Soldier (competitive)
The community competitive scene changes frequently. Some or all info may be outdated.
Soldier (sometimes referred to as "Solly" or "Sollie") is the default pocket and roaming class of the standard competitive lineup, valued for his versatility and synergy with medics.
Contents
Information
Health
| Max Health | Overheal Max | Pill Bottle | First Aid Tin |
|---|---|---|---|
Speed
| Movement State | Running | Backpedaling | Swimming | Crouching |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Normal | 80% (240 u/s) | 72% (216 u/s) | 64% (192 u/s) | 26.67% (80 u/s) |
| Equalizer at 121-160 hp | 88% (264 u/s) | 79.2% (237.6 u/s) | 70.4% (211.2 u/s) | 29.33% (88 u/s) |
| Equalizer at 81-120 hp | 96% (288 u/s) | 86.4% (259.2 u/s) | 76.8% (230.4 u/s) | 32% (96 u/s) |
| Equalizer at 41-80 hp | 112% (336 u/s) | 100.8% (302.4 u/s) | 89.6% (268.8 u/s) | 37.33% (112 u/s) |
| Equalizer at 1-40 hp | 128% (384 u/s) | 115.2% (345.6 u/s) | 102.4% (307.2 u/s) | 42.67% (128 u/s) |
Speeds written in "u/s" refer to in-game units per second. When running in a certain direction causes slowness, rapidly switching between diagonals usually improves speed.
Weapons
| # | Weapon | Damage | Critical Damage | Function Times | Special |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rocket Launcher 
|
Point-Blank: 56-112 512u: 45-90 1024u+: 23-48 Backlash: 45-89 RJ Backlash: 27-49 |
Critical: 135-270 Point-Blank Mini-Crit: 75-151 512u+ Mini-Crit: 61-122 |
Attack: 0.8s Reload Start: 0.8s Reload More: 0.92s |
Effective for juggling and rocketjumping. |
Direct Hit 
|
Point-Blank: 70-140 512u: 56-112 1024u+: 30-59 Backlash: 45-89 RJ Backlash: 27-49 |
Critical: 169-338 Point-Blank Mini-Crit: 95-189 512u+ Mini-Crit: 76-152 |
Attack: 0.8s Reload Start: 0.8s Reload More: 0.92s |
Mini-Crits if target is airborne due to explosive force. Splash radius -70%. Rocket speed +80%. Effective for juggling and rocketjumping. | |
Black Box 
|
Point-Blank: 56-112 512u: 45-90 1024u+: 23-48 Backlash: 45-89 RJ Backlash: 27-49 |
Critical: 135-270 Point-Blank Mini-Crit: 75-151 512u+ Mini-Crit: 61-122 |
Attack: 0.8s Reload Start: 0.8s Reload More: 0.92s |
Banned in most leagues for acquisition time. Heals user 15 health per hit per rocket. Stores only 3 ammo instead of 4. Effective for juggling and rocketjumping. | |
| Rocket Jumper
|
All: 0 | All: 0 | Attack: 0.8s Reload Start: 0.8s Reload More: 0.92s |
Banned in most leagues for acquisition time. Stores 60 reserve ammo instead of 20. Effective for rocketjumping. | |
| 2 | Shotgun 
|
Point-Blank: 90 512u: 6/hit, avg 6 hits 1024u+: 3/hit |
Critical: 18/hit (max 180) Point-Blank Mini-Crit: 121 512u+ Mini-Crit: 8/hit |
Attack: 0.625s Reload Start: 1.0s Reload More: 0.5s |
Affected by fixed weapon spread (1 extra pellet at center). |
Gunboats 
|
N/A | N/A | N/A | Banned or restricted in some leagues. Reduces rocketjump damage by 60%. Reduces all backlash damage that doesn't hit other players. | |
Buff Banner 
|
N/A | N/A | Trumpeting: ~3s Buff: 10s |
Banned or restricted in some leagues. Grants self and allies within 450u Mini-Crits on use. Gains rage equal to damage dealt (600 needed to fill). | |
Battalion's Backup 
|
N/A | N/A | Trumpeting: ~3s Buff: 10s |
Banned or restricted in most leagues for acquisition time. Grants self and allies within 450u Crit immunity and 35% damage reduction. Gains rage equal to damage taken (170 needed to fill). | |
| 3 | Shovel 
|
Melee: 65 | Critical: 195 Mini-Crit: 88 |
Attack: 0.8s | Completely standard melee weapon. |
Equalizer 
|
Melee (200 hp+): 33 Melee (126 hp): 63 Melee (86 hp): 75 Melee (64 hp): 88 Melee (35 hp): 100 Melee (1 hp): 113 |
Mini-Crit (200 hp+): 44 Mini-Crit (150 hp): 71 Mini-Crit (100 hp): 99 Mini-Crit (52 hp): 125 Mini-Crit (7 hp): 150 Mini-Crit (1 hp): 153 |
Attack: 0.8s | Cannot be healed by Medics while wielding. Changes speed based on health range (see above). Changes damage based on exact health, as follows. Base Damage = 32.5 + (0.4063*[lost hp]). Mini-Crit Damage = 43.88 + (0.5484*[lost hp]). Has no method of getting Crits in competitive play. | |
Pain Train 
|
Melee: 65 | Critical: 195 Mini-Crit: 88 |
Attack: 0.8s | Banned in some leagues for acquisition time. Gives user double capture speed (like Scout). Increases taken damage from hitscan by 10%. |
- "u" stands for "units of distance." "+" stands for "or more." "s" stands for "seconds." "Reload Start" refers to how long it takes for 1 ammo to be reloaded after beginning to reload, and "Reload More" refers to how long it takes for each additional ammo to reload after the first. Damages and times are approximate and determined by community testing.
