A Beginners Guide to Playing Medic in MvM

A large guide that takes you deep into the world of Mann vs Machine. Medics included.

Introduction

Hello and welcome to a guide on playing Medic in MvM! If you're reading this, you probably want to know more about how to improve your tactics and skills in murdering robots and healing teammates. If so, you've come to the right place!

This is my first guide! Please add suggestions, comments and thoughts in the comment section below! Thanks!

The role that Medic plays

Important roles that Medics play in MvM

A quick look into what he'll be dealing with in Mvm.

SUPPORT
1. Heal teammates, of course!
2. Share Canteens with other teammates!
3. Reanimate teammates when they die!

DEFENSE
1. Deploy a shield that stops oncoming attacks!
2. Uber-Canteens will Uber the player you are healing for 5 seconds!

OFFENSE
1. Gain Uber quickly with your Ubersaw!
2. Hurt robots with your shield!
3. Stay alive and gain health by shooting robots with your Blutsauger!

Some of these will leak into the next category because it is a bit difficult to tell whether Medic is helping his teammates whilst doing damage to robots. We'll get into the little details later in this guide.

The Do's and Don'ts

The Do's

There are many things a certain class does at a given time in Mvm. For example: A Heavy will most likely stay near or on a dispenser. Scouts are most likely getting their health from money.

As a Medic, knowing what to do in a situation is good field practice.

When a Demo calls for you in the beginning of the wave, you should follow him and kritz him.

When the damage dealer calls out for you at the front line, you should focus on healing them.

Make sure you are at 100% Ubercharge at the beginning of the wave. Secondly, you should also utilize setup time to get to know where your teammates are stationed.

Go for Sentry Busters when you are low on Uber!

Have your shield ready as soon as possible! You are responsible for protecting your team!

If you can, use the voice chat! It's a great way of communication with your team.

Take note of where the Health packs, Ammo, and Dispensers are. You may need them later.

The Don't's

Healing everyone is always nice, but sometimes healing the Scout isn't. This isn't just because "Medic's don't heal Scouts", but because of the fact that healing a Scout who has been collecting money DRAINS his health even faster. So, try not to heal the Scout unless asked to, or noticing that he has run out of health.

Try not to waste your Ubers or canteens. Save them for the big waves when multiple Uberbots are at the front line. The same can be said for shields. Critical charged rockets or a group of Heavies are a fine time to deploy your shield.

Stay with the pack. Don't go chasing a stray robot when all your team mates are at the front; the sentry or a soldier will handle them; you don't want to be away from your team.

Tools, Wares, and Weapons (Mediguns)

The Medic's Arsenal

The Medic has a lot of tools to use when it comes to murdering robots by the wave. It can be confusing and almost overwhelming at times. Don't worry! That's why Boot Camp is a thing! You can try out any wave's difficulty and see what fits your play style the most. Keep in mind that when perks are added to ANY Medigun, it may become better than a previous choice.

MEDIGUNS

Here, I'll show you the types of Mediguns you can use throughout MvM.

The Kritzkreig


Now, this is the Medigun that MOST Medics turn to when playing MvM. Here are the reasons why.
Pros
1. Increased Ubercharge build rate.
2. Critical (crits) Charge Output.
3. Will match current speed of a faster class (this goes for all mediguns now, btw).

Cons
1. Does not grant Invulnerability when Ubered. (This is only achieved through Uber Canteens with the perk Canteen Sharing!!!)

The Kritzkrieg's main purpose is to give crits to stickybombs, any projectile, fire or.. even arrows if you're a sniper. This can be EXTREMELY helpful in a last ditch effort or push in an MvM wave. This Medigun can turn the tides of a round quickly, thus, why it is mostly used!

The Quickfix


The Quick-Fix is similar to the Kritzkrieg, but it has a few differences that make it stand out from the powerhouse of a Medigun.

Pros
1. Increased healing rate.
2. Increased Shield recharge rate.
3. Increased resurrection rate on downed teammates.
4. Can latch onto Soldiers and Demos when rocket/sticky jumping. (Increased mobility)
5. No knockback on Uber.

Cons
1. Decreased overheal. (With the Overheal perk, it's not as bad).
2. Ubercharge is not as effective on LIVING teammates. (I'll get to that in a moment).

