Steelrising Soldier Class Guide: How to Build a Soldier- In this Steelrising Soldier Class Guide, I’m going to show you my Soldier Build, which specializes in dealing explosive damage from a distance. I will share the Attributes you need to prioritize, the Modules you will have to equip, the consumables to bring, and the Weapons and Armor that work incredibly well for this Build. If you have been searching for ways to cripple enemies from afar while having the option to easily charge in for the kill, then this guide is for you.
Steelrising Soldier Class Guide: How to Build a Soldier
The Soldier Class, which is beginner-friendly, deals impressive feats of explosive Physical, Impact, and Critical Damage. Because they already have the advantage of wielding a ranged weapon from the start, they are not as vulnerable to taking large chunks of damage up close compared to others like the Dancer and Alchemist. Although not as resilient as the Bodyguard, investing a couple of points into Durability boosts their max HP for enhanced survivability.
The way this Build works is that you will mostly activate heavy attacks at the start while you are building your stamina pool as you continue investing in Vigour. You can then alternate between charged heavy attacks by piercing them with the Gribeauval Halberd or jump attacks to slam this weapon over their heads. Both actions will keep you safe since you do not have to be at point-blank range for either of them to work effectively. However, remember that they consume larger amounts of stamina so you may need to momentarily switch to using light and heavy attacks. Another option to debilitate Automats is by spending Alchemical Capsules to shoot them from a safer distance.
Steelrising Soldier Class Guide - Attributes
Character progression in Steelrising depends on the amount of Anima Essence you collect. When you have accumulated enough of this currency to level up, its color changes from blue to yellow, allowing you to at least invest in a single Attribute. For starters, the Soldier’s stat distribution is Power +3 and Vigour +2. Power boosts the overall Physical Damage dealt by this class as well as Impact. Light, heavy, and charged heavy attacks of weapons with high Power Affinities count towards this damage type.
Impact is essential for this Build and is made all the more viable when you use medium to heavy-weight weapons. What it lets you do is essentially knock down, or knock back enemies at the very least, and stagger them in the process. As such, they become vulnerable, providing you with enough space to strike them in quick succession or to charge in for the kill depending on the type of Automat you are fighting.
Vigour, on the other hand, pertains to Endurance or stamina. Stamina is a key resource that you will need to consistently manage for the Soldier considering their aggressive nature. Doing so will also allow them to dodge more frequently. They need this for survival since they will focus on equipping weapons with high firepower rather than those that focus on counterattacking or blocking incoming hits.
Moreover, this stat not only boosts your Critical Hit Multiplier but also enhances Critical Damage to efficiently obliterate your targets in a matter of seconds. Overall, a good Attribute distribution for Power and Vigour is 2:1 so for every 2 points invested into Power, you allocate 1 point into Vigour.
In addition to these two primary Attributes, you will also want to invest in alternatives to further amplify the effectiveness of your Soldier Build. You have the choice of putting a couple of points into Durability or Elemental Alchemy based on the types of enemies that you find challenging. Between the two, however, I find Durability better to survive longer in combat because it increases your max HP and provides a bonus on Balance. Balance lets you stay on your two feet regardless of the impact of the enemy’s blows so to avoid being susceptible to succeeding attacks, you should definitely raise it. Additionally, this lets you recover more quickly after executing charged attacks.
Conversely, you should consider dabbling in Elemental Alchemy if you keep getting afflicted with status effects such as Frost, Flame, and Fulmination. With this Attribute, your alchemical resistances are improved while also increasing the alchemical damage you deal. The latter point is especially useful if you plan on wielding a weapon, which deals this specific type of damage. Investing about 3-5 points into Durability or Elemental Alchemy should help make you more resistant in encounters.
Steelrising Soldier Class Guide - Modules
In addition to Attributes, Steelrising features perks or Modules that Aegis should equip to gain passive benefits. There are 4 slots to unlock, which can be done by acquiring Module Keys. Note that these keys are either obtainable through exploration or are bought from the Boutique using Anima Essence. Upgrading these slots requires additional Module Keys so I highly recommend purchasing the Grade I Avarice Module from the Boutique as early as possible. This will grant extra Anima Essence, which you need to wear better grade modules.
When you have saved up a decent amount of this in-game currency and progressed significantly in the game, you will want to equip the Grade III Destruction Module that is purchasable from the Boutique. This significantly boosts Physical Damage, letting you destroy enemies much more efficiently.
Next, regardless of whether or not you decide to invest points into Durability, the Grade II Longevity Module will help you take more damage without dying quickly because it increases your max HP. If you are pretty confident about evading incoming attacks, and you have decided to equip a weapon that inflicts status effects, you will instead want to use the Grade II Lasting Affliction Module. As a result, you increase the duration of alchemical afflictions. So if you were to ignite a regular Automat, for example, you can potentially kill them due to the longer damage over time dealt by the Flame Affliction.
For the third slot, you should consider equipping the Grade II Critical Repair Module. Given your relatively high Vigour, the perk works very well with your critical attacks. Every time you proc this, you restore a small percentage of HP. Alternatively, if you are not encountering health issues, you can go for the Grade II Endurance Module, especially at earlier levels when your Vigour is quite low. Doing so will increase your stamina pool.