Usage
Soldier is a common choice for pocket because he can take a lot of damage and react relatively quickly to defend his Medic (Rocket Launcher and Shotgun can both deal damage faster and more reliably than Heavy's Minigun or either of Demoman's main weapons, something that is absolutely crucial when fighting Scouts). His Rocket Launcher also lets him easily contribute to building ÜberCharge through self-inflicted damage, and the fact that Rocket Jumps can be quickly used to switch between defensive and offensive tactics makes him a good target for Übers. Because one of roaming's main purposes is to act as a backup pocket, Soldier makes an ideal candidate for that as well.
Common Tactics
One of the most important things to keep in mind as either a Pocket or a Roaming Soldier is mobility. The Soldier moves at 240 Hammer Units per second, or 80% of the normal speed. To compensate, a Soldier absolutely must have a strong grasp of Rocket Jumping to stay in the action. Rocket jumping is also a very good way of securing a height advantage, something that helps players inflict more punishment on their enemies. As a result of their need to damage themselves just to keep up with the rest of the team or to gain an important height advantage, Soldiers will generally receive more attention from Medics than the rest of the team. Due to their large amount of health, Soldiers can form the core of most pushes, supported by the Medic and Demoman. Either Soldier should be ready to seize an opportunity and lead a push.
5-CP Push Strategies
The first thing Soldiers should focus on when playing any 5-CP map is, like the rest of the team, getting to the mid point quickly, via rocket jumping, and entering the battle with plenty of health. This is especially important for Soldiers, because without rocket jumping, Soldiers are slower than any other class in the standard competitive lineup. Memorizing the fastest and most health-efficient path to the middle point on each 5-CP map is essential for soldiers. Pocket Soldiers should move quickly enough to keep up with their Medics, but not leave them behind. The near-constant stream of health that the Medic gives the Pocket can enable him to enter the battle fully overhealed to 300 HP. Roaming Soldiers have two options at the start of a 5-CP map. They have the option of using the Gunboats to reach the midpoint very quickly, sometimes even before the Scouts and Demoman. They also have the option of taking the Shotgun and managing their health so that they can join the battle quickly, but keep enough health to be a dangerous threat. Once at the mid point, the Soldiers should keep the enemy Soldiers and Demoman occupied with spam, and defend against aggressive players who are rushing in, such as a rocket-jumping Soldier or a Scout attempting to pick an important player. Pocket Soldiers in particular should keep an eye out for enemy Scouts aiming to kill their Medics, and ward them off. Soldiers have several options for attacking at the mid point. If the roaming Soldier decided to use the Gunboats and arrived at the point quickly, he can secure a height advantage early on, putting pressure on the enemy Scouts and Demoman. During the mid fight, Soldiers can also utilize an offensive rocket-jump and attempt to pick the enemy Medic and swing the battle in their team's favor, though this maneuver is rather risky, as such an attack will place the Soldier in the midst of the enemy team. A team that wins the mid fight can send its Soldiers to the next point and push on against the weakened, fleeing enemy team. Capitalizing on this opportunity can result in the team taking the second point with little resistance, after taking the middle point. Soldiers can either play conservatively and watch out for remaining enemies who may try to attack the Medic, or rush the enemy aggressively, finishing them off before support arrives. A roaming Soldier on the team that loses the mid fight can choose to stick with the combo, and try to hold a chokepoint, or go with the remaining Scouts of the team. The roaming Soldier can also try to ambush the enemy team and pick their Medic, either by hiding in a oft-overlooked area or aggressively rocket-jumping over the Medic's guardians. This tactic, however, is extremely risky, and will almost always result in the death of the roaming Soldier, whether he succeeds or not.
Attack-Defend Strategies
The Soldier's role on Attack/Defend maps is fairly straightforward. On the attacking team, the Soldier will, as usual, be the core of most pushes, rocket-jumping to pick key targets, and destroying a Sentry Gun if the defending team has set one up. The defending Soldiers will attempt to block the enemy advance, blocking captures, and rocket-jumping to perches to make defending easier. Soldiers on the attacking team will need to watch for the enemy team's Sentry Gun, if they have one, as a few well-placed rockets can take it out and allow a team's Scouts to harass the enemy team if the Engineer is absent. Soldiers attacking or defending an elevated control point can rocket-jump to the point and use the height advantage to block enemies attempting to step on the point. Soldiers may need to be proficient in performing aerials in order to prevent enemy Soldiers and Demomen from taking away their height advantage.
Capture-the-Flag Strategies
As in other game-types, Soldiers are a valuable asset for attacking the enemy team's objective, in this case their intelligence. In particular the high max health of Soldiers allows them to attack the Intelligence room and survive despite its proximity with the enemy's spawn room. While Scouts may be the best choice for taking the intelligence back to the team's own Intelligence room, the team's Soldiers, as usual, should be leading the first push into enemy territory. When defending the intelligence, Soldiers are also a great choice for sitting on the intelligence until it returns to the Intelligence room, due to their ability to withstand enemy spam. Their Rocket Launchers allow them to juggle enemies headed for the intelligence and prevent the intelligence's timer from resetting.
See also
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