Community Medic strategy

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— The Medic on "accidental" malpractice

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As a Medic, your primary role is to keep your teammates alive using the Medi Gun. The Medic is able to provide invincibility, guarantee critical hits or rapidly heal a patient for a short time by deploying an ÜberCharge, which can often change the tide of a battle.

Quick tips

Heal anyone who needs it, but focus on Heavies, Soldiers, Pyros, and Demomen. These classes are the least likely to be killed by a single explosion, Critical hit or other random events. In addition, these are all classes that can use powerful weapons, enabling them to more quickly dispatch enemies attacking you.

Regularly overhealing nearby teammates will ensure that they have the upper hand against your enemies.

Try to stay with your team at all times. You are not suited to survive against any class in direct combat.

ÜberCharge is still built when your healing target is at full health or overhealed, but it charges more slowly.

Keep movements constant and unpredictable and always be aware of your surroundings. Medics are often a high priority for enemies, especially Spies.

Don't be afraid to use an Übercharge to save yourself, even if no allies are nearby. It is better to use it too early than to lose it by being killed, and this will allow you to regroup with your team more quickly.

If you become separated from your teammates, calling for a Medic yourself will alert them to your location.

General strategy

You are the only class (besides a Sniper with the Cozy Camper) that can passively regenerate health, but do not rely too heavily on this to keep you alive. Ask your teammates to leave Medkits for you if you need them, and be sure to keep them healthy in return.

Much more than any other class, being an effective Medic relies on good communication with teammates. You should communicate with your target(s) about upcoming dangers and enemy Spies, as they can use the information to deal with the threat. A microphone can be immensely valuable to achieving this end, as it can be used to quickly and precisely transmit such information.

The Medi Gun beam can heal targets from a considerable distance, allowing you to remain behind cover while healing your patient. If there is no cover readily available, get behind your allies.

Once the Medi Gun is locked onto its target, you can face any direction without interrupting healing. This leaves you free to watch for Spies or ambushes in general.

Always try to stay focused on healing allies. Don't be tempted to chase down a fleeing enemy Spy if a fight is already taking place; alert your teammates to the danger instead, as they will be better equipped to pursue.

Combat strategy

When in combat, your top priority is to keep as many teammates alive as possible, while doing the same for yourself. Always focus on healing teammates that are under attack and/or on fire.

If possible, do not compromise a good position in order to heal a player on the other side of a battlefield. Ask for them to come to you, or to fall back for a health pack.

Be aware of your surroundings, for your teammates might not be able to while fighting. Signal nearby teammates so they won't be caught completely off guard when enemies flank you.

Under certain circumstances, it may be necessary to continuously heal a single player instead of spreading it around to other teammates, a tactic called pocketing. This tactic can become necessary when dealing with Sentry Guns, an enemy pocket, or when deploying ÜberCharges.

Asides from the above circumstances, it is advisable to try to keep all the teammates around you generally healthy. If your primary healing target is fully healed or overhealed and others are needing of health, try switching targets as the need changes. Generally a mostly healthy team is more effective than one overhealed pair.

If isolated with an enemy, pepper him with syringes from far range while dodging incoming projectiles. Then, when close enough, go in for a Bonesaw kill.

Your Syringe Gun is a decent weapon, but its projectiles are slow and have limited range. Use it for self defense or in desperate situations, and focus on healing.

If the battle turns against your favor, begin to retreat while healing your teammates. Tell your team to retreat if you have a microphone. It is important for you to survive so that you can build your ÜberCharge for the next attack.

General ÜberCharge strategy

An ÜberCharge is one of the most powerful forces in the game when used correctly. Take extra caution to stay alive when your meter is nearly full.

Popping ÜberCharge when running around a corner in to an enemy slightly early is a good idea, especially if the enemy team has Demomen, as a sticky trap can quickly end an ÜberCharge push.

The ÜberCharge meter fills faster by healing wounded allies instead of focusing on fully overhealed ones. As such, classes that can effectively damage themselves (Soldiers, Demomen, Scouts with the Boston Basher and Pyros with the Detonator or the Scorch Shot) can be a tremendous help when out of combat. (Note that during the Setup phase, the meter always fills at the maximum speed, as long as no two Medics are healing the same heal target.)

Although the default Medi Gun's ÜberCharge protects you from damage, you and your target are still affected by knockback. A Pyro can use their compression blast to separate you from your patient, so always be wary of this. It does not, however, work on a player under the effects of the Quick-Fix's Übercharge.

Even an invincible player can have a hard time wiping out the entire enemy defensive line alone. To make the most out of each ÜberCharge, activate it when other teammates are nearby and strike as a team.

While deploying an Übercharge, it is possible to change Medi Gun targets. There is a delay between the healing ending and invulnerability cutting out so switching targets quickly will make them both invulnerable for a very short period.
- Note that this drains the ÜberCharge faster than an ÜberCharge on only one person.

If attacking an Engineer nest with an invulnerability ÜberCharge, move in front of your patient to draw Sentry Gun fire away. This will allow them to get closer and deal more damage. Do not jump when doing this however, as the knockback of the sentry gun will send you flying backwards. This can be used for a speedy escape in some cases.

The most suitable class for an Übercharge depends on the situation. Soldiers and Demomen excel at destroying Engineer buildings with their explosive attacks, but often waste precious time reloading. Heavies and Pyros, with their ability to fire continuously, are generally better for wiping out groups of enemy players.

If using the Kritzkrieg, keep in mind that buildings are immune to critical hits. As such, it is not suitable for attacking Engineer bases.

