so that if the quick-switch key is pressed the Half-Zatoichi will not be accidentally equipped.

• Remember that when fighting an enemy equipped with the Half-Zatoichi, both players will be killed in one attack from the weapon no matter the amount of health. As such, the key to dueling other Soldiers or Demomen who are brandishing the Half-Zatoichi is landing the first hit.

• This weapon is superb for Medieval Mode, due to weapons being restricted largely to melee weapons. However, be especially careful of other players also using the Half-Zatoichi.

Disciplinary Action

Weapon	Kill Icon	Attack Interval	Damage	Effect
			Point Blank	Critical	Speed Boost	Duration
Craft Disciplinary Action		0.8 seconds	49	147	40%	4 seconds

• The Disciplinary Action is a craftable melee weapon for the Soldier. Upon hitting an teammate, it gives both you and the teammate a speed boost for four seconds. However, the Disciplinary Action does 25% less damage compared to the Shovel.

• Hitting Scouts with the Disciplinary Action will not give them a speed boost, but will still grant you the speed boost.

• Use the Disciplinary Action to get slower classes, along with yourself, to the front lines faster.

• If multiple teammates are in need of healing, but a Medic isn't nearby them, use the Disciplinary Action to get the Medic to teammates in need before they die.

Market Gardener

Weapon	Kill Icon	Attack Interval	Damage
			Point Blank	Critical
Craft Market Gardener		0.8 seconds	65	195

• The Market Gardener is a craftable melee weapon for the Soldier. The Market Gardener inflicts Critical hits any time you are airborne during a rocket jump. However, the Market Gardener does not roll for random Critical hits.

• The Market Gardener pairs well with the Reserve Shooter's slight decrease in weapon-switching delay, making for easier mid-air attacks.

• Alternatively, the Market Gardener can be paired with the Gunboats to rocket-jump more often, and thus open up more opportunities to inflict Critical hits.

Item Sets

The Tank Buster

Main article: Item sets

The Tank Buster
	Black Box Battalion's Backup Grenadier's Softcap
Effect	Leave a Calling Card on your victims

• The 20% less damage from Sentry Guns you take while equipped with the Tank Buster set makes you a much more viable class to take down Sentry Guns. Try to aim behind the Sentry Gun to take out any Engineers trying to repair it or other Buildings.

• While the Tank Buster Set is mainly a support build and will have players focusing on using the Black Box, the melee weapon is also very important. Consider the following for which melee weapon can benefit the Tank Buster pack the most:
  • The Shovel/Frying Pan is useful because it bestows no negative effects and it allows players to receive healing while this weapon is out. While running out of rockets will rarely happen, there will still be situations where players will encounter enemies in tight quarters where rockets will inflict self-damage. This weapon benefits from having Medic support.
  • The Pain Train is handy to have around when playing on Payload or CP maps for the increased capture rate, which will assist in accomplishing objectives, coupled with the defense granted by the Battalion's Backup. However, the Pain Train will not cause the Backup's Rage meter to fill faster. Make sure to only use this weapon when there are Control Points or Payload carts (and even then when not playing on Defense), or bringing it will be counterproductive. Medic support is desirable.
  • The Equalizer is the typically used Soldier melee weapon because it offers increased attack power and speed when damaged. This feature plays upon the idea of the Tank Buster set in that taking more damage is a good thing. Health can be replenished with the Black Box, damage taken builds the Rage meter, and combat ability increases at low health. The negative aspect of not being able to receive Medic support while using this weapon can be dangerous. However, as players can simply switch to a different weapon to receive healing, it simply removes the ability to instantly receive healing from a Medic. This weapon is great for solo play where support is not an option. The Equalizer is most useful in Capture the Flag and Arena maps.
  • The Half-Zatoichi may come in handy if the player wants to have as many ways to heal as possible. It can especially help in charging the Rage meter for the Battalion's Backup as it fully restores health upon a kill. Remember to only draw it if a kill is assured.
  • The Disciplinary Action fits well with the set's general support role, allowing the Soldier and his teammates to deploy faster.

• The Battalion's Backup can act as a strong offensive push, especially for an area where teammates are locked out of due to Sentry Guns. When pushing in, focus priority on Sentry Guns, as the set bonus's 20% Sentry Gun damage resistance and 35% damage reduction from the Battalion's Backup will often be enough to overwhelm a Sentry Gun nest. When combined the two resistances amount to 48% less damage taken, nearly doubling the Soldier's effective health against Sentry Guns.

