Gyrocopter
After serving through countless wars and revolutions, retired engineer Aurel found his true calling in the skies. Building the world's first non-magical flying machine, he transformed it into a devastating gunboat, bringing his mechanical warfare expertise to the battlefields of Dota.
At a Glance
Core Principles
“The gunship never runs. The gunship stands and delivers. The sky belongs to those who dare to claim it.”
Farm Relentlessly
Flak Cannon makes you one of the fastest farmers. Use it. Farm lanes, farm jungle, farm everything. Your strength comes from gold advantage.
Position with Purpose
Your damage output is massive, but only when you're alive. Position defensively. Use Hurricane Pike and BKB to survive long enough to melt the enemy team.
Control the Skies
Your abilities provide tremendous vision. Use Homing Missile and Call Down not just for damage, but to control information and positioning.
Master the Economy
Chop Shop isn't just a gimmick - it's a tool. Use it to optimize your itemization and maintain gold flow throughout the game.
Coordinate AOE
Your best moments come when combining with other AOE spells. Call Down with additional stuns and damage for devastating teamfight results.
The Artillery Mindset
Think like artillery - stay away from the front lines, maximize range, and deliver overwhelming firepower from safety.
Hero Overview
Gyrocopter is a ranged agility carry who brings unprecedented firepower to any teamfight. His unique combination of sustained AoE damage, burst potential, and farming efficiency makes him one of the most versatile carries in Dota 2. The Gunship Captain can single-handedly push lanes, melt teamfights, and transition from early game laner to late game monster.
Gyrocopter's gameplay centers around managing his cooldowns and positioning. Use Flak Cannon to farm jungle camps and push lanes with terrifying efficiency, Rocket Barrage for close-range burst, and Homing Missile for vision and pressure. Call Down serves as your teamfight ultimate, providing both immediate damage and follow-up burst. His Chop Shop innate adds economic flexibility, allowing for creative itemization.
Pros
- Exceptional farming speed with Flak Cannon
- Massive AoE teamfight damage
- Strong burst damage with Rocket Barrage
- Excellent vision control with abilities
- Versatile item build options
Cons
- Relatively squishy without items
- Struggles against high burst damage
- Mana intensive in early game
- Requires good positioning
- Vulnerable to disables and silences
Ability Analysis
Rocket Barrage
ActiveGyrocopter launches a barrage of rockets that fly in a circle around him, dealing damage to nearby enemy units.
Notes: Devastating burst damage in close-quarters combat. Use it when enemies are within 400 range to maximize damage output. This is your go-to spell for 1v1 fights and securing kills on low-health enemies. The damage output can crush unsuspecting enemies.
Homing Missile
ActiveGyrocopter launches a slow-moving missile that gains speed over time and damages the first enemy unit it hits.
Notes: Excellent for vision control and zoning. The missile provides flying vision as it travels, making it great for scouting dangerous areas. Use Force Staff on the missile to speed it up and reach targets faster. Aghanim's Shard allows multiple missiles.
Flak Cannon
ActiveGyrocopter's attacks hit all enemy units in a wide radius for a short duration.
Notes: Your farming and teamfight powerhouse. Each shot hits all enemies in range, making it incredibly efficient for clearing creep waves and jungle camps. Activating Flak Cannon grants bonus night vision. Only the primary target can trigger item effects - the Side Gunner from Agh's Scepter can also proc item modifiers.
Call Down
ActiveGyrocopter calls down an air strike that damages and slows enemies in a target area.
Notes: Devastating teamfight ultimate that fires two missiles - the first deals immediate damage and the second arrives after a delay. Each missile provides flying vision in the targeted area. This ability can turn the tide of teamfights when combined with other AOE spells or used to secure objectives.
Homing Missile (Shard Upgrade)
ActiveThe autocast version can chain multiple missiles together, creating overwhelming pressure and vision control. Use it to blanket enemy positions with missiles while maintaining offensive pressure with your other abilities.
Flak Cannon (Aghanim's Scepter)
ActiveProvides a Side Gunner that attacks an additional enemy unit while Flak Cannon is active.
Notes: The Side Gunner prioritizes the furthest enemy within attack range and can trigger item modifiers like lifesteal and Maelstrom. This significantly increases your sustained damage output during teamfights and makes you even more devastating against clustered enemies.
Developer's Notes
Developer Insights
Gyrocopter is a powerhouse ranged carry that excels at sustained teamfight damage and efficient farming. His Flak Cannon makes him one of the fastest farmers in the game, while Rocket Barrage provides incredible burst potential.
Key Insights:
- Use Flak Cannon for massive AoE farming and teamfight damage
- Homing Missile provides excellent vision and pressure
- Call Down is devastating when combined with other AOE spells
Gyrocopter rewards positioning and map awareness. His ability to farm from any angle makes him a nightmare for teams trying to control the pace of the game.
