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Recommended Items
Spells:
Ignite
Flash
Items
Ability Order
Trial By Fire (PASSIVE)
Gangplank Passive Ability
Introduction: The Saltwater Scourge
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This can be good or bad, as he can accomplish a lot with a good summoner, but may also accomplish nothing if the summoner does not know how to properly use him.
However, the style I will be specifically showcasing in this guide is a Bruiser/Fighter play style.
This goals of this guide will focus on being able to deal continual DPS, with slight emphasis on durability to handle a beating or two. This will allow you the choice of whether you want to play the "Poke an enemy's HP down." game, or the "Let's brawl." game.
Either way, as the top laner, and the off-tank for your team, you will be in the front line, helping to lead the charge forward in engages with your AOE speed boost. As well as calling in the assault of global cannon-fire to block enemies off from running, or to cover your escape route.
Either way, as the top laner, and the off-tank for your team, you will be in the front line, helping to lead the charge forward in engages with your AOE speed boost. As well as calling in the assault of global cannon-fire to block enemies off from running, or to cover your escape route.
Pros:
- Free bonus gold income
- Free Heal & Cleanse (that can remove Suppression)
- Free Attack Damage & Movement Speed
- Steroid gives Attack Damage & Movement Speed to nearby allies
- Global AOE Ultimate with soft crowd control
- Lots of slowing effects
- Strong champion if you know what you're doing
- Extremely versatile (you can practically play him wherever and however you want)
Cons:
- Very limited sources of damage
- No hard crowd control
- Useless champion if you don't know what you're doing
- Extremely versatile (with so many ways to play/build him, and nothing set in stone (like most ADCs), without decent knowledge and good judgement, you may play/build him incorrectly which could result badly)
- Free bonus gold income
- Free Heal & Cleanse (that can remove Suppression)
- Free Attack Damage & Movement Speed
- Steroid gives Attack Damage & Movement Speed to nearby allies
- Global AOE Ultimate with soft crowd control
- Lots of slowing effects
- Strong champion if you know what you're doing
- Extremely versatile (you can practically play him wherever and however you want)
Cons:
- Very limited sources of damage
- No hard crowd control
- Useless champion if you don't know what you're doing
- Extremely versatile (with so many ways to play/build him, and nothing set in stone (like most ADCs), without decent knowledge and good judgement, you may play/build him incorrectly which could result badly)
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NOTE: There aren't many other viable options, and you may not believe me so I will explain why (excluding the obvious summoner spells):
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Marks: Attack Damage - Not that you need it, as Q (
Parrrley) and E (
Raise Morale) should make it incredibly easy to last hit, and give you bonus damage when poking/fighting. There's just nothing more useful, so you might as well further amplify your poke/harass.
Seals: Armor - Because you're melee, you're a bruiser in top lane, and there's nothing better.
Glyphs: Flat Magic Resist - Not scaling, because you have scaling magic resist, and you'll be buying some magic resist too.
Quints: There are a few other viable options here (besides the Lifesteal shown), so I will showcase their pros and cons:
- Ability Power: In a difficult match up, this will actually significantly improve your multiple heals over time in lane, most notably early game. (Good against a ranged match up)
- Gold (2nd most viable option): With an innate ability for bonus gold income, and the fact that you'll be building a gold income item as well, this will help you get much more ahead in the early game, and will synergize with your other gold income sources to strengthen your mid to late game as you get stronger and better items quicker.
- Percentage Health: Won't hurt if you're looking to play it safe.
NOTE: Options you might have thought were viable, but really aren't that great:
- Attack Damage: Q (
Parrrley) makes it more than easy to last hit, and With AD boosts on E (
Raise Morale), 3 AD Quints for 6.75 AD becomes less noticeable and significant, so you'd be much better off with 6% lifesteal.
- Movement Speed: Unnecessary with built in movement speed on E (
Raise Morale) and likely that you'll be buying a movement speed enhancing item.
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Seals: Armor - Because you're melee, you're a bruiser in top lane, and there's nothing better.
Glyphs: Flat Magic Resist - Not scaling, because you have scaling magic resist, and you'll be buying some magic resist too.
Quints: There are a few other viable options here (besides the Lifesteal shown), so I will showcase their pros and cons:
- Ability Power: In a difficult match up, this will actually significantly improve your multiple heals over time in lane, most notably early game. (Good against a ranged match up)
- Gold (2nd most viable option): With an innate ability for bonus gold income, and the fact that you'll be building a gold income item as well, this will help you get much more ahead in the early game, and will synergize with your other gold income sources to strengthen your mid to late game as you get stronger and better items quicker.