While the Kritzkrieg can put out insane amount of kritz damage paired with a Demo or a Heavy, The Quickfix focuses on reviving and shielding teammates from oncoming damage, thus making it a tad bit better if you're dealing with a lot of downed teammates.

Stock

Stock is.. well stock.
Pros
1. Grants invulnerability for 8 seconds.
2. Canteen Sharing is doubled so you can uber two teammates at a given time.
3. Grants 8 seconds of Invulnerability rather than 5 seconds with the Uber Canteen.

Cons
1. Knockback is still present on Uber.
2. Kinda boring to be totally honest.

This Medigun is very situational, meaning it can only be used in certain situations. This Medigun is not as recommended as the other choices.

The Vaccinator


The Vaccinator is also very situational, but more so rather than the Stock Medigun. This certain Medigun has different Resistance Ubers that you can cycle through by hitting your 'R' key. It also has 4 slots for "Mini-Ubers".


In order, from left to right: Bullet Resistance, Blast Resistance, and Fire Resistance. Aside from the Medic's Shield, it blocks everything but fire. This is where the Fire Resistance comes in. The other resistances are self explanatory. Paired with the Shield, this Medigun is pretty good if you know how to use it.

Pros
1. Steady healing rate when teammate is at low health
2. Cycle through resistance types.
3. Healing out of combat is faster than healing IN combat. (No damage in the last 15 seconds)
4. Has faster Ubercharge rate

Cons
1. 33% less healing done while teammate is at full health.
2. Not much overheal.

Tools, Wares, and Weapons (Syringe Guns)

Syringe Guns

Now that we've gone over the perks of Mediguns, we can now move onto the next part. Offensive weapons. These, as a Medic, you'll be using a lot less than your Medigun of choice. Keep in mind that some primary weapons go hand in hand with others, adding a bonus of some sort!

Stock



The stock, as I've said in this case, is still stock. Not many Medics use it in MvM.

Pros
1. Good trajectory (if you know how to ark trajectories).
2. Fast Reload.
3. Up to 12 ramp up damage.

Cons
1. Medium Fall Off damage.
2. Only does 10 damage at normal range.

Like all syringe guns, the Stock is one of the lesser choices you would use in MvM all together. To each their own, however.

Blutsauger


The Blutsauger is mainly used by Medics in MvM and it is a personal choice of mine. However, there are only three things that separate the Blutsauger from the Stock Syringe Gun. And they are looks, Heal on Hit, and a passive -2 health on wearer. That being said, here's the stats:

Pros

1. Up to +3 health on a hit.
2. Up to 12 ramp up damage.

Cons
1. Only does 10 damage at normal range
2. -2 health on wearer. (This can effect a Medic's self healing abilities. It goes from +4 to +2).

The Blutsauger is a nice little way to get some health from enemies when you're taking damage. You may use it as a last resort or to simply gain health from that crocket you took to the knee.

The Overdose


Much unlike the Stock Syringe Gun and The Blutsauger, The Overdose has something special about it. Although unused by many Medics in general, it can be a savior if you use it in the right place at the right time.

Pros
1. Movement speed increases by 2% for every 10% of Ubercharge. Speed caps at 20% at 100% Ubercharge.

Cons
1. Deals 15% LESS damage compared to the Blutsauger and the Stock Syringe Gun.

The speed boost on The Overdose may grant you a second chance when escaping a massive horde of Robotic Soldiers.. Remember to use it to get away from things and not just for damage! It won't help much!

The Crusader's Crossbow


This unique crossbow is designed for damage at long range.. or healing, if you look at it that way. Take a look. This is not an MvM Medic's first choice. (I also suggest practicing your aiming before trying this weapon in MvM.

Pros
1. Heals a teammate up to 150 points of lost health. 75 at point blank and 150 for ranged.
2. Damages enemies based on distance. 35 damage point black and 75 long range.
3. Reloads automatically when not active.

Cons
1. Slow firing speed.
2. Syringes can be deflected.
3. Cannot destroy sticky bombs.
4. If you're not good at arching projectiles, well, you may want to practice.. because this weapon relies on aiming and arching. (Keep in mind that this is not your first choice of a primary!)

Tool, Wares, and Weapons (Melee)

Saws and other Melees

There are a lot of other choices aside from the Bonesaw that you can take into battle to ward off some giant robots! This section will show you what you need to know about melees.

