So you went and bought Foxhole, huh? But you got it not to play as an infantryman on the frontlines, but instead as a medic who wants to save lives on the battlefield.

After browsing the stockpiles, you finally have a loadout fit for a medic: a first aid kit and a trauma kit with some bandages and blood plasma to go with the first two. You even have a dandy medic uniform on, making everything medic-related lighter and easier to carry! Now you’re just missing one last thing…

That’s right. You need an ambulance. 

But you don’t know the first thing about Ambulances in Foxhole, let alone what purpose they serve in the game or how to even get them. Fret not!

In this guide, we’ll tackle everything players need to know about Ambulances, from how to get them to how to use them effectively. We’ll cover essential tips and tricks to make the best use of these wonderful vehicles from the first stages of the war up to the late game as the war reaches its peak.

Ambulance Basic Information

Ambulances in Foxhole are 2-seater vehicles designed specifically to carry medical supplies and casualties to and from the battlefield. All medical supplies can be stacked up to 100 items per slot in the inventory of the ambulance, which can be accessed by going up to the back of the ambulance and clicking the “E” button when the interface prompt pops up on the bottom left corner of your screen. These make the ambulance very useful for transporting blood plasma, trauma kits, bandages, and first aid kits.

How to Get Ambulance 

Ambulances can be made in the garage structure for 150 Basic Materials and a Hammer. Garages can be found scattered throughout the greater Foxhole world, typically found in key logistical towns such as those found in the backlines. 

When approaching a garage, ensure that no vehicles or players are taking up the pad inside as this can disrupt and prevent you from spawning the Ambulance blueprint. Press the “E” button to open up the Garage interface and look for the Ambulance vehicle, which has a different name and silhouette depending on the faction you’re playing.

For Wardens, their Ambulance vehicle is called the Dunne Responder 3e. And for the Colonials, theirs is called R-12 Salus. The only difference between the two vehicles is their appearance, as both fulfill their intended role as a medical support vehicle in equal measure.

After spawning the blueprint, just walk up beside the Ambulance blueprint and hit away with your Hammer to make the vehicle. It'll take 150 basic materials to make the Ambulance. 

And with that, you have your very first ambulance! Make sure to top up the fuel on your new vehicle, and keep reading this article to discover tips and tricks to using it effectively.

Tip #1 - Inventory Management

With only 9 inventory slots available and a specific design towards only being able to carry medical supplies efficiently, it’s important to be able to know how to manage your ambulance’s inventory as a medic. A well-managed ambulance inventory will typically have 5 free slots remaining, with the other 4 slots taken up by first aid kits, trauma kits, bandages, and blood plasma. The remaining free slots can be used to do emergency logistics or to carry critically wounded soldiers which take up one inventory slot.

Tip #2 - Use Your Speed

Quick and agile, ambulances can fit through tight gaps between the trench line that other vehicles can’t, making it extremely valuable for getting to allied positions quickly to provide medical support wherever it is needed. Compared to other wheeled vehicles, the ambulance is much faster off-road but is still slow when compared to every other tracked vehicle off-road in the game.

Tip #3 - Ambulances and Logistics

Desperate times call for desperate measures. Sometimes, a front might be in more dire need of supplies than it does a dedicated medic. Ambulances can be an impromptu supply truck if needed, able to carry crates of supplies from the backlines to the frontlines just as any truck can! Though with only 9 inventory slots and a slow retrieval time when pulling anything other than medical supplies, it is less efficient at transporting supplies than the general utility truck. 

In the early game, this is especially important as enemy infantry is very prone to flanking behind your frontlines and disrupting the logistical flow of supplies to the battlefield. You can use your nimble vehicle to weave through blistering hails of enemy fire better than the average truck can.

Tip #4 - Ambulances and Hospitals

Soldier Supplies or Shirts are, hands down, the most vital aspect of the game. They are what allows you to spawn into the world of Foxhole in the first place. Each player is equal to a single shirt. 

