Vitals

Health: 200
Speed: 80%
Type: Offensive
Standard Weapons: Rocket Launcher, Shotgun, Shovel
Valve Unlockables: Direct Hit, Buff Banner, Gunboats, Equalizer

Weapons:

Rocket Launcher

Ammo: 4/20
Damage: 92-112 (270), splash @ 3ft = 60-81 (226), splash @ 6ft = 43-52 (140)
Best range: Short to medium

Information:

The rocket launcher is one of the simplest weapons in the game. You click, a rocket comes out, uninterruptedly follows a dead straight path, and explodes when it hits something solid, causing damage to any nearby enemies. Given its very predictable trajectory, the rocket launcher is an effective weapon (the best) for sniping distant, stationary targets, especially engineer buildings or small areas where enemies are likely to be (objectives or corners/doorways in high traffic corridors). Most importantly it can hit its targets without the user having to endanger themself, thanks to its fire-and-forget nature.

However as an anti-personnel weapon, the rocket launcher is most effective at a closer range. The rockets it fires are relatively slow, so even hurting distant mobile targets can be difficult. The basic principle for attacking enemies is to aim for the feet and let the splash damage do the work, since aiming for a direct hit will often result in a complete miss, while aiming for the feet almost always ends up with some kind of damage. It is at its best when the target is in a narrow corridor or room and is completely unable to avoid the explosion. Take advantage and let loose, not being too afraid to take damage yourself if they get too close.

Advantages: Accurate over long range, fire and forget, high damage plus decent splash damage, explosion knocks back enemies, gives soldier the ability to rocket jump.

Disadvantages: Moderate rate of fire, small clip (4 rockets), slow reload, slow rocket speed.

Shotgun

Ammo: 6/32
Damage: 78-90 (180)
Best range: Short

Information:

The shotgun is very much a standard issue weapon. 4 of the 9 classes have one, and the scout’s scattergun is similar (but better). It holds 6 shells, and each shot fires 10 bullets. As you would expect from a shotgun, it does the most damage at point blank, and its effectiveness falls off fast beyond that. At about medium range or beyond it’s probably a good idea to switch to anything else that isn’t melee.

The advantage of the shotgun however is that although it reloads at a pretty ordinary speed, it fires relatively quickly, and so long as there’s at least one shell loaded, it can be fired at will, even while reloading. Its best use is as a backup, using your primary (or other) weapon to close in on your target, and switching to the shotgun when you get to close range or run out of other ammo. Otherwise it’s okay at long rang for annoying or distracting an enemy.

Advantages: Decent damage and short to medium range, fast projectiles (compared to rocket launcher), respectable backup weapon.

Disadvantages: Ineffective beyond medium range, small clip and slow reload.

Shovel

Ammo: N/A
Damage: 43-87 (195)

Information:

The shovel is the soldier’s melee weapon, and it serves its purpose with a minimum of fuss. See Valve’s TF2 Stats for current data on the rate of random critical hits with the Shovel (among other data available).

Direct Hit

Ammo: 4/20
Damage: 112-140 (338), splash @ 2ft = 51-62 (166)
Best Range: Medium to Long

Information

The Direct Hit comes complete with instructions, as the name says it all. This weapon, much more so than the standard Rocket Launcher, requires accuracy in order to splatter your enemies into tiny bits. A 70% reduction in the range at which splash damage occurs means that you will need to actually hit your opponents (or practically hit them) to do any damage. However, it is better at actually doing so, with rockets that fly 80% faster and do 25% more damage. To top it all off, if you can manage to shoot an enemy who is airborne due to an explosion, your rocket will score a mini-crit and do bonus damage.