The Quick-Fix's Übercharge is perhaps the best to use against a Sentry Gun, due to the knockback immunity it grants. Remember that it is still quite possible to kill a player under this Übercharge's effects with sheer firepower.

ÜberChain Strategy

The Medic Überchain is a tactic that involves two Medics equipped with the default Medi Gun and the Übersaw working together. This tactic utilizes the fact that the Übersaw adds 25% to the Übercharge meter upon a successful hit.
This tactic should be performed on an attack/defense round if possible due to the 60 seconds given before the game starts. Heal each other during this time to build up a complete Übercharge. When the round starts, begin the Überchain. The Medic being charged should have the Übersaw out and ready. Simply attack enemies with the Übersaw and try to get four hits before the charge depletes, so that you have a second Übercharge ready. When the first Übercharge runs out, the two Medics switch roles and become invulnerable again. If one of you happens to get less than four hits, you can attempt to get the hits without being invulnerable, at your own risk. If executed properly, the two Medics can be constantly invulnerable.
There is a Hard Counter to the Überchain. If an enemy Pyro simply keeps airblasting the Medics away, the charge will drain and the Medics can be swiftly killed. Soldiers and Demoman can also use the knockback of their explosive attacks to push the Medics away.
Basically, the Überchain should be used only if the conditions permit, but it can be quite effective.

For more information visit the Uberchain page.

Weapon Specific

Primary Weapons

Syringe Gun

Weapon	Kill Icon	Ammo		Damage
Weapon	Kill Icon	Loaded	Carried	Point Blank	Medium Range	Long Range	Critical
Stock Syringe Gun		40	150	10-12	5-10	5-6	30

Despite each syringe dealing weak damage, the Syringe Gun has a very fast rate of fire and quick reload time, making it deceptively strong at close ranges.

The Syringe Gun's needles arc over distance and take time to travel, which makes aiming harder. Lead your targets, as the needles travel fairly slowly. This makes it harder to hit moving targets, but by predicting the path of an enemy, you can do a good deal of damage.
- The needle travel delay can also be used as an advantage when firing at corners or while retreating. When fighting an enemy, retreating around a corner while firing can suppress enemy players and discourage them from pursuing.

Classes that move at the normal run speed (Engineers, Spies, Pyros, Snipers) are only slightly faster than you running backwards. This allows you to spray your pursuers with needles while keeping your opponents at a respectable distance.

Blutsauger

Weapon	Kill Icon	Ammo		Damage				Health
Weapon	Kill Icon	Loaded	Carried	Point Blank	Medium Range	Long Range	Critical	On Hit
Unlock Blutsauger		40	150	10-12	5-10	5-6	30	3

The Blutsauger is an unlockable primary weapon for the Medic. Whenever a needle hits an enemy, 3 HP is restored to the Medic. However, passive health regeneration is reduced by 2 HP/sec, with a total of 1 HP/sec to 4 HP/sec regeneration.

The Blutsauger's health regeneration makes it a much better retreat weapon if attacked by enemy players and no teammates are nearby. If you expect to have to fend for yourself, consider using the Blutsauger.

A Blutsauger wielding Medic must rely more heavily on health packs. Memorizing the location of health packs will increase your survivability with this weapon greatly.

An accurate Medic can stand to gain a "maximum" of 30 HP per second, from this weapon (not counting reload times). When added to the health from regeneration, and if all Syringes hit, a Medic can recover 31 to 34 HP in one second. However this rate was determined by the Medic and his target not moving. In reality, You can get a gain more than 30 HP per sec when closing in to the target or gain less when moving away.

Crusader's Crossbow

Weapon	Kill Icon	Ammo		Damage/Healing
Weapon	Kill Icon	Loaded	Carried	Point Blank	Medium Range	Long Range	Critical
Craft Crusader's Crossbow		1	38	38/75	56/112	75/150	113-225

The Crusader's Crossbow is a craftable primary weapon for the Medic. It deals damage based on the distance traveled by the bolt, and can heal teammates based on distance traveled as well.
- Both the damage dealt to enemy players and the amount of health that teammates are healed by are directly proportional to the distance that the crossbow bolt has traveled.
- The Crusader's Crossbow cannot overheal teammates.
- Healing from the Crusader's Crossbow does not build your Übercharge.

The Crusader's Crossbow is completely different from both the Syringe Gun and the Blutsauger, which rely on numerous low-damage projectiles, as it relies on dealing large amounts of damage one projectile at a time. It functions very similarly to the Sniper's Huntsman, so try to use it in the same way. However, remember that unlike the Huntsman, the Crusader's Crossbow cannot deal headshots.

When trying to attack enemies while teammates are in the line of fire, try to jump while firing to gain a temporary height advantage. This ensures that the bolt will not accidentally hit a teammate and heal them instead of damaging an enemy farther away.
- If you see a cluster of teammates and enemies fighting, chances are, they're running erratically. Instead of aiming for someone, you can shoot into the crowd, either healing a teammate or damaging an enemy.

The Crossbow is great for healing teammates whom are dangerous to reach, or whom you cannot reach in time, such as somebody on fire.

The Crusader's Crossbow can provide a quick burst of healing. When the teammate you are healing is under heavy fire and your healing rate is not able to keep up with the damage, switch to the Crusader's Crossbow, fire a shot at your teammate to heal 75 HP, then quickly switch back to your Medi Gun and continue healing.

