Healing

A RED team Medic healing a RED Heavy.

“

Click to listen

— The Scout

”

Healing is an ability primarily possessed by the Medic class while using his Medi Gun, Kritzkrieg, Quick-Fix, or Vaccinator. By training his healing beam on an ally (or a disguised enemy Spy), the Medic can actively restore the player's health. In addition to restoring health, healing also enables the Medic to fill up his ÜberCharge bar. The Medic cannot heal buildings, which must be repaired using an Engineer's melee weapon, such as the Wrench.

Healing and ÜberCharge rates

Healing rate is linearly based upon how long ago the target was last damaged. If the target was damaged less than 10 seconds ago, then they are healed at the normal rate of 24 health per second. From 10 to 15 seconds, this rate increases linearly from 24 up to a maximum of 72 health per second. This mechanic is in place to encourage falling back to heal, as without the boosted healing rate, players often found that fighting, dying, and respawning was quicker than falling back, being healed to full, then re-engaging.[1]

ÜberCharge building rate is halved if the target is at 142.5% health or above. If more than one Medic is healing the target, charge building speed is divided by a factor of the number of Medics healing that target.[2] Dispensers and Payload Carts also reduce the charge rate when healing the same target.

For exact timings, see the individual pages for the Medi Gun, Kritzkrieg, Quick-Fix, and Vaccinator.

Overheal

An overheal refers to a player's health being up to 150% above their maximum HP (half of the player's normal health added on). Medics can overheal players with any secondary healing tool except for the Quick-Fix, which can only overheal up to 125%. The player's health cross on the HUD will glow more brightly as he or she is more overhealed. A particle effect consisting of small team-colored health symbols will surround an overhealed player. The Hatless Update increased the size of the overheal symbols.

A full overheal will fade away in exactly 15 seconds for all classes, provided that the player does not take additional damage. While the Heavy's health can be boosted to 450, it will return to its base of 300 in the same time as the Scout, whose health can be boosted to 185 from 125. If the Medic heals a player already at 100% health, it will take 1 to 3 seconds to raise them to 150% health (overhealed). Classes with higher starting health take longer to fully overheal.

During setup time, or while approaching an objective, a Medic can keep multiple teammates on the front line overhealed instead of only their primary healing target. This also increases the speed at which the ÜberCharge bar rises (ÜberCharge rate is not affected during setup time).

Overheal will be retained if a player is being healed by a Quick-Fix.

Max overheal is rounded down to the nearest multiple of 5, i.e., 175 -> 262.5 would be changed to 260.

v • d • e Class	Health	Overheal	Quick-Fix Overheal
Scout	125	185	158
With the Sandman equipped	110	165	139
Soldier	200	300	251
With the Battalion's Backup equipped	220	330	276
Pyro	175	260	220
Demoman	175	260	220
With weapon slot boots equipped	200	300	251
With a head-taking melee weapon equipped with 0 heads	150	225	189
With a head-taking melee weapon equipped with 1 head	165	245	208
With a head-taking melee weapon equipped with 2 heads	180	270	226
With a head-taking melee weapon equipped with 3 heads	195	290	245
With a head-taking melee weapon with 4 or more heads	210	315	264
With weapon slot boots and a head-taking melee weapon equipped with 0 heads	175	260	220
With weapon slot boots and a head-taking melee weapon equipped with 1 head	190	285	239
With weapon slot boots and a head-taking melee weapon equipped with 2 heads	205	305	258
With weapon slot boots and a head-taking melee weapon equipped with 3 heads	220	330	276
With weapon slot boots and a head-taking melee weapon equipped with 4 or more heads	235	350	295
Heavy	300	450	376
Under the effects of the Dalokohs Bar or Fishcake	350	500^†	426
With the Fists of Steel equipped	300	390	346
With the Fists of Steel equipped and while under the effects of the Dalokohs Bar or Fishcake	350	440	396
Engineer	125	185	158
With the Gunslinger equipped	150	225	189
Medic	150	225	189
With the Vita-Saw equipped	140	210	176
Sniper	125	185	158
Spy	125	185	158
With the Big Earner equipped	100	150	126
With Conniver's Kunai equipped	70	105	89
Maximum overheal from Conniver's Kunai backstabs	N/A	210	N/A

^†Theoretical value. Overheal does not exceed 150% of the classes' maximum health.