Airborne Armaments

Main article: Item sets

The Airborne Armaments
	Liberty Launcher Reserve Shooter Market Gardener Jumper's Jeepcap
Effect	No effect

• Whereas the Tank Buster set is largely defensive in nature, the Airborne Armaments set focuses heavily on mobile offense. The Liberty Launcher's fast rockets make it ideal for aerial attacks and make it extremely hard for Pyro to effectively airblast. The Reserve Shooter works well as a combo weapon to finish off enemies knocked airborne by the Launcher, or simply dealing with a pesky bunny-hopper or Scout. The Market Gardener allows for devastating melee attacks during rocket jumps, making it quite useful for ambushing enemies in high-up locations. All three weapons work extremely well together - the improved switch speed of the Reserve Shooter applies to all weapons being used by the Soldier.

• The Airborne Armaments set takes up all weapon slots, which means it's a bit more limited than the Tank Buster or General's Formals set. Thankfully, the Airborne Armaments set itself offers no set bonus and the components of it work both apart and together, making it a bit more versatile than it initially appears at a glance.

• The Airborne Armaments set shines on maps with lots of vertical mobility and places you to rocket jump to and from. Maps like Gold Rush, Hightower, and 2Fort all allow ample chances for rocket-jumping-related hijinks, and ample opportunity to juggle foes against walls.

The General's Formals

Main article: Item sets

The General's Formals
	Mantreads Disciplinary Action Armored Authority Fancy Dress Uniform
Effect	No effect

• The Disciplinary Action works well with the Mantreads, allowing you faster movement and ergo, longer and generally-more-accurate rocket jumps, whilst the Mantreads' knockback negation helps eliminate pushback whilst airborne. All this allows you to more reliably line-up a stomp on an enemy, and the set works particularly well on maps with lots of vertical terrain, such as pl_upward and plr_hightower.

• The Disciplinary Action being paired with the Mantreads is somewhat hit-or-miss for some players; the whip simply doesn't do that much damage for close-combat. Thankfully, the set itself doesn't offer a set bonus, meaning that you can shake things up quite a bit by substituting one item for another. For those who don't like the lack of offense the Disciplinary Action brings to the table, the Market Gardener, Equalizer, and Half-Zatoichi all offer exceptional close-quarters-combat punch for rocket-jump-related combat.

Dr. Grordbort's Victory Pack

Main article: Item sets

Dr. Grordbort's Victory Pack
	Cow Mangler 5000 Righteous Bison Lord Cockswain's Pith Helmet Lord Cockswain's Novelty Mutton Chops and Pipe
Effect	No effect

• Dr. Grordbort's Victory Pack leaves you completely vulnerable to Engineers. Both the Cow Mangler and the Righteous Bison suffer an 80% reduction against Buildings, meaning that you must avoid Engineer stations whenever possible, and leave destroying them to other classes.

