League Classic matchup
Gangplank vs Jax
The lane, from both sides
Gangplank’s side
- Weak against Jaxfrom the AD Bruiser build (Top)
With the barrels gone, early Gangplank has nothing that scares Jax:
Counter StrikeCounter StrikeEActive: Jax enters Evasion for 2 seconds: a defensive stance that causes him to dodge all incoming non-turret basic attacks and take 25% reduced damage from all area of effect abilities sourced from champions. Counter Strike can be recast after 1 second, and does so automatically after the duration. Recast: Jax deals physical damage to nearby enemies, with the total damage increased by 20% for each attack dodged, up to a 100% increase, and stuns them for 1 second. wins every melee exchange and Jax only grows from there.
Jax’s side
- Strong against Gangplankfrom the Top On-Hit Bruiser build (Top)Counter StrikeCounter StrikeEActive: Jax enters Evasion for 2 seconds: a defensive stance that causes him to dodge all incoming non-turret basic attacks and take 25% reduced damage from all area of effect abilities sourced from champions. Counter Strike can be recast after 1 second, and does so automatically after the duration. Recast: Jax deals physical damage to nearby enemies, with the total damage increased by 20% for each attack dodged, up to a 100% increase, and stuns them for 1 second. wins every early melee exchange against a Gangplank whose barrels are gone, and
Remove ScurvyRemove ScurvyWActive: Gangplank eats a large amount of citrus fruit, instantly removing all crowd control affecting him and healing himself. has no answer to a plain stat check.
The lane in detail
GangplankJaxJax-favored once the trade is melee
Parrrley returns every 5 seconds; Counter Strike takes 18 at rank 1.
Evasion answers basic attacks and takes 25% off area spells. 
ParrrleyParrrleyQActive: Gangplank fires his pistol at the target enemy, dealing physical damage. Parrrley can critically strike and applies on-hit effects, including Grog-Soaked Blade. If Parrrley kills the target, Gangplank gains bonus gold and refunds 50% of the mana cost. Parrrley resets Gangplank's basic attack timer. is written as a cast carrying on-hit effects that also resets the attack timer, and nothing says which of the two the stance reads.
Who has the lane, level by level
3–89–18- 1–2Even: The lane is 625 against 125
- 3–8Jax: Evasion into a stun, every trade
- 9–18Jax: Counter Strike maxed at 10 seconds
- 1Counter StrikeLevel 1: First point, and the top order maxes it first
- 4ParrrleyLevel 4: Second point: 45 base, and the 5 seconds never move
- 6Cannon BarrageLevel 6: 120 seconds and 100 mana for 7 seconds of cannonballs
- 6Grandmaster's MightLevel 6: No button and no cost: 6% attack speed a hit, ten stacks
- 9Counter StrikeLevel 9: The fifth stance point brings its cooldown to 10 seconds at a 90-mana cost
- 9ParrrleyLevel 9: Fifth point, and the shot is 120 plus his whole attack damage
- 14Remove ScurvyLevel 14: Its second point at level 14, and the heal jumps 80 to 150
The numbers, head to head
GangplankJaxMain ability at rank 1
ParrrleyParrrleyQActive: Gangplank fires his pistol at the target enemy, dealing physical damage. Parrrley can critically strike and applies on-hit effects, including Grog-Soaked Blade. If Parrrley kills the target, Gangplank gains bonus gold and refunds 50% of the mana cost. Parrrley resets Gangplank's basic attack timer. lands three times before the stance comes back.
Maxed main, top orders
Both top orders finish their first skill at level 9; ParrrleyParrrleyQActive: Gangplank fires his pistol at the target enemy, dealing physical damage. Parrrley can critically strike and applies on-hit effects, including Grog-Soaked Blade. If Parrrley kills the target, Gangplank gains bonus gold and refunds 50% of the mana cost. Parrrley resets Gangplank's basic attack timer. still returns twice as often.
Damage on the maxed button
The stance doubles its base damage after five dodges; ParrrleyParrrleyQActive: Gangplank fires his pistol at the target enemy, dealing physical damage. Parrrley can critically strike and applies on-hit effects, including Grog-Soaked Blade. If Parrrley kills the target, Gangplank gains bonus gold and refunds 50% of the mana cost. Parrrley resets Gangplank's basic attack timer. also scales with attack damage and can crit.
Staying in lane
Jax buys health with damage items; Gangplank casts for his once every 22 seconds.
Who gets more from level 6
One of them is not a button; the other goes to a lane Jax is not in.
First point on all three, cost
170 manaTwo nearly identical bills, and only ParrrleyParrrleyQActive: Gangplank fires his pistol at the target enemy, dealing physical damage. Parrrley can critically strike and applies on-hit effects, including Grog-Soaked Blade. If Parrrley kills the target, Gangplank gains bonus gold and refunds 50% of the mana cost. Parrrley resets Gangplank's basic attack timer. refunds 25 of it on a kill.
Reach, from above
Gangplank
Jax
Rings are ranges in game units, both radars on one scale. Abilities wear their icon, the basic attack wears the champion’s own face; the dashed ring wearing the opponent’s face is their longest reach.
