Difference between revisions of "Basic Medic strategy"

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The [[Medic]] is a fast, fragile support class. He can rescue and fortify his teammates using his [[Medi Gun]], provide invulnerability with his [[ÜberCharge]], and critboost a teammate with the [[Kritzkrieg]]. These abilities are invaluable to his team both [[offensive]]ly and [[defense|defensively]], and can easily make the difference between victory and defeat.
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{{hatnote|This page contains basic strategy for the Medic. For more advanced strategies, see [[Community Medic strategy]]. For how to play against the Medic, see [[Anti-Medic strategy]].}}
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{{Quotation|'''The Medic''' |Ze healing leaves little time for ze hurting.|sound=Medic_specialcompleted03.wav}}
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[[File:Medictaunt3.PNG|350px|right]]
  
==General==
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The [[Medic]] is arguably the most important class. He is the only class with a reliable way to heal and [[Healing#Overheal|overheal]], putting any team without one at a severe disadvantage. As the Medic heals others, he builds an [[ÜberCharge]] meter. Once this meter is full, he can buff a teammate with effects such as the [[Medi Gun]]'s invulnerability or the [[Kritzkrieg]]'s [[Crit#Crit boost|Crit]]-boost, giving his team a chance to forge ahead. However, if the Medic dies, he loses his accumulated [[ÜberCharge]]. Knowing this, the flow of battle can be dictated by if a team's Medic is alive and/or charged. The Medic is a priority, both for his team to protect and the enemy to kill.
* A Medic must survive. Teammates may die, [[Glossary of player terms#P 2|pockets]] may die, ÜberCharges may be spent, but as long as you're alive and building a new ÜberCharge, your teammates will have the advantage.
 
  
* The Medic can [[Healing#Overheal|Overheal]].  Follow the link and learn how it works.
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The Medic's weapons are designed more for self-protection and supplemental healing. He relies on having competent teammates who will protect him so that he is free to heal, not fight. More than with any other class, communication is key, both for indicating who to heal and when to activate an ÜberCharge.
 
 
* Avoid damage.  You are a prime target.  Jump, duck, and [[strafe]].  Be hard to hit.
 
 
 
* You regenerate between 3 and 6 health per second, so if you're being attacked, run.  You have a good chance to survive.
 
 
 
* Always ask your allies to leave [[Health]] pickups for you, then heal them in return.
 
 
 
* If you are threatened by an enemy and your teammates aren't aware, communicate, run, and fight in that order. All fights should be fighting retreats.
 
 
 
* Memorize the map. Know where all the pick ups are on the map and all the routes through the map. A smart Medic will use them to survive and sometimes kill a persistent enemy.
 
 
 
* Strike a balance between pocketing and team healing.  To pocket someone is to follow them around and continually heal them. Team healing is to heal various players as they run back to you for support.  A rule of thumb is stick to your pocket without fail if you or he is taking enemy fire.  Only heal your team whenever there is a moment of downtime.
 
 
 
* On occasion, aid the pushes of other players besides your pocket.  Don't make the common mistake of huddling near your friend when a timely heal could stop your enemies.
 
 
 
* Whenever it comes time to unleash a charge, inform your team.  You'll want as much support as possible following you and your target.
 
 
 
* If an enemy Medic ubers before you, maximize the effectiveness of your counter ÜberCharge.  Preferably, begin your ÜberCharge just after the enemy's ÜberCharge finishes.
 
 
 
== Weapon Specific ==
 
A list of useful tidbits about the Medic's tools.
 
  
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== Primary weapons ==
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Your ability to heal teammates will often make you the primary target of many enemy players. When in combat, be hard to hit: jump, duck, and [[strafe]] to avoid damage. Your natural health regeneration will often not be enough to keep you alive, so rely on your allies for protection and ask them to leave [[health]] pickups for you. Unless you are forced to fight, you should retreat if all nearby teammates are defeated.
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===[[Syringe Gun]]===
 
===[[Syringe Gun]]===
{{Icon weapon|weapon=Syringe Gun|icon-size=100x100px}}
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{{icon item|Syringe Gun|100px}}
* Remember to lead your targets.  The needles travel slowly.
 
