The Soldier is a crazed, jingoistic patriot from America's heartland. Tough and well-armed, he is versatile, capable of both offense and defense, and a great starter class to get familiar with the game.
His ability to rocket jump is pretty big part of playing Soldier as well as his position and role.

Soldier is the second slowest class in the game, rocket jumps negates this downsides and thanks to them, Soldier is more mobile than you might think.

The Soldier is a good offensive and defensive class whose primary is the powerful Rocket Launcher. He can do a large amout of damage in a short period of time but has to remeber to keep the Rocket Launcher loaded at all time or be caught off-guard.

Having a Soldier on your team can make a lot things easier. Unlike specialist classes, Soldier can do multiple things whether he can take care of flank, be a part of a push, helping his teammates with a certain buffs or even protecting weaker classes which has strong potentional for team (Medic or Engineer).

I will talk about individual roles and weapons

Agressive Soldier equipped with Gunboats and Rocket Launcher. Roamer rocket jumps pretty often and uses the splash damage of his rockets to deal maximum damage as possible. The Escaple Plan is there to escape from a certain danger.

• Rocket Launcher / Original
  
• Gunboats
  
• Escape Plan

Defensive type of Soldier with Rocket Launcher and Shotgun. Pocket often fights around Medic and plays more passivly. Unlike previous mentioned Roamer, the Pocket uses his rocket jumps only in needed situations.

• Rocket Launcher
  
• Shotgun
  
• Disciplinary Action

Similar to the Pocket but instead of the Shotgun, this one is equipped with banners filled with certain buffs. Banner Soldier plays around his team and he's often the very core of the push. Equipped with the banner of choice.

• Rocket Launcher
  
• Buff Banner / Battalion's Backup / Concheror
  
• Escape Plan

Very specific style of play. This Soldier uses Air Strike and B.A.S.E Jumper. Parachutist plays very safe and picks the loners or taking down Sentries from a distance. After a few kills, he can unleash the barrage on a group of enemies.

• Air Strike
  
• B.A.S.E Jumper
  
• Market Gardener

Many players thinks this weapon set is too overpowered but this thought is incorrect. There are many weaknesses as you have no backup shotgun, less firepower. But on the other hand, ConchBox Soldiers heals themselves as they hit a shot which means they're hard to kill.

• Black Box
  
• Concheror
  
• Disciplinary Action

This type of Soldier plays completely away from main combat. Enemies who are unaware of their surroundings can be often in a surprise. Other than that, he uses similar loadout to the Roamer's one.

• Rocket Launcher
  
• Gunboats
  
• Escape Plan

Most common and versitile primary Soldier has at his disposal. It's rockets are capable of decent splash damage or you can choose to get a direct hit for 90 damage. Ammo Capacity and clip size is solid, there's no downsides and beacuse of that, I recommend using the stock Rocket Launcher for the most situations.

• Successful hit restores up to 20HP
  
• Has a 25% smaller clip size. (3 rockets)

The Black Box is often used in conjunction with the Concheror for the maximum health regeneration but more often than not, The Black Box truly shines when separated from your team or when heals are hard to obtain. Definetly not an agressive primary due to the smaller clip size though.

• Has 80% faster rocket speed.
  
• Deals 25% more damage.
  
• Guarantees mini-crits damage on opponents sent airborne by an explosion.
  
• Has 70% smaller splash damage radius.

From the stats and the name, you can tell that this primary is not meant for splash explosion but rather for direct hits. It's faster projectile speed in conjunction with the bonus damage can wipe out light classes like Scouts, Spies or even Mini-Sentries. Direct Hit is also a great weapon for practicing airshots since you deal mini-crits airborne enemies.

• +25% clip size.
  
• Has 40% faster rocket speed.
  
• -25% blast damage from rocket jumps.
  
• -25% damage penalty.

With weaker Gunboats stat, Liberty Launcher can be viable when playing Flanker. Carrying a Shotgun (or Reserve Shooter) negates the -25% damage penalty. Keep in mind that the extra rocket in your clip is there to help you move around the map easier and having the ability to rocket jump at any time.

