Soldier strategy
From TF2 Wiki
As the general purpose assault troop of TF2, the Soldier is easy to pick up and play but difficult to master. The Soldier is capable of both long range and close quarters attacks, is quite accurate, and can often access places on various maps others cannot by rocket jumping. The Soldier is a solid "blast 'em everywhere" troop, and experienced players can use him to assault or defend key strategic points with ruthless efficiency.
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Sentry Destruction
The key to blowing up sentries as a soldier is two fold. You can either A: out range them, or B: splash damage them. Using some combination of both options is usually what is required. Remember that your splash damage as a soldier is rather large, so you don't actually need to be attackable by the sentry to hit it. Just keep dropping rockets next to it, and it will eventually go down, unless there's an Engineer spam healing it. If there is an engineer repairing the sentry, just keep at it, he'll either run out of metal, die, or you'll get a few crits in a row.
If an Engie is spam-repairing his sentry, it's pretty hard to take it down. If it's at all possible, try to get to an angle where the sentry isn't in front of the engie and thus, protecting him. From the side you can try to shoot the engie himself first with two precise shots, leaving the sentry vulnerable. Even better if you get behind the engie with his contraption now in front of him. From there, his own sentry can even kill him when it turns to perforate you.
This second SD tactic is faster than just trying to destroy the sentry with bluntly spam-rocketing it. You'll just empty your pipe and what's stopping the engie himself attacking at you then with his critting wrench of doom? or at least one of his teammates is coming to get while you're on the job. Always try to think how could you get the engie first and then concentrate on his machines. Unless you're in a very safe spot.
"Monkey in the middle" tactic (engie getting shot by his own sentry) is risky though and I can't recommend it to everyone.
Map Specific
CP_Well
- You can Rocket jump over the box cars. Use this to your advantage to come up behind people.
- The water exit from your base to the middle point is a great way to get behind your enemy if they have forward Sentries up. Also, using this path on Sudden death can be amazingly devastating as you will come up behind them most of the time.
- You can rocket from the first floor of your first point up to the balcony (second floor). This is a good way to get to the upper levels of your base quickly (if they're attacking your second point for example).
- You can use splash damage to hit people in the balcony Sniper spots from directly under them without being in their field of view.
- People tend not to look up. Standing on the boxcars (when there are no Snipers around) will give you an added advantage.
- You can Rocket jump into the rafters in the first point room. Doing so will help hide you (again, people don't look up).
TC_Hydro
- Ambush techniques work wonders here. There's usually two to three paths, most of which end in choke points, and have a way for you to either rocket jump behind them, or come up behind them normally.
- hydro is very prone to 'camp wars' where people will just hunker down. Filling choke points with rockets, and firing them around corners will help clear some of the turtling.
- By far the biggest thing you can do in Hydro is to come up behind your enemy. Take out their defenses, and then cap while they're bashing their heads against your turtle. There are several good places to do this:
- The vents are your friend. Use them to get behind the enemy's front lines.
- From the base to the water point (not the ledge path, the other one), if you hang a left and go down the dirt path, you can come up behind the enemy lines.
- When the base path of the sewers opens up, it leads right to the lower level of the base, and it's usually unguarded. It also affords you a great spot to take sentries out from.
- Remember that the points capture really quickly on hydro, and if you happen to be on defense the biggest thing you can do is not kill the person, but rather get them off the point. Sending people flying with rockets is a great way to accomplish this.
CP_DustBowl
- Defending the capture point house is very easy as a soldier, just camp that full heal on the raised area by the mines and pump rockets onto the point. It's going to take 3-4 guys to kill just you, never mind the rest of your team.
- When attacking the above point, come in from the mines so that you can out range the sentry that is usually at the top of the stairs.
- Use the mines in the above layout to lay waste to people attacking your second point by coming up behind them.
- Use the long narrow mines to your advantage by sending rockets randomly down hallways. Even if you don't kill someone, you effectively lock down that route for the enemy.
- When defending Stage 1 capture point B, camp the house/area with the medium med kit (not the grating room). Be sure to patrol the med kit area, with upstairs by the grating, and the middle pathway that leads up to the point. Rocket Jumping onto the platform with the tires is a great way to surprise attack the enemies by the grating.