The Ubersaw



The Ubersaw is my personal first choice in being an MvM medic for two simple reasons. The damage and the Ubercharge. Using this paired with Kritzkrieg is a GREAT tactic and can get you FULL UBER in a matter of 4 consecutive hits!

Pros
1. For every hit on an enemy, you gain 25% of your Ubercharge.
2. Base damage is 65 HP point blank and up to 195 HP on a critical hit.
3. Taunting will initiate a Spinal Tap taunt kill. (Not too sure if this works on robots.. but I wouldn't try it..)

Cons
1. 20% slower firing speed.

Stock Bonesaw



The stock Bonesaw is not that different from the Ubersaw. The only difference is that it does not build Uber on a hit.

Pros
1. Faster firing speed compared to The Ubersaw.

Cons
1. Cannot taunt kill :(
2. Does not build Ubercharge on hit.

The Amputator



The Amputator is a handy dandy tool used by some MvM Medics. I started out using it when I was beginning to get into MvM. Here's what it does.

Pros
1. When taunting, applies a healing buff to all nearby teammates at 25 HP per second.
2. The buff applied to players out of combat for 15 seconds are healed by 300%
3. 3 HP generated on wearer.

Cons
1. 20% damage penalty.
2. Does NOT overheal teammates with healing buff.

This melee is useful when not in combat or between waves. Using the alt. fire whilst in battle as a healing agent in NOT recommended. Use your Medigun to heal in dire situations!

The Solemn Vow



The Solemn Vow is a Medical Melee that lets you see enemies health, Ubercharge percentage and player's names. While not helpful most of the time in MvM it is an aesthetic staple to behold.

Pros
1. Allows holder to see enemies health and Uberchrage percentage.

Cons
1. 10% slower firing speed.

Upgrades to Mediguns, Melees and More

Upgrading

Upgrading can make or break your experience with Medic.. or any other class. MvM has an Upgrading system that lets you upgrade you tools and weapons for maximum damage output, reload speed, Uber build rate, and even resurrection rate! getting a few upgrades as Medic may strengthen your chances at completing the wave! With that being said.. you'll need all the money that you can carry.

The Scout, being quick and agile, can run around the map collecting money from the robots to use in the upgrading process directly after the wave. Even other players can help collect money (mostly used between waves, or when no Scout is present). This will be given to among everyone within the MvM group (6 players) to spend on upgrades.



Being a good MvM Medic, aside from tactic and tools, also relies on your upgrades and what you upgrade FIRST.

You will be started out with a small amount of money to spend on upgrades in the beginning of the wave. As you go through the waves, your team will collect more money to spend on upgrades. With your starting amount as a Medic, you should always be inclined to purchase an upgrade for one of the perks on your Medigun.

Purchasing an upgrade on your Medigun is essential to your teammate's survival and well being throughout the wave. And it DOES matter what you pick in that first wave.


(By no means is this an example of WHAT to upgrade. This IS an example, however, to what the upgrading interface looks like.)

As an MvM Medic, your first upgrade choice should be your Medigun. Upgrading the Medigun early in the wave can assure that your teammates stay alive and well through the harrows of robots!

What to Upgrade

There are many perks that the Medic can utilize to strengthen his role in MvM. Here, I'll explain the perks that are the most common to upgrade and WHEN they should be upgraded. (This is followed by personal experience. Please feel free to try out your own methods of upgrading and comment what order you do them in!)

1. Medigun - Projectile Shield (I choose this first and foremost every MvM match I go into. Protecting your teammates is a great way to start out.)
2. Medigun - Overheal Expert (Overheal in the early waves of MvM can give your team an advantage with a little bit extra health.)
3. Medigun - Healing Mastery (The rate in which you heal your teammates. The higher the upgrade, the faster you can revive, heal and overheal. Getting this perk early can help teammates stay up and alive.)
4. Medigun - Canteen Specialist (When getting Canteen Specialist, be sure that it is a bit later in the waves. This is when most of the bog bois come into town, BIG robots. Having Canteen Specialist can share your Ubercharge Canteen effect with the teammate you are currently healing.
5. Medic - Movement Speed (A slow medic is not a good one! Your movement speed effects how fast you can get to your teammates at the right time! Be sure to use this to your advantage! This also pairs well with Jump Height!)

