Cold Iron Studios' Alien: Fireteam Elite has more than just pointing and shooting to make it out alive. There are five classes to master, each with their own strengths to help a fireteam through a myriad of situations, from different xenomorph species to teams of Seegson androids.
While the name might make you think the Technician is a support class, it's actually more about utility with crowd control and defending teammates. Whether you're gunning down foes or holding the fort with a massive turret, the Technician is a boon to any team.
The Technician's main weapons are more of a contingency for when enemies get too close or turrets can't quite reach a target. They start with a shotgun and magnum pistol, which are the two weapons you'll be using most of the time; however, if you prefer something more automatic, semi-auto and SMG-type handguns are available. The shotgun is the weapon you'll likely use most as it's powerful and great for taking out any Xenomorphs that get too close to the team or yourself.
The mods for these weapons are what really make them. For the shotgun, there are muzzles for accuracy or increased spread, as well as magazines for faster reload speeds or even incendiary rounds. Some mods give additional buffs for certain criteria. For example, one mod gives it more range temporarily after a kill, making it more potent during swarms. The handgun gets similar mods, increasing the damage or allowing steadier aim for long-distance shots. These mods really step up the Technician's armory and make them an asset for taking out enemies that get past the line when fighting an onslaught of Xenos.
The Technician's bread and butter is a Turret which can be picked up and reused, as well as a set of Charged Coils which can slow down enemies and, after some upgrades, even damage them over time. The Turret is the one you'll be using the most since you can throw it down at any time, and it even provides damage reduction to teammates at later levels. It can be upgraded through Perks, although they're situational. The Flamethrower version is really only good for close range, while the Heavy Turret is more powerful but fires at the rate of a Sniper Rifle. It's great to have for when you want an additional gun when setting up a line of defense for a swarm and recharges even if it's destroyed, allowing it to be put back up.
The Charge Coils are good on their own and synergize well with the Turret. They're thrown like a grenade but, instead of exploding, stick to the ground or an enemy and put out an electric field for a time. This time can be increased through Perks and upgraded to do damage over time. This field puts a debuff on enemies passing through it that slows them down, which is great picking off for fast-moving Xenomorphs. Up to three are held and, like the Turret, they recharge over time.
The Technician's best tools really are its abilities. They can set up a line of defense with their Turret and slow down enemies that get too close by tossing Charge Coils, making them easy for other teammates or the Turret to pick off. Even outside of a swarm, you may encounter one of the larger, scarier Xenos coming at the team but can slow them down and prevent injury just by sticking a Charge Coil to their face. They also work great with the shotgun since generally, you'll be slowing them down because there's a risk of being overwhelmed.
The normal Turret is the best choice since it has a good fire rate and can be upgraded to be more powerful, while the other two are very situational. The Flamethrower can be devastating on the right map with Xenos, but the Heavy Turret just seemed to get destroyed too easily because of its slow shots. Since it's rechargeable and never completely goes away, it's useful when players need cover fire. When things get too close, the shotgun can solve most problems, especially when upgraded for a faster reload.
The Technician is a class with great crowd control abilities that can take out and slow down hordes of enemies, but this class can't make it on its own. Paired with heavy hitters like the Gunner or Demolisher, they can stop most Xenos dead so long as you don't have a tough Challenge Card or unfortunate reload timing. Players will want to be sure to give the Technician class a try when Aliens: Fireteam Elite releases on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and PC on August 24th.
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