- Percentage Health: Won't hurt if you're looking to play it safe.
NOTE: Options you might have thought were viable, but really aren't that great:
- Attack Damage: Q (
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- Movement Speed: Unnecessary with built in movement speed on E (
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9/21/0
Offensive Tree: 2 Options - AD or AP
- The AD option is shown as to be more "standard", however, if you run AP Quints in your Runes knowing you'll have a hard time in lane, running points in AP here will drastically increase the strength of your heals even more. (Such as against a ranged match up)
-
Feast taken to lighten the load ever so slightly on your mana when farming with Q (
Parrrley)
Defensive Tree: Standard defensive points taken.
- However I pick up
Oppression
because you'll almost always be applying slows to your target, thus you'll always take less damage.
- I also take
Swiftness
as
Gangplank does rely on his movement speed more than champions like
Renekton who simply uses two gap closers to get in range.
- Opted for
Evasive
because as the team's bruiser/fighter, you'll likely be taking a lot of AOE damage even if you're not the main target.
- Lack of points in Armor tree can be substituted by the fact that you'll have many heals in lane to make up for it.
-
Tenacious
is a unnecessary, but nothing better to take.
Offensive Tree: 2 Options - AD or AP
- The AD option is shown as to be more "standard", however, if you run AP Quints in your Runes knowing you'll have a hard time in lane, running points in AP here will drastically increase the strength of your heals even more. (Such as against a ranged match up)
-
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Defensive Tree: Standard defensive points taken.
- However I pick up
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- I also take
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- Opted for
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- Lack of points in Armor tree can be substituted by the fact that you'll have many heals in lane to make up for it.
-
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Level up your ultimate when it's available at Levels 6, 11, and 16.
1. Max Q (
Parrrley): Increasing the damage for poke/harass, and increased gold gain when using it to farm.
2. Max W (
Remove Scurvy): Increases the amount of heal by a significant amount, helps a lot for lane sustain and survivability.
3. Max E (
Raise Morale): The bonus AD and Move speed for nearby allies is useless unless you have allies around, so it's not needed until later in the game.
NOTE: (Refer back to skill order at the beginning of this guide)
- I take a point in Q (
Parrrley) at Level 1 for poke/harass and to start farming up an advantage early.
- I then take a point in W (
Remove Scurvy), and place my Level 3 point here too, because you can usually expect a gank around level 2 or 3. By putting a second point here, it ensures your safety and survival should they get a good gank off, as it increases the heal amount by 70 HP. Much more useful than putting your Level 3 point in Q, which gives a damage increase of 25. This will also improve your chances of survival should an
Ignite be thrown down on you during the gank, as the Level 2 Heal almost nullifies the
Ignite damage.
1. Max Q (
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2. Max W (
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3. Max E (
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NOTE: (Refer back to skill order at the beginning of this guide)
- I take a point in Q (
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- I then take a point in W (
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Starting Items
Core Start:
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Optional Starts: (none of which I recommend because it brings down your health/mana potion count, which is what Gangplank heavily relies on early game)
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Core Items
Main Core Items:
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Situational Core Items:
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Still viable, but would not recommend:
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NOTE: You can see your set of core items are meant to each be built into a new item, each with two different builds path for offensive or defensive purposes. Also note the items are meant to be paired 1 Offensive item choice with 1 Defensive item choice. (As a Bruiser/Fighter, you never want to be going straight damage or straight tank, always a mix)
Set 1:
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Set 2:
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- Each set should then be completed with either a
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What NOT to do:
- Pairing
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- Pairing
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- Poke & Farm with Q
- Use
Crystalline Flask charges before consumable potions
- Stay healthy, but it's better to have your heal ready to use for a fight/gank if you think one is coming soon (for the cleanse/crowd control removal effect). Don't hesitate to use health potions.
- When your heal is used, play a bit more cautiously until it is back up, as you will be vulnerable to ganks
With a heal, passive damage over time, and Q as an auto attack reset, it should be easy for you to win trades against the majority of champions. It is up to you whether you want to play the poke game, or the continual brawl game.
- It's safer to poke your opponent repeatedly and be annoying to try to push them out of lane, or get a kill on them.
- It's less safe to brawl with your opponent repeatedly (as you lose health and mana too, more than the poke strategy) However, this method is faster to push an opponent out of lane than just poking.
PAY ATTENTION TO WHEN YOUR TEAM MATES SPAM PINGS FOR YOU TO USE YOUR ULTIMATE WHERE THEY NEED YOU.
