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How To Play Soldier In MVM (Mann vs. Machine)

By Ink Spark

In this second guide in my MVM series, we look at the soldier. And How to Play as the maggot killing, patriotic, rocket weilding, blaster.

Award

Created by

Ink Spark
Offline

Category: Characters, Classes, Co-op, Game Modes, Gameplay Basics, Loot, Multiplayer, Walkthroughs, Weapons

Languages: English

Class: Soldier

Posted

Updated

10 Dec, 2016 @ 4:02pm

11 Dec, 2016 @ 12:44pm

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Guide Index

Overview

Soldier's MVM abilities

Primary Weapons

Secondary Weapons

Melee Weapons

Soldier's Upgrade Path

Conclusion

Comments

Soldier's MVM abilities

Now with soldier, you really only have 1 MAIN objective. That being is to kill robots and supply your team with buffs from the 3 buff choices. But that isent all you'll be doing.

Hopefully, this guide will lead you and your team to a crushing victory in the Badlands.

Primary Weapons

The Weapons that the soldier can weild are destructive. Which is why his role in mvm is to kill robots. Here are his primary weapons:

The Rocket Launcher

The original, reliable, well-rounded rocket slinger. Four rockets in a chamber, and 40-100 damage per rocket, depending on your distance from your target. As stated, this rocket launcher is almost perfect for any situation. Its only downside is that it also doesnt have any bonus stats but, there isent any drawbacks either. Overall making this weapon a good choice.

The Black Box

The Black Box can prove very useful in late waves. Though close to a downgrade in the early ones. The Black Box has the ability to regen health on hit, depending on how much damage you did to the enemy up to +20 health regen on direct hits. The major downside to this weapon is the reduced clip size it has. Only allowing 3 rockets per clip. This weapon is a good choice during later waves.

The Liberty Launcher

The Liberty Launcher in Mann VS Machine can help or hurt you depending on your style of play and how you generally upgrade your Rocket Launcher. The increased projectile speed can be pretty helpful allowing you to dish out damage at faster rates. The projectile speed already an ability on this gun defeats the purpose of having to upgrade the projectile speed in the upgrade station. Though its downside is huge and defeats soldiers main role in MVM, damage. This rocket launcher isent the best choice, but isen't the worst either. Use it only if your confident you can make it work.

The Cow Mangler 5000

This weapon is one of the better Rocket Launchers in MvM.The Cow Mangler truly shines here, since you won't ever be needing ammo for it. Combine this weapon with any of the buff secondaries and you won't ever require any ammo at all, period. The Mangler can also produce a massive shot that deals afterburn damage as well as the splash damage. The only downside is that it takes your entire clip to use, the ability should only be used when your confident that you wont be caught empty-handed.

The Direct Hit

If you feel like partially saving cash on damage and projectile speed for your Rocket Launcher, then perhaps you should give this weapon a try. This weapon can be a major pain, and a destructive force at the same time. The weapon has a +80% projectile speed and a +25% damage bonus. This is great for saving money for other upgrades as you wont need to upgrade the damage or projectile speed as much. Though, its only downside and HUGE downside at that, is the -75% blast radius. This downside is CRIPPLING, hordes of robots will be annoying as all hell with this weapon, yet, its PERFECT at tanks and giants. Use this weapon cautiously.

The Beggar's Bazooka

This weapon is widely considered to be the best primary weapon for MVM.The 3 rockets that fire from this weapon after it is fully loaded come out in quick succession at a much more rapid rate than would a regular rocket from any other Rocket Launcher. Its downside is the rockets that are fired are highly inaccurate causing the rockets possibly not landing where you want them to. But this downside can also become an upside against hordes of robots. This weapon really shines in later waves with maxed out reload speed and clip size causing you to become an almost indestructible force. I highly reccomend this weapon in later waves.

Secondary Weapons

SECONDARY WEAPONS
Now that you hopefully hold a firm grasp on the benefits of certain Primary Weapons and know
what you should and shouldn't be using, we take a look at soldier's secondary weapons. These weapons can prove rather useful in MVM lets take a look at them.

The Shotgun

Overall, a well rounded, versatile, and useful secondary for the Soldier. This weapon should mostly be used for when your out of primary ammo and there is a robot near the bomb, or when you need to pick off a single target. This weapon isen't great for crowd control, and remember that your giving up the use of a banner for this weapon only use when your team is solid.

