Gangplank Build Guide by Jggidorrry

Intro

So this is a critplank guide. It's pretty terrible due to it being my first guide. However, I absolutely love Gangplank, and I find that the only viable way to play him is with lot's of crit. Playing him like a tank leaves you being little but an annoyance with some support. Your ult really doesn't do that much damage to be a huge game changer like Amumu or Shen, and while offtanking can leave you some viability and versatility, you're still an easy target. CritPlank may be a one-trick pony, but it's a pony no one want's to get close to. Your early game can be weak with your horrible mana efficiency and lack of crits, but mid and late you are a poking force that is not to be trifled with.

Runes

Quints:
3x Quintessence of Critical Damage

You definitely need these. These quints are what helps take decent crits, and turns them into AWESOME crits.

Marks:
7x Mark of Critical Chance

These give you some extra early crit chance, and boost your late game up just enough to be critting almost every hit.

2x Mark of Critical Damage

More boost to your crits.

Alternatively you can take any combination of the above and Mark of Attack Damage, flat or scaling, if you feel you need more regular damage. If your early game farming is lacking, I suggest the flat AD runes, as your Parrrley is on a 1.0 AD ratio.


Seals:
9x Seal of Armor

Any toplaner knows Seal of Armor is the way to go. But if you prefer being beefier lategame, choose Seal of Scaling Health. This will give you a decent health boost(175) later on, which will boost your Atma's Impaler damage by almost 3 AD!


Glyphs:
9x Glyph of Scaling Magic Resist

Unless you have some crazy preference for the CDR runes, Scaling MR is the way to go.

Pros And Cons

Early-Game Build and Farming

You should start off each game with Brawler's Gloves and 2 pots. This gets you started on Avarice Blade early, with makes your q farming amazing. To maximize your farming efficiency, you should go back with no less than 750 gold to buy your Avarice Blade and Boots of Speed. Spend anything extra on wards and potions. You might want to pick Crystalline Flask since as I said, your mana is atrocious. Only pick it up if you can afford at least 1 Sight Ward, or else you leave yourself open to ganks.

Try to last hit as many minions as you can with your Parrrley, as the bonus gold does stack up nicely. At max rank with Avarice Blade, you earn a bonus 10 gold, plus the GP10 from avarice, making 10 minions mean a whole lot more. You should be rushing a B. F. Sword at this point, spending extra on wards and potions. If at any point you die with only 400 gold, buy your Null-Magic Mantle or Cloth Armor you will use to upgrade your boots later on.

Mid-Game Build and Role

Mid-Game, you are a farming machine. Take every chance you can to q some minions and push your lane as safely as you can. Harassing your opponent becomes a lot easier after you pick up Sheen and its bonus mana.

It's at this point I'd like to point out why I pick Trinity Force over Iceborn Gauntlet. While the gauntlet gives you a Tiamat effect and a slow field, it lacks a crit chance stat and HP for Atma's Impaler.

After Sheen, you should build your B. F. Sword into the glorious Infinity Edge it was meant to be, and anything extra should be put into wards to help your team or Zeal/ Phage. Pick up Zeal over Phage if you're doing alright and don't really need the extra HP, but if you're getting harassed too much, Phage is the better choice for the health and kiting.

At this point in the game the enemy team, along with yours, is going to start looking to make plays, especially in midlane. When it comes to fighting, you're pretty bad in the group. Try to stay out of range and poke as much as you can, using Remove Scurvy if someone gets you with cc. If any squishies get too close, make them regret playing League today. A lucky crit can completely remove a carry from a fight, giving your team the advantage.

Your Cannon Barrage can be used both offensively and defensively. Try to use it only when you are certain the fight is happening, and place it to entice the enemy carries to back away or get closer, rather than try to do damage. Your cannonballs don't do all that much damage mid and late game, but carries are, and should be, afraid of any damage directed at them. You can also use your ult to get rowdy enemies off your turret.

All in all, your mid-game is purely poke and continuing to farm up. In terms of build, finish your boots and Trinity Force first, then move on to Blade of the Ruined King and Atma's Impaler.

Late-Game Build and Teamfights

By now you're becoming stupid strong, critting the enemy ADC for 50% health if they've forgone Warmog's Armor. As you choose your last items, consider your opponents build, as well as your own crit chance. If you chose Statikk Shiv over Atma's Impaler, you may want to round it out with a little extra health from Warmog's Armor(against AD comps) or Spirit Visage(against AP comps), or Frozen Mallet if you need more consistent kiting than Trinity Force is giving you.

However, the best item I've found for your last slot for maximum crit potential is Phantom Dancer. With and incredible 30% crit chance and 5% movespeed, you will be an inescapable crit machine, making carries cry for help, and tanks wonder why their health is dropping so quickly. You can easily hit for upwards of 1200 on low-armor targets, stopping tower dives in their tracks with pants-filling intimidation. Combine PD with Trinity Force's and Raise Morale's movespeed multipliers, and escape will not be an option. I recommend the Enchantment: Alacrity or Enchantment: Furor to reduce the enemy team to a pile of sniveling cowards, running from the might of your awesome Q. Alternatively, if you hate Atma's Impaler and Statikk Shiv, a second Phantom Dancer is an acceptable item for 100% crit chance and movespeed, but you then forego bonus damage and other stats.

Since I Stated earlier why Tri-force is better than Frozen Fist, so I guess I should give you the reason for Atma's Impaler over Statikk Shiv. Yes, I know the passive can crit. Yes, both items provide the same crit chance. Yes, Shiv gives movespeed and CDR. However, at 18, you are a huge target, and the 45 armor helps A LOT. At 33 bonus AD, that's 88 more damage along with the defensive and crit stats.

Last Words

Critplank is a one-trick pony, and the best kind in fact. You are capable of dealing some of the highest burst damage in the game, especially for a top-laner. Your ult can change a team-fight, slow key enemies, or get the key ace in an all-out push to win. You can't be cc'd because oranges have the mystical property of "Screw off, Malzahar".

However, there are 2 things you must never forget. Your passive, Grog Soaked Blade, attaches a stacking slow(up to 21%) and DOT(up to 63 every second for 3 seconds). This, combined with your Cannon Barrage and Ignite can all but guarantee a kill on even footing, in most situations. If nothing else, you can certainly burn their summoner's. Flash is big, since they think it helps escape Ignite, or Cleanse for the higher class ADCs.

But most importantly, more important than the oxygen that you are currently breathing, is remembering your E. Raise Morale gives your team and AOE speed and AD buff, further instilling fear in the hearts of enemies, and increasing your crits ever more. That 40 AD(technically 20 more than you were already getting) can make the difference in securing a kill, or letting that pansy Draven take it with his bleed. Remember kids, don't let Draven get the kill you deserve. Press E.