Anti-Soldier strategy

“

Oi, lend us yer shovel, so I can dig yer grave! Click to listen — The Sniper

”

The Soldier is a devastating, bulky predator who has an above average amount of health and is capable of effective attacks from any range. While slow on foot, the Soldier is known for his trademark rocket jumping ability which allows experienced players to quickly move around a map and reach high areas at a cost of self-inflicted damage. Generally, the best way to engage a Soldier is in an open area where you can avoid his rockets and counterattack. The Soldier is also disadvantaged when he has the lower ground in a battle, if he is forced to fire his rockets at uphill angles, it will limit and or eliminate his ability to deal splash damage depending on his opponents positioning. Keep in mind that the Soldier has a number of different loadout options that allow him to give offensive and defensive buffs to teammates, heal himself, and wield the most dangerous melee weapon in the game if his health is low enough.

General

Attributes	Anti-Soldier strategy
Role	The Soldier is an all-around class with a dangerous primary weapon and few exploitable weaknesses. He is particularly strong when he takes the high ground.
Health	The Soldier has the second largest amount of default health of all classes, and when overhealed, can be very difficult to take down.
Speed	The Soldier's base speed is low, but he is capable of quick bursts of speed with Rocket Jumping, the Equalizer, and the Disciplinary Action.
Power	The rockets that Soldiers fire are highly damaging at close range, but are less powerful and can be dodged more easily as the distance between the two of you increases.

Weapon Specific

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

Primary Weapons

• Rocket Launchers have a small clip and a slow reload time; make a Soldier miss his shots, then attack him while he tries to reload.
• Rockets lose their effectiveness the further the target is or gets; evading is often a matter of strafing a few feet from where the rocket will hit.
• A common tactic used by Soldiers is to try to pop you into the air with a rocket fired at your feet, where they may proceed to shoot you in midair (with the Rocket Launcher again, or with their Shotgun) or fire another rocket where you land. Avoid engaging a Soldier who has his Rocket Launcher out in close combat. If shot into the air, a Scout can use his second jump to evade further attacks, while a Heavy is more resistant to knockback.
  • If you must fight in close quarters with a Rocket Launcher-toting Soldier, force him to fire his rockets at close proximity so that he suffers splash damage.
• As projectiles, rockets can be reflected using a Compression Blast from a Pyro's Flamethrower. As a Pyro, if you have some spare ammo, reflect a rocket away from yourself and your team; if you're skilled enough, you can aim it back at the enemy!
  • Snipers can destroy projectiles such as rockets if they shoot them with a Huntsman arrow; this is difficult to perform, so let your teammates deal with any projectiles instead.

