Dota 2 Patch 7.31 made many changes to the characters. Techies got one of the biggest changes. Here's our Techies Rework Guide for Dota 7.31. For more Dota 2 Guides, check out here.

Very recently within Dota 2's latest major patch, Valve has reworked possibly one of the most polarizing heroes since the game's inception. The presence of Techies in any game of Dota easily ensues havoc, but it is exactly their unseen actions throughout the map which strike doubt and fear, both to enemies and allies alike. However, Valve decided to change all of that and turned this trio of troublemakers into an active menace in every team fight. Here's our in-depth guide on the Techies rework in Dota 2 Patch 7.31.

Techies Rework in Dota 2 Patch 7.31

Previously, Techies were a hidden menace throughout the game, whose role is to plant different kinds of traps for enemies to walk into, and meet their doom. They originally had three kinds of traps: a proximity mine, a stasis trap that stuns nearby enemies, and a stackable remote mine that can obliterate anyone walking over dozens of those. 

In the new update, Techies has lost two of his previous abilities, which are the stasis traps and the remote mines. The proximity mine received some huge changes and is now his ultimate ability. Finally, Valve added two new abilities to Techies' arsenal, one of which is a throwable sticky bomb, and the second being a timed buff which increases movement speed and disarms nearby enemies after the timer ends.

His talent tree didn't receive much change, except for a level 20 talent that increases the sticky bomb's damage, and a level 25 talent that decreases the detonation delay of the proximity mine.

To fully get the grasp of what Techies could do, the section below is a full overview of Techies' new kit and some ideas on how to use them. 

Techies Overview

Q – Sticky Bomb

Lobs a Sticky Bomb towards the target area. If it lands next to an enemy unit, the bomb will stick to it, slowing its movement speed. After a few seconds the bomb will explode, dealing damage in an area around the detonation.

This ability is reminiscent of League of Legends' Zilean, who also has an ability very similar to the Sticky Bomb. It has a respectable cast range, which is good enough to throw it towards an enemy on the other side of the lane, or as a chasing tool with its high amount of slow. At max level, it deals a magnificent 360 damage, and when combined with its low 6-second cooldown, it's an amazing tool for harassing and applying pressure. It can also be used to flash farm creep waves and neutral camps.

By the way, this ability pierces spell immunity. This isn't exceptional in the grand scheme of things, but it might help you at times when you need it. 

W – Reactive Tazer

Techies trigger an electric charge giving them bonus movement speed for a short period of time. Enemies attacking Techies are temporarily disarmed. At the end of the effect, the charge explodes, disarming all enemies within the radius.

This ability seems like an awkward addition to Techies, but it surprisingly works well in conjunction with his Blast Off!. When timed correctly, Blast Off’s devastating damage and lengthy Silence, plus Reactive Tazer’s disarm, easily renders enemies unable to attack and cast spells, leaving much room for Techies to flee, reposition, or follow it up with more abilities. It can also be used as a mobility tool, thanks to its ludicrous +30% MS buff for six seconds. 

Aghanim’s Scepter Upgrade:

Reactive Tazer can be cast on allies and deals 300 damage in its final destination.

This isn’t too powerful considering the price it takes to obtain the Aghanim’s Scepter, but it’s a good late-game option for Techies who want to provide even more utility for the team. This is exceptionally useful for augmenting the capabilities of chase-type heroes, like Spirit Breaker, Slardar, and Night Stalker.

E – Blast Off!

Techies hurtle themselves into the enemy's midst, detonating charges upon impact which deal massive area of effect damage and silence enemies. Upon landing, the assault deals Techies non-lethal damage equal to a percentage of their max health.

This ability has gone through numerous changes and iterations, but has nevertheless stayed similar ever since. Unfortunately, Techies is now unable to deny himself with the self-inflicted damage, which makes using this ability require more careful thought. Mitigating this damage is quite simple though, as magic resistance heavily reduces the amount of damage taken. 

Once you finally run past Blast Off’s drawbacks, the effect it has on unsuspecting foes is enormous. It deals massive damage and a very long Silence, which can easily turn the tides in early to midgame teamfights. 

Aghanim’s Shard Update:

Increases Blast Off! cast range by 300, and applies a 1.75 second stun to affected enemies.

This upgrade is surprisingly great for its value since stuns are almost always better than silences. Once you think you have enough items to sustain mana or support your team, picking up this shard can lead to more winning team fights. 

R – Proximity Mines

Plant an invisible mine that cannot be detected by True Sight, but is visible if an enemy is within the active 500.0 AoE of the mine. Mines detonate if an enemy is standing within the active AoE for 1.0 seconds dealing damage and temporarily reducing the enemy's Magic Resistance. The explosion deals full damage if the target is within 150.0 radius and decreases up to 50.0% on the edge. Deals 30.0% damage to buildings.

This one’s quite a bummer for most fans of Techies, since we’re not gonna have that glorious moment of obliterating an enemy after popping dozens of remote mines anymore. However, this change shifts Techies’ playstyle from a passive, mine stacking hero, to an active, team fighting hero who can set up sneaky mines behind flanks and enemy lines once in a while. Some people like it, while others do not. But all in all, this change is quite refreshing to see, and may actually change some aspects of the meta in the future.

How to Play Techies 7.31

If you want to try Techies in this new patch, being prepared might be better than blindly going into a game and ending up getting flamed by teammates. This new Techies has a lot more going for him, but he is best suited for the support role unless you’re good enough to play him in the mid lane.

Early Game

Techies’ massive attack range is wonderful for harassing the enemy laner, so pick up a couple of branches and Faerie Fires for additional damage. Mana sustain is paramount for an effective Techies, so you have the option to go for some Null Talismans early, or an Urn of Shadows if your team needs it.

If you’re planning to go for the ganking build with points allocated more towards Blast Off, Tranquil Boots and a Cloak are a very cheap option to mitigate and sustain the damage you’re taking. Once you reach level 6, always remember to keep on planting mines between ganks or when roaming. 

Remember, Clarities are always your best buddies.

Mid Game

By this point, you should have enough items to sustain planting mines and poking with sticky bombs. Your next priority is buying items to support your team. If you have a Cloak, immediately upgrade it into a Glimmer Cape. If you have an Urn of Shadows, find some gold to upgrade it into a Spirit Vessel. Other great utility items include the Force Staff, Veil of Discord, or even a Eul’s Scepter. 

Late Game

If the game has reached this point, Techies is surprisingly capable of providing massive amounts of additional damage during teamfights. His level 25 talent that provides +252 Damage is unlike any other, and can definitely surprise enemies caught off guard by this new source of damage. 

If farming items to scale the damage talent is a non-option, the other talent can still be incredibly useful with smart placement of mines. This turns the 1.0 second activation delay of the mines to 0.2 seconds, making it activate more effectively, especially under the fog-of-war or unsuspecting places. 

Conclusion – Techies in Dota 2 7.31

Massive hero reworks like this rarely happen in Dota 2, but for a hero as troublesome and controversial as Techies, this change is bound to happen at some point. Whether Valve has done a good job on this rework or not is ultimately up to the community, but even then, Techies is still as always–just a joy to play.