Anti-Soldier strategy

“

Mmmmmmmrrrrrrrpppghhh! Click to listen — The Pyro

”

The Soldier is a devastating, bulky predator who has an above average health and powerful rockets, but he lags behind with his cumbersome speed and ammo.

General

• Keeping your distance will negate much of the Soldier's rocket power.
• His slow mobility can cripple his attempt to catch up with a retreat.

Weapon Specific

A list of useful tidbits about the Soldier's tools, and how to counter them.

Rocket Launchers

• Rockets move slow. Try to dodge them by strafing left and/or right.

Rocket Launcher

Direct Hit

• The Direct Hit can one-hit-kill weaker classes at close range. Keep your distance.

Black Box

• Mobility is key as this Rocket Launcher will grant the Soldier with more health each time he hits you.
• Reflecting rockets from the Black Box will instead grant you the health bonus if it hits an enemy.
• The Soldier has less ammunition before he needs to reload, granting you an opening when he does.

Rocket Jumper

• Although there is practically no use in serious gameplay, the Soldier might use this to assault higher positions, so tread carefully with a height advantage.

Shotgun

Banners

• Target the Soldier when his banner is active to quickly end the team buff.
• Friendly Soldiers will take advantage of banner buffs to charge their own banners. Take them out before they do so.

Buff Banner

• Activating the Battalion's Backup will protect you from the Mini-Crit buff of an enemy Soldier's Buff Banner.
• The Mini-Crit buff has a short range, encouraging the team to cluster. Use rockets, grenades, and stickies to break up or kill the team.

Battalion's Backup

• Watch out for a Soldier with this when Übercharging with the Kritzkrieg since it renders the effect null.

Gunboats

• Soldiers using the Gunboats often take the high ground. Prevent this from happening, as on the ground, the Soldier is less effective without his Shotgun.

Shovel / Frying Pan

Equalizer

• If an enemy Soldier is running quickly with the Equalizer out, it may be more useful to try and pick him off with a hitscan weapon such as the Shotgun or Pistol.

Pain Train

The Tank Buster

See also

• Soldier strategy
• Community Soldier strategy
• Rocket jumping
• Soldier match-ups
• Team strategy