  
* The needless from the Syringe Gun travel in a gentle parabolic arc. Over distance, remember to move your aim upwards slightly.
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The Syringe Gun rapidly fires needles in a slow parabolic arc, which deal moderate damage at close range only. It is not a great weapon - your teammates should protect you so that you don't have to use it. The Syringe Gun should be used as a last resort when enemies directly attack you; aim slightly upward and lead targets accordingly to compensate for the slow projectile speed.  
  
* The Syringe Gun fires rapidly and deals fair damage.  If you need to retreat, the Syringe Gun will slaughter enemies chasing you.
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=== [[Blutsauger]] + [[reskins]]===
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{{icon item|Blutsauger|100px}} {{icon item|Australium Blutsauger|100px|link=Australium weapons}}
  
*The Syringe Gun has a better passive heal than the Blutsauger.
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The Blutsauger heals you for 3 health for each shot that hits an enemy, but lowers your natural health regeneration even when it's not your active weapon. The lifesteal effect is useful in a direct fight, usually when you are caught out alone and need to find teammates or a health kit. If your team reliably protects you from enemies, equip a different weapon to retain your natural regeneration.
  
=== [[Blutsauger]] ===
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===[[Crusader's Crossbow]] + [[reskins]]===
{{Icon weapon|weapon=Blutsauger|icon-size=100x100px}}
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{{icon item|Crusader's Crossbow|100px}} {{icon item|Festive Crusader's Crossbow|100px|link=Festive weapons}}
* This weapon reduces your passive healing.  You will only regenerate between 1 and 4 health per second, making it a riskier weapon.
 
  
* Each needle heals you for three health, so you're vastly more likely to survive a fighting retreat with the Blutsauger.
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The Crusader's Crossbow is your only primary weapon that can heal, at a distance further than the Medi Gun, no less! Depending on who you hit, crossbow bolts either damage enemies or heal allies, with shot power increasing the farther it travels. The Crossbow's most common application is to heal teammates that are far away from you, such as roaming Scouts, Soldiers, and Spies; you can tell your allies to stand still if you have trouble landing long-range healing shots. For nearby injured teammates, shoot them with the Crossbow for burst healing before swapping to your Medi Gun. Overall, you gain an extra healing ability in exchange for self-defense; the Crossbow's slow fire rate makes it unreliable in a fight.
  
* If you're exposed without a buddy, fire the Blutsauger at anyone you can see while retreating. Even if you're taking enemy fire, you may regenerate just enough health to get away safely.
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===[[Overdose]]===
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{{icon item|Overdose|100px}}
  
* If you're on [[fire]] or [[bleeding]], you can stop healing and attack with the Blutsauger to restore some health. Consider this an emergency tactic, since you won't be healing your friends.
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Depending on how full your ÜberCharge meter is, the Overdose grants up to 20% additional movement speed. This weapon makes it easier to dodge projectiles or flee from enemies if you're under attack. In particular, the extra speed increases the odds that you won't have to waste your ÜberCharge in self-defense. The movement speed bonus only applies when the Overdose is your active weapon, so healing teammates will return you to normal speed. The Overdose deals slightly less damage in combat, encouraging you to seek help from teammates to preserve ÜberCharge instead of fighting enemies. The maximum speed bonus is still not enough to outrun an aggressive Scout, so you may still need to turn and fight regardless.
  
===[[Medi Gun]]===
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== Secondary weapons ==
{{Icon weapon|weapon=Medi Gun|icon-size=100x100px}}
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You cannot heal yourself, so you will want to work with your team. To heal an ally, target them with your Medi Gun out and fire away. You can only heal one teammate at a time, so you will sometimes need to decide who takes priority:
* Once locked on with your [[Medi Gun]], it doesn't matter what direction you face, so turn around frequently to watch for [[Spy|Spies]] and other ambushers.
 
