Techies guide after their rework in patch 7.31

Dota 2 players had to endure a long toxic relationship with Squee, Spleen, and Spoon, the Techies. For a long time, they’ve just been considered a troll pick to make the game harder for everyone, including allies. Patch 7.31 gave the Techies a much needed rework that will hopefully end its reign of terror for prankster players and make him a viable hero for competitive scenes. 

All abilities and descriptions

Techies’ hero talents have remained untouched so his overall identity as a mobile glass cannon is still intact. However, they had a huge overhaul in their abilities so that they can be considered a new hero altogether. All of these changes are for the better to make them healthier to work with his teammates but his overall identity still makes him a force to be reckoned with.

Here are the basic descriptions of each one and which situation is ideal in using them in any normal Dota 2 match. Everything except the proximity mines is replaced, making dedicated Techies fans still capable of controlling the field. 

Sticky Bomb (Q)

Techies lobs a Sticky Bomb up to 1000 range that stays in place for 2 seconds before exploding up to 300 area of effect (AoE). It can attach to an enemy unit, creep or hero, within 250 of its perimeter either as soon as it lands or if the unit walks into its range. The two-second delay is too long to secure a creep kill if an opponent is in range to deny it but it’s great for harassing heroes from a distance. 

Reactive Tazer (W)

Techies surround themselves in an electric field, boosting their movement speed by +30% while also disarming all attackers for a brief moment. It’s a great defence tool to disengage as this hero has weak armour and magic resistance. However, it can be a devastating offensive ability when paired with Blast Off! with allies also attacking with them. It’s also great for chasing enemy heroes using Sticky Bomb ahead of the target’s path to ensure that they can’t get away.

Blast Off! (E)

Blast Off! makes Techies lunge 1000 units forward and cause an explosion on impact up to 400 radius. The damage can be devastating even without scaling items and it hurts Techies a fraction of their health on impact. It also silences all enemies hit, making a great opportunity to strike. Pair it with Reactive Tazer to render a target completely defenceless for a brief moment.

One of the most infuriating of Techies’ abilities was Suicide Squad which allow them to blow themselves up with the opponent. It kills them both but gives the user a faster revival rate. Blast Off! cannot be used in the same manner as, while also hurting Techies, it cannot deal lethal damage to the user. 

Proximity Mines (R)

Before the rework, Proximity Mines used to be Techies’ first ability and now it’s their ultimate. Its description remains the same such as giving 3 charges upon unlock and casting makes a mine be planted up to 400 away from the user. Proximity Mines are invisible and cannot be detected by True Sight but they will be revealed if an enemy unit moves within its 500 radius.

Proximity Mines detonate when the opponent is 350 away from them so there’s enough time for enemies to react between detecting the bombs and having them explode. However, this is usually a split-second difference as most Dota 2 heroes have fast movement speed and are more focused on the minimap than what’s in front of them. The mines’ maximum damage is inflicted within 150 AoE radius from the source and minimum damage up to 500 AoE radius.

Although there are only three charges, Techies can plant approximately over a thousand of it in a game. The limit can change with each patch but on average, players only manage to plant no more than 20 at a time as most of them explode within 3 minutes after being planted. 

Proximity Mines are more reactive compared to Techies’ other skills. The idea is to plant as many of them as you can manage if you are not in the lanes or joining teamfights. It’s best used when sneaking behind enemy lines to cover their possible escape routes then have your teammates strike from the front when ready. Alternatively, you can use these as defensive systems to cover routes enemies can use to flank your team. 

What exactly changed

What made Techies objectively hated is how it is designed to mess up everyone’s playstyle if piloted by a prankster. All of his abilities are just variations of mines except for the aforementioned Suicide Squad replaced by Blast Off! His first ability, Proximity Mines, was bearable in the early stage of the game but devastating with proper placing. 

Techies’ Stasis Traps are like Proximity Mines in a way that they are invisible but they stun enemies rather than inflict damage or just slow them down. This makes opponents vulnerable to ambushes or ruin their well-planned entrance against your allies. 

Techies’ old ultimate, Remote Mines, is the most hated of all his arsenal. They had a wide casting range and devastating damage as individual units. What makes them unhealthy to play against is how they can be stacked, invisible like Proximity Mines, and can be remotely detonated individually or simultaneously. 

Techies’ destructive force should be greatly appreciated by their allies on paper but it’s not the case in all situations. He is impossible to form a combo with regardless if he’s passive or active and he can take all of the kills whether it’d be accidental or not. This creates a vacuum in gold distribution, leaving positions 1, 2, and 3 lacking the funds to buy the items they need. Their rework at patch 7.31 is greatly welcomed by the player base as it creates a healthier pub gaming environment for the future of Dota 2.