Thanks to Necroninja for the SFM guide thumbnail!

Anyway, the tile is self-explanatory here and I'll let it do the talking. sorry this one will be mostly, if not all, text, but I'm testing out different formats. I might do bullet points in the future or do mostly pictures or something. Tell me if you like this format more or less than the normal one!

Also, keep in mind that, while I try to present a strong case for my opinion, this is not the end-all, be -all source for this info. This is why I have included reason 11, same as the last guide in this series. So if you can think up a counterpoint or if you can build onto this theory, go ahead and put it in a comment! They're very interesting to read. If I like your point or counterpoint and it's well-reasoned, I may even respond to it!

Soldier has one of the highest mobility rankings of any class, being in contention for second behind the Scout and tied with the Demoman. This allows him to reach the frontlines way faster from spawn, and escapes are made much easier. This also increases survivability, as you can leave a bad situation or go find a health pack far faster than your teammates.

*Update* A lot of you are apparently being confused by this, so here we go. Mobility is not just a measurement of raw speed. It is a measurement of how easy it is for the class to travel around the map. Scout is in first place because of his faster movement, double jumps, and movement-boosting weapons. Soldier and Demoman are tied for second because of explosive jumping.

Another second-place stat, the Soldier has 200 health (Heavy holds the crown with 300). This means the Soldier is semi-immune to quickscopes, can take a lot of damage from other classes, and makes him a great Medic buddy, which also increases his own survivability even farther. High health = long life, basically.

Spies still instakill though. :(

Oh yeah. Rockets. These things are awesome, and have all sorts of unique abilities. Their minimal damage, depending on which one you're using, is somewhere in the 20s-30s. They have a massive range (if you can lead shots properly), have splash damage that's great for breaking up a cart party, give you the ability to rocket jump (there's that mobility), and to top it all off, aren't affected by gravity. Oh well.

Another odd trait about rockets. Their damage is distance-based, but registers when the rocket hits, not when it's fired (makes sense). So if you, the Soldier, spot a weak enemy, fire a perfect lead, then rocket jump or teleport closer, your rocket will do more damage to the opponent! See if you can make use of that, maybe divebomb some fools.

Aw man, banners are cool too. Is there any better way to show that these are for team support than to say that having one is almost mandatory for Mann Up Soldiers?

So, here's a rundown of how banners work. As you hit enemies (or shoot them), a rage meter builds. Once it's full (480-600 damage), you can take out your Banner and blow into the horn to activate a short time where everyone around you is buffed, with either offensive, defensive, or regen/speed effects. This will also affect you.

In addition, the Battallion's Backup and Concheror will provide you with passive buffs, the Backup with an extra 20 HP, and the Conch provides +2 HP regen per second.

Overall, this is amazing for team support, making the Soldier the backbone of any push.

Remember how I said that the Soldier is key to any push? Well, he doesn't have to be. In competitive TF2, there are often 2 Soldiers in 6v6 matches. One is protected by a Medic and serves as the general offense, while the other exists to pick off targets (usually the enemy Medic). These options are always available to any Soldier with the proper weapons, and that means you can adapt yourself to any enemy defense or offense.

As I mentioned in the Rockets section, the Soldier's primary weapon can deal splash damage to a group of enemies. This makes the Soldier great for sentry busting or point-breaking, as he can deal with the whole group instead of picking one opponent off at a time. This is a fairly simple concept, but be aware that a direct hit with a rocket will do more damage, but splash damage is more reliable. Remember to aim at the floor!

Again mentioned in the Rockets section, Soldier's primary fires projectiles that explode on contact with opponents or surfaces. This allows for three things.

First, Soldier is completely immune to weapon projecile spread (unless using the Beggar's Bazooka), so every shot will hit its target if led properly. This makes it very useful for sentry busting.

Secondly, this means that Soldier's attacks must be led if shot from a distance, as the projectiles have a travel time. This makes it hard for laggy Soldiers to be successful, but a Soldier who understands this can have a real advantage when he pops an enemy in the air with knockback.

Finally, projectiles deal more damage per shot than bullets or energy weapons. This means that Soldiers can pick off targets who are alone much more quickly than other classes.

'Nuff said.

Crockets (Critical Rockets) deal 270 damage and can one-shot anyone except a full-HP Heavy or overhealed Soldier. In addition, these are immune to damage falloff, deal no extra damage on self-damage, and also deal crit splash damage. Really overpowered, and there's a possibility to hit two in a row (and you get an achievement for it).

Soldier has one of the largest arsenals of melee weapons in the game, and he is also one of the only classes where there is never a "right" weapon, no matter your loadout or style. Soldier's melees give all sorts of buffs, such as high damage when at low health, speeding up you and allies when you hit teammates, Speeding you up on low health, and instantly dealing 195 damage to any enemy hit during a rocket jump (or other explosive launch). This means a huge amount of versatility for the Soldier, and it doesn't hurt that these weapons all look super cool.

Because why not?

Some melee weapons for the soldier allow you to pull out a grenade and detonate it in your hand. This blast goes through walls and ceilings, and also is capable of destroying multiple enemies in one blast. However, it does instakill you too, unless you can find a spot where your head is either in, above, or inches below a thin surface (where the grenade will detonate aboveground, and the floor will shield you from the blast).

Ask yourselves this, readers. How many times have you been fighting an enemy and accidentally blown yourself up with a failed escape attempt, a too-close rocket, or a stupid enemy Spy?

Self-harm is a Soldier's biggest weakness. His mobility comes at the cost of health, and everything I mentioned goes away if the Soldier dies. Rocket jumps deal 40 HP of damage when done right (20 with the Gunboats), and a whopping 85 if done wrong. Don't ask me to define "wrong" in this context.

Bonus tip: The Soldier has no direct counter class. Think about that when facing a balanced enemy team.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed reading the guide! Tell me what you think of the new style (like it? Don't? I want to know!), because these are faster to produce and I can usually get a guide out in one session if I set my mind to it. I don't want to sacrifice text quality or personality though, so the pictures went away.

Here's a link to my Steam Group!
https://steamhost.cn/steamcommunity_com/groups/tipstrickssubclasses

Thanks for reading!