  
* The [[Medi Gun]] beam can bend around corners. Use this to your advantage to heal your target while being protected from fire.
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* Before a fight, spread your healing among your team to [[overheal]] them and decide which allies might best protect you. If there is not enough time to heal everyone, prioritize classes likely to take damage first: the Scout, Soldier, Demoman, Heavy, and Sniper.
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* Once the fight begins, prioritize healing other Medics, then teammates who are taking heavy damage, then teammates with low health. If no one is in danger of dying, heal and overheal nearby teammates that roam away from you often, who you won't get to often heal.
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* At all times, '''you''' take priority. Your healing beam bends around corners and stays locked onto patients, so you are able to stay behind cover, dodge enemy attacks, and turn around to watch for flanking foes.
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* Prioritize targets that are under fire over ones that are at the back, even if the ones behind the frontline have less health. Teammates that are under fire need it most to keep the enemy team back.
  
* The ÜberCharge bar fills up faster if the Medic heals wounded allies instead of focusing on healthy ones.
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As you heal allies, the ÜberCharge meter will gradually fill up. It fills more quickly if you are healing wounded allies, rewarding you for staying near combat. Your different secondary weapons have different ÜberCharges; communicate with your team to best use your chosen effect.
  
* If you have an [[ÜberCharge]] and are in any danger of being killed, activate it. It's better to survive and potentially ÜberCharge an ally than to die with a full ÜberCharge meter.
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===[[Medi Gun]] + [[reskins]]===
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{{icon item|Medi Gun|100px}} {{icon item|Festive Medi Gun|100px|link=Festive weapons}} {{icon item|Silver Botkiller Medi Gun|100px|link=Botkiller weapons}} {{icon item|Australium Medi Gun|100px|link=Australium weapons}}
  
* If you are forced to choose between keeping ''any'' other player alive and another Medic, generally choose the Medic.
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Compared to your other choices, the standard Medi Gun charges the slowest but arguably has the most powerful [[ÜberCharge]]. It provides 8 seconds of invincibility to you and an ally, which is useful in almost any situation. Offensively, you can push into a defensive encampment, particularly those with chokepoints or [[Sentry Gun]]s. Defensively, you can hold a contested area when outnumbered or counter an enemy Medic's ÜberCharge. If you are in danger of being killed, activate your ÜberCharge in self-defense: it's better to survive than to die with a full meter. You can keep multiple targets ÜberCharged at once by quickly switching your healing beam between them, at the cost of it draining significantly faster.
 
 
* When team healing, heal damaged players first. Even if you heal them a small amount, it is better to heal someone low on health than to boost another to 150%.
 
 
 
* While Ubercharging, it is possible to change Medi Gun targets. If you do this quickly enough, both targets will be invincible at once, but your charge will drain faster.
 
 
 
* The longer a Medic waits to heal an injured teammate, the quicker they will be healed. Prioritize teammates you haven't healed in a while first.
 
 
 
* If you suspect you are healing a Spy, the quickest Spy check is to try running through them.
 
  
 
===[[Kritzkrieg]]===
 
===[[Kritzkrieg]]===
{{Icon weapon|weapon=Kritzkrieg|icon-size=100x100px}}
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{{icon item|Kritzkrieg|100px}}
* The Kritzkrieg relies a great deal on the skill level of your patient.  If your friends panic under pressure, use the Medi Gun instead.
 
  
* The Kritzkrieg's ÜberCharge charges much faster than a Medi Gun's.  If you have the chance, fire first and kill enemy Medics before their ÜberCharge is ready.
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The Kritzkrieg functions similarly to the Medi Gun, but charges 25% faster and provides 8 seconds of guaranteed [[Crits|Critical hits]] to its target upon ÜberCharge instead of invulnerability. It promotes a riskier, offensive playstyle; if the enemy Medic uses the standard Medi Gun, you will be fully charged first and can quickly overwhelm his team. The Kritzkrieg's ÜberCharge does not protect you or your teammate, so it is best on the Soldier, Demoman, and Heavy, classes that deal ranged area damage. Unlike the Medi Gun, the Kritzkrieg is ineffective against the [[Engineer]]'s Sentry Gun, as buildings are not affected by critical hits.
  
