PlanetSide Arena isn’t your traditional Battle Royale; between its 12-player “squads” mode, various unlockable weapon mods, and distinct classes, there’s always something new to keep combat fresh. In this guide, we’ll be looking at one of my favorite ways to play the “medic” class – throwing caution to the wind as a combat medic.
It goes without saying that having a good medic is pertinent to a squad’s success. With the medic’s AOE healing and quick-revive abilities, it’s easy to fall into the trap of sticking to the back and passively waiting for conflict. While some PlanetSide purists might consider this the right way to play, it definitely isn’t the flashiest playstyle – especially for those who come from games like Fortnite. Therefore, I’ve put together a build that will allow you to have your cake and eat it too.
The loadout
Since we’re going to be engaging in close-quarters encounters, I’ve decided to go with the quick-firing MKV Suppressed for our primary weapon. While the VE-S Canis might have a larger magazine and base damage, the higher accuracy and fire rate will help us while competing for loot crates. We’ll also be using the Charger mod in order to fire the weapon faster after sprinting – a huge advantage when coming around tight corners or dismounting a personal vehicle.
Our secondary weapon is interchangeable. While I personally can’t seem to find consistent success with the Scout Rifles, I could definitely see it becoming a good fit for a more passive player. Regardless, I went with the Pulsar VS1 assault rifle, which will give us a high-accuracy mid-range option while maintaining that high rate-of-fire. The mod we’re going with is Next, which will increase our reload speed after breaking an enemy’s shield. This will be especially powerful when dealing with multiple enemies, specifically when you have an assault friend by your side.
We’ll round the class out with the Medic’s Disengage perk, which will increase sprint speed after our own shields break. This will give you the opportunity to get around a corner and use the medic’s healing ability to escape trouble. I additionally like to add the Hit and Run perk on my sidearm for the same reason, as it eliminates vehicle cooldown when you break an enemy’s shield.
The combination of these weapons and mods will give our medic the ability to move quickly into and out of combat, all while packing a serious punch along the way.
The playstyle
As a combat medic in PlanetSide Arena, you’re going to want to go into a match with at least one assault player who you can trust to support you on the battlefield. I prefer my partner to be assault, as engineers are a bit too cumbersome to escape firefights effectively. Once you’re matched up with a teammate, you’ll want to focus in on three separate phases of the game: the looting phase, the positioning phase, and the combat phase.
You’ll want to keep some distance between your teammates and yourself, veiling yourself in the pain field when possible
During the looting phase, a combat medic should be actively heading to the center of the map to acquire a power weapon for use later. One of the big mistakes that a lot of medics make late game is only having standard guns. Grabbing a power weapon like the Lasher X2 will let you gain the upper hand in the combat phase and make up for the medic class’s lack of firepower.
It will be necessary to stick close to your partner, and to be liberal with using your healing ability to keep you both maxed out. Since you’ll be so much further from the rest of the team, this will prove pivotal when you encounter higher-powered enemies. Since medics possess the unique ability to open rare crates faster than any other class, you’ll be able to find loot and return to your team at light speed.
Next is the positioning phase, where again you’re going to want to utilize the medic’s ability to heal over time. You and your partner will want to position yourselves on the very edge of the pain field, but close enough to your teammates to close the gap when they get in an engagement. As the pain field forces your enemies back into the circle, you’ll be able to keep your health fully stocked.
This leads us to the combat phase. While you will most certainly be getting into combat as you go for epic loot boxes, what you’re really preparing yourself for is the end game. Since you’re armed with an SMG and an assault class partner, you’ll be able to close in on the final circles from the outside, flanking and out positioning enemy squads at close range. Your mods will give you the ability to get behind cover when necessary, and your abilities will allow you and your partner to heal up while the rest of your squad keeps the enemies distracted.
When I use the combat medic loadout, I prefer to work with 2-3 other medics on the team. This is so the rest of the squad isn’t left out to dry if you get separated, which you’re likely to do with this strategy.
To recap: Get high-tier loot, use the circle to your advantage, and get frags. Easy stuff.
The look
Admittedly this isn’t that important to your success in-game, but I do think there are a few important things to take away when customizing the combat medic.
First, equip the tempest! As a run-and-gun medic, it’s going to be very important to get in and out of combat quickly. With PlanetSide Arena‘s vehicles being in their current state, it’s hard to recommend going with the flash, which is more prone to getting stuck on geometry. Sure, the tempest suffers from a lot of the same problems, but it will make you a bit more difficult for enemies to hit while making a narrow escape.
In terms of the helmet and armor, I went with the checkers pattern. Using the checkers skin makes you slightly harder to see when contrasted with the dark backgrounds of Amerish, and perhaps a bit harder to spot while going for high-tier loot boxes in the center of the map. Sure, I’m using the brightest camo in the game for my SMG, but who’s keeping track?
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Published: Sep 27, 2019 12:00 pm