Community Soldier strategy

As the general purpose assault class of TF2, 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.

General

With 200 HP, the Soldier is well-built to withstand the rigors of combat more easily than any other class except 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.

However, the Soldier also boasts a slower footspeed than any other class than the Heavy (when not equipped with the G.R.U. or under the effects of the Buffalo Steak Sandvich) or a Demoman carrying the Scotsman's Skullcutter. This can give ground-bound Soldiers less flexibility in attacking and retreating, so always be sure to plan your moves ahead of time.

Next to the Heavy, Soldiers are among the most threatening classes in combat. While you cannot dictate the pace of a battle by your mere presence, players tend to take Soldiers into consideration far more readily than most other classes due to the significant amount of damage the Rocket Launcher can cause at any range.

Perhaps the Soldier's greatest advantage over any other class is the ability to rocket jump. By using the Soldier's primary weapon in conjunction with jumping, it is 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, Soldiers will take only 60% damage from their own rockets; this translates to roughly 40 self-damage for each rocket jump. However, this damage reduction only applies when the Soldier is in mid-air when the rocket explodes, so any rockets fired while standing on the ground will do full damage.
- Rocket jumping vertically can allow players to reach locations normally inaccessible to most other classes, so try to use this to gain a height advantage over other players. Enemies can be easily surprised by attacks from above, and attacking from above gives you more surface area that you can use to inflict splash damage, so always try to do this whenever possible.

Help your Medics out in areas where there is no fighting by damaging yourself with your rockets. Damaging yourself allows Medics to build up their ÜberCharge meters faster. Be careful to watch your health, and as a general rule, don't allow your health to drop below half way, just in case you are rushed or ambushed by enemies. 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 is usually wise to enable the "Automatically reload weapons when you're not firing" option under Advanced Multiplayer options. When this option is enabled, your 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, this can help you to keep fully loaded in-between and even during some fights.

Like the Pyro, your primary weapon's projectiles will originate from the left or right of the character model, 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 projectiles around corners without exposing yourself, and must be taken into account when rocket jumping.

Changing the "cl_interp" command in your configuration settings 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 your rockets is calculated based on where the Soldier is when the they explode, not where they were originally fired from. You can take advantage of this 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

Rocket jumping allows Soldiers 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, simply fire a rocket at your feet whilst 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 is important to keep in mind the direction you want to go 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 the player center of mass, so launching a sideways rocket can 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.

Remember that you can strafe while in mid-air. This can be helpful in dodging fire directed at you, especially explosives launched by Soldiers and Demomen.
- In conjunction with rocket jumps, air-strafing can allow 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 can allow you to strafe around corners or reach areas that are normally inaccessible through other means.

