Tip of the Day: Medic

DemiPixel

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Aug 2, 2012
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Alright, so in no way am I any expert, but I'm going to try and give a lot of tips for each class (one per day I hope). Let's start with medic since some of these tips may be a little more useful (and I won't have to think TOO much...)

Don't die
This is obvious for everyone, but a little more so for you. You heal your team and keep it alive. You have kritz or uber which can turn the game around. This leads into my second tip:

Don't go ahead
As much as you want to, do NOT go around corners first. If you don't want to die, you don't want to be the one to experiment the stickies or possibly uber around the corner. Since it's rare you'll get over-healed (especially if you're the only medic), MAKE SURE you're behind protection (assuming it doesn't prevent you from healing your target)

Flash Heal
Basically, make sure everyone around you has over-heal. If multiple people are low, flash between healing each one of them. Also make sure you're healing the people who can actually defend you first (AKA Demo/Heavy before Spy or Sniper). All classes should still be healed though. Imagine two 180 health scouts and a 230 health demo coming after you. Gawd.

You are the controller
This is more so in competitive, but you can apply some of the same concepts to normal pub (assuming people are willing to listen to you). You have an idea of how much health your teammates have (since you're always healing them). In some cases, you may also know who your teammates have killed. With a combination between your team's health, the number of people alive on the enemy team, and how much uber you have: YOU CHOSE WHEN TO PUSH. One of the cool things about medic is you usually know best when to push. Even without an uber, if 2/3 of the enemy team is dead and most of your team is alive, try and push.

Abort
People always follow their fellow heavy into the battlefield. Don't.
I know it sounds bad to abandon people, but if people are rocket jumping or sticky jumping away for you, or just walking into a heavy-fire area, you do NOT want to go there. Remember, it's best to survive.

Plz nuh needels
Don't use your primary. Seriously, unless it is the worst possible scenario, you should just be running, even if you know the enemy is low health.

Don't be alone
Always chill with someone. As long as they're not dumb, they will try and protect you. If things get dangerous (you get low on health, they get low on health and they're about to die, etc), like I said before: Run.

NEW:

Know the map
Make sure you know where the health packs and escape roots are. You do NOT want to be left with someone chasing you when you don't know how to get to safety!

Situational Awareness
Understand where your team is pushing and how dumb they are being. If you dumbness meter reaches over 6, or even 5, you should probably back up and let them kill themselves. If it's at 2 and it's a good push, definitely go in and even pop your uber if you have it.

Safety from others
I know this from other classes, but always always make sure to check behind you. It could be a scout sneaking up, a pyro flaming around the corner, or a spy about to backstab you. Not only does this keep you safe, it helps you form a plan based on knowing where certain players are or what classes of the enemy team are dead and alive.

Which Medigun?
The medigun is a powerful tool. Often you will want an uber. Not always. One big example is on an attack-defend map. Defense/red team rarely needs an uber since they don't need to push. All they need is strong overheals and to hold back when the enemy team pushes. This is an example when kritz comes well into play, since you can easily take out the other team, as well as the ENEMY MEDIC IN ONE SHOT if you have kritz activated. This can also eliminate ubers since medics don't even have a chance to pop it.


I hope I added enough! Please give feedback on what you liked in these tips (preferably things I can apply to the next one I do). Good luck! Remember, if you don't normally play medic: Try it out!
 
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I really like these tips. Flash heal is something I regrettably struggle with, since I tend to pocket a close friend and have a sort of tunnel vision.
Don't follow the crazy heavy to death is another good one that I actually practice often. If you can stay a good distance behind them it's fine, but most people will target the medic in a single medic/heavy pair.
I try to warn medics on me as heavy to stay back or run when appropriate. (Since sometimes I AM that crazy heavy)
Another thing I'd add is that if there is another medic on the team I always try to keep tabs on them to work together and stay alive. Friendly medics love dem healz. (Me included!)



Sent from my owl using howler
 
Remember to heal other medics also, so many medics forget to heal each other. You're keeping the team alive and each other alive.
 
Good tips, but if you're good at running backwards, a face full of needles can discourage pursuit from even the most hardy of classes, especially if you're good with them. The needle gun is actually one of the more deadly weapons in the game, provided you can hit. That's my opinion at least :)
 
Um look your list is nice and all but errbody knows all you do as medic is taunt kill. It's the metagame for a reason.
 
Remember to heal other medics also, so many medics forget to heal each other. You're keeping the team alive and each other alive.


I said that! :P kinda
That's what I meant at least.

Sent from my owl using howler
 
Good tips, but if you're good at running backwards, a face full of needles can discourage pursuit from even the most hardy of classes, especially if you're good with them. The needle gun is actually one of the more deadly weapons in the game, provided you can hit. That's my opinion at least :)


Agreed.
The needle gun has saved me in so many situations.



Sent from the Howling Wastes using magic.
 
Blut/Needle are very good weapons, and are practically made for retreats. Take a hint from the Romans and never turn your back to the enemy. It helps to know the map like the palm of your hand, too.

