The Federation Soldier (German: Föderationssoldat) (Russian: Солдат Федерации Soldat Federatsii) is the highly trained infantry unit forming backbone of the Federal Republican Armed Forces.
Overview
The standard Nazi rank-and-file are encountered in vast quantities by the player throughout the game. Individually, they are easy to deal with. They can be easily evaded by Blazkowicz going stealthy, and can be taken out fairly easily by Throwing Knives or several pistol shots. Individually they are also fairly weak: even when alerted to his presence, a single soldier is almost always no match for Blazkowicz. All variants of the Soldier encountered throughout the game are mere reskins of each other and behave just the same way- down to individual stats. This may produce interesting scenes where a cloth-uniformed Luftwaffe soldier will take as many 7.92mm bullets as a heavily-armored Nazi regular to kill.
At this time in history, basically all nations and countries have submitted to Nazi forces by now, and uprising attempts are not even very common, except in parts of France and the Tunisia Campaign. The very design of the Soldier 1960 seems to be rugged, more armored look, almost acting more so as a specialized police force instead of an army unit. However, this does not hinder their ferocity.
With that said, however, Nazi Solders are not to be underestimated. Their sheer number is more than enough to compensate for each individual's lackluster performance, and can overwhelm Blazkowicz easily if he lets his guard down. They are also deployed as escorts to the vastly more powerful Super Soldiers and Guard Robots and can serve as distractions to allow their larger comrades to unload on a busy player.
Overview
Soldiers in Wolfenstein II are mostly stationed in the United States under the command of General Irene Engel. These also include troops in Section F of Eva’s Hammer and Venus. They are serving their best to exterminate any resistance to the Nazi rule over the United States and the world, as well as ensuring technological development and the safety of the German people. They come with various weaponry such as Maschinenpistole, Sturmgewehr, and Schockhammer X. Their helmet can be removed and obtained by the player if shot off. However, if killed by other methods, the helmets become unobtainable by any means.
Soldiers in The New Colossus say lines based on the situation of the battle. Some of the soldiers will yell out their plan to flank Blazkowicz if Blazkowicz is exposed and can be easily flanked while declaring their intention to throw a grenade if Blazkowicz is in heavy cover. Likewise, the tide of battle also dictates said lines: if Blazkowicz is heavily wounded the Soldiers will tell him that he can't win or he should surrender while yelling in horror if Blazkowicz is slaughtering them in rapid succession.
They share a lot of common traits with the one in the New Order, so it's recommended to see Soldier (The New Order) for reference. The main key difference from their New Order counterparts a year earlier is mainly their tougher armor, more diverse set of weaponry and tactics, and variants. They seem to now act more like a military than a policing force. This is likely due to learning about General Engel's injuries, her lover's assassination, Terror Billy making a name for himself and the Resistance, William Strasse's demise, the attack on the Lunar Base, the destruction of the London Nautica and Monitor, the Gilbatar Bridge's destruction, and the liberation of Eisenwald Prison. As a result, Nazi military technology has progressed to prepare for impending revolutions.
Though it has not been fully confirmed yet, the soldiers from The New Colossus could possibly be genetically and physically engineered to be tough, bullet-resistant troops. Not only does this pertain to the armor they wear, but the fact that NCO variant soldiers (having no armor equipped on them) can take direct shots to the chest and still keep on fighting before they finally drop dead.
Background
In the wake of the liberation of the United States and the formation of the Global Resistance, a large section of the Wehrmacht has presumably been pulled back to defend the home territories of the Greater German Reich in Europe, including occupied countries such as France from attacks by the galvanized resistance. As a result, a large militarized presence can be found in many of the cities in Europe occupied by the Nazis.
Appearance
The Nazi soldiers of the 1980s generally use much of the same equipment as their 1960s counterparts (likely due to budgetary and logistical considerations), but with some seemingly aesthetic modifications. Instead of wearing grey army fatigues and body armor, these Nazi soldiers wear leather vests and uniforms with modernized ballistic face masks. The equipment used by elites in their ranks, such as shotgunners, soldiers and marksmen, appear to have changed little since the 1960s. The new soldier types are the Jager (german for Hunter), combat medics, neosoldat, riot control unit Gestaposoldat, diesel-flamethrower soldat and the Hammersoldat.
