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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.

The sniper is a fairly simple class to pick up but to master requires quick reflexes, knowledge of the map and good timing. Any veteran sniper knows that it’s not about how many people you hit, but who you hit.

The snipers main weapon is the sniper rifle (obviously) which deals moderate to high damage depending on how long it charges. The charge shows when you scope in and ranges from 0-100%. At 100 percent it will deal the highest amount of damage and will kill just about anyone in a single head shot. Even when not fully charged a head shot automatically has a 100% chance to crit and will most likely kill a weaker target. The snipers secondary weapon is a fully automatic “machine pistol” that deals low damage for close encounters. This leaves the machete which deals comparable damage to most other melee weapons.

While snipers are excellent tools on the field they are also very vulnerable. Turrets, heavies, demos, soldiers and pyros can easily tear down snipers if they get too close while even scouts, spies and medics will do their fair share of damage. Good snipers will need to be vigilant when targeting their enemies and must focus on whom they attack first. The first target all snipers should focus on is other snipers. This is done by picking them out and strafing back and forth, while zoomed, to get the headshot. After the target is taken out you have a choice. If there are enemies rushing your position they come first. If not, I would recommend taking out slow moving enemies like heavies and soldiers who can hit you from a distance. Medics can be another great class to take out but are fairly difficult to keep targeted. Of course any enemy that is stationary should be killed immediately regardless of class.

Tip 1: If you are sniping and can see an enemy turret being built take a shot at 100% power. If the turret is new it will destroy it. You can also take out teleporters and dispensers if engineers aren’t constantly repairing them.

Tip 2: Snipers should always keep their backs against a wall or something solid if possible. This act deters spies and other classes from getting behind them while scoped in. A good sniper also knows to check his surroundings almost constantly.

Tip 3: When using your Sniper Rifle, the laser dot that is used for aiming is also visible to the enemy. If you can hide it for example by pointing it to the side of a doorway and then quickly moving it into position when someone runs through, it will leave the enemy unaware.