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

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

Weapon Specific

Example Combinations
Combo			Usage
Rocket Launcher	Shotgun	Equalizer	A well-balanced setup, the Shotgun provides an alternative firearm when you have expended all of your Rocket Launcher ammo. It is a great weapon to finish off weak opponents or dealing with classes at close ranges where your explosives will damage yourself. Furthermore, the Shotgun is ideal for dealing with Pyros that use compression blast to deflect your rockets back at you, and Scouts that use their double-jump to prevent you from reliably landing a rocket. The Equalizer can give you an additional edge against enemies when both your weapons are expended or give you a much-needed speed boost in order to escape.
Rocket Launcher	Gunboats	Equalizer	This setup focuses on using the Gunboats to gain a major mobility advantage over other Soldiers. Due to the greatly decreased damage taken from rocket jumps, players can chain consecutive jumps together and reach their destinations very quickly. Furthermore, rocket jumps can be executed to take you over groups of enemies to rain down rockets from above, or to escape from situations when a normal rocket jump would lead to death. However, remember that due to the absence of the Shotgun, you will find yourself at a major disadvantage over some classes in combat, such as Pyros and Scouts.
Direct Hit	Shotgun	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 Shotgun is recommended in order to give players another level of firepower against players that are able to dodge your rockets. The Shovel allows you to deal damage reliably at higher health levels, though it also denies you the ability to escape faster if you are losing.
Rocket Launcher	Buff Banner	or Pain Train or Shovel	For a more team-oriented offensive Soldier. The Rocket Launcher's wide splash damage radius allows you to build up the Buff Banner's Rage meter quickly, the Pain Train's increased capture rate can help you to accomplish objectives faster. Remember, however, that as you are not carrying a Shotgun and have increased vulnerability to bullet damage, being isolated against enemies will put you at a severe disadvantage, so teamwork is a must. Carrying the Shovel instead can give you more survivability but prevents you from aiding your team in captures.
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 your team 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 heal you as well as help to build up your Rage meter, making things easier for your team's Medics as they will need to heal you less frequently. With only three rockets and no Shotgun shells, target prioritization and team support is key.
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 clip size. Try to use your mobility to ambush enemies and retreat before they can retaliate, don't get pulled into drawn-out fights where your clip size will severely hinder you. Due to being away from teammates more frequently, carrying a backpack buff will not benefit your team, so the Shotgun is preferable in that it can give you an additional level of firepower when your Black Box's ammo runs out. The Equalizer provides a quick getaway when no one is around to back you up.
Black Box	File:Item icon concheror.png Concheror	or Equalizer or Half-Zatoichi	For Soldiers focussed on living for as long as possible. The Black Box adds 15 health when damage is dealt. While dealing damage to heal yourself you're building your rage meter. When it's full one can use the Concheror to make damage dealt into more health giving you a great upper hand. Also, if it seems hopeless, one can use the Equalizer to make an escape or use the Half-Zatoichi to bring you to full heath when you make a kill. This loadout is even more effective in Medieval Mode due to the inability to switch weapons with the Half-Zatoichi being nearly nullified when most other classes will be forced to use their melee too.
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 bullet damage, you should focus on using your 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 you will otherwise be unable to deal any damage to the enemy and will not be around any teammates, the Shotgun can give you some measure of self-defense, as well as allow you to destroy any Stickybombs that may be placed on the control point.
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 the much needed health to soak up the damage, and thus charge up the Battalion's Backup to assist your teammates. When the Shovel is replaced with Pain Train, this setup is particularly suited in Payload maps during cart-pushing, as your team and the attacks are focus around the general area of the cart, making the charging and using of the Battalion's Backup more effective.

Rocket Launcher

Always keep your Rocket Launcher loaded. With a maximum of four loaded shots for your primary weapon, 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 your 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 your shots and fire a second rocket to where your target is likely to retreat. Doing this will greatly increase your chance of hitting enemies over 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 your shots.
- The splash damage radius of the Rocket Launcher allows you to damage enemies even if you do not have a 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 an enemy by shooting a rocket at their feet. By throwing them up in the air, you eliminate the other player's ability to control his or her own movements (with the exception of Scouts, who can double-jump), and you can follow up with a second shot easily. Throwing enemies into the air often disorients them, and they often have trouble shooting back.
- Remember that you can still shoot at any players that you have juggled while they are in the air. A rocket that directly hits an enemy player does considerably more damage than one that hits nearby, so it pays to practice your aim. You can also use objects nearby in order to damage the enemy if you are having trouble hitting him or her directly.

The Rocket Launcher reloads slower than many other weapons and it is unlikely that if you empty your magazine that all four rockets will hit your target. For this reason, you should take your time in predicting your enemy's movements and fire one rocket at a time. One of the Soldier's greatest vulnerabilities is being attacked while reloading your Rocket Launcher, so having at least some rockets in reserve at all times can greatly increase your chances of surviving an ambush.
- If you do empty your entire Rocket Launcher magazine in a fight, consider switching to your Shotgun rather than waiting for your rockets to reload. This will allow you to continue your attack uninterrupted, and keep the pressure up on the enemy. If you become stuck 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.

If you are firing a rocket at an enemy who is very close to you, jump and fire your rocket at their feet. Remember that if you are damaged by your own rockets while in mid-air, the game will treat it as a rocket jump, and thus will minimize the amount of damage you deal to yourself while putting some distance between you and your opponent at the same time.

When trying to clear a control point or the Payload cart, rocket jump above your target area and fire downwards onto it. A key element of this is to reload while in mid-air, so that as you approach the peak of your jump you will have all four rockets loaded and ready to go. The high angle of attack will ensure you splash damage the entire area of the cart or control point, which can be very useful.

The Rocket Launcher is often a better choice for Soldiers acting as Medic buddies 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 is also more effective than the Direct Hit if you are the recipient of a Kritzkrieg charge.

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 your Shotgun. This will help you by keeping one extra rocket loaded, allowing you to continue your assault or defense with ease.

Direct Hit

The Direct Hit is an unlockable primary weapon for the Soldier. Rockets fired by the Direct Hit travel 80% faster than normal rockets and deal 25% more damage, as well as deal Mini-Crits against enemies sent skyward by explosives, but have a 70% reduced splash damage radius.