The Reserve Shooter

Staying with the shotgun theme, we have the Reserve Shooter. This weapon is horrible in MVM and has little to no use in the gamemode. It has the ability to mini crit enemies in the air, but also has only 4 shots in a clip. Its hard to launch enemies into the air and have the time to pull out the reserve shooter, and shoot them for just a bit of extra damage, making this weapon horrible in MVM. It just isen't good for anything really.

The Righteous Bison

This weapon is very fun and, when fully upgraded, can prove to be rather effective. This weapon is great for crowd control. Yet, it is very expensive to upgrade and isent very fast and requires you to predict where the enemy will be. Not a bad choice, but banners would serve a better purpose.

The Gunboats

This weapon is a very poor choice in MVM and only serves the purpose of crippling your maximum potential. I suggest to stay away from this weapon.

The Mantreads

This weapon suffers the same fate as the Gunboats. This weapon isent very viable in MVM and shouldn't be touched whatsoever. There are better options in the Soldier's secondary weapons.

The Buff Banner

This is considered by many MvM players to be the best MvM Soldier Secondary, This weapon, when activated, can supply your team with mini crits and is the damage support out of all 3 banners use it when dealing damage in quick sucession is important.

The Battalion's Backup

The Battalion's Backup, or Batts for short, Is a defensive banner for your team and completly negates crits this weapon shines in later waves when crits are more apparent.

The Concherer

The Conch is rather useful and is the main health support of all 3 banners. This weapon, when activated, can supply your team with health on hit, and movement speed is increased. This weapon is a great choice for when medics and dispensers are scarce.

Melee Weapons

Melee Weapons
The Melee weapon. The Soldier's Melee weapon should never be used as a Primary damage source; doing so is a waste of time and hinders your team's overall effectiveness. Still, the effects to the Soldier himself that some Melee weapons have can be rather valuable. Here are the melee choices:

The Shovel

The trusty Shovel suffers no drawbacks and leaves you unaffected by negative effects. It does Mid-damage at 65 dmg per hit. Though your shovel is good stat wise, it isen't a wise choice to run into a mob smacking robots with your shovel.

The Market Gardener

This weapon isen't your best choice in MVM. It is slightly useful against tanks, yet that same job is better suited for your primary. This weapon isent allowed to inflict crits, even when a medic kritz you
with his medi gun. There are better choices for a melee than this.

The Half Zatoichi

The Zatoichi isen't the best choice in MVM infact, its one of the worst. The weapon is honour bound, meaning that if deployed it will only sheath if you kill an enemy. If sheathed pre-prematurely, it deals 50 damage to yourself. though, it can restore your hp fully on kill, it isent the best option in MVM.

The Pain Train

The Pain Train is the WORST melee weapon for MVM. This weapon has no upsides that are relevant to MVM and it has a damage vulnerability downside. The weapon serves only as a piece of crap in MVM, DO NOT TOUCH THIS WEAPON!!!

The Disiplinary Action

The Disiplinary Action isen't very useful in MVM. This weapon can grant you and a teammate increased movement speed on hit, but only for a few seconds. It suffers from a damage penalty as well. The weapon isen't a bad choice in MVM, but it isen't a good choice either.

The Equalizer

The Equalizer is one of the better choices for the soldier's melee slot.The upside serves the purpose of when your at low health, it has a damage bonus depending on how low you are in hp. This can be a tad bit helpful in very specific situations, but again, soldier has better melee weapons.

The Escape Plan

The Escape Plan is the best melee for soldier in MVM. It serves the purpose of escape, hence, the name "Escape Plan." When deployed it allows you to run faster this will help when there is little time to escape and can be helpful for your survivability. Its downside is when this weapon is deployed, you will be marked for death, aka vulnerable to minicrits. This weapon is very useful in MVM.

Soldier's Upgrade Path

1. Rocket Launcher Firing Speed and Reload Speed
This is quite useful early on and can really help dish out damage early on.
2. Rocket Launcher Health on Kill
This replaces the need to upgrade resistances on soldier in the MAIN path of upgrading you'll be killing alot and you can get your hp from this.
3. Rocket Launcher Ammo Capacity
Upgrading your ammo capacity really helps when ammo packs and dispensers are scarce
4. Buff Duration
Upgrading this will allow you to boost the time on your banners allowing you to continously use your banners effects longer, and quicker.
5. Rocket Launcher Damage
Damage is essential in dealing out more damage to tanky robots and can eventually one shot squishy enemies on a direct hit.
6. Rocket Launcher Clip Size
The clip size upgrade really helps when you need to continously fire rockets at the enemy and helps with damage per second alot too.
7. Your Choice!
From now on, i would suggest upgrading your resistances or your movement speed and jump height or anything of the such.

