Community Medic strategy

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Revision as of 16:25, 25 October 2016 by ZeMedicOfFortune (talk | contribs) (→‎Medic Ferrying)
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Be heroic and heal today!
“
I'm going to saw through your bones!
Click to listen
— The Medic on "accidental" malpractice
 ”

As a Medic, your primary role is to keep your teammates alive using the Medi Gun. Depending on the particular type of Medi Gun equipped, the Medic is able to provide his patient and himself with invulnerability, guaranteed critical hits, knockback immunity, boosted healing, or resistance from a selected damage type 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 your team has the upper hand against the enemy team.
  • Try to stay with your team at all times. You are not suited to survive against any class in direct combat.
  • Position yourself so that your teammates are between yourself and the enemies, and so that you have an escape route.
  • ÜberCharge is still built when your healing target is at full health or overhealed, but it charges more slowly, and even slower if the heal target is also being healed by a Dispenser, Payload cart, or friendly Medic.
  • Keep movements constant and unpredictable and always be aware of your surroundings. Medics are often a high priority for enemies, especially Spies, Snipers, and Scouts.
  • 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, use voice commands to alert your team to your location.
  • Always remember your heal beam can go very far from your heal target! Use this to keep yourself away from damage while healing and to have a way to escape!
  • Remember that your Medigun isn't the only useful thing in your inventory, a Crusaders Crossbow Or Ubersaw can always help your team!
  • If you are being chased, a good thing to do is to backpedal, thus giving you a chance to kill the target running after you.

General strategy

  • You are the only class that can innately 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 without needing to render yourself vulnerable by shifting to text chat.
  • 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 and ambushes in general.
    • This is quite important, because a Medic can be under threat from basically every other class in the game (even other rogue Medics). Standing still and remaining tunnel-visioned may work sometimes as a Heavy, but as a Medic it will get you killed by enemies on the flank. Keep mentally aware of your surroundings; weave and jump around.
  • Medics should be the first to pick up health kits, because of their ability to heal. There is an exception to this rule: A Heavy with the Sandvich equipped can drop his Sandvich for you, you heal the Heavy, and the Heavy picks up the health pack to recharge his/her Sandvich. This exception is only relevant with small health packs, because a medium health pack will give the same amount of health a dropped Sandvich gives and a large health pack will fully heal you.

Combat strategy

  • When in combat, your top priority is to keep as many teammates alive as possible while also maintaining your own life. Always focus on healing teammates that are under attack, on fire, and/or bleeding.
  • 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.
    • If you happen to have the Crusader's Crossbow equipped, you could also fire off a shot in his direction to give him a quick boost.
  • Be aware of your surroundings, for your teammates might not be able to keep an eye out while fighting. Communicate with nearby teammates so they won't be caught 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.
    • Besides these circumstances, it is advisable to try to keep all the teammates around you generally healthy. If your primary healing target is fully healed and others need health, try switching targets as necessary. 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 retreating. If the enemy gets too close, go 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 that you are retreating if you have a microphone. It is important for you to survive so that you can build your ÜberCharge for the next attack.

Medic Ferrying

Medic Ferrying is a term for a Quick-Fix Medic temporarily pocketing a fast or mobile class in order to reach the front lines quickly. These are usually a Scout, Demoman, or Soldier. Ideal weapons for this are:

(Note that after the Meet Your Match Update all Mediguns can now go as fast as the the heal target, but cannot benefit from rocket jumpes, sticky jumps, etc.)

