Kaptain Techies

Chapter Title

Just a guide in pointers for anyone interested. I do not have the time to paragraph and format this nicely. :)


Techies is extremely vunerable to:
TA (Do not pick techies)
Omniknight (Do not pick techies)
Lycan (He's always bad)
Doom (For obvious reasons)
Lone Druid (Do not pick techies)
Barathum (A different playstyle is required, extremely risky for the team)
Axe (Very hard)
Spectre (Do not pick techies)
Phantom Lancer (A different playstyle is required)
Visage (Do not pick techies)
Beastmaster
Elazor (Try not to lane against him)
Sniper - Outranges force staff. (Do not pick techies)

-Risky heroes-
Lion
Lina
Nyx
Chen
Tidehunter
Prophet (A different play-style is required)
Naix - hard but manageable if you know what you're doing.
Oracle


Skills
If your map awareness is good enough and lane enemies will not be able to stun-pawn your partner, suicide squad isn't needed, stats is a viable option as it helps a lot. Leveling Statis over mines for some games (depending) can be a viable option as well.

Swap 1 mine for stats/stasis as needed depending on the situation.



Item Build
Techies item build isn't fixed. Depending on the game scenario:

Early game = 4 clarities and a tango (Tp isn't always needed, varies.)(Surprisingly enough, I find techies good at last hitting/denying despite the low damage/attack speed.)

Soul ring is usually a core item but if there are good nukers on the lane, go straight for orchird.

Robes x2
Sage Mask x2
This solves most mana problems.

Arcane isn't necessary. Getting the robes and sage's mask for orchird solves his attack speed and mana issues. Unless your team is heavily mana dependant, its best not to get it.

Force staff is Techie's core item if he can get it fast. Usually after Orchird (varies). (in fact, it is occasionalLY safer to get a force staff after the robes/sage for the instant hero kill trick)

Gems are never a problem with force/rams, sentries are.
I will not recommend heading deep into the jungle to mine as it may (likely) be warded. Observer wards help here.


Items Build
A force staff is what feeds your carry and removes an opponent before a team fight. This is where 4v5 is in reverse. Techies is not useless in teamfights, rightly placed mines > statis midfight > remote at escaping heroes can destroy most opponents. With an orchird/threads, his damage output is much better than some heroes.

Suicide is used if you are dying (bought all items), and could eed your nearby allies with some kills. Do not use suicide when you can escape, otherwise, nearby opponents will gain exp.

As mentioned, do not pick techies before looking at your opponents.

Sentries are a core item for techies, especially if there are invisible heroes (riki/mirana) Sentry warding where your stack of remote mines are is a must. Most of the time, opponents will ward. There are two ways to go about this:
De-ward with your sentries (They will lose gold) or outfarm them with mines. Techies harassments are amazing.

Observer wards goes a long way for the team when added with mines. The midlane may gank you and sometimes, mines aren't sufficient. (Stasis helps)


Aghanim Scepter, while it may be a good item for remotes and pushing. It isn't always necessary. Rushing aghanims is a game of luck. It doesn't give you sufficient mana regen and takes a long time to farm when other items (boots for pushing/orchird for everything etc) could be gotten.

Item Build
Early game
-4 Clarities
-Tango
-Always keep a tp for ganking/defending other lanes throughout the game.

Depending on the situation (1 or 2)
-Force staff
-Orchird's robe/sage
-Soul ring
-Threads

Core (Most of the time, it is needed)
-Force staff

Mid game
-Orchird
-Mekaesm if needed. You have to best farming ability.

Late game
-Boots (Possibly midgame)
-Scythe of vyse
-Shiva
-Necromicon
-Skadi = Dps techies (You are scary in teamfights with the range and orchird attack speed. Techies' stat gain is aligned with those of a semi-carry)

Situational
-Rod of Atos
-Aghanim
-Etheral Blade, to take out dps opponents + giving you insane attack speed with orchird.

Throughout the game
-Sentries wards.
-Observer wards (you do not need too many with your mines.)

Mining
Mines can be placed in the middle lane for dire next to the ramp before you head for other lanes.
(It helps for prophet opponents or a hard carry mid)

A good minging spot is not in the secret shop but beside the small cluster of trees on the lane itself. You need to have a good lane partner to understand how creeps are provoked though. It can be used for detonating even if the heroes do not step on it. Most of the times in pubs, your partner ends up messing the creeps' location and waste the mines though.

Note
There're a lot of mining spots which aren't common that you could use. Mine through experience. Sometimes, farming may be better. (Always have some for defense)

For fun: You could stack 5 neutral camps at level 1 and blow them up for 3 levels. :P

Mining and creep control (Early game)
If techies has a force staff, he could do creep control to prevent enemy creeps from atTacking the mines if there are sentries. Even if they do, heroes can be forced to/near the mines.

You should not be underleveled at any point by running all over the map 'just to mine'. That is where observer wards are important.

One mine on the rune is enough. The aim isn't to net a kill but to alert the team.

It boils down to a decision between planting stacks of mines to kill or just one at many locations and the rest to farm. One stasis can save you from ganks.



Mines
Stack perfect mines that appear as one throughout the game, it makes a world of difference.

A special remote mine spot worth mentioning:
A remote mine can be placed behind the dire's top tower by timing the creep's passing wave. It garantees home running kills and allows you to spot for potential early game ganks. (running from the forest). It works for other towers as well!

When the opponents do not have a gem, plant them in lanes where you predict sentries will not be at. It changes throughout the game. (Eg. If the enemies push deep, they will eventually leave an unwarded region, watch out for sentries in trees.)

Mines in jungles aren't always about getting the one-hit-ko either.

Mining all neutral creep camps early game prevents any spawn. Remotes can destroy you opponents' camp.

Remote mines on cliffs still do aoe damage to the area below them in addition to being a great ward.



Team Fights and Late game
By late game, enemies will have a bkb. While remote mines are useless to one, physical mines can still kill. Plant them where creeps will not reach and use force staff. You should have insane mana regen by now. (Requires good teamwork)

Techies is an amazing farmer/turtler, EoS/Scythe/Shiva is usually easily gotten late game, making him a dps threat.

Force staff can be used to bring enemies to a stasis trap as well, placing another one after the first goes off makes all enemy allies unable to save the 'forced' victim. It does a 12 seconds stun.

One of the most important rules of stasis trap is to place two (sometimes three) on the same spot if there are sentries/gem users late game where mines aren't stacked sufficiently. A force staff will not be able to escape. Always target the opponents without BKB/Escape mechanisms/squishy heroes first.

Watch out for blade mail users before detonating. This is where stasis traps are most important. (Unless you have a BKB as well.)

Impractical tricks: Chained stasis hidden in trees can cause an entire lane to be stunned.

A well timed force staff can change the game.[/color]