Flying Machine (Warcraft III)

The ingenious dwarven engineers replaced their gyrocopters with upgraded flying machines during the events of The Frozen Throne.

Information
Flying Machines are cheap, but extremely effective anti-air units. While a small batch of flying machines is unimpressive, they are particularly effective against medium aerial units such as Dragonhawk Riders, Gryphon Riders and Wind Riders when sufficiently massed.

The Flying Machine can automatically detect invisible units, such as Shades and mines.

Flying Machines possess the ability to attack ground units when Flying Machine Bombs are researched. This gives the Flying Machine the ability to attack air units, although its extremely weak and only effective against buildings; even then, it requires numerous Flying Machines just to destroy a town hall, though it does make them ideal for harassment due to being aerial units and possessing already high movement compared to Siege Engines.

Troll Batriders can use Unstable Concoction to suicide themselves onto the Flying Machines, essentially killing them in a single hit. If the player is moving a large number of machines, two or three Troll Batriders can decimate the following group.
 * Counters

Their relatively low health also means a concentrated group of Gargoyles, Hippogryphs, and Frost Wyrms can easily destroy large groups of Flying Machines, due to the machine's low health. Gargoyles and Hippogryphs possess a powerful and rapid aerial attack that easily overwhelms the Flying Machine, while the Frost Wyrm's high health and damage can take down Flying Machines with ease due to their magic-type attack being highly effective against Heavy armor.

True Sight (Passive)

 * Reveals nearby invisible units.

Flying Machine ombs (Passive)

 * Allows Flying Machines to attack land units.

The Flying Machine gains a weak siege "melee" range attack allowing them to attack ground units and buildings. Avoid getting this research to ensure the Flying Machines don't target ground units (and then proceed to get destroyed by other aerial units they should be destroying in the first place). Only research if the machines are designated for base bombing runs.

Flak annons (Passive)

 * Upgrades the weapons on Flying Machines to give them an area effect damage attack against air units.

The damage dealt by Flak Cannons is affected by both Armor type and value.

So the damage values listed above will actually be double against Light armor,

and 50% more against Unarmored.

Battle.net description
Mechanical flying machine flown by a Dwarven pilot.

World Editor description

 * Fast moving flying machine. Excellent at scouting, and effective against air units. Can learn the Flying Machine Bombs and Flak Cannons upgrades.

Quotes

 * See Warcraft III Flying Machine quotes