The Starfinder Soldier is for damage. To inflict damage on enemies, to soak up damage, and to protect their allies from it.
The Starfinder Soldier is the master of all things damage. They will deal it out with their mastery of weapons and unarmed attacks. And they can take more damage than anyone else you know with their heavy armor and resilience. If your crew needs someone who can soak up a tom of damage and keep plowing through enemies, they’re looking for a Soldier.
The Starfinder Soldier Basics
The Starfinder Soldier is the party member who will take (and deal out) the most damage. Their Constitution is naturally high, and they take a boost to the attribute at character creation. They start out with expert-level training in their Fortitude and Will saving throws, as well as training in Reflex, Intimidation, Simple Weapons, Martial Weapons, Unarmed Attacks, All Armor, Unarmored Defense, and a number of additional skills equal to their Intelligence Modifier plus three.
In combat, the Soldier is the powerhouse of any battlefield. They set themselves up to rain firepower down on their foes, whether it’s with heavy weapons or with their bear hands… But probably with heavy weaponry. While effortlessly soaking up a ton of damage themselves, the Soldier will both protect their friends, and target their enemies for absolute destruction.
In non-combat scenarios, a Starfinder Soldier is likely to let other members of their party do most of the talking. The brunt of their skills are focused on physical attack and protection. So they will use that time to keep an eye out for potential danger and be ready to jump into action if needed. Downtime will probably be spent upkeeping their weapons or their own physical strength. Others may look at the Soldier as one-trick meathead. And this can definitely be a fun way to play the character. But they are also likely to be reliable, protective, and supportive to their friends, even if it’s not a problem they’re equip to help with.
Firing on Your Targets
Soldiers begin their adventure with ‘Suppressing Fire’ and ‘Primary Target’ abilities.
With Suppressing Fire, they can use their weapons to hinder an enemy’s movement. An attack with a weapon that has the area trait can suppress their targets. This means that enemies in the affected area must succeed on a save against the attack, or take a -1 penalty on some attack rolls and a -10 penalty to speed.
Primary Target allows a Soldier to fire on a single target while unleashing their full power. If their attack is a burst and will strike many foes at one time, their primary target would either be the one in the center, or the one closest depending on the situation.
Fighting Style
The Starfinder Soldier train to master a specific fighting style. This style will determine how they approach combat, and how they take advantage of getting the upper hand against an enemy.
Action Hero: This is the fighting style of a Soldier who believes that every problem can be solved by shooting at it. And against all logic, this often works out for them. Their seem to automatically suppress their foes, and can sometimes designate any target as their primary.
Armor Storm: These Soldiers rely on their armor even more than others. It feels like part of them, and is specially designed to stand up to even more damage. This allows them to keep their friends safer and themselves going longer in a fight. They never need a free hand to disarm, grapple, reposition, shove, or trip a foe.
Bombard: Most Starfinder Soldiers appreciate a big gun, but those with the Bombard fighting style really appreciate big guns. This can make them a little messy, but they try to avoid instances of friendly fire… For a number of allies equal to half of their Constitution modifier.
Close Quarters: A Close Quarters Soldier has all of the training in heavy weapons as any other Soldier. But they know the importance of being flexible. Sometimes they’re going to get caught up in a fight in tight quarters. And the very big gun won’t be the right tool for the job. They can wield a two-handed melee weapon to get the benefits of a ranged or area weapon in many regards.
Erudite Warrior: Similarly to the Close Quarters Soldier, the Erudite Warrior knows that not every situation needs a gun – or a weapon at all. Some problems can be solved logically. Of course, they still have a ton of combat training to fall back on when logic fails them. They are skilled in either Diplomacy or Society as well as a Lore skill of their choice.
Multiclassing a Starfinder Soldier
Any character can add a little more firepower to their repertoire. Mystics can have another kind of weapon or attack. And Operatives will be able to lay down lots of damage where precision and aim aren’t as important.
Characters who multiclass as a Soldier will gain access to the feats Soldier Dedication, Basic and Advanced Soldier Training, Soldier’s Resiliency, Suppressing Fire, Primary Target, and Soldier’s Toughness.
How to Play a Starfinder Soldier
Starfinder Soldier is probably one of the most straightforward characters to play. This isn’t bad and definitely doesn’t mean that they’re boring. But if you’re new to Starfinder, this may be a class that will leave you juggling all of the extra spells. And they will get more and more abilities and feats as they level and as you gain experience.
Pick your fighting style carefully. It will shape how you act in all of your combat scenarios for the entire adventure. But something I think may be most important is not forgetting your Suppressing fire and Primary Target. Your main goal as the Soldier is to protect your crewmates and hurt your enemies. And these abilities are key to both of these goals.
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