The Technical is a vehicle featured in Insurgency: Sandstorm. The first useable vehicle in the Insurgency series, the Technical is a four-seater pickup truck with a shielded machine gun turret mounted in the rear bed.
The Technical is used by both Security and Insurgents. When spawned for Security, the Technical's machine gun is an M2HB Browning, while for the Insurgents its machine gun is a DShK. Regardless of which faction it spawns for, a Technical can be destroyed or stolen and used by either side. The Technical is available in white and black paint, though it is unclear what, if anything, determines the color it spawns in.
Overview[]
The Technical requires at least one player (either a driver or a gunner) to operate in any capacity, and at least two players (both a driver and a gunner) to use effectively. Aside from basic movement controls, the driver can also honk and toggle headlights. The gunner's turret can rotate 360 degrees, but has limited vertical movement. Three passengers can enter the vehicle as well and can fire from the vehicle using their sidearms, as can the driver, though this requires them to stop controlling the vehicle. All occupants of the vehicle can duck to avoid fire, but this prevents them from looking around or firing back which, if the driver is also ducking, can easily cause the vehicle to lose control and crash, leaving its occupants more vulnerable than they were before. The occupants can exit the vehicle at any time, but dismounting at speed will often inflict damage and briefly lock weapon inputs, simulating the act of diving out.
Driving the Technical is one of the fastest movement methods in the game, with it being capable of easily traveling well over the speed of the lightest-possible sprinting characters, although this is hindered by most maps being littered with static objects and narrow roads that make high-speed cruising difficult. Offensively, the Technical has its rear-mounted machine gun turret, which can heavily suppress enemies, penetrate walls, and kill in a single shot, although long sustained use can force it into a cooldown period. The driver can also inflict damage by using the Technical itself as a ram, dealing light damage at slow speeds but instantly killing at even moderate speeds.
The Technical is moderately resistant to most forms of attack, and has slightly bullet-resistant glass to protect its occupants. However, it is not entirely impervious, and it can easily be disabled by sustained gunfire, grenade explosions, and being stuck in fire. Explosives and launchers are also extremely effective against the Technical, and the M19 Mine and TM-62M Mine are both specifically intended to counter the Technical and will only activate if one drives over them. Likewise, although the gunner's turret is shielded from most rounds, it is still vulnerable to high-caliber sniper rifles and machine guns, and the entire rear half of the gunner is always exposed to fire. The occupants of the Technical are not immune to Chemical Mortars, even if the windows are intact, unless they have Gas Masks on. The Technical and its occupants can also take damage from collisions.
As the Technical endures more damage, its engine will begin to smoke and eventually burn, similar to static prop vehicles. It will also slightly begin to malfunction with damage, to the point of eventually shutting down. It is impossible to repair the Technical. Upon being destroyed, the Technical will explode, killing the occupants and anyone too close to the vehicle.
The Technical can sometimes spawn as part of a counterattack in Checkpoint and Hardcore Checkpoint, typically on the final objective, although one may potentially spawn in an earlier counterattack; in these cases, it is possible for multiple Technicals to be present on the map at once.
Strategy[]
Wielding[]
The Technical is best used for providing heavy suppression using its machine gun turret. An ideal Technical position provides the gunner with a suitable view of the target area a good distance away, and allows them to hold it with little external support, while also allowing the driver to quickly drive away if spotted, attacked, or overrun (or if not, at least allow the occupants to dismount and flee before the Technical is destroyed). If used to support a team in a combined arms approach, the Technical crew can either go ahead of the group to take enemies by surprise and quickly suppress or defeat them, or they can provide covering fire from behind for the rest of the group to advance. Technicals nearing destruction can also be used as a distraction, either to bait enemies trying to take it into the line of fire, or by drawing enemy fire away from other teammates.
In a defensive role, the Technical can provide heavy support to hold off attackers practically on its own. It is recommended to position the Technical in an open area with a wide field of fire, but also where it is not vulnerable. If positioned well, a Technical manned by just a gunner can hold off an entire angle by itself, freeing up the rest of the team to cover other angles or mount a counteroffensive. However, as Technicals are often made high-priority targets, care should be taken to ensure the gunner can quickly dismount and flee to safety in an emergency. As a last resort, a Technical can be used as a makeshift barricade to block a doorway or approach, though this is risky as enemies can steal it, hijack the turret, or destroy it while teammates are near.