All this adds up to a fundamental shift from the old Soldier. When wielding the Direct Hit, you are more of a marksman than an explosives-spammer. Your rockets are often better sent towards the torsos of the soon-to-be-defeated than at their feet, bringing with it a whole new sense of satisfaction. You’re ability to strike at long ranges is improved, as there is less time to react to your faster-flying projectile before it reaches its target. Short range combat can be tougher though, since you can no longer rely on the splash effect of your rockets to do significant damage. The mini-crit bonus of the Direct Hit makes for a good combo of blasting the enemy up then again while midair for devastating effect. Similar to the old rocket/shotgun combo, but with that splattered-all-over-everything goodness.

Advantages: Higher direct damage, faster rocket means more accurate shooting, additional damage when hitting enemies blown up into the air.

Disadvantages: Lower overall damage to grouped-up enemies, more accurate shooting needed to be effective

Buff Banner

Information

This backpack, containing a bugle and a flag, can be used to inspire you and your teammates to greatness; provided that you can deal out some decent damage before dying. When equipped with the Buff Banner, you will find a new charge meter on your screen. This meter will slowly fill up as you do damage, maxing out once you have done 600 damage. If you manage to fill the bar before dying (which depletes it), then you can use the Buff Banner to, well, ‘buff’ you and your teammates. The effect lasts ten seconds, causing every attack made by you and nearby teammates to become mini-crits. Those under the effects of the Buff Banner will have a team-colored circle under their feet and a glow-effect on their weapons.

This adds a new, team-oriented dimension to the fairly straightforward Soldier class. Like a Medic wielding the Kritzcrieg, the Soldier can increase the damage of his teammates and create momentum to push forward. Unlike the Medic, the fuel which provides for the Buff Banner is raw aggression; you’ll have to be able to do a reasonable amount of damage, and survive, if you ever want to play your bugle.

Advantages: Allows the Soldier to help his teammates out and push forward, buff applies to self as well.

Disadvantages: Replacing the Shotgun removes your only ranged backup weapon, can’t use it unless you do enough damage first.

Gunboats

Information

A pair of steel-reinforced boots designed to reduce the aches and pains from rocket jumping. The Gunboats reduce damage incurred when rocket jumping by 75%, taking it from a decent injury to a mild scratch. The specifics of when these boots work and don’t are a bit tricky, but it goes like this: It reduces all rocket damage you do to yourself, unless the rocket also hurts an enemy, unless you hurt the enemy with your splash damage while rocket jumping. Got it?

Advantages: You can rocket jump more often with much less reliance on available healing

Disadvantages: Replacing the Shotgun removes your only ranged backup weapon.

Equalizer

Damage: 33-113 based on health, (3x on crit)

Information

The Equalizer is a mean-looking pointed pickaxe, more suited to mining but just as good at picking into skulls. This melee weapon comes with a unique twist; the more damaged you are, the more damage this weapon causes and the faster you move while wielding it. If you are on the verge of death, pull out your trusty pickaxe and go crazy, taking anyone else you can down with you. You might surprise yourself and be left standing amongst the corpses, still not quite dead yet.

The downside to this suicidally-motivated weapon is that when you’re healthy, it’s not that great. In fact, it’s downright lousy when at full health (or higher if overhealed), doing half the damage of a regular weapon (33). The Equalizer does the same damage as your trusty Shovel (65) when you’re at 121 health. It maxes out at a possible 113 damage when at just one health; nearly double that of a standard weapon.

All this of course doesn’t take the speed bonus into account, but it follows the same general rules. There’s no bonus at full health or higher. When you’re at 121 health you have a 20% bonus, putting you at slightly below base speed (the speed of a Pyro, Engineer, etc.). When you’re at less than 40 health you receive a whopping 60% speed bonus, placing you at just below the speed of a Scout.

Note that damage scales with you’re health rather smoothly, with one point of damage gained for roughly every other health point lost. Speed scales in steps, with a 10% bonus at 160, 20% at 120, 40% at 80, and 60% at 40 health.

Advantages: Very high melee damage when low on health, speed increase helps you run down foes or even run away

Disadvantages: Half damage when at full health