Players you don’t want on your Team- The Fairweather Medics
Inevitably, when you love something dearly, such as Team Fortress 2, you always gripe about its problems. Hell, this site was created for this very reason. One of my biggest bugbears in this sport of Kings is without question the fair-weather Medic. No doubt you will all have experienced this at some point in your TF2 career. Perhaps you even are a fair-weather Medic? Don’t worry- I won’t hold it against you. I promise not to make you leave. At least until you’ve seen the error of your ways.
The setup phase of a match is a haven for any Medic. It allows him to heal his team mates without fear of evisceration, and with a faster charge time to boot. The start of any asymmetric attack-defend map such as Dustbowl or Gold Rush is invariably begun with RED and BLU Medics charging their übers on their comrades as they merrily taunt and accuse each other of being spies.
The moment the gates open, both teams pop their charges in unison. A RED Pyro, shining like the Devil Himself, enters the spawn area spouting flame and immolating all in his path with a grinning Medic in tow. A BLU Heavy, similarly iridescent, lumbers into battle, immune to and unaware of his allies’ plight. But without his team behind him, he does not get far. As soon as his invulnerability wears off, he dies a messy death.
This aspect of being a Medic appeals to many- a large number of points can be reaped from both activating the charge, and the numerous assists that ensue. But above all, they feel powerful. Without them, the BLU team would still be alive, they think to themselves as their foes crackle gently on the floor.
But then the metaphorical honeymoon is over. The BLUs respawn and make short work of the hated Pyro and his personal health worker, who are now very vulnerable. The game proper begins. Rockets fly, fires burn and sentries beep. The Medics are now very much in the thick of it, with a long way to go before the next über. In the meantime their patients, bloodied by a grueling battle, limp towards their only hope of survival, chunks of flesh missing, screaming for aid. And aid he brings, dodging crit rockets, evading Snipers’ laser pointers and watching his back for spies. He jumps boldly over a pair of sticky mines, skirts around the very lips of a flamethrower’s angry roar and decapitates a pesky Scout with his bone saw, just to get to that burning Soldier near the very end of his life.
Now you can probably tell from how I described this that I like being a Medic. He is my most played class by fifteen hours, and my highest scoring by nearly double. Sure, nothing can beat the invulnerable Demoman converting a sentry nest into scrap metal; the kritzed Soldier annihilating an enemy rush with a barrage of colourful rockets; the übered Heavy mowing down all that come before him. But I also like the hard stuff. The frontline struggle to preserve your team mates without being slaughtered yourself is exciting, and it makes me feel important. And I am important, because the Medics I was talking about at the start, the ones who pop their übers at the start of the round, have gone. Abracadabra! Disappeared into the ether. Daunted or perhaps bored by the notion of spending the rest of the match actually healing people with the very real possibility that they will be dead before they’re even halfway charged, they have switched to another class, with a higher kill rate. I am left alone, with fifteen bleeding, burning patients to keep alive all by myself. The going has got tough, and the fair-weather Medics have very much got going.
The irony is all too apparent. By their very nature, fair-weather Medics are a contradiction in terms. It is precisely when things get messy that the Medics are needed most, on attack or defense. A single Übercharge can turn the tide, and a couple of medics supporting a team, even if they’re only healing, increase their team’s chance of winning tenfold.
I beg through my microphone for some assistance, but it falls on deaf ears. When I have a spare moment (i.e. after I have died), I type hysterical pleas into the chat console. No-one seems to care. They’re all too happy, it seems, to be converted into pâté after five seconds in the field, rather than helping their team mates.
Occasionally, someone will notice there is only one Medic on their beleaguered team and play doctor to help. But soon enough, they too go back to the cannon-fodder classes.
So hear this, readers. You may not particularly relish the often thankless task of keeping your team in one piece. But please, don’t be a fair-weather Medic. Stick around after the first wave. Who knows, you may even have some fun.
A new author takes the stand, with a damn good opening statement. A big welcome to Zorgulon, let’s hope he stays. 
– General Balls
Stumble it!
