Semi-daily hero tips. Day 35: Gyrocopter

PREVIOUS HEROES

• Abaddon
• Alchemist
• Ancient Apparition
• Anti-Mage
• Arc Warden
• Axe
• Bane
• Batrider
• Beastmaster
• Bloodseeker
• Bounty Hunter
• Brewmaster
• Bristleback
• Broodmother
• Centaur Warrunner
• Chaos Knight
• Chen
• Clinkz
• Clockwerk
• Crystal Maiden
• Dark Seer
• Dazzle
• Death Prophet
• Disruptor
• Doom
• Dragon Knight
• Drow Ranger
• Earth Spirit
• Earthshaker
• Elder Titan
• Ember Spirit
• Enchantress
• Enigma
• Faceless Void

DISCLAIMER

A lot of you probably know about the weekly hero discussion, but that often ends up in a meta discussion (whether or not the hero needs buffs, etc) or a meme war than actual tips to play, itemize and build the hero.

This is what I'd like to do. Please discuss any notes I made and possible improvements while also giving tips of your own if you have them.

The roles, skill builds and item builds, as well as a lot of the notes are my opinion on matters and should not be seen as a must do or don't. Also remember that almost every single build or role is situationally possible.

A lot of the tips on heroes were also mentioned in tsunami's amazing hero tips series he did over the last couple of years.

Gyrocopter

Notes:

• Similar to TA refraction and Ursa overpower, use flak cannon a while (not more than 10 sec though) before you engage so you can use it again sooner.
• Stack ancients or don't build HotD at all! You can also share your unit with everyone on the team and ask them to help you out.
• Unlike common believe, the 150 bonus damage dealt from shadow blade does not work with your first flak cannon hit on everyone. Don't build!
• Don't be afraid to 1v1 early. Rocket barrage deals 690 magic damage at lvl 4.
• Versus: Low on HP? don't run away from the rocket if you're not sure it will go down while you run. Run into it head first.
• Creeps don't do damage to the rocket. Only the tower and heroes do.
• Versus: Similar to playing against luna, ward the ancients, kill the domi creep and/or steal his stacks (preferably by winning a teamfight first, smokes work great to achieve both)
• If you drop Homing Missile targeting a PL Illusion and the Illusion dies before it hits, the Homing Missile will change targets to the real PL. (Is this still the case?)
• Good versus: Visage, Naga, Undying (Flack cannon), IO (Gyro's up close burst and homing missile is very hard to relocate into), TA (rocket barrage shreds through refraction)
• Counters: KotL (mana leak, keeps his distance, blinding light), Huskar, LS, AM, Juggernaut, Pudge (magic resist/immunity), Zeus (keeps his distance, high burst against squishy gyro), Spectre (outcarries him late game, dispersion)

Role: Hard carry (, mid, support)

Skill build: max rocket barrage

Item build:

• Classic build: (Midas,) RoB -> RoA, (Wand,) phase, HotD, BKB, (drums,) MKB, BFly, Satanic (, Rapier)
• Aghs build: RoA, Wand, Phase, (Medallion, Crystalis, Morbid Mask) Aghs, (Solar Crest,) Satanic, Daedalus (, MKB)