Status
Enemies in Youngblood have a unique enemy status system that has not been seen in past titles. Enemies have levels which determine their health, how much damage they inflict against the player, and their resistance to damage dealt by the player. Enemies now possess
Levels
All enemies in Youngblood have levels to measure their strength, which tends to increase with players as they level up. However, there are some instances in which enemies have affixed levels, in which case, players may downed even with one shot. It is advised to watch out for enemy levels; if the level is shown with skull, you are much less likely to beat the enemy.
Enemy Ranks
Enemy Rank is shown as Roman numerals; the higher the number, the more barrier they have visibly and practically. For example, Neosoldat IV is more durable than Neosoldat II.
Rank 1 enemies are the first enemies encountered in the game. The only static Tier 1 enemy (level does not change) is the Neosoldat that you fight on board of Der Nachtfalter. Eventually, once the player has completed a few quests, Tier 2s will start to appear. By the time the player starts tacking the Brothers, the enemies will most likely be Tiers 3/4. Finally, during the Siegturm mission, it is common for maxed out (Tier 5) soldiers to be found.
Barriers
Some enemies have barriers added to their red HP bar. There are two variants of the barrier. The first is the soft barrier, which is shown as a narrow white rectangle. Armor-piercing weapons are less effective against this type of opponent. It is recommended to use weapons such as the Maschinenpistole or Blitzgewehr, as they have a higher rate of fire. The second is the hard barrier, which is shown as a broad white square with a transparent center. This barrier is vulnerable to armor-piercing weapons and relatively high DPS ones, so it is recommended to use weapons such as the Pistole, Sturmgewehr or Laserkraftwerk.
Variants
For his regiment of Nazi soldiers, Deathshead has hand-picked the most loyal and fearsome combatants the Heer (army) has to offer. As part of this elite force, Deathshead's soldiers are promised high-ranking positions in the Nazi Party once the war is won. Judging by the posters in Deathshead's compound in 1946, the packs they wear are likely to keep them from being shocked by the Baltisches Auge's electrical cannon. The packs seem to be able to detect when the Soldiers are dead and will turn off when a Soldier dies or is turned into a Shambler. Their helmets can be taken off by a headshot.
They are only encountered in The Old Blood and the prologue chapter of The New Order. In the Old Blood, there are Elite variants with deeper voices and similar uniforms, but these soldiers have different packs and separate character descriptions. They wear heavier helmets that cannot be removed by a headshot. It is assumed that these troopers are the prototypes of soldiers in 1960.
As technology advanced, the regular infantry has been equipped with an even tougher suit to fend off against any uprising attempts. They are sometimes confused with members of the Deathshead's Commandos due to having similar armour and uniforms. This variant of the Nazi Soldier is the only enemy not seen in the characters roster in the extras menu, and is essentially one of the central mascots of The New Order, alongside B.J. Blazkowicz, himself.
They replace their 1946 counterparts after the time skip and are encountered in virtually every (post-prologue) level of the game except for the Lunar Base mission.
Their headgear cannot be taken off even after they died just like Deathshead's Commando and unlike other soldiers.
They are referred to as Black Guard in the game files, and Deathshead Elite Units by Fergus or Wyatt in the level Return to London Nautica.
They wear heavy armour and have roughly twice the durability of most regular soldiers. They are elite rank troops.
Luftwaffe grunts are fearless and skilled combatants equipped with assault rifle 1960. Individuals are carefully selected to ensure that the proud Luftwaffe of Germania consists of only the most dedicated and pure of blood.
They are only encountered in and around the London Nautica.
More formally known as the Marine-Infanterie, these are naval infantry units specializing in marine warfare. They carry assault rifles and grenades like other infantry units. Their helmets can be taken off if they have one.
Kriegsmarine troops are only encountered during the U-boat mission.
Because of the dangers associated with isolation, the scientists on Moon Base One work in shifts of between six months up to a year before being given time off.
They are only encountered on the Lunar Base, and can't be directly fought.
Nazi infantry sent to the African front to combat any resistance in North Africa like their real-world counterparts. They are armed with the Assault Rifle 1960. Their helmets can be taken off.
