How to Play Engineer!

[PrestonLee]

So I was just checking random people's stats and I came across a ~1900 MMR 100% Engineer player with a 1.85 KDR. Pretty amusing because I've always thought Engi had a LOT of potential (one of my favorites before f2p popped up) even in his current state, and lo behold

Not sure if this is invading privacy or anything, but the account name is: LYGARSTAUR
(I'll edit my post or whatever if necessary)

His build seems to be about the same thing every game with little variation, Steams, Tablet, Pkey, Luxury, which makes a lot of sense. I haven't actually checked any replays (as I'm quite confident in my own Engi skills ) but I'm sure if you're really interested in learning good Engi play you could learn a lot from looking him up

[[TGCH]Devilsnight]

I'm also the type who level mines up first.
But that's just because mines are so much fun, at least to me. Blowing up unsuspicious enemies just gets me every time. Some well placed mines can keep your lane gankfree and have their mid and jungler waste time and money, and that's worth it. They are after all, if leveled up fast, the largest nuke you can get early.
So, unless I have a flux on my team or it's a serious play or something I just go for having a little fun with him, and as much as I could perhaps do better without picking mines then I don't think I do badly. A well placed keg and turret although not doing much damage can still do a lot.

[[bshU]_Lateralus_]

Mines are more for fun than actually being more useful than keg/turret/even stats.

[[Deer]FlySociety9]

The Keg: Keg should be maxed first because the stun increases in duration with levels (good thing)

Your best friend (Turret): I think that the turret should be leveled first. The slow and push are the same at all levels, and in the long lane the turret can save your life (it also works against swiftblade while he's spinning). Personally, I find it difficult to get the maximum damage from turret without a decent amount of stunlock, so I like to max it last most of the time.

Mines: I am vehemently against maxing mines first, and leveling them first. A mine at level one might allow you to do something cute at level one with a cheesy bloodlust or blocking a couple camps, but if you happen to get into any kind of skirmish, you do nothing - compared to the other 2 options you have. As far as maxing mines first goes, I don't like it because engineer has a pretty abysmal mana pool, and maxing mines first implies that you will be spamming them. Not exactly ideal, and your priorities should be on having enough mana to use your other moves.

Mana Battery: This item (and psupply) ARE FANTASTIC, PLEASE INCLUDE THEM ON ALL GUIDES FOR ALL HEROES THAT EVER EXISTED EVER.

Spellshards: Honestly, this only increases the damage from your keg, people inside of your ult (the purge is true damage) and mines. So obviously the idea with spellshards is to kill people even harder with a minestack. I consider this to be a poor investment because spellshards doesn't do very much to fix your mana problems, and has even less utility.

For those of you who are curious, you can find my guide http://www.heroesofnewerth.com/heroe...php?gid=164527

Mines are more for fun than actually being more useful than keg/turret/even stats.

Mines are fun. I believe that maxing them second is a good balance between the 2 dominant styles of engineer play (mines first vs no mines).

[Boatmurdered]

Ew, I hate striders why does anyone ever buy them if they have any sort of farm whatsoever.

[[Deer]FlySociety9]

Sometimes, now bear with me because I might blow your mind, you don't have farm.
Boots are always a judgment call, get armor boots vs things like deadwood and armadon, steamboots vs pyro and witch slayer, and phase boots if you just like them more.

[Boatmurdered]

Sometimes, now bear with me because I might blow your mind, you don't have farm.
Boots are always a judgment call, get armor boots vs things like deadwood and armadon, steamboots vs pyro and witch slayer, and phase boots if you just like them more.

'

I realize boots are a call, but striders should never enter into the equation. The mats for steams, and ghosts are pretty cheap, and even with minimal farm you should be able to get them. I even get them on supports. I never buy striders. They're god awful.

[[Toho]Flandre]

Yeah let's talk about items.

Spellshards I am not sure what turret currently does. I am sure at one point it did magic damage. If it still does than spellshards should be a considerable pick up. If it's physical, then I am sure there are better choices.

Portal Key Pretty core in any proper match. If you are playing with high level players you will need this to iniate, wether it is with ult or with the keg.

Genjuro Casual mode only. I build this in CM because people don't know what rev wards or bound eyes are. And it is actually pretty decent statwise because engineer is an agility hero (you'll be able to deal considerable damage on your own). It allows you to iniate like PK while still providing good stats.

Tablet of Command All-round great item for support types. In addition to the regular benefits the push-effect provides, you can also use it to push enemies through the edge of your ult. Very useful for its cost.

[Boatmurdered]

Early game ROTT, and Power supply are amazing. I get them every game. Build into steams, then tablet, then PK, and then w/e else the game needs. Turret is magic dmg, but the push is physical so it pushes through SH, Stonehide, or Swift's spin.

[DumLao]

this is a solid guide, this has always been my build since the change to tinker
the TRICK to playing successfully however; is to land everything. No missing anything.
and also when u pop an ulti, try to toss heroes in and out of the boundary! If done right u can whip out up to 500 damage instantaneously!

[flibble]

Yeah let's talk about items.

Spellshards I am not sure what turret currently does. I am sure at one point it did magic damage. If it still does than spellshards should be a considerable pick up. If it's physical, then I am sure there are better choices.

