How do you win lane with Gangplank?

bvcderrttyyhjjjk·10/20/2015, 3:54:11 PM·2 votes·1,665 views

I used to play GP well before the rework. And I still do. But I need some help, if anyone knows a good solution to this. I find the new GP to be horrendously weak in the laning phase. In a custom game I can average 110 CS/10 mins, which I think is quite good, but I really struggle to have a decent farm when playing actual games. I just feel like ANY other champion has a huge edge on me during laning. I keep getting zoned from my farm and dove under my turret. I just don't have damage at all until i get at least Trinity Force, but I often get it super late because I just can't farm or survive. And this, mind you, while going flask/3pots which should be abundantly good for sustain. Suggestions anyone? Pls?

5 Comments

ltmetal10/20/2015, 4:08:43 PM3 votes

The current iteration of Gangplank is a light counter to melee top laners because of the zoning potential his barrels have. Ranged champions can usually destroy the barrel without stepping in the explosion radius, making it a passive farm lane. But when you are against melee, try dropping a barrel just behind your OWN melee minions. If the enemy laner comes up to last hit one, auto your barrel, Q the laner, chase them to auto and apply your passive while they are still slowed, then run away since you will have picked up minion aggro. Rinse and repeat until something happens like a teamfight bot or at dragon.

Bharhash10/20/2015, 3:59:49 PM2 votes

Barrels. Barrels everywhere.

Sightless6610/20/2015, 4:06:01 PM2 votes

There are a few things you can do to improve your performance in the laning phase. First, make sure you are using the barrels correctly. They need to be used in different ways against different champions. If you're against a ranged champion, you may need to use a barrel in a bush to set up for a poking barrel, but if you can avoid it, that it not the ideal. Just using them to help push can be beneficial in certain ranged matchups. Realistically, you won't be able to respond well to them unless you get a chance to all-in them.

If you're against a melee champion, you should be placing the barrels so that they cover the area where the enemy will want to last-hit, or so they cover you while you are last hitting. That way, whenever the enemy walks into the range of the barrel, you can proc it and immediately trade with the true damage. This is much stronger than trying to go for barrel poke against melee champions.

Speaking of the true damage, that really is your biggest tool in lane. Plan around it. Pay attention to when it is coming up, and try to get trades going then. If you can get a true damage proc followed by a barrel pop into another true damage proc, you should win pretty much any trade. You have to take advantage of that.