Hero
Gyrocopter | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Barrages with his cannon and homing missiles. | |
The world's first non-magical flying device took over a decade to create, and less than a few seconds to shoot down. But its pilot was not deterred. Aurel returned to the skies in a newer, better Gyrocopter. One with Flak Cannons, to strafe entire fields of foes. And Homing Missles, to shoot down bogeys no matter how they twist or turn. Somebody infringing on your airspace? Let them have it with a Rocket Barrages. But sometimes, it's easier to just use the big bomb. Aurel Calls Down an air strike, and then delivers the payload himself before soaring away from the rising explosion. If he is able to gather his full strength, he demolishes foes with ease. | |
Roles: | Carry Nuker Disabler |
Complexity: | ★☆☆ |
Contents
Bio[]
▶️ "So much for being retired…"
Lore:
After serving through a lifetime of wars, upheaval, riots, and revolutions, the brass figured Aurel had seen enough. But in addition to a few trinkets and his considerable pension, the erstwhile engineer left with something far more interesting: a long-forgotten, incomplete schematic for a Gyrocopter, the world's first manned, non-magical flying device. Retiring to the tropical obscurity of the Ash Archipelago with little else but time and money, he set to work building the device.
As the years wore on and the remains of failed prototypes began to pile up, he began to wonder if mechanical flight was even possible. A decade and a day after his retirement, on a sunny afternoon with a southerly breeze, Aurel sat in his latest attempt bristling with indignation and expectant failure. With a grunt of effort he pulled the ignition cord and covered his head, waiting for the inevitable explosion. However to his great surprise he began to lift and, following a few panicked adjustments, stabilize. Within an hour, he was ducking and weaving with the breeze, level with the gulls, and Aurel found himself filled with the breathless wonder of flight.
As dusk settled in he set a course back to his workshop, but no sooner had he turned his craft when a cannonball tore through his tailfin. Disentangling himself from the wreckage, he swam toward the nearest piece of land in sight, and cursed to see the ship responsible for the cannonball collecting the debris. Days later, when Aurel returned to his workshop, he set to work on yet another gyrocopter, this one capable of carrying a much heavier, more dangerous payload.
As the years wore on and the remains of failed prototypes began to pile up, he began to wonder if mechanical flight was even possible. A decade and a day after his retirement, on a sunny afternoon with a southerly breeze, Aurel sat in his latest attempt bristling with indignation and expectant failure. With a grunt of effort he pulled the ignition cord and covered his head, waiting for the inevitable explosion. However to his great surprise he began to lift and, following a few panicked adjustments, stabilize. Within an hour, he was ducking and weaving with the breeze, level with the gulls, and Aurel found himself filled with the breathless wonder of flight.
As dusk settled in he set a course back to his workshop, but no sooner had he turned his craft when a cannonball tore through his tailfin. Disentangling himself from the wreckage, he swam toward the nearest piece of land in sight, and cursed to see the ship responsible for the cannonball collecting the debris. Days later, when Aurel returned to his workshop, he set to work on yet another gyrocopter, this one capable of carrying a much heavier, more dangerous payload.
Voice:
Abilities[]
Rocket Barrage
Cast Animation: 0+0
Search Radius: 400
Number of Targets: 1
Rockets per Second: 10
Barrage Duration: 3
Aurel's new craft has an increased payload for rockets, enhancing their rapid-fire capabilities.
Notes:
- Rocket Barrage interrupts Gyrocopter's channeling abilities upon cast.
- Despite the visual effects, the damage is dealt instantly, rather than on each rocket's impact.
- Rocket Barrage cannot hit invisible units or units in the Fog of War.
- Gyrocopter can act freely during Rocket Barrage.
- Does not fire rockets while Gyrocopter is hidden.
- Deals damage in 0.1-second intervals, resulting in 30 damage instances.
- Can deal a total of 210/360/510/660 (
690/840/990/1140) damage (before reductions), assuming all rockets hit.
Homing Missile | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Visual indicator above the target.
Fires a homing missile to seek the targeted enemy unit. The missile gains speed over time, dealing damage and stunning when it impacts the target. Enemy units can destroy the missile before it reaches its target.
Cast Animation: 0+0
Cast Range: 1050
Launch Delay: 2.5
Hero Attacks to Destroy: 3
Tower Attacks to Destroy: 6
Damage: 90/180/270/360
Homing Missiles now constantly fires the current level of Rocket Barrage in a 725 area of effect after 1 second of being cast. This Rocket Barrage prioritizes the Homing Missile target.
Modifiers [?]
modifier_gyrocopter_homing_missile
Undispellable
modifier_gyrocopter_homing_rocket_barrage
Death
modifier_stunned
Rocket Barrage has to be drafted as well for it to get applied.
The biggest missile Aurel could possibly attach to his craft, The Bomb™ has carefully calculated aerodynamics and explosives for maximum impact.
