Gangplank can carry his team if he is built right, and played well.
I have seen a lot of people letting their team down with building Gangplank without any HP/Tank items. Since I began to play Gangplank i learned that he is one of the best solo laners at the game. And I'll share my thoughts here.



>>>>> Under Construction <<<<<

With MUCH more to come. This was my first stroke and I would love comments with oppinion about this guide/build. What you think so far, and what would you preffer seeing in further information about Gangplank ? :]
Ill answer all your questions if you have any.

I choose teleport for several reasons. First of all, Gangplank as off-tank needs a lot of items, that will make him tanky and damage dealing champion. Playing with a jungler in the team, Gangplank is a good solo lane player. That means he needs to farm a lot. Especially with his Q Parrrley Gangplank gains a lot of gold. The second reason is to not miss out both on lane and teamfights at special situations as pushes, ganks, or drake/baron.



Defensive:
I choose flash because it gives Gangplank survivability, if Remove Scurvy and Raise Morale is not enough to escape.
Offensive:
It gives easy way to take out any squisher carry in enemy team at teamfight.
It can be used in very different situations, so I would really choose this instead of ghost anytime.



The same reasons as Flash just i would say less effective. Gangplank at solo lane doesn't have to chase enemys down that much. Remove Scurvy , witch takes off stuns and other cc's together with Raise Morale that gives movement speed, and Parrrley with grog-soaked blade removing enemy speed is usually enough to catch up without using ghost.



It can be used instead of Teleport dependent on your own will. It is a great way to take out any AD carry on enemy team, as well as helping out at ganks, or to get away when you are ganked. Gangplank has slow allready, so it stacks up easily. Though, i'd like to mention that Gangplank with this build shouldn't have any problems with any ad carry at midgame or later.



I wouldn't recommend this item on Gangplank. Tho if you are facing a champion dependent on lifesteal like Fiddlesticks , Nocturne. Ignite is a great spell to kill them without a bigger problem.

greater mark of desolation


greater mark of desolation - Armor penatration is great on Gangplank since he is Attack Damage. Simply, armor penatration is Awsome! on Gangplank

- Armor on Gangplank takes out his squishyness at early game. Since you are at solo lane, you don't want to die easily. That's why I take Armor flat runes.

- Magic ressistance is pretty much as Armor runes, just against AP opponents at lane and jungle ganks. Yep, it's why i choose it.

- Off-tank has to be with health. Lot's of health. Health is good, the longer you are alive, more awsome damage you do with Gangplank



There are people who take critical damage runes/attack speed runes. But i think while playing solo lane it is much more important you can stay at lane as long as possible not wasting exp. or minions you can last hit. Survivability on Gangplank will only do good for you and your team.

Gangplank's basic attacks and Parrrley apply a poison that deals magic damage each second and slows movement speed. Lasts 3 seconds and stacks up to 3 times.
Remember that this stacks very great up with Red Buff. Causing quite a "poison" effect. Great passive to harass enemy champions just using Parrrley and watching theyr HP go down after the hit too.




Gankplank takes aim and shoots an enemy unit with his pistol. If he kills it, he gains extra gold.
YES! Right! EXTRA GOLD! And that's what you are going to use your Parrrley for. To last hit minions. It costs you a little bit of mana, but that is why you are buying philosopher's stone. Of course you still can't spam your Parrrley like crazy. But you can last hit minions and earn very good gold at your lane. (Your last hit at minions will bring you in front of your opponent if you last hit as many minnions as him.)



Consumes a large quantity of citrus fruit which clears any crowd control effects on him and heals him.
This is what Alistar does with his ultimate. You just have this skill always ready, so eat some oranges, and you will be k! It heals you too, but this skill requires lots of mana, so it shouldn't not be spammed unless you really have to.


Gangplank fires a shot into the air, increasing nearby allied champions' attack damage and movement speed.

Passive: Gangplank gains Attack Damage and Movement Speed.

Active: Gangplank fires his pistol into the air, disabling his passive boost but increasing his Attack Damage and Movement Speed aswell nearby allied champions' Attack Damage and Movement Speed by half that amount.

Buff buff! This skill can be used in offense and defense. To catch or to run away. I max it at the last since other skills are more effective in lane.


Gangplank signals his ship to fire upon an area for 7 seconds, slowing enemies and dealing random damage in the area.
Signals Gangplank's ship to fire upon an area for 7 seconds, slowing enemies in the area by 25% for the duration. Cannonballs rain upon the area, each causing magic damage.

This skill can be used ANYWHERE on the map. That makes you a great solo laner. You can help anyone and anywhere, as long as you keep communication with your team. You can use it in defense and offence. This skill has to be used in every team fight, since you slow and damage all your opponents in the area for quite a long time.

Philosopher's Stone

This item is great on solo top. You recieve health regeneration together with mana regeneration and extra gold per 10 secs. That makes a great start for staying on lane longer. Instead of taking Brawler's Gloves for more damage, i take more survivability and more mana for Parrrley



I choose these boots because of tenacity and magic defense. Tenacity is great when you are tanky. Together with your skill Remove Scurvy it makes you hard to controll for enemy team, so you can take carrys and other squishies out easily.



