League of Legends Gangplank Guide: Best Build, Runes & Combos

Gangplank is a unique top lane champion in League of Legends who blends critical strikes, global impact, and strategic zoning through barrels. He’s a late-game powerhouse capable of deleting enemies with one combo while controlling teamfights with Cannon Barrage. Though his early game can feel weak, mastering his barrels and timing will reward you with massive damage and unmatched carry potential. In this guide, we’ll cover the best build, runes, items, and combos you need to turn Gangplank into a lane bully, global threat, and teamfight monster.

Gankplank Abilities Overview In League of Legends

Passive – Trial by Fire: Every few seconds, Gangplank’s next basic attack ignites the target, dealing bonus true damage over time and giving him a burst of movement speed.

Q – Parrrley: Gangplank fires his pistol at a target, dealing physical damage. If he kills the target, he gains bonus gold and applies on-hit effects. It also applies Trial by Fire.

W – Remove Scurvy: Gangplank instantly eats citrus fruit, healing himself and cleansing all crowd control effects like stuns, slows, and roots.

E – Powder Keg: Gangplank places a barrel that can be attacked. If he destroys it with a basic attack or Parrrley, it explodes, dealing area damage and slowing enemies. Barrels can chain together if placed close to each other, making his combos deadly.

R – Cannon Barrage: Gangplank signals a bombardment of cannonballs to fall on a target area, dealing magic damage over time and slowing all enemies caught in it. This global ultimate can turn fights even from across the map.

How To Play Gangplank In League of Legends

Best Summoner Spells for Gangplank in League of Legends

The best summoner spell combo for Gangplank is Flash + Ignite or Flash + Teleport, depending on your playstyle and matchup.
• Flash is essential on Gangplank for repositioning during fights, escaping ganks, or executing clutch barrel combos.
• Ignite is ideal for aggressive laners who want to dominate early trades, secure kills, and apply pressure with Trial by Fire and barrel combos.
• Teleport is great for scaling Gangplank players who want better map presence, the ability to return to lane safely, and to impact teamfights or objectives with Cannon Barrage.

If you want to snowball and control your lane, go with Flash + Ignite. If you’re looking to scale, play for late-game, and support your team globally, choose Flash + Teleport.

Best Runes for Gangplank in League of Legends

Gangplank’s best rune setup focuses on poking in lane, scaling into the late game, and maximizing barrel burst potential. Here’s the optimal page:

Primary Path: Inspiration
• First Strike – Perfect for Gangplank’s playstyle. It boosts your gold income and burst damage when you land barrel combos first.
• Magical Footwear – Free boots give more gold efficiency and allow you to build core items faster.
• Future’s Market – Helps you hit your item spikes sooner by letting you buy key components early.
• Time Warp Tonic – Great if you start with Corrupting Potion, giving sustain and quick trades in lane.

Secondary Path: Sorcery
• Transcendence – Grants ability haste, which Gangplank benefits from throughout the game.
• Gathering Storm – Boosts AP/AD scaling as the game progresses, making you a late-game powerhouse.

Bonus Stats:
• +Adaptive Force
• +Adaptive Force
• +Armor or Magic Resist (depending on matchup)

This rune page is designed to help Gangplank farm safely, poke with Q, and scale fast with extra gold and damage. It gives you great lane presence early and serious barrel damage later in the game.

Best Build for Gangplank in League of Legends

Gangplank’s best build focuses on crit chance, damage scaling, and maximizing barrel burst potential. Here’s the most effective item path to carry games:

Starting Items:
• Corrupting Potion – Ideal for sustain and early poke, especially when paired with Time Warp Tonic.

Core Items:
• Essence Reaver – Gives bonus damage and mana sustain on Q, making it essential for trading and farming.
• The Collector – Adds lethality, crit chance, and executes low-HP enemies—great synergy with barrels.
• Infinity Edge – Big power spike that boosts your crit damage massively, turning barrels into one-shot tools.

Situational/Late Game Items:
• Lord Dominik’s Regards – Useful against tanky teams for armor penetration.
• Mortal Reminder – Apply Grievous Wounds if enemies rely on healing.
• Serylda’s Grudge – Adds slow to your barrels and more armor pen, great for kiting and chasing.
• Guardian Angel – For safety if you’re ahead and getting focused in fights.
• Navori Quickblades – Optional if you want more ability haste and consistent Q/barrel uptime.

Boots:
• Ionian Boots of Lucidity – Extra ability haste for spamming Q and E.
• Plated Steelcaps or Mercury’s Treads – Choose based on enemy team comp.

This build gives you high crit, burst damage, and scaling power. With it, your barrels can easily chunk squishies or turn fights, especially when combined with Cannon Barrage and smart positioning.

Best Combos to Learn for Gangplank in League of Legends

Mastering Gangplank’s combos is all about precision and timing with his barrels. Here are the most important ones to practice:

1. Triple Barrel Combo (Instant Detonation):
E → E → E (chain) → Q
Place the first barrel, quickly chain two more toward your target, then instantly Q the first barrel to detonate all three. This combo lets you extend range and hit enemies who think they’re safe.

2. Quick Barrel Combo:
E → Q
Basic and reliable—place a single barrel and immediately Q it when the enemy is nearby. Great for trades or poking under tower.

3. Melee Barrel Combo:
E → Auto → E → Q
Auto the first barrel as it’s about to explode, place the second right before detonation, and then Q the second one. Useful when fighting up close, especially in the jungle or river.

4. Flash Barrel Combo:
E → Flash → Q
Surprise enemies by placing a barrel and using Flash to instantly reposition and Q the barrel before they react. Great for catching carries off guard in teamfights.

5. Slow Zone Control:
E → E (space barrels) → Wait
Use barrels to zone enemies in narrow areas like jungle paths. You don’t always need to detonate—just the threat of it can control space and movement.

Practicing these combos until they’re muscle memory will let you delete squishies, control fights, and pressure lanes like a true Gangplank main.

Conclusion

Gangplank is a high-skill, high-reward champion in League of Legends who can take over games with smart barrel placement, gold generation, and map-wide pressure. With the right runes, build, and combos, he becomes a late-game monster capable of deleting enemies and turning fights in your team’s favor. Whether you’re zoning opponents with barrels or dropping Cannon Barrage to swing a skirmish, mastering Gangplank’s kit will let you control the pace of the game and carry from the top lane like a true pirate king.