Aurel Vlaicu, the Gyrocopter, is a versatile Agility hero in DotA 1 who excels at dealing massive, sustained area-of-effect (AoE) physical damage alongside heavy early-game magical burst. Operating primarily as a carry, semi-carry, or active mid-laner, Gyrocopter leverages his superb Agility scaling and decent Strength growth to transition into a late-game physical powerhouse. With an array of high-impact skills that scale incredibly well throughout every stage of the match, he commands the battlefield by raining down destruction on single and clustered targets alike.
Base Stats & Attributes
Hero Attributes
| Attribute |
Base Value |
Growth (per level) |
| Strength |
22 |
+2.5 |
| Agility |
19 |
+3.6 |
| Intelligence |
21 |
+2.1 |
Statistics & Mechanics
| Statistic |
Value |
Mechanic |
Value |
| Damage |
40-50 |
Base HP Regen |
0.25/s |
| HP |
640 |
HP Regen |
+2.45/s |
| MP |
302 |
MP Regen |
+1.06/s |
| Armor |
4.7 |
Turn Rate |
0.6 |
| Move Speed |
315 |
Base Attack Time (BAT) |
1.7 |
| Attack Range |
365 (missile speed 3000) |
Attack Animations |
0.2 / 0.65 |
Hero Skills Breakdown
1. Rocket Barrage
Gyrocopter unleashes a massive salvo of rockets, striking random units in a small area around him. This skill deals continuous damage over a brief duration to any enemies caught in its path.
- Damage Type: Magical
- Area of Effect (AoE): 400
- Total Rockets Fired: 30
- Salvo Duration: 3 seconds
| Level |
Damage per Rocket |
Total Potential Damage |
Cooldown |
Manacost |
| 1 |
7 |
210 |
7.0 sec |
90 |
| 2 |
12 |
360 |
6.5 sec |
90 |
| 3 |
17 |
510 |
6.0 sec |
90 |
| 4 |
22 |
660 |
5.5 sec |
90 |
2. Homing Missile
The Gyrocopter launches a homing missile that will follow the target until it impacts. The missile remains inactive for a brief period upon launch before slowly accelerating toward the target, ultimately stunning and damaging them. However, enemy heroes and towers can target and destroy the missile before it reaches its destination.
- Damage Type: Magical
- Inactive Launch Delay: 2.5 seconds
- Hits to Destroy (Hero): 3 attacks
- Hits to Destroy (Tower): 6 attacks
| Level |
Magical Damage |
Stun Duration |
Cooldown |
Manacost |
| 1 |
100 |
2.25 seconds |
26.0 sec |
120 |
| 2 |
175 |
2.50 seconds |
21.0 sec |
130 |
| 3 |
250 |
2.75 seconds |
16.0 sec |
140 |
| 4 |
325 |
3.00 seconds |
11.0 sec |
150 |
3. Flak Cannon
The Gyrocopter enables all of his cannons, allowing his regular attacks to strike all enemies within a vast area around him. This effect lasts for a limited duration or until a set number of attacks are fired.
- Damage Type: Physical (matches attack damage)
- Area of Effect (AoE): 1250
- Buff Duration: 10 seconds
- Exclusion: Does not function with illusions
| Level |
Max Attacks |
Cooldown |
Manacost |
| 1 |
2 |
18.0 sec |
50 |
| 2 |
3 |
18.0 sec |
50 |
| 3 |
4 |
18.0 sec |
50 |
| 4 |
5 |
18.0 sec |
50 |
4. Call Down
The Gyrocopter launches two massive missiles at a targeted area. The first missile strikes first, followed by the second missile shortly after. Enemies caught in the blast zone when either missile impacts suffer damage and are slowed.
- Damage Type: Magical
- First Missile Delay: 2 seconds after cast
- Second Missile Delay: 4 seconds after cast
- Immunity Interaction: Has no effect on Spell Immune enemies
- Aghanim's Scepter Upgrade: Adds the Side Gunner passive, which automatically attacks a random enemy unit within a small range at regular intervals (the visual tooltip does not update).
| Level |
First Missile Damage |
First Missile Slow |
Second Missile Damage |
Second Missile Slow |
Cooldown |
Manacost |
| 1 |
150 |
30% |
200 |
60% |
90.0 sec |
125 |
| 2 |
250 |
30% |
275 |
60% |
90.0 sec |
125 |
| 3 |
350 |
30% |
350 |
60% |
90.0 sec |
125 |
Item Build Guide
| Phase |
Recommended Items |
Strategic Purpose |
| Early Game |
Phase Boots, Magic Wand, Wraith Band |
Phase Boots increases raw physical damage and allows Gyrocopter to position himself easily for point-blank Rocket Barrages. Wraith Band and Magic Wand bolster early stats and provide essential lane sustain. |
| Core Items |
Black King Bar, Helm of the Dominator, Shadow Blade |
Black King Bar is critical to ensure you are not locked down or magic-bursted while firing Flak Cannon in fights. Helm of the Dominator offers valuable lifesteal and allows you to dominate a creep to stack ancient camps. |
| Late Game |
Satanic, Butterfly, Aghanim's Scepter |
Satanic provides an instant heal when paired with Flak Cannon. Butterfly scales your physical DPS, Agility, and Evasion. Aghanim's Scepter introduces the Side Gunner passive for extra single-target damage even while stunned or moving. |
Quick Gameplay Tips
- Triple-Camp Ancient Stacking: Use the massive 1250 AoE of Flak Cannon to pull and stack multiple neutral creep camps at the same time. Stacking ancient camps early on allows Gyrocopter to quickly clear them in mid-game, catapulting his gold and experience advantage ahead of the enemy carry.
- Point-Blank Rocket Barrage: Rocket Barrage outputs devastating total damage if all 30 rockets hit a single isolated enemy. Coordinate your movement with the active speed burst of Phase Boots or the stun from Homing Missile to catch an enemy out of position. Make sure no enemy creeps are nearby to dilute the rocket damage.