Notes:
- When cast, a stationary missile is placed 150 range in front of Gyrocopter, which begins to move 2.5 seconds later.
- Homing Missile has an initial speed of 500 and increases by 15 per second, increasing by 1 movement speed every 0.07 seconds.
- The speed acceleration is not capped, and continues to increase until it hits the target or is destroyed.
- If the missile's target dies, it automatically switches to the nearest valid target within 700 range of the previous target.
- The rocket first applies the debuff, then the damage.
- The cross-hair over the target is visible to allies only.
- Although the ability grants no vision or True Sight over the target, the missile follows and hits invisible units.
- If the missile hits its target, its 400 range flying vision stays at the location for 3.5 seconds.
- The missile can be targeted by Force Staff, Hurricane Pike and Psychic Headband, pushing the rocket forward or backward.
- The missile cannot impact the target during the Forced Movement, and passes through, reorients, and continues to chase the target.
- The missile is instantly destroyed when affected by Chronosphere.
- With Aghanim's Shard, the missile starts firing Rocket Barrage of the current level 1 second after being deployed.
- This Rocket Barrage has a radius of 725 and prioritizes its current target over other units.
- Rocket Barrage notes fully apply. If it is not leveled, the missile will still fire at the target, but deal no damage.
- Although the missile launches the Rocket Barrage, the damage is sourced to the Gyrocopter, not the missile.
- Therefore, the damage is affected by outgoing damage manipulation and spell lifesteal.
- Acquiring Aghanim's Shard immediately updates all currently existing Homing Missiles.

Overhead Flak Cannon icon.
Gyrocopter's attacks hit all enemy units in an area around it for a limited number of attacks. Only the main target of attacks will receive attack bonuses such as Critical Strike. Lasts 10 seconds or until the attacks are used.
Cast Animation: 0+0
Flak Duration: 10
Adds a Side Gunner that at random attacks enemy units near Gyrocopter. Prioritizes furthest unit away within its range.
Modifiers [?]
modifier_gyrocopter_flak_cannon
Death
modifier_gyrocopter_flak_cannon_scepter
Undispellable
This newly revamped Gyrocopter has attached enough armaments to assault in a 360 degree radius.
Notes:
- Flak Cannon interrupts Gyrocopter's channeling abilities upon cast.
- Causes Gyrocopter to perform instant attacks on all nearby enemies whenever he launches an attack projectile.
- The instant attacks do not trigger attack modifiers or any on-hit effects. They do not have True Strike.
- The projectiles from the instant attacks travel at a speed of 800.
- The flaks have no count limit. All valid nearby targets get targeted.
- The primary attack target is not affected by Flak Cannon. It is only hit by the primary attack.
- Does not target Couriers, wards, buildings, invisible units, or units inside the Fog of War.
- However, attacking couriers, wards, buildings, or allied units still causes flaks to hit all valid targets within the radius.
- The visual effect above Gyrocopter and the number of attacks left on the buff icon are visible to everyone.
- With Aghanim's Scepter, Gyrocopter performs instant attacks on the furthest enemy within 700 range of him.
- These instant attacks can trigger any attack modifiers and on-hit effects normally, except for Flak Cannon itself. They do not have True Strike, but ignore disarms.
- Does not target wards, Couriers, or attack immune enemies, but does target buildings. Only targets units Gyrocopter has vision over.
- The Side Gunner does not attack when Gyrocopter is hidden or invisible.
- However, the Side Gunner ignores fade times and fade delays of abilities. It only does not attack when fully invisible.
- The Side Gunner is a passive component of Flak Cannon, and requires it to be learned to work.
Call down an aerial missile strike on enemy units in a target area. After 2 seconds, two missiles arrive in succession, with 2 seconds between them.
Cast Animation: 0.3+0.5
Cast Range: 1000
Effect Radius: 600
Number of Missiles per Call Down: 2
Delay per Rocket: 2
Missile One Damage: 150/250/350
Missile One Move Speed Slow: 30%
Missile One Slow Duration: 2
Missile Two Damage: 200/275/350
Missile Two Move Speed Slow: 60%
Missile Two Slow Duration: 4
Spell Immunity Notes:
The slow persists if debuff was placed before spell immunity and when not dispelled.
Modifiers [?]
modifier_gyrocopter_call_down_thinker
Undispellable
modifier_gyrocopter_call_down_slow
'Bombs away!'
Notes:
- The first missile impacts 2 seconds and the second missile impacts 4 seconds after cast.
- Provides 300 radius flying vision at the targeted area for 4 seconds upon cast.
- Can deal a total of 350/525/700 damage (before reductions), assuming both missiles hit.
- The missiles first apply their debuffs, then their damage.
- The big red area indicator is visible to allies only. The sound effects are audible and the missiles visible to everyone.