Weapon	Anti-Soldier strategy
Rocket Launcher	The rockets of the Rocket Launcher are fairly slow, allowing you to dodge or reflect them with relative ease. Fight a Soldier at higher elevations, if you can; this gives his Rocket Launcher a disadvantage, as rockets are often fired at players' feet for maximum effectiveness.
Direct Hit	The Direct Hit can kill weaker classes in one hit if a rocket strikes them at close range. Keep your distance, and try to fight at mid-to-long range where the Direct Hit's low splash damage radius becomes readily apparent. If you must fight the Soldier at close range, keep strafing around the Soldier to make him miss; don't move in one direction too long, as a Soldier may lead his shot. The Direct Hit's rockets are much faster than normal ones. Move out of the way quickly and take advantage of the minimized splash range. Take special care not to be popped into the air by an explosion when a Soldier using the Direct Hit is nearby; if he fires a rocket at you as you are airborne, it will Mini-Crit. Fighting a Soldier who is using the Direct Hit from a higher vantage point is less effective, as the weapon is designed to harm players directly than by splash damage.
Black Box	The Black Box awards its owner 15 HP when it scores a hit against an enemy; take care to stay out of the Soldier's firing range, and damage him more than he can heal. The Black Box only has three rockets per clip, granting you a greater opportunity to attack the Soldier as he reloads. A Pyro who reflects a Black Box rocket at an enemy will receive the health bonus instead.
Rocket Jumper	Although there is practically no use for the Rocket Jumper in serious gameplay, the Soldier might use this to attack or secure higher positions easily, so tread carefully with a height advantage. A Soldier wielding a Rocket Jumper is more vulnerable to most projectiles, bullets and fire. Take advantage of that weakness.
Liberty Launcher	The Liberty Launcher is very effective at close-to-mid range due to its rockets being 40% faster. Fight him from beyond that range. The Liberty Launcher only has three rockets per clip, granting you a better chance to attack the Soldier while he's reloading.
Cow Mangler 5000	The charge shot on the Cow Mangler 5000 deals mini-crits and sets its targets on fire, but it takes around 3 seconds to fully charge, and uses the entire clip. You can attempt to kill him as he charges, or you can wait for him to fire the shot, leaving him with no more shots to defend himself with. Charging the Cow Mangler 5000 forces the Soldier to move much more slowly until he fires. This gives you a great opportunity to Headshot, Backstab, or Charge him. The Cow Mangler 5000 has one extra shot compared to the regular Rocket Launcher, so keep your distance until he uses all five shots. Getting too close will allow the Soldier to knock you around with them (though being a Heavy provides some resistance to knockback). The Cow Mangler 5000 has a 5% slower reloading speed, so use this as an advantage, especially if the Soldier fired a charged shot with it. The Cow Mangler 5000 can never fire critical shots, even if crit boosted by the Kritzkrieg or by winning a round, so you need not worry about being struck by a crocket. The increased clip and special charged shot compensate for this, however.

Secondary Weapons

Weapon	Anti-Soldier strategy
Shotgun	The Shotgun is typically used when a Soldier does not want to use the Rocket Launcher, either because he is out of loaded rockets (or wishes to conserve them) or he is fighting a close-range target and does not want to take self-damage. Either way, he is more vulnerable to attack with the Shotgun out than when he wields any of his primary weapons (excluding his Rocket Jumper). The Shotgun bears similarities to the Rocket Launcher: its effectiveness worsens the further the target is. Stay far enough away so that little to no pellets hit you.
Gunboats	Soldiers using the Gunboats often take the high ground. Prevent this from happening; on the ground, the Soldier is less effective without his Shotgun. Attack the Soldier vigorously, as he has no secondary weapon to aid him in combat.
Reserve Shooter	The Reserve Shooter draws 15% faster than the standard Shotgun and mini-crits airborne targets for 3 seconds after switching to it. Try to stay on the ground for the duration, as even jumping will give him the bonus damage against you. The Reserve Shooter only holds 3 shots per clip, making him extra vulnerable to attack once he uses them all.
Mantreads	The Mantreads deals 3x his fall damage when he falls onto a enemy, so maintain an even ground with him. The Mantreads reduces knockback. Try to avoid doing knockback kills such as: shooting him off a cliff, shooting him into a train, and launching him skyward. Like the Gunboats, the Mantreads replace his secondary weapon. Take advantage of this.
Righteous Bison	While the Righteous Bison does considerably less damage than the Shotgun and moves slower than the Shotgun's shots, it is far more accurate and its projectile pierces both buildings and players. As a result, try to keep your team from clustering to reduce its effectiveness.

Banners

• Killing the Soldier using a banner buff will end the effect immediately. Aim for him first, if possible.
• A Soldier's teammates must be within close proximity to him in order to receive his buff. Against such a cluster of enemies, splash damage and other attacks affecting multiple enemies, such as Jarate or the Flamethrower, becomes incredibly effective.
• Soldiers will often make a quick retreat in search of their team once they have a full charge. If you see this happen, give chase and kill them before they reach reinforcements.
• Soldiers using a banner lack a mid-range weapon. Fight from a distance where you can avoid any rockets fired, or, under dire circumstances, get close enough so that the Soldier also harms himself by his rockets.

