Combat Medic: Difference between revisions

Recently, game designers have begun to see this. Their solution? Give [[The Medic]] some teeth, and you've got yourself a Combat Medic. A subtrope of [[Support Party Member]].

 

 

The militant medic isn't unique to video games, either; healers often find it necessary to pick up some combat ability and [[Took a Level in Badass|kick a few asses]] every now and then if they don't want to be stuck in the background. After all, in an action series the [[Actual Pacifist|Hippocratic Oath]] is a rather overrated thing, and the Geneva Convention is simply quaint and obsolete.

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{{examples}}

* Tsunade from ''[[Naruto]]'' fits to a T, as a character adept at both healing and kicking ass([[Faux Action Girl|Theoretically]]).

** Not only her, but ''any'' named characer who is a medic-nin: Tsunade's apprentices Sakura (who along with Tsunade has [[Super Strength]] thanks to her medical training) and Shizune, Yashamaru, Chiyo, Kabuto, Ino...

** Dr. Julian Bashir of ''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine]]'' is this at times. He once killed a Jem'Hadar by stabbing him in the ''neck'', not to mention the fact that he'll defend himself with a phaser when necessary. He's also genetically augmented with superhuman reflexes and genius intellect which he normally has to hide but gets to put to use working for Starfleet Black Ops.

** The Doctor from Voyager is upgraded in the later seasons to also be an emergency command hologram and proves to be very dangerous when turned against the crew. He's also effectively immortal.

** "Ariel" also proved he can be quite the [[Diabolical Mastermind]] if he needs to be.

** On the other hand, "War Stories" subverted this when Dr. Tam took up arms to help [[Big Damn Heroes|rescue the Captain]]. According to Shepherd Book, even after his part in an intense gunbattle, Simon ''[[Imperial Stormtrooper Marksmanship Academy|still]]'' [[Imperial Stormtrooper Marksmanship Academy|hasn't taken another person's life.]]

 

== [[New Media]] ==

 

== [[Tabletop Games]] ==

 

== [[Video Games]] ==

* Being a Combat Medic is common in ''[[PlanetSide]]''. Almost all players are certified in the basic medical equipment so they can heal themselves and their teammates in combat. Further certifications allow them to revive their downed teammates.

* The Medic class from ''[[Team Fortress 2]]'' unfortunately averts this trope. Against good players, even the best Combat Medic will be killed in short order. While the Medic has average health (and even slow health regeneration) and is the second fastest class in the game, the Medic is the weakest in terms of combat ability. The projectiles from all your ranged weapons have travel time and drop significantly, making hitting a moving target outside of point-blank range very difficult. [[Shoot the Medic First]] is in full effect, meaning that you won't last long in a fight and need to rely on your team to survive. But perhaps most damning of all: the Medic's healing function is very important and desired—fighting at any time other than self defense (or finishing off an enemy) is an extremely inefficient use of the class and WILL frustrate your team.

* ''[[Bloodline Champions]]'' has a Healer archetype whose bloodlines are all far from helpless, as well as other bloodlines within other archetypes that are capable of healing their allies to a lesser degree.

 

* ''Star Wars: Galaxies'' has a class tree literally named "Combat Medic", the full mastery of which allowed the use long range poisons to cripple enemies as well as perform his healing duties.

* ''[[Star Wars: The Old Republic]]''. The Jedi Sage, Sith Sorcerer, Scoundrel, Operative, Mercenary, and Commando advanced classes can function as healing classes. Consulars and Inquisitors are the only classes to have double-bladed lightsabers though that path requires them to neglect their healing abilities.

* Shamans and Oracles in ''[[Atlantica Online]]'' both have an offensive ability that makes up to two enemies take damage over time and more damage in general. The Monk on the other hand has purely supportive abilities, but all three have a decent attack that can hit flying enemies. Attacking is much needed, too, as a lot of experience comes from killing blows.

* The healer class of ''[[Air Rivals]]'' also functions as a [[Stone Wall]], so it's not uncommon to see some of them striking into enemy lines like everyone else. Furthermore, it is widely considered to be the best overall fighter in one-on-one dueling, due to a combination of self-healing, self-buffing, and an exclusive reverse-flying ability that grants unparalleled maneuverability in close quarters.

** Priests themselves can be pretty easily built, given the proper resources and gear, to be ''very'' capable melee fighters- and also not necessarily at the cost of losing all of their supporting ability, due to RO's allowing you to stat your character pretty much however you want. Less SP isn't an issue either, since the strength they've invested in allows them to carry more items, and therefore more mana pots/equipment. A well built one can easily function as both a fighter/tanker and primary support for midtier parties, though, granted, in higher tier dungeons, even with Assumptio in play if you're a High Priest, their heal amounts probably won't cut it for being primary healer.

