Medic match-ups
| “ | Come over here... I promise I vill heal you!
Click to listen
— The Medic on the ideal bait
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” |
| Class | Strategy | ||
|---|---|---|---|
 Medic |
vs. |  Scout |
Relative merits: When flanking your team, an enemy Scout will regard you as his number one target. His maneuverability allows him to get behind your team’s front lines and take you out with only a few shots from his Scattergun.
Tactics: You will inevitably be targeted by an enemy Scout, but you can avoid being surprised. As you heal, regularly check on routes used for flanking. When you see the enemy Scout heading towards you, get the attention of your teammates and do your best to dodge his shots. You cannot outrun the Scout, so you may need to fight with the Syringe Gun as a last resort. It can do a fair bit of damage at point-blank range, provided you can actually hit the Scout. Use your rapid fire to sweep the area and lead him with your syringes. Support your team to deny the enemy Scout chances to target you. Overheal your own Scouts to help them win Scout duels and note where a friendly Engineer's Sentry Gun is in case you need to retreat. Useful weapons:
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Medic |
vs. |  Soldier |
Relative merits: The Soldier can be found both on the front lines and roaming around using his rocket jump. His main threat comes from how he can use a rocket jump to fly over your teammates and specifically target you.
Tactics: The Soldier's rockets can deal splash damage, so stay a modest distance away from your teammates as you heal them. Additionally, keep a lookout for Soldiers rocket jumping in from above, where he has a clear line of sight to bombard you. Assuming you are directly targeted, take cover and get the attention of your team, even breaking your healing connection when necessary. If you can't completely avoid an incoming rocket, try to use the resulting explosion to blast jump away. Anticipate when a Soldier might rocket jump towards you and take countermeasures. Stay near a reliable Medic buddy or Sentry Gun, and position yourself near escape routes where the Soldier can't easily follow you, such as building entrances. Useful weapons:
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Medic |
vs. |  Pyro |
Relative merits: The Pyro's Flame Thrower uses fire, which can pass through teammates and burn you as well. The Pyro must fight at close range, while you can watch for ambushes while healing and slightly outrun the Pyro.
Tactics: The Pyro relies on flanking you up close. Your Medi Gun works even if you’re not facing your healing target, so watch routes an ambushing Pyro can take to attack your team from behind. Overheal allied Scouts so they can intercept and outduel the Pyro before they can reach you, or stick near a friendly Heavy, who has a strong match-up against the Pyro. If a Pyro does reach you, stay farther away from your patient so not all of you are conflagrated. After the Pyro is dealt with, spread out your healing to extinguish all ignited teammates before afterburn kills them and make sure your team saves nearby health kits to extinguish yourself. The Pyro can use their compression blast to forcibly reposition you, even when using the ÜberCharge (except from the Quick-Fix). This can cut the ÜberCharge link from your patient. Instruct your teammates to kill any nearby Pyros before you deploy an ÜberCharge. Useful weapons:
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Medic |
vs. |  Demoman |
Relative merits: The Demoman’s array of explosive weaponry can damage both you and your patient at the same time. Out in open areas, a Demoman can Sticky jump to bypass your teammates and attack you from above. You can outduel him at close range, where your Syringe Gun is strongest and his explosions can damage himself.
Tactics: When facing an enemy Demoman, have your patient take the lead so they take the brunt of his grenades and Stickybombs. Stay away from your patient to minimize the splash damage you take and remain at medium range to reliably dodge the Demoman's projectiles. If you are stuck holding position, overheal another class that can move on ahead and flank the Demoman, such as an allied Scout or Soldier. If the Demoman Sticky jumps to dive-bomb you, take cover as your patient fights him off, breaking your healing connection if necessary. If you must face a Demoman yourself, move into close range, where he can damage himself and will find aiming difficult. Useful weapons:
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Medic |
vs. |  Heavy |
Relative merits: Team up with an ally who has the firepower to wear the Heavy down as you heal off any residual damage. Without backup, your Syringe Gun does not deal enough damage without getting close, which is a terrible idea against the Heavy's Minigun.