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 you do not need to lead your targets as much as with the Rocket Launcher. Remember that the blast radius of the rockets is so small that players can actively dodge your rockets even at medium ranges and remain completely unharmed.
- The faster travel speed of the rockets can give enemies less time to react, giving you a considerable advantage when attacking even at longer ranges. In particular, Pyros attempting to use compression blast will have a harder time attempting to deflect your rockets.
- Classes that remain largely stationary much of the time, such as spun-up Heavies, Engineers and Snipers are excellent targets for the Direct Hit. You can easily force Heavies to retreat at medium ranges, kill Engineers from outside of the range of their Sentry Guns, or engage Snipers at equal ranges by taking advantage of your rockets' faster speed.

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

Despite the much smaller blast radius, the Direct Hit is still capable of bouncing and juggling enemies if used correctly. The knockback of the Direct Hit is significantly more powerful than the Rocket Launcher. Enemies can be sent so high that they hit the skybox, or sent flying across the map if the rocket is placed correctly. Against Chargin' Targe Demomen, this can be an effective way to negate their mobility and position them to be finished off with the Shotgun.
- This greater knockback can be used in closing the distance with your opponents as well. Jumping down from high ground while shooting at opponents below you can knock your targets skyward, and if you time your jump right, they will end up at your feet, allowing you to finish them off with a Mini-Crit.

Because this weapon deals Mini-Crits against enemies who have been sent airborne via explosives, you can juggle enemies into the air with your 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 Soldiers or Demomen on your team can allow you 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 you of yours. If you have especially good aim, try to hit them in mid-air to both interrupt their jump as well as deal Mini-Crit damage.

Rocket jumping is unaffected with the Direct Hit since the explosion radius to the Soldier is the same as the regular Rocket Launcher or Black Box.

The Direct Hit can destroy any unattended Engineer building with two rockets, rather than the three required with the default Rocket Launcher. For this reason, if you need to destroy a Sentry Gun that is sitting out in the open, the Direct Hit may be a good loadout choice. Even if the Engineer is actively repairing his or her Sentry Gun, the Direct Hit can damage the Sentry Gun almost as fast as the Engineer can repair it, which can force him or her to either abandon it or pick it up and retreat, clearing the way for your team.

The Direct Hit is often more effective at defending high ground from enemies attempting to gain a height advantage than at attacking from it. Due to the smaller splash damage radius, attacking from above gives players less opportunities to deal damage to multiple enemies than the Rocket Launcher would. Direct Hit Soldiers should concentrate on watching for Soldiers and Demomen attempting to gain height parity via explosive jumps, as well as Scouts using the Force-A-Nature, while leaving Rocket Launcher Soldiers to do most of the attacking.

Black Box

The Black Box is a craftable primary weapon for the Soldier. For each rocket that deals damage to the enemy, 15 HP is restored to the Soldier, but the Black Box is only capable of carrying 3 rockets instead of the Rocket Launcher's or Direct Hit's 4.

By being able to heal +15 HP for each hit, you can weather enemy fire for longer than usual. However, remember that you cannot sustain fire for as long as regular Soldiers.
- It does not matter how much damage you do with the Black Box for the 15 HP to be healed. Keep in mind that if you hit more than one enemy, you will be healed for 15 HP per enemy hit. Using your splash damage to hit multiple enemies at once can heal you for a considerable amount.
- The Black Box can be used to Spy-check as well, as it will show you the +15 health bonus when hitting a cloaked or disguised Spy.

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

The Black Box can be useful in Arena mode, or when there are no health packs or Medics nearby, but remember not to engage in any fights in which you know you could easily die.

Since the Black Box is designed to keep you alive and healed, it is not advised to use the Equalizer as your 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 your 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 you would spend reloading is just long enough for an Engineer to easily repair his or her Sentry Gun, making your 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 you will often be unable to sustain fire for long, the Shotgun can help you to finish off any enemies that you can't kill with 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 to you 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 you take can be easily healed by a couple of long range rockets, allowing you to fire rockets at the apex of your jump 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.

If you're low on health, you can still refill it by hitting enemy Scouts under the effect of Bonk! Atomic Punch, though always keep an eye on your remaining rockets in order not to run out of them when Bonk!'s effect wears off, and remember to avoid being caught in your rockets' splash radius.

Unsurprisingly given that both of the items are from the same set, the Black Box has a high level of synergy with the Battalion's Backup. It is extremely useful for defensive fighting when both are used together. The Black Box can restore your health and the backup can buff your teammates' defense, allowing them to easily hold a position or push a Payload through a fortified position. Consider using the two together for defensive assignments.