- The other layouts of dustbowl are more or less the same thing. It's important to find a good spot where you can shoot down at the enemy and also close to a med kit for easy healing.
CP_Granary
- You can crouch rocket jump onto the top boxcars in the middle.
- You can also crouch rocket jump onto the metal cat walks.
- Granary is more or less open space, try to catch enemies in the few doorways and halls that are there, rather than fighting them out in the open.
- Attacking the second point on granary is very easy from the far left entrance (the one that leads to the upper area). Not only does it let you rain death upon the defenders below, and take out any sentries with relative safety, it also allows you easy access to their first point.
CP_GravelPit
- Use the roof of point B to your advantage. It's a very VERY good hang out for soldiers as you can hit every point in the general area with a rocket. Watch out for snipers and demomen though.
- Similar thing as above, but with point A. You can get onto the roofs of the little houses, and use them for cover and a hight advantage.
- Point C also has spot like this. It's on the last landing before the actual point, just turn around and rocket onto the little roof as it gives you a good vantage point from which to attack the two side entrances into C.
- You can rocket jump from Center A all the way to the top of C by first jumping onto the roof of the little house and then rocket jumping.
- The roof of point B is a great place to attack the point from too. You can splash damage the sentries without being in range of them.
CTF_2Fort
- Rocket jumps are king here. Soldiers and demomen have the most mobility in this map. Use it to your advantage.
- With some precise aiming, you can actually rocket jump clear across the water by backpedaling off the edge while jumping, and then performing a crouch rocket jump. The angle and placement of the rocket needs to be exact, but if performed correctly you can then immediately rocket jump into the enemy battlements with ~100 health left.
- Use the tight corners, and numerous blind spots to fire rockets around corners by quickly darting out just as your rocket is going to fire, and then back behind cover.
- When carrying the intel, remember that you can still rocket jump, and it's a great way to bypass enemies trying to get the intel back (by jumping through the grate, or into your own battlements for example)
Weapon Specific
Rocket launcher
- Since the rocket is a slow traveling projectile, aim ahead of the enemy's feet, adjacent wall, or surrounding area. Reload after each shot if possible, as the small clip size and slow reloading times may jeopardize you in dangerous situations.
- Try to juggle or bounce an enemy by shooting a rocket at their feet. By throwing them up, you will be able to predict where they will land and you can kill them easier. Throwing them up in the air also disorients them so they may have trouble shooting back at you.
Rocket jumping
There are a couple places that most believe unreachable by rocket jump, but in fact are possible, though may require the use of the crouch rocket jump. Some of these include:
- The roof of point B on CP_GravelPit.
- OVER the metal barrier guarding the left sniper roost in CTF_2Fort. This one is useful to surprising snipers (You can actually get up on top of it and stand on it too).
- Over the box cars in CP_Well (even before the map starts).
- from the raised area at point C on CP_GravelPit (ie the top of the two big ramps) to about 3/4 of the way up the tower.
- This one is on TC_Hydro on the layout with the open point on the raised area in the water with the two metal bridges. When the left paths are open, you can rocket from the little raised rock/dirt part at the bottom to the upper area (to where the health packs are). This is useful to get to medics guarding heavies coming down those stairs. You just rocket up behind them and take them down.
- Also on hydro, but on the part of the map with the pair of ledges (connecting the dish and the base). From the base side, headed to the dish, there is a big rock formation separating the two paths. You can get on top of the rock and shoot down on enemies. This is a classic example of where people just don't tend to look.
Shotgun
- If you believe it will take too long to reload your Rocket launcher before the enemy kills you, switch to the Shotgun. Also, it is more viable for targets further away.
Shovel
- The shovel is a viable option for close-range enemies that you want to kill without injuring yourself with Rocket launcher, or if you believe it will take too long to reload your shotgun.
- Because you're slower than every other class except for the Heavy, running after someone is not a good choice with this weapon; it's only good if you're taking someone by surprise or the enemy you're fighting is moving in close up (such as Spies trying to backstab you).
See also
