How do I utilize Soldier's banners in Medieval mode?

After a long, long break I have started playing TF2 again, and since then Half-Zatoichi was nerfed. This was my old strategy with a Soldier in Medieval mode:

1. Equip Half-Zatoichi and a banner, usually Battalion's Backup
2. Go trade hits with everyone, once in a while you score a critical hit and kill, and replenish health fully.
3. Outtime charging Demomen, turning their crit bonus against them (especially those who also use Half-Zatoichi), flank everyone you can, etc.
4. After 2-3 kills my banner is fully charged, I notify my team and deploy it.
5. Repeat untill you win.

But no longer does Half-Zatoichi crit randomly, and no longer does it restore full health on kill... So now it is very hard to survive long enough to deploy the banners, I am just very likely do die before the banner is charged.

How do I utilize the Soldier in Medieval mode now?

Some testing revealed that it's actually possible, but harder than before

Tactics overview

1. Build banner charge, do not die in the process
2. Keep it until you need it, don't die and lose it
3. Deploy when needed, don't waste it when it's not needed
4. Return to 1.

Choosing a weapon

If you try to play as a Soldier in Medieval Mode, your best weapon is still a Half-Zatoichi. If you kill someone, you get healed, and it may result in overheal, which can allow you to survive a critical hit from the Scotsman's Skullcutter (234 HP). What's better -- if you hit someone who is also wielding a Half-Zatoichi, you will kill that guy in one hit and build your banner charge almost fully. Remember that you have no random crits, so don't just trade hits with someone as you could before the nerf.

Equalizer requires you to be low on health -- and we need to stay alive as long as possible, which doesn't really correspond with being low on health. Same goes for the Escape Plan, you will die very, very easily in this mode, even easier than with the Equalizer.

Normal Shovel might work, but is just not as useful as the Half-Zatoichi. Take it if Half-Zatoichi isn't available, but better take another class at that point.

Somehow, playing TF2 since at latest 2012, I still don't have the Disciplinary Action, so this weapon would need further testing. But I think that it is likely to be more useful on offence. Again, it's only an assumption for now, I didn't try it myself.

Choosing a banner

Your banner is why you play the Soldier, not something else. The best banner is still the Battalion's Backup. The reason is that random critical hits are very common in Medieval mode, and if your team is immune, that's great. Overall damage is also reduces by 35%, which is even better.

The Buff Banner just isn't as useful in Medieval, because there is a good chance that mini-crits will be overwritten by normal random crits, and it is much easier to die in this mode, so there is a chance that your allies will have no benefit at all.

For the same reason does the Concheror have a very limited benefit. If you get damaged in Medieval mode (normally), there is a good chance for you to die to this damage, so health regeneration has a very limited benefit compared to normal games. Even a stray shot can kill you.

What else is needed

First, a big good team. The Soldier is essentially a support class here. If your team plays at least moderately well, you will be able to boost its effectiveness. If your team is small and/or plays weakly, you would probably help a lot more if you played something else. Really, your banner doesn't help if deployed on a point that noone else is defending. You don't help if Spies are constantly missed by your team and harass you, not allowing to build the charge.

Second, a friendly Medic, preferably your friend in any kind of voice-chat. Charging the banner isn't quick, and you need someone to heal you when you get damaged -- with your 220 HP you are likely to survive some punishment, especially when overhealed by the Half-Zatoichi. It also helps a lot when benefits of Medicating Melody stack with your Battalion's Backup... The enemy charge is effectively stopped.

Third, patience. Your goal is akin to the goal of Medic in normal play -- build charge and stay alive. Way harder than Medic, though, as you need to go offensive to build charge... This means often watching your friend slaughtered on the frontline while you stay behind in order not to lose the charge.

You should activate third-person mode by first enabling the developer console in settings, then typing this: tf_medieval_thirdperson 1. This command will allow you to avoid a lot of common dangers, such as flanking. Type tf_medieval_thirdperson 0 to dismiss third-person mode.

Tactics explained

This has been tested for DeGroot Keep, for other maps in Medieval mode tactics may drastically change!

On DeGroot Keep you should probably never play Soldier on offence (though my point may change after I test the Disciplinary Action), never go offensive on defence, and this tactic only really works while defending the last point, C. You stand near the gate in 3d-person mode and wait for someone to come. When someone comes, you suddenly step forward and spam-spam-spam until the target is dead or retreats -- no need to come outside! If you got damaged, ask your friendly medic to heal you -- this tactic hardly works without healing, as snipers harassing the entrance will likely kill you if you try to reach the medkit. Watch for spies coming for your back, though! Or ask your friends you can trust to do it...

If time has ran out for the third point, probably don't bother trying to defend points A and B. What is the most likely to happen is that slow you will die and lose the charge you have built. On the other hand, when the gate opens next time, there will likely be the one who will try to ninja-cap and fail due to you converting his health in banner charges. Especially don't go outside if you have built the full charge -- your best bet is to hide in the resupply room untill your service is actually needed.

Don't use your charge right after you build it unless you need it. Wait for a big assault of enemy forces, hit the charge and enjoy.

Always, always spycheck, and never, never go outside if you have some charge to risk.

Good luck.