Medic buddy

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A Medic buddy is the player term to refer to a class that is particularly compatible with the Medic in an offensive scenario or maneuver. Any Medic buddy is also considered a strong candidate for an ÜberCharge. Medic buddies are different than "patients", who are simply the character a Medic is healing at any given moment.

List of classes considered to be Medic "buddies"

The following are the ideal choices for Medic buddy, listed in what many, though not all, believe to be a general order of preference. Keep in mind that some classes may be more useful than others in different situations, so when given a choice between possible Medic buddies, consider the current situation carefully. For example, Soldiers or Demomen are ideal classes for taking out Sentry Guns, so healing them over a Heavy would make a wise choice if there is a Sentry Gun around a corner. One of the most important strategic assets that a Medic can have is the ability to adapt to any situation and wisely choose which class is best suited for a specific task.

• Heavy
  • The Heavy's high HP will make him very difficult to defeat while experiencing overhealing. His high attack power can help defend the Medic from enemies. Additionally, his slow speed makes it hard to lose track of where he is. Make sure to watch out for Spies, as the Heavy may be concentrating too much on enemies in front of him to look behind him, where you are.
• Soldier
  • The Soldier's high HP and attack power are a deadly combination with the Medic's healing. His rocket jumps will also become easier to survive since the Medic can heal the injured Soldier until he is out of range. A Soldier/Medic pair is adept at destroying long- to mid-range buildings, exploding small clusters of opponents, and sometimes taking out specific targets quickly and thoroughly.
• Pyro
  • The Pyro is built for close combat, so Pyros will need to be exposed to deal the most damage. With the Medic healing him, a Pyro can take a beating while killing his foes with ease. However, sticking with a Pyro exposes the Medic to danger as well. As such, it is usually better to heal Pyros in defensive situations, with a reduced risk of encountering enemies. If healing an offensive Pyro results in trouble, either run away and find cover, or use an ÜberCharge. Generally not good for Kritzkrieg since it requires the Pyro and you to be in close range to do any damage and might jeopardize your life.
• Demoman
  • The Demoman uses a variety of explosives and can sticky jump, but if he is too close to one of his own bombs, he takes damage; the Demo may use this to help his Medic charge more quickly. Demo/Medic pairs are excellent for destroying mid-range buildings. A skilled Demoman can prove to be brutal towards large clusters of enemies, making him an excellent choice for a Medic's Kritzkrieg ÜberCharge if available.

List of classes considered to be Medic "baddies"

It is generally unwise to choose one of these classes as a Medic buddy. Of special note is the Spy; healing a disguised Spy in enemy territory can blow his cover. In particular, these classes' low health makes them poor choices as Medic buddies. All four have a 150% buffed health of only 185; if the Scout is holding the Sandman, his max health is as low as 165. The Engineer has become a slightly better Über target in some situations thanks to the changes in the Engineer Update, see below.