Due to the Crusader's Crossbow's low rate of fire, try not to let enemy players get too close. If enemies do manage to perform a successful ambush or flank, it's usually better to take out your melee weapon or try to retreat behind a teammate.

Unlike the Huntsman, the Crusader's Crossbow can be fired underwater and in midair.

If need be, you can fit a long range fire support role with this weapon. The damage over range effect can stack up from a good vantage point, and you can not only deal damage but heal teammates from far away. You may need to ask them to stop moving with voice chat so the arrow hits and heals the target.

If aimed well at longer ranges, a Critical full range Crossbow shot is capable of killing any class outright except for an Overhealed Soldier or a Heavy. It can also be used to either kill a Sniper or force him to fall back for health.

The Crossbow can be used to heal teammates when running towards them after respawning.

Overdose

Weapon	Kill Icon	Ammo		Damage				Effect
Weapon	Kill Icon	Loaded	Carried	Point Blank	Medium Range	Long Range	Critical	Speed with 100% ÜberCharge
Craft Overdose		40	150	9-11	5-9	5-6	27	117.33%

The Overdose is a craftable primary for the Medic. It does 10% less damage than the standard Syringe Gun but will increase the Medic's speed as his Über meter increases. The speed boost caps at 10% faster than standard Medic speed.
- The speed boost only applies while you have the Overdose drawn.

If you are building an ÜberCharge but your heal target gets killed with no one else around, you can use the Overdose to escape and regroup with your team.

If you need to make an urgent kill, you can chase an enemy down with your increased speed.

The speed bonus is less effective when using Mediguns that charge more slowly, particularly the stock Medi Gun, and on smaller maps. In these cases, consider using the stock Syringe Gun, unless you are set on avoiding all enemy contact.

Considering that a Medic rarely engages in direct combat, the Overdose's damage reduction can be considered negligible. If you do not pursue combat engagement actively, consider utilising the Overdose's speed boost, and instead rely on your teammate's protection.

Secondary Weapons

Medi Gun / Festive Medi Gun

Weapon	Healing		ÜberCharge
Weapon	Normal Healing Rate	Maximum Healing Rate	ÜberCharge	ÜberCharge Time	Charge Speed	Maximum Charge Time
Stock Medi Gun	24 health/sec	72 health/sec	Invulnerability	8 seconds	2.5%/sec	40 seconds (80)
Uncrate Festive Medi Gun	24 health/sec	72 health/sec	Invulnerability	8 seconds	2.5%/sec	40 seconds (80)

The Medi Gun's base healing rate is 24 HP/sec. If healing a teammate that has not taken damage in the last 10 seconds, the healing rate increases linearly, up to 72 HP/sec on a teammate that has not taken damage in the last 15 seconds.

When healing a heal target, the Medi Gun will stay "locked-on" to the heal target until the primary fire key is released, or your heal target moves out of range.

If ambushed, remember that it's better to use an ÜberCharge to survive than to die with a full ÜberCharge meter.

Heal other Medics whenever possible. This way, you and other Medics can stay alive longer and retain any charge in your ÜberCharge meters.

Heal damaged players first. Healing a damaged player takes only a few seconds, but a player dying, respawning, and then returning to the front lines can take up to half a minute. Even healing them a small amount is often better than overhealing another to 150%.

It's useful to turn on "Medi Gun continues healing without holding down fire button" in the Advanced multiplayer options so you won't have to hold down the primary fire button while healing someone.

Focus on all your teammates - often there's a temptation to stick with stronger classes such as Heavies and neglect other teammates. Heal all your teammates actively.

Use setup time to build up ÜberCharge in preparation for enemy engagement.

Remember to continually 'top-up' your teammate's health with your Medi Gun's overheal. Such 'pocketing' is very useful for your team.
- Note that some classes take longer to reach their maximum overhealed health than others. For instance, it takes a couple of seconds of continuous Medi Gun healing to completely overheal a Heavy or Soldier, but far less time to other classes, such as the Scout. Take this into account when pocketing.

Kritzkrieg

Weapon	Healing		ÜberCharge
Weapon	Normal Healing Rate	Maximum Healing Rate	ÜberCharge	ÜberCharge Time	Charge Speed	Maximum Charge Time
Unlock Kritzkrieg	24 health/sec	72 health/sec	Critical hits	8 seconds	3.125%/sec	32 seconds (64)

The Kritzkrieg is an unlockable Medi Gun for the Medic. Its ÜberCharge builds 25% faster than the Medi Gun's and provides guaranteed Critical hits to the Medic's heal target instead of invulnerability for the duration of its deployment.

The Kritzkrieg's ÜberCharge is useless against a Medi Gun's ÜberCharge due to its invulnerability, but due to the faster charge rate it can be deployed before the enemy's Medi Gun charge, and can be deployed more frequently.

Although Critical hits count as normal damage against buildings, and as such don't help against a Sentry Gun by itself, a Kritzkrieg ÜberCharge on a Demoman or Soldier allows them to utilize the splash damage from their rockets and grenades to easily kill the Engineer hiding behind the Sentry Gun. Once the Engineer is dead, the Sentry Gun can be quickly destroyed.