• Does not use ammo (replaced with an ammo meter).
  
• Deals only 20% damage to buildings.
  
• Crits are converted to Mini-Crits instead.
  
• Secondary fire is a charged shot that:
  
  • Deals Mini-Crit and applies afterburn.
    
  • Disables buildings for 4 seconds.
    
  • Empties entire ammo meter.
    
  • Cannot be used unless ammo meter is full (secondary fire only).

Pretty passive weapon if you think of it. This focus-wave projector doesn't require any ammo which can be an advantage sometimes but more often than not, ammo is not a huge deal if your team has a Dispenser or you're walking around the battleground with Ammo packs already.
The charged shot does mini-crits, afterburn and it consumes the enitre clip but on the other hand; if this weapon can't deal a decend damage to Sentry Guns, it can disable them for four seconds with the charged shot, giving your team a opportunity to push trough a certain chokepoint.

• -15% damage from rocket jumps.
  
• Increased attack speed while blast jumping.
  
• Clip size increased on kill (up to 8).
  
• Lower damage penalty and smaller explosion radius.
  
• -20% explosion radius while blast jumping.

With Airstrike, you won't deal the same damage as with the stock Rocket Launcher. That's why it is often paired with B.A.S.E Jumper since it allows you to stay in the air much longer and therefore, unlocking the special ability Airstrike has.
It is good to play very safe, farm your kills and pick loners and you will be fine with this weapon and it's playstyle.

• Hold Fire to load up to three rockets.
  
• Release Fire to unleash rockets at 70% increased fire rate.
  
• +3 degrees random projectile deviation.
  
• Overloading the chamber will cause a misfire.
  
• Cannot collect ammo from dispensers while active.
  
• -20% less explosion radius.

Beggar's Bazooka is good ambushing weapon, if you can get and unaware enemy, there's no way he can escape your barrage. On the other hand, this weapon is very slow beacuse it requires reloading before it can fire. It is also not ideal to take down Sentry Guns with Beggar's Bazooka since those 3 degrees make a very huge diffrence on a longer range.

Soldiers who has the Shotgun equipped tends to play more safe (usually around Medic). Rocket Launcher and Shotgun combination can be a death sentence for several classes. Are you head to head against competent Pyro? Pull out your Shotgun.

• Faster switch speed.
  
• Mini-crits if the target is launched airborne by explosions.
  
• Has 34% smaller clip size.

Very underrated Shotgun for Soldier. Do you want to play safe and protect yourself and your Medic against Gunboats roaming Soldiers? Reserve Shooter is a solution to this problem.

• Grants 60% less self-damage from rocket jumping.

If you ask any Soldier main what they think about Gunboats, you will most likely hear that it's a versitile, general and overall the best secondary Soldier has at his disposal. Self-damage resistance allows you to be more viable, more aggressive. Gunboats makes your rocket jumping much more frequent and therefore, increasing the viability of the class.

• -75% reduction in push force taken from enemy damage.
  
• -75% reduction in airblast vulnerability.
  
• 200% increased air control when blast jumping.
  
• Does damage on enemies you land on.

Least used secondary beacuse outside of "Trolldier" playstyle, there's no reason why to use Mantreads instead of Gunboats or any other secondary.

• Shoots an electric projectile instead of shotgun pellets.
  
• Does not use ammo (replaced with an ammo meter).
  
• Projectile penetrates enemy targets and cannot be reflected.
  
• Projectile damage reduced by 25% for each enemy penetrated.
  
• Deals only 20% damage to buildings.
  
• Has a 33% smaller clip size.

Bison used to be a pretty interesting weapon before nerf. After the rework however it is...well it is not viable at all. You can shoot some projectiles to the choke for a little bit of damage but that it.
This weapon is like Mantreads; -there's no reason using this instead any other secondary.

• Allows player to activate a parachute whilst midair, slowing their descent.