• Engineer
  • Because Engineers can build their own Dispensers and stay away from fighting, having a Medic around would not be much help. An exception to this is if an Engineer has built a Sentry Gun in order to hold down a crucial area that keeps coming under heavy fire, such as the final control point. In this case, healing an Engineer who is crouching behind his Sentry Gun can allow him to keep the gun repaired, and, if the Medic cannot take cover, the Dispenser can heal him, which also awards him with the Midwife Crisis achievement. Using an ÜberCharge might be the difference between allowing the Engineer to keep the gun firing and having your team's defenses collapse. Now that the Engineer can carry his Sentry Gun around and deploy it as an offensive tool, the Engineer can also be an excellent Über target on the attack. If you and the Engineer work together intelligently, you can both use your invulnerability to shield a Sentry Gun that is going up in a devastating offensive position. This requires some planning, but it can be much more effective in some cases than Übering even a "traditional" Medic buddy. An Engineer that is using the Wrangler can also be an excellent Über target if the Sentry Gun is in a commanding position.
• Scout
  • The Scout's low health and Kamikaze style of play usually mean that Scouts will die quickly even when being healed. That, coupled with the difference in speed, makes them impossible to keep up with for long, resulting in the Scout being extremely poor Medic buddy. Still, Scouts will often be injured and run back to find a Medic, so make sure to toss them a quick heal when they need it.
• Sniper
  • The Sniper can be considered a Medic buddy, but only in certain situations. For example, if there is an enemy Sniper taking out your team, buffing your team's Sniper can help tip the odds in your favor during the Sniper duel. The fastest way to take down a Sniper who has been buffed to 150% is with a moderately charged shot to the head. This is a very challenging shot to make. Any other shots, unless rapid small shots to the head, will not take down the Sniper easily. Thus, it will help your Sniper to stay alive long enough to take down the enemy Sniper(s). However, once that threat has been eliminated, the Medic should then heal a better Medic Buddy to push forward with. If no other teammates are around, healing a Sniper for a while can score the Medic a few assist kills as well as build up his ÜberCharge while he waits for the rest of the team to catch up or respawn.
• Spy
  • The Spy relies on stealth, and healing one while he is disguised as an enemy will usually blow his cover. If a Spy calls for a Medic while disguised, he is usually trying to trick the other team's Medics - so use discretion, even if he is disguised as an enemy Spy. Heal offensive classes before healing the Spy, as they are much more likely to be taking fire, while the Spy can just Cloak and run away. If you see a Spy trying to defend himself with a Revolver and no other teammates are in urgent need of healing, though, or if you see any Spy on fire (which negates his disguise and Cloak), heal him long enough to help him make his escape for the benefit of the team.

Healing other Medics

Don't forget to heal other Medics! Without health packs, they recharge health as slowly as you do. Healing other Medics is very important, as they will lose their stored ÜberCharge when they die if they are not wielding the Vita-Saw. When fully buffed, their max health is quite high, at 225. While it is very important to keep them alive, it is unwise to accompany them as you would for a Medic buddy, unless no one else is around (in which case you can heal each other to build up ÜberCharge) or unless you can pull off the Double Medic Strategy. Hopefully, when healing other medics, they will return the favor when you are in need of healing.

Another strategy involves the Blutsauger. Medic #1's Medi Gun can heal Medic #2 while he is quickly mowing down his opponents with the Blutsauger. Be sure to watch out for a Spy, as he can kill Medic #1 with a single backstab, so if possible, have a Pyro covering the rear. This strategy heavily relies on Medic #2 being next to a Dispenser a friendly Engineer has built, so Spies are incredibly lethal to this strategy, and that is why it is imperative Medic #2 is next to a Dispenser, just as highly as the Pyro covering the rear to guard against such actions.

Planning for ÜberCharges

ÜberCharging another player involves a certain amount of decision making, personal preferences, and consideration of the team's tactical goal. While a simple list of criteria for choosing Medic buddies cannot be defined, here are some guidelines for a few general scenarios:

Goals

• Raw damage: For pure damage, the best choices are a Pyro or Heavy. The Heavy can cause damage at midrange while also being deadly in close quarters. However, the Heavy's slow movement speed and inaccurate bullet spread will limit his effectiveness if the enemy uses cover or retreats. Pyros are best suited for ambushes and being ÜberCharged only increases the potential damage done. Unlike the Heavy, Pyros do not need to worry about speed or cover and enemies set on fire will continue to take damage even after retreating. Of course, Pyros suffer from a significantly shorter range which means they may waste charge time chasing distant enemies.

• Tactical targets: If you want to take out a specific target or need to gain an immediate advantage, you may want to select a Soldier or Demoman. Soldiers have an advantage in terms of range but Demoman are able to kill several enemies if they are grouped closely together. Both ÜberCharged Soldiers and Demomen can provide the push necessary for your team to gain momentum in battle as they can move quickly while firing and deal substantial amounts of damage.

• Sentry removal: If you want to take down a Sentry Gun nest at close range, choose a Pyro rather than a Heavy. Pyros are generally more effective in taking out Sentry Guns in close quarters, although map geography dictates which class is more appropriate. If the Sentry Gun is out of effective range, you may wish to close in while running in front of your patient so that the Sentry Gun's knockback does not push him back before the ÜberCharge runs out. If you must take out a difficult Sentry Gun protected by an Engineer or from a longer range, Demomen are the best choice because they can use sticky bombs to destroy the gun in one attack. This prevents the Engineer from repairing it between the damage from a Soldier's rockets or the Heavy's Minigun fire.