Conclusion

Thanks everyone for being patient with this one, I appreciate all your feedback and how i can improve! Next guide will be on the Pyro and how to play him in MVM. And as always Have fun!

Feel the need to give me something? Here is my donation link: https://steamcommunity.com/tradeoffer/new/?partner=323975987&token=aeuFLzbf

Please only donate MVM tickets if you decide to donate. You dont not have to donate, its only here if you want to. If you dont want to donate, type me a comment in the comment section and tell me how much the guide helped, or didnt help you and why. :)

31 Comments

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Bullet Ploof Grass 9 Sep, 2021 @ 11:11pm

where airstrike

Splinx 2 Jun, 2019 @ 7:49pm

wheres the pyro one?

Ink Spark [author] 17 Dec, 2016 @ 10:18pm

http://gtm.steamproxy.vip/profiles/76561198284241715/screenshot/108481898354035005

also this today! :D

Ink Spark [author] 17 Dec, 2016 @ 10:18pm

meh. canteens take away precious credits for non temp abilities i once saw a medic pop his kritz canteen on a heavy and he was backstabbed moments later. a wasted canteen in his wake.

♦ACE♦ 17 Dec, 2016 @ 4:05pm

My 2 cents on crit canteens is that they're not a waste IF you have already maxed out the necessary upgrades. If you literally have money to burn and you can afford to buy crit canteens why wouldn't you? I thought the object was to do as much damage as possible or am I missing something? As long as my name is at the top of the damage board then I could care less about how you upgraded or think I upgraded. As for DarkPaladin getting "carried" through any tours, I can't say I've ever seen anyone correct him on his game play or upgrades, much less need to be carried. I have not really read any of his guides, but he's taught me a lot in-game. Cheers, ACE

DisSpenSir 17 Dec, 2016 @ 4:03pm

1. Tour Count can mean a lot and it is quite impossible to be "carried" for 136 tours and if you believe what you just said I’m sorry but you're dead wrong. If I played all of these tours with one class the whole time I would have gotten bored with playing MVM a long time ago. So if you are discounting my opinion by the idea that there MVM players with many more tours than me who would disagree with me then you're wrong again because you are just using their words against me, not your own. You completely discredit yourself while trying to defend yourself which makes me not care about anything you have to say. Maybe you should start calling it “tours=wisdom” logic.

DisSpenSir 17 Dec, 2016 @ 4:03pm

2. Canteens are not a crutch, they are a tool, a utility, that can be used whenever they are needed. I don’t use them, heck I don’t really like them much either. But people who I have played with use them and sometimes they do considerably better than myself in all aspects of scoring. That being said good players can spend money on upgrades and canteens and do better than just spending money on upgrades. People improve with practice and repetition not just relying on canteens.

DisSpenSir 17 Dec, 2016 @ 4:02pm

3. Canteens are a tool by design they can help good players perform better. Canteens effectiveness is irrelevant in relation to maps, they are relevant to situation and the player. Your claims and arguments are full of holes and ignorance MannsOverMeta and I encourage you to test things for yourself and take advice from more experienced players to improve your knowledge on MVM.

4. @Allgemeine I apologize for the Flame War, but MannsOverMeta is wrong and is misfeeding you and anyone else reading the comments biased information which I could stand seeing knowing what I have learned in MVM after years of playing it.

MannsOverMeta 17 Dec, 2016 @ 5:42am

Yeah, I wouldn't want to have a flame war on a guide that isn't even mine or yours.
Also, Happy B-Day m8.

Ink Spark [author] 16 Dec, 2016 @ 10:17pm

i kinda have to agree with MOM here, never waste credits on a temporary ability, it just isnt useful as he said, in the long run. saving money is the way to go. though i dont want you two fighting in my comment section if you would pls kindly stop. i would appriciate it. also the mvm guide to pyro will be delayed as in my birthday is saturday. sorry for any inconvienence this may have caused. have a nice day. :)

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