* Heavies, Soldiers and Demomen are the three best classes to kritz. Though any class can be lethal while kritzed, these three are far more lethal than the rest.
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===[[Quick-Fix]]===
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{{icon item|Quick-Fix|100px}}
  
* A Kritzkrieg ambush can eliminate almost an entire team before they can fire back.  Look for the element of surprise.
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The Quick-Fix heals teammates the fastest of your secondary weapons, making it useful for healing multiple injured teammates during combat. You also copy the explosive jumps of a friendly Soldier or Demoman when healing them, allowing you to easily keep up with them. However, the Quick-Fix can only [[overheal]] allies to 125% of their max health rather than 150%. Your team will be at disadvantage at the beginning of fights, when your enemies are presumably fully overhealed.  
  
* If on fire and low on health, hit the [[Oktoberfest]] taunt ('G' key). It can save your life.
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The Quick-Fix's ÜberCharge triples the rate of healing, grants immunity to knockback, and charges 10% faster than the Medi Gun. It is best used to maintain momentum rather than protect an area; you can still be overpowered by the invincibility from an enemy Medic's Medi Gun ÜberCharge and sources of massive damage, such as crit boosts.
  
* Remember that unleashing a Kritz charge does not protect you.  Use the critboost earlier rather than later, and you're more likely to survive a fight.
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===[[Vaccinator]]===
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{{icon item|Vaccinator|100px}}
  
===[[Bonesaw]]===
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The Vaccinator is trickier to use than your other options. When healing an ally with the Vaccinator, you can cycle between granting the two of you a 10% resistance to either [[Hitscan|bullets]], [[Projectile|explosions]], or [[fire]]. Its [[ÜberCharge]], which builds 67% faster and is stored in 4 smaller bars, increases the chosen resistance to 75% for 2.5 seconds. The Vaccinator's defensive capabilities, combined with the reduced overheal rate, are best used to maintain an immediate advantage at the front lines. In fights, adjust the Vaccinator to face whatever weapons your enemies carry. For example, a [[Pyro]] can always deal fire damage, but may have a [[Shotgun]], which deals bullet damage. The Vaccinator deploys each ÜberCharge as a shield; you can rapidly place shields on multiple teammates or stack them on the same target to protect against multiple damage types. Note that the Vaccinator's ÜberCharge rate is significantly reduced when healing targets at full health; stay near the action to heal injured teammates.
{{Icon weapon|weapon=Bonesaw|icon-size=100x100px}}
 
* The Bonesaw has more front-loaded damage than the Syringe Gun, but suffers in terms of damage over time. This makes it good for getting in the first strike on a distracted opponent.
 
  
* The Übersaw and Vita-Saw are usually seen as straight upgrades to the Bonesaw, because Ubercharges are valuable and melee fights rarely rely on attack speed.
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== Melee weapons ==
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==={{anchor|Bonesaw}}[[Bonesaw]] + [[reskins]]===
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{{icon item|Bonesaw|100px}} {{icon item|Frying Pan|100px}} {{icon item|Saxxy|100px}} {{icon item|Conscientious Objector|100px}} {{icon item|Freedom Staff|100px}}  {{icon item|Bat Outta Hell|100px}} {{icon item|Memory Maker|100px}} {{icon item|Ham Shank|100px}} {{icon item|Golden Frying Pan|100px}} {{icon item|Necro Smasher|100px}} {{icon item|Crossing Guard|100px}} {{icon item|Festive Bonesaw|100px|link=Festive weapons}} {{icon item|Prinny Machete|100px}}
  
===[[Übersaw]]===
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If you are cornered and aiming your Syringe Gun is difficult, you can take out the Bonesaw as a last resort. Although you have above-average movement speed to catch up to enemies, keep in mind that they still have guns. All of your other melee weapons possess some sort of utility. Because of how rarely you enter melee combat in standard gameplay, melee weapons that provide some utility buff are preferred.
{{Icon weapon|weapon=Übersaw|icon-size=100x100px}}
 
* The Übersaw has a 20% slower attack rate than the Bonesaw, but will charge your ÜberCharge meter by 25% per each hit.
 