Quick Note
Sorry to interrupt but, when upgrading, please note that your Resistances tab is very useful. In order to keep for team alive, you need to be as well! The skill tab related to this is Resistances. These upgrades are Blast Resistance, Bullet Resistance, Fire Resistance, and Crit Resistance. There will help you when the Big robots come in later waves. I recommend upgrading them throughout the waves and not all at once.

6. Canteens - Ubercharge [Invulnerability] (Getting this is a kind of great way to protect yourself in a dire situation. The "kind of" part comes from the fact that when it wears off, you're most likely going to die.. Getting 3 Ubercharge Canteens assure you that you're well prepared when the Big Robots come.)
7. The Syringe Guns - To most, even in casual matches, any of the syringe guns are not really used unless a medic is attacked at medium range. In MvM, it is a slightly different story. Firing speed, ammo capacity, mad milk syringes, and even clip size can be upgraded for use against those retched machines. As powerful as these sound, the family of Syringe guns aren't as powerful as your melee or medigun. Firing continually at the robots can damage them, but you will most likely perish at the hands of many. The best way to use these guns effectively is to pick off SINGULAR robots, no... not hordes.

Tactics and Pairing

Tactics

Much like a wild raccoon into a filthy garbage can, you'd like to hop right into the battle wouldn't you? Well, all I can say is that you'll need a bit more knowledge than a raccoon. Lets get into the basic needs of Medic.
- Health and sometimes ammo. They're found just about around every corner you turn on Coaltown, one of the MvM maps most commonly played. (And most of the others as well).



- Engineers are a common sight on MvM, so be sure to use the dispensers to get some quick health and ammo!
- Bottleneck points are a great place to deploy your shield! For example, the ramp at the beginning of the robot's spawn in Mannhattan! Or Right before Gate A in Mannhattan.



- Take advantage of players "Body Shields" and hiding points. As mundane as it sounds, having a little bit of protection always helps when you're playing Medic. Heavies and Soldiers can stand in front of you while you're healing them and you'll be lucky enough not to take any damage! Avoiding damage of all types is the key to staying alive as Medic. Hide behind corners or walls while still healing your teammates!
- Popping Kritz at the right time is essential to your team's victory. Popping too early or too late will result in a set back or a "push back" by the robots, in which they'll push you back from the beginning, making it harder to fight.



- Make sure that no one is on low health. Everyone, yes including the Scout, should be at max overheal or health WHILE in battle. Although it is vital for Ubercharge on whatever Medigun you may have, the Ubercharge rate in Setup Time is FAR GREATER than that of in combat. Use this time to get another Ubercharge ready for the next wave!



- It may be hard to get Uber when your teammates are at full health all the time. To counteract this, either 1.) let a teammate damage themselves or 2.) let your teammate get hurt a bit. Be sure to heal them before they die! Uber does not build on Reanimation!
- Popping Kritz will quicken the Reanimation process!



- Deploying your shield, FULLY UPGRADED, can cut off enemy Medic's Healing Beams, cutting off support to a boss or an Ubered robot!
- Your shield can save anyone behind it from the incoming projectiles shot at you. Be sure to protect teammates!
- Your shield, although being tough and strong, can receive splash damage. Be wary of runaway projectiles if you are close to walls.
- You can build up your shield charge meter by reviving downed teammates!
- You are the backbone and courage of your team so, do your best to keep everyone alive, including yourself!
- Be quick to the front line! No one wants a slow Medic! Upgrade your Movement Speed to get there faster! (If no teles are available. Speed in general is a good thing for dodging too!)
- When a Sentry Buster has entered the area, it's a go to for Ubercharge. Getting 4 hits on a Sentry Buster or a stray robot can help you build up in a pinch! Be sure to use this tactic often if you pop a lot! Engineers can lead it away and, if you're quick enough, you can chase and hit it!

Pairing

Not much to say here about pairing, however, with the wrong tools, you could be assured a defeat..

Pairing is quite useful if you know what You're pairing! For example:
- A Kritzkrieg is best paired with the Ubersaw. Reason: gaining full Ubercharge quicker.
- An Uber Canteen with a Stock Medigun. Reason: Ubers 2 teammates at a given time.
- An Uber Canteen with Kritzkrieg. Reason: To Uber one teammate and to crit them or another. (After you have used an Uber Canteen on a teammate, you can move away from them and they will be invulnerable with you.)

