Click to open network menu
Join or Log In
Mobafire logo

Join the leading League of Legends community. Create and share Champion Guides and Builds.

Create an MFN Account






Or

MOBAFire's second Mini Guide Contest of Season 14 is here! Create or update guides for the 30 featured champions and compete for up to $200 in prizes! 🏆
Not Updated For Current Season

This guide has not yet been updated for the current season. Please keep this in mind while reading. You can see the most recently updated guides on the browse guides page

x
Gangplank Build Guide by Athenriel

AD Offtank Mercenary Pirate: Tanky Gangplank

AD Offtank Mercenary Pirate: Tanky Gangplank

Updated on March 23, 2013
New Guide
Vote Vote
League of Legends Build Guide Author Athenriel Build Guide By Athenriel 32,159 Views 7 Comments
32,159 Views 7 Comments League of Legends Build Guide Author Athenriel Gangplank Build Guide By Athenriel Updated on March 23, 2013
x
Did this guide help you? If so please give them a vote or leave a comment. You can even win prizes by doing so!
Vote
Comment

You must be logged in to comment. Please login or register.

I liked this Guide
I didn't like this Guide
Commenting is required to vote!
Would you like to add a comment to your vote?

Your votes and comments encourage our guide authors to continue
creating helpful guides for the League of Legends community.

Choose Champion Build:

  • LoL Champion: Gangplank
    S2
  • LoL Champion: Gangplank
    S3
  • LoL Champion: Gangplank
    S2
  • LoL Champion: Gangplank
    S3

Testing for Season 3

In more development please wait =)

The past season builds are labelled S2, while the newer on testing for this season are labelled S3.

Each season has 2 builds, divided in damage focus and in defense focus, The Saltwater Scourge and Special Pirate Forces respectively.

The lifesteal may seem negligible but it is not when sustaining off crits =P

Also, I dont level my skills the same way every fight, I try to accomodate to my top lane opponent, so I strongly suggest you do so too.

I know Guardian Angel is not as good as it was, but I think it is a strong last item in my build, just be careful not to get caught far away from your team (you got the damage, you got some tankyness, now you have auto-life)
Back to Top

Introduction

Welcome everyone.

This is a build guide about Gangplank the mighty pirate. I focus on CDR, ArP, good damage and survivability. This is not a glass cannon nor a tank build, its somewhere between them.

I am currently working on a viable Off-tank build now.

And SFGP is out!

Please do comment =)
Back to Top

Story of a Badass Mighty Pirate King Yarrr

Gangplank was born the son of the dread pirate captain Vincent the Shadow - one of the most wealthy and feared pirates in all of Blue Flame Island. One might think this would have spoiled the boy with a cushioned life of privilege, but the truth is quite the opposite. Growing up in the city of Bilgewater isn't easy; pirates are not known for their compassion, and that most certainly extends to their families. Vincent wanted his son to grow up tough and strong, so he was extremely hard on the young Gangplank. Even as a child, Gangplank was as mean as a snake and is said to have slept with his eyes open. As he grew, the young man rapidly became the most ruthless and feared pirate in all of Bilgewater, and his daddy was never more proud than on the day of his son's eighteenth birthday - when Gangplank stabbed his old man in the back and claimed the famed pirate ship, the Dead Pool, for his own.

The continent of Valoran, however, is a dangerous place for pirates; Gangplank could read the writing on the wall. The den of pirates known as Bilgewater would soon be pulled down by the undertow of Valoranian politics and the Institute of War. It was time for Bilgewater to have their own champion to represent them in the League of Legends, and who better than the fiercest pirate of them all? It is said that Gangplank has enough power and favor to claim the title of the Pirate King back home, but that he is simply biding his time and building his reputation as a champion before he returns to a life of piracy.


"Yo ho, blow the man down. Or at least shoot him when his back is turned and steal all his booty."
Back to Top

Pros / Cons

Pros
  • You get sufficient ArP in early and late game.
  • Enough mana to spam like crazy.
  • CDR to keep spamming like crazy.
  • Good Ar in mid-late game.
  • Tenacity and Cleanse to avoid CC.
  • Still lots of damage due to crits.
  • Quite fast (almost impossible to escape from).
  • Badass Pirate.

Cons
  • Needs a lot of money (17407 gold).
  • Enemy team might focus you due to your Badassery.
  • Gangplank doesnt like ranged carries (tricky landlovers!)
Back to Top

Skill Sequence


This passive is amazing due to poison DoT and slow debuff.

This is an excellent mid range harassing skill, and since it procs passive buffs (like critical strike, slow, Grog Soaked Blade and more) is ideal to spam.
Cooldown with 38% CDR = 3.1 seconds OMG

Removes CC effects and restores life. Amazing oranges. Cooldown with 38% CDR = 11.16 seconds

A great team buff to initiate or escape a fight. Also good passive. Cooldown with 38% CDR = 15.5 seconds

A great skill with aoe slow and damage, and global. Cooldown with 38% CDR = 68.2 seconds

> >
So yeah, first max Parrrrrrley, then max Morale (to chase enemies) and finally max nice fruit.

Tips:

When escaping and snared or stunned, if you have enough HP, dont use Remove Scurvy yet, wait a bit in case you are targeted with another CC.

Cannon Barrage should be leveled when possible. A global skill means it can be casted anywhere, literally. Try to get all enemy team in range in one shot. Also usefull to save tower full of enemy creeps with no ally to defend it. Do check your map in order to help allies who are getting ganked.