  
* Use your Übersaw only for filling your ÜberCharge, not for repeatedly slashing enemies to death. If you can escape, you will have a substantial advantage due to your filled Über.
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===[[Ubersaw]] + [[reskins]]===
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{{icon item|Übersaw|100px}} {{icon item|Festive Ubersaw|100px|link=Festive weapons}}
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The Ubersaw swings slightly slower than the Bonesaw, but grants a massive 25% boost to your [[ÜberCharge]] meter for each attack that lands. If an enemy misjudges his ability to fight you, take him out with the Ubersaw for an instant advantage. If you end up cornered, as a last resort, you can try taking out the Ubersaw to quickly fill the default Medi Gun's meter, then escape with the resulting invincibility.  
  
* If trapped behind enemy lines, a few hits with your Übersaw may allow you to build up an ÜberCharge and escape back to your teammates. Do not count on this strategy, though, since you may need to survive long enough to hit an opponent four times.
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Avoid actively seeking combat with the Ubersaw to build charge. Melee combat is risky against any class, and you can build the equivalent 25% after about 10 seconds of healing injured teammates as they fight.
  
* If a Spy attempts to backstab you and fails, use the Übersaw to finish them off. Even one hit will vastly decrease the time it takes to build up an Über, leaving you at a tactical advantage.
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===[[Vita-Saw]]===
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{{icon item|Vita-Saw|100px}}
  
===[[Vita-Saw]]===
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The Vita-Saw grants minor [[ÜberCharge]] insurance. Hitting an enemy with it harvests an Organ; each Organ lets you retain 15% of your ÜberCharge upon dying, up to a cap of 60%. As a Medic, you will inevitably become a priority target for the enemy team. If your ÜberCharge is not fully charged and you are cornered, fight back with the Vita-Saw to ensure at least some of your hard work remains after death. Of course, the small -10 health penalty might mean you die more often against burst damage. The Vita-Saw is useless in situations where you cannot respawn, such as [[Arena]] or [[Sudden Death]].
{{Icon weapon|weapon=Vita-Saw|icon-size=100x100px}}
 
* With the Vita-Saw you can attempt riskier tactics while carrying a small charge, since you're less likely to lose a large amount of charge if you die.
 
  
*Due to the slight decrease in your health, you will die faster to lighter classes such as Scouts and Pyros.  Remember to flee earlier when being harassed.
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===[[Amputator]]===
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{{icon item|Amputator|100px}}
  
* 20% saved charge will produce more successful charges if you are dying often.
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While you hold the Amputator, you regenerate 3 extra health per second, useful when escaping a fight or suffering from effects such as [[afterburn]] and [[bleeding]]. Taunting will play a [[Medicating Melody|melody]] that heals all nearby allies that are not obstructed by cover. This melody doesn't build much ÜberCharge and leaves you defenseless for four seconds, so play it only when you absolutely need to heal multiple teammates at once. The Amputator deals 20% less damage than the Bonesaw but is still considered an upgrade because as the Medic, you'll rarely engage in melee combat.
  
* The Vita-Saw has no advantages over the other saws in Arena maps or during [[Sudden Death]], as respawning is impossible, and you do not retain Übercharge between rounds.
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===[[Solemn Vow]]===
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{{icon item|Solemn Vow|100px}}
  
===[[Amputator]]===
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The Solemn Vow allows you to see enemy health, names, and ÜberCharge percentage, like with the Spy. While you heal teammates, also spend time looking at the enemy - you can tell your team about weakened foes and the ÜberCharge state of enemy Medics. If you are alone, this ability helps you decide whether to fight or run from a pursuing enemy. The Solemn Vow suffers a 10% attack speed penalty, which is practically negligible for its benefits.
{{Icon weapon|weapon=Amputator|icon-size=100x100px}}
 
*As you capture a point taunt to heal everyone around you.
 
