Medic match-ups
| Class | Strategy | ||
|---|---|---|---|
 Medic |
vs |  Scout |
When moving about the battlefield alone, be wary of Scouts. Skilled Scouts regard you as their number one target, and their maneuverability allows them to get behind your front line and take you out with 2 or 3 shots from their Scattergun. Get your team-mate's attention either through Voice chat or moving in front of their view while dodging constantly.
The number one anti-Scout strategy however is to simply stay with your team wherever possible, however know that Scouts often underestimate medics, and can be taken out as long as you see them coming. In a cramped environment you may like to try drawing a Scout in before trying to Bonesaw him, however this is a hard feat to pull off, particularly with the Übersaw. You are better off backpedaling and dodging whilst firing the Blutsauger ahead of him, with your health recovery you have a high chance of killing him or scaring him off. If you do have to fight, make sure that you have the Blutsauger and remember to sweep your shots all around the Scout. Don't aim FOR the Scout, aim where he COULD be. Remember, your needles are practically invisible, so the Scout can't purposely dodge your shots. Periodically charge him, then jump over him aiming down over his head. Watch your health and ammo. As your constantly firing, you will run out fairly quickly. When this happens, run for an ammo depot, or call for your team. When you do hit, you will see the +3 appear above your health. Use this to refine your aim. You can beat him, but you need patience. |
Medic |
vs |  Soldier |
The Soldier is the number one reason why going off on your own is a bad idea- in a one-on-one with a Soldier you have next to no chance of winning, unless you know he's seriously injured (Beware of ones carrying the Equalizer). Back up a Heavy or a friendly Soldier however and you can deal out serious punishment to lone Soldiers, who are nowhere near as good as Scouts at getting behind your team-mates.
Be wary of rocket splash damage, as some Soldiers will try to hit you rather than whoever you are healing. Put your team-mate or a corner between you and a Soldier to avoid being hit by stray rockets. If your team-mate gets killed by a Soldier, retreating under cover of a hail of needles is your best course of action. |
Medic |
vs |  Pyro |
A Pyro can be deadly if he gets within range, but if one spots you from further away, most Pyros will charge straight at you. If you're not healing anyone, or your Medic buddy is killed, fire syringes while backpedaling; his most likely straight path will allow you to easily cut him down with your syringes as long as you don't hit an obstruction while running backwards. If you use the Blutsauger, the healing you receive may save you if you are burning. Usually you can drive him away at the very least, even if you don't kill him, but many Pyros will continue at you thinking they can catch up, in which case you will kill them easily. When healing a team-mate, he should ideally be able to take out the Pyro before he gets within close range, allowing you to quickly put out the flames with your Medi Gun. Put your buddy between you and the Pyro so the flames can't get to you as easily.
If you are attacking with multiple burning teammates, try to spread out your healing so that it saves each one from burning to death. Then, when the Pyro is gone, you can heal them all up to full health, building up more charge for your ÜberCharge. Be especially wary of Pyros approaching you from the rear or around corners, as they can kill you quickly before you even have time to pull out your Syringe Gun. Be also aware that Pyros with the airblast have the power to seriously mess up your Über. Try to get your team-mates to kill off any Pyros in the vicinity before popping your Über, otherwise you will find yourself being bounced around. |
Medic |
vs |  Demoman |
In a one-on-one encounter, it takes much longer for your Syringe Gun to kill a Demoman than it takes him to lay a few sticky bombs and kill you. On the plus side, you can use your speed to make it difficult for him to land a grenade on you. If you do try to charge the Demoman try to keep random movements because a good Demoman will land a pipe bomb on you with ease. Try to keep in close where his weapons are much less effective, and consider reaching for your Saw if he doesn't think of his Bottle first. Only attack if he is distracted; otherwise just fire while running away.
When with a team-mate, it largely depends on him to take out the Demoman. There's not much you can do other than keep yourself alive by using your speed to avoid grenades and stickies. |
Medic |
vs |  Heavy |
If you aren't standing behind and healing a friendly Heavy or Soldier when facing the opposing team's Heavy, then you are just asking to be mowed down. Otherwise, your buddy should have the edge over your opponent, unless the enemy Heavy is also accompanied by a Medic. If the other Heavy is accompanied by a Medic and gets the better of your own healing target, it would be wise to run. Don't try to take a Heavy down on your own unless he is distracted, can't see you, or you're at long range, in which case you can try to snipe him with a few syringes (aim high, so that they fall on him) and hope for the best. If you're lucky, you can force him to retreat. His Minigun hits won't do much damage at long range, but beware of Natascha, which can slow down your escape if he decides to come after you. You could also try to circle strafe, jump, and duck around him to disorient him as your movement is much quicker than his, and lay on a few saw hits. |
Medic |
vs |  Engineer |
A lone Engineer is a fairly even encounter to you. You have more health and a rapid fire weapon, but lack the power of his Shotgun. Stay at medium to long range and returning fire with your Blutsauger while backpedaling. If he runs, don't follow wounded Engineers too far as a Sentry Gun is likely not too far away. You are an important indirect counter to the Engineer, and getting yourself killed will be a big setback for your team if the other team is using a lot of them. Beware of Engineers who have revenge Crits from the Frontier Justice.
