Team Fortress 2 Medic Guide
Part 1: Basic Medic Techniques



By Anti-Squeaker & Sketch

Medics are a vital part of any Team Fortress 2 team and are played a bit differently at Texas …Teamplayers…. As a Medic, it is your role to heal teammates so everyone can advance, so expect your K/D ratio to plummet. However, expect your end-of-round score to shoot up like crazy—since Medics are consistently the top three point leaders for their team—and your teammates to thank you for keeping them alive.


Primary Weapons


The Medic's Primary Weapons. You will want to stick with the Blutsauger.

The Syringe Gun is the standard primary weapon for Medics. It has a fairly steep drop-off angle, but you can easily compensate for the way needles arc with some practice. The unlockable Blutsauger from the Medic class update is arguably a better weapon, though. The Blutsauger, which means “vampire” in German, is a Level 5 Syringe Gun that leeches three health points from opposing team players with each hit, but it does not crit. Both needle guns have rapid rates of fire and reload quickly. As a Medic, you can carry plenty of ammo, so feel free to spam needles like there is no tomorrow. However, remember that healing other teammates is more important than firing and reloading. The less you have to shoot needles, the more valuable you are as a Medic.


Mediguns


The Medic's Mediguns. Which one you choose will depend whether your team is on offense or defense. Being Red or Blue does not matter since it is all situational.

Now to the heart of being a Medic: Mediguns, and all their love-beam glory! There are two types of Mediguns, the regular Medigun (often referred to as “Über”) and the Kritzkrieg. The regular Medigun heals teammates to 150% of their normal health and builds an ÜberCharge after about 45 to 60 seconds of constant healing, depending on how badly teammates are injured. Once fully charged and triggered at will by you (the default is the right mouse button), the Medigun makes you and your healing target(s) invincible for eight seconds. An Über is apparent by an impenetrable red or blue shield around the Medic and his or her healing target(s) throughout the duration of the Über.

In contrast, the Kritzkrieg charges an ÜberCharge 25% faster, delivers 100% critical damage for eight seconds for your healing target(s), yet it does not provide invulnerability when charged like the regular Medigun—actually, the Medic is the prime target to be taken out during a Kritz, so expect resistance and take cover as much as possible. A Kritz is apparent by crackling red or blue electric arcs coming from both the Medic’s Kritzkrieg and his or her healing target’s weapon throughout the duration of the Kritz.

As to which Medigun is better, they both have their situational advantages, so switch to whichever your team needs at the moment. Übers are generally preferred while on offense to destroy Engie sentry nests. Kritzs are generally preferred while on defense to lay down crits on a control point, payload (bomb cart), or chokepoint.


Melee Weapons


The Medic's Melee Weapons. You will want to stick with the Übersaw.

Melee weapons can be a very fun part of being a Medic. The Bonesaw is the default, run-of-the-mill melee weapon and can be more reliable than the Blutsauger for close-quarters combat. If used properly, it can be the best Medic weapon for emergency situations. Two or three well-placed and well-timed hits will take down enemy Spies, Scouts, Snipers, Engies, Medics, and Pyros (although this is one class to avoid!). Heavier classes will obviously require more hits, but since the Medic is a support class you really should not be on the offensive, especially if you find yourself alone. The unlockable Übersaw is essentially the same as the Bonesaw except it swings 20% slower and every hit you make adds 25% to your ÜberCharge. Frankly, the Übersaw should be your melee weapon of choice all times once you have acquired it.


Miscellaneous Basic Medic Tips

Below is a basic list of tips, tricks, and hints any aspiring Medic needs to know plus a few that advanced Medics might need a refresher on.



Adjust these highlighted options to your own personal preferences on the Multiplayer Advanced dialog box.

Adjust Your Game Settings

If you would like to save your index finger much strife as a Medic, go to Options > Multiplayer > Advanced and select the checkbox that reads “Medigun continues healing without holding down fire button.” This setting will automatically keep your Medigun beam on a healing target until they get out of range or you switch it to someone else. Also while on that menu tab, you can adjust your viewmodel field of view from anywhere between 54° to 70°, which broadens your perspective of the battlefield. In addition, you can select the “Enable Minimal HUD” checkbox to maximize screen real estate. Other game settings are no-brainers for maximizing performance: lower graphics-quality settings to levels appropriate for your rig, make sure your ping is good (lag affects not only you but the team as well), and—most importantly—get a headset with a mic, which is a real requirement for playing on TTP servers.

