ZanderArch's Guide to Medic Whoreing
Posted: 2007-06-27 17:08
Well, recently I have taken to joining the good Tactical and Assault squads that have all microphones and a Squad Leader that you would charge into the fires of Hell if he gave you the order to, and also joining some of the more so-so squads that are a little more laid back and don't bark orders when those good Tactical and Assault squads fill up. But either way, I've been taking the needed role of Medic for those squads, and I think I've been going a pretty good job of it, so I thought I'd write a short guide with some pointers.
Part 1, what you need.
A. Hardware wise
1. A Microphone. This is very useful since being a medic there are many situations that require you to have an open and free line of communication to your squad, especially when your death is the second most damaging to the squad, after the Squad Leader, of course.
2. Good sound set up. With a good card and EAX on, you can get a better idea in what direction your buddy is that needs you. Not required (I don't have one.) but might be useful.
B. Player wise. (Skills)
1. Combat. You don't need to be able to take on 5 guys at once if you are going to be playing the Medic, it may help, but it isn't needed. You aren't the squad's primary killer, you are there to keep them alive, if that means shooting an enemy, then do it, but don't be the guy on point or the first one on the front line.
2. Determination. If you are going to be a Medic, you have to focus on that job. There are times you will be forced to sit and wait, and times when you'll have to manage your stamina to keep up with the pack, and times when all you can do is keep those shock paddles humming and your medic pack patching, may not be the most fun thing, but it's better for your team and your squad.
Part 2, General Tips.
A. Teamwork.
1. Squad Leader. When you picked up that kit with the big fat plus on it, you sign your butt over to who ever is wearing the Barret and carries those signal grenades. Stay on your squad leader, his death can hurt your squad a lot, so make sure if he goes down, he gets right back up. I've played quite a few times where my Squad Leader has turned to me in cover and say "Thanks man, you're a god send.".
2. Squad. These guys aren't as important as your Squad Leader, but you need them and they need you.
B. You.
1. Combat. Stay out of it as much you can, you may be good at fighting, but I've seen so many times that one person was gloating about their skill only to get torn apart in an alley way with a useful kit in his hands. Stay behind cover when your squad is entrenched, they'll thank you more for letting them get the kills and reviving them when they get hit than when you steal their kills and go down with no one to revive you.
2. Your kit. Hold on to it. If you play for 10 minutes, your squad will learn "You = Health!" and if you go and pick up another kit, your squad loses that. Stick with it, even if you can grab a Sniper rifle, tell someone in your squad to grab it. Only swap Medic Kit for Medic Kit. Always switch if you need Shock Paddle charges or Field Dressings, if you don't like the other teams rifle, don't worry, you won't be using it.
Part 3, Advanced Tactics.
A. Smoke and Zap.
1. Situation. A man from your squad rushes for a better cover position, hoping to free up space where he last was, give the enemy more targets than they can watch, or draw fire away from your main group. On his way over he gets clipped, out in the middle of the open.
2. Your reaction. Get out and throw a smoke Grenade either to your enemy if they are close enough, or just before your fallen squad mate. Tell your squad mate to run to cover when you revive him, then break out the paddles and get to him. Once he's up, pray he's thinking the the same direction you are and start working your Restoration Magic on him.
3. Notes You may need to confirm with your squad they are okay for you to throw smoke, they may be able to give you covering fire long enough to get the guy up and to cover.
B. Heal, Heal, Heal.
1. Situation. You and you Squad finished a fire fight and/or you can to another Squad and know you aren't in any immediate danger.
2. Your reaction. Break out the Medic bag and check everyone. You'd be amazed at how thankful people are when you topping off their health or even checking to make sure they are good. Do this often, I make most of my points doing this, and by having your overall force at full health, your chances of a successful attack increase. They may be able to take 1 more bullet, but that could mean the difference between a cleared bunker and a failed breaching attempt. Heck, do this even if your behind cover and getting shot at, a squad at full health has more guts than a slaughter house and a much better chance to survive.
