Agents in The Division 2 need to restore order in post-apocalyptic Washington DC, and amid the rising powers of nefarious civilian, military, and terrorist factions - and the Technician may have the firepower to take on all of them at once. Players of Ubisoft's The Division sequel might want to consider taking up the Technician, a skill-heavy support Specialization. Thanks to its trusty missile launcher, Technicians can target and rain hell on multiple hostiles at once.
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However, other players might notice that the Technician appears to be one of the more complex Specializations to handle in The Division 2. After all, the Specialization works best against multiple targets, and its skillset optimizes device mechanics. Thankfully, a better understanding of the Technician skill tree can make it a more bearable Specialization to take up. However, how exactly could one "read" this skill tree properly?
At first glance, its reliance on gadget elimination and electronics destruction seems to be a very technical (no pun intended) skillset to have. Moreover, some of its healing-related Talents seem very reminiscent of the Survivalist, albeit this time with drones. How exactly are players supposed to balance a kit with seemingly-circumstantial skills within a combat-heavy game? As it turns out, players simply need to look at the Technician as primarily a support class. Here are some key points:
P-017 Missile Launcher: Unlike other Signature Weapons, the Technician's P-107 Missile Launcher has a rather limiting magazine and middling rate of fire. However, its seemingly-ordinary specs do hide its sheer technical nature: the P-017 can lock onto various targets and attack them all at once.
Tactical Tech Support: Despite the funny notion of the term, the Technician represents a more tactical and combat-ready version of the "tech support" trope. From their skill-augmenting Artificer Hive to its buff-oriented Talents, the Technician changes the game by maximizing the team's resources and eliminating the enemy's support systems.
Distance Is Key: Unlike other Specializations, the Technician's focus on support means they always have to remain safe from enemy fire. In exchange for the Technician's buff boosters, the rest of the squad need to ensure the former is kept safe and sound from enemy threats. Likewise, in the case of clutch, the Technician may want to rely on ranged specialty weapons such as marksman rifles, rifles, and LMGs.
EMP: Following through with the gadgets theme is the Technician's unique grenade, the EMP. Unlike other combat-focused grenades, the Technician can rely on the EMP to disrupt the "flow" of enemy combatants. Essentially, the EMP not only disrupts electronic devices, but it also stuns enemies with a mild electric shock.
Interestingly, like other Specializations, the Technician's Signature Weapon keeps up with its motif. The P-017 Missile Launcher serves as the Technician's trusty aide against squads of enemies. This custom-made missile launcher does not simply fire miniature missiles into a target, though. Thanks to ISAC, the P-017 deploys miniature seeker missiles to hit a multitude of targets at once.
As mentioned, the P-017 relies on the Technician to designate various targets for its seeker missiles. In turn, players can deploy at least one up to six missiles towards their chosen targets at any single time. Interestingly, the sheer damage potential of the P-017 Missile Launcher ensures that unfortunate targets of the seekers will be vulnerable enough for the rest of the squad to finish.
Given the nature of the P-017, the Technician should use to at the beginning or the middle of engagements to provide suppressive fire. Moreover, the targetable nature of the P-017 encourages Technicians to have a more tactical approach to enemy disruption. Here are some basic statistics:
Damage: 2.5M
Rate of Fire: 98
Magazine: 6
Range: 50 Meters
Fire Mode: Missile Guided
The technological uniqueness of the P-017 Missile Launcher lies within its Guided Missiles. As previously mentioned, these missiles are explosive micro-warheads that utilize advanced seeker tech, courtesy of ISAC. As with other Signature Weapons, the missiles do suffer damage penalties against Named opponents.
Technicians can further augment the explosive power of the P-017 Missile Launcher with the Signature Weapon Damage Talent. With this modification, Technicians can launch attacks with up to (Tier 4) 40-percent boost in Signature Weapon damage. In turn, this upgrade allows the P-017 Missile Launcher to help squad members with more damage-oriented builds to fight tougher Elites and even raid bosses.
Unlike other Specializations with gadgets that directly attack or impede enemy progress, the Technician has the Artificer Hive. Interestingly, the primary asset of the Artificer Hive is its capacity to augment various activated skills. In The Division 2, these activated skills mostly come in the form of Drones that give various buffs to Agents. As such, the Artificer Hive already reflects the support aspect of the Technician's kit.
As mentioned, the Artificer Hive serves as a collection of electro-booster Drones. When deployed, these drones can essentially boost the efficiency of allied skills and even reset their duration.
