Basic Soldier strategy

The Soldier is a tough, all-purpose assault class. He's easy to pick up but difficult to master, capable of both ranged attacks and close-quarters combat. His slow movement speed belies his potential agility. He can Rocket Jump to cover distances quickly and reach unusual locations, and his weapons are excellent against all foes.

General

• Unless using the Direct Hit, players are advised to aim at an enemy's feet as the splash radius will ensure that the rocket damages the target.

• Players can Rocket Jump to the top of structures that no other class (with the possible exception of the Demoman) can reach. Enemies are often easier to hit from a high vantage point, and most will have difficulty firing back.

• It is advised that players always lead their targets. Even the Direct Hit suffers from significant flight time, so players must anticipate an opponent's position in order to increase the possibility of a hit.

• Players should avoid unloading multiple rockets or Shotgun shells unless in the thick of combat, and should instead fire a rocket, reload, and fire again when approaching the enemy at long-range. In this way, a player's weapons are always fully-loaded before facing foes at short range.

• If a player empties their entire Rocket Launcher clip in a fight, it is suggested that they consider switching to the Shotgun. It is a powerful secondary weapon and rapidly deals massive hitscan damage at close range. This allows players to deal continuous damage rather than pausing to reload another rocket and thereby taking the pressure off the enemy.

• It is often useful if players assist friendly Medics by damaging themselves with their own rockets. This allows Medics to fill up their ÜberCharge faster, but can be risky and should therefore be done when in an area free of enemies. It should also be noted that this tactic is only effective once the setup time has elapsed, as during the setup time a Medic's Übercharge rate is increased to its maximum level.

• When attacking Sentry Gun nests with anything besides the Direct Hit, players are advised to shoot the ground or wall behind the Sentry Gun. In this way, the player can damaging the Engineer and the Sentry Gun at the same time without wasting shots.

Weapon Specific Tips

A list of useful tidbits about the Soldier's tools.

Rocket Launcher

• Players should always keep the Rocket Launcher loaded.

• When fighting classes with limited health such as Scouts, Engineers and Spies, rather than using two rockets, players should fire one rocket then finish the enemy off with the Shotgun. This will ensure that extra rocket are loaded if needed.

• Players should try to juggle or bounce an enemy by shooting a rocket at their feet. By throwing them up in the air, players will be able to predict where they will land and can follow up with ease.

• The Rocket Launcher is often a better choice for Soldiers acting as Medic buddies than the Direct Hit. The wider splash radius makes protecting the Medic and attacking groups easier.

• If a player is firing a rocket at an enemy who is very close, it can be useful to jump and fire a rocket at their feet. Doing so will minimize the amount of damage done to the player, while at the same time putting some additional distance between the player and the opponent.

• The Rocket Launcher has one of the most devastating Crits in the game. If a player has any kind of Crit boost, they should immediately select the Rocket Launcher over any other weapon, as one crocket can take out multiple enemies at once.

Direct Hit

• Players should aim directly at the enemy and not their feet. The explosive radius is tighter than a Shotgun's spread, and therefore enemies can easily jump over the explosion.

• Players should try to hit the lower half of the enemy if possible. This will push them into the air temporarily, allowing players to hit them a second time for an aerial Mini-Crit.

• The Direct Hit can destroy any Engineer building with two rockets, rather than three. The Direct Hit therefore excels at destroying Engineer buildings, and can even be effective when the buildings are under constant repair.

• Direct Hit rockets are great for spamming stationary Snipers, or Engineers huddled in one position behind their Sentry Gun.

• The blast radius for self-damage with the Direct Hit is almost the same as the self-damage radius of the Rocket Launcher. This allows players to rocket jump effectively, but caution is advised due to the increased damage.

Black Box

• The Black Box holds fewer rockets but effectively gives players at least an extra 45 health in combat. If a player has plenty of time to reload and pressure the enemy, then this is an effective long-term choice. If players need immediate fighting power, such as when facing off against another skilled Soldier, they may wish to stick with the Rocket Launcher.

• The healing provided from the Black Box along with the defense boost from the Battalion's Back-up can make a Soldier very difficult to kill, even more so if using the complete Tank Buster Set due to the reduced damage from Sentry Guns.

• The Black Box's healing more than covers the damage players take while rocket jumping with the Gunboats. Due to this, players can remain mobile for a very long time with this combination.

• If a player hits more than one enemy, they will be healed for 15 hp per enemy hit.