When a player is killed, there is a chance that they will turn into a Critically Wounded Soldier, a non-player entity that can be picked up and carried to a Field Hospital or Hospital to be turned into a fresh new set of shirts that can be used to spawn more players onto the front. A single Critically Wounded Soldier can be turned into 4 Soldier Supplies, making collecting these casualties particularly useful if supplies are low.

That being said, carrying Critically Wounded Soldiers is a chore. They are large, heavy, and cumbersome objects, and carrying one from the front of the battlefield to the back of the region is tedious. 

Ambulances can help ease this burden as they can be used to carry a large amount of them at the same time, allowing you to stay on the front longer and only take the occasional trip to a Field Hospital to deposit a fresh pile of corpses to turn into Soldier Supplies when your inventory gets filled up!

Tip #5 - Stay Near The Front

While I generally wouldn’t recommend bringing the ambulance into the front of enemy fire, it’s most effective to use an ambulance very near the front where the fighting is heaviest. By being as close as you can “safely” get, you can both be a mobile medical center that soldiers will fight near or around, as well as make it easier on yourself to retrieve Critically Wounded Soldiers or to reach casualties faster without having to run back to base when you run out of supplies or have to bring a body back to the Hospital!

Tip #6 - Stay Near Your Ambulance

Ambulances are, in effect, the lifeline of all medics on the front where it is stationed. It is generally good etiquette to leave the vehicle unlocked so that other medics and soldiers can help deposit Critically Wounded Soldiers or replenish medical supplies when they can.

But, be careful! There are a few thieves and miscreants present within your faction, and they might just take an unattended ambulance as a quick getaway to do their business. It’s unfortunate, really- but it’s better to be safe and stay near your ambulance as much as you possibly can while doing your role as a medic.

Tip #7 - Positioning is Key

A tight alleyway like this… It would be a shame if at the end of it there was a locked, unattended ambulance blocking the way…

In general, and in all aspects of the game outside of using the ambulance, try not to be a nuisance to your allies. What that means in the context of this guide is, that you should take special care where you park and put your ambulance when you leave it to do your duties as a medic.

Try not to block roads or prevent access to narrow choke points. Tanks, armored vehicles, field guns, and even infantry all need room to quickly advance, retreat, and maneuver. A small vehicle blocking the passageway that would have been vital to flank an enemy push can create a traffic jam. And during an offensive push or heavy bombardment, this can make for a recipe for disaster!

Tip #8 - Plan Escape Routes

When the enemy artillery begins to pound your frontline, it might be best to park your ambulance somewhere safe a distance away and do your medic duties on foot to avoid it potentially getting disabled and blocking the roads or passageways preventing your fellow soldiers from being able to fight properly. Whenever you arrive at a front, take notes and familiarize yourself with the environment and the roads, to plan an escape route just in case you might need to quickly leave the battlefield.
 

Tip #9 - Loadouts and Weapons

Whether you have a pistol in your secondary slot or a rifle with spare ammo stashed in your ambulance’s inventory, it’s always good to keep a weapon nearby in case you might have to dispatch an unruly enemy soldier that gets too close to you. 

…Just be sure that you load your weapon beforehand. It’s quite awkward when you get the jump on an enemy soldier only to find out that you didn’t reload your gun before the engagement. Both for you, your team, and for the enemy soldier.

Tip #10 - Use Your Map

Information is the king of many battles. A good habit to learn while playing Foxhole is to check your map often by pressing the “M” key to keep yourself updated on the latest intel and know if any enemy forces are flanking or are cutting you off from the rest of the region. Remember to bring a radio with you always, as without one you will not be able to update your map intel without interacting with a bunker base or a town hall.

With that, you should also learn to communicate with others on the map as well! By hovering over a location on the map and clicking the “RMB” button, you can tag a location with a caption to highlight to the rest of your team where enemy soldiers might be flanking from or any other such thing. 