Heavies, Soldiers and Demomen are among the three best classes to deploy a Kritz on. Though any class can be lethal while Kritzkrieg ÜberCharged, these three are far more lethal than the rest. The choice is situational:
- Soldiers and Demomen are very similar: they can use the splash damage from their rockets, grenades, and stickybombs to clear off Control points or Payload carts.
- Kritzing a Heavy is great for large, spread out groups of enemies, as the continuous fire and quick target switching allows the Heavy to concentrate on as many enemies as he can hit in the duration of the Kritz. Critical hits also don't suffer from damage falloff over distance, so the Heavy can be very lethal even at long ranges.
- Although not as effective as Kritzing a Heavy, Soldier or Demoman, a Kritz'd Pyro is very deadly at close ranges, as critical point-blank damage from a Pyro's Flamethrower can kill most classes near instantly. Also note that critical afterburn is highly damaging, similarly. Consider Kritzing a Pyro when it's important to remove close-range threats.

If there are no powerful offensive classes to Kritz, the Sniper can be an effective Kritz target - every hit while charged does the same damage as an un-charged headshot.

The Kritzkrieg excels at ambushes. Try to flank the enemy or fire from behind cover, or anywhere that the enemy is not looking at. Most enemies will be dead before they have time to react to a surprise attack.

For all intents and purposes, the Kritzkrieg is a cross between the Quick-Fix and the stock Medi Gun - it has the overheal ability of the Medi Gun, and the faster charge rate of the Quick-Fix.

Oktoberfest

	Weapon	Healing	Duration	Details
Oktoberfest	Kritzkrieg	11 health	4 seconds	The Medic takes a brief whiff out of the barrel of his weapon.

Due to the duration of the taunt, the low amount of health recovered, and the increased vulnerability, only try to use this taunt when safely behind cover and while backed up against a wall. In such situations, however, it's usually far better to simply seek out a better source of healing.

In dire situations such as being on fire or bleeding, it's possible that using this taunt can prevent death.

Quick-Fix

Weapon	Healing		ÜberCharge
Weapon	Normal Healing Rate	Maximum Healing Rate	ÜberCharge	ÜberCharge Time	Charge Speed	Maximum Charge Time
Craft Quick-Fix	33.6 health/sec	100.8 health/sec	Megaheal	8 seconds	3.125%/sec (1.5625%/sec)	32 seconds (64)

The Quick-Fix is a craftable secondary for the Medic. It has a 40% faster heal rate and a 25% faster charge rate than the Medi Gun. The Quick-Fix's ÜberCharge is the "Megaheal", which increases healing speed to 300% and negates movement impairing effects, such as Natascha's slowdown and compression blasts. It cannot overheal, however.

The Quick-Fix and its Megaheal are meant for keeping many teammates alive during pushes as opposed to making it easier to push through territory or kill the enemy faster. With the faster heal rate, it's best to stay with a group to maximize the Quick-Fix's usefulness.

The Quick-Fix lets you move as fast as the person you are healing. With the stock load-out, this only applies to Scouts when you heal them, so hitch a ride if you're in a hurry to get to the front lines. However, this also applies to the all speed-boosting weapons, such as the Scout's Baby Face's Blaster and Crit-a-Cola, the Demoman's Eyelander, the Pyro's Gas Jockey's Gear (although this is by a negligible 3%, and the Medic's Overdose. You can get to the front lines and move around quicker by healing any one of these classes. However, note that you still cannot double jump like a Scout, so some obstacles you will not be able to get over.

The Ability to use your team members explosive jump can allow you to stay with team mates when they jump to areas that you could not get to with ease, or at higher speed. Your Healing Target should be able to travel much more than normal due to the healing during flight, and in combat, your presence could keep your partner alive longer. Be aware that you can easily can become separated with your Jump partner, especially if the Medic is has little experience with Explosive jumping. If you suspect your teammate is going to explosive jump, stand close to him and be ready to air-strafe to control your jump. Keep in mind that although you take no damage from the initial jump, you still take fall damage.

The increased mobility means that the Quick-Fix is less useful for pocketing slower classes such as the heavy, but can be used in pocketing situations where the Medi Gun would not be applicable, especially with a Soldier, Demoman, or Scout. Keep in mind, however, that you cannot overheal.

When pocketing a Soldier or Demoman with any other Medi Gun, their mobility is greatly restricted, as they cannot explosive-jump without losing their source of healing. However, with the Quick-Fix they can use their explosive jumps to their full potential, moving around the map quickly and to places not normally accessible. Your increased healing will also allow him to jump much more frequently, so he can constantly change positions constantly, making the pair a force to be reckoned with. Keep in mind that you cannot heal a Soldier while he is using the Escape Plan, so you cannot use his speed boost.

A Demoman using the Eyelander is your best friend. A Demoman with four heads is very powerful and a useful class to pocket, but he runs faster than a Medic and can be difficult to keep up with, especially if he sticky-jumps, so here the Quick-Fix shines. Make up for his health loss while he sticky-jumps to an enemy, and support him by healing him while he makes the kill. After he gets three heads he will give you a noticeable speed boost, and a large boost at four. This tactic also works with a shield, but is most effective with the vanilla Stickybomb Launcher, as you are not boosted when he charges. The Sticky Jumper is not necessary as your increased healing should make up for his self-damage, but can be used for very large or frequent sticky-jumps that would normally kill him.

Due to their low health and damage, Scouts are usually best left to getting to the front lines faster, instead of pocketing them. A vanilla Scout will only increase your speed slightly, and you cannot double-jump with him, so certain obstacles may pose problems. However, it may be a good idea to heal a Scout when he drinks Crit-a-Cola, as this increases his move speed and damage significantly, and the healing will make up for the Mini-Crits he takes. Also, a Scout using the Baby Face's Blaster provides a huge boost of speed. If he is also using the Pretty Boy's Pocket Pistol he has increased health, but is very vulnerable to fire, which your healing will make up for, so he can be healed for his mobility and pocketed if there are no other mobile classes around. This is especially useful for an objective-oriented Medic, so give him back-up while he captures the Intelligence or a control point.