It is unwise to treat the Technical as an armored fighting vehicle or mechanized cavalry and use it to charge directly into enemy positions, as it is neither of these and it can easily leave a gunner unprepared and exposed from the rear. It is also unwise to use Technicals in a suicide attack, as it is impossible to mimic vehicle-borne IEDs and enemies will likely just shoot the driver and steal the Technical, although its ramming capabilities can be used effectively in a getaway. Do not attempt to drive stationary Technicals that already have gunners, as it is possible they already have a suitable position set up, and moving it could ruin it to the detriment of the team. If manning the turret of a Technical, avoid drawing attention by randomly firing or honking, at least until enemy contact is made.
In Checkpoint, consider stealing an abandoned Technical instead of destroying it, especially if one spawns on the final objective, as it can be stolen and used against its owners to great effect. However, if it is stuck on the road between objectives or is at risk of being stolen by enemies, it can be destroyed without issue.
The Technical is also capable of being used as a transport vehicle for other players; this is the reason the "Request Pickup" voice callout exists. Even with a gunner, the Technical can still carry three other players, allowing drivers who know the map to transport teammates well past their lines and support their flank, fall back to ferry others, or provide a hasty getaway. When using the Technical in the transport role, consider using smoke liberally to ensure the occupants are not attacked while vulnerable in the vehicle or dismounting.
Countering[]
Technicals are extremely vulnerable to explosives. Launchers such as the AT4 and RPG-7 can easily dispatch a Technical from a distance, with very little time for the crew to react. If enemy Technicals are expected in a defensive situation, consider placing mines, C-4, or an IED in roadways that they may approach from, as these can make quick work of a Technical upon detonating, though remember to warn any allied Technicals of their placement. All forms of Fire Support are very useful against Technicals as well, as the high enemy concentration surrounding Technicals and the explosive nature of most Fire Supports means the Technical will almost certainly be targeted and destroyed.
If these are unavailable, anti-materiel rifles such as the M82A1 CQ and M99 can disable Technicals with a few shots to the engine, or if not at least kill the gunner by penetrating their shield. Heavy gunfire can also damage a Technical or, if not, at least kill the occupants or suppress enemies enough to prevent them from reaching it. Grenades and grenade launchers can also inflict heavy damage to a Technical and its occupants and may be useful from cover or under suppression, though they may not destroy it on their own; these can also be used as deterrents, such as by throwing an AN-M14 Incendiary or Molotov beneath a Technical to inflict steady damage and prevent access.
An unaware Technical gunner can be snuck up on from an angle they are not focusing on, though in these cases the player must be completely undetected, which is difficult but could be possible by cooperating with their team to draw the Technical's attention or waiting for the Technical to pass their position. The gunner can also simply be shot from the sight gap in their turret shield, made easier from a higher angle. Aside from the gunner, the other occupants are vulnerable to regular weaponry even with the light bullet-resistant windows, and can simply be killed with a barrage of fire into the vehicle, especially with a higher-caliber weapon or one with a high-capacity magazine. Note that dead occupants do not ragdoll, so be wary to check the status of targets and not waste ammunition.
After killing the crew of an enemy Technical, it is recommended to deny enemy access to it, either by destroying it or stealing it to use against them. It is unwise to simply leave the Technical or "disable" its movement by getting it stuck, as they can still recover it or use the turret. It is also unwise to have a teammate cover it, as this preoccupies a teammate with a vehicle the enemy team may have genuinely decided not to recover, and if they have decided to recover the Technical they would simply need to kill or distract the teammate to retrieve it.
Unused Beta Technical[]
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The subject of this article has been cut from an Insurgency game, and is inaccessible in normal gameplay. Should it return in a later update or series installment, please update this. |
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The unused Technical seen in the Insurgency: Sandstorm Beta.
A second Technical existed in Insurgency: Sandstorm Beta, but is not used anywhere in the final game. It is a smaller, older-looking two-seater pickup truck with the same machine gun turret as the used Technical. It is unclear exactly where it was meant to be used and what situations it was intended to be used in, and it is unknown whether it still exists in the game files.
It is unknown why this unused Technical was cut, but early reports suggest its model had bugs that could not be resolved by the game's release. It was possibly also because its smaller size and lower seating capacity made it a direct downgrade from the larger used Technical.
Trivia[]
- The Technical is based on the sixth generation Toyota Hilux, a pickup truck commonly used as a technical in several real conflicts.
- The unused Technical is based on the Datsun 720.
- Originally, passengers in the Technical could lean out of the vehicle's windows to fire their primary weapons, at the cost of a limited field of view and greater exposure. This was eventually removed for unknown reasons.