- Use
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- Stay healthy, but it's better to have your heal ready to use for a fight/gank if you think one is coming soon (for the cleanse/crowd control removal effect). Don't hesitate to use health potions.
- When your heal is used, play a bit more cautiously until it is back up, as you will be vulnerable to ganks
With a heal, passive damage over time, and Q as an auto attack reset, it should be easy for you to win trades against the majority of champions. It is up to you whether you want to play the poke game, or the continual brawl game.
- It's safer to poke your opponent repeatedly and be annoying to try to push them out of lane, or get a kill on them.
- It's less safe to brawl with your opponent repeatedly (as you lose health and mana too, more than the poke strategy) However, this method is faster to push an opponent out of lane than just poking.
PAY ATTENTION TO WHEN YOUR TEAM MATES SPAM PINGS FOR YOU TO USE YOUR ULTIMATE WHERE THEY NEED YOU.
Many champions will be stronger than you at this point unless you are very ahead. Don't try to straight up brawl or fight with someone when you see them or you might lose out, either in lane or if you are all grouping mid. Attempt to poke and wither down your opponents first (repeatedly using Q) before you hard engage.
Your ultimate is a great engage or disengage tool. Use that to your advantage. Your ultimate is also great if the enemy team is doing dragon, you can drop your ultimate over them to slow them down, deal damage, and maybe steal dragon.
Remember to also use your E
Raise Morale when engaging or disengaging to give your team that speed boost to catch up or get away.
Continually be aware of where kill opportunities may show up. You can always drop your ultimate on a guaranteed kill in another lane either to try and steal it, or to get a free assist. (E.g. Your bot lane is about to win a fight, drop your ultimate anyways, and you can earn 2 assists)
Your ultimate is a great engage or disengage tool. Use that to your advantage. Your ultimate is also great if the enemy team is doing dragon, you can drop your ultimate over them to slow them down, deal damage, and maybe steal dragon.
Remember to also use your E
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Continually be aware of where kill opportunities may show up. You can always drop your ultimate on a guaranteed kill in another lane either to try and steal it, or to get a free assist. (E.g. Your bot lane is about to win a fight, drop your ultimate anyways, and you can earn 2 assists)
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Your job is to tank damage and try to focus the enemy ADC, but sometimes there's too much damage to run through and you just need to target the tanks in front, that's not a problem, as you still provide protection for your team by slowing the enemy tanks and dealing damage. Melee the enemy tanks to slow them, but try to use your Q on the enemy back line carries if you can't reach them (as opposed to straight up running at them and dying). But in the end, you are better off attacking the enemy carries than attacking their tanks.
Always play the poke game first in late game, never the all-in hard engage unless your team is very ready for it and built around that playstyle. Poke down the enemy, and when they're low enough go for the kill.
If the enemy attemps Baron or Dragon and you want to challenge them, don't forget to use that ultimate as it grants vision and you can try to steal or slow down the enemy with that.
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Your main objective should be to apply your slows onto the enemy carries, so your team can chase and catch up to them. Once again, if they have too much damage for you to run through, just hit the tanks and wear them down until your carries can take them apart.
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So when poking with Q, it is beneficial to make sure you have 100 charges for your
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Your poke should always be doing pretty good damage, so use that to your advantage to wither down your opponent before the fight starts. (While keeping yourself healthy with your heals).
This will also let you life steal from a safer range with
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In the late game, you can always push side lanes by using your ultimate on a lane where no one is, to help get that lane pushing as you push others.
Example: Your whole team is pushing mid, but the bottom lane is pushing towards your side. You can drop your ultimate to farm those minions, and help push it back towards the enemy.
That's about it for a Bruiser/Fighter
Gangplank guide.
It's a lot to take in and learn, only because that's how he is. Even though he is an easy champion to learn, he's a much harder champion to do good with and play well. He requires decent knowledge of the game and good mastery of his kit. That being said, this guide is pretty long, even though I tried to keep it as concise as possible for the main points.
Learn to build/play according to the situation, and pick build paths to fit your needs.
GLHF PLAYING GANGPLANK :)
![](/images/spacer.png)
It's a lot to take in and learn, only because that's how he is. Even though he is an easy champion to learn, he's a much harder champion to do good with and play well. He requires decent knowledge of the game and good mastery of his kit. That being said, this guide is pretty long, even though I tried to keep it as concise as possible for the main points.
Learn to build/play according to the situation, and pick build paths to fit your needs.
GLHF PLAYING GANGPLANK :)
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