“Medic, if you mention the Amputator one more time…”

Yeah, another article about a Medic weapon. I write what I know, and I know a lot about Medic weapons. The Amputator is one of them. And like its counterpart, the Crusader’s Crossbow, it’s been messed around a lot lately. But despite what I and a lot of others felt, after using it, I don’t think the new Amputator is as bad as everyone makes out. Let’s have a lookee…

Alright, let’s get this over with. The old Amputator was a straight upgrade. Its very existence meant that there was NEVER a reason to use the Bonesaw. That loading screen tip that suggests using the Bonesaw over the Ubersaw if you value swing speed is rendered even stupider when you can use the Amputator that did EXACTLY the same thing, with the added bonus of a cool healing taunt. Yes, taunting to heal people is a bit of a silly thing, but even if you only ever used that taunt once, it’s still better than the Bonesaw.

So what do we have now? Well, finally, we have a downside. An actual downside. None of this No Random Critical Hits bollocks. A real downside. Not a mannly downside, but, eh, whatever. -20% Damage Penalty is better than no downside and slightly more sensible than -20% Swing Speed on the Ubersaw. A quick note, if there was ever a weapon that’d be improved with No Random Critical Hits, it’d be the Ubersaw, but that’s a story for another time.

What else is there? The taunt is still there. Personally, I never use the taunt, because I’m paranoid about Snipers and Spies, but those who like it can still use it. Then there’s the new upside. +3 health regenerated per second on wearer. But ONLY when the Amputator is the active weapon. You need to be holding it to get the bonus.

“Medic! What does all this mean?”

It means a lot of things. First and foremost, it negates drowning in water completely. The extra regenerating health also means that afterburn is much less of a threat now, as long as you manage to escape Pyro’s airblast and axtinguisher range. It can also save you from those long falls or after a nasty battle that you’ve just escaped from. Let’s face it, +3 health per second, when your base regen is already 3 health per second, is nothing to sniff at. If you’ve been out of combat for a while, we’re talking about 9 health per second. Of course, while you’re holding the Amputator, you’re not healing anyone, nor are you gaining Uber, but it’s the escape weapon that can save your life and your current Ubercharge.

The Amputator’s new buff also allows some synergy with the rather lonely Blutsauger, as its downsides are negated by the Amputator’s upsides. Only while holding the Amputator of course, but still, the Blutsauger rarely sees action, and it’s nice to be able to use it without thinking “oh crap, less regen…”

Sounds great, right? You bet. Okay, it’s not the Ubersaw, but if charging at the enemy is not your thing, then the Amputator is certainly the way to go. That is, if you feel guilty using upgrades like the Vita-Saw and the Solemn Vow.