You shouldn't be in a position where you have to move within range of an enemy Sentry Gun unaccompanied. If it's a level one Sentry Gun and you have a good angle on it, you can try to take the Sentry Gun out from long range. It will take a few seconds of concentrated fire, so be prepared to abort if there are Snipers, Spies, or Pyros nearby. If it's a higher level Sentry Gun, or it is actively being healed by the Engineer, retreat and find a friendly Heavy, Soldier, or Demoman to help you. Your ÜberCharge is the de facto tool for taking out Sentry Gun nests, indeed in some maps it is the ONLY way to take out certain Sentry Gun locations. If you are on attack, do your team-mates a huge favor by using the regular Medi Gun, the Kritzkreig is more or less useless against Engineers. You may be able to allow them to take out the Sentry Gun while healing them constantly from just out of sight, but if the Sentry Gun is too well placed, or the Engineer is repairing too quickly, build up an ÜberCharge and use that to take out the entire Engineer nest, hopefully including the Engineer himself. |
Medic |
vs | Medic |
When fighting one-on-one with another Medic, you can either close to melee range and try to deliver a few whacks with the Bonesaw, or put your faith in superior Syringe Gun/Blutsauger skill and try to take him down with rapid-fire. If you both have the Blutsauger, then get comfortable, as your probably going to be fighting with the same guy for a while, since the Blutsauger regenerates health and can't inflict significant damage fast enough. In the end, it will likely come down to who gets the first Bonesaw Crit. Keep moving to avoiding shots from his own Bonesaw or Syringe Gun. If you encounter a lone Medic with a buddy, the enemy Medic should be a priority target for your buddy. Let him take the Medic out, or help him with Syringe Gun/Blutsauger fire. Since Medics can't do a lot of damage quickly, the two of you will kill the opposing Medic long before he can kill you or your buddy, and then you can heal your buddy again. Try to keep your buddy between you and the other Medic, as you can heal your buddy a lot faster than you can regenerate. When you prevail, heal your buddy again. If the Medic has a Medic buddy of his own, and you don't, run away. Without help, there is very little chance you can take them out. If you and the other Medic have a buddy, try and outlast them. How well you can do this is mostly up to the skill of your own Medic buddy. If things are looking bad beyond hope, abandon your buddy rather than waste your current charge fill. If he sneaks up on you while you are distracted with healing, watch for his deadly Bonesaw and alert your team-mate. Some Medics also try to sneak up on other Medics, avoid their buddies, and stealthily take the enemy Medic out with a Bonesaw Crit. While this is very hard to pull off, it is very funny and humiliating to both the Medic and his buddy. |
Medic |
vs |  Sniper |
You're pretty quick, so don't stop moving. Move through Sniper hunting grounds as quickly as possible or find cover. Don't be afraid to leave your clueless buddy in the dust if he decides to take it slow, admiring the sprays and dandelions along the way. Other than other Snipers, a Medic is the highest priority target for a Sniper and they can take your buddy out with one shot no matter how overhealed he is. Another thing to bear in mind is unscrupulous Snipers can and will take you out with a single fully charged bodyshot, even if you haven't been injured- there are no words for how frustrating this is, so stay out of sight and keep moving wherever possible.
Ask your buddy to lay down suppressive fire so the Snipers can't get a clear shot (unless he's a Heavy, in which case the slowdown will get him easily killed). At anything less than long range, a Sniper should be a fair target for your buddy. If you happen to come upon a lone Sniper, don't hesitate to open fire. if he is distracted, try to kill them from behind with the Bonesaw. If he sees you coming, use your Syringe Gun to mow him down, as he probably has a more powerful melee, but neither his rifle or SMG has as much stopping power as your syringes at close range. The Huntsman is a bit more dangerous, but remember he has to land two solid arrows to kill you, and the odds are still slightly tipped in your favor. |
Medic |
vs |  Spy |
When you're in a healing combination with a Heavy or Soldier, it attracts attention, particularly from Spies. If you know what you're doing you can Spy check suspicious team-mates calling to you for help by emptying a few rounds from the Syringe Gun into their body or delivering a few whacks from the Übersaw (with the adding bonus of filling up a quarter of your charge meter). In a one-on-one melee fight the Medic will prevail as his Bonesaw out-damages the Knife from the front and its free Über increase with the Übersaw. When you're healing another player be sure to never stop moving, and watch your sights. If you can afford to, take down the Spy with your Bonesaw and then get back to healing your buddy. An exposed Spy should make easy prey for your buddy as long as you alert him quickly to the Spy's presence. Remember that your Medi Gun still works even if you're not facing your target, so check behind yourself often and don't be afraid to pull out your saw or gun if you see anything suspicious. Keep firing to take him down or drive him off. |
See also
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