Game Strategy
Early Game
Timeframe: 0-15 minutes Objective: Secure farm and survive the laning phase Key: Focus on last-hitting with good positioning; Use Rocket Barrage for defensive burst; Launch Homing Missile to threaten and get vision; Farm jungle camps with Flak Cannon when possible Items: Power Treads (Core mobility); Maelstrom (First damage item); Dragon Lance (Range increase) Tips: Be cautious of aggressive lanes - you're squishy early; Use courier vision to farm distant camps with Flak Cannon; Save mana for defensive Rocket Barrage when needed; Position yourself to maximize farm efficiency
Mid Game
Timeframe: 15-30 minutes Objective: Farm efficiently and contribute to teamfights Key: Use Flak Cannon to farm multiple jungle camps quickly; Participate in teamfights from safe positions; Push lanes and towers with Flak Cannon; Use Call Down to initiate or finish fights Items: Hurricane Pike (Positioning tool); Black King Bar (Survivability); Potential Agh's Scepter upgrade Tips: Farm aggressively but position safely; Call Down is great for tower defense; Use Force Staff on Homing Missile to speed it up; Remember each Flak Cannon hit provides night vision
Late Game
Timeframe: 30+ minutes Objective: Deal maximum damage in teamfights Key: Stay in the backline during fights; Use Flak Cannon to melt clustered enemies; Combine Call Down with other AOE spells; Farm objectives quickly between fights Items: Aghanim's Scepter (Side Gunner); Butterfly (Damage and evasion); Satanic (Sustain) Tips: Positioning is crucial - stay behind your team; The Side Gunner from Agh's Scepter increases damage significantly; Consider Eye of Skadi for survivability and utility; Don't forget about the Chop Shop innate for economic flexibility
Tips & Strategies
Farming & Economy
- Chop Shop innate lets you sell recipes for full value - perfect for economic flexibility before death.
- Use courier vision to hit jungle camps in fog with Flak Cannon when you need farm.
- Flak Cannon hits creeps when targeting towers, but not towers when attacking creeps.
- Consider denying a sentry ward with Flak Cannon active to create a Flak target near enemies.
Combat Execution
- Rocket Barrage deals devastating damage at close range - use it liberally when enemies are near.
- Each Flak Cannon attack can miss from evasion, damage block, or accuracy modifiers.
- Homing Missile can be attacked at max speed and pushed with Force Staff for faster delivery.
- Agh's Scepter Side Gunner prioritizes furthest enemies and can proc item modifiers like lifesteal.
Positioning & Vision
- Flak Cannon grants bonus night vision during its duration - use this advantage.
- Homing Missile provides lingering flying vision when it hits targets.
- Each Call Down missile temporarily provides flying vision in the target area.
- Plant sentry wards and deny them with Flak Cannon to create Flak targets while defending high ground.
Item Guide
Starting Items
Agility for last-hitting early, sustain, and emergency survival tools for the risky laning phase.
Slippers of Agility, Tangos, Faerie Fire
Core Items
The essential carry build. Treads for stats, Maelstrom synergizes perfectly with Flak Cannon, Dragon Lance for range and damage, Hurricane Pike for positioning and survival.
Power Treads, Maelstrom, Dragon Lance, Hurricane Pike
Situational Items
BKB against heavy disables, Agh's for Side Gunner ultimate, Skadi for slows and stats, Daedalus for raw damage when positioned safely.
Black King Bar, Aghanim's Scepter, Eye of Skadi, Daedalus
Counter Guide
Good With
Gyrocopter excels with heroes who can disable multiple targets or provide vision control. Disruptor combos perfectly with Call Down - Static Storm traps enemies for the full damage. Earthshaker creates devastating AOE combos with Fissure and Echo Slam following Call Down. Magnus can group enemies for your Call Down and Flak Cannon damage. Windranger provides additional vision control with Shackleshot and Windrun, keeping you safe while dealing damage. Crystal Maiden helps with mana regeneration for your spell-heavy kit. Shadow Shaman and Lion can disable enemies during your burst windows. Heroes that can control positioning or provide vision make Gyrocopter significantly more effective, allowing him to maximize his area damage potential.
Bad Against
Gyrocopter struggles against heroes who can close gaps quickly or neutralize his damage output. Pudge can grab you from fog and negate your positioning advantage with Rot and Dismember. Spectre can jump on you from anywhere and spread your damage across Desolate strikes and Dispersion. Ursa overwhelms you with pure physical burst before you can respond. Spirit Breaker charges through your positioning and disables you completely. Anti-Mage burns your mana and can blink away from your abilities. Phantom Assassin kills you before you can react with Coup de Grace. Razor steals your attack damage and kites you with Storm Surge. The pattern is clear: heroes who can ignore your positioning, burn your resources, or burst you down quickly all pose serious threats to Gyrocopter's playstyle.
Good Against
Gyrocopter dominates heroes who rely on multiple units or lack mobility. Phantom Lancer suffers immensely - Flak Cannon shreds through illusions while Rocket Barrage melts the real hero. Broodmother and her spider army are trivialized by your AoE capabilities. Visage and his familiars melt under Flak Cannon fire. Chen and his dominated creeps provide perfect targets for your AOE damage. Enchantress lacks the mobility to escape your sustained damage. Lone Druid and his bear both take heavy damage from Flak Cannon. Heroes with a large summons count or lack of escape mechanisms struggle against Gyrocopter's ability to clear multiple targets efficiently. Your vision control with Homing Missile and Call Down also limits their positioning options, making you a nightmare for position-dependent heroes.