Basic Soldier strategy

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— The Soldier

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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 targets properly and aiming at the feet of enemies to maximize splash damage. The Soldier makes an excellent Medic buddy, as he can damage himself to help build the Medic's Übercharge for later use.

Primary weapons

Rocket Launcher + reskins

The Rocket Launcher fires slow rockets that deal heavy damage in a wide splash radius. If you lead your targets properly, you can efficiently deal damage by aiming at the feet of your enemies. The Rocket Launcher runs out of ammunition quickly, so make each shot count. The reloading process is relatively slow, so use the Shotgun to finish off weakened enemies if you run out of rockets. You can use the explosion from a rocket to rocket jump at the cost of health, a technique which is commonly used to approach enemies from above and lower travel time. Using a rocket to bounce an enemy into the air makes them an easy target for a follow-up shot.

Direct Hit

As the name implies, the Direct Hit promotes a different sort of Soldier playstyle, allowing players who can land direct hits to deal more damage. Its smaller explosive radius is significantly less effective against clustered enemies and encourages you to single out individual targets. The increased rocket damage makes you stronger against immobile or slow targets, such as Sentry Guns or Heavies, and allows you to to instantly gib weaker classes, such as Scouts, at close range. The increased rocket speed allows more experienced players to land mini-crit aerials on targets launched by a first rocket.

Black Box + reskins

The Black Box will heal you for a small amount of health if you damage an enemy with its rockets. However, the reduced clip size impairs your immediate staying power; in particular, offensive rocket jumping becomes less effective due to the lack of ammunition and long reload time. Use it in prolonged combat, where you will have time to constantly reload and outlast your enemies. It synergies well with the Concheror, which also comes with added healing properties.

Rocket Jumper

The Rocket Jumper completely nullifies the rockets from your primary weapon, allowing you to practice rocket jumping without taking any self-damage. It has some synergy with the Mantreads and Market Gardener, weapons that require the user to rocket jump into melee range of enemies. Using the Rocket Jumper only leaves you with the Shotgun as a reliable weapon, so it is overall ineffective in an actual fight.

Liberty Launcher

The Liberty Launcher has an increased rocket speed, making it much easier to hit individual targets, especially aerial ones. You also take reduced rocket jump damage, allowing you to rocket jump more often even in combat, and you get 25% increased clip size, giving you an extra rocket to use. However, the weapon comes with 25% reduced damage - even with the clip size increase, five rockets from this weapon deal less damage than four rockets from the Rocket Launcher, requiring you to compensate by landing direct hits more frequently. Its high clip size and fast rockets benefit immensely if you have access to a crit boost such as the Buff Banner.

Cow Mangler 5000

The Cow Mangler 5000, even with its infinite ammunition, is comparable to the standard Rocket Launcher. In return for reduced damage to Engineer buildings and the inability to deal critical hits, the Cow Mangler 5000 gains the ability to fire a charged shot that deals mini crits and sets enemies on fire. The charged shot is best used at long range or on groups of enemies, as the damage it deals can be matched by just a few standard rockets and is not worth using an entire clip at close range. While you might not be able to destroy Engineer buildings yourself, if you come across a troublesome Sentry Gun, use a charged shot to disable it while your teammates finish the job.

Original

The Original is statistically identical to the Rocket Launcher. However, its rockets travel directly down the crosshair, rather than slightly to the right as those from the Rocket Launcher do. This subtle change means that all shots fired by the Original will be consistently accurate at close range. However, it will be more difficult to fire around right corners without exposing yourself.

Beggar's Bazooka

The Beggar's Bazooka has the ability to store up to three rockets, then release them in one barrage. Its rockets have some random deviation and a smaller explosive radius, making individual shots, especially aerials, less reliable. Charge the barrage from behind cover or while rocket jumping to catch opponents by surprise. Additionally, the Beggar's Bazooka cannot collect ammunition at a Dispenser or a Payload Cart while it is wielded, preventing you from freely firing barrages while defending these locations.