Shotgun

• Players should not be afraid to use the Shotgun at medium to short range. It's as powerful as many primary weapons.

• If facing an enemy Pyro who is skilled with the Airblast, players should consider switching to the Shotgun.

• The Shotgun is useful against Demomen using the Chargin' Targe. Although they are resistant to the explosive damage of the Rocket Launcher, the Shotgun does normal damage.

• Players can use the Shotgun to destroy an enemy Demoman's stickies.

• One direct rocket and one Shotgun blast is enough to kill light classes in almost all circumstances.

• If players are using the Direct Hit, it is highly advisable to use the Shotgun rather than the Buff Banner, Battalion's Backup or Gunboats. If the rockets miss their target(s), players can still finish off the enemy with the Shotgun.

Buff Banner

• Just like the Kritzkrieg, the Buff Banner is best used with the Rocket Launcher or Black Box. The wider blast radius will make it easier to build Rage and it also makes the Mini-Crit boost more effective.

• When a friendly Medic ÜberCharges a teammate, players should contribute to the rampage by using the Buff Banner.

• Players should note that the area of effect for the Buff Banner is large and passes through walls and floors.

• If the Buff Banner is used next to an Engineer, his Sentry Gun will fire Mini-Crits no matter where it is on the map, even if it is nowhere near the player providing the buff or the Engineer.

• If a Medic is using a Kritzkrieg on a player, the Critical Hits will quickly fill up the Soldier's rage bar and allow the player to follow up the Kritzkrieg up with their Buff Banner. 2 Critical Hits is usually enough to fill a player's rage bar.

Battalion's Backup

• The Battalion's Backup can act as a strong counter to its brother the Buff Banner, or any other critboost such as a Kritzkrieg or First Blood.

• The Battalion's Backup is also useful on offense, as it allows the pushing team to absorb more enemy fire.

• Since the Backup's Rage Meter is not dependent on the damage done to the enemy, players can also use it in conjunction with the Direct Hit in order to more effectively counter Sentry Guns.

• The Battalion's Backup is well paired with the Black Box, allowing players to take more damage (and thereby build more rage) without dying.

Gunboats

• When equipped, players should use the Gunboats often by rocket-jumping and finding high positions from which to launch attacks.

• Players should use the Gunboats to traverse long distances quickly, and health packs can be obtained when the player has reached their destination.

• Although players receive 60% less damage from rocket jumps, fall damage remains the same.

• Since players will lack the Shotgun, it's often more effective if the Direct Hit is not used with the Gunboats unless the player is confident in their accuracy.

Shovel / Frying Pan

• The Shovel is a viable option as long as the player's health is above 120 or if they wish to be healed with their melee weapon equipped. Otherwise, the Equalizer is a superior option.

• The Frying Pan is much louder than the Shovel but is otherwise identical. Due to the increased volume of the hit sound effect, players should be aware that they may lose the element of surprise.

• Since the Shovel is only efficient at high health, using it with the Black Box minimizes the downsides of not having the Equalizer equipped.

Equalizer

• Unless the player plans on using the Pain Train, the Equalizer should always be equipped. As player would not normally use melee when at full health, the Equalizer is essentially a straight upgrade over the Shovel.

• The Equalizer can be used as a means of escape, as a highly-damaged Soldier can outrun most classes.

• Due to its low damage when the Soldier is fully healed, players should not run into a fight alone with the Equalizer out. Players should only take out the Equalizer when at low health and and are already in the thick of combat.

• The Equalizer prevents Medics from healing players when it is the currently equipped weapon. If players pull it out during an Übercharge, the ÜberCharge effect will be lost which will waste the Über and probably kill the player.

• Players should be careful when equipping the weapon in front of an enemy player. It tells the enemy that the player is at low health and is an easy kill. Players should be aware that this can work to their advantage however, as pulling out the Equalizer when at relatively high health may tempt some enemies to attack them, effectively allowing the Soldier to to bait the enemy.

Pain Train

• Players are advised not to equip the Pain Train on a CTF map or while defending in an attack/defend map. It grants no advantage in these situations, but still applies bullet vulnerability.

• The Pain Train is a highly situational weapon. As such, players may wish to switch between the Pain Train and a different melee weapon in the middle of a round.

• On Degroot Keep, if there are not many Medics carrying the Crusaders Crossbow, or Snipers carrying the Huntsman, the pain train can be very effective.

The Tank Buster

• The Set's damage resistance can be used in conjunction with the Battalion's Backup in order to halve the damage dealt by Sentry Guns.

See also

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