Tactics: Encourage your Medic buddy to use cover and tactics properly, and avoid following teammates into a position that exposes you. Keep the Heavy's attention so that other classes, such as the Demoman, Sniper, or Spy, might help take him out. If your Medic buddy is killed, flee immediately. Useful weapons:
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Medic |
vs. |  Engineer |
Relative merits: You and a patient can wear down an Engineer and his Sentry Gun by forcing him to retreat or spend all his metal on repairs. The Engineer's Shotgun gives him a slight advantage away from his Sentry Gun and your teammates, but that rarely happens.
Tactics: Heal a teammate as they duck in and out of cover to safely destroy a Sentry Gun. Avoid being within range of the Sentry Gun yourself, as attacking with the Syringe Gun would take a few seconds of concentrated fire that would attract enemy attention. Your standard ÜberCharge is one of the best tools for breaking through a Sentry Gun that is constantly being repaired. Bide your time until your ÜberCharge is ready, then pick a recipient based on the Sentry Gun's position. A faraway Sentry Gun is best handled by the Soldier or Demoman, while one around a corner can be handled by the Pyro or Heavy. During the ÜberCharge, stand in front of the Sentry Gun to draw its fire and knockback so your patient can close the distance and deal more damage. Useful weapons:
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Medic |
vs. | Medic |
Mirror match-up: Both you and the enemy Medic will have your own Medic buddies, not to mention an entire team to support. How to approach the battle depends on your personal playstyle and choice of ÜberCharge.
Tactics: In a direct confrontation between you and the enemy Medic, position yourself according to how the enemy patient fights and keep healing; your healing power is more valuable than your Syringe Gun’s damage output. If the enemy Medic’s teammates are killed, he is easy prey. If your own teammates are defeated, abandon the area and flee instead of losing your ÜberCharge progress. On a grander scale, a battle between Medics is indirect. Who you prioritize healing greatly affects the flow of battle, to the point that your allies might route the enemy and make their Medic retreat! After you both build an ÜberCharge, coordinate with your team so your ÜberCharge has the greater impact. Assuming that the enemy Medic efficiently heals wounded teammates, you can mentally track when you expect him to have an ÜberCharge ready; for example, the standard ÜberCharge takes 40 seconds at minimum to charge. Overheal allies such as the Soldier or Spy, who can roam away from you, target the enemy Medic, and reset his progress. Useful weapons:
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Medic |
vs. |  Sniper |
Relative merits: You are one of the highest priority targets for any Sniper, who can kill you with a single headshot or a fully charged bodyshot, which both deal 150 damage. If you happen to be at very close range, you can outduel the Sniper with your Syringe Gun.
Tactics: In the presence of a skilled Sniper, it is best to completely avoid his sightline; don’t be afraid to ditch your teammates and find cover if you know you’re being targeted. Overheal teammates that can go on ahead and harass the Sniper to keep him busy. If you must cross an area where the Sniper has a clear view of you, move erratically and ask your patient to lay down suppressive fire to prevent him from getting a clear shot. Overhealing teammates a tiny bit may also prove an effective strategy, as the Sniper cannot tell the difference between a class with only 10 HP overheal and a class with full overheal. This means the Sniper is likely going to have to charge a full shot, wasting more time (especially if he misses). In particular, overhealing an allied Sniper lets them survive a single uncharged headshot, a huge factor in a Sniper duel that can keep the enemy Sniper off you. Useful weapons:
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Medic |
vs. |  Spy |
Relative merits: Your ability to heal and deploy ÜberCharges makes you a prime target for any Spy, especially while you are healing an assault class such as a Heavy or Soldier. In a one-on-one fight, you have the advantage, as your weapons outdamage his at any range.
Tactics: Your Medi Gun works even if you’re not facing your healing target, so check behind yourself often for anything suspicious and ask a friendly Pyro to Spy-check as you heal. If you are sure a “teammate” is a Spy, alert your allies. Be wary of chasing an enemy Spy yourself, as your teammates still need healing. Keep in mind that an enemy Spy may attempt to trick you into healing him. Useful weapons:
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See also
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