* "Combat Medic" is a Federation and [[Mirror Universe|Terran Empire]] NPC/enemy in ''[[Star Trek Online]]''. Players may also spec their characters or Bridge officers into filling this role if they wish.

** Kayle also qualifies, being able to unload damage onto a target while healing and hasting allies, and making them temporarily invulnerable.

 

* In ''[[Warcraft]] 3'', the Night Elf Druid of the Claw. They are the faction's primary source of healing with their Rejuvenation spell, they can also Roar to boost the damage of allies or turn into a bear to serve as heavy infantry. And, as one of the strongest melee units in the game (in bear form) who also happen to be able to heal themselves to full health with 12 seconds out of combat, are subject to a lot of [[Competitive Balance|balance]] complaints.

* Averted in [[Company of Heroes]]. The medics will automatically run out there and bring back any survivors, all while being unarmed. In return, enemy soldiers will not open fire on any medic, [[Shoot the Medic First|unless the player explicitly tells them to do so]].

* In ''[[Supreme Commander]] Forged Alliance'' the UEF get a T2 Field Engineer, the Sparky. It has light armament to defend itself and has more HP and a higher movement speed than other engineers. Being an engineer, it can repair units.

** Cybran T1 tanks (the Mantis) have repair capabilities as well.

* [[Machines]]: Medic Commanders, Medic Commandants, Surgeon Warlords and Assassin Surgeon Warlords all have healing devices and plasma cannons.

 

* Roll.exe's skill in ''[[Mega Man Battle Network]]'' series does damage to an enemy while healing the player character.

 

* ''[[Resident Evil]]'''s Rebecca Chambers is classed, [[The Scrappy|among other things]], as a medic, rear security and helicopter mechanic. While comparatively weak, she gets ample opportunity to demonstrate her medical and scientific knowledge. In her more combat orientated role in ''[[Resident Evil 5]]'' she uses finesse as a [[Combat Pragmatist]], as well as a machine gun and automatic shotgun.

* George Hamilton of ''[[Resident Evil Outbreak]]'' is more offense-oriented than the game's other [[The Medic|Medic]], Cindy Lennox, who functions better as support. This is especially true in ''File #2'' with the addition of his [[Game Breaker|ampoule shooter]].

 

* The Scientist class in ''[[Transformers]]: War for Cybertron'' act like this, having powerful weapons as well as the ability to heal allies with the energon repair ray and energon grenade.

* The Medic class acts like this in ''[[Alien Swarm]]''. They can use almost any weapon other classes can (assuming they are not class exclusive weapons), whether it be a flamethrower or a shotgun.

* ''[[Bloodline Champions]]''' Healer Bloodlines generally have less one-on-one capability, but are by no means helpless.

 

* This emerges in ''Front Mission 4'' and further developed in ''Front Mission 5''. Certain Wanzer builds (i.e. Giza) are heavily armored and have high power output to mount repair backpacks, allowing them to repair damaged friendlies and stay alive long enough to return fire. Front Mission 5 further develops the system with Repair specialist pilots, who have skillsets that enhance the effectiveness of repairs - Hector Reynolds, the [[Colonel Badass]] in charge of Delta Force's expy, is a Combat Medic.

* In [[Jagged Alliance]], mercenaries with medical skills are quite commonplace. Their roles? Not constantly pumping hit points to other mercs, but treating their wounds and stopping them from bleeding to death. When the mercs are resting, they can use their doctoring skill to bolster the regeneration rate of those within the same sector. All of them have high wisdom stats which help them to learn new skills faster, and because of this eventually become ass kickers if they survive long enough in the battlefield. Most of them are expert melee combatants thanks to their [[Deadly Doctor|familiarity with scalpels]].

** To elaborate, he killed one by breaking his neck, killed another by crushing his windpipe, and then two others later by smashing both their heads together so hard that their skulls probably cracked.

* Patrol medics of the United States Army and Navy (called corpsmen) are issued rifles. They are essentially riflemen who have passed a more advanced first aid course, serving as a soldier first and medical specialist second.

* The only branch of the United States military that does not train their own medics is the Marine Corps; instead, they are assigned Navy Hospital Corpsmen, who are referred to as "Doc" and given great respect. This is because, in addition to their Field Medical Training classes, they are required to pass all aspects of the Marine Physical Fitness test. In other words, they have to be able to run 3 miles in less than half an hour, perform at least 50 sit-ups in two minutes, know how to fire and service a rifle, all while learning how to save a Marine's life. Is it any wonder that the rating of Hospital Corpsman is the most decorated in the US Navy?

** Marine training is even harder on the attached Corpsman than the rest of the Marine recruits. A Corpsman is required to carry a full pack like everybody else as well as their own medical supply kit which isn't exactly light. To make things harder, whenever recruits get a few minutes to rest on a particularly gruesome run or field exercise the Corpsman is expected to check on all of the recruits assigned to him for injuries (especially foot injuries).