Don't pocket too much with this weapon; as it can not overheal, continually healing one target is useless. Unless your main target is under heavy fire, spread your healing around while you are not moving. If you prefer to pocket a single, less mobile target, consider using a different weapon.

Try not to deploy your Megaheal if you and your heal target are alone and against one or two enemies. The Megaheal is best used to support large pushes and keep teammates alive while under heavy fire. However, don't be afraid to use it to avoid death, especially because it will build back quickly.

Always keep in mind that you are never invincible with the Quick-Fix; whilst you may be impossible to separate from your heal target (due to knock-back prevention) and be very hard to kill, remember that a well structured opposition, a single Spy, or a carefully placed headshot can easily render your push moot.

The strategy of deploying a vanilla ÜberCharge as your patient approaches death does not work with the Quick-Fix. If you are planning to make a push using Megaheal, activate it as soon as your teammate comes under heavy fire, and before his health dips low - Otherwise, even the Quick-Fix's healing rate will not be enough to save him.

If your patient thinks the Megaheal will be enough to break through a solid defense line and rushes towards it, it may be better to let them go than follow them to your death and waste your ÜberCharge.

The Quick-Fix is most effective when working with another Medic using the Medi Gun or Kritzkrieg; you can quickly bring injured allies back to their prime with the faster heal rate, while the other Medic will be able to cover for the Quick-Fix's lack of overheal.

Melee Weapons

Bonesaw / Saxxy / Conscientious Objector / Frying Pan

Weapon	Kill Icon	Attack Interval	Damage
Weapon	Kill Icon	Attack Interval	Point Blank	Critical
Stock Bonesaw		0.8 seconds	65	195
Promotional Saxxy
Drop Conscientious Objector
Promotional Frying Pan

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. Like other melee weapons, it also has a higher Crit rate than the Syringe Gun, which can further help in dealing with an opponent on the first strike.

When Spy-checking teammates, using the Bonesaw is more reliable due to the difficulty in aiming with the Syringe Gun. Spies will often try to attack you whenever possible, so always be prepared to take out the Bonesaw in order to deal with them.

The Amputator and Solemn Vow both have no downsides and should be used instead of the Bonesaw if you have them.

You are vaguely faster than most other classes, and as of such, your greater agility in combat can put you at an advantage. That being said, it's a bad idea to engage in any real sort of combat, so avoid melee combat where possible.

Übersaw

Weapon	Kill Icon	Attack Interval	Damage
Weapon	Kill Icon	Attack Interval	Point Blank	Critical
Unlock Ubersaw		0.96 seconds	65	195

The Übersaw is an unlockable melee weapon for the Medic. It has a 20% slower attack rate than the Bonesaw but will add 25% to the ÜberCharge meter for each successful hit.

The Übersaw is especially useful for taking out Spies that may be attempting to backstab teammates, as it will not only kill the Spy in two hits, but also build the ÜberCharge meter more safely than if attempted on other enemies.
- Your ÜberCharge meter does not increase upon killing a Spy that is using the Dead Ringer. Be sure to keep an eye out for this to see if the Spy is really dead.
- Hitting disguised spies will not give you ÜberCharge, however the melee damage will still hurt them.

The Übersaw will still add to the ÜberCharge meter if you hit a Scout under the effects of Bonk! Atomic Punch.

Rather than using the Übersaw for killing enemies, try to use it with the mindset of building up ÜberCharge. If possible, try to simply land a hit and retreat safely, rather than fighting an enemy to the death.

If fighting an enemy and the ÜberCharge meter is almost full, try to use the Übersaw to finish up the charge and quickly switch to the Medi Gun to activate the charge. In desperate situations, this can ensure survival provided that the Kritzkrieg or Quick-Fix is not being used.

When healing a heal target and an enemy approaches, don't be afraid to quickly stop healing and go in to attack with the Übersaw, even if teammates are already attacking that enemy. This is a relatively safe way to gain additional charge, as enemies will often have trouble dealing with more than one attacker simultaneously. However, remember not to chase any enemies who try to flee.

Spinal Tap

	Kill Icon	Weapon	Damage	Duration	Details
Uberslice		Übersaw	500	4 seconds	The Medic throws his coattails back and enters a combat pose before thrusting his Übersaw forward and retracting it, killing any enemy player to be in the way. Gives 100% ÜberCharge.

Due to the length of the taunt, performing Spinal Tap is not recommended unless used against distracted foes.

This taunt can be used to stun ÜberCharged enemies and waste their Über time. The taunt won't kill the ÜberCharged player, but it will still give 100% ÜberCharge.

Remember that like the Skewer taunt, an enemy does not need to be stunned in order to kill them. They simply need to be in front of you during the retraction part of the animation.
- Similarly, stunning an enemy doesn't necessarily guarantee a kill, as explosion blasts, air blasts or simple momentum gained by the enemy may move you or the target outside of the kill zone before the retraction animation.

Vita-Saw

Weapon	Kill Icon	Attack Interval	Damage
Weapon	Kill Icon	Attack Interval	Point Blank	Critical
Craft Vita-Saw		0.8 seconds	65	195

The Vita-Saw is a craftable melee weapon for the Medic. It allows the Medic to retain up to 20% of his ÜberCharge meter upon death. However, it also reduces the Medic's maximum HP by 10, to 140 HP.

Due to the health penalty, you can be killed more easily by lighter classes such as Scouts and Pyros.