Rocket Jumper

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

This weapon, despite being meant for training only, has uses outside of such limitations. Due to inflicting no self-damage, players can execute consecutive rocket jumps and gain a considerable mobility advantage over other players. In maps with multiple paths or wide-open spaces, this can allow clever Soldiers to maneuver behind enemy lines and attack with surprise.
- Since the Rocket Jumper does no self-damage, you can shoot the rocket before hitting the ground after a high rocket jump to slow your speed and prevent fall damage.
- If you are using the Equalizer, remember that you will only be able to damage yourself with fall damage. Therefore, it is less advisable to try ambushing people with the Equalizer unless you have already been damaged by the enemy.

If you intend to use the Rocket Jumper in online play, carrying the Shotgun is strongly advised, as you will otherwise be unable to deal ranged damage against enemies.

The Rocket Jumper is particularly effective when coupled with with the Pain Train or the Equalizer. Using the Pain Train turns you into a pseudo-Scout, with 2x capture rate and a Shotgun (should you be carrying one). Rocket jumping to attack at unexpected times will surprise most foes, and if you're below 100 health, you may want to switch to your Equalizer while flying towards your enemy.

The Rocket Jumper works very well when trying to capture the intelligence in CTF. Assuming there are no Sentry Guns locking down the Intelligence room, you will be able to chain rocket jumps to quickly navigate through the corridors of the enemy base and escape with the intelligence in tow.

Combined with the Equalizer, you can survive the Kamikaze taunt with the Rocket Jumper, leaving you free to attempt taunt kills as many times as you want. Try using it around corners to ambush oncoming foes. This works best in areas with low ceilings, as it allows you to get back on your feet quickly.
- Surviving the Kamikaze jump also allows you to rocket jump straight up, giving you access to a jump higher than you could with a rocket jump.

Shotgun

Don't be afraid to use the Shotgun at medium range. You should be able to take down any class, bar a Heavy (or maybe a Soldier) at medium range with six rounds. Furthermore, due to its hitscan nature, it is an ideal weapon against players that are moving erratically at medium range and are not getting hit by your rockets (such as double-jumping Scouts).
- The Shotgun is also more viable for targets that are far away or trying to retreat. Remember that as you must lead targets in order to kill them with the Rocket Launcher, and retreating enemies will be moving away, increasing the lead distance of your rockets.

Pyros utilizing the compression blast to reflect your rockets back at you should die or be greatly weakened with six shots before they get within Flamethrower range. If they survive all six rounds, you can take them out with a rocket as they close in.
- One effective way to trick such Pyros is to use the same principle as Scouts, via weapons heckling. If you close to just outside of Flamethrower range and attack with your Shotgun, the Pyro may respond in kind, allowing you to quickly take out your Rocket Launcher and kill the Pyro before he or she can react. However, keep in mind that this trick will only work if the Pyro is not aware of what you are doing, and is not carrying the Degreaser.

You can use the Shotgun to destroy an enemy Demoman's stickies. While your primary weapon can blast sticky traps loose and scatter them, they are still a threat to your teammates. Destroying the stickies instead can safely clear a path for your teammates rather than simply reducing the damage that they might take.
- The Shotgun is also useful against Demomen using the Chargin' Targe, as the Targe does not increase damage resistance against bullets. Still, keep in mind that players may charge at you, so be sure to stop the initial charge by juggling them with your primary weapon when they charge.

One direct rocket and one Shotgun shot is enough to kill light classes in almost all circumstances. Two rockets and one shell will usually kill Soldiers, assuming that your rockets do not hit the Soldier directly. The number of rockets and shells required is different when using the Direct Hit, but the same principles still apply. You should try not to overkill your enemies as this wastes ammo that you may need later.

If you are using the Direct Hit, it is highly advisable to use the Shotgun rather than a backpack buff item or the Gunboats. Not only will the Direct Hit's smaller splash radius greatly reduce the amount of overall damage you can deal and thus decrease the usefulness of the Buff Banner, the lack of a Shotgun can greatly hinder you at close ranges.

Buff Banner

The Buff Banner is an unlockable secondary weapon for the Soldier. By dealing damage to enemies, players can build up their Rage meters, and upon filling it, can activate a buff that will allow all teammates near the Soldier to deal guaranteed Mini-Crits against enemies.