Non-Medi Gun Healing

Most maps are also dotted with varying sizes of health pickups.
The Resupply Lockers in spawns will grant a player full health.
Dispensers and Payload carts will actively heal friendly players (and Spies disguised as friendly players) who stand near them.
Scouts may use Mad Milk to enable themselves and their allies to recover health by damaging opponents covered in the substance.
Players killed by Scouts who have the Candy Cane equipped will drop a small medkit.
Soldiers can heal 15 health per opponent hit with the Black Box.
When activated, the Concheror heals 35% of all damage inflicted by people within range of the banner.
Pyros reflecting a rocket fired by the Black Box also regain 15 health if the rocket damages an opponent.
Pyros who obtain a kill with the Powerjack gain up to 75 health, which may overheal the Pyro.
Demomen who decapitate an enemy using the Eyelander, Horseless Headless Horsemann's Headtaker or the Nessie's Nine Iron recover 15HP along with the increase to their max health.
Demomen wielding the Persian Persuader gain health upon picking up an ammo box, equivalent to the percentage of ammo the ammo box would restore.
A Demoman or Soldier is fully healed upon a successful kill with the Half-Zatoichi.
Heavies may also consume Sandviches or Dalokohs Bars to regain health, and can drop Sandviches or Buffalo Steak Sandviches for other players to use.
Medics wielding the Kritzkrieg can use Oktoberfest taunt to recover a bit of their own health.
The Blutsauger will heal the Medic 3 hitpoints for every shot fired that hits an enemy.
Medics are capable of healing their teammates with bolts from the Crusader's Crossbow of varying amounts depending on the range. It heals 75 points of health at point blank, 112 points of health at medium range, and 150 points of health at long range.
Snipers who equip the Cozy Camper will recover 1 health per second.
Spies who earn a backstab using the Conniver's Kunai are healed by the victim's total health, potentially overhealing the Spy to 180 health.

For more detailed information on other sources of healing, see the Health page.

Related achievements

General

Master of Disguise
Trick an opposing Medic into healing you.

Team Doctor
Accumulate 25000 heal points as a Medic.

Scout

I'm Bat Man
Survive 500 damage in one life.

Soldier

War Crime and Punishment
In a single life, kill 3 enemies who have damaged a Medic that is healing you.

Pyro

Next of Kindling
Ignite an enemy, and the Medic healing him.

Heavy

Class Struggle
Work with a friendly Medic to kill an enemy Heavy & Medic pair.

Factory Worker
Kill 20 enemies while being recharged by a dispenser.

Redistribution of Health
Heal 1000 damage with med-kits in a single life.

Engineer

(Not So) Lonely Are the Brave
Keep a Heavy healed with your dispenser while he gains five kills.

Doc, Stock, and Barrel
Repair a sentry gun under fire while being healed by a Medic.

Drugstore Cowboy
Have dispensers you created dispense a combined amount of 100,000 health over your career.

Doc Holiday
Have a dispenser heal three teammates at the same time.

Medic

Bedside Manner
Be healing a teammate as he achieves an achievement of his own.

Grand Rounds
Heal 200 teammates after they've called for 'Medic!'.

Infernal Medicine
Extinguish 100 burning teammates.

Intern
Accumulate 7000 heal points in a single life.

Midwife Crisis
Heal an Engineer as he repairs his sentry gun while it's under enemy fire.

Quadruple Bypass
Heal a teammate who's taking fire from 4 enemies at once.

Chief of Staff
Accumulate 1 million total heal points.

Hypocritical Oath
Kill an enemy Spy that you have been healing.

Specialist
Accumulate 10000 heal points in a single life.

Play Doctor
In a team with no Medics, be the first person to switch to Medic after a teammate calls for 'Medic!', and then heal 500 health.

Sniper

Rain on Their Parade
Jarate an enemy and the Medic healing him.

Beaux and Arrows
Kill a Heavy & Medic pair with the bow.

Spy

FYI I am a Spy
Backstab a Medic who has healed you in the last 5 seconds.

Insurance Fraud
Kill an enemy while you're being healed by an enemy Medic.

May I Cut In?
Backstab an enemy and the Medic healing him within 10 seconds of each other.

"Medic!" Icons

"Medic!" bubble (health at or above 100%)
"Medic!" bubble, when hurt (health below 100%). The bubble becomes more red as the player takes more damage.
"Medic!" bubble, player bleeding (health at or above 100%)
"Medic!" bubble, when bleeding and hurt (health below 100%). The bubble becomes more red as the player takes more damage.
"Medic!" bubble when on fire (health at or above 100%)
"Medic!" bubble, when on fire and hurt (health below 100%). The bubble becomes more red as the player takes more damage.
Automatic Medic notification bubble (depends on the player's advanced multiplayer options)