Due to being able to retain up to 20% of the ÜberCharge meter, it's possible to deploy ÜberCharges faster upon respawning. This will allow you and your team to put more pressure on the enemy team.
- Using the Kritzkrieg or Quick-Fix in combination with the Vita-Saw will allow you to build up ÜberCharges even faster.

Remember that if you're killed during an ÜberCharge, up to 20% of what charge you had left will still be retained.

Some players choose to equip the Vita-Saw with the Overdose in order to reach the front lines faster after respawning.

The Vita-Saw loses effectiveness in Sudden-Death situations where players do not respawn for the rest of the round, such as Arena Mode.

Amputator

Weapon	Kill Icon	Attack Interval	Damage	Healing
Weapon	Kill Icon	Attack Interval	Point Blank	Critical	On Taunt
Craft Amputator		0.8 seconds	65	195	75

The Amputator is a craftable melee weapon for the Medic. It allows Medics to perform the Medicating Melody taunt. Upon taunting, all teammates within 450 units of the Medic will be healed for 4 seconds at the same rate as if they are being healed by the Medi Gun or Kritzkrieg.
- As with the Crusader's Crossbow, it's not possible to overheal players using this weapon. It will also not build any ÜberCharge.

Having no downsides, the Amputator is a complete upgrade to the Bonesaw, so use it if you have it.

Always use the taunt when behind cover, rather than out in the open. Only use it when teammates are guaranteed hold their position for the duration of the taunt; if not, it's better to simply keep using the Medi Gun rather than risk being caught in the middle of the taunt and killed.

The Medicating Melody is a good healing option if you quickly need to heal a large group of teammates.
- It's a good idea to deploy a Medicating Melody if you're attacking, and just as setup time finishes and the spawn gates open. This can give teammates a 'safety net' as they move off out into combat.

Solemn Vow

Weapon	Kill Icon	Attack Interval	Damage
Weapon	Kill Icon	Attack Interval	Point Blank	Critical
Craft Solemn Vow		0.8 seconds	65	195

The Solemn Vow is a craftable melee weapon for the Medic. It allows you to see the opposing team's health and enemy Medics' Über meters.

Having no downsides, the Solemn Vow is a complete upgrade over the Bonesaw, so use it if you have it.

The Solemn Vow allows you to see enemy health, so you can tell your teammates if a retreating enemy is easy pickings or might be trying to trick you around a corner.

The Solemn Vow can also be useful when deciding when to fight or flee. If you can tell that only a few needles or a melee strike is all it takes to kill an enemy, it might be better to kill him, rather than let him live long enough to pursue you.

This weapon is at its most useful when using a mic to communicate with your team. Otherwise, it may sometimes be better to use an alternative melee weapon so you aren't losing potential bonuses.

Class Combat Strategies

As a Medic, it is a good idea to have a mic to communicate to the team. You are a prime class to be defended, and you should have a sharp eye for any attackers.

Scout

Scouts will target you, as you are the primary source of healing and do not have too much health.
Due to their speed, obtaining a melee hit on a Scout will be very tricky. Your Syringe Gun can deal great damage if the Scout is running predictably. Try to keep him in your sight and hit him with needles.
Try focusing on where the Scout "will be" not where he is. Since the Scout will be moving fast aiming where the Scout is will often cause you to miss.If the Scout is moving left, shoot farther left and the Scout will probably run into the needles.

Soldier

A Soldier has two major damage sources: Rockets at long range, and a Shotgun at close. Be wary of combating this individual, as the sheer quantity of ammo he has is enough for him to keep laying fire on you.
Your Syringe Gun can deal some good damage, but if he rocket jumps, you will find yourself unprotected. Melee, likewise, is a bad option, as the Soldier's Shotgun can deal extreme damage at close range.
Due to his high HP and powerful weapons, combating a Soldier is, in general, a bad idea. The Medic is significantly faster on the ground than the Soldier, so running is a viable option.
- However, the Soldier's rocket jump can greatly increase his speed, so if possible, try to get to an area where he doesn't have enough space to rocket jump. From there, try to make your escape.

Pyro

Pyros are less likely to target you directly. They tend to rush in with a bout of fire.
Be wary of Pyros if you deploy an ÜberCharge, as you may be airblasted backwards and separated from your target. Talk with your target to have him kill Pyros to prevent them separating you.
In a one on one fight, you should pull out your Syringe Gun. Since the Pyro specializes in close-range damage, you should avoid the use of your melee weapon. If you are set on fire, the Pyro will likely pull out a Shotgun. This can deal significant damage, but provided you keep your distance, you should be fine.
Beware Backburner Pyros. If you are ambushed by a Pyro with this weapon, you will most likely die. If you have a full Über, pop it immediately if you take damage from this weapon.
Afterburn on you may not be a problem, as you have significant health regeneration. Focus primarily on extinguishing low-health teammates, then extinguish the ones that are at higher health.
- The damage from Afterburn may have little effect on you, but beware of Flare Guns and Axtinguishers. These weapons deal powerful Critical damage to all targets on fire.