Weapon	Anti-Soldier strategy
Buff Banner	Attack from under cover for the duration of this buff; while Mini-Crits are not as strong as critical hits, they are still dangerous and can take down an unprepared team. Fire and bleed damage can also mini-crit, so beware of taking damage from any weapons that have these effects. While unlikely, a buffed Sniper may come at you with his Bushwhacka, which would deal critical hits instead.
Battalion's Backup	This buff will reduce damage taken by 35% and negate all critical hits for its duration. Quickly eliminate the Soldier to resume dealing full damage to his teammates. A Soldier can only use the Battalion's Backup once he has lost 350 HP; this means he needs to heal himself multiple times if he wants to live long enough to activate the buff. Prevent him from reaching a Medic or Resupply Cabinet, and from picking up health kits.
Concheror	Have you and your team keep their distance and/or take cover if an enemy Soldier activates his Concheror, to prevent him and his team from replenishing their health by damaging you. A well-organized team should concentrate their fire on one target at a time, as any buffed enemy left to their own devices will quickly regain any health they have lost. The ideal target is, of course, the Soldier who created the buff.

Melee Weapons

Weapon	Anti-Soldier strategy
Shovel / Frying Pan	Due to the Soldier's slow movement speed, one can usually defeat a Soldier with the Shovel or Frying Pan simply by moving backwards and attacking him. If you cannot avoid the Soldier, fight him head-on, as you should have an advantage.
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; most of the time, a Soldier uses the speed boost of the Equalizer in order to reach the safety of allies, health kits, and/or his team's Resupply Cabinet. On the other hand, if he's moving towards you, be sure to kill him before he can reach you, as his speed and attack will greatly increase as he nears death.
Pain Train	If you see a Soldier with the Pain Train, take advantage of his increased vulnerability to bullets, and watch your control points more carefully, as the extra capture speed can prove significant.
Half-Zatoichi	A Soldier who draws out his Half-Zatoichi cannot switch to another weapon until he kills someone with it. Use this to your advantage, as he will be helpless if you harass him outside of his melee distance. Keep in mind that a Half-Zatoichi that has killed someone will be covered in blood, allowing him to switch to his other weapons. A Soldier who kills an enemy with his Half-Zatoichi will regain all his health, so be careful starting a fight with a Soldier who just killed one of your teammates with it. Though striking a wielder of the Half-Zatoichi with your own will kill him instantly, you also suffer the risk of instant death if you're struck first. If you are unwilling to take a chance, let your teammates help, either by killing him themselves, or by distracting him so you can land a surprise blow.
Market Gardener	Try to attack a Soldier who has the Market Gardener while on the ground, since he cannot deal crits unless he is airborne via Rocket Jumping. That said, beware of ledges where Soldiers can Rocket Jump up to and strike you, and don't idle in place, which would allow a Soldier to hit you from above.
Disciplinary Action	The Disciplinary Action does 25% less damage to enemies, so use this as an advantage and try to pick him off. Of course, you will still have to worry about him scoring a random critical hit on you. When he hits an ally with this item, the Soldier gains a speed boost for several seconds, so try to avoid him in close combat, slaying him before he can reach you. When attacking him, make sure none of his teammates are nearby for him to strike; this may enable him (and his teammate) a quick getaway.

Class Set

Set	Anti-Soldier strategy
The Tank Buster	A Soldier using the Tank Buster item set will be less vulnerable to Sentry Guns, but he can only fire three rockets before a reload, and lacks a Shotgun. If you can catch the Soldier before he reloads, you will have a major advantage over him. Because of this Class Set giving off a more defensive asset for the Soldier, try to not attack this type of Soldier on the enemy's territory since he would have the distinct terrain advantage.
The General's Formals	With only his primary weapon as a reliable source of damage and the lack of an Equalizer, he has to rocket jump to safety if he does not have any teammates around. Use this to your advantage.
The Airborne Armaments	As the name implies, this set focuses on aerial combat. So try to keep your distance to avoid being juggled. If he tries to rocket jump towards you to land a crit with his melee weapon, just move away and take advantage of his decreased clip size.
Dr. Grordbort's Victory Pack	This set is geared towards fighting groups of enemies, so maintain a distance between your teammates to make his attacks less effective.

See also

• Rocket jumping
• Team strategy