Soldiers are a simple and moderately effective class that best fits new players and those offering defensive or offensive backup. I recommend new players using the soldier because it will give them a chance to explore the maps while offering the most help to the rest of the team.
The soldier’s main weapon is a 4 round rocket launcher that can serve two effective measures. First is to simply add to the barrage of fire from other classes in either an offensive or defensive maneuver or to rocket jump. Rocket jumping is the act of jumping and firing a rocket at your feet. This propels your character to normally unattainable heights and can be used to gain the advantage over the other team. The secondary weapon is a standard shotgun that many other classes possess. It deals moderate damage and can be useful when targets get too close. The shovel serves as the soldier’s melee weapon and is comparable to most other melee weapons.
Soldier health and speed also come into play when determining class selection. The soldier’s health is much higher than most but they sacrifice a lot of speed making them a deadly choice for snipers and spies. I would recommend sticking close to the pack to help deal out the DPS in offensive strikes. I would also like to note that while soldiers can hit fairly hard the low round capacity can severely hinder their performance on the field. Soldiers should also note that while they can take a beating, turrets are still deadly and can’t be faced head on (but you’re in luck because soldiers usually have enough time to flee the LOS).
So where do Soldiers belong in team strategies? Pretty much anywhere! Soldiers can be very helpful both defending and attacking and have some crowd controlling abilities when using the splash damage from rockets. They also can be useful for pinning down enemy sniper positions, aiding in the destruction of turrets and other engineer buildings and pushing back uber charges.
I recommend having a soldier per 5-7 players.
Tip 1: While soldiers seem like an obvious class to uber, doing so is rather ineffective. Medics should avoid ubering soldiers unless absolutely necessary due to the fact soldiers can only carry 4 rounds at a time.