The Buff Banner is best used when your team is about to make a push, or to counter enemy pushes. If your teammates are all attacking the enemy, the Buff Banner can give them enough firepower to dispatch their targets more easily, allowing your team 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 your team push objectives. For example, a Buff Banner Soldier can stand above the tunnel leading to the first point of Badwater Basin and give his or her team below the buff effect.

Unlike Crits, Mini-Crits are still subject to damage ramp-up. Always take into account how far away you and your team are from the objective in order to maximize its effectiveness.

When a Soldier uses a Buff Banner, that player instantly becomes a priority target for the enemy team, especially Snipers and Spies. Stand in the middle of your teammates, preferably behind a tall class such as the Heavy. This prevents Snipers from headshotting you from the front and Spies from backstabbing you from the back, while sharing the Buff Banner's effect field with as many teammates as possible.

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 it also makes the Mini-Crit boost more effective.

Though it is better to use the Buff Banner when there are many teammates around, the Rage meter is not carried over between deaths, so use it before you lose it, even if you are alone.

As a teamwork-oriented weapon, the Buff Banner can be employed far more effectively if you are 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 patient to deal increased damage while invulnerable. However, be sure not to use it during a Kritzkrieg charge, as the effects do not stack.
- Always try to be healed by a Medic while your banner is flying. As you are a high-priority target, this will make you harder to kill and thus increase the duration of the banner, allowing your teammates to make the most use of their Mini-Crits.
- Teaming up with a Medic with a Kritzkrieg at the start of a map for an early push can allow you to almost instantly build up your Rage meter. This, in turn, can allow you to quickly deploy your banner at the beginning of a match, giving your team a considerable edge in firepower.

Work with other Soldiers carrying the Buff Banner to build Rage faster by taking advantage of the other Soldier's Mini-Crits while the Buff Banner they carry is in use. In turn, assist other Soldiers to fill their Rage meters by using your Buff Banner to give them Mini-Crits. This cycle can be repeated continuously to give your team an almost-constant stream of Mini-Crits.
- Alternatively, the Buff Banner's effects can be combined with those of the Battalion's Backup, increasing your team's offensive and defensive potential simultaneously. If used in a push, this can often be enough to overwhelm any defense.

If the Buff Banner is used next to an Engineer, his Sentry Gun will fire Mini-Crits no matter where it is on the map, even if it is nowhere near you or the Engineer. However, it is not recommended to waste a Buff Banner solely on a single Sentry Gun when it could be employed far more profitably on several teammates.

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

Battalion's Backup

The Battalion's Backup is a craftable secondary item for the Soldier. Players can build up their Rage meters by take damage from enemy attacks, and once fully charged can activate their banner and reduce the damage that all teammates nearby will take from enemy attacks by 35%.

Players must absorb a total of 175 damage from enemy attacks in order to fully charge the Battalion's Backup. Make sure to stay constantly healed up to ensure that you will build up your Rage meter without getting killed.

Like the Buff Banner, the Battalion's Backup is situational and most effective when you have multiple teammates around you. It is best used when your 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 you 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 your Battalion´s Backup with a friendly Soldier´s Buff Banner. Using both will be very devastating.

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

One of the keys to using the Battalion's Backup effectively is to control when you take damage from the enemy. Whenever possible, find ways to take damage without the danger of being killed by attacks.
- In general, the fastest way to build up your Rage meter is to be continuously healed by a Medic while fighting the enemy. However, this also carries the greatest risk as concentrated enemy attacks can still kill you even under such conditions.
- Stray rockets and grenades are another way to build up Rage. As inexperienced Soldiers and Demomen tend to try to launch as many explosives as possible at chokepoints while taking little time to aim, you can use this to your advantage by deliberately walking into errant explosives, without exposing yourself directly to the enemy.
- If you are on fire and are able to get to safety, consider allowing yourself to continue to burn before getting more health. This can help you to build additional points for your Rage meter. Allowing yourself to burn out completely can accumulate up to 60 points of Rage, roughly a third of the meter.
- You can take advantage of bugs that allow players to attack through the gates during Setup on Attack/Defend maps, such as the Pyro's Flamethrower or the Scout's Sandman, by standing right in front of the gates and allowing yourself to be damaged. This can allow you to completely fill your Rage meter before the match begins.
- When playing in Egypt, it is possible to fill up your rage meter by standing on the torches in spawn.
- Drowning with the Battalion's Backup is another relatively safe way of filling the Rage Meter, albeit slow. Assuming a player starts with 200 health, drowning until achieving 23 health (about 48 seconds total time underwater, 36 seconds of which deal drowning damage) will completely fill the Rage Meter. Health will be fully restored about 32 seconds after surfacing as players "catch their breath." The overall time required to fill the Rage Meter and regain health without using medkits, a Dispenser, or the like totals to about 1 minute and 20 seconds.