However, perhaps more awesome is that the Artificer Hive also affects only the Technician when holstered. In turn, the Technician essentially gets a continuous buff on active skills. And the deployed nature of the Artificer Hive encourages Technicians to intelligently deploy this system in the right situations, such as when taking control points from heavily-augmented opponents.
Technicians can add an Upgraded Sensor Package Mod to the Artificer Hive to increase its effective radius, especially when its skill is activated.
Technicians can use the Liquid Cooling Mod to boost the potency of their Artificer Hives. Essentially, this Mod increases the Hive's recovery rate, making it boost the party much faster and more efficiently.
Interestingly, the Technician's main role as a support Specialization means they focus on providing buffs to allies. However, unlike the Survivalist's healing, the Technician focuses on buffing skill-based builds and abilities. In turn, much of the Technician's Talents involve around boosting damage against electronics and even providing resistance against the same effects. Moreover, Technicians and their allies can enjoy maximizing their skill usage with a number of handy buffs as well.
As a support unit, the Technician ensures that the squad is protected against the same threats they deploy. In turn, the Vital Protection Passive the Technician offers doesn't affect defense. Rather, their version of this Talent gives them 50-percent resistance to Pulse damage, essentially giving them a massive edge when facing against tech-reliant opponents.
The Technician's gadget-aligned skillset affects not just the squad's set of electronics but also the opponents'. In fact, while the Technician focuses on augmenting the squad's overall electronic infrastructure, they can just as easily annihilate the enemy's own tech-based defenses.
With the Dismantling Passive, Technologists can receive a generous 12-percent damage boost against robotics, skill proxies, and Drones. With this buff, Technicians are the best-equipped squad member to dismantle the enemy's support infrastructure while the rest of the squad eliminates the enemy team's human components. This becomes the equivalent of a must-have Perk for newcomers, as Dismantling easily cements the Technician as an anti-tech Specialization.
As with most tool buffs, Technicians also know the Division's gadgets inside and out. In turn, Technicians can even repair Drones in the middle of an intense firefight. With the Emergency Patch Talent, friendly skill proxies within 10 meters of the Technician will receive the benefits of armor kits. This Talent highly encourages other players to maximize their skill proxies, as the Technician's repairs will spread across the squad's tech as well.
In tech slang, a Faraday Cage is specially designed to inhibit electrical signals from leaving and entering the space it occupies. Essentially, a Faraday Cage renders all electronic tech useless in its vicinity. Interestingly, Technicians apply the same concept in the Faraday Field Talent. With this, all allies within 5-meters of activated and undisrupted skills cannot be disrupted and shocked. This is extremely effective when facing enemies that have a knack for using electronics as well. At the hands of an expert, Faraday Field can decimate enemy reinforcements while the squad zooms in for the kill.
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Perhaps of all the Talents across all current Specializations, Amped has the shortest description. Simply put, it adds one Skill Tier. Despite this rather simple description, it does have huge ramifications for players who want to capitalize on skill builds. Remember, in The Division 2, items have Skill Tiers that improve an item's current attributes. Armor pieces can give these Skill Tiers, but this time so can Amped. Moreover, receiving Skill Tiers beyond Tier 6 activates the Overcharge mechanic, which boosts the already stellar Tier 6 stats of items.
For instance, a Shock Trap at Tier 1 has +2 Traps, +10-percent Shock Raidus, and +10 Shock Duration. At Tier 6, this gets to a whopping +10 Traps, +60-percent Shock Radius, and +60 Shock Duration. However, when Overclocked, the Shock Trap elevates to +12 Traps, +70-percent Shock Radius, and an insane +200-percent Shock Duration.
Working in tandem with the Amped Passive is the Overclocked CPU Passive. Thanks to this Talent, skills receive a 10-percent damage boost. Despite the rather minuscule nature of a 10-percent buff, this can do more than enough damage, especially when connected to higher-Tier skills. This Passive also cements the Technician as a skill-centric build, instead of being a weapon-reliant kit.
The Technician's focus on electronics and gadget-based combat extends to their combat options. For instance, the handy EMP Grenade gives Technicians an edge against most enemy electronics. Meanwhile, their support role means they work more efficiently from the sidelines or the rear. In turn, the Technician may work best with the marksman rifle, the assault rifle, and the LMG.
When used with other Technician Talents and Passives, their weapons may allow Technicians to gain more ammunition faster and even eliminate enemy robotics more efficiently.
Unique to the Technician is the EMP Grenade. Unlike other Specialization grenades, the EMP Grenade doesn't necessarily rely on damaging enemies to become functional. Rather, its main effect lies in its capacity to disable all electrical abilities in its area of effect. Moreover, it can temporarily stun opponents caught in its blast radius.