  
*Use your taunt to heal camping Snipers.
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The Solemn Vow's benefits are always active, unlike how the Ubersaw or Vitasaw require you to land melee attacks, or how the Amputator's taunt leaves you vulnerable. It becomes a more useful choice against skilled opponents who will not let you freely utilize the other melee weapons.
  
==See also==
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== See also ==
*[[Community Medic strategy]]
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* [[ÜberCharge]]
*[[ÜberCharge]]
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* [[Medic buddy]]
*[[Medic match-ups]]
 
*[[Medic buddy]]
 
*[[Team strategy]]
 
  
{{Class strategy}}
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{{Class Strategy Nav}}
 
{{Medic Nav}}
 
{{Medic Nav}}
  
 
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[[Category:Medic]]
 
[[Category:Strategy]]
 
[[Category:Strategy]]
[[Category:Medic]]
 

Latest revision as of 20:47, 20 September 2023

This page contains basic strategy for the Medic. For more advanced strategies, see Community Medic strategy. For how to play against the Medic, see Anti-Medic strategy.
Ze healing leaves little time for ze hurting.
The Medic
Medictaunt3.PNG

The Medic is arguably the most important class. He is the only class with a reliable way to heal and overheal, putting any team without one at a severe disadvantage. As the Medic heals others, he builds an ÜberCharge meter. Once this meter is full, he can buff a teammate with effects such as the Medi Gun's invulnerability or the Kritzkrieg's Crit-boost, giving his team a chance to forge ahead. However, if the Medic dies, he loses his accumulated ÜberCharge. Knowing this, the flow of battle can be dictated by if a team's Medic is alive and/or charged. The Medic is a priority, both for his team to protect and the enemy to kill.

The Medic's weapons are designed more for self-protection and supplemental healing. He relies on having competent teammates who will protect him so that he is free to heal, not fight. More than with any other class, communication is key, both for indicating who to heal and when to activate an ÜberCharge.

Primary weapons

Your ability to heal teammates will often make you the primary target of many enemy players. When in combat, be hard to hit: jump, duck, and strafe to avoid damage. Your natural health regeneration will often not be enough to keep you alive, so rely on your allies for protection and ask them to leave health pickups for you. Unless you are forced to fight, you should retreat if all nearby teammates are defeated.

Syringe Gun

Syringe Gun

The Syringe Gun rapidly fires needles in a slow parabolic arc, which deal moderate damage at close range only. It is not a great weapon - your teammates should protect you so that you don't have to use it. The Syringe Gun should be used as a last resort when enemies directly attack you; aim slightly upward and lead targets accordingly to compensate for the slow projectile speed.

Blutsauger + reskins

Blutsauger Australium Blutsauger

The Blutsauger heals you for 3 health for each shot that hits an enemy, but lowers your natural health regeneration even when it's not your active weapon. The lifesteal effect is useful in a direct fight, usually when you are caught out alone and need to find teammates or a health kit. If your team reliably protects you from enemies, equip a different weapon to retain your natural regeneration.

Crusader's Crossbow + reskins

Crusader's Crossbow Festive Crusader's Crossbow

The Crusader's Crossbow is your only primary weapon that can heal, at a distance further than the Medi Gun, no less! Depending on who you hit, crossbow bolts either damage enemies or heal allies, with shot power increasing the farther it travels. The Crossbow's most common application is to heal teammates that are far away from you, such as roaming Scouts, Soldiers, and Spies; you can tell your allies to stand still if you have trouble landing long-range healing shots. For nearby injured teammates, shoot them with the Crossbow for burst healing before swapping to your Medi Gun. Overall, you gain an extra healing ability in exchange for self-defense; the Crossbow's slow fire rate makes it unreliable in a fight.

