Soldier match-ups

Class			Strategy
Soldier	vs	Scout	Both of you are strong at close range. Rocket jump to higher ground so you can keep track of the erratic Scout and fire at him from above. Use your Rocket Launcher’s splash damage so that you don’t have to land direct hits. If he is too far away or too hard to hit with your rockets, switch to your hitscan Shotgun. Some Scouts will make use of weapon heckling to force you to switch weapons; with good aim, the Shotgun can still be used over the Rocket Launcher at close range. Only take out your melee weapon as a last resort, as not even the speed boost provided by the Equalizer will allow you to chase a Scout. While the Direct Hit can instantly kill a Scout at close range, the lack of splash damage will make hitting him with a rocket difficult.
Soldier	vs	Soldier	When in a deathmatch against another Soldier, you want to make each rocket count. Use nearby cover to avoid his splash damage while aiming carefully yourself. Switch to the Shotgun instead of reloading your Rocket Launcher to finish him off. Having a height advantage is very important; damaging yourself with one rocket during a rocket jump is worth avoiding two of his. Rocket jumping over the enemy Soldier will not only allow you to rain down rockets, but also force him to land direct hits, a moderately difficult task with the Rocket Launcher. If the enemy Soldier is actively rocket jumping, you can rocket jump into the air yourself, use precise aim to land an aerial, or fire a rocket where he is going to land.
Soldier	vs	Pyro	A Pyro who is skilled with the compression blast can render your rockets useless. At medium to long range, harass an enemy Pyro with your Shotgun. Once he gets close, continue to use the Shotgun or shoot rockets at his feet; the closer he is, the harder it is to reflect your rockets. If need be, you can rocket jump to retreat and put some distance between the two of you. Although a Pyro will almost always fight you at close range, using your melee weapon against the class that specializes in close range combat is obviously not a good idea.
Soldier	vs	Demoman	Demomen can be a real threat; their grenades and Stickybombs do a good deal of damage, and Soldiers are ripe targets due to their slower speed. However, with adequate dodging, their projectiles may be avoided. Demomen are also a prime target for a Soldier's rockets, as they also have slow movement. As with any other class, lead your shots to where you think they will be when the rocket hits. In a one-on-one encounter, try to stay at medium range so you can dodge the grenades and Stickybombs while trying to hit or juggle him, and finish him off. Soldiers are generally better at hitting foes at a close range, and you can usually take out a Demoman with two well-placed rockets. Be cautious when you enter close range of a Demoman, as it is fairly easy for either of you to score a hit with your weapons. Keep in mind that generally, the Demoman has a wider and more powerful arsenal of melee weapons. Take full advantage of your Shotgun, which is one of your main advantages against Demomen, who lack a hitscan weapon. Rocket jumping into the air and raining down rockets is a legitimate strategy against a Demoman, and most other classes. After landing, make sure to switch to your loaded Shotgun, or melee weapon, if you are at a close range. If you encounter a Stickybomb carpet, firing a rocket will cause the Stickybombs to scatter. Also, Rocket jumping gives you access to myriads of alternate routes. Also, when facing a Demoman armed with the Chargin' Targe, your rockets will do 40% less damage. In this case, it's almost always better to switch to your Shotgun. Most Demomen using the Targe will also equip one of their more powerful melee weapons, the Eyelander, the Horseless Headless Horsemann's Headtaker, the Scotsman's Skullcutter, the Claidheamh Mòr, or the Ullapool Caber. Simply try to blast them with your Shotgun, or try to pop them into the air and stop their momentum with a rocket. Either way, try to get out of the Demoman's path. If you get hit by a Critical hit and find yourself at low health, pull out the Equalizer and hit back for massive damage.