Demoman

Due to their defensive nature, the only glimpse of a Demoman that you will likely see is a sticky trap. Keep a wary eye, and be sure to notify teammates if you spot one. These can be taken down with your Syringe Gun.
In a one on one fight, you have the upper hand. Since the Demoman's projectiles are not hitscan and move much slower than your syringes, you can quite easily keep your distance and lay down fire. If he starts putting down stickies to cover the area, target them with the syringes to take them out. As you run faster than him, melee is also a viable option. Be wary of grenades, however.
- Depnding on his very diverse options for melee weapons, melee can be a very dangerous or very safe maneuver. Demomen using the Eyelander will regard you as a free head, the Ullapool Caber can kill you instantly, the Bottle is not much of a threat, and the Scotsman's Skullcutter has a better chance of killing you, if the Demoman can catch you. They might even pair melee with speed-boosting shields. If this happens, immediately retreat, since you are not suited to melee combat against a Demoknight, who can easily outdamage your weapons.

Heavy

In a one on one fight, you will likely lose. Heavies have a large quantity of health and do a significant amount of damage from their Minigun. If the Heavy is out of Minigun ammo, use your Syringe Gun to attack him, as his Shotgun will not deal significant long-range damage, and he cannot catch you.

Engineer

You will rarely meet an Engineer when not accompanied by your buddy. In this case, allow your teammate to pop in and out of the Sentry Gun's sight and deal solid damage while you hang back and watch for other threats.
If you find yourself in a one-on-one fight with an Engineer, be careful. Their Shotgun deals strong damage in close range, and their Pistol has practically infinite ammo. They will resort to melee as a close range damager if they have run out of Shotgun ammo. Try to use your Syringe Gun and dodge.
Engineers using the Gunslinger are a powerful threat. They have more HP, and can instantly drop a mini sentry that builds very fast. It can be difficult to quickly take out a mini sentry with needles before either it or the Engineer kill you. If you must take out the gun yourself, try to do so by popping in and out of cover, or destroy it before it's finished building.

Medic

You will likely only meet a Medic if you both are healing someone.
In a one-on-one fight, you have the same weapons. Since the Syringe Gun is not of perfect accuracy, melee is suggested as the primary form of combat. If the enemy runs, try to tag him with syringes.

Sniper

Snipers will target you, as you are the main source of healing for the team and have little health. You will likely only see them from afar, or not see them at all.
If you spot a Sniper at range, alert your team. You have no means of taking him out, as your Syringe Gun has too much gravitational falloff. Get a friendly Sniper or Spy to try to kill him. Meanwhile, go around and attack from a different angle, or hold a defensive position.
- The Crusader's Crossbow is Medic's most effective weapon for countering a far away Sniper should you see one. Since Snipers are usually far away, and the Crossbow's damage scales based on how far the target is, you can kill the Sniper outright if you are far enough. The fast reloading time allows you to shoot the Sniper continously and distract him from shooting you and your allies. However, do not forget to heal your teammates after this.
In a one-on-one fight, be wary of the Sniper's SMG. It deals considerable damage if used properly, but only has four complete clips. Try to get in close and melee him. Be wary of no-scopes with the Sniper Rifle and of quick-scoped headshots.

Spy

Spies will target you or your pocket, as you two are the strongest force.
Be wary of Spies in general. Spies can look like anyone, so unless your teammate is severely damaged, first Spy-check before healing him.
Watch out for your pocket. He will likely be oblivious to Spies, and it is your job to warn him if there is one nearby. In the worst case, pop your ÜberCharge to defend a backstab.
In a one-on-one fight, a Spy may pull out his Revolver, which deals significant damage. Trade fire with your Syringe Gun until he runs out of ammo. Be wary when trying to melee a Spy, as they may resort to swinging their knife while circle strafing, which can land a backstab. A Spy's knife deals little damage otherwise.
Listen for uncloaking sounds. Often inexperienced Spies will uncloak with the Dead Ringer right behind you emitting a loud sound. Turning around and using your melee weapon is recommended. If the Spy is using another invis watch, you may be out of luck. Just make sure to always Spy check.
Backstabs may cause a distinct killfeed and/or sounds. Turn around if you suspect a Spy is near, but not in your line of sight. You might just stop a chain of backstabs.

Item set effects

The Medieval Medic

Main article: Item sets

The Medieval Medic
	Crusader's Crossbow Amputator Berliner's Bucket Helm
Effect	No effect

Both of the weapons in this set give you more tools with which to heal your teammates, which can increase your team's survivability significantly.

The Medieval Medic's set bonus gives you a total HP regeneration rate of 4 HP/sec to 7 HP/sec. This can significantly increase your survivability.