Healing strategy

ÜberCharges aside, the Medic's variety of healing abilities should also influence playstyle:

  • The Stock Medi Gun is multi-purpose, and best for Overhealing. Since ÜberCharge slows after reaching maximum overheal, it is suited for healing multiple targets.
  • Since the Kritzkrieg carries a 25% faster ÜberCharge fill, it's ideal for pocketing with a high damage, front-lines class such as Heavy or Soldier.
  • The Quick-Fix is best for attacking teams, as the typically higher numbers of Scouts allow you to abuse the speed boost. Additionally, due to the faster heal but lower overheal, it should be used between multiple players.
  • The Vaccinator gets the most use from smaller encounters; dealing with masses of enemies will often result in numerous damage types, negating the benefits. Additionally, since the ÜberCharge simply multiplies the healing bonuses, almost all classes are suitable as pocket patients.
  • Crusader's Crossbow is always vital in Medieval Mode, and can contribute nicely in normal gameplay as a sidearm to your Medi Gun. Keep in mind however: unless there are numerous enemies between you and your patient, it is usually a lot more efficient to close the gap; the singular shots, compensating for movement and gravity, mean it's better to move in and use the Medi Gun. Now that the Crusader's Crossbow can add a bit to your Übercharge upon hitting an injured ally, you can use it a bit more judiciously than before, but still keeping heed of your surroundings.
  • The Medicating Melody does not overheal and does not contribute heavily to Übercharge building, all while leaving the player vulnerable. As such, it is best saved for instances such as ambushes, which require mass healing of multiple players.

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.
  • Using an ÜberCharge slightly early can be a good idea if the enemy has Snipers or Demomen, as a headshot or sticky trap can quickly halt a 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.
    • During the Setup phase, the meter always fills at the maximum speed, as long as no two Medics are healing the same patient.
  • Although the default Medi Gun's ÜberCharge protects you from damage, you and your target are still affected by knockback. Most classes have weapons or abilities which can separate you from your patient, such as the Pyro's airblast and the Demoman's Stickybomb Launcher. Knockback does not, however, affect 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 short period of time.
    • Note that this drains the ÜberCharge faster than using 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; the knockback of the Sentry Gun will send you flying backwards.

Weapon Specific

Primary Weapons

Syringe Gun

Weapon Kill Icon Ammo Damage
Loaded Carried Point Blank Medium Range Long Range Critical
Syringe Gun
Stock
Syringe Gun 		Killicon syringe gun.png 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.
  • Healing an ally while also shooting can help turn the outcome of the battle. Quickly switch to the Syringe Gun, fire until the enemy your ally is fighting is weakened, than return healing your ally to help him.

Blutsauger

Weapon Kill Icon Ammo Damage Health
Loaded Carried Point Blank Medium Range Long Range Critical On Hit
Blutsauger
Unlock
Blutsauger 		Killicon blutsauger.png 240 150 10-12 5-10 5-6 30 3
Australium Blutsauger
Advanced+ Mann Up Reward
Australium Blutsauger 		Killicon blutsauger.png

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, depending on how recently the Medic has been injured.

  • The Blutsauger's health regeneration makes it a better retreat weapon if you are attacked by enemy players and no teammates are nearby.
  • With the Blutsauger, a Medic can be a little more aggressive then usual. Use it to engage enemies that sneak up on you, but only if you can afford to stop healing for a moment. Stay close to your teammates and resume healing as soon as possible.
    • Make sure to communicate with your teammates so they can assist you in killing the enemy.
  • The penalty to health regeneration is significant. It will take longer to recover, so look for health kits to boost your health. Do not rely on the Blutsauger for quick and easy healing.
  • The Blutsauger is useful if you're pocketing; if your pocket dies, you're the enemy's next priority, so it allows you to survive while running for cover. Remember that the Blutsauger won't overheal, though.

Crusader's Crossbow + reskins

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

The Crusader's Crossbow is a craftable primary weapon for the Medic. It deals damage to enemies and heals teammates based on the distance the bolt travels.