Air Strike

The Air Strike grants significantly higher attack speed while rocket jumping but comes with 15% reduced damage and a 10% smaller explosive radius. Each kill you obtain will expand the clip size by one, to a maximum of eight, eventually allowing you to rain down rockets from the sky. The bonus is lost upon death, promoting caution after you've obtained a few kills. Its rockets have an even smaller explosive radius while airborne, so you must compensate by landing direct hits with additional rockets, using the attack speed boost from being in midair. The Air Strike is much less effective in cramped indoor areas, where there is less room to rocket jump. The B.A.S.E. Jumper synergizes well with this weapon, as it keeps you in the air longer and negates fall damage.

Secondary weapons

Shotgun + reskins

The Shotgun is as powerful as many other primary weapons and is effective at close to medium range. If your Rocket Launcher is out of ammunition, the Shotgun makes for a decent backup weapon and can be used to finish off injured enemies. Alternatively, you can switch to it at close range when you don't want to suffer from your own splash damage. It is a good option for fighting experienced Pyros and Scouts, who are easily able to avoid damage from your projectiles.

Buff Banner + reskins

The Buff Banner replaces your Shotgun, making you less effective as a solo combatant. Dealing damage causes a Rage meter to fill up; when full, secondary fire will cause you to project an aura, giving you and all nearby allies guaranteed mini-crits for a short period of time. Stay near the front lines and use a primary weapon that has a wide blast radius to quickly fill the Buff Banner's Rage meter. It's especially effective when leading charges into enemy territory, especially if used alongside a friendly Medic's ÜberCharge. The area of effect is large and passes through any obstacle, allowing your teammates to easily follow you.

Gunboats

The Gunboats allow you to perform multiple rocket jumps in succession without having to rely on a Medic for healing. They are most effective when you are constantly roaming around the map and do not need your Shotgun to fend off enemies. The reduced self-damage also allows you to more safely bail from a dangerous situation via rocket jumping, even if you're low on health.

Battalion's Backup

The Battalion's Backup acts as the opposite of the Buff Banner, projecting an aura that decreases all damage taken by you and nearby allies by 35%. You can use the defensive effect to lead an attack, hold an area, or counter the crit boosts granted by the Kritzkrieg, Buff Banner, and other sources. The aura also further reduces the damage taken from Sentry Guns to a total of 50% resistance, making it useful for destroying an Engineer nest. Additionally, the Battalion's Backup passively grants 20 points of bonus health, giving you extra survivability against bursts of damage.

Concheror

The Concheror is like the Buff Banner, but has an aura that affects nearby allies, increasing their movement speed and allowing them to recover some health by dealing damage. The Concheror charges much faster than the other banner variants, allowing you to use the buff more often to maintain momentum. Unlike the damage boost or reduction provided by the other banners, the healing provided by the Concheror isn't so effective when used only on yourself, as you won't be able to constantly fire the Rocket Launcher to recover health. Thus, it is best to activate its area buff when near allies. The Concheror also grants health regeneration that increases out of combat, allowing you to heal up a bit between encounters.

Mantreads

The Mantreads are a situational weapon that heavily reduces the knock back you take. This unique defensive trait allow you to more easily hold an area and maintain a high ground advantage, especially against common threats such as Demomen and Sentry Guns. Additionally, the Mantreads allow you to deal moderate damage by landing on a foe after rocket jumping, although it's more efficient to simply kill the enemy with rockets before you land.

Reserve Shooter

When you bounce an enemy into the air with a rocket, you can try to finish him off before he can land and retaliate. The Reserve Shooter is great for doing so, especially since landing an aerial with your Rocket Launcher can sometimes be difficult. However, the reduced magazine size makes it an unreliable sidearm in comparison to the stock Shotgun, due to frequent reloading. Make use of its faster weapon switch time to finish airborne enemies off with precision before you become vulnerable.

Righteous Bison

When compared to the Shotgun, the Righteous Bison is weaker at close range; it deals reduced damage, has a smaller magazine size, and its projectiles are slower than standard bullets. However, it is accurate at longer ranges, does not require ammo, and reloads quickly, meaning that it can be used to constantly harass enemies. The piercing nature of shots fired by the Righteous Bison is effective against clustered or fleeing targets. Although it deals reduced damage to buildings, its piercing shots allow you to damage an Engineer taking cover behind them.