The guards of Eisenwald Prison and Camp Belica, have no qualm about interrogating, torturing, even killing prisoners, as they're fit to work in correctional facilities of Germany. They're either armed with a baton or assault rifle, they can be a real threat if you're playing on higher difficulties.
Riot guards only encountered in Eisenwald Prison during the Riot organized by BJ and Fergus/Wyatt. They wear thick layer of armor, similar like Black guards, armed with shotgun and are elite rank troops.
Soldiers promoted to German Space Marine Corps, they capable use of futuristic weapons and pressurised body armour, technology almost beyond the Wehrmacht, as being a specialized military unit.
Elite members of the German Space Marine Corps, stronger than a regular Space Marine, equipped with better armour and better weaponry, specifically a plasma rifle. They are heavy rank troops.
SS elite members and General Deathshead's military unit, simply efficient, brutal and merciless, trained under the harshest of conditions in Siberian training camps near the dreaded Gulags. They are armed with a variety of weapons, and they wore thick armour in battle. They are elite rank troops.
The frogmen for Kriegsmarine, wearing a newly developed, and bulky scuba-diving suit, also armed with a ricochet shrapnel-loaded shotgun. Fire Troopers are tasked to guard underwater facilities, and deal with high-risk situations, as their suits provide them protection against environmental hazards, which includes radiation. They are heavy rank troops.
Soldiers armed with a assault rifle with the rocket launcher attachment, in addition, they wear a bulky armour provides them protection, which makes them very tough to kill. They are heavy rank troops.
The Elite soldiers of the SS Paranormal Division are feared and respected for being brutal and merciless. Unlike regular soldiers, they are elite rank troops with better armor and health. They are equipped with the Sturmgewehr 1946.
Soldiers serve as snipers on the grounds of Castle Wolfenstein, armed with a Bombenschuss, they don't wear armours, but they can still be deadly because their firepower can deal major damage.
The Heavy soldier wears a highly protective suit, which has one weak spot — its gas tank. They are heavy rank troops equipped with the Shockhammer X, who can't be silently taken down from the back.
Variants
They were the mainstream troops of Nazi Germany in 1961, conducting many operations such as raiding resistance strongholds, patrolling occupied cities, or guarding key military facilities. They often wear the series' symbolic iron face masks over a black balaclava (shown in the gallery below). They are equipped with the Maschinenpistole and Sturmgewehr. Those who carry Sturmgewehr wear slightly heavier armour as shown in the picture below. They wear uniforms similar to their 1960 counterparts.See: Atom Elites
Atom Soldiers are hazmat troops operating in mainly hazardous areas like Neue York. They wear gas masks and yellow hazmat suits to protect themselves against nuclear or biological threats. Their combat ability is no different to normal soldiers. Also, Those who wield Maschinenpistole look slightly different and light-armoured than soldiers like this picture who equip Sturmgewehr. A picture is shown in the gallery.See: Venus Soldiers
Venus Soldiers are soldiers guarding the Nazi facilities on Venus. They wear orange-coloured suits which come with a presumable coolant supply. However, they are not seen refuelling said coolant. As with most other units, their combat ability is the same as normal soldiers.
These soldiers only wear sleeveless shirts and regular soldiers pants, meaning they are either off-duty or NCOs. They can be seen in Section F of Eva's Hammer as members of the Nazi Remnant. Common shirt soldiers, dressed in white shirt are pants of regular soldiers are armed with the Blitzgewehr and function the same as regular soldiers, just with less protection.
Other variant of Shirt Soldier is an Elite soldier in a white and red shirt with Elite Soldier pants, armed with the Sturmgewehr. They behave like elites, but have as much protection as regular Shirt Soldiers.
These are military technicians who wear a green engineer uniform and, sometimes, a cap and glasses. They are present in places where technical engineering is highly required such as Venus or the Ausmerzer. Alongside shirt soldiers, they can also be seen at Sector F. They are armed with the Maschinenpistole. Their green uniform has a company symbol of "AXTO", which is presumably an engineering company according to the concept art book of Wolfenstein: The New Order.
One of the Scientists, Bohn.