  • Healing from the Crusader's Crossbow cannot overheal teammates; and while the bolt can contribute to your Übercharge meter, it will not build nearly as efficiently as using the Medi Gun.
  • 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. Remember that the Crusader's Crossbow cannot deal headshots, so aim for the enemy's center of mass.
  • 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 who are dangerous to reach, or who you cannot reach in time, such as somebody on fire.
    • This alone gives the weapon significant legs. What will tend to kill even experienced Medics most of the time is a Sniper; walking into their sight lines is asking for you to be killed, if not have your Übercharge dropped. Should a dangerous spot on the battlefield be between you and an injured ally, fire a bolt instead of risking death.
  • 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 and then quickly switch back to your Medi Gun and continue healing.
    • While healing a patient, others around you may call for healing. This weapon can save you precious seconds by not needing to switch Medi Gun targets and necessitating the 3.5 seconds it could take to heal for the same amount as the Crossbow would. Experienced players will expect you to carry this and will often stand still to help your aim.
  • 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 supporting a push with close-range or mid-range classes such as Heavies, Demomen, or Pyros against a strong Sniper defense, consider using the Crossbow to provide suppressive fire for your teammate as they advance.
  • 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.
  • Although the Crossbow can heal your allies and damage enemies from a long distance, do not rely on it too much and stick to healing with your Medi Gun unless you are too far away to do so.

Overdose

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

The Overdose is a craftable primary for the Medic. It does 15% less damage than the standard Syringe Gun but will increase the Medic's speed as his ÜberCharge meter increases. The speed boost caps at 20% faster than standard Medic speed. However, the speed boost only applies while you have the Overdose active.

  • 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 at full ÜberCharge effectively eliminates the speed penalty for moving backwards (106% instead of normal 96%), meaning that you can backpedal while firing and still outrun classes with standard speed, particularly the Pyro.
  • The speed bonus is less effective when using Medi Guns 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 you should be rarely engaging in direct combat, the Overdose's damage reduction can be considered negligible. If you do not pursue combat engagement actively, consider utilizing the Overdose's speed boost, and instead rely on your teammate's protection.
  • The Overdose's damage penalty is not too significant. As syringes already do low damage, the 10% damage penalty is actually about 1-2 less damage per syringe, which still makes it powerful at close range.

Secondary Weapons

Medi Gun + reskins

Weapon Healing ÜberCharge
Normal Healing Rate Maximum Healing Rate ÜberCharge ÜberCharge Time Charge Speed Maximum Charge Time
Medi Gun
Stock
Medi Gun 		24 health/sec 72 health/sec Invulnerability 8 seconds 2.5%/sec 40 seconds (80)
Festive Medi Gun
Uncrate
Festive Medi Gun
Item icon Rust Botkiller Medi Gun.png Item icon Blood Botkiller Medi Gun.png Item icon Silver Botkiller Medi Gun.png
Item icon Gold Botkiller Medi Gun.png Item icon Carbonado Botkiller Medi Gun.png Item icon Diamond Botkiller Medi Gun.png

Botkiller Medi Gun

Australium Medi Gun
Advanced+ Mann Up Reward
Australium Medi Gun
  • 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.
  • The Medi Gun 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. However, this also applies to all speed-boosting weapons, such as the Scout's Baby Face's Blaster and Crit-a-Cola, the Demoman's Eyelander, the Pyro's Powerjack, 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 there are some obstacles you will not be able to get over.
  • 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.
    • 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.
  • 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 teammate to 150%.
    • Focus on all your teammates - there's often a temptation to stick with stronger classes such as Heavies and neglect other teammates. Heal all your teammates actively.
  • Remember to continually 'top-up' your teammates' health with your Medi Gun's overheal.
    • This is especially crucial with friendly Scouts, and to a lesser extent friendly Spies. If you can wait a bit to reach the 72 hp/sec threshold on them, their low base health will make healing them barely a distraction at all for you and they can do their work much more efficiently at 185 HP, an amount more sturdy than the Demoman or Pyro.