3. Notes. This is by far the best tactic. You make your self known as a medic so people with injuries will know they have a buddy near by so they will call for you when they are shot. There is no use trying to support a team that doesn't know you're there to support them.
C. Manage your dead.
A. Situation. You have multiple guys down, it's during or after a fire fight, their clock is ticking and your paddles are humming.
B. Your reaction. Prioritize. If one of them that is down is your Squad leader, hit him first, second is Medic, after that, who ever is closer. With multiple men down, you don't have the time to Medic Bag the first one revived so make sure you tell them what you are doing. Revive one, throw him a Field Dressing, get moving to the next one, on your way tell them "Stay put, I didn't heal you but you should be stable." or something of the kind. After everyone is revived, tell them to come to you or call for a medic so you know who needs it. If someone doesn't come back after one zap, move to the next and hit him later.
C. Notes Make sure they know what you are doing, if they get revived, get a little healed, then see you run off, they might think their fully healed and run off to get themselves killed simply by the shock of a bullet landing near them. If they complain the medic isn't doing his job, make sure you tell him you are healing more than just them and it'd be helpful if they didn't die all the time, then get back to work.
Part 4, Other
A. Check. Just because they are critically wounded doesn't mean they can't talk. If you know they were taken down by heavy fire and that the heavy fire may still be waiting for them, ask them if they want to be revived. They got shot, they should know if it's worth risking your life to get them back up. And, they may be dead so you should check with them to make sure it's possible to revive them.
B. RECHARGE! ALWAYS, and I mean ALWAYS make sure your shock paddles are recharged. I can't count the number of times I've tried to Zap and Run with no charge. After every revive, make sure the paddles are rubbed and ready.
Part 5, Closing thoughts.
The Medic can be one of the most useful members on a team, but just having a Medic doesn't mean a team is going to do better, the Medic needs to do his job and keep as many people they can alive. If you find you die a lot in combat, switch over to Medic and help those who, like you, aren't the best with a rifle. Plus, most of the time if you react fast enough to a downed team mate, you can catch his killer off guard and take him down. Stick with it, most of the time I never see the Kit Selection screen unless my squad has a total wipe and have to respawn (This is also because I stay out of the fight and don't die as often.)
Thank you and good luck.
Thoughts, comments?
PS: I didn't see any better place to put this.
Part 1, what you need.
A. Hardware wise
1. A Microphone. This is very useful since being a medic there are many situations that require you to have an open and free line of communication to your squad, especially when your death is the second most damaging to the squad, after the Squad Leader, of course.
2. Good sound set up. With a good card and EAX on, you can get a better idea in what direction your buddy is that needs you. Not required (I don't have one.) but might be useful.
B. Player wise. (Skills)
1. Combat. You don't need to be able to take on 5 guys at once if you are going to be playing the Medic, it may help, but it isn't needed. You aren't the squad's primary killer, you are there to keep them alive, if that means shooting an enemy, then do it, but don't be the guy on point or the first one on the front line.
2. Determination. If you are going to be a Medic, you have to focus on that job. There are times you will be forced to sit and wait, and times when you'll have to manage your stamina to keep up with the pack, and times when all you can do is keep those shock paddles humming and your medic pack patching, may not be the most fun thing, but it's better for your team and your squad.
Part 2, General Tips.
A. Teamwork.
1. Squad Leader. When you picked up that kit with the big fat plus on it, you sign your butt over to who ever is wearing the Barret and carries those signal grenades. Stay on your squad leader, his death can hurt your squad a lot, so make sure if he goes down, he gets right back up. I've played quite a few times where my Squad Leader has turned to me in cover and say "Thanks man, you're a god send.".
2. Squad. These guys aren't as important as your Squad Leader, but you need them and they need you.
B. You.
1. Combat. Stay out of it as much you can, you may be good at fighting, but I've seen so many times that one person was gloating about their skill only to get torn apart in an alley way with a useful kit in his hands. Stay behind cover when your squad is entrenched, they'll thank you more for letting them get the kills and reviving them when they get hit than when you steal their kills and go down with no one to revive you.