Tip #11 - Establish Priorities

Foxhole is a game of many factors. You’ll have to be alert at all times when fighting on the frontline. As a medic, you need to be aware of many things- factors like the cover, the proximity of the enemy, the proximity of your allies, and how much supplies you have left play a key role in how you should act as a medic.

Try to prioritize bleeding soldiers first. You can often determine if a soldier is actively bleeding if they’re covered in blood, and a red mist spurts out of their character. In the case of multiple soldiers around you bleeding out all at once, you can quickly stop multiple bleedings by tapping the “LMB” button with a first aid kid on each soldier, rather than fully healing the first soldier and having the others bleed out. Bandages are more efficient to use than blood plasma.

Tip #12 - Learn Your Limits

It’s easy to get caught up in the whole medic and ambulance act. You’ll get attached to your front and take risks to rescue fellow soldiers from certain death. It’s best to learn your limits beforehand, and learn how to properly assess risk and reward on the battlefield quickly and efficiently to be a successful medic and live longer!

A case would be a downed allied soldier in range of the enemy lines. For some reason, the enemy side hasn't killed the soldier yet, and the situation is only amplified by your fellow soldier screaming for a medic to come to rescue them. Assess the situation properly and ask yourself questions.

Am I fast enough to pick them up and run away? Is the enemy occupied with other allied soldiers attacking from a different direction? In the case that I do die while rescuing them, can I retrieve my body and my medical supplies?

In any case, if a downed allied soldier is too close to danger and you can indeed rescue them, carry them by running up to them and pressing the “E” key before moving them to a safer place to revive them safely. Additionally, first aid kits and trauma kits can be used while crouched or prone, allowing you to revive and heal your allies while keeping yourself out of view. 

Tip #13 - Don’t Stray

Quite the precarious situation you've got yourself into, eh?

As a player, you might be tempted to follow the crowd and join a counter-offensive push as you drive the enemy faction back from their assault. While it may be tempting and might be a worthwhile venture, practice caution! Because just as easily as your front might organize themselves and start pushing, they can just as easily become scattered and unable to hold a line.

And you might just get caught in the middle of such a rapid breakdown of organization! Stay near allied AI garrisons and pillboxes if at all possible, and make a habit of checking your map often. An ambulance without a front is an ambulance with no purpose. If nothing else you can stay near the push, but be ready to retreat as soon as the first signs of pushback happen.

Tip #14 - Balance Supply and Demand

In Foxhole, being a medic is kind of like being a businessman. You supply the medical supplies and healing, while the rest of the common soldierly demands it. Without one or the other, neither side is left fulfilled. As such, make sure that the front you’re supporting requires the presence of a dedicated ambulance and medic! 

Tip #15 - Impromptu Cover

In a desperate engagement, any form of cover is better than no cover at all! Your ambulance can be used as an impromptu light cover that you and your allies can hide behind to avoid enemy fire. Do remember that any sustained enemy fire on the ambulance will ultimately kill it as they were never designed to be able to take too many hits all at once.

Tip #16 - Talk! Chat! Roleplay!

War is better with friends after all!

One of Foxhole’s main genres is its roleplay element. The game immerses you into its environment and puts you into the shoes of an infantryman fighting for a faction, one war at a time. That being said, you’ll find that having an ambulance with you and using it properly can earn you the respect and admiration of your fellow soldier! 

A little bit of light roleplay never hurt anybody, and can even raise morale in intense firefights! Talking with your fellow soldiers in voice chat can help you develop a better sense of awareness of your surroundings, as you can often hear people in local voice chat calling for medics. That’s your cue to talk as well, to direct the wounded soldiers to you, and to ease both your burden and theirs!

Who knows, maybe you can even exchange information with them on the current situation at the front. You’ll learn how the defense is faring on their end as soldiers, and they’ll also learn how much supplies you and in connection the headquarters as a whole to play more carefully and wait for reinforcements!