Kritzkrieg

Weapon Healing ÜberCharge
Normal Healing Rate Maximum Healing Rate ÜberCharge ÜberCharge Time Charge Speed Maximum Charge Time
Kritzkrieg
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 by just about anything, not requiring an ÜberCharge.
  • Heavies, Soldiers, and Demomen are among the best classes to deploy a Kritzkrieg ÜberCharge 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 ÜberCharge. 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 Kritzkrieg ÜberCharging a Heavy, Soldier, or Demoman, a Kritzkrieg ÜberCharged 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 Consider Kritzing a Pyro when it's important to remove close-range threats.
    • If there are no powerful offensive classes to Kritzkrieg ÜberCharge, the Sniper can be an effective Kritzkrieg ÜberCharge target - every hit while charged does the same damage as an un-charged headshot, which can kill a non-overhealed enemy Scout, Sniper, Engineer or Spy in one hit.
  • 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.
Oktoberfest
Weapon Healing Duration Details
Oktoberfest
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
Normal Healing Rate Maximum Healing Rate ÜberCharge ÜberCharge Time Charge Speed Maximum Charge Time
Quick-Fix
Craft
Quick-Fix 		33.6 health/sec 100.8 health/sec Megaheal 8 seconds 2.778%/sec (1.389%/sec) 36 seconds (72)

The Quick-Fix is a craftable secondary for the Medic. It has a 40% faster heal rate and a 10% 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. However, it can only overheal by 25% as opposed to the other Medi Guns' 50%.

  • 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 ability to use your teammates' explosive jump can allow you to stay with them when they jump to the front lines or to areas that you could otherwise not access. Your patient should be able to travel much more than normal due to the healing during flight, and in combat, your presence should keep your patients alive longer. Be aware that you can easily become separated from your patient, especially if you have 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 will still take fall damage.
  • 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 can be difficult to keep up with if he sticky jumps, so the Quick-Fix shines here. 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 larger boost at four heads. This tactic also works with a shield, but is most effective with the Stickybomb Launcher, as you are not boosted as much as he is when he charges.
  • Due to their low health and damage, Scouts are usually best left to getting to the front lines faster, instead of pocketing them. Scouts will increase your speed significantly, but you cannot double-jump with them, so certain obstacles may pose problems. It may be a good idea, however, 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 added damage he receives. 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.
    • The Shortstop can boost the healing rate even further, virtually making the healed Scout a small tank if pocketed.
  • 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.
  • While not as effective as the stock Medi Gun, this weapon can save you from low health and allow you to potentially escape death. Deploying ÜberCharge with no target will heal you at the Quick-Fix's heightened rate, as well as overheal you and give the knockback immunity.
  • Because this weapon cannot Overheal past 125%, this means you miss the threshold for slowing the rate at which you build Übercharge (142.5% Overheal). With no other factors in play, you will typically build ÜberCharge with this weapon faster than the Medi Gun or the Kritzkrieg, and you can be somewhat more lax in healing surrounding teammates; even sticking to just one patient (pocketing) will still build the ÜberCharge in a short span of time. Keep in mind that this is a minor bonus and doesn't negate the advantages the other two weapons bring to the table. Keep your teammates in good shape all the while.
  • Don't be scared to waste your ÜberCharge. You will build another ÜberCharge in a short period of time if you heal either hurt teammates or a constantly damaged one.

Vaccinator

Weapon Healing ÜberCharge
Normal Healing Rate Maximum Healing Rate ÜberCharge ÜberCharge Duration Charge Speed Maximum Charge Time
Vaccinator
Craft
Vaccinator 		24 health/sec 72 health/sec 75% resistance to a selected damage type 2.5 seconds/resistance 3.75%/s 26.67 s

The Vaccinator is a craftable secondary for the Medic. It has a 50% faster ÜberCharge rate while healing non-overhealed players, and a 66% slower ÜberCharge rate when healing overhealed teammates compared to the Medi Gun. Using the Special Attack key allows the Medic to cycle through damage resist types, which switch in order to Bullet Damage, Explosive Damage, and Fire Damage. Both the Medic and his heal target are provided 10% resistance to the selected damage type. The Vaccinator's ÜberCharge provides 75% resistance to a selected damage type. You are healed for 10% of the matched incoming damage on your heal target at all times. However, it Overheals at a 66% slower rate compared to the Medi Gun.