Weapon Combinations

Example Combinations
Combo			Usage
Rocket Launcher	Shotgun	Equalizer	A well-balanced setup, the Shotgun provides an alternative firearm when all four rounds for the Rocket Launcher have been expended. It's a great weapon to finish off weak opponents or dealing with classes at close ranges where explosives will inflict self-damage. Furthermore, the Shotgun is ideal for dealing with Pyros that use compression blast to deflect rockets, and Scouts that use their double-jump ability to avoid splash damage and prevent players from landing clean hits. The Equalizer can provide an additional edge against enemies when both of the other weapons are fully expended, or provide a much-needed speed boost in order to escape.
Cow Mangler 5000	Gunboats	or Shovel or Equalizer	This setup focuses on using the Gunboats to gain a major mobility advantage over other Soldiers. Due to the increased ammo count and greatly decreased damage taken from rocket jumps, players can chain consecutive jumps together and reach their destinations very quickly, while retaining sufficient fire power to take out enemies. Furthermore, rocket jumps can be executed to fly over groups of enemies to rain down energy bolts from above, or to escape from situations where a normal rocket jump would lead to death. However, remember that due to the absence of the Shotgun certain classes like Pyros and Scouts will be much harder to deal with, and the much weaker damage against Sentry Guns makes it dangerous to enter a sentry farm.
Direct Hit	Righteous Bison	Shovel	Recommended for players with exceptional aim, this setup takes advantage of the Direct Hit's higher damage. Dispatching Sentry Guns at a distance becomes easier, and dealing decisively with classes at close range without the risk of self-damage is another major advantage. However, due to the smaller splash damage radius, the Righteous Bison is recommended in order to give such players another level of firepower against players that are able to dodge the rockets, while maintaining a high level of damages; its fast reload speed and accuracy also provide a larger range for the Soldier. The Shovel can deal damage reliably at higher health levels, though it also prevents players from escaping easily when losing a fight.
Rocket Launcher	Buff Banner	or Shovel or Pain Train	For a more team-oriented offensive Soldier. The Rocket Launcher's wide splash damage radius allows players to build up the Buff Banner's Rage meter quickly, the Pain Train's increased capture rate can help to accomplish capturing objectives faster. Remember, however, that without the Shotgun and due to the Pain Train's higher hitscan vulnerability, being isolated against enemies can often result in death, so teamwork is a must. Carrying the Shovel instead can enhance survivability but reduces capturing ability.
Direct Hit	Battalion's Backup	Equalizer	Geared primarily towards team support and Sentry Gun elimination on offensive pushes. The Direct Hit can eliminate Sentry Guns quickly and can deal severe damage even to Wrangled Sentry Guns, while the Battalion's Backup will charge itself regardless of how much damage is dealt with the Primary weapon. Taking on Sentry Guns will help to charge the Backup quickly, and will enable teammates to push forward into well-defended territory more easily.
Black Box	Buff Banner	or Shovel or Equalizer	For support Soldiers who focus on assisting their teammates rather than directly killing the enemy. Every hit landed will replenish health as well as help to build up the Rage meter, making things easier for friendly Medics as they will be able to focus on healing teammates more. With only three rockets and no Shotgun shells, target prioritization and team support is crucial.
Black Box	Shotgun	Equalizer	A loadout more geared towards roaming Soldiers. The Black Box provides players with a way to regain health while away from friendly Medics and Dispensers, but suffers from a smaller magazine size. Try to use mobility to ambush enemies and retreat before they can retaliate, don't get pulled into drawn-out fights where the reduced magazine capacity will become a disadvantage. Due to being away from teammates more frequently, carrying a backpack buff will not benefit teammates, so the Shotgun is preferable in that it can provide an additional level of firepower when the Black Box's ammo runs out. The Equalizer provides a quick getaway when no one is around to provide support.
Black Box	Concheror	or Equalizer or Half-Zatoichi	For Soldiers focused on surviving for as long as possible. The Black Box simultaneously replenishes health as well as builds Rage for the Concheror. When the Concheror is fully charged, it can then be deployed to replenish even more health from damaging enemies, as well as help teammates to survive longer. When the tables turn, the Equalizer can be used to make a fast getaway, or the Half-Zatoichi can be used to kill an enemy to restore full health.
Rocket Jumper	Shotgun	Pain Train	A niche setup dedicated to capturing points when facing an enemy team that continuously pushes forward. Due to suffering twice the normal amount of damage from enemy attacks, as well as the increased vulnerability to hitscan damage, players should focus on using mobility to avoid confrontations and escape detection. Using the Rocket Jumper in the same manner as the Gunboats, chain rocket jumps together to traverse great distances quickly, and try to get behind enemy lines to reach uncontested points, using the Pain Train's increased capture rate to capture the control point behind the enemy's back before they can react. As the Rocket Jumper is incapable of damaging enemy players, the Shotgun is the only real means of self-defense, and can be used to destroy any Stickybombs that may be placed on control points.
Black Box	Battalion's Backup	or or Shovel or Equalizer or Pain Train	The Tank Buster Setup With the Grenadier's Softcap, this setup provides 20% damage resistance against Sentry Guns, and thus make it good for pushing through areas locked down by Sentry Guns. The Black Box will provide players with the ability to recover health, which will be needed to soak up damage to charge up the Battalion's Backup. When the Pain Train is used, this setup is particularly suited in Payload maps during cart-pushing.

See also

• Team strategy
• Projectiles
• Soldier jumps
• Soldier Airshots

External links

• Pway a Weal Cwass - A Guide to Soldier in TF2 by PandaPoops
  • Part 2
  • Part 3
• TF2 rocket jumping 101 by honorablejay
• compLexity TF2: rocket jumping by Jaeger
• Competitive Soldier tutorial by Fragga