B.A.S.E. Jumper

The B.A.S.E. Jumper allows you to deploy a parachute while in midair, slowing your descent. For general purposes, you can combine this with rocket jumping to maintain a vertical advantage over opponents or travel further horizontally. In combat, this backpack works well with the Air Strike and Beggar's Bazooka, weapons that can fire multiple rockets in one quick burst. You still take standard rocket jump damage and will often attract enemy attention, so keep in mind where you can find healing upon landing. Once you finish your airborne assault, try not to linger in the sights of enemies who appreciate slow targets, like the Heavy or Sniper. As with other bundled secondary weapons, taking the B.A.S.E. Jumper means having no Shotgun, leaving you less effective on the ground.

Panic Attack

The Panic Attack works like the Beggar's Bazooka; upon holding the fire button, you load up to four shells. Releasing the fire button will cause all stored shots to fire one-by-one. It is less effective than the Shotgun as a backup weapon, as the consecutive loading and firing can create a predictable pattern. As its name implies, the Panic Attack shines in situations where you might consider panicking, as it deploys extremely quickly. The firing rate increases as your health gets lower; you can load the weapon while a foe is pursuing you, then unload all the bursts at once. The bullet spread also increases, forcing you to execute this tactic at near melee range. Intentionally staying at low health lets you play a very high-risk, high-reward game.

Melee weapons

Shovel + reskins

The Shovel is comparable to the default melee weapons of most other classes. However, your slow speed puts you at a disadvantage in melee duels. Unless you excessively engage in melee combat when near a friendly Medic, you're better off equipping a different melee weapon.

Equalizer

While at full health, the Equalizer deals half of the Shovel's base damage. However, you generally won't need to use your melee weapon when you are at full health. The Equalizer will grant a dramatic increase in damage as your health decreases, allowing it to be used as a last resort to ambush pursuing enemies. Remember to put it away if you want a friendly Medic to heal you normally.

Pain Train

The Pain Train gives you an increased capture rate of two players, equal to the Scout. It comes with a 10% increased vulnerability to bullets, making you a bit more fragile against the Scout and Heavy, classes which tend to be found attacking or holding control points. Only use the Pain Train when actively capturing control points or pushing Payload carts; the increased capture rate is useless when playing Capture the Flag or in any defensive scenario.

Half-Zatoichi

The Half-Zatoichi heals you for 50% of your maximum health on kill and has the increased melee range and draw time of all swords. The healing the Half-Zatoichi provides on a kill just might be worth fighting at melee range. Try to have a clear opportunity to kill an enemy before you unsheathe it, as switching weapons without obtaining a kill causes you to take 50 damage. Wielders of the Half-Zatoichi are capable of killing each other in a single hit; however, your slow speed puts you at a disadvantage in a melee duel.

Disciplinary Action

The Disciplinary Action has an increased melee range of 75%, giving it a unique niche in melee combat but deals slightly reduced damage. The main perk of this weapon is that it allows you to strike a teammate to temporarily boost both of your running speeds. Thus, you can use it to increase your mobility without sacrificing health by rocket jumping. Stay near allies so that you can make use of the speed boost more often; it can be used when running to the front lines, retreating, or chasing after faster opponents.

Market Gardener

The Market Gardener deals guaranteed critical hits while rocket jumping. While it is simpler to continue firing rockets while airborne, quietly approaching to land one melee attack can allow you to pick off important targets with style. To increase the chances of landing that critical melee hit, familiarize yourself with the mechanics of rocket jumping. Rocket jumping over obstacles or up to higher elevations can greatly aid in catching opponents by surprise. The Mantreads can be used alongside the Market Gardener to avoid being easily shoved away while in midair.

Escape Plan

As your health decreases, wielding the Escape Plan will grant you increasingly faster speed, allowing you to escape attackers with ease. Because it marks you for death, you're discouraged from using it to fight, much less charge at enemies. However, you can use the Rocket Launcher to damage yourself so that you can quickly reach the front lines; if doing so, make sure you don't get picked off by a stray enemy before you can find a source of healing. Remember to put it away if you want a friendly Medic to heal you normally.