  • The Vaccinator builds ÜberCharge at a very fast rate when healing injured players. If paired with the Overdose, you can easily build an ÜberCharge and then use the Overdose's ÜberCharge-based speed boost to your advantage.
  • The Vaccinator discourages overhealing teammates, and in place encourages healing hurt players. With a fast charge during this, try ÜberCharging healthy teammates to 'keep a tab' on them while you focus on healing injured and needy people.
  • Knowing when to change resistances is crucial. A wrong choice can lead to death. Whenever you are not in active combat, use bullet resistance, because all classes except for the Demoman have a bullet weapon in their stock loadouts. If there is a high chance of a Pyro or Demoman ambush, you can switch to fire or explosive resistance while not fighting. During combat, watch your enemies' weapons and switch resistances accordingly.
    • By the bullet resistance mechanic almost every type of damage except for fire, explosive, and melee is resisted making bullet resistance the broadest category.
    • Keeping bullet resistance active also means you can quickly switch to either flame or blast resistance if need be, which strengthens the boon of staying on bullet resistance.
  • Keep in mind that when healing a fully overhealed Heavy with bullet resistance, he can survive a fully charged headshot from any Sniper, excluding the Machina. You as a Medic can also survive any fully charged bodyshot or uncharged headshot.
  • If an enemy Sniper is causing trouble, considering ÜberCharging a friendly Sniper to safely take care of the threat. As Headshots are considered critical hits, the Vaccinator's ÜberCharge can aid your Sniper in killing the enemy. The enemy Sniper can do almost nothing against you, but keep in mind that you will have a slower ÜberCharge rate when Overhealing, so make the action quick!
    • Activating ÜberCharge on yourself can also ensure a safer escape from enemy Snipers if you have no other teammates!
  • The Vaccinator provides absolutely no protection against melee weapons. While healing a patient, stay away from enemy Scouts and Demoknights, who can kill you in the same number of hits as if you were not resisted. Communicate with your healing targets to prevent dying to a melee attack.
  • The Vaccinator can be considered 'end-game Medic' due to its complexity, knowledge and focus required to run it. In the Gun Mettle Update, the skill ceiling has been arguably multiplied. A notable change being that you can switch resistances while ÜberCharging, and keep your resistance no matter what during those 2.5 seconds.
    • Use the Vaccinator to prevent incoming damage, similar to a normal ÜberCharge. Judge what is the biggest threat to your patient and act accordingly (i.e. you face 2 Soldiers and 1 Scout, Übering a Blast Resistance and switching to passive Bullet Resistance is key to survival).
    • If your patient is near death, it probably is not worth using all your ÜberCharges to defend from multiple sources. However, follow the above tip and judge how much damage your patient can withstand (i.e. facing a Pyro, Scout, and 2 Soldiers will end badly; ÜberCharge Blast or Fire Resistance and escape).
    • If you plan to keep healing a teammate with others around, it may not be worth ÜberCharging them. Instead, ÜberCharge nearby teammates to protect them, and return to your pocket. You can protect other friends while still remaining on your main patient (with the option to ÜberCharge if need be).

Melee Weapons

Bonesaw + reskins

Weapon Kill Icon Attack Interval Damage
Point Blank Critical
Bonesaw
Stock
Bonesaw 		Killicon bonesaw.png 0.8 seconds 65 195
Saxxy
Promotional
Saxxy 		Killicon saxxy.png
Conscientious Objector
Drop
Conscientious Objector 		Killicon conscientious objector.png
Frying Pan
Promotional
Frying Pan 		Killicon frying pan.png
Freedom Staff
Promotional
Freedom Staff 		Killicon freedom staff.png
Bat Outta Hell
Drop
Bat Outta Hell 		Killicon bat outta hell.png
Ham Shank
Drop
Ham Shank 		Killicon ham shank.png
Necro Smasher
Achievement
Necro Smasher 		Killicon necro smasher.png
Crossing Guard
Uncrate
Crossing Guard 		Killicon crossing guard.png
Festive Bonesaw
Uncrate
Festive Bonesaw 		Killicon bonesaw.png
  • 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 or other flankers.
  • As it is with most other classes, your other melee weapons provide utility benefits that the straight damage and speed of the stock Bonesaw just cannot match. Use another weapon if you can.
  • You are faster than most other classes; 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 if possible.