- With the Airstrike
talent, Call Down additionally gains vector-targeting functionality.
- Causes 2 additional instances of Call Down, ergo 4 additional missiles to be launched after the main instance.
- These instances are launched in 0.75-second intervals, starting 0.75 seconds after the primary Call Down, taking 1.5 seconds to launch them all.
- The additional instances are launched along the selected vector, 500 range apart from each other, so that they overlap a bit.
- This results in them covering a total area with a length of 2200 and a width of 600.
- Each first missile of the additional instances deals 75/125/175 damage, and each second missile deals 100/137.5/175.
- Each additional instance can deal a total of 175/262.5/350 damage.
- All instances together can deal a total of 700/1050/1400 damage, if all 6 missiles hit.
- Once cast, the additional instances cannot be stopped in any way, not even by Gyrocopter's death.
Talents[]
Hero Talents | ||
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3x Call Down | 25 | -6s Flak Cannon Cooldown |
+16 Rocket Barrage Damage | 20 | +30 Movement Speed |
+2 Flak Cannon Attacks | 15 | +0.4s Homing Missile Stun Duration |
+200 Health | 10 | +300 Flak Cannon Range |
Notes:
- The health talent increases maximum health capacity, and keeps the current health percentage.
Recent Changes[]
Main Article: Gyrocopter/Changelogs
Version
Description
- Homing Missile
- Rescaled damage from 100/175/250/325 to 90/180/270/360.
- Reduced stun duration from 2.25/2.5/2.75/3 to 1.8/2.2/2.6/3.
- Rescaled Flak Cannon cooldown from 24/22/20/18 to 20 on each level.
- Increased Flak Cannon mana cost from 50 on each level to 50/60/70/80.
- Aghanim's Shard upgrade:
- Increased Homing Missile rocket barrage radius from 700 to 725.
Recommended Items[]
Starting items:
- Tango gives Gyrocopter regen to counter early harassment.
- Healing Salve gives a helpful burst heal to help stay in lane.
- Iron Branch gives cheap early stats, and can be consumed with a tango for extra regen.
- Faerie Fire helps with last hits.
- Slippers of Agility gives a decent agility boost.
Early game:
- Boots of Speed quickly can allow Gyrocopter to get early kills with his Rocket Barrage.
- Magic Wand can save Gyrocopter in a pinch.
Mid game:
- Phase Boots give extra attack damage for Flak Cannon.
- Drum of Endurance allows Gyrocopter to come online earlier than most carries by adding attributes, movement speed, and attack speed, which aid him and allies in ganks.
- Mask of Madness keeps his health up when clearing jungle camps with lifesteal, and increases attack damage and attack speed. He can disassemble it later on to build Satanic and Butterfly.
- Dragon Lance greatly improves Gyrocopter's short attack range and offers cost efficient stats.
- Sange and Yasha provides a good mix of tankiness and chasing ability.
- Black King Bar is usually needed to make full use of Flak Cannon without being interrupted.
Late game:
- Butterfly's evasion makes Gyrocopter significantly harder to take down, and allows him to go head to head against harder carries.
- Satanic is the natural supplemental item to make Gyrocopter with multiple damage items able to survive longer in late-game teamfights, while also providing a decent damage boost itself.
Situational items:
- Hurricane Pike is a natural extension to Dragon Lance, giving Gyrocopter more mobility, and it can push the Homing Missile to hit the target faster.
- Aghanim's Scepter allows Gyrocopter to continue attacking even when disabled, and gives more attacks which can proc attack modifiers.
- Boots of Travel helps Gyrocopter be present at every fight.
- Manta Style is good for pushing, and disjointing projectiles.
- Daedalus multiplies well with Flak Cannon, increasing Gyrocopter's damage significantly. It also gives him a chance on inflicting critical hits on his primary target.
- Monkey King Bar gives Gyrocopter decent attack damage, as well as proccing extra magical damage.
- Divine Rapier is the be-all end-all in terms of damage for Gyrocopter. In combination with Flak Cannon it can decimate the entire enemy team within seconds. But it is also a risky purchase and should only be bought when Gyrocopter is sufficiently tanky or as a last resort in dealing with an overwhelming enemy advantage.
Gameplay[]
Audio[]
History[]
Equipment[]
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Trivia[]
- Aurel Vlaicu was a Romanian pioneer of early flight.
- Gyrocopter's response upon meeting Viper ▶️ "Holy shit, it's Viper!" is a reference to a scene of the movie Top Gun.[1]
- Gyrocopter's helmet is similar to Gaetan "The Mole" Moliere's headgear from Atlantis: The Lost Empire.
- Gyrocopter's response upon using homing missile "Fox Two" is a reference to the NATO brevity code for an air-to-air infrared-guided missile launch.
Gallery[]
Model and icons before the November 21, 2013 Patch