2. Your kit. Hold on to it. If you play for 10 minutes, your squad will learn "You = Health!" and if you go and pick up another kit, your squad loses that. Stick with it, even if you can grab a Sniper rifle, tell someone in your squad to grab it. Only swap Medic Kit for Medic Kit. Always switch if you need Shock Paddle charges or Field Dressings, if you don't like the other teams rifle, don't worry, you won't be using it.
Part 3, Advanced Tactics.
A. Smoke and Zap.
1. Situation. A man from your squad rushes for a better cover position, hoping to free up space where he last was, give the enemy more targets than they can watch, or draw fire away from your main group. On his way over he gets clipped, out in the middle of the open.
2. Your reaction. Get out and throw a smoke Grenade either to your enemy if they are close enough, or just before your fallen squad mate. Tell your squad mate to run to cover when you revive him, then break out the paddles and get to him. Once he's up, pray he's thinking the the same direction you are and start working your Restoration Magic on him.
3. Notes You may need to confirm with your squad they are okay for you to throw smoke, they may be able to give you covering fire long enough to get the guy up and to cover.
B. Heal, Heal, Heal.
1. Situation. You and you Squad finished a fire fight and/or you can to another Squad and know you aren't in any immediate danger.
2. Your reaction. Break out the Medic bag and check everyone. You'd be amazed at how thankful people are when you topping off their health or even checking to make sure they are good. Do this often, I make most of my points doing this, and by having your overall force at full health, your chances of a successful attack increase. They may be able to take 1 more bullet, but that could mean the difference between a cleared bunker and a failed breaching attempt. Heck, do this even if your behind cover and getting shot at, a squad at full health has more guts than a slaughter house and a much better chance to survive.
3. Notes. This is by far the best tactic. You make your self known as a medic so people with injuries will know they have a buddy near by so they will call for you when they are shot. There is no use trying to support a team that doesn't know you're there to support them.
C. Manage your dead.
A. Situation. You have multiple guys down, it's during or after a fire fight, their clock is ticking and your paddles are humming.
B. Your reaction. Prioritize. If one of them that is down is your Squad leader, hit him first, second is Medic, after that, who ever is closer. With multiple men down, you don't have the time to Medic Bag the first one revived so make sure you tell them what you are doing. Revive one, throw him a Field Dressing, get moving to the next one, on your way tell them "Stay put, I didn't heal you but you should be stable." or something of the kind. After everyone is revived, tell them to come to you or call for a medic so you know who needs it. If someone doesn't come back after one zap, move to the next and hit him later.
C. Notes Make sure they know what you are doing, if they get revived, get a little healed, then see you run off, they might think their fully healed and run off to get themselves killed simply by the shock of a bullet landing near them. If they complain the medic isn't doing his job, make sure you tell him you are healing more than just them and it'd be helpful if they didn't die all the time, then get back to work.
Part 4, Other
A. Check. Just because they are critically wounded doesn't mean they can't talk. If you know they were taken down by heavy fire and that the heavy fire may still be waiting for them, ask them if they want to be revived. They got shot, they should know if it's worth risking your life to get them back up. And, they may be dead so you should check with them to make sure it's possible to revive them.
B. RECHARGE! ALWAYS, and I mean ALWAYS make sure your shock paddles are recharged. I can't count the number of times I've tried to Zap and Run with no charge. After every revive, make sure the paddles are rubbed and ready.
Part 5, Closing thoughts.
The Medic can be one of the most useful members on a team, but just having a Medic doesn't mean a team is going to do better, the Medic needs to do his job and keep as many people they can alive. If you find you die a lot in combat, switch over to Medic and help those who, like you, aren't the best with a rifle. Plus, most of the time if you react fast enough to a downed team mate, you can catch his killer off guard and take him down. Stick with it, most of the time I never see the Kit Selection screen unless my squad has a total wipe and have to respawn (This is also because I stay out of the fight and don't die as often.)
Thank you and good luck.
Thoughts, comments?
PS: I didn't see any better place to put this.
