How to be an Average Medic

Let me be honest, I’m not the best Medic in the world. Nor am I of high level competitive standards. My level of skill is average, UGC Cardboard if you will. But nonetheless, since I’m an average Medic, that means that 50% of all other Medics are better than me, and the other 50% aren’t as good as me. There’s some room for improvement, not just from me, but from that other 50% as well.

In today’s article, I’m going to give you some tips on how to be an average Medic. I won’t be going into huge detail, as this is just a suggestion, rather than the monstrous guides that some fellow Medics of SPUF are working on. Plus, it’d be almost insulting for me to give you tips on how to be a pro Medic…

First things first, heal priorities. Many of you may have seen Medics clinging on to a Heavy, particularly newer Medics. And why not? Heavies are huge damage sponges you can hide behind. The problem with this is that, if you only heal your Heavy, the rest of your team is neglected, and they’ll start stealing health packs from you. Every heal priority list differs from Medic to Medic, but the general idea is the same. My personal list is as follows:

Badly injured and/or burning Medics
Badly injured and/or burning Soldiers, Demomen, Heavies and Scouts
Badly injured and/or burning other classes
Injured and/or burning Medics
Injured and/or burning Soldiers, Demomen, Heavies
Injured and/or burning Scouts, Pyros and Spies
Injured and/or burning Snipers and Engineers
Medics
Soldiers and Demomen
Heavies, Scouts, Pyros
Snipers and Spies
Engineers

Some may argue that Scouts are more important than Heavies, or that we should barely bother with Engineers, but the main point here is to spread your heals around as much as possible. Heal everyone, then overheal everyone. Not only does this mean that your team mates, particularly fellow Medics, live for longer (and at the same time don’t come back for more heals as often) but also, your team mates will be more willing to protect you in return. More importantly, this means you fill your Uber meter much faster than you would if you healed a single player.

That brings me on to my next subject: when to Uber. Of course, every scenario is different, but there are some general tips I can give you.

“But Medic, why didn’t you mention Uber first?” Because it takes forever to get full Uber without spreading your heals. Anyway, moving on, when you Uber depends on what Medi Gun you’re using (which I’ll come to in a minute). If you’re using Stock (which you should be most of the time), the best time to Uber is when your whole team is about to push. If you can coordinate your team (perhaps Ubering your Demoman when a Spy saps a sentry nest), this works far better, but even with minimal coordination, you will hopefully get something done. The second best time to Uber is when the enemy team has just Ubered. If you can, try and wait until the enemy Medics (if there are any) go first, as you and your pocket can kill them just as their Uber ends.

Similar rules apply to the use of the Quick Fix and the Vaccinator, but as their Uber bars fill up much faster and they have weaker Ubercharges, you can be more free and wasteful as to when to pop. The Kritzkrieg though is an exception, as you don’t gain any sort of protection. The best time to use Kritz is when you see lots of enemies heading your way. Remember, the Kritzkrieg is useless against sentry nests, and the Vaccinator isn’t much better due to the dual damage types. Don’t forget to run in front of your patient to stop them getting knocked back.

More important than anything, the golden rule of Ubering, if you’re going to die, USE YOUR UBER! Or, as this super-important video highlights, pop it, don’t drop it. It’s better to use your Uber and survive to fight another day than it is to die and never use it at all.

Finally, let’s look at weapons. Medi Guns first, then primaries and melees. Your most important weapon is your Medi Gun, otherwise you might as well be a different class. If you’re not a good Medic, I really suggest sticking with Stock. It works 99% of the time. That other 1% of the time, it’ll still work, just not as well. The Quick Fix is good if you’re struggling to stay alive, as it charges faster and Megaheal will quickly heal you if you’re injured. The Kritzkrieg is great for games when enemies are crowded together and is considered best for defense, although it can sometimes be used on offense too. The Vaccinator should be avoided unless you’re finding yourself in mostly 1v1, 2v1 and 2v2 battles.

As for primaries and secondaries? Really, that’s your choice. All our primaries are capable weapons (although the Blutsauger ought to be avoided if you’re against lots of Pyros) and melees are last minute weapons. I recommend not using the Vita-Saw or the Bonesaw though. The Vita-Saw rewards dying, so your learning how to survive doesn’t develop as quickly, and the Bonesaw is simply lacking, as the Ubersaw, Solemn Vow and Amputator all offer something better.

A final note to offer all fledgling Medics is this: use your voice. Or text chat. Or voice commands. Some communication is better than no communication!

Overall, yes, I could give you all sorts of technical details, how fast each Medi Gun charges, how to airstrafe, everything, but that’s not the point of this. This article is just about covering the basics, and those basics alone will make your teams love you. If you want to get into more detail and become an above-average Medic, or if you just want to ask a question, the Medic Subforum will always welcome you. Unless you happen to make a stupid, Battle-Medic related suggestion.