Weapon combinations

Example Combinations
Combo			Usage
Syringe Gun	Medi Gun	Übersaw	This combination is a good loadout for general situations. The Medic should focus on keeping teammates healed and in combat, rather than taking the fight directly to the enemy. The Medi Gun gives the team access to regular ÜberCharges, which can be used in most situations. As the Medic is not focusing on fighting, the Syringe Gun gives players better passive regeneration capabilities, allowing them to weather attacks from enemies better. The Übersaw can be used to build ÜberCharge off of unaware slow classes or Spies.
Overdose	Medi Gun	Vita-Saw	This setup is ideal for Medics whose priority is on survivability and building ÜberCharges. Holding up to 20% charge after death makes up for the Medi Gun's relatively slower charge-up time compared to the Kritzkrieg. While the Vita-Saw reduces the Medic's maximum health by 10 HP, the Overdose's better health regeneration capabilities can offset this somewhat. However, the Medic cannot build ÜberCharge by attacking enemies with melee attacks, so try to avoid combat whenever possible, but should the need arise the Vita-Saw does not share the Übersaw's drawback of a slower attack rate. The Overdose makes sure that you'll be able to move faster when having full ÜberCharge, allowing you to move faster to heal your team. Using the Overdose to fight enemies close-up is not a good idea, so try using your Vita-Saw to kill them without dying.
Blutsauger	Kritzkrieg	or Solemn Vow or Übersaw	This combination is more suited to an offensive Medic, though not necessarily for offensive pushes. The Kritzkrieg builds up its charge much faster; in pitched battles this can fill up the ÜberCharge meter in no time at all, and its taunt can also self-heal to compensate the slow rate of Blutsauger's self-regeneration. The Blutsauger provides benefits for engaging in combat and is thus more useful to this type of Medic. Because the Kritzkrieg charges so fast, the Solemn Vow's relatively faster swing speed makes it more viable for direct combat when compared to Übersaw, as well as identifying weakened enemies to finish off. However, players who wish to focus even more on offensive combat can use the Übersaw to build up ÜberCharge faster.
Blutsauger	Medi Gun	Übersaw	This setup is primarily designed with personal survival and direct combat in mind. The Blutsauger, when aimed well, offers much higher survivability in a direct confrontation, and a self-ÜberCharge can be used not only to push, but also as a shield by switching quickly between the Medi Gun and the Übersaw while attacking. The use of Übersaw can help build up ÜberCharges, and if used skilfully, allows players to extend their ÜberCharge durations significantly.
Syringe Gun	Kritzkrieg	Vita-Saw	This setup is ideal for greatly enhancing the firepower of the team while allowing Medics to focus on healing rather than combat. The combination of the Syringe Gun and Vita-Saw gives players sur\|vivability and the ability to retain part of an ÜberCharge meter without forcing them to engage an enemy for either. The faster charge rate of the Kritzkrieg and the ability to retain charge on the ÜberCharge meter after death allows Medics to deploy Kritzkrieg ÜberCharges very quickly. If the player is killed in the middle of a Kritzkrieg ÜberCharge, the remainder (up to 20%) will still be retained, allowing enterprising Medics to quickly build the next ÜberCharge faster as well.
Crusader's Crossbow	Medi Gun	Amputator	The Medieval Medic - with Medi Gun The Medieval Medic setup provides a 4-7 HP/second regeneration rate. In normal mode, this setup is geared toward healing with minimal provision for confrontation. The Crusader's Crossbow, though having a further range and higher accuracy, is not a good weapon for personal defense due to its relatively low damage over time, and aiming can be difficult. Instead, use its healing function to heal teammates that are far away, or who need to heal a large amount of health quickly. Should there be a large group of allies that need to be healed, the Amputator's Medicating Melody can keep all of them topped up as long as they stay close by and have a clear line of sight. Note that for both of these weapons the Medic does not build up ÜberCharge. In Medieval Mode, this setup is good for frontal assault, as it's one of only the two class that have ranged weaponry (the other being the Sniper with the Huntsman), and unlike the bow, the Crusader's Crossbow can be fired while underwater. Shooting arrows at a point that is being captured can either heal allies or hurt enemies, while the Amputator has a faster swing rate compare to Übersaw.
Overdose	Quick-Fix	Solemn Vow	The Clinical Trial This is the Clinical Trial setup, good for a support Medic who wishes to heal people quickly and effectively. The Overdose is not a good weapon for personal defense due to it doing less damage. Instead, use its passive effect to quickly run to injured teammates after attaining a full ÜberCharge. The Quick-Fix is useful for healing more than one person at a time due to its speedy healing rate. Though the Quick-Fix is unable to provide invulnerability, the greatly increased healing rate and loss of knockback allows it to excel at quickly destroying sentry nests, or taking out large groups of enemies. The Solemn Vow allows you to see the enemies' health and point out weakened enemies for your Medic buddy for easy kills.
Crusader's Crossbow	Quick-Fix	Amputator	The Medieval Medic - with Quick-Fix This setup is useful for an offensive, mobile Medic who focuses on healing as many teammates as possible while using the Quick-Fix to increase his mobility and the Medieval Medic set to increase his survival. Although it may seem redundant to equip three weapons that cannot overheal, they actually compliment each other in many ways. A Syringe Gun is not necessary, as by constantly moving, sitcking with your teammates, and focusing on healing, you will not need to defend yourself at close range. However, because of your motion, you may need to heal teammates that are far away from you. Also, when your partner is at full health, you can take the opportunity to shoot a few shots at long range, then resume healing him. The Quick-Fix gives you greatly increased mobility and healing rate, and the ability to explosive-jump with your patient, so you can support even your fastest teammates. Because without a Syringe Gun, you may have to use your melee-weapon to defend yourself, and you may take a lot of damage and need the health, the Übersaw and Vita-Saw are risky and unnecessary, as your Ubercharge already builds very quickly, but is less useful than the vanilla Ubercharge. The Amputator's taunt isn't necessary, as the Quick-Fix can heal a group of teammates almost as fast and with less risk, but the increased regeneration from the Medieval Medic set will make up for fall damage you take while jumping with your teammate, make you harder to kill, and help keep both you and your teammates at full health.
Overdose	Medi Gun	Übersaw	This setup is for a support Medic who focuses on healing and deploying ÜberCharges as quickly as possible, at the cost of minimized personal defense. The Medic can hit enemies a few times with the Übersaw, before switching to the Overdose to use the speed boost to escape. Once your Übercharge is built, this is the preferred setup for a Chain Übercharge. One Medic can Übercharge another, which attacks enemies with his Übersaw to build up his Übercharge, and then the medics switch roles. The Overdose is helpful, as during a Chain Über you are likely to have some charge built, so you can switch to it to chase down fleeing enemies.

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