Basic Soldier strategy
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
The Rocket Launcher deals heavy damage in a wide splash radius, allowing you to efficiently deal damage by aiming at the feet of your enemies. Always try to keep it fully loaded for combat and rocket jumping. The reloading process is relatively slow, so use the Shotgun to finish off weakened enemies if you run out of rockets. 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. The increased rocket damage makes you more effective against immobile or slow targets, such as Sentry Guns or Heavies, while the increased rocket speed makes landing aerials easier. Although the Direct Hit's explosive radius is smaller than that of the standard Rocket Launcher, rocket jumps will still function normally.
Black Box
Use the Black Box for prolonged combat, where you will have time to constantly reload. However, the reduced clip size impairs your immediate staying power and makes offensive rocket jumping less effective. Overall, the Black Box increases your survivability but reduces your offensive capability.
Rocket Jumper
The Rocket Jumper completely nullifies your primary weapon and is not meant for serious combat. If you really decide to use it, equip the Shotgun as well so that you have some way to deal ranged damage. The additional damage you'll take from the increased vulnerabilities will make you useless in firefights, so just use the Gunboats alongside the standard Rocket Launcher if you want to constantly rocket jump.
Liberty Launcher
The increased rocket speed of the Liberty Launcher makes it much easier to hit individual targets, especially in the air. Unlike the Direct Hit, the splash radius of your shots remains the same, allowing you to still take on groups of enemies. However, like the Black Box, the reduced clip size impairs your immediate staying power and makes offensive rocket jumping less effective. Overall, the Liberty Launcher increases your effectiveness in duels but reduces your overall offensive capability.
Cow Mangler 5000
The Cow Mangler 5000, with its increased clip size and infinite ammunition, greatly increases your presence in large firefights. 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.
Secondary Weapons
Shotgun
The Shotgun is as powerful as many other primary weapons and can be used to easily finish enemies off at close to medium range, so don't hesitate to switch to it when you're out of primary ammunition. It effectively counters Pyros who can skillfully airblast and Demomen who use the Chargin' Targe.
Buff Banner
Use the Buff Banner in conjunction with the Rocket Launcher, Black Box, or Liberty Launcher as the wide blast radius offered by those weapons will make it easier to build your Rage meter. The Buff Banner is effective when used alongside a friendly Medic's ÜberCharge to lead charges into enemy territory. The area of effect is large and passes through any obstacle, allowing your teammates to easily follow you.
Battalion's Backup
Use the Battalion's Backup when you are fighting at the front lines. Because you must take damage to build your Rage meter, it is almost necessary that you stay near a friendly Medic or another consistent source of healing to stay alive long enough to activate it. Once charged, you can use the Backup's defensive aura to lead an attack, hold an area, or counter the critboosts granted by the Kritzkrieg or Buff Banner.
Concheror
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 constantly fire your Rocket Launcher to recover health. It is best to activate its area buff when near allies, so that they can also stay healthy and take some damage during an offensive push. Pairing the Concheror with the Black Box gives you a high degree of survivability, allowing you to outlast enemies when in a defensive situation.
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.
Mantreads
The decrease in knock back offered by the Mantreads allow you to more easily hold an area and maintain a high ground advantage, especially against common threats such as Demomen and Sentry Guns. While the Mantreads do allow you to deal moderate damage by landing on a foe after rocket jumping, it's more efficient to simply kill him with rockets before you land.
Reserve Shooter
When you bounce an enemy into the air with a rocket, you typically want 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 when you run out of primary ammunition. Make use of its faster weapon switch time to finish airborne enemies off with precision before you become vulnerable.
Righteous Bison
The Righteous Bison comes with a decreased clip size as compared to the Shotgun. However, it can penetrate through targets, dealing damage to multiple enemies. Use this in areas where multiple enemies are clustered together, such as a Control Point or a Payload Cart, and dealing large amounts of damage to multiple enemies can be useful. However, as this deals less damage to Engineer buildings, you'll want to prioritize on hitting players rather than buildings. However, you shouldn't be using your Secondary weapons to attack buildings anyhow, so use your rockets to deal with buildings instead. It is also noteworthy that the Bison also penetrates buildings such as Dispensers and Sentry Guns, this can be used to harass or kill Engineers that are using their buildings for cover. You can also use it to light friendly Snipers' Huntsman arrows on fire.
Melee Weapons
Shovel / Frying Pan / Saxxy
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
As a Soldier, you generally won't need to use your melee weapon when you are at full health. Thus, the Equalizer is essentially a straight upgrade to the Shovel. Because its damage and move speed granted will dramatically increase when you're injured, you can use the Equalizer as a last resort to engage or escape enemies.
Pain Train
Only use the Pain Train when actively capturing objectives; it is useless when playing Capture the Flag or in any defensive scenario. If you have a reliable source of health, you can equip it when actively rocket jumping around the map to give yourself the mobility and capture rate of the Scout.
Half-Zatoichi
The healing the Half-Zatoichi provides on a kill just might be worth fighting at melee range. Be sure you have a clear opportunity to kill an enemy when you unsheathe it; once you're Honorbound, your slow speed will make chasing a target very difficult.
Disciplinary Action
The Disciplinary Action allows you to increase your mobility without sacrificing health by rocket jumping. It is best used on slower classes such as the Demoman, Heavy, or another Soldier to help them reach the front lines faster. Although you won't use it specifically in melee combat, the speed boost can also be used to chase after weak but faster opponents.
Market Gardener
The Market Gardener may prove useful if you actively rocket jump while in combat. While the guaranteed critical hits while rocket jumping should kill most enemies, it is simpler and more practical to continue firing rockets while airborne. Unless you are actively relying on critical hits, the Market Gardener is a straight upgrade to the Shovel.
Item sets
The Tank Buster
Although the set bonus is meant to help you against Sentry Guns, the reduced clip size of the Black Box means that you probably won't be able to destroy an attended one yourself, even if Übercharged. You can, however, use the set effect and the Battalion's Backup to tank Sentry Gun fire while your teammates destroy it.
General's Formals
The General's Formals can be useful for quickly traveling to and securing an area, particularly patches of high ground where you can easily be displaced by an explosive. You'll only have the Rocket Launcher as a reliable source of damage, so use the Disciplinary Action to bring along slower teammates that can provide additional firepower.
The Airborne Armaments
This item set focuses on taking out single targets quickly and precisely, as the reduced magazine size of the set weapons means you are very vulnerable after only a few shots. Once you bounce an enemy into the air with the Liberty Launcher, follow it up with either another rocket or the Reserve Shooter before he can land and retaliate.
Dr. Grordbort's Victory Pack
All of the weapons in this set deal only 20% of their normal damage to buildings, so you should focus on attacking players rather than buildings. You can still use your melee weapon to take out lone Dispensers or Teleporters, however, you will need to use the Cow Mangler 5000's ability to disable buildings to even get close to a Sentry Gun. Also, unless you Rocket Jump, you'll never make it to the Sentry in time to cause damage before it turns back on, and even if you do, you still only have your melee weapon to deal damage. If you're going to use this set, you should combat with Sentry Guns as little as possible and focus on attacking players instead.
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