Overdose

Overdose

Depending on how full your ÜberCharge meter is, the Overdose grants up to 20% additional movement speed. This weapon makes it easier to dodge projectiles or flee from enemies if you're under attack. In particular, the extra speed increases the odds that you won't have to waste your ÜberCharge in self-defense. The movement speed bonus only applies when the Overdose is your active weapon, so healing teammates will return you to normal speed. The Overdose deals slightly less damage in combat, encouraging you to seek help from teammates to preserve ÜberCharge instead of fighting enemies. The maximum speed bonus is still not enough to outrun an aggressive Scout, so you may still need to turn and fight regardless.

Secondary weapons

You cannot heal yourself, so you will want to work with your team. To heal an ally, target them with your Medi Gun out and fire away. You can only heal one teammate at a time, so you will sometimes need to decide who takes priority:

  • Before a fight, spread your healing among your team to overheal them and decide which allies might best protect you. If there is not enough time to heal everyone, prioritize classes likely to take damage first: the Scout, Soldier, Demoman, Heavy, and Sniper.
  • Once the fight begins, prioritize healing other Medics, then teammates who are taking heavy damage, then teammates with low health. If no one is in danger of dying, heal and overheal nearby teammates that roam away from you often, who you won't get to often heal.
  • At all times, you take priority. Your healing beam bends around corners and stays locked onto patients, so you are able to stay behind cover, dodge enemy attacks, and turn around to watch for flanking foes.
  • Prioritize targets that are under fire over ones that are at the back, even if the ones behind the frontline have less health. Teammates that are under fire need it most to keep the enemy team back.

As you heal allies, the ÜberCharge meter will gradually fill up. It fills more quickly if you are healing wounded allies, rewarding you for staying near combat. Your different secondary weapons have different ÜberCharges; communicate with your team to best use your chosen effect.

Medi Gun + reskins

Medi Gun Festive Medi Gun Silver Botkiller Medi Gun Australium Medi Gun

Compared to your other choices, the standard Medi Gun charges the slowest but arguably has the most powerful ÜberCharge. It provides 8 seconds of invincibility to you and an ally, which is useful in almost any situation. Offensively, you can push into a defensive encampment, particularly those with chokepoints or Sentry Guns. Defensively, you can hold a contested area when outnumbered or counter an enemy Medic's ÜberCharge. If you are in danger of being killed, activate your ÜberCharge in self-defense: it's better to survive than to die with a full meter. You can keep multiple targets ÜberCharged at once by quickly switching your healing beam between them, at the cost of it draining significantly faster.

Kritzkrieg

Kritzkrieg

The Kritzkrieg functions similarly to the Medi Gun, but charges 25% faster and provides 8 seconds of guaranteed Critical hits to its target upon ÜberCharge instead of invulnerability. It promotes a riskier, offensive playstyle; if the enemy Medic uses the standard Medi Gun, you will be fully charged first and can quickly overwhelm his team. The Kritzkrieg's ÜberCharge does not protect you or your teammate, so it is best on the Soldier, Demoman, and Heavy, classes that deal ranged area damage. Unlike the Medi Gun, the Kritzkrieg is ineffective against the Engineer's Sentry Gun, as buildings are not affected by critical hits.

Quick-Fix

Quick-Fix

The Quick-Fix heals teammates the fastest of your secondary weapons, making it useful for healing multiple injured teammates during combat. You also copy the explosive jumps of a friendly Soldier or Demoman when healing them, allowing you to easily keep up with them. However, the Quick-Fix can only overheal allies to 125% of their max health rather than 150%. Your team will be at disadvantage at the beginning of fights, when your enemies are presumably fully overhealed.

The Quick-Fix's ÜberCharge triples the rate of healing, grants immunity to knockback, and charges 10% faster than the Medi Gun. It is best used to maintain momentum rather than protect an area; you can still be overpowered by the invincibility from an enemy Medic's Medi Gun ÜberCharge and sources of massive damage, such as crit boosts.