Ubersaw + reskins

Weapon Kill Icon Attack Interval Damage
Point Blank Critical
Übersaw
Unlock
Ubersaw 		Killicon ubersaw.png 0.96 seconds 65 195
Festive Ubersaw
Uncrate
Festive Ubersaw 		Killicon ubersaw.png 0.96 seconds 65 195

The Ubersaw 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 Ubersaw 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 Ubersaw will still add to the ÜberCharge meter if you hit a Scout under the effects of Bonk! Atomic Punch.
  • Rather than using the Ubersaw 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 Ubersaw 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 stock Medi Gun is being used.
  • Using the Ubersaw and the stock Medi Gun in conjunction with another Medic with the same loadout can be very effective. The first Medic can Übercharge the second while the second approaches an enemy with the Ubersaw equipped. Over the course of the Übercharge, the second Medic should aim to get in enough hits to fill his ubercharge, allowing himself to grant the first Medic an Übercharge so he can do the same thing. While this strategy can be effective for the first time in a match, players will often quickly wisen up, and counter the synergy with airblasts.

Vita-Saw

Weapon Kill Icon Attack Interval Damage
Point Blank Critical
Vita-Saw
Craft
Vita-Saw 		Killicon vita-saw.png 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 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.
    • This will also allow you to move 2% faster with the Overdose, allowing you to reach your team more quickly, compounding the above advantage.
  • Remember that if you're killed during an ÜberCharge, up to 20% of what charge you had left will still be retained.
  • Avoid using Vita-Saw in game modes that you can't respawn in, like Arena or Sudden Death mode.
  • Try using it when teammates are having a big push to save time. It saves about 4 seconds of Kritzkrieg and 20 seconds of stock Medi Gun. Remember not to be in direct fire after equipping this.

Amputator

Weapon Kill Icon Attack Interval Damage Healing
Point Blank Critical On Taunt
Amputator
Craft
Amputator 		Killicon amputator.png 0.8 seconds 52 156 75
  • The Amputator is a craftable melee weapon for the Medic. It allows Medics to perform the Medicating Melody taunt.
  • When active, it adds 3 health to regeneration (for a total of 5 health regen) and comes with a 20% damage penalty.
    • This weapon negates the Blutsauger's regeneration reduction, allowing for more offense gameplay.
    • This weapon also gives enough regeneration counteract and negate afterburn. If a source of healing is not readily available, and you are about to die, whip it out to survive.
  • Although there is a damage penalty, the regeneration bonus compensates for it, making the Amputator a complete upgrade to the Bonesaw, so use it if it is available to you.

Medicating Melody

Weapon Healing Duration Details
Medicating Melody
Medicating Melody 		Amputator 25-75 health 4.2 seconds The Medic brings his weapon up to his shoulder, leans on his right foot, and plays a soothing melody, healing all allies within a certain radius while causing them to emit a team-colored glow around their feet.
  • Upon taunting, all teammates within 450 units of the Medic will be healed for 4 seconds at the same rate as if they were being healed by the Medi Gun or Kritzkrieg.
    • It is not possible to overheal players by using this taunt.
    • The healing from this taunt does build Ubercharge, but at a rather slow rate (approximately 1% per 50 hitpoints recovered). Never use this as a reliable source of Über - a Scout on the brink of death will only contribute 2-3% over the duration of the taunt.
    • It is best to use this around multiple teammates, as they can help protect you, and you do equal healing to everyone within the area of effect, so more teammates translates into more healing.
  • Always use the taunt when behind cover, rather than out in the open. Only use it when teammates are guaranteed to 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.