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 your team 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 you can still take Mini-Crit damage.
- Similarly, it is possible to nullify an opposing team's Kritzkrieg. However, remember that while you or nearby teammates will not take Critical hits, you can still be killed by regular damage and the Kritzkrieg pair can simply target teammates outside of your banner's effects.
- Using the Battalion's Backup can nullify the Crit-boost received when the enemy captures the Intelligence in CTF. This can help in preventing the enemy from using the Crit-boost in order to make another push for your team's Intelligence.

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 (in addition to reducing the damage of the bodyshot too). The Heavies on your team in particular will appreciate this.
- However, keep in mind that backstabs will still instantly kill. You may not have to be as careful about Snipers, but Spies still pose the same amount of threat.

Since the Rage meter is not dependent on the damage you do to the enemy, you can use it in conjunction with the Direct Hit for an even bigger punch against Sentry Guns.

When paired with the Black Box, you can take more damage (and thereby build more Rage) without dying by replenishing your HP via attacking the enemy.

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 Pain Train, players will still generate the normal amount of Rage while taking increased damage from bullet weapons.
- 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.

Gunboats

The Gunboats are a craftable secondary weapon for the Soldier. Players carrying 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 players with considerable mobility without the risk of health loss. This can allow players to chain rocket jumps together to quickly reach their destinations, or to ambush enemies with more health. It can also be used to quickly escape battle if you find yourself being overwhelmed.
- Although you receive reduced damage from rocket jumps, damage received from falling remains the same. Keep this in mind when gauging rocket jumps so that you receive as little fall damage as possible.
- One common strategy for Gunboats Soldiers to adopt is to perform bombing attacks or runs over enemies. Using their enhanced mobility, Soldiers 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. Upon landing, players can execute another rocket jump to clear the area before the enemy can react.

Your firepower is reduced without your Shotgun, so make the most of your rockets. When possible, rocket jump and fire three rockets down on your opponent, using splash damage to your advantage.

One advantage provided by the Gunboats is the ability to utilize hit-and-run tactics easily. Rocket jump towards an enemy, fire two rockets, and use your last one to escape via another rocket jump. This may be particularly effective against lone Heavies who are unaware of your presence.

Do not use the Gunboats with the Rocket Jumper, as there is no blast damage to reduce, and leaves the player with only a melee weapon for damage.

Combining Black Box with the Gunboats may seems counter intuitive, but can give you an edge in survivability and ambushing when playing as a roaming Soldier. The Soldier's mobility can be greatly enhanced with the Gunboats, allowing players to pick and choose ambushes as they please. However, remember to keep a rocket in reserve for escape, as the lack of a Shotgun means that you cannot survive in drawn-out fights.

Concheror

The Concheror provides a buff that causes all allies nearby to leech health (similar to Mad Milk) for the duration. This bonus healing is very useful - both on offense and defense.

This vampiric healing can be used for rooting out enemy Spies (shooting a disguised teammate heals the shooter).

The Concheror's buff can bolster Medic Healing considerably, taking pressure off of a team's medics to better-tend to allies that are either more critical to a given position (Heavies and Soldiers on Payload for instance) or more injured.

The Concheror's healing is especially dramatic with the Black Box equipped, making Black Box-using Soldiers under the effects of a Concheror buff extremely hard-to-kill whilst the effect lasts.

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.

Shovel / Frying Pan

The Shovel is a reasonable choice when conserving ammo

The Shovel is a viable option for close-range enemies that you want to kill without injuring yourself with Rocket Launcher, or if you believe it will take too long to reload your Shotgun.

The Frying Pan is much louder than the Shovel, but is otherwise statistically identical. Use it for surprise attacks to disorient people.

Because you're slower than every other class except for the Heavy, running after someone is not a good choice with this weapon; it's only good if you're taking someone by surprise or the enemy you're fighting is moving in close up (such as Spies trying to backstab you).

If you intend to be a Medic Buddy under the effects of a Medi Gun ÜberCharge, it may be worth taking the Shovel along. If you happen to run out of ammo for both your Rocket Launcher and your Shotgun, get out your Shovel and do as much damage as possible as not to waste those precious remaining seconds of invulnerability!

