Basic Soldier strategy

The Soldier is a tough, all-purpose assault class that excels at both offense and defense. Although slow on foot, he can rocket jump to cover distances quickly and reach unpredictable locations. His weapons are capable of taking on multiple foes at once, but run out of ammunition quickly. A good Soldier should avoid spamming and make each shot count, leading their targets properly and aiming at the feet of enemies to maximize splash damage. A Soldier makes an excellent Medic buddy; the Soldier can damage himself to help build the Medic's Übercharge for use in a difficult situation.

Primary Weapons

Rocket Launcher

A good Soldier always keeps his Rocket Launcher loaded for use in combat and for rocket jumping. To conserve ammunition, a Soldier might choose to finish a weakened enemy off with his Shotgun. Using a rocket to bounce an enemy into the air makes them an easy target for a follow-up shot. The wide splash radius of rockets allow the Soldier to efficiently deal damage by aiming at the feet of his enemies.

Direct Hit

As the name implies, the Direct Hit promotes a different sort of Soldier playstyle, rewarding players who can land direct hits with more damage output. The increased rocket damage makes the Soldier more effective against immobile targets, such as Sentry Guns or Heavies, while the increased rocket speed makes landing aerials easier. Although the Direct Hit's explosive radius is smaller than that of the standard Rocket Launcher, rocket jumps will still function normally.

Black Box

The Black Box is meant for Soldiers in prolonged combat, where there is enough time to continually reload. Due to how the Black Box works, hitting more than one enemy with a single rocket will heal the Soldier multiple times. While the healing provided by the Black Box promotes frontline fighting, the small magazine size decreases the Soldier's immediate staying power. The reduced magazine size additionally makes offensive rocket jumping less effective. Overall, the Black Box increases the Soldier's great survivability but reduces his pushing capabilities.

Secondary Weapons

Shotgun

The Shotgun is as powerful as many primary weapons, making it an excellent choice to fall back upon when out of primary ammunition. It effectively counters Pyros who can skillfully airblast and Demomen who use the Chargin' Targe. For the Soldier, it is best used at close to medium range to finish enemies off.

Buff Banner

The Buff Banner is best used in conjunction with the Rocket Launcher or Black Box. The wide blast radius offered by those weapons will make it easier for a Soldier to build his Rage meter. The Buff Banner is effective when used alongside a friendly Medic's ÜberCharge for leading charges into enemy territory. The area of effect is large and passes through any obstacle.

Battalion's Backup

The Battalion's Backup is for Soldiers who continuously take damage for their teammates while fighting at the front lines. It can be effectively used to hold an area or counter the Buff Banner and Kritzkrieg. It is almost necessary that a Medic heals the Soldier who is building his Rage meter.

Gunboats

The Gunboats allow a Soldier to quickly perform multiple rocket jumps in succession without healing in order to reach the battlefield quickly. The item is meant for Soldiers who roam around the map often and do not need their Shotgun to fend off enemies. Although the self-damage from rocket jumps is reduced, fall damage remains the same.

Melee Weapons

Shovel / Frying Pan

Unless a Soldier excessively engages in melee combat when near a friendly Medic, the Equalizer is the better melee weapon of choice.

Equalizer

Because no class generally uses their melee weapon when at full health, the Equalizer is essentially a straight upgrade to the Shovel. Due to the increase in damage and move speed offered, the Equalizer can be used as a last resort to engage or escape enemies.

Pain Train

A Soldier should only use the Pain Train when actively capturing objectives; it is useless when playing Capture the Flag or when in any defensive scenario.

Item sets

The Tank Buster

If there is no Medic to deploy an ÜberCharge, the Tank Buster set can be used to effectively tank Sentry Gun fire as your teammates destroy it.