Soldier	vs	Heavy	The Heavy is a dangerous opponent, having significant damage output and the highest health of all the classes. Try to attack a Heavy who hasn't revved up his Minigun yet. Spinning up a Minigun takes precious seconds, in which you can start unloading rockets at him. While facing Heavies, use corners and obstacles combined with their slow speed to your advantage. Quickly pop out, shoot a rocket or two, then go back into cover to reload. Shooting around corners in this way can let you deny the Heavy a direct line of sight, preventing him from damaging you. With the sudden increase of speed using the Equalizer, you can mess up a Heavies aim long enough to escape. You can also rocket jump to mess up their aim too. With the Battalion's Backup, you can severely reduce the amount of damage a Heavy can do at close range to you. If you're having trouble with close encounters, use the charge to potentially survive the Minigun damage. It's not recommended to take the Pain Train when fighting a Heavy, as you will suffer 10% more damage from the bullets.
Soldier	vs	Engineer	Engineers by themselves are not much of a threat and can be dealt with easily, but a good Sentry nest can pose a threat to your team. When you encounter an Engineer, try to defeat him before he can retreat back to his buildings. Be wary of following an Engineer around a corner, as a Sentry Gun may be waiting for you. If you take out an Engineer, look for his buildings, which now may be unattended. As a Soldier, you are one of the best classes for taking out Engineers' buildings. Using your splash damage, you can destroy multiple buildings with only a couple well-placed rockets. While facing Sentry Guns, use corners and splash damage to your advantage, popping around corners and shooting a rocket, then going back into cover once it targets you. If the sentry is out in the open, try to get outside of its range and simply fire a volley of rockets. Three good hits can destroy a level 3 Sentry Gun. When attacking an Engineer's nest, kill the Engineer first, so that he will be unable to repair his buildings. A Soldier effectively can not out-damage the Engineer's repairing by continuously firing rockets, especially if the Engineer has a Dispenser nearby. Using the Direct Hit, Buildings will be easier to destroy. However, the lower splash radius makes it difficult to damage multiple buildings at once. Use it for quickly taking down a Sentry Gun, as it can destroy a level 3 Sentry in 2 direct hits. It's not recommended to take the Pain Train when fighting an Engineer, or especially his Sentry Gun, as you will suffer 10% more damage from the bullets. If you have the Battalion's Backup, you can use it to help reduce the damage you take when in an encounter with a Sentry Gun. This effect is even better if you carry the "Tank Buster Pack," since you will be more resilient to Engineers' Sentry Guns. Use the 20% damage reduction plus the 35% reduction to your advantage when destroying Sentry Guns.
Soldier	vs	Medic	By himself, a Medic shouldn't pose a real threat. His weapons aren't too effective at medium range, which is where your rockets can take him down. Most likely a lone Medic will try to retreat to find another one of his team members, if this happens, just try to take him down before he can escape. While healing an enemy team member, a Medic becomes a much bigger threat. Taking out the Medic should be your first priority, then his healing subjects. Rocket jumping over the Medic and his allies, and eliminate the Medic with two well-placed rockets.
Soldier	vs	Sniper	At long distances, your slow speed makes you a prime target for Snipers. Try to avoid being in the sights of Snipers, and if necessary, rocket jump over them to confuse them, and attack them at close range, where they are least effective. If there are no alternative routes, you can lay down suppressive fire with your Rocket Launcher to keep the Sniper(s) in hiding as you rush through.If you're lucky, you may even or catch one with splash damage. It's not recommended to take the Pain Train when fighting a Sniper, as you will suffer 10% more damage from the bullets. Consider carrying the Battalion's Backup when playing against a lot of Snipers. Because the Backup reduces damage and prevents Crits from occurring, you can safely cross a Sniper area without taking too much damage.
Soldier	vs	Spy	Your slow speed and high offensive capacity make you a prime target for a Spy's Backstab. Keep an eye on your back, especially when you don't have teammates around. As always, Spy check players that are acting suspicious. One rocket from the Direct Hit at close range will kill a Spy. Even though the Rocket Launcher and Black Box are unable of killing a Spy in one shot, their wide splash radius is useful for revealing Cloaked Spies. Be cautious when deciding to approach a Spy with your melee weapon, as they may backstab you, if they get behind you. It's not recommended to take the Pain Train when fighting a Spy, as you will suffer 10% more damage from the bullets.

See also

• Team strategy