Definetly a casual secondary. This parachute it used in conjunction with the Air Strike for a certain playstyle, other uses are minimal.

• +50% more pellets per shot
  
• Deploys 50% faster
  
• Has a fixed pattern (no random bullet spread)
  
• -20% damage penalty
  
• Successive shots become less accurate

Slightly weaker shotgun but as a surprise weapon it is not that bad though. But more often than not, you need to have reliable damage dealer which is the stock.

Banners in the next chapter

The stock Shovel is for the last resort in close combat when you have nothing in a clip in both Rocket Launcher and Shotgun. This weapon has one phychological weakness; Once you taste the Escape Plan, you won't go back...

• Crits while blast jumping.
  
• 20% slower firing speed.

This is one of those weapon that are very unnessessary but once mastered, very good. The Market Gardener is used by (not only) by "Trolldier" since you can oneshot every class exept Heavy with this shovel in the air.

• 70% longer melee range.
  
• On hit ally: boosts player's speed for 4 seconds and boosts ally's speed for 2 seconds.
  
• Deals 25% less damage.

This weapon sacrifices damage for utility purposes. Soldiers who uses the Disciplinary Action are often located around his teammates beacuse of the speed boost upside.

• On kill: heals you 50% base health (can overheal).
  
• Once drawn will be holstered for -50 HP unless it kills.
  
• Slower deploy and holster time.
  
• No random critical hits.

This weapon is all about good timing, only take it out when you are going to kill someone or you have to sacrifice 50 HP in order to switch back.
Keep an eye on the enemy wielding the same melee as he can kill you with a single blow. Same goes for you.

• Increases user's capture rate by 1 for points and carts
  
• Raises bullet vulnerability by 10%

This weapon has a double capture rate, which can be great for ninja capturing far points or just helping push through control points and payload carts. I wouldn't recommend it unless the situation calls for it. It is equal to all default melee weapons except for the bullet vulnerability increase.

• Damage increase as user's remaining health decreases.
  
• -90% less healing from Medic sources.

I would say it's a better Shovel beacuse when you don't have any other resources, you're often wounded. That's when Equalizer comes into play. The damage is really good when at low health, sometimes you just have to deal with the situation with no health packs, Medics and teammates.

• Movement speed increase as user's remaining health decreases.
  
• User takes mini-crits when weapon is active, and for 3 seconds after switching away.
  
• -90% less healing from Medic sources.

As the name can tell, Escape Plan, unlike the Equalizer is meant to be utility weapon. But be careful when you pull it out! Usually it is worth using it when you have below 40%. I recommend it for aggressive Soldiers.

There are three types of banners, each serves an individual purpose.






Buff Banner, unlike other banners doesn't provide you a passive buff which means it is slightly worse when it comes to surviveability. But in the return, you have the ability to give yourself and your team mini-crits for a short period of time.
Mini-crits are ideal for most of situation (mostly on defense). And after dealing 600 damage, you can unleash those juicy crits in the right situation, perhaps the one when there's a lot of teammates to buff and enemies to kill.

• Charges a rage meter with damage dealt — takes 600 damage to fully charge rage meter.
  
• Using it grants player and nearby teammates 10 seconds of guaranteed Mini-Crits.

Use Buff Banner to aid your team against offensive push.







In Batalion's Backup's description it says it provides you a defensive buff. By this, many Soldiers tends to use this banner on Defense. But if you take a look at these stats here, you will see that the Batalion's Backup provides you with a critical immunity, which often negates the Kritzkrieg running on Defense. Resists 50% Sentry Gun attacks, Sentries are much often used on Defense so that's another reason why Backup is better on Offense. Raises resistance to damage by 35%, which is overall good in every situation but mostly, when pushing trought a choke point.

• Charges a rage meter with damage dealt — takes 600 damage to fully charge rage meter.
  
• At 100% charge, using it grants player and nearby teammates 10 seconds of:
  
  • Immunity to Critical damage.
    
  • Raises resistance to damage by 35%.
    