Solemn Vow

Weapon Kill Icon Attack Interval Damage
Point Blank Critical
Solemn Vow
Craft
Solemn Vow 		Killicon solemn vow.png 0.88 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' ÜberCharge meters, at the cost of a 10% slower swing rate.

  • The Solemn Vow offers the ability to see enemy health, as a Spy can. You can tell your teammates if a retreating enemy is easy pickings or might be trying to trick you around a corner.
    • If an enemy Medic is spotted, it may be worth communicating what amount of Übercharge he has at the time. This ability can also help prioritize killing him first, or his patient.
  • The Solemn Vow is, therefore, most useful when actively using a microphone to communicate with your team. Otherwise, it may be better to use an alternative melee weapon so you aren't losing potential bonuses.
  • The Solemn Vow can also be useful for judging whether to flee or fight. It might be worth finishing off an enemy with a few quick needles or a melee strike, if their health appears low enough, rather than let them live.
    • The 10% reduced attack interval makes the Solemn Vow slightly less ideal for melee attacks than the Bonesaw. Use the ability to see enemy health to determine if melee-fighting is worth this slight disadvantage or not.
  • An alternative to using this weapon is having a friendly Spy relay enemy health.
  • In Mann vs. Machine, all classes can see the health of giants through a health icon. It is therefore advised not to use the Solemn Vow over other choices such as an Ubersaw or Amputator.

Taunt attacks

Spinal Tap

Kill Icon Weapon Damage Duration Details
Spinal Tap
Uberslice 		Killicon ubersaw.png Ubersaw 500 4 seconds The Medic throws his coattails back and enters a combat pose before thrusting his Ubersaw 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.
  • This is best used when teaming up with a Heavy with the Holiday Punch, as any hits from that weapon that hit an enemy in the back or are critical hits will force the enemy to perform the Schadenfreude taunt, giving you a chance to perform this without interruption. Try to do this on enemies separated from the rest of their team.
  • If you find an unguarded, active Teleporter exit then you can use this taunt in front of it to kill the next player to use the Teleporter and get full ÜberCharge. Be careful when positioning yourself or you could be telefraged instead.
  • Note that this taunt has a very long range.
    • Using this taunt in a small entrance can almost guarantee a successful taunt kill.

Weapon combinations

See also

Basic strategy
Leaderboard class scout.png · Leaderboard class soldier.png · Leaderboard class pyro.png · Leaderboard class demoman.png · Leaderboard class heavy.png · Leaderboard class engineer.png · Leaderboard class medic.png · Leaderboard class sniper.png · Leaderboard class spy.png
v • d • e
Community strategy
Leaderboard class scout.png · Leaderboard class soldier.png · Leaderboard class pyro.png · Leaderboard class demoman.png · Leaderboard class heavy.png · Leaderboard class engineer.png · Leaderboard class medic.png · Leaderboard class sniper.png · Leaderboard class spy.png
Class match-ups
Leaderboard class scout.png · Leaderboard class soldier.png · Leaderboard class pyro.png · Leaderboard class demoman.png · Leaderboard class heavy.png · Leaderboard class engineer.png · Leaderboard class medic.png · Leaderboard class sniper.png · Leaderboard class spy.png
Anti-class strategy
Leaderboard class scout.png · Leaderboard class soldier.png · Leaderboard class pyro.png · Leaderboard class demoman.png · Leaderboard class heavy.png · Leaderboard class engineer.png · Leaderboard class medic.png · Leaderboard class sniper.png · Leaderboard class spy.png
Official tips
Leaderboard class scout.png · Leaderboard class soldier.png · Leaderboard class pyro.png · Leaderboard class demoman.png · Leaderboard class heavy.png · Leaderboard class engineer.png · Leaderboard class medic.png · Leaderboard class sniper.png · Leaderboard class spy.png
v • d • e
Leaderboard class medic.png Medic
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