Matchup
You are stronger late game — farm safe and avoid early trades.
Build vs Gangplank
Build adapted to this matchup
Starting items
Core build
Standard
Summoner spells
85%
9%Anti AD
Anti AP
Anti Tank
DPS
Other options
Inspiration
First Strike
Magical Footwear
Biscuit Delivery
Cosmic Insight
Sorcery
Transcendence
Manaflow Band
Power Spikes
Strength by game phase
Veigar
GangplankGangplank's abilities
Passive, spells and ultimate
Every few seconds, Gangplank's melee strike will set his opponent on fire.
Cooldowns
Cooldowns by spell rank
| Level | Q | W | E | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 4.5s | 22s | 0s | – |
| 6 | 4.5s | 22s | 0s | 2m40 |
| 9 | 4.5s | 20s | 0s | 2m40 |
| 11 | 4.5s | 18s | 0s | 2m20 |
| 16 | 4.5s | 14s | 0s | 2m |
| 18 | 4.5s | 14s | 0s | 2m |
Playing against Gangplank
How to counter and exploit weaknesses
Destroy his barrels before he shoots them: one auto is enough when they're at 1 HP. The race for the last-hit on barrels is crucial.
His W (cleanse) has a very long cooldown (22-16s): engage with CC, bait the W, then re-engage with a 2nd CC.
GP is weak in early game (1-5) and vulnerable to all-ins — aggressive bruisers like Riven or Irelia dominate him.
In late game, respect his crit barrel burst — a crit barrel on a carry can one-shot.
Source: op.gg + LTL Engine · Patch 16.9.1 · May 9, 2026