Alternative skill sequence:
Ability Sequence
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
In this sequence you exchange damage for better healing by maxing Remove Scurvy first, Parrrley second and Raise Morale third.
Back to Top

Runes


Designed to give you armor on early game (when it is needed the most) and magic resistance on the long run, and lots of armor penetration which can render any squishy death.

If you do not plan to build Last Whisper I wouldnt recommend getting damage or critical damage runes due to the fact that this builds ArP is quite powerful.

Alternative runes:

Runes

Precision
Fleet Footwork
Phase Rush
To get more powerful on the long run.
Back to Top

Masteries

Back to Top

Summoner Spells

plus tenacity to avoid Crowd Control and death.
enchanced to chase or flee and reduce enemy Ar and MR by 10.

Other valid Summoner Spells are:
if you want to get really agressive on the first levels, a DoT might ensure the kill.
if you feel you need to get somewhere really fast.
escaping through walls is always good.
jungling pirate.

All depending on your preferences and/or enemy team.
Back to Top

Farming

Unless in lane againts a huge evil harasser, Gangplank can farm easily keeping at bay enemies with Parrrley. But you have to be careful not to run out of mana in the first 8 levels.

Last hit minions with Parrrley only when you are about to return home.

Dont worry, after stacking mana, you can Parrrley turrets if you wish.
Back to Top

Items

Item Sequence

Enchantment: Furor 450
Frozen Heart 2500
Trinity Force 3333
Infinity Edge 3400
Youmuu's Ghostblade 2700
Phantom Dancer 2600
So this build gives you lots of armor penetration plus mana and CDR in order to be able to spam combined with critical chance and critical damage to kill while surviving with armor and magic resistance.

Start


Core


Mid Game


Late Game



First lets get Boots to be able to harass enemies with Parrrley from afar (depending on enemy, passive or agressive style). Dont get too greedy and try not to die.

Return home around level 5 or 6, get a Sapphire Crystal and try to get Avarice Blade to get some mana and GP10.

Dont forget to Sight Ward or Vision Ward and foresee enemy ganking (MIA, map awareness).

Try to get a kill, on next return home, finish your Mercury's Treads and get a Pickaxe

Now we have some mana, some damage and some critical chance, we now want armor, get Chain Vest and upgrade it as soon as possible to a Glacial Shroud

Aquire a Zeal and a Sheen to proc and to crit decently.

Next finish Trinity Force to get good utility.

Lets get The Brutalizer now for some ArP and CDR, always handy.

Since GP10 is only usefull till Avarice Blade turns into Youmuu's Ghostblade we will focus on the Infinity Edge and finishing our Frozen Heart
Now we deal lots of damage with crits and passively make enemies slower.

Late game, enemies might get armor, so it is a good idea to finish now Youmuu's Ghostblade and get a nice active as well.

Finally, finish the Phantom Dancer to get your crit chance, your aspd and your mspd up A.K.A BAUS Status
Back to Top

Basic Strategy

Lets say its midgame and you find yourself in a 1vs1 situation, heres a basic guideline of what should be going on:

Now you have 2 options:
You go home OR you wait for Remove Scurvy and heal and go gank FTW

Note: dont forget to be a teamplayer n.n
Back to Top

Team Work

Late game you will be doing lots of damage, so keeping yourself alive during team fights is crucial.

Dont ever initiate a team fight with Cannon Barrage since enemies will escape in most cases, it is better to wait for an ally to initiate and then Cannon Barrage a bit behind enemies so they have no escape and just die.

Also, keep Raise Morale up since it helps everyone on your team.

Practice the IN - Parrrley - OUT so you stay healthy and focus squishis OR threats. In most cases, tanks arent threats neither squishis, so leave them for dessert =P

Note: Dont forget to steal their buffs =D
Back to Top

Variations

Sometimes, you will find an enemy team that can pretty much block you, but dont fear, here are some tips:
Other very usefull items in case you dont like one of the recommended (lets say you dont like Youmuu's Ghostblade here are some good substitutes =D)

is a great AD and MR item that also gives you more damage output the more health you are missing.

great for HP and mana regeneration and comes with CDR (just dont forget that the max CDR is 40%).

good life steal, bit of armor and AD and a free ward.

zeke's herald bit of health, CDR, aura of 20% attack speed and 12% life steal.

in case of enemies with large hp and armor but no MR. A little armor bonus, good damage bonus and attack speed bonus.

only for Dominion, good against Casters and deals up to 600 AoE damage.

nice health and aura of mana regen and CDR.

Ar and MR and a revive.

excelent armor reduction and damage bonus.

incredible damage bonus and good life steal.

incredible HP bonus.

good armor and excelent active, could give you precious time to wait for Remove Scurvy cooldown and heal you for 100 more (100% AP bonus).

In case you get to 40% CDR, you would get:
Back to Top

New Off-tank build

Back to Top

Summary

All in all, is a strong and versatile AD champ thats funny to play with.

Personally, I love his quotes and skills, and I hope this guide lets you see a side of him you never knew existed.

"Yarr I'm a Mighty Pirate!"
Back to Top

Le End

Thanks for reading. If you follow this build, please write back your experience and feedback.

Finally, if you have anything to point out or ask, feel free to do so n.n

Credits to jhoijhoi for the guide about making a guide, which you can find here.
Download the Porofessor App for Windows

League of Legends Champions:

Teamfight Tactics Guide