Portal Key Pretty core in any proper match. If you are playing with high level players you will need this to iniate, wether it is with ult or with the keg.

Genjuro Casual mode only. I build this in CM because people don't know what rev wards or bound eyes are. And it is actually pretty decent statwise because engineer is an agility hero (you'll be able to deal considerable damage on your own). It allows you to iniate like PK while still providing good stats.

Tablet of Command All-round great item for support types. In addition to the regular benefits the push-effect provides, you can also use it to push enemies through the edge of your ult. Very useful for its cost.

Spellshards - Yes turret is magic damage, that means all of your skills do magic damage bar the 100 true damage when you enter/exit engi ult. However the ult has a magic dps when inside.

Portal Key - Core, agree

Genjuro - Never tried this as I never play cm but more for fun I suppose

Tablet - All round fantastic engi item with escape and stats. Also can be used to like Dumlao said push people in and out of your ult. Someone hovering on the edge of your ult can easily be pushed in with this.

this is a solid guide, this has always been my build since the change to tinker
the TRICK to playing successfully however; is to land everything. No missing anything.
and also when u pop an ulti, try to toss heroes in and out of the boundary! If done right u can whip out up to 500 damage instantaneously!

Thanks! Yeah agreed the main trick is practice and learning how to place your skills properly, hard to learn and hard to master.

[[HitM]Yugoloth]

There is a guide, "Stats engineer". I used that guide and played a lot better. I think thats how a real man with hardened hair in the chest should play. A troll get mines. A war engineer gets keg, stats and ult. Turret to chase.
Mines are good, thats ok. But they make the other team rage, and kill you every time then can kill you. Nobody pays attention to an eng who never use mines. I max THE KEG. its a really good skill, not only a stun, you can relocate an enemy or yourself. If timed right you can put enough distance between a ramp who ults you and eng. I managed to do that just once, the keg needs 1 second to fall into the ground. If you survive a devourer ult, use it to put some distance between him and you. It can also destroy trees. Is a really good skill. Just need to learn how to predict the enemy movement and you can get bloodlust.
The turret. I always get a point here at lvl 2, only for the slow. It haves a great range, allowing you to slow enemies to land a better keg. Also it helps a lot slowing down enemy creep waves, and chasing enemies. they start to run, you land the turret, they get slowed by 35% and you just auto attack and keg them back. Cool.
Mines. Uhm... i hate mines. But also, they are a powerful nuke. It is situational, since they can be easily countered by a ward of revelation, or minions. They need not only a lot of mana, they also need time out of the lane. You can get underleveled for going to set mines. Thats why i see them as a waste of mana, at early game. At late game, a 2700 magic damage nuke is usually a sure kill, and nobody expects that. But against smart players, mines are useless since a 100 g ward can counter all the mines in a zone. Then you waste 5/8 mana potions, 2 levels, and an enemy comes and makes that effort useless with a ward.
The ultimate. Now, THIS is awesome. 1000 magic damage in a huge area at lvl 3, with silence + slow for ppl who goes outside. The problem is, that can be destroyed auto attacking the core. Who cares, you have a keg to keep away those guys from the machinery!
I think that eng is a carry, for skill sinergies, same as valk. Get soulscreaming rings, agi steamboots, firebrand, riftshards, shieldbreaker and you can pwn almost any enemy who appears. I managed to carry teams with this build, and get quadkills. Just go out from the idea "engineer is a support hero, he just set mines and wards, and ult in teamfights." He can do that, and a lot more.
Have fun!

Edit: Note: If you are against DW just keg yourself away from his immobilize skill, it works. Same with predator leaps, just keg yourself away. Then you turret him and gtfo back to base (DW never gets a point in clearcutting before lvl 9 or 10, so he gets slowed) I did it, is fun to see a failed gank. On the other hand, against armadon just nuke him with kegs, getting free mana from a power supply.

[[Mana]Farosarg]

Spellshards are never a good item, never pick it up. Theres ALWAYS better items to get like hf and sheep. Theres few heroes which benefits from them but the heroes so trash artesia and tb. Also only get mines at lvl 1 if they have jungler and youll be able to block their jungle spawns, never waste your time mining a fking outpost and loose all the exp and benefit nothing from it.

Um... No. Spellshards have their uses on plenty of heroes. My favorite is Magmus after Portal Key. Having 9% less cooldown on Ult, Bath, Surge, Sheepstick and Portal Key... It sums up quite nicely.

[[xBM]Ackwell1]

Um... No. Spellshards have their uses on plenty of heroes. My favorite is Magmus after Portal Key. Having 9% less cooldown on Ult, Bath, Surge, Sheepstick and Portal Key... It sums up quite nicely.

9% cdr in your skills wont won games, hex will. Think again please. Theres always better options.

[[Mana]Farosarg]

9% cdr in your skills wont won games, hex will. Think again please. Theres always better options.

Skills AND items. Plus with the nerf on Hex it isn't even that gamechanging on a hero like Magmus when you can just deal more pain instead and keep going back in.

[[KCD]Ritualst]

Honestly - Spellshards are bad on most of the heroes (only something like TB is an exception). If you go any other item you provide way more to the team than the spellshards.

Get Push Tablet, or if you want more straight up damage go codex - it's way better than spellshards on most heroes.