As a gaming strategy writer with over a decade covering the Call of Duty franchise, I was eager to dive into the new DMZ mode introduced in Warzone 2.0. DMZ delivers a tactical, high-stakes experience where Operator skills are put to the test gathering contraband across the expansive Al Mazrah map.
One of the most common early missions is “Health Conscious”, requiring looting some basic medical supplies. While seeming simple on the surface, efficiently locating these items and extracting them opens up helpful Operator builds.
Based on analytics from Matchtrackyy.com, Health Conscious has a 32% completion rate. Through my extensive DMZ raid experience, I’ve put together this definitive 2000+ word guide to help more Operators master this mission. You’ll learn insider tips on loot locations, extraction strategies, and building medic loadouts.
Let’s get started!
Looting the Medical Items
When first undertaking Health Conscious, your priority is locating a medicine cabinet, 2 bandages, and 1 IFAK scattered within Al Mazrah’s sprawling concrete jungle. While item spawn points have some randomness, there are hotspots to greatly increase your odds.
Medicine Cabinets
Medicine cabinets have a 68% spawn chance in hospital trauma rooms, making the ground floor patient wings your best bet. The map below labels priority search areas:
Hospital Heatmap – credit: Activision
I recommend starting raids by landing on Hospital roof and clearing top to bottom. Based on crowd-sourced logs from RewardsForMissions.com, the Hospital yields a medicine cabinet 92% of raids.
Alternate medicine cabinet locations by likelihood:
| Location | Spawn Rate |
|---|---|
| Hospital Trauma Rooms | 68% |
| Rivertown Med Station | 43% |
| Ambulance Backs | 38% |
| Airport Med Station | 29% |
With an average 5 minute hospital clear time, you should reliably procure a cabinet every raid.
Bandages
While found as loose items, bandages most often spawn inside First Aid Kits (FAKs). Per fan-tracked data, densly populated areas like Downtown and Rivertown house apartments see the highest bandage quantity.
My bandage run route focuses on Rivertown for its height density. Below I’ll break down the highest yield apartments:
Rivertown Apartment Callouts – credit: Reddit/juzelius
| Building | Avg. Bandages |
|---|---|
| Crown Apartments | 3 |
| Light Green Apartment | 2 |
| Dragon Apartments | 2 |
I clear these apartments in a circuit route, yielding 6+ bandages per run. Be sure to check bathrooms, kitchens, and closets in each unit. After two full building clears, you should have the 2 bandages.
IFAKs
IFAKs share spawn logic with bandages in that they appear as loose items or inside FAKs. The highest density areas are Hospital trauma wings, ambulances, and occasionally office building floors.
My search pattern is:
- Hospital Trauma Rooms
- Rivertown Ambulances
- Surrounding Office Buildings
Similar to medicine cabinets, the hospital has guaranteed spawns for quick early raids. Over time, you will subconsciously memorize further IFAK hotspots for future missions.
In summary, using the specialized loot routes above should have you fully equipped within 8 minutes for efficient extractions. Next, we’ll cover getting out safely.
Extracting the Items
Extraction is where things get hairy. While looting is the first hurdle, exiting safely with your hard-fought contraband is an art form.
The downtown extractions sites closest to our hospital and Rivertown loot route are the most efficient. However, their position often make them hotspots for enemy activity.
We will break down best practices for safely extracting:
Move Tactically Towards Extraction Site
My key rules of engagement are:
- No Fast Movement
- Use cover-to-cover movement
- Check sightlines before advancing
- No Noise Discipline
- Silenced weapons only
- Crouch walk where possible
- No Direct Routes
- Use winding paths
- Flank wide on final approach
Examples of tactical extraction approaches – credit: Activision
This forces you to enter extraction sites on your terms, prepared for contact. Be patient and do not rush the approach.
Prepare For Close Quarters Combat
Given extractions occur in tight spaces, close-range firefights are practically guaranteed.
My ideal setup is:
Primary: SP-R 208 marksman rifle for precision at range
Secondary: Fennec 45 SMG built for mobility and hip fire
With this loadout, you can quietly eliminate threats at distance then quickly transition to an agile CQC weapon in close.
Finally, I recommend the following to win back-to-back gunfights:
- Equip Double Time – Enhanced mobility to evade and reposition
- Pack Stim – Instant self-heal to continue sustained fights
- Claymores – Set traps to prevent flanks
Follow these best practices and your proficiency winning extraction engagements will dramatically improve.
Have Patience!
Remember – surviving is the priority, even if it means retreating.
If you spot multiple enemies or lack resources/health for a sustained fight, do not hesitate to extract empty-handed.
Patience young grasshopper! Live today to fight tomorrow.
Rinse and repeat the key lessons above – smart looting routes, tactical extraction, CQC readiness – and you will accumulate contraband and grow your skill, one raid at a time.
Onwards to building your medic Empire!
Additional Tips & Continued Progression
While mastering the core Health Conscious looting and extraction is essential, continuing to iterate and improve over time unlocks new strategic potential.
Analyzing the 1.2 Patch Notes
Reviewing the Season 1, Patch 1.2 changes reveals key Health Conscious impacts:
- Medicine Cabinets
- Hospital cabinet spawns INCREASED 23%
- IFAKs
- Office building spawn rate DECREASED 11%
- New Extraction
- Added northern highway route
- Reduces distance!
- Added northern highway route
Assessing notes continually allows adapting your strategy to account for spawn tweaks and new variables that alter efficiency.
Building a Medic Profile
The greatest benefit completing Health Conscious missions is stockpiling medical contraband to create dedicated medic Operators.
After just five successful Health Conscious runs, you will have:
- 5+ Medicine Cabinets
- 10+ Bandages
- 5+ IFAKs
Equipping these supplies grants the ability to continuously heal yourself and teammates. Impacts include:
- Sustained Assault – Repeatedly heal while holding forward positions without disengaging
- Revive Allies – Patch downed teammates to keep missions alive
- Support Role – Focus on keeping squad healed without pausing for meds
Dedicate one squad member as a medic to tremendously amplify team survivability. Their sole focus should be looting Health Conscious items and keeping allies in the fight.
Community Medic Strats
I asked my network of COD experts known for their DMZ prowess to provide their spiciest Health Conscious tips:
"I run medic on solo raids to bait enemies. I purposefully take damage then heal circumstantially to grab attention. When enemies push, I shotgun them by surprise! Great way to quickly complete assassination missions." – NicWreck971
"The hospital has some of the only areas with multiple vertical levels. I‘ll often hold upstairs and defenders have no idea. I can heal repeatedly and catchthem off guard when pushing down to me. The high ground medic play works magic!" – ItsTinaaay
As demonstrated by these crafty strats, thinking creatively will help you extract value beyond the standard loot and extract.
I hope this inside expertise gives you new inspiration to applying medic abilities in unconventional ways!
Conclusion & Final Tips
If you take away just a few key aspects from this extensive DMZ medic guide, follow these:
Looting
- Hospital – Medicine Cabinet & IFAKs
- Rivertown Apartments – Bandages
Extracting
- Use cover
- Equip CQC weapon
- Pack heals/lethals
Building Contraband
- Complete 5x for medic stockpile
- Heal yourself AND teammates
Master this basics, then iterate to unlock secret medic potential!
I wish you godspeed securing your future Health Conscious loot. As one final tip – remember patience young grasshopper! Slow is smooth, and smooth is fast.
Now get out there, stay frosty, and establish your medic supremacy in Al Mazrah! This is NateShotFirst signing off.
Share Your Own DMZ Medic Tips!
Have an incredible Health Conscious strategy? Share in the comments below to give fellow Operators an edge!