Consider using the Shovel with the Black Box, as you can heal 15 HP for each enemy hit, and the Equalizer relies on your health for damage (having equal damage as the Shovel at 121 health).

Equalizer

The Equalizer is an unlockable melee weapon for the Soldier. Players will move faster and deal more damage at low health while equipped with the Equalizer, however players cannot be healed by Medics while it is equipped.

It is 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 is 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 your rocket jump to hide in places where the enemy does not suspect, you can 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 injured players can be used to reach combat just as fast as rocket jumping. As players can move almost as quickly as Scouts when under 40 HP, this can be used to reach attacking positions before the enemy team has the chance to anticipate your arrival. However, be sure to get healed before actually engaging in combat.

The Equalizer can also be used as a tool of escape: the speed increase the Soldier receives allows players to outrun most classes. If you think you are going to die in a fight, you can equip the Equalizer and retreat.

The Equalizer prevents Medics from healing you when you have it in your hand. If you pull it out during an Über, you will break your ÜberCharge.

Do not run into a fight alone with the Equalizer out. You should ONLY take out the Equalizer when at low health and you are 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 you don't have the Equalizer out, your enemies will likely focus fire on Soldiers due to the high amount of threat they present on the battlefield. Usually, your only option is to make a last stand and take out as many enemies as possible.

It is also important to note that the speed boost can give you a major advantage if you are carrying the Intelligence in a CTF map. This can often allow you to outrun pursuing enemies in the same manner as Scouts.

If you get into a melee fight with someone, it may be worth letting them hit you once if you are at high health, as otherwise the Equalizer's damage will be too little to be effective unless it Crits. This is especially useful against lower health classes, as their often average melee weapon strikes will wear you down enough to do serious damage with your strikes. However, it is also a risky strategy as they may also Crit, resulting in you losing a lot more health than you need to (and possible dying as a result).

Be careful who you pull out your Equalizer in front of. Players can easily gauge your health by looking at how fast your movement speed is, which can in turn cause them to focus on you and easily finish you off at range.

Kamikaze

The Soldier's Equalizer kill-taunt is the third longest-range taunt in the game. When you perform this taunt, you will die. Any enemies that are adjacent to you, whether they be in front, behind or beside you will also die. It can be used in situations where you see multiple enemies heading your way and you know you won't be able to take them by yourself. In these situations you can hide behind a corner and start taunting. If timed correctly the enemies will run past the corner when you explode your grenade, causing you and all the enemies to be killed. However, it is an impractical and risky strategy for killing enemies and as such should not be considered a legitimate strategy when playing seriously. It can be effectively used for revenge after a match loss or avoiding humiliation.

You can survive the taunt if equipped with the Rocket Jumper, as the only damage you will take is from fall damage. However, you will be vulnerable since you will be stuck in midair and unable to use a different weapon for a second. Be sure to scan around you while in third-person to keep track of any immediate threats that will try to hit you in midair. Either rocket jump away or take care of nearby enemies with your Shotgun.
- You can also survive the taunt if you perform it while under the effects of the Battalion's Backup. However, using the Battalion's Backup will often immediately alert enemies to your presence.

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. If you are using the Kamikaze as a legitimate strategy, don't wear the Lumbricus Lid.

Pain Train

The Pain Train is a craftable melee weapon for the Soldier and Demoman. It gives players an increased x2 capture rate multiplier like the Scout, but leaves you more vulnerable to hitscan bullet weapons such as the Shotgun, Minigun, and Sniper Rifle.

The Pain Train is an ideal weapon for helping your team to accomplish map 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.
- However, the Pain Train is also a highly situational weapon, as its effects can be beneficial or detrimental depending on how battles are going around the map. You may want to switch between the Pain Train and a different melee weapon in the middle of a round to maximize your flexibility.
- Never equip the Pain Train on a CTF map or while defending in an attack/defend map. As you do not need to capture control points or push the Payload cart, this only bestows the increased bullet vulnerability disadvantage.

You should not equip the Pain Train if you are having trouble with Heavies and Scouts, as the increased bullet damage makes these classes harder to defeat in combat situations.

The Pain Train is an effective tool for Back-capping, as it grants you the same capturing abilities as a Scout. As such, it is especially useful if you can rocket jump to enemy points prematurely, though the weakness to bullets may be a problem if a Scout, Heavy or Sentry Gun is guarding the point.

