Gangplank Counters
The best Gangplank counters in League of Legends patch 26.1 are Tryndamere, Irelia, Jayce, Gwen, Fiora. The best Gangplank counter is Tryndamere, with Gangplank having only a 40.3% win rate in this matchup. Secondary patch 26.1 Gangplank counter choices are Riven, Ornn, Urgot, Jax, Kled. Below are the top Gangplank counters and matchups alongside their win rates.
Trial by Fire
Every few seconds, Gangplank's melee strike will set his opponent on fire.
Parrrley
Shoots target, plundering Gold for each enemy unit killed.
Cost:- 50/
- 45/
- 40/
- 35/
- 30
Cooldown:- 5
Range:- 625
Remove Scurvy
Eats citrus to cure crowd control effects and restore Health.
Cost:- 60/
- 70/
- 80/
- 90/
- 100
Cooldown:- 22/
- 20/
- 18/
- 16/
- 14
Range:- 400
Powder Keg
Gangplank uncovers a powder keg at target location. If he attacks it, it explodes, spreading the attack's damage to enemies in the area, slowing them.
Cost:- 0
Cooldown:- 0
Range:- 1000
Cannon Barrage
Gangplank signals his ship to bombard an area, slowing and damaging enemies.
Cost:- 100
Cooldown:- 160/
- 140/
- 120
Range:- 30000
- Fighter
These champions are Gangplank's hardest counters in League of Legends patch 26.1. Tryndamere is Gangplank's biggest counter with only a 40.3% win rate for Gangplank. When facing these Gangplank counter picks, focus on safe farming and waiting for jungle assistance. Avoid extended trades and play around your power spikes to survive difficult Gangplank matchups.
Tryndamere
Irelia
Jayce
Gwen
Fiora
Riven
Ornn
Urgot
Jax
Kled
When facing Gangplank in League of Legends, understanding Gangplank's primary damage profile is essential for building effective counter strategies. Gangplank deals primarily physical damage, which means prioritizing armor in your defensive itemization will significantly reduce Gangplank's threat in fights. Top defensive items against Gangplank include Plated Steelcaps, Frozen Heart, Randuin's Omen, and Thornmail. These items provide substantial armor stats that directly mitigate Gangplank's damage output throughout all stages of the game.
From a champion selection perspective, the strongest Gangplank counters are Tryndamere, Irelia, Jayce, and Gwen. These champions either out-trade Gangplank in lane, have abilities that negate Gangplank's core mechanics, or scale better into team fights. Tryndamere in particular exploits Gangplank's weaknesses by providing consistent pressure while being difficult to punish.
Beyond item builds and counter picks, successful counter play against Gangplank involves understanding Gangplank's power spikes and cooldown windows. Engage on Gangplank when key abilities are on cooldown, and coordinate with your team to focus Gangplank in team fights before Gangplank can output maximum damage. Vision control is also crucial when playing against Gangplank to avoid getting caught out of position. By combining proper defensive itemization with smart champion selection and strategic gameplay, you can effectively neutralize Gangplank's impact and secure victory.
Understanding Gangplank's power curve is essential for effective counter play. Here's when Gangplank is most vulnerable throughout the game.
EARLYEarly Game (Levels 1-6)
Gangplank may look for extended trades. Avoid long fights and kite with slows. Short trades favor you against sustained damage.
MIDMid Game (Levels 7-13)
Gangplank becomes increasingly tanky mid game. Focus on kiting and percent health damage. Avoid fighting in choke points.
LATELate Game (Levels 14-18)
Gangplank is very durable late game. Use armor penetration or anti-tank items. Focus squishier targets first if Gangplank is too tanky.
Use these actionable tips to gain an advantage when facing Gangplank in lane or team fights.
- Pick Tryndamere or similar champions with kits that exploit Gangplank's weaknesses
- Build Plated Steelcaps or Seeker's Armguard early to reduce Gangplank's damage in lane
- Track Gangplank's cooldowns and engage when key abilities are unavailable
- Ward Gangplank's common roam paths and ping missing immediately
- Coordinate with your jungler to gank Gangplank during vulnerable windows
- Avoid extended trades where Gangplank can stack sustained damage
- Kite Gangplank with slows and crowd control
Gangplank performs exceptionally well against these champions in patch 26.1. Yone is Gangplank's best matchup with a 66.07% win rate. When playing Gangplank into these favorable matchups, look for early aggression and lane dominance. Gangplank can capitalize on these champions' weaknesses to snowball leads and carry games.
Yone
Illaoi
Garen
Yasuo
Nasus
Darius
Singed
Kayle
Akali
Volibear
Gangplank Counters - Frequently Asked Questions
Who counters Gangplank?
The best Gangplank counters are Tryndamere, Irelia, and Jayce. These champions have favorable matchups against Gangplank and can exploit Gangplank's weaknesses effectively in League of Legends patch 26.1.
What is Gangplank's hardest counter?
Tryndamere is Gangplank's hardest counter with Gangplank having only a 40.3% win rate in this matchup. Irelia (40.74% WR) and Jayce (42.11% WR) are also strong Gangplank counters.
Who does Gangplank counter?
Gangplank performs well against Yone, Illaoi, and Garen. These are Gangplank's best matchups where Gangplank has favorable win rates and can dominate lane in patch 26.1.
How do I beat Gangplank in lane?
To beat Gangplank in lane, pick a counter champion like Tryndamere or Irelia. Focus on trading when Gangplank's key abilities are on cooldown, and build armor items to reduce Gangplank's damage output. Ward defensively and call for jungle assistance if Gangplank gains an advantage.
What items counter Gangplank?
The best items to counter Gangplank are Plated Steelcaps, Frozen Heart, Randuin's Omen, and Thornmail. These items provide armor which directly reduces Gangplank's damage. Consider building these items early if you're struggling against Gangplank in lane.
When is Gangplank weakest?
Gangplank is typically weakest during specific power troughs between item spikes. Exploit windows when Gangplank's ultimate or key abilities are on cooldown. Coordinate with your team to engage on Gangplank before Gangplank can set up fights on Gangplank's own terms.
How do I play Gangplank into counter matchups?
When playing Gangplank into counters like Tryndamere, focus on safe farming, waiting for jungle assistance, and playing around power spikes. Avoid extended trades in unfavorable matchups and look for opportunities to scale into mid and late game.
What champions are similar to Gangplank's counters?
If Tryndamere, Irelia, or Jayce are banned or picked, look for champions with similar kits that can exploit Gangplank's weaknesses. Champions with crowd control, burst damage, or sustained damage (depending on Gangplank's vulnerabilities) can serve as alternative counters.