Last but not least, you will want to equip the Grade II Efficient Ventilation Module, which effectively reduces the internal Frost Damage you receive when rapid cooling is triggered. This happens when you completely run out of stamina but you need to move around. Efficient Ventilation prevents you from quickly filling up your Frost gauge so you do not become susceptible to freezing. It is essential in special cases when you are fighting against enemies that deal Frost Damage like the Ice Squire or Frost Acolyte.
Steelrising Soldier Class Guide - Weapons
In Steelrising, you can equip and switch between two weapons. Remember that regardless of the class you choose, you are not limited to the types available to you. For the Soldier, it is better to wield medium or heavy-weight weapons because of their high Physical Damage and Power Affinity stats.
This class initially owns the Gribeauval Halberd, which is a ranged weapon that allows Aegis to execute enemies using powerful shots from a mid-range distance - so powerful that more often than not, they are staggered and knocked down. It is a special move that costs Alchemical Capsules so having a hefty supply of this resource is a must. For the Halberd’s charged heavy attack, you will be able to further extend the weapon’s reach to skillfully pierce your targets, making this a great alternative to dealing huge Physical Damage.
Next, there’s the jump attack where Aegis leaps and performs a pinwheel-like action to deliver devastating blows. What makes it a decent option for the Soldier’s move is you not only avoid incoming attacks since the enemy cannot reach you but you also knock down most of them in the end. The only caveat is that the jump attack uses a larger chunk of stamina so you may want to activate this once or twice before switching over to your heavy attacks, especially at earlier levels.
Overall, the Gribeauval Halberd is an amazing weapon due to the astounding amount of Physical and Impact Damage dealt while helping you survive longer in combat thanks to its ranged functionalities.
For your secondary weapon, you’re able to equip the Volley Mallet. The Volley Mallet is a heavy piece of machinery that provides explosive firepower thanks to its special move, Volley of Gunfire. What happens here is the Mallet efficiently charges itself to prepare for the destructive damage it is about to unleash. Like an uncontrollable firecracker, it will significantly disrupt target formation and function within the blast’s range by knocking them down with immense force.
For its charged attack, you will be heaving the Mallet from the ground up to forcefully strike it over your foes. Although the weapon is extremely powerful, this is quite tricky to control due to its heavy weight relative to the Halberd so expect your attack animations to be much slower.
Armor and Grenades
Unlike weapons, you cannot upgrade armor in Steelrising so you simply equip them. For the Soldier, it is important to wear those with high Endurance followed by decent Armour and then Balance. The following clothing pieces should considerably improve your stamina and defenses:
However, you may swap any of these to boost your resistance to status effects if the Automats that inflict these are giving you a tough time and you have not invested in Elemental Alchemy. But doing so will reduce your Endurance, Balance, and a bit of Armour. For instance, the Citizen’s Top Hat is a fantastic option to lower the damage dealt by the Flame Affliction.
Next, you will want to focus on using Explosive Grenades primarily against Unstable Mini-Bosses and Titans unless you have additional ones to spare for regular enemies. These are very powerful as they easily knock down the biggest of Automats, even Titans themselves, leaving them vulnerable to your succeeding burst attacks.
Final Tips
Playing as the Soldier makes it easier to dodge incoming attacks due to their larger stamina pool thanks to the Vigour bonus they get at the beginning. This is crucial to their survival since they are using weapons that do not allow them to block or parry enemy hits. Moreover, they are an amazing ranged DPS class due to their high Physical Damage, letting them deliver crushing blows to stagger their foes. The Critical Damage they deal is also huge due to the Critical Hit Multiplier from Vigour.
If you prefer a medium-weight semi-ranged weapon, you can go for the Fire Chain. This is a good alternative because its Power Affinity is decent, especially when sufficiently upgraded. Furthermore, its Impact Damage is notably high when you initiate the special move known as the Invocation of Fire. What Aegis does is she leaps and then pounds the ground with the chain to coat it with fire.
This action topples down foes standing in the AoE, however, it is susceptible to failure if not timed correctly since you can be interrupted. After pulling it off, every attack dealt using the Fire Chain will increase the affected target’s Flame gauge. And once maximized, it will deal significant damage over time or Infusion Damage.
For the weapon’s charged attack, you will be swinging the chain above your head and then launching at targets surrounding you. Note that this is not as long so it would be better to position yourself closer to them than expected, but not at point-blank range to avoid being interrupted. Otherwise, you won’t hit these Automats and, in effect, waste stamina.
Lastly, if you decide to wield the Fire Chain, you will definitely want to stock up on Flame Grenades as well to quickly fill up the target’s Flame gauge. Doing so will kill them sooner rather than later.
Stay tuned for more of ourSteelrising Build Guides, and be sure to drop by ourTwitch Channelif you have questions about the game! You can also check out our other content such as ourSteelrising Review,Steelrising Beginner Guide, andSteelrising Class Guide. What did you think of this Steelrising Soldier Class Guide? What Build will you try out first? Let us know in the comments below!