Tip #17 - Adapt to the Challenge

Medics can exist without ambulances, but ambulances cannot. By that same token, infantry can exist without infantry, but medics cannot. If there are no allied forces around that aren’t medics, it’s better to just retire your ambulance for the meantime by parking it a safe distance away and picking up a rifle. 

Aside from fighting, you can also provide other forms of support! If friendly vehicles or structures need repair or are under attack, you can grab a hammer and a handful of basic materials to repair them. You can also play as a loot-rat, picking up backpacks on the ground left by both allies and the enemy and dumping their contents back to base camp.

Tip #18 - Distraction Through Irritation

When you press the “LMB” button while in the driver seat of an ambulance, it plays an obnoxious and loud siren sound that can be heard quite a distance away. Its main purpose is to alert allies of your arrival or presence on the battlefield, but it also serves a secondary purpose. During night time, or when there aren’t any better targets around, you can use your ambulance as a sort of distraction in order to redirect the attention of the enemy!

Many players, both allied and enemy, will not pass up an opportunity to shoot down as rare a target as an ambulance is. It’s not common to see them up close unless they’re disabled or abandoned, so more often than not- you can help the front by distracting enemy forces by alerting them of your presence on a flank or a direction away from your allies.

Just be careful not to do this too often on a singular front, as the next time you do it they might already have a few enemy infantry waiting with anti-vehicle weapons to disable you quickly.

Tip #19 - Work and Coordinate

While you’re quite able to be able to do everything by yourself as a medic in Foxhole. You can make your ambulance, you can refuel your vehicle, and you can drive across three maps to get to the front. It’s pretty obvious by that point then that this method of playing is very inefficient and difficult to do in an appreciable manner of time. 

That’s where the beauty of Foxhole shines through. It’s a multiplayer game. You play with other players. You can coordinate with a lot of the player base without ever seeing them in person or even ever talking to them in world chat! Throughout its lifespan, the community of the game has self-organized itself properly to make each war more efficient. There are regiments of people dedicated to logistics, and there are also regiments dedicated to fighting, and then there are more still dedicated to everything in between! 

The same can be said for medics and ambulances. In any given frontline, you can bet that there is at least a single medic running around healing people across a large area. Now imagine if you added yourself to that, and split the area of responsibility between the two of you. Imagine if there were three of you. Four? Five? Now imagine, if you were all communicating with each other and managing medical supplies all from a single ambulance.

Now isn’t that a nice thing to imagine? The sheer scale of an operation as simple as a bunch of medics coordinating is a charming one to imagine. Just like the rest of the faction then, you have essentially turned yourself into a cohesive medical force!

Tip #20 - Have fun!

Regardless of what anyone will tell you, the goal of the game isn’t to establish that one side is better or that you’re a better player than the other players, the actual goal of the game in Foxhole is to enjoy yourself and have fun.

While this article might provide you with the necessary advice and tips to play effectively with an ambulance and as a medic, it’s important to remind yourself that the way that some people play might not be as fun as the way you play. And that’s okay! Foxhole gives the player a lot of freedom, allowing you to do whatever you want as long as you don’t hurt anybody else in the process (unless you want to shoot an enemy soldier or destroy their territory then that’s totally fine). 

Afterthoughts

Foxhole is a game of many elements and factors. As an immersive massively multiplayer warfare game, you can do just about anything that the game offers you. Being a medic and using an ambulance is just one aspect of playing the game among a dozen different roles and combinations! The important thing is, whether you’re a logiman, a medic, or your average soldier- it’s important to have fun with whatever it is you want to do.

You may also be interested in:

• [Top 20 Tips] Foxhole How To Rank Up Guide

• [Top 20 Tips] Foxhole Ambulance Guide

• [Top 20 Tips] Foxhole Advanced Construction Vehicle Guide