The Deaths of Teammates (and you)

In MvM, your teammates will be at the mercy of cold steel (and lead). You will be tasked to raise them from the dead. You can do this with medic's handy invention, which allows him to raise newly fallen teamamtes.

Reviving Your Team

This is probably the MOST adrenaline consuming thing you have to do in MvM. Raising your team from the verge of Death. You will heal the revive hologram like a normal alive teammate and their health will rise until it is at 50% of their maximum health.

Each class has a different time window when reviving.

Scout - 125. To raise - 62.5 HP (The shortest time to heal)
Soldier - 200. To Raise - 100 HP
Pyro - 175. To Raise - 87.5 HP
Demoman - 175. To Raise - 87.5 HP
Heavy - 300. To Raise - 150 HP (The longest time to heal)
Engineer - 125. To Raise - 62.5 HP
Medic - 150. To Raise - 75 HP
Sniper - 125. To Raise - 62.5 HP
Spy - 125. To Raise - 62.5 HP

Please note that you can DECREASE REVIVE TIMES by getting the 'Healing Mastery' upgrade!

The more and more a teammate dies, the more and more their 'Death Icon' color diminishes, letting you know that this certain teammate should be looked after...
The 'Death Icon' will start out as a healthy red color on first death, a tarnished red/grey after 5-7 deaths, and a dark grey after 8-12 deaths. This will impact their own respawn time, ranging from 5 seconds to 15 seconds.

And finally, the death of their Medic (that's you!)
Sometimes, this is inevitable. Too close to a sentry Buster or being pinched by a tank? No problem! hit that 'H' button and get back in the fight! Your team needs you as much as you need them! Pressing the 'H' key is a hotkey for a "Quick Revive". You'll spend a few credits to, essentially, buy yourself back to life!

Try and get back to the front line as quickly as possible via teleporters, small shortcuts on the map, or, my favorite, leashing a newly respawned Scout!

A few tips and tricks

Before you depart, Medics and Mercs alike...

A few tips and tricks for you:

• Enable the "Medic: Medi Gun continues healing without holding down fire button" option under Advanced Options in Multiplayer. This will help your fingers! To switch to a new target, simply click off and click on again!
  
• Enable "Medic: Injured teammates automatically call out" option under Advanced Options in Multiplayer. This will help you find injured teammates without them calling out for you directly. PLEASE NOTE this is extremely disorienting when multiple teammates are injured at once. It can get a little hectic and confusing, but it will ultimately help you discern where the injured teammate is. Remember, awareness is key!
  
• Always keep moving! As a Medic, you're the one that's keeping your team alive, so naturally, the robots will target you. Move around! Strafe! Crouch! Anything to dodge a bullet! Or... perhaps a stray rocket...
  
• Remember that your shield CANNOT REPEL FIRE! As technological as Medic's Shield seems, sadly, it cannot do this.
  
• Take cover! Whether it's behind a rock or a teammate, having as much health is always a good thing...
  
• Flutter Click! Flutter Clicking is the term used to describe the action of turning your medigun on and off again rapidly. This action can (somehow) speed up the healing and reviving process.

Parting Statment

Before you go...

I'd like to truly thank you for reading up on this guide. However, with that being said, use this information to help you in a match of MvM. Take other player's advice and figure out a tactic that's right for you and your team. A comprimise can go a long way! Be sure to tell all your Medic Maining friends about this guide!

I'll be sure to update this if deemed necessary! be sure to rate and share!/b]

Thank you so much for reading! I hope this helps you be a better MvM Medic!

[IAmZeMedic]

Hello! This guide has been updated and tweaked a bit. Hopefully this has been helpful to you all!

[King of Pootis]

Most people pick medic to be helpful to the team, only to be screamed at and kicked because they dont know the meta. Thanks for putting this guide out there! Most high tours seem to forget they were a new guy once, and we need more high tours to take the time to teach the game to newer players. 2022 is just the next wave, so charge your ubers and get out there!

[Demo {B-Day}]

This guide has put into alot more effort into this that deserves to be recognized.

[Intruso #FixTF2]

This guide TOTALLY deserves more recognition. I'm going to share it in my groups!