Anonymous responded on 03 Nov 2008 at 8:46 pm #
So true. An awfully insightful first post – keep it up!
Devenger responded on 03 Nov 2008 at 10:10 pm #
I agree with you on your primary point that if you pick Medic, you’ve got to stick with it through the highs and the lows; however, I’m not happy with this rubbish about ‘cannon-fodder classes’. I hope you don’t mean to accuse people who pick a single other combat role and stay loyal to it for the whole round.
Also, just a general observation for any Medics planning to uber when the gates open, fairweather or otherwise: don’t bother. Try and trigger their uber first – as the attackers, once you’ve got their medic(s) to uber you can focus on killing those medics whilst ubered, and as the defenders, once they’ve used their uber if you can stabilize their attack (read: kill the doktor) using your own uber, they’ll not mount another good attack for another minute. Exceptions include the immediate ubered Pyro rush on attackers, which messes up their respawn waves and can hurt for whole round.
peanut responded on 03 Nov 2008 at 10:31 pm #
I don’t really agree with this post. The truth is i have done this many times and it has nothing to do with stats. It has everything to do with the fact that you will start the round with a free uber. Let me give an example. As blue on goldrush stage one. Lets say i am on a team with 2 medics. Thats 2 ubers for team blue. If i am going to play spy or maybe engie. Why not start the round as a medic so that my team starts with 3 ubers. A 3rd uber might be just what is needed to take all the sentry guns or clear enough of red out of the way to start a push. Then you can switch class after and your team is in a better position because of the extra help at the beginning. Of course if your team is in dire need of medics then you should probably stay. But i personally believe especially for blue on maps that red has had time to fortify their position while you sit in spawn your team should start with 1 or 2 more medics than needed just for the uber. it helps clear the fortifications away quicker.
On the flip side on red i like starting as an engie sometimes just to help another engie get their sentry to level 3. Then if time permits go back to spawn and switch class. If not just stay the first wave as engie to help keep the buildings up.
Zorgulon responded on 03 Nov 2008 at 10:45 pm #
@Devenger- When I say cannon-fodder classes, I’m not being snotty about the other classes. It’s just that if there are too few medics on a team, all the other players suffer and tend to become cannon-fodder, particularly if the other team has a good number of attacking medic pairs.
Die-hard Pyros or Heavies or whatever I have no problem with. Its the Medics who change class when they are needed the most that annoy me.
I have been in countless games when the final capture point is a massacre because there aren’t enough Medics, and everyone insists on charging into the fray, despite their life expectancy being about five seconds, instead of healing their team mates.
@Peanut- I can see your point about having extra Medics at the start to get some extra übers. The trouble lies when three or four medics at the beginning dwindle to one or maybe none later on.
I have no problem with people switching classes- just check your team and see if another player can take over first, particularly if you are a Medic or Engineer.
Fabio Bracht responded on 04 Nov 2008 at 1:07 am #
OMG, I am a fairweather Medic.
I never knew…
Paper Shadow responded on 04 Nov 2008 at 3:26 am #
I’m not a Farweather Medic, nor am I a normal Medic, sticking with his buddy…
I am a Combat Medic. Making sure everyone is overhealed, before rushing into battle, Blutzarger in hand, dealing with distant Scouts and Pyros. Healing my team while in the front, I make sure my enemies escape with my ally’s life…
I also make good smoothes…
Pinko responded on 04 Nov 2008 at 4:20 am #
First of all: SCREW THE BLUTSAUGER. OVERPOWER MUCH?
Second of all: I think that medic is very much a situational class. There are times when medics aren’t needed, straight up. Medics CAN turn the game around, but so can every other class. I say play what you want to play, but stick with it for the whole round so that everyone is sure who’s playing what and how many of what you have.
Also, soldier and scout are really fun. Just my little bit of knowledge for the day.
gRUMBLES responded on 04 Nov 2008 at 4:53 am #
Hm, I was going to write a comment on this, but realized it opens up a much larger question….maybe something article worthy
Devenger responded on 04 Nov 2008 at 5:37 am #
Mmm, Pinko, the Blutsauger combined with the Medic’s natural regeneration make me, as a Soldier, more scared of Medics than any of their heal targets, bar an overpowered Demoman.