Vaccinator

Vaccinator

The Vaccinator is trickier to use than your other options. When healing an ally with the Vaccinator, you can cycle between granting the two of you a 10% resistance to either bullets, explosions, or fire. Its ÜberCharge, which builds 67% faster and is stored in 4 smaller bars, increases the chosen resistance to 75% for 2.5 seconds. The Vaccinator's defensive capabilities, combined with the reduced overheal rate, are best used to maintain an immediate advantage at the front lines. In fights, adjust the Vaccinator to face whatever weapons your enemies carry. For example, a Pyro can always deal fire damage, but may have a Shotgun, which deals bullet damage. The Vaccinator deploys each ÜberCharge as a shield; you can rapidly place shields on multiple teammates or stack them on the same target to protect against multiple damage types. Note that the Vaccinator's ÜberCharge rate is significantly reduced when healing targets at full health; stay near the action to heal injured teammates.

Melee weapons

Bonesaw + reskins

Bonesaw Frying Pan Saxxy Conscientious Objector Freedom Staff Bat Outta Hell Memory Maker Ham Shank Golden Frying Pan Necro Smasher Crossing Guard Festive Bonesaw Prinny Machete

If you are cornered and aiming your Syringe Gun is difficult, you can take out the Bonesaw as a last resort. Although you have above-average movement speed to catch up to enemies, keep in mind that they still have guns. All of your other melee weapons possess some sort of utility. Because of how rarely you enter melee combat in standard gameplay, melee weapons that provide some utility buff are preferred.

Ubersaw + reskins

Übersaw Festive Ubersaw

The Ubersaw swings slightly slower than the Bonesaw, but grants a massive 25% boost to your ÜberCharge meter for each attack that lands. If an enemy misjudges his ability to fight you, take him out with the Ubersaw for an instant advantage. If you end up cornered, as a last resort, you can try taking out the Ubersaw to quickly fill the default Medi Gun's meter, then escape with the resulting invincibility.

Avoid actively seeking combat with the Ubersaw to build charge. Melee combat is risky against any class, and you can build the equivalent 25% after about 10 seconds of healing injured teammates as they fight.

Vita-Saw

Vita-Saw

The Vita-Saw grants minor ÜberCharge insurance. Hitting an enemy with it harvests an Organ; each Organ lets you retain 15% of your ÜberCharge upon dying, up to a cap of 60%. As a Medic, you will inevitably become a priority target for the enemy team. If your ÜberCharge is not fully charged and you are cornered, fight back with the Vita-Saw to ensure at least some of your hard work remains after death. Of course, the small -10 health penalty might mean you die more often against burst damage. The Vita-Saw is useless in situations where you cannot respawn, such as Arena or Sudden Death.

Amputator

Amputator

While you hold the Amputator, you regenerate 3 extra health per second, useful when escaping a fight or suffering from effects such as afterburn and bleeding. Taunting will play a melody that heals all nearby allies that are not obstructed by cover. This melody doesn't build much ÜberCharge and leaves you defenseless for four seconds, so play it only when you absolutely need to heal multiple teammates at once. The Amputator deals 20% less damage than the Bonesaw but is still considered an upgrade because as the Medic, you'll rarely engage in melee combat.

Solemn Vow

Solemn Vow

The Solemn Vow allows you to see enemy health, names, and ÜberCharge percentage, like with the Spy. While you heal teammates, also spend time looking at the enemy - you can tell your team about weakened foes and the ÜberCharge state of enemy Medics. If you are alone, this ability helps you decide whether to fight or run from a pursuing enemy. The Solemn Vow suffers a 10% attack speed penalty, which is practically negligible for its benefits.

The Solemn Vow's benefits are always active, unlike how the Ubersaw or Vitasaw require you to land melee attacks, or how the Amputator's taunt leaves you vulnerable. It becomes a more useful choice against skilled opponents who will not let you freely utilize the other melee weapons.

See also