The Quick Fix And You

Vlad Piranha · Posted: Thu Aug 18, 2011 11:30 pm Post subject: The Quick Fix And You

I recently wrote this mini-article for the BG forums when doubt was cast on whether or not the QF was a useful item compared to the Medigun and Kritzkrieg. Even after I went into a great amount of detail, but there was still a bit of doubt. Most of the vocal criticism came from people who suck as medics and play as frail classes that die quite a bit. You guys all realize by now that I'm quite capable as a Medic, so I stand by my points and find their evaluation suspect. In any case, it was an interesting enough topic for discussion over there, so I submit it for your approval. I'd like to hear the opinions of a bit more even-handed community.

I'll break this down to a few key points of why this weapon changes the mechanics of any well made map.

1) Objective based versatility.

The Quick-Fix is a go-to healer for offense on many objective maps, particularly Push maps. It makes it that much harder to kill anyone on the cart (especially for enemy heavies and pyros) and it keeps the team's momentum going due to the ability to 'hitch a ride' with scouts to the front lines. The QF is also outstanding at keeping an entire assault team alive while capping a point in CP. Unlike the Medigun, its uber will keep everyone alive under fire while still allowing them to capture the point. Run a pair of heavies onto a needed point and this makes it damn hard to remove them quickly with anything other than a sniper or spy. A mere 3 players can be a small army while under the QF charge's effect, wheras a Medigun will only leave one active to capture the point in this scenario. This capture won't happen quickly enough before the Ubercharge wears off and the progress be lost quickly as you're killed. The center point on Fastlane comes to mind. Also, medics can participate in scout rushes thanks to the speed matching ability of the item. This means that a pair of scouts can hit a point early, with a 5X capture rate and greatly increased ability to outlive and kill the opposing team's scouts when they arrive.

2) Longer lives for medics = Higher average life times for team members.

Let's not forget the fact that the Quick-Fix's ubercharge heals the medic at the same time that he's healing someone else. It's constantly using its Ubercharge to not only keep the target alive, but the medic as well. So many good pushes on an objective fail, not because of the attacker dying, but the medic behind him being killed and not being able to keep his ally alive to finish the job. This makes your medic's endurance under fire and your ability to outlast enemy attrition that much better. On defense in maps like CP_Egypt, there is often ammunition near the point, but not health. While the healing target has no real need to worry about health so long as the medic is alive, the medic himself can be whittled away by simple burn damage from pyros even after he survives an attack. The Quick-Fix allows a medic to keep in the fight along with his target even while under attack and on fire. If the medic isn't dying, fewer teammates will be lost in an enemy push and it wiill drastically turn attrition against your opponent in a stand-up fight. The effectiveness of a pyro's burn damage is drastically injured thanks to the Quick-Fix, especially the Degreaser's.

3) Charges: Use them or lose them.

The charge rate on the Quick-Fix is crazy fast, so if you find yourself being constantly murdered by spies or enemy fire, you'll at least have a better chance of using a charge at all. I also find that QF charges are a good way to weather the occasional push from the Red team's defense. They're very effective at helping your guys fall back and survive an incoming Red Uber and there's a higher probability that you'l have one of these ready than a normal Ubercharge.

4) Item Combination FTW.

Let's say your team is great at spy checking and fighting, which means that your medic isn't going to have to use his Blutsauger to defend himself or shoot enemies for health he'll need to survive a retreat. Since he can then focus entirely on healing, there's increased incentive for him to carry the Crusader's Crossbow and Amputator for the increased health regeneration set bonus. With the added regeneration, he'll survive minor skirmishes without the need to fall back for health packs and the Amputator is always handy to have around for group heals. At least now, it's providing a use that you normally don't get to capitalize upon. There's also the simple fact that its part of its own set which makes you faster at getting to the wounded. For all intents and purposes, it's like a part of two sets instead of just one due to the fact that it keeps the medic alive better in both.

5) Synergy with another competent Medic.

If you have a medic with the Medigun or Kritzkrieg constantly overhealing everyone around him, there's little need for you to be doing the same job. The Quick-Fix allows one medic to focus on keeping the most injured players alive while the other one can focus on keeping only the most durable and vital people on the front lines alive. If I see an injured Heavy and an injured Soldier under attack, I have a tendency to save the Heavy since he's more likely to survive anyway and the Soldier will probably whip out an Equalizer and run away anyway. Trying to save both will only get them both killed. QF Medics can heal so quickly, that they don't have to pick and choose as much. Saving a Scout or Sniper is just as easy as a Demoman or Soldier, so I love it when they're picking up my slack if I'm our Kritz battery.

atatme · Posted: Fri Aug 19, 2011 4:33 am Post subject:

I agree completely, I think its a quite useful item. I enjoy the tactical breakdown too, nice job

Berry Punch · Posted: Tue Sep 06, 2011 4:30 pm Post subject:

I prefer using quick-fix with the medieval medic set, I might not be able to do much with the crossbow because I personally find it a useless weapon, but the regeneration from the set bonus is pretty useful, besides the quick-fix's run speed bonus and that ridiculous uber.. It's just even more survivibility for myself and as you've said, longer life time for teammates. Cool

Eugene · Posted: Tue Sep 06, 2011 4:41 pm Post subject:

Quick Fix+Pocket healing scout=AWESOMESAUCE!

Atatme and I tried it and that might have been the most fun I have ever had playing TF2 ever.