With the recently new update to the hero loadouts in Fortnite: Save the World, I thought I should give a very small and basic guide to new players. Soldiers are one of the four playable classes in Fortnite: Save The World. They’re primarily based around ranged combat and are the best class to use if you want to use mainly guns. Being the easiest and first class that players are introduced to, soldiers are a stable class to use in the end game portion of the game. Keep in mind with these guides, I will not go through loadouts, as Fortnite: Save the World is actually very balanced. There are no strict ‘best’ loadouts. There are only personal preferences and play styles.
Basic Playstyle
As stated before, soldiers primarily stay afar and use guns. They don’t have the melee capabilities or survivability of a ninja, mobility of an outlander, or the controlling style of a constructor. Instead they boast arguably the strongest DPS in the game, staying well out of danger to do so. There are a few play styles of a close range soldier, but they tend to be based around specific soldiers that use Shockwave and/or shotguns as they are close to medium ranged weapons, but primarily it’s easier and safer to use a sniper or an assault weapon from afar. This benefits their class perks, Suppressive Fire (consecutive shots gain additional damage up to 5 stacks), and Stay Frosty (killing 3 enemies increases weapon damage and weapon stability). Some subclasses to consider are the Raider, Urban Assault, and First Shot soldiers.
Weapons
Assault weapons
The stereotypical main weapon of any soldier. Arguably the best versatile weapon in game, soldiers use assault weapons the best. Fast DPS is good for killing hordes of husks, and is decent in taking bosses due to their potential in single target damage. They generally have good aim, with minimal recoil so they are compulsory for any good soldier, especially since they benefit the soldier class perks. The downside of most assault weapons are their ammo consumption, so be mindful of your supplies in missions.
Examples of some assault weapons to look out for are the Siegebreaker (one of the most versatile and balanced weapons in the game), the Grave Digger (one of the highest damage assault rifles with decent accuracy), and the Nocturno (similar to the Siegebreaker, however you need to buy the founder’s edition).
Shotguns
Shotguns are the best clearing guns in the game outside of explosives. Their damage is one of the highest in terms of burst, and a good shotgun can oneshot any average husk. They generally want to be up close to about medium range to utilise its damage to the fullest potential. They also have decent impact damage most of the time, so you can stagger or stun some enemies depending on your shotgun.
Their fire rate can be tedious at times, but if you can hit your shots (which isn’t difficult) shotguns are one of the best types of guns in game. Remember that not every soldier can use shotguns, so be sure to pick heroes that have the perks that benefit shotguns.
Some shotguns to look out for include the Helium Shotgun (arguably the best shotgun in game for damage and spread), and the Bear (a versatile and balanced shotgun).
Pistols
Pistols are one of the weakest guns in the game due to the fact that they are generally outclassed by every single other weapon. The only good thing about them is the fact that they are so fun to use (and are my favourite weapons). Some mythic heroes can use pistols effectively, so keep an eye out for heroes in the store that have pistol perks. I personally use Calamity, she’s a lot of fun but isn’t really the best soldier, so ultimately it’s up to your preferences.
If you’re interested, some pistols to look out for are the Bald Eagle (one of the hardest hitting weapons in the game period, but fire rate and reload is terrible), the Last Word (fast fire rate and great for clearing large amounts of husks), and the Tiny Instrument of Death (a meme and arguably one of the best weapons in the game).
Sniper rifles
Sniper’s are the most straight forward weapons in the game. You want a long range, hard hitting gun, that can pretty much oneshot. Most snipers do this, but there are a few that have high fire rates. Do not invest in these snipers, because despite this, there are no benefits in using them. If you want a rapid-fire weapon, use an assault rifle, they are much better. Same advice as before: look at the perks of your particular soldier, take a look especially at Raiders as they have been recently reworked into being a sniper soldier subclass.
Snipers also tend to have slow reload speeds, and small magazine sizes, so be wary of that fact. Some snipers to look out for are the Ol’ Betsy (one of the hardest hitting weapons in the game), the Super Shredder (a shotgun spread sniper, which is extremely versatile), and the Neon Sniper Rifle (a gimmicky weak sniper, however, it has an interesting infrared scope that can also shoot through walls).
Explosive weapons
Explosive weapons are quite balanced and are very convenient in taking down massive hordes of enemies and taking down smashers. Be wary that instead of ammo they instead use durability and thus have very limited shots despite having a smaller crafting cost. But they are essential for late game missions due to their capabilities. It’s a bit difficult to suggest good explosive weapons due to the fact that they are all pretty unique and balanced.
I personally love using the Vacuum Tube Launcher (extremely good impact, can stun pretty much any mod except bosses), and the Noble Launcher (arguably the best clearing launcher in the game).
Abilities
Soldiers generally have very good clearing abilities. Each subclass has up to three skills from the list of abilities per class. Keep in mind that all abilities scale with the Tech stat.
Goin’ Commando
One of, if not the best soldier skill. You replace your current weapon with a minigun and fire 18 shots per second for 10 seconds. Its damage is massive, and extremely good for both clearing and taking down priority targets. Some soldiers have perks that benefit Goin’ Commando, so be sure to check them out. Despite it being physical damage, late game it can still benefit greatly in combat.
Keep in mind that while in this state you cannot use any other abilities, gadgets, or fix structures. You are also slower and can’t jump as high, so you need good positioning to fully use this ability without dying. So while it’s a good ability, use it smartly and/or in coordination with a team (if you have one).
Frag Grenade
It’s a grenade that does energy damage in a small radius. Its burst is good, but it needs team perks to truly utilise it to its best potential. Other than that, it’s versatile and can be used in a pinch.
Lefty and Righty
Gimmicky at best. It’s extremely fun to use, but it is quite average. It has the same exact flaws of Goin’ Commando, except Goin’ Commando is better in almost every aspect. At least with Lefty and Righty you can still run about at normal speed. It looks really cool though.
Shockwave
A necessity if you want to be a close range soldier. It has good damage in a small radius and able to knock back enemies. Since you actually need to go close to use it, in the later stages of the game, you actually put yourself in danger to use it. So just be wary of when to use it.
War Cry
The only support skill of a soldier. The buff is extremely good, and perks can take it even further. It provides your whole team with extra damage, fire rate, and melee attack speed for 12 seconds, it is an extremely good ability. There is no down side, so use it.
Final Basic Tips, Strategies, and Things To Look Out For
- Always craft weapons and ammo in missions so you can increase your score during the mission.
- When levelling schematics, especially with soldiers due to their versatility with their weapons, try and find one or two weapons you love to use and primarily focus on keeping them maxed out (make sure you do not evolve the weapon too soon or you won’t be able to craft it). I personally recommend an assault weapon and a sniper, but it’s ultimately up to you.
- Make a trap tunnel or a shooting point in your base or builds. This will help keep you safe, and provide good positions to shoot from. Experiment with your builds to ensure where you like to shoot from.
- If you really want to use melee weapons, try and focus more on crowd control weapons like hammers as this provides survivability.
- Once you’re in the middle to the later stages of the game (about 50 onwards), try and have elemental weapons for each type of enemy (i.e fire against nature, nature against water, and water against fire), while also having your main weapon as energy type damage.
