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, knockback immunity and boosted healing, or provide himself and his patient with resistance from a certain 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.

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.

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.

Medics get the first dibs on 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:

Any Rocket Launcher, most notably the Rocket Jumper or Beggar's Bazooka
Any Stickybomb Launcher, most notably the Sticky Jumper
The Loose Cannon
The Eyelander or Ullapool Caber
The Chargin' Targe or Splendid Screen or Tide Turner
The Force-A-Nature or Baby Face's Blaster

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 higher number 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, while vital in Medieval Mode, is of little use in normal gameplay. 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, and lack of ÜberCharge contribution mean it's better to close the gap between patients.

The Medicating Melody neither overheals nor increases ÜberCharge, 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
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.

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, then return healing your ally to help him.

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, 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

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 to enemies and heals teammates based on the distance the bolt travels.

Healing from the Crusader's Crossbow has two significant weaknesses:
- 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. 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.

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 supporting a push with close or mid range classes such as Heavies, Demomen, or Pyros against a strong Sniper defence, 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. Interestingly, Criticals also affect healing, resulting in a 450-point burst at maximum ramp-up, though no overheal is achieved, so it is effectively limited to 349 (Heavy's maximum health with the effect of the Dalokohs Bar minus one).

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. 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 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 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 utilising 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
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
Botkiller 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.

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.

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 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.

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	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. However, it can only overheal by 25% as opposed to the other mediguns' 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 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. 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.

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 can 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 runs faster than you and can be difficult to keep up with, especially 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 large boost at four. 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.

Vaccinator

Weapon	Healing		ÜberCharge
Weapon	Normal Healing Rate	Maximum Healing Rate	ÜberCharge	ÜberCharge Time	Charge Speed	Maximum Charge Time
Craft Vaccinator	24 health/sec	72 health/sec	75% resistance to a selected damage type	2/4/6/8 seconds	3.75%/s	26.67 s

The Vaccinator is a craftable secondary for the Medic. It has a 50% faster charge rate than the Medi Gun. The Vaccinator's Special Attack allows the Medic to cycle through damage resist types, which include 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 25% of the matched incoming damage on your heal target during the ÜberCharge. However, it overheals at a 66% slower rate compared to the Medi Gun.

The Vaccinator builds Übercharge at a very fast rate. If paired with the Overdose, you can easily build an Übercharge and then use the Overdose's Übercharge-based speed boost to your advantage.

Because the Vaccinator charges Über quickly, and dying has less drawbacks, it is not recommended to use the Ubersaw, as the slower swing speed is a more noticeable downside when using the Vaccinator. The Amputator or Solemn Vow are good melee weapons paired with the Vaccinator.

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 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, which the Vaccinator ignores, paired with the fast Übercharge rate, the enemy Sniper can do almost nothing against you!
- Activating Übercharge on yourself can also ensure a safer escape from enemy Snipers if you have no other teammates!

Melee Weapons

Bonesaw + reskins

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
Promotional Freedom Staff
Drop Bat Outta Hell
Drop Ham Shank

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.

The Solemn Vow has no downsides and should be used instead of the Bonesaw if you have it.

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
Weapon	Kill Icon	Attack Interval	Point Blank	Critical
Unlock Ubersaw		0.96 seconds	65	195
Uncrate Festive Ubersaw		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.

Spinal Tap

	Kill Icon	Weapon	Damage	Duration	Details
Uberslice		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.

Note that this taunt has a very long range.
- Using this taunt in a small entrance can almost guarantee a successful taunt kill.

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 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.

Amputator

Weapon	Kill Icon	Attack Interval	Damage	Healing
Weapon	Kill Icon	Attack Interval	Point Blank	Critical	On Taunt
Craft Amputator		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. 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 or build ÜberCharge using this 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.

When active, it adds 3 health to regeneration and comes with a 20% damage penalty.
- This weapon negates the Blutsauger's regeneration reduction, allowing for more offense gameplay.

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.

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
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 it is available to you.

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 flee or fight. 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 most useful when 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.

An alternative to using this weapon is having a friendly Spy relay enemy health.

Weapon combinations

Example Combinations
Combo			Usage
Syringe Gun	Medi Gun	Ubersaw	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 Ubersaw can be used to build ÜberCharge off of unaware players, Spies, or flanking classes that get too close.
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 somewhat offset this. 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 Ubersaw'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.
Blutsauger	Kritzkrieg	Solemn Vow or Ubersaw	This combination is more suited to an offensive Medic, though not necessarily for offensive pushes. The Kritzkrieg builds up its charge much faster and its taunt can also self-heal to compensate the slow rate of Blutsauger's health regeneration. The Blutsauger provides benefits for engaging in combat and is thus more useful to a more offensive 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 Ubersaw, as well as identifying weakened enemies to finish off. However, players who wish to focus even more on offensive combat can use the Ubersaw to build up ÜberCharge faster.
Blutsauger	Medi Gun	Ubersaw	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 Ubersaw while attacking. The use of Ubersaw 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.
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 quickly healing multiple patients because of 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 patient to kill.
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 using all three of his weapons. A Syringe Gun is not necessary, as you will not need to defend yourself at close range if you are keeping with your teammates. When your patient is at full health, you can take the opportunity to shoot a few crossbow bolts at long range toward your teammates, then resume healing your nearby patient. Taunting with the Amputator can provide healing for everyone nearby at the expense of ÜberCharge build. The Quick-Fix gives you a significantly increased healing rate and the ability to speed up to or explosive-jump with your patient, so you can support even your fastest teammates.
Overdose	Medi Gun	Ubersaw	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 Ubersaw, 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 Ubersaw 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.
Overdose	Quick-Fix	Vita-Saw	This setup focuses entirely on speed, not granting a Medic much direct strength or survivability. The Quick-Fix rapidly gains Ubercharge, incidentally healing allies much faster than other mediguns, as well as pulling you along with Scouts, or launching you with jumping Demomen and Soldiers. The Overdose allows you a higher degree of mobility, complimented by the rapid gain of Ubercharge and thus speed that the Quick-Fix gives. Should you perish, the Vita-Saw will allow you to roll out faster by retaining some of your Ubercharge to power your Overdose, assuming you died with any at all. This can make you a good companion for a Scout, as the Overdose and Quick-Fix allow you to keep pace with him, and the Vita-Saw potentially allows you to catch back up to him faster upon respawning. With the addition of the Quick-Fix being able to overheal, and this applying to the deploying Medic, the health reduction of the Vita-Saw can be temporarily overcome.
Unless marked with a †, all weapons can be substituted with reskins.