Soldier 76 Key Takeaways
- Soldier 76’s best maps feature medium-range sightlines and wide, protected flanks, so that his gun does maximum damage and he can take advantage of flanks with his ability to increase his movement speed.
- Soldier 76’s worst maps feature short- or long-range sightlines, and those with lots of high ground. Soldier is easily overwhelmed at short range and outclassed at long range, and has no vertical mobility ability like Ashe does.
- Soldier counters heroes without armor, such as Roadhog. Armor is strong against Soldier 76 since he shoots many bullets with a low amount of damage each (the opposite of heroes like Cassidy and Ashe).
- Soldier is countered by a variety of heroes, assuming they are dueling him from their preferred ranges. If Soldier can establish a medium-range encounter versus a hero, he will likely have the upper hand, or at least be equal in terms of likelihood to win the fight.
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Soldier 76 Quick Tips
- Soldier 76 has 200 total health, with no armor or shields.
- Soldier 76 is a fantastic all-around hero that can get value in many different team compositions, and against many enemy heroes.
- The downside of his flexibility is the fact that he does not have any situation in which he is an obviously better pick than other hitscan heroes, such as Cassidy and Ashe.
- A strong Soldier 76 can lead the team and plug weaknesses from allied teammates. Download the Z League app for free to find support and tank teammates that are worth carrying.
Soldier 76 Abilities Explained
Img via Blizzard Entertainment
Heavy Pulse Rifle (Primary Fire)
Soldier 76’s primary fire is reliable and forgiving. With 30 bullets, players can afford to miss some shots and still deal significant damage to the enemy. The large ammo clip in conjunction with his short 1.5 second reload time means players do not have to worry about ammo and reloading as much as they might with comparable hitscan heroes like Cassidy and Soldier 76.
Helix Rockets
Helix Rockets deal 120 damage per direct hit. If they don’t hit an enemy directly, they can deal 40 to 80 damage in splash damage depending on how close the enemy is to the explosion. Helix Rockets travel across the map fairly quickly, and are difficult to dodge unless anticipated beforehand.
As Soldier’s only way to deal burst damage, Helix Rockets need to be used intelligently to secure kills. With Helix Rockets on cooldown, enemy players know that Soldier 76 will struggle to do quick, unexpected damage outside a string of hard-to-land headshots with his primary fire.
Sprint
Sprint is Soldier 76’s way to get around the map. While active, he receives a 50% damage speed buff. He cannot shoot or melee while sprinting, and there is a short delay when the ability is canceled before he can use his other abilities.
Sprint can be used outside of fights to quickly reposition before enemy players respawn. The ability can also be used during a duel to quickly move around and dodge damage. Of course, Sprint also allows Soldier 76 to get to cover more quickly than other heroes.
Biotic Field
Biotic Field deploys a small field with a 4.5 meter radius that heals 45 damage per second, up to 200 total health. Biotic Field is useful to support teammates and self-heal after a fight is done, assuming no support allies are nearby. Biotic Field is also very handy if Soldier 76 is engaged in a 1v1—it takes time to deploy, but it also makes him harder to kill. Skilled Soldier 76 players know when to use Biotic Field defensively, and when to ignore Biotic Field in favor of doing maximum damage with his other abilities.
Tactical Visor (Ultimate)
Tactical Visor is a simple ultimate ability that turns Soldier 76’s Heavy Pulse Rifle into an aimbot. The gun will lock on to the enemy that is closest to the player’s reticle. Tactical Visor can easily kill multiple enemy players if they’re caught out of position, such as Ana, and combining the ultimate with damage amplification abilities such as Mercy’s Damage Boost shortens the time-to-kill drastically. However, while Tactical Visor is activated, Soldier 76 cannot headshot, meaning the ultimate may actually be suboptimal for skilled Soldier 76 players who are able to deal more damage simply by using Heavy Pulse Rifle with good aim regarding headshots.
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