In turn, the EMP Grenade can serve as a handy means of temporarily crippling the enemy's electronic defenses. Disabled drones and turrets can easily tip the scales in the squad's favor.
Technicians who want to maintain a safe distance can still participate in the fight, courtesy of the marksman rifle. Thanks to its superior range, the marksman rifle allows Technicians to provide long-distance support, especially against faraway electronics. Interestingly, the Depleted Rounds Talent also gives a much-helpful (Tier 3) 15-percent damage boost for marksman rifles. In turn, marksman rifles can definitely help Technicians aid the squad not just in buffs but also combative roles.
Unique to the marksman rifle is the Linked Laser Pointer Attachment. With this addition, marksman rifles can now push hit targets. Despite the rather simple effect of this attachment, it can temporarily disorient enemies for the rest of the squad to kill. For instance, this can force enemies out of cover, or even make way for more strategic kills.
Technicians caught on a rut need a reliable alternative compared to the more technical Missile Launcher. In these situations, perhaps an LMG can provide adequate aid. Its fast-firing nature and middling range allow the Technician to provide ample suppressing fire while moving from cover to cover. Moreover, the Onslaught Talent can give a much-needed (Tier 3) 15-percent damage boost for LMGs.
Technicians who want a more proactive role in the battlefield might want a longer-ranged weapon than the LMG. Unlike the LMG, the assault rifle boasts a longer range despite a slightly slower firing rate. However, these elements should be enough for the Technician to have a more aggressive role on the battlefield. Moreover, the E.M.I. Talent can help give a decent (Tier 3) 15-percent damage boost for assault rifles.
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Technicians who need a reliable sidearm in cases of emergency can depend on the Maxim 9 to help them out. This sidearm represents the right balance of suppression and performance, perfect for the Technician's rather precarious and careful nature. The pistol itself boasts a middling 26.3k damage, a 17-round magazine, and 280 rounds per minute. Despite these rather "ordinary" stats, the Maxim 9 also accommodates the skill-oriented nature of the Technician.
Essentially, the weapon may possess talents such as Stable (adds 15-percent stability), Reformation (headshot kills can increase skill healing and repair by 50-percent for 20 seconds), and Spike (headshot kills can increase skill damage by 35-percent for 20 seconds).
Technicians who want a sidearm-focused build might want to invest in the Gunslinger Passive. Essentially, its maxed out upgrades allow players to enjoy a (Tier 3) 15-percent additional sidearm damage. Despite the rather minuscule nature of the buff, its additional damage allows the Maxim 9 to pack more punch and proc its own buffs much faster.
Building upon the Technician's skill-focused and gadget-oriented build, some of their buffs also revolve around these two elements. For instance, some Passives add ammunition based on tech-based kills, while some Talents rely on skill usage to work. In turn, Technicians need to stay on top of eliminating enemy electronics while maximizing skill usage at the same time. This might seem a bit challenging for newcomers, but it can greatly benefit teams in the long run.
Interestingly, even the Technician's group ammo acquisition mechanics reflect their gadget-oriented nature. Thanks to the Group Signature Ammo Acquisition Passive, the Technician has more incentives to wipe out enemy electronics. Essentially, the Passive can add one to the group's ammo bar whenever the Technician destroys robotics, drones, and proxies. Considering that the Technician already has buffs that increase drone damage, this Passive seems like a perfect fit.
Despite the rather technical (no pun intended) nature of the P-017 Missile Launcher, Technicians still have a way to acquire its necessary ammunition. Moreover, the Micro-Missile Ammo Acquisition Passive fits right in with the Technician's theme. Essentially, the Talent gives three ammo to the Technician whenever they destroy hostile robotics, drones, and proxies.
The Technician shines as a support role not just because of their gadget-oriented nature. Rather, Technicians possess a unique way of enhancing the effects of most gadgets within the Division's arsenal. For instance, the Enhanced Diagnostics Passive gives a 10-percent buff to skill healing. Essentially, healer Specializations such as The Survivalist can get a massive boost in their efficiency courtesy of the Technician's handy Passive.
Another handy trick up the Technician's sleeve relies on their efficiency when applying their talents in combat. For instance, some of the best Technicians know exactly how to repair gadgets in the middle of combat. The game represents this with the Technomancy Talent. With this modification, Technicians get an uncanny 15-percent bonus armor buff while aiming skills. In turn, Technicians have an incentive to be more proactive within the frontlines, only to retreat whenever necessary.