Ku Klux Klan is an American far-right, white supremacist group-turned-paramilitary organization tasked to govern the South by the Nazis. They are minor enemies that are only encountered in the Southern States during the player's hunt for the Oberkommando. A large number of them are encountered during Joseph Stallion's nightmare. They wear white hoods which serve little to no protection but may hide them during nighttime. Unusually, they speak German just as the Nazis. They wield the Maschinenpistole.
Moon Soldiers are troops guarding the Nazi facilities on Moon. They wear white suits and they are only seen in The Diaries of Agent Silent Death when Jessica Valiant pursues her arch-enemy, Gerhardt Dunkel on his moon base. Their combat ability is the same as normal soldiers.
Variants
They were the mainstream troops of Nazi Germany in 1961, conducting many operations such as raiding resistance strongholds, patrolling occupied cities, or guarding key military facilities. They often wear the series' symbolic iron face masks over a black balaclava (shown in the gallery below). They are equipped with the Maschinenpistole and Sturmgewehr. Those who carry Sturmgewehr wear slightly heavier armour as shown in the picture below. They wear uniforms similar to their 1960 counterparts.See: Atom Elites
Atom Soldiers are hazmat troops operating in mainly hazardous areas like Neue York. They wear gas masks and yellow hazmat suits to protect themselves against nuclear or biological threats. Their combat ability is no different to normal soldiers. Also, Those who wield Maschinenpistole look slightly different and light-armoured than soldiers like this picture who equip Sturmgewehr. A picture is shown in the gallery.See: Venus Soldiers
Venus Soldiers are soldiers guarding the Nazi facilities on Venus. They wear orange-coloured suits which come with a presumable coolant supply. However, they are not seen refuelling said coolant. As with most other units, their combat ability is the same as normal soldiers.
These soldiers only wear sleeveless shirts and regular soldiers pants, meaning they are either off-duty or NCOs. They can be seen in Section F of Eva's Hammer as members of the Nazi Remnant. Common shirt soldiers, dressed in white shirt are pants of regular soldiers are armed with the Blitzgewehr and function the same as regular soldiers, just with less protection.
Other variant of Shirt Soldier is an Elite soldier in a white and red shirt with Elite Soldier pants, armed with the Sturmgewehr. They behave like elites, but have as much protection as regular Shirt Soldiers.
These are military technicians who wear a green engineer uniform and, sometimes, a cap and glasses. They are present in places where technical engineering is highly required such as Venus or the Ausmerzer. Alongside shirt soldiers, they can also be seen at Sector F. They are armed with the Maschinenpistole. Their green uniform has a company symbol of "AXTO", which is presumably an engineering company according to the concept art book of Wolfenstein: The New Order. One of the Scientists, Bohn.
Ku Klux Klan is an American far-right, white supremacist group-turned-paramilitary organization tasked to govern the South by the Nazis. They are minor enemies that are only encountered in the Southern States during the player's hunt for the Oberkommando. A large number of them are encountered during Joseph Stallion's nightmare. They wear white hoods which serve little to no protection but may hide them during nighttime. Unusually, they speak German just as the Nazis. They wield the Maschinenpistole.
Moon Soldiers are troops guarding the Nazi facilities on Moon. They wear white suits and they are only seen in The Diaries of Agent Silent Death when Jessica Valiant pursues her arch-enemy, Gerhardt Dunkel on his moon base. Their combat ability is the same as normal soldiers.
Types
Soldiers (Soldaten) are basic grunt infantry used by the German Reich in Paris. They are equipped with the Sturmgewehr assault rifle and are clad in black armour and uniform. They wear the same uniform and the same face mask as their counterparts from the 1960s. They have average health and no barrier. Will often attack in swarms with Gestaposoldaten/Neosoldaten.
Neosoldaten are Nazi light infantry in Paris. They are equipped with the Blitzgewehr submachine gun and clad in a red uniform instead of black. They also appear to wear a ballistic face mask with glowing eyes. There’s also the Lab X Guard, which is a black-uniformed variant of the Neosoldaten which is almost exclusively Tier 4/5. The ballistic face mask is of the same design as the one used by the Elite Soldiers in the 1960s, giving them a skull-like visage. They have average health and no barrier. In later tiers with both the Soldat, Neosoldat and Gestaposoldat, armour pieces such as chest plates will be worn, but these add nothing in terms of the barrier.