Guidelines

• A Scout has several rapid fire weapons and can unleash devastating damage at close range, but their Scattergun magazine runs out very quickly and the Force-A-Nature even more so; and reloading wastes priceless ÜberCharge time. In addition, the difference in movement speed between the Scout and Medic can make it difficult to stay together if ÜberCharging outside of close quarters combat. A good Scout is capable of avoiding most damage without an ÜberCharge. Only ÜberCharge one if no one else is available and you will lose it otherwise. Make sure you tell the Scout, or he will not stay close enough to you to keep the ÜberCharge! If you are going for the "You'll Feel a Little Prick" achievement, it is better to use the Kritzkrieg, as an unbuffed Scout may have difficulty killing three people in ten seconds, even while invulnerable. On the flip side though, a Scout equipped with the standard Scattergun can, under certain situations, be a good target for an ÜberCharge; most classes cannot outrun the Scout, and he can exploit getting within close range to deal maximum damage with the Scattergun without worrying about being killed while under the effects of the ÜberCharge. In enclosed or crowded areas an ÜberCharged Scout can be a nasty surprise to the enemy team, and may be also be used for speed-capping capture points before they are too heavily fortified.

• Ensure your patient has a full ammo clip and has reloaded before activating an ÜberCharge.

• On a Sniper map, an ÜberCharged Sniper can take out a few of the opposition while charged. It should be noted, however, that this is a specialized use, and ÜberCharge used on a Sniper is generally a waste.

• As a last resort, ÜberCharge to protect yourself while you find another teammate rather than lose a full charge.

Planning for the Kritzkrieg

The Kritzkrieg charge must be prepared in a far different manner than the traditional ÜberCharge. Boasting considerably more offensive power than the ÜberCharge and the ability to be used more often, its one drawback is that it does not posess the sheer defensive power that an ÜberCharge has. The simple fact that the standard ÜberCharge allows your target to deal damage whilst you and your target cannot be damaged, and the Kritzkrieg offers no such protection, you must be more careful in using a Kritzkrieg charge. This drawback does not make the Kritzkrieg inferior, but instead forces the Medic's choices in ÜberCharge recipient to be drastically altered.

The biggest difference between preparing for a Kritzkrieg as opposed to an ÜberCharge is twofold. First, a Kritzkrieg relies on even more communication than an Über pair does. While an Über pair even without communication can turn the tide of battle as both members are immune from damage (meaning recklessly charging in still provides some results), an uninformed Kritzkrieg assault almost always leads into disaster. The other difference is that preparing for a Kritzkrieg is not only knowing what classes you should use it on, and what situations it shines in, but it also relies heavily in when to NOT use it over the traditional Medi Gun. Use your judgment in what weapon you should pick.

This is a general list of good targets for a Kritzkrieg charge, from most effective in most situations to least effective, with explanation.

• Soldier is the obvious choice. Their high health coupled with superior mobility (due to rocket jumping), AND their main method of attack boasting large Critical damage with massive splash potential makes a Kritzkrieged Soldier a fearsome opponent indeed. Just be wary of enemy Compression Blast Pyros as well timed compression burst can spell the end for you and/or your charged Soldier. Incidentally, since their Rocket Launcher holds only four shots, it's much easier to get the Blast Assist achievement with a Kritzkrieg, since their rockets are much more likely to kill multiple targets to get you to the five kills you need.

• Demoman may seem like an odd choice as their main method of attack is indirect. But due to the nature of Kritzkrieg, this is more of a blessing than a curse. Whereas an Über pair can wade through opponents, a Kritzkrieg pair is still confined by the fact that they can both die very easily. A Kritzkrieged Demoman should use their Stickybomb Launcher. If planned correctly, the pair can launch a full round of eight Critical stickies, causing a large amount of damage over a large area. The applications for both defensive play (especially in setup) and offensive play are limitless.