  • Raises resistance to Sentry Gun by 50% (does not stack with previous).
• Passively increases max health by 20 points (220 total) on wearer.

Unlike Buff Banner, Battalion's Backup grants you +20 extra HP meaning you can survive more, risk more and rising your overheal to total 330 instead of 300 HP.

Use Battalion's Backup to aid an offensive push with resistances.







This is the safe-good-to-go banner which fits in most of the situations. Concheror provides you a passive buff with health regeneration depending on recent damage taken, stacking to 4 HP. When you unleash your battle cry, Concheror gives you and your teammates a speed boost and health on kill ability which perfectly shines at holding areas and increasing your team's surviveability.

• Charges its rage meter with damage dealt — takes 480 damage to fully charge rage meter.
  
• While the buff is active, for 10 seconds the user and nearby teammates:
  
  • Have their movement speed boosted.
    
  • Are healed for 35% of the damage they deal.
• Passively grants a health regeneration depending on recent damage taken; max is +4.

Use Concheror when your team is playing passivly and sustains a certain area.


All these banners are good in needed situations, use them wisely and support your team effectivly. Always look at your buff bar and play passivly so you won't die. Banner Soldiers are often a great contributors to the push.

The ability to rocket jump is a pretty big part of playing and mastering Soldier. It negates your slow physical movement. With rocket jumps, Soldier can become a very fast class.

There are several rocket jump types:

• Simple Rocket Jump
  
• Pogo Jumps
  
• Sync Jumps

Each individual rocket jump helps in specific situations.


Only this one is required to be successful Soldier. Simple rocket jump is when you jump, crouch and fire a rocket either underneath you to get in a desired position. You can also preform better "Wall Jumps", it's very simmilar but instead aiming under feet, get a near wall (usually on right side) and fire a rocket behind you to the wall.











Pogo Jumping can be really useful in maps that are really small or in buildings. Or the other use is when rolling out of the spawn to the mid. To successfully preform a Pogo Jump requires a good amout of practice.
Basically you have to jump by a rocket, hold crouch and hold yourself in the air by shooting rockets under you. You have to be close to the ground, it is not ideal to jump higher than 10 feet.











Sync jumps are really hard to execute but are good for many diffrent reasons, one of them is "boosting" or final jump before Market Gardener kill.
To preform a good Sync jump is to shoot a rocket while in the air, after you land, preform a single rocket jump combined with the previous rocket. This act will help you to get into air faster and higher.


















When in fight:
Your movement is really important when attacking not only for dodging enemy fire, but also avoiding your own splash damage. To avoid your explosives, try to jump sideways when firing.

Height Advantage:
When doing 1v1 or fighting in a team push, it is always good to get a high ground.
Not only in Star Wars, but in TF2 appies whoever has the height advantage, usually wins. Soldiers gains their power as their position

Rocket management is really important when playing Soldier. Knowing how many rockets you should fire and how many you should keep for rocket jump often separates the good Soldiers apart from the better ones.
It is ideal to have at least one rocket in a clip. Before rocket jumping, reload all four rockets so you're ready to go.
If you often run out of ammo, learn where ammo packs are for better preformance.

Soldier's big advantage is Splash Damage. I highly recommend using it when defending a point or a cart because you can just spam your rockets on point / cart and kill many people.

Airshots are cool and good-looking indeed, but if you aren't epic master, you'd be better just killing off an enemy on the ground than trying for airshot and missing an 25% of your clip.

Some classes are easy to kill with splash damage, kill them first before killing the stronger, healtier ones.

Soldier is a team class that can fit in any situation. Play the style which is needed, too many Soldiers? Switch to something else.

Alright, I should've mentioned this earlier, when rocket jumping, keep an eye on your health. You should have 200 HP before jumping to the battle. You should count that you will lose a lot HP in the fight (if not dying). And save few HP for jumping away.

Thank you so much for reading and I hope you learnt something new here. Don't forget to rate this guide and write a comment, I read all of them and they really cheer me up.

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