Crossbow is an amazing weapon, useful for airshotting teammates who are about to die from fall damage and to take out long range low-health targets who are walking in a straight line (or just unlucky). A good medic should know when to take out how primary and how to use it. It's there for a reason.

Also, ubersaw unprepared enemies, medics crit like crazy.
 
Regarding melee choices:

Ubersaw is less useful when playing against better players. You won't have as many chances to get hits in on better players, period. And when you do they're more likely to kill you.

I highly recommend going with the Solemn Vow. Knowing when to stick around and when to flee is so important, and moreso against better players.

The Vitasaw isn't a poor choice either. 10 health points are arguably negligible (I prefer not to sacrifice them but many others feel the impact is minimal) and retaining 20% charge after most deaths is so important.
 
Blut/Needle are very good weapons, and are practically made for retreats. Take a hint from the Romans and never turn your back to the enemy. It helps to know the map like the palm of your hand, too.

Crossbow is an amazing weapon, useful for airshotting teammates who are about to die from fall damage and to take out long range low-health targets who are walking in a straight line (or just unlucky). A good medic should know when to take out how primary and how to use it. It's there for a reason.

Also, ubersaw unprepared enemies, medics crit like crazy.
The goal is not to get into a situation where you need to use it. Using needles means your life is at risk and you don't want to get into that kind of situation. Also, you don't want to risk the person chasing after you actually being good at TF2 since a heavy, demo, pyro, scout, soldier, sniper, or spy could probably take the medic out xD

Overall, it's best not to risk it and just stay with somebody from your own team if you can.
 
Blut/Needle are very good weapons, and are practically made for retreats. Take a hint from the Romans and never turn your back to the enemy. It helps to know the map like the palm of your hand, too.

The Blut is awful. Nerfing the Medic's health regeneration cuts deeply into survivability and you shouldn't be running around with your needle gun much anyway (which you must do in order to benefit from the Blut). Stock and the Overdose though (I find the benefit of the Overdose way overhyped) are killer when backpeddling though. They're Pyro/Scout destroyers, especially if you can lead less intelligent Pyros/Scouts into a corridor where they can't shuffle side-to-side much.

I think one of the under-appreciated aspects of playing Medic is knowing EXACTLY where you are on the map. Not approximately, but how close is the nearest corner, how quick to get there, etc. You really need to master that and back-peddling around corners while leaving a needle-storm in your wake if you want to survive more than you should.

Or you could be a crossbow Medic. They're probably more pure due to the ranged burst healing potential, but I think the Syringe/Overdose are both monsters (in the right situations) if you can lead needles well.

The goal is not to get into a situation where you need to use it. Using needles means your life is at risk and you don't want to get into that kind of situation. Also, you don't want to risk the person chasing after you actually being good at TF2 since a heavy, demo, pyro, scout, soldier, sniper, or spy could probably take the medic out xD

Overall, it's best not to risk it and just stay with somebody from your own team if you can.

Bingo, btw. Similar to how Spy has to put himself in situations where his tools are useful, Medic has to put himself into situations where he's not in danger (while still being in places where he is helpful to the team).
 
Looking forward to more tips from you. I disagree with some of this but mostly it is situational or personal preference. I love the needle gun. It's a fantastic wep. On and melee- I <3 the ubersaw. It will always be my favorite but I'm old-school TF2 so...

I agree that the medic should be the controller but it rarely works in pub play. Even when I play with eGO members, no one listens. ;) But it makes logical sense that since the medic does not have to concentrate so hard on killing, they can focus more on calling.

Out of habit from comp play, I still do uber counting and other tricks but people rarely listen.

Something I would add to your list:

- Medics need to learn situational awareness. Know the maps, know where the med-packs are, know your escape plan. Don't just expect that everyone else should keep you alive. Keep yourself alive.

- Don't heal just one player, even if they ask you to "pocket them". You build your ubercharge *twice as slowly* if you're healing somebody who's already fully buffed. If you are pubbing and you want to give your ubers exclusively to one player you know is good (or your buddy, or whatever), that's fine but at least be smart about it and heal everyone else so you build your charge faster.

Also, when you heal only one player, you force the rest of your team to run around looking for health packs so don't cry after you burn to death because you forced your teammates to use the health pack that would have been available to you if you healed them.

- Spycheck! Don't expect your team to always do it for you. They won't and you will die.

- Don't let other players bully you or tell you what to do. They don't own you or your ubers.


*360+ hours played as Medic*
 
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Weird that you say you love the needle gun yet you play competitive o_O That's mainly where I learn the "don't use the needlegun" from. Because every single last person spams in the mic "WHY ARE YOU USING TEHH NEEDLE FGUN JUST FREKUIN RUN"
You use the needle gun while running, silly.
 
You use the needle gun while running, silly.
In competitive, if you're running, you're screwed anyway. Also, if you're running with your needle, you're probably back-pedaling which makes you go slower. Also, you can't heal teammates who are coming behind you. Try playing competitive medic on TF2 Center and use your needlegun. See what happens.
 
Personally I main medic and thankfully I use all of these things while am in game. Also another thing is using the right Medigun at the right time
 

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