The healing from the Black Box can help to counter the 10% bullet vulnerability from the Pain Train, but remember that Sniper Rifle headshots can still kill you instantly. If facing an opponent constantly firing at you, fire back to keep yourself healed and try to outlast them.

Half-Zatoichi

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.

This weapon has a larger melee range than most (about as long as the Eyelander). Practice with one of the Demoman's longer-reach weapons can help in getting accustomed to its melee range.

Due to the Soldier's slow movement rate, it is often better to ambush enemies rather than try to attack head-on. Despite the weapon's longer reach, most players can easily outpace an approaching Soldier.

Due to not being able to sheathe the weapon unless a kill is made, it is 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.

The Tank Buster

The 20% less damage from Sentry Guns you take while equipped with this pack make you a much more viable class to take down Sentry Guns (compensating for the reduced magazine size of the Black Box and so increasing the time required to destroy the Sentry Gun). Try to aim behind the Sentry Gun to take out any Engineers trying to repair it or other buildings.

The loadout this pack requires makes you a much more support-based Soldier, working on destroying Sentry Guns or distracting them to allow your team to move on, or using the Battalion's Backup to soften any damage the enemy throws at you.

Remember that the Pain Train is a very useful tool for aiding your team in capturing points. If you want to capture a point away from your team quickly (such as backcapping), try to use the Battalion's Backup prior to capturing and keep firing rockets where enemy reinforcements will come from. The combination of improved damage resistance, health gain and x2 capturing speed will make your chances of success a lot higher.

While the Tank Buster Set is mainly a support build and will have you focusing on using your Black Box, your melee weapon is also very important, the following are reasons how your melee weapon can benefit the Tank Buster pack:
- The Shovel/Frying Pan is useful because it contains no negative effect and it allows you to receive healing while this weapon is out. You will not often find yourself out of rockets but you will need to account for those times and times when you are in tight areas and using your rockets is impractical. This weapon benefits from having Medic support.
- The Pain Train is handy to have around when you're taking part in Payload, or capture the point for the increased capture rate, which will assist your teams speed, coupled with the defense granted by the Battalion's Backup. The negative effect, 10% increased vulnerability to bullet damage, is also useful in that in taking more damage, your rage meter on the Battalion's Backup will charge faster. This particular aspect can be helpful in any game type, but again most so in Payload and capture the point maps. This melee weapon greatly benefits from Medic support.
- The Equalizer is the typically used Soldier melee weapon because most people find it to be a straight upgrade from the Shovel due to its increased attack power and speed when damaged. This exact feature plays upon the idea of the Tank Buster set in that taking more damage is a good thing. You can heal yourself, fill your rage meter, and when you're injured your melee attacks will gain power and your movement speed will increase. The negative aspect of not being able to receive Medic support while using this weapon can be dangerous. However, you can simply switch over to one of your other items to receive healing, it just removes the ability to receive instant help from a Medic, as you have to switch weapons. 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 Battalion's Backup can act as a strong offensive push, especially for an area your team is locked out of due to Sentry Guns. When pushing in, focus priority on Sentry Guns, as your 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 your effective health against Sentry Guns.

Engineer Buildings

The key to destroying Sentry Guns as a Soldier lies in your Rocket Launcher's ability to deal splash damage. By using splash damage, you can effectively damage a Sentry Gun from outside of its range of fire and, in some cases, without it being visible to you.

If an Engineer is persistently repairing the Sentry Gun, direct your fire to the ground surrounding the Engineer (or nearby objects) to kill him or her, or attack the Dispenser.

Once a Sentry Gun is unattended or the Dispenser is down, it will only take a maximum of three well-aimed rockets to destroy it, or in the case of the Direct Hit two rockets will suffice.

Since the Engineer update, Engineers are now stationing their Sentry Guns out in the open and using the Wrangler, as they would normally fall victim to attackers outside its sensor range when in an open area. They are still vulnerable to long-range rocket attacks since the turret is now under manual control and cannot be as quickly reloaded and repaired. Pay attention to where the laser from the Sentry Gun is pointing, and then empty your rocket into the Sentry Gun from afar. This tactic works best during heavy fighting, when the Engineer is distracted. If the Engineer is also out in the open, focus on killing him or her first: the Engineer is easier to kill than a Wrangler-shielded Sentry Gun. Once dead, the Engineer's Sentry Gun will be disabled (but shielded) for 3 seconds, leaving it vulnerable to follow-up attacks.

It is possible to "edge" a Sentry Gun by shooting at it from around a corner where it cannot detect you, and damage it with your rockets' splash damage.