Schlafsoldaten is Nazi off-shift soldiers, in plain shirts and pants. They have primarily encountered aboard Der Nachtfalter, or in Riverside around the Nachtfalter crash wreckage, have deficient health and no barrier, and are quickly taken care of. They are not tiered and can be bodied in one shot by high-level players.
Riot control units utilized by the German Reich in New Paris, equipped with the Blitzgewehr. Gestapo soldiers are recognizable by their distinct khaki uniforms. Uniforms worn by lower-ranked Gestaposoldaten closely resemble the real-life Sturmabteilung (SA) uniform, a paramilitary organization of the Nazi Party, which lost prominence following the “Night of Long Knives” incident of 1934. Their collar even has the "SA" sign so that they may have been resurrected as part of the Gestapo. Higher-ranked Gestaposoldaten wear uniforms similar to riot control gear. They have average health and no barrier. Functionally, they have the same A.I./stats as Neosoldaten, totally replacing them in the Bruder 1 district.
Like Venom Flamer and Drache Trooper, Specialized units of the Wehrmacht equipped with diesel-powered flamethrowers. They wear orange uniforms and can be easily spotted due to the light their flamethrowers emit. While idle, they will often be "burning" something, although they are usually just shooting their flamethrowers at nothing. They wear fireproof uniforms, but this is not apparent when diesel weapons are used against them or even their flamethrowers, such as in melee kills. They have average health, high soft barrier, and are Elite rank troops.
Specialized sharpshooter units of the Wehrmacht equipped with a semi-auto marksman variant of the Sturmgewehr assault rifle. They appear to wear a tactical visor similar to the Marksman elites of the 1960s, having a boxier/more technical aesthetic. Their uniform is light grey. They have below-average health, below-average soft barrier, and are Elite rank troops. Despite their pathetic health and armour, they can do lots of damage in groups later/post-game, so plan accordingly.
Combat medics deployed by the German Reich, equipped with the Kugelgewehr (rarely the Blitzgewehr). They often heal soldiers around them, replenishing health and armour extremely fast. Therefore, they should be taken out ASAP. They’re clad in a white, easily distinguishable uniform and are rather tall like the Kugelsoldaten. At higher levels, they wear Stahlhelms like the rest of the troops and a gas mask. They have very low health but a high soft barrier. They are Elite rank troops.
Heavily-armoured Wehrmacht close-quarter infantry possessing the Kugelgewehr shotgun. They wear bulkier armour than their regular Soldaten or Neosoldaten counterparts and are similar to the Shotgun elites of the 1960s. Being equipped with shotguns, they tend to charge at you and get in close range, relying on their hard armour to protect them. Kugel means round, so it would probably refer to their buckshot ammunition. They have slightly above-average health, slightly above-average hard barriers, and are Elite rank troops.
Heavy infantry units equipped with the Hammergewehr, a heavy automatic shotgun with multiple rotating barrels. They are almost as big as Supersoldaten but are just normal humans wearing heavy armour and a rectangular ballistic shield covering their faces. They have significantly reduced speed and mobility due to their heavy weaponry and bulky armour. They are very durable, with high health and high rigid barrier, and are Elite rank troops. Often, on great difficulties, one is more than enough to challenge a player due to their immense suppression power, with many of them grouped being a real challenge, even if you are higher in level than them. They are the only units that drop the Hammergewehr; Supersoldaten will not carry them as they did in TNC.
Female specialists of the Wehrmacht. Jägers are an all-female unit wearing full-body jumpsuits, a full-torso cuirass, and spacesuit-like helmets at their pinnacle, and are equipped with a suppressed/heavily modded Sturmgewehr. They are noticeably faster and more agile than regular troops. They have above-average health, above-average soft barrier, and are Elite rank troops. They are the only female enemies in the game (other than Julie Brandt) and bear a striking resemblance to their Elite Guard counterparts in past games.
Engineers and mechanics working under the Reich clad in overalls. They are equipped with Blitzgewehrs with the Nailgun modification. They have low health and no barrier and can be easily taken care of via a headshot.
Scientists working under the Reich. Regular scientists are equipped with the Blitzgewehr, wear white lab coats, and have low health. Lab X Akademikers wear black lab coats, are equipped with the Elektrokraftwerk, and have low health and low soft barrier.