Azul responded on 04 Nov 2008 at 5:47 am #
I always try to play medic when I can at the start of a match. Nothing is better than a free ubercharge. How long will red hold the first capture on Dustbowl when you every player coming out the door has an uber? Ubers are the great turner of the tide. Have those useless engies who just stand around in spawn waiting to rush out and put up a sentry in the middle of the chaos charge an uber first (rather than desperately running back and forth trying to get metal for their gun). Use it, wipe out everything in the area… then build your sentry.
Come on, everybody likes free!
This is not my real name responded on 04 Nov 2008 at 5:51 am #
Well it seems that the Medic is at the center of attention in the latest articles…l am not going to comment about that “overpowered demoman”, cause, as (l hope) we all know, there is no overpowered class in TF2.
Every class can be pwned if you find the right approach.
If you don’t, however, you get raped and then you bitch about the class ebing overpowered (l am not trying to insult Devenger-l am just making a general statement).
OK, now for the proper “comment”:
The medic that pop their ubers the same damn second the clock reaches zero are:
1.N00bs.Not newbies.N00bs.
2.They are stat whores, cause they don’t to waste their uber which gives them points (free kill assists-YAY!).
The thing is, you’ll get killed as soon as the uber fades..the sniper(s) have a dot on your head, the spies are behind you, not even bothering to disguise, the heavies await the right moment to spump in front of you and tear you to tiny, itsy bitsy shreds.
So.keep.your.uber.for.when.you.need.it.
Personally l wait 10-20 secs before going out, but sometimes you just can’t do this (in maps where the enemy can get very near your spawn) so you have to go out, dodge the uber and then pop yours, kill the ex-ubered pair and then move on, but not too much..this is not a suicide rush, it’s just a 10 sec invuln…
Oh, and if someone goes medic only for the setup uber it’s fine, but the team must know that so that they can have 4 medics (on a team of 13-2 for the setup ubers and then they switch classes- and the other 2 for the rest of the game).
This is a very good way to have a head start.
The second l see the phrase “we need moar meds” l type “OK l’ll go med” and that’s it.
The problem is, when you’re already a med and you need more..well…ugh
Sypheros responded on 04 Nov 2008 at 8:13 am #
This message has been approved by General Balls
Ota responded on 04 Nov 2008 at 10:11 am #
Well, medic is my second most played class, only behind the demo, but i will play the fairweather medic sometimes, only in Goldrush, and attack-defend maps as the offense. If i i’m playing the medic all the round, and i see the team has only 2 medics i will even ask some people to play the fairweather one, as i find it an effective tactic. Off course, if i went medic at the first round, i will only change back if i see that by the end of a couple of general respawn, the team has too much medics.
funkeystu responded on 04 Nov 2008 at 2:36 pm #
I almost always choose medic during set up time on blue. It’s essentially the only useful thing that you can do (bar maybe building a sentry – but these don’t tend to last very long). At any rate you’re gonna be a hell of a lot more useful than a scout yelling “need a dispenser here” repeatedly.
If the team needs a (second) medic, I’ll stay that class, but if we seem to be a bit short on another class I’ll often switch. It’s all about maintaining the most powerful class combination for the team and imho medics with free ubers on start are a lot more helpful than medics without ubers partway through a match on a team that already has a few.
just my 2¢
Himmelstoss responded on 06 Nov 2008 at 4:39 pm #
Well written, welcome Zorgulon!
Jigglesthefatman responded on 03 Dec 2008 at 2:55 pm #
Well, when I die, I change to and fro’ my favourite classes; which are Demoman and Medic.
General Goose responded on 20 Dec 2008 at 10:37 am #
Medic is my third played class. I admit I’m still a newbie, but even though I’m not that great at certain aspects (particularly timing my UberCharge), I still have great fun, even though I mostly play the class only when it’s needed.