• Scout may appear to be a poor choice for a Kritzkrieg charge given its low health, low overall damage dealt, and the difficulty for a Medic to keep up, but in close quarters combat, the Scout's Scattergun can actually be a dangerous weapon when used with a Kritzkrieg. The deadliness of a Kritzkrieged Scout is also increased substantially if the element of surprise is achieved and the Scout is able to get close to the enemy. It must be noted that the Force-A-Nature should almost never be used with a Kritzkrieg in virtually every circumstance, given that valuable time will be lost since the weapon will only fire off two rounds before it needs to be reloaded. But when a Kritzkrieg is used together with a competent Scout, a good deal of damage can be done in the right situations. This is the best way to get the You'll Feel a Little Prick achievement, far easier than with the normal Medi Gun.

• Heavy is an awesome sight while invulnerable, but is not as good as the Soldier for a Kritzkrieg pair. Due to the Heavy's low mobility, coupled with his inaccuracy and the Minigun's spin up time, it is generally a bad idea to Kritzkrieg a Heavy in favor of a Soldier, who can dart in and out while constantly firing off rockets. Unlike the Soldier, the Heavy can fire shots without the need to reload. This leads to (especially in closed spaces) a massive amount of continuous damage in a short amount of time. Kritzkrieging for suppression fire is a good tactic as even a long range hit will chew into the HP of less hardy classes. Also, Critical hits from the Minigun no longer suffer from damage falloff, making even long-range Heavy shots very effective, though inaccurate.

• Pyro makes a poor choice for a Kritzkrieg in most situations, with their low buffed health. Though their flames deal considerable damage especially if they have Critical damage, if they're using a weapon such as the Backburner the Kritzkrieg is far less useful to them especially compared to the raw power of an invulnerable Pyro. In situations where a heavy defensive group is holding ground, a Kritzkrieged Pyro can destroy the entire group before they can react, if they are all focused on a different front. The heavy is too slow when firing and other classes have to reload. If there is a Sentry Gun or they notice the attack, it could fail. Additionally, special mention must be given to the compression blast, which can turn an enemy's projectile into a Critical when under the effect of a KritzCharge.

• Sniper under the effects of a Kritzkrieg can wipe out all classes with less than 150 hp, due to the fact that the Sniper Rifle does 150+ damage with a Critical unscoped body-shot. Any hit on these classes will be an instant kill, and the Sniper may be wasting time by scoping, unless for larger targets or over longer distances.

• Medic also seems like an odd choice, but can be useful if there is no superior choice. The rapid-fire from a Medic's Syringe Gun or Blutsauger will often take down opponents quickly. Using the Kritzkrieg is useful to make some progress towards the Consultation achievement.

The rest of the classes are usually poor Kritzkrieg targets - even if the Engineer or Spy can deal a lot more damage if all their hits turn into Criticals, this not true in comparison to the classes listed here. Circumstances may dictate otherwise, so use discretion. One last major idea to consider for a Kritzkrieg target is the skill of the player being charged. For example, it is ideal to use the charge on an experienced Scout rather than a Heavy or Soldier who doesn't know what they're doing, despite the situation.

Being a Medic buddy

There is one sure way of never getting followed by a Medic, and that's by being a poor Medic buddy!

• The most important thing is communication. If you have a mic, use it.

• Use the voice commands if you don't have a mic to warn your Medic about different things.

• The Medic does regenerate health, but if you see a Health pack in front of you, step aside and let him take it.

• Listen for the "I am charged!" announcement and take charge of the situation. Check your ammunition and talk to the Medic about how and where to use the charge. Make sure to let him know to wait if you need to reload first.

• Defend him! Medics will often die rather than pull out the Syringe Gun, as they trust you to do their killing.

• Keep an eye on your six, particularly for Spies, Scouts, and Pyros who could easily take down your Medic from behind.

• Keep moving! The Medic relies on movement to stay alive. If you stand still, he becomes a painted target for every Spy, Pyro and Sniper in the vicinity.

• If your Medic is in cover, don't move too far away unless you are going somewhere new. He needs to be able to keep that healing beam on you while staying out of the line of fire.

• Being constantly healed does not make you invincible, especially under very heavy fire. If you see your health going down rapidly, retreat and protect your Medic.

• • Do not push forward into enemy territory especially when there is a large chance that you and your Medic could be flanked. Survey the area first before diving head in or wait till your whole team can re-group for a coordinated push.

• Don't annoy the Medic by calling for him constantly. If he doesn't show up, it's for a reason.