Communication Is Key
A good Medic calls out everything, from how close you are to an ÜberCharge to where you and your teammates are advancing. If you get separated from the main group, work your way back and ask for protection and backup. Also, warn your Medic Buddy (your primary healing target) before you hit an Über or Kritz, if possible. Calling out enemy Spies is another important role for Medics since they are second only to Pyros for Spy-checking. With the Blutsauger health-leech, combined with the Übersaw, Medics can help easily detect Spies and call out their locations.

Keep Yourself Alive
As a support class, you will rarely be fighting on the offensive. Many teammates, acting on instinct, will dodge enemy fire, leaving it streaking toward your vulnerable self. Bunny hopping (repeatedly jumping around) will extend your life. Not only will it make you very hard to hit with explosives and bullets but it also makes it much harder for Spies to backstab you. For example, jump just before a rocket hits nearby if you cannot avoid it altogether; if done right, the splash damage will knock you farther away to safety. Also, never rush out ahead of your teammates. Stay back, heal, and watch for enemies behind the front lines. Get teammates to fall back to you to get healing, and do not run out of your safety zone just to heal one teammate who is taking fire. Remember that it is never a mistake to use your Über to stay alive. General rule of thumb: Try to stay above 120 HP at all times (the Medic's base HP is 150), since most normal weapons in the game do less damage than this in a single shot.


Taking cover just outside the shack during the second stage of Dustbowl. Three good Medic buddies are available to hit with the fully charged Über and will take the brunt of the enemy fire.

Stay in Constant Motion and Use Speed to Your Advantage
Spies will insta-kill backstab, Snipers will insta-kill headshot, Pyros will rush, and just about any other enemy class can be coming around a corner, ready to ambush you and your teammates. A good Medic is constantly moving, when not holed up in a secure corner, and uses his or her speed and evasiveness to keep from dying. It is part of the challenge—and fun—of playing a weaker class.

Medigun Beams Are Flexible
Once you start healing a teammate, you can turn all the way around (180°) and continue to heal them. In addition, the beam can bend slightly and briefly go around corners. Use this technique to watch your back and stay out of the line of fire.

Heal Priority Teammates First
A friendly Scout running up to you who got 25 health points knocked off by getting hit with the edge of a rocket is less important than a Heavy who is down to 150 HP and is holding the line for the rest of the team. Healing is completely situational, though, and you will have to use your best judgment and rely on your experience. Note that healing another Medic takes priority over everything else. You both need to conserve your Übers in addition to doubling the healing power of the team.


Keeping busy—and out of the line of fire—as a Medic on Badwater.

Do Not Always Wait for the Call for an Über
Preferably, you want to hit an Über when your healing target is ready for it; however, if you see a rocket racing toward you or a grenade lobbed in your direction, pop the Über. Any player would rather you hit it early rather than you die. With a Kritz, hit it as early and as often as possible, generally speaking. Unlike the regular Über, you are still going to take damage when it is activated. Even just helping a Soldier kill a lone Heavy a split-second faster is often worth using it. One of the biggest mistake novice Medics make with the Kritz is trying to set up the perfect multi-kill streak. You are more likely to die trying to hold the charge than actually using it.

Blutsauger Enemies If You Are in a Bind
Do not hesitate to temporarily stop healing and leech health from enemies if you are low on health. Many times this is the best way to get quick health boost, especially if there are not any nearby health drops. For example, if a Pyro is rushing toward the group, back off and needle him. You can heal your teammates to recover from the rush, but they cannot heal you. Remember that Medic weapons are a last resort. Use them if there is no possible advantage from healing rather than firing or to go down fighting, which just might distract the enemy long enough for your teammates to rescue you. Playing Medic is an exercise in trust—your teammates trust you to keep them alive and you need to provide the same courtesy to them.


Please do not be this guy on TTP servers. Or anywhere, for that matter.


These are just some of the basics for being a Medic in TF2, and especially for playing on TTP servers. Just like all the other classes, the role of a Medic is easy to pick up, yet hard to master. Be sure to check out Part 2 of this series, [iurl=#]Advanced Medic Strategies[/iurl], and Part 3, [iurl=#]How to Be a Good Medic Buddy[/iurl], for more pointers about becoming—and working with—a Medic who is a teamplayer.


Shout-Outs

The excellent previous Medic articles from both Ewok and Gonzo
Comments and suggestions from the Texas …TeamPlayers… community
All the other TTP TF2 article contributors
http://tf2wiki.net, where you can learn more than you will ever want know about TF2