Captain Hank responded on 27 Jan 2009 at 3:08 pm #
Ok. Fair weather medic here… I absolutely suck at this class, if thats even possible. I simply cannot stay alive when trying to heal someone, it just doesnt work (and yet my main is a scout which has a lousy 125 hp).
So im one of the very few people who should never EVER be a medic….
so stop bothing me with “OMG NO MEDICS” when its ctf convoy and everyone is a WCS or a sentry farming engineer, cause i like being ground into pate every 5 seconds, thank you.
Angry_Squirrel responded on 15 Aug 2009 at 5:06 pm #
Y’know, this article actually disappointed me. It was a fun read, but ultimately came nothing close to what I was expecting.
I was expecting a tale that touched upon the team that would lead, about the shepherding medic whose flock was full of not sheep but lemmings. When I read the term “Fair-Weather Medic” I immediately thought of myself, and my situation. The only reason why I don’t play Medic more often is because I have grown tired of the necessity to coach people I’m healing. Medics are the backbone of any well-coordinated team, but no matter how good the medic is ultimately his efforts straining to keep that burning soldier alive are in vain if said soldier is incapable of hitting the broad side of a barn. A fully charged uber is useless unless the person you’re ubering knows how to use it.
Medic is one of my best classes, but I seem to play it only when the mood is right, only playing medic when there are competent players on my team to put my full effort and time into. (You can see why I thought “Fair-weather Medic” applied to myself.) Often, I find myself changing class to Heavy or Soldier because I can “do the job better” than my team, switching even despite the fact I was the sole medic. I was looking forward to hearing what might be said about this type of medic playing, and mentally crossing my fingers to come across some hidden tidbit to improve my gameplay.
There are so many different ways to play the other classes that it’s extremely difficult to, in the midst of the heat of battle, coach them on what to do and what not to do. Sometimes it’s just impossible to give any coaching – either the person is too heavy in the head to listen when someone is telling him how to play his class better, or the poor unfortunates on my team are simple newblets whose W+M1 mentality can only be cured by 100ccs of hard game-time experience. In contrast, the Medic is most simply surviving, and has only a few key tactics to learn in order to make one more effective in the middle of battle. (Specifically, I am referring to how it seems most medics I meet are ignorant to the trick of absorbing a sentry’s fire when initiating an ubercharge rush.) Location is half the battle, and having the tactical knowledge of where to be and where to strike can more easily influence the medic as opposed to trying to tell a patient where they should be and when.
Despite my philosophical waning on the art of medic, I have one final realization to mention that truly shows how it is that medic is not played more often: At least on a case-by-case basis of 2 out of 5 games, my team seems to consist of 1-3 scouts, 1-3 pyros, 2-5 engineers, 2-4 snipers, and 0-3 spies. When fighting teams that have the heavy classes – namely Demoman, Soldier, and Heavy – trailing a Pyro to enable a streak of kills is only guaranteed to end up as suicide rush due to the limited nature of the Pyro’s combative playstyle. Uber Scout/Engineer/Sniper/Spy(crab) is fun and all, but not something to ever be relied upon.
Axe Murderer responded on 10 Nov 2009 at 2:15 pm #
haha, agree. I have seen medics get three times the points as the next leader in a round, yet they are the other class that gets yelled at, only second to pyro. medics are walking health packs, people! HELP THESE POOR SONS OF THE MOTHERLAND! else a rocket to the face will remind you, that you were having fun, spamming your crap and generally getting a good time, your poor medic has gibbed, respawned, and added your name to the list of men they will never heal again. DOCTORS: USE ‘EM, DON’T ABUSE ‘EM
eskimo responded on 15 Dec 2009 at 6:30 pm #
as a scout main for a long time, i fair weathered medic frequently, but i saved my uber for the right time, played smart and stayed alive as long as possible, then i changed.
also the only other thing to do during setup in badwater is to build sentries on defense or shoot balls as scout on offense, or i guess demotraps on defense are nice too near the ramp.