Soldier match-ups

Class			Strategy
Soldier	vs	Scout	The Scout's Scattergun is most effective at close range, where the Soldier's rockets are also most effective. It is fairly easy to score a hit with rockets, or at least splash damage, in close quarters. If the Scout is out of your Rocket Launcher's effective range, or he's too erratic to get decent damage on him, pull out your Shotgun, as hitscan weapons are impossible to evade. Only use your melee weapon as a last resort, as Scouts can easily outmaneuver you, and are able to cause great damage at point-blank range with their Scattergun. The Direct Hit can instantly kill a Scout at very close range, although the lack of a decent splash radius combined with the evasiveness of Scouts may make this weapon a less than desirable choice. As with any class, your rockets can also be used to 'juggle' the Scout, and finish him off. It's not recommended to take the Pain Train when fighting a Scout, as you will suffer 10% more damage from the bullets. It is a good tactic to instead take the Equalizer, as it can help you catch up to a retreating Scout. Be careful though, because if the Scout sees you running quickly, they will know that you are severely damaged and will finish you off. When Scouts attempt to pester you with the Shortstop, they will lack the crippling firepower at close range that the Scattergun provides. Simply shoot rockets in his projected path, and switch to the Shotgun if that's not being effective. Scouts will also use their Sandman, because you are a slow target, to stun you while getting a close-range hit in before retreating. Move around or rocket jump unpredictably to avoid being hit.
Soldier	vs	Soldier	A shootout with another Soldier can get very messy, as you both share the same arsenal of weapons, more or less. It all boils down to skill and strategy. Juggling your opponent is effective, then finish them off with precise shots rather than wasting your clip, as you are vulnerable while you are reloading. When out of rockets, switch to the Shotgun, which should have some ammo in the clip, to finish your opponent off if they are at low health. You may want to rocket jump over the enemy Soldier and rain down rockets, unless you think that they are able to kill you with an aerial. When dealing with enemy Soldier rocket jumping, either try to aerial them, use objects around them to cause splash damage, or shoot a rocket where they are going to land. Also, having the height advantage is a great benefit as a Soldier, as enemies below you will have a harder time hitting you. Head to the higher ground to take advantage of this. Take care when fighting Soldiers who are wielding the Black Box. The extra 15 health they receive from each hit may allow them to outlast you, especially at long range, where damage fall-off reduces the effectiveness of your rockets. Try to close the distance and eliminate them before they get too much health from you. Conversely, at close ranges where the Black Box won't be outlasting you, the default Rocket Launcher can help you get an edge on other Soldier with the extra rocket.
Soldier	vs	Pyro	Keep in mind that a Pyro is by far the most lethal at very close range, and less-than-effective at medium or long range. If you see a Pyro coming towards you, take advantage of that fact by juggling, or just pelting rockets at your enemy. Keep in mind that a skilled Pyro can reflect your rockets with their compression blast, dealing Mini-Crit damage. If you think your rockets are likely to be reflected, switch to your Shotgun. If you get caught in a close encounter with a Pyro, you can either try and blast a few rockets in hope of getting a quick kill, or you may choose to rocket-jump away, disorienting the Pyro and getting out of their range, and then heading for the nearest health source, as you probably sustained major damage and most likely are on fire. If you are having trouble with airblasting Pyros, consider taking the Direct Hit, as it is much harder to reflect because of the increased speed. Be careful though, because if a Pyro is able to successfully reflect one of the rockets, they can do considerable damage to you. The Black Box is also a good way to counter afterburn damage, as you can heal yourself for +15 health for each hit, potentially letting you live long enough to survive the flames. Try to use the afterburn damage from the Pyro's weapons for as long as possible if you are using the Battalion's Backup. This way you can charge the meter a tiny bit, while later picking up a health kit to prevent yourself from dying. Using your melee weapon against Pyros is a very risky choice, as they can easily out-damage you with their Flamethrower before you reach melee range. Also, if the Pyro backpedals and continues to use the Flamethrower, you will most likely die before you are able to get a hit in.
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, 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 Heavy, 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