This item is good to have right after mercury's threads and philosopher's stone because it stacks up health on your minnion kills. Health is good! Very good thing to have on Gangplank as off-tank.



This item will make your health into attack damage and adding some critical chance for your Parrrley and basic attacks. You will deal good damage after getting this far with items. This should probably be mid-game or early-late mid-game.



Basicly boost to everything you have. Boosts your slow, increases your physical attack after using a skill and crit chance and attack speed. This item is very nice on Gangplank It makes every skill hurt even more to your opponent team.



Time to make your critical eat half/all carrys HP! This is lategame item, that if you manage to farm enough for, you are very dangerous for your team. Now you can do really good damange and you are very tanky.



This item will give you lifesteal and more Attack Damage.

Tho the last item can be bought on different situations. Like if you have problems with enemy AD carrys, buy a Thornmail, if enemy team has some AP carry fed, buy Force of Nature or even think about Guardian Angel for longer time in teamfights

Early game

*The very start*

For the starters I usually buy Regrowth Pendant and 1 Health Potion.
Why Regrowth Pendant ? Because it gives you more time staying in lane without b'ing. Survivability of Gangplank is very important, since you have to last hit minnions and not miss out on lane. Regrowth Pendant is very nice for the starter item.
At first levels use mana to farm with your Parrrley since you need it to get extra gold for killing a minnion. It's very nice to farm with Gangplank since you can both do mellee and ranged attack with Parrrley. This is why you try to max your Parrrley as fast as possible to get even more gold. Try to only last hit minnions, so they don't get too far to enemys turret, so you can be ganked by an enemy jungler. Since you haven't a sight ward or Vision Ward near your lane.

*Jungler trouble/assistance*

Usually enemy jungler will want to gank top lane, where you are. Since Gangplank doesn't have natural escape mechanism, keep your Remove Scurvy always ready to use. Use it when you are stunned or slowed, it will remove it, so you just use your Raise Morale and increase your movement speed. And if even that doesn't help, just Flash out to your turret.

If enemys are diving your turret, and you are level 6, use your ultimate on them, and Parrrley. That should slow them up. Remember that you have high running speed with Raise Morale and they have huge slow of both your ultimate and Parrrley with the passive skill. So run around turret and watch them die =]

If your team jungler is going to help you kill your opponent, you should begin with Parrrley at our enemy champion, then Raise Morale so your mate can come closer to enemey, and ultimate towards the enemy escape way, so he gets slowed and damaged. Never start a gank with your ultimate. It will be obvious for your enemy that you are engaging. While u start with Parrrley it sets on cooldown, and you can shoot the enemy again, before he got out of your ultimate area, giving him even more slow and damage.
Keep aware of that usually Gangplank starts the gank, not the jungler. Since you aren't that squishy, even early game, because you have armor and magic resist runes.
If you are stunned or slowed while chasing the enemy, have your Remove Scurvy ready. So you can mommentaly get out of it.

*Finally going back*

If your enemy get's busy, or needs to get back to buy/ heal. Just push the minnions to enemys turret. That should give enough time to get back, buy your things and run back to lane.

Try not to use Teleport as long as it's possible. You might need to use it to help to take the drake, when jungler and other lanes are ready. You are very important in teamfights, if enemy solo laner is at lane, you can do easy 5v4 since you have teleport to get there/ or to get back.

So it's time to get back and buy stuff. Now you just buy philosopher's stone and Boots. If you have even more gold. If your opponent is AP Try to buy Null-Magic Mantle or even Mercury's Treads if you have enough gold for that. If your enemy is AD you can buy Boots and Brawler's Gloves witch you can upgrade to Avarice Blade and get more critical chance and gold per second.

Remember to buy a sight ward or even a few. You have to keep your ward next to your lane so you won't get ganked by enemy jungler unnoticed. As Gangplank you have to always look at your mini-map. Both because your are solo top lane, and you can get ganked and because you have to assist your team with your ultimate, or with teleporting near them.
This doesn't mean you have time to stand and watch your enemys fight and think about whether you land your ulti or not. If there is a chance that it can help, just use it. Don't save it up for something. Ask your teammates at the start of the game to blink and type [ult] or if you are online speaking with your friend/friends, ask them to tell you to launch the ultimate.

*And farm again...*

Keep hitting those minions with you Parrrley. Time to farm for Warmog's Armor.
No matter of the situation, this item is a MUST. Even if your team is winning a lot, you should still buy it. Even if you are 7/0 buy this item. To have a lot of HP can never make you worse for your team than you are. AP-AD carrys are buying damage things, you need to tank up.

16.01.12 - Created the build. Began to write on - Introduction;Summoner Spells;Skills;Runes;Items sections.

17.01.12 - Began to write on Gameplay section (Early game part); Wrote a little bit more on Items section.

21.01.12 - Change item - The Bloodthrister