The item race
Gangplank
1200gParrrley applies on-hit effects, allowing Spellblade to add damage to the ranged poke before Jax reaches melee.
3628gThe Spellblade hit grows to 200% of his base attack damage, and 250 health is what survives the recast.
1000gThe recast is physical, so 25 armor is the right 1000 gold, and 45 movement speed covers the walk out.
3800gParrrley can critically strike, and crits pay 250% here instead of 200%.
Jax
- 1200g
One button, two hits' worth: Empower and Spellblade both ride the same swing.
- 3628g
Empower already resets his timer, so Spellblade rides a swing he was taking anyway; Equipment Mastery adds 150 health.
- 1000g
The 25 armor meets Parrrley either way; whether Ninja Footwork's block reads it as a basic attack is not stated.
3200gGangplank's 576 base health is the biggest body in the lane, and Ruination bills 5% of what is left every hit.
Play it as Gangplank
- 1Poke while
Leap StrikeLeap StrikeQActive: Jax dashes to the target unit's location. If the target is an enemy and they are in range upon arrival, Jax deals physical damage to them. Jax can cast any of his abilities during the dash. is on cooldown; its 700 reach can close the gap even when ParrrleyParrrleyQActive: Gangplank fires his pistol at the target enemy, dealing physical damage. Parrrley can critically strike and applies on-hit effects, including Grog-Soaked Blade. If Parrrley kills the target, Gangplank gains bonus gold and refunds 50% of the mana cost. Parrrley resets Gangplank's basic attack timer. is fired from maximum range. - 2Let the poison finish it:
Grog-Soaked BladeGrog-Soaked BladePassiveGangplank's attacks apply a poison that deals magic damage per second, increasing with level. keeps ticking for 3 seconds after he steps out of range. - 3Use
Raise MoraleRaise MoraleEPassive: Gangplank gains bonus attack damage and bonus movement speed. Active: Gangplank fires into the air, disabling Raise Morale's passive bonuses but inspiring himself to gain more bonus attack damage and more bonus movement speed for 7 seconds. Nearby allied champions gain 50% of the active bonus for the same duration.'s speed to retreat after the shot, and watch whether Jax has a minion available for Leap StrikeLeap StrikeQActive: Jax dashes to the target unit's location. If the target is an enemy and they are in range upon arrival, Jax deals physical damage to them. Jax can cast any of his abilities during the dash..
Play it as Jax
- 1Pressure after Remove ScurvyRemove ScurvyWActive: Gangplank eats a large amount of citrus fruit, instantly removing all crowd control affecting him and healing himself. is spent; at level 9, Counter StrikeCounter StrikeEActive: Jax enters Evasion for 2 seconds: a defensive stance that causes him to dodge all incoming non-turret basic attacks and take 25% reduced damage from all area of effect abilities sourced from champions. Counter Strike can be recast after 1 second, and does so automatically after the duration. Recast: Jax deals physical damage to nearby enemies, with the total damage increased by 20% for each attack dodged, up to a 100% increase, and stuns them for 1 second. returns sooner than the cleanse.
- 2Leap StrikeLeap StrikeQActive: Jax dashes to the target unit's location. If the target is an enemy and they are in range upon arrival, Jax deals physical damage to them. Jax can cast any of his abilities during the dash. onto a minion behind him; 700 units closes a 625 poke lane in one cast.
- 3Count his mana. ParrrleyParrrleyQActive: Gangplank fires his pistol at the target enemy, dealing physical damage. Parrrley can critically strike and applies on-hit effects, including Grog-Soaked Blade. If Parrrley kills the target, Gangplank gains bonus gold and refunds 50% of the mana cost. Parrrley resets Gangplank's basic attack timer. climbs 50 to 70 a cast, and only a kill gives any of it back.
The catch
Remove ScurvyRemove ScurvyWActive: Gangplank eats a large amount of citrus fruit, instantly removing all crowd control affecting him and healing himself. can clear Counter StrikeCounter StrikeEActive: Jax enters Evasion for 2 seconds: a defensive stance that causes him to dodge all incoming non-turret basic attacks and take 25% reduced damage from all area of effect abilities sourced from champions. Counter Strike can be recast after 1 second, and does so automatically after the duration. Recast: Jax deals physical damage to nearby enemies, with the total damage increased by 20% for each attack dodged, up to a 100% increase, and stuns them for 1 second.'s stun. In these top builds, Jax reaches a 10-second stance cooldown at level 9, while the cleanse remains at 22 until level 14. A later stun can arrive before Gangplank recovers the cleanse, provided Jax can close again and pay the mana.
The kits at a glance
Gangplank
Full abilities- Grog-Soaked Blade
- Parrrley
- Remove Scurvy
- Raise Morale
- Cannon Barrage
- Equipment Mastery
- Leap Strike
- Empower
- Counter Strike
- Grandmaster's Might
Base stats, side by side
| Stat | Gangplank | Jax |
|---|---|---|
| Health | 576 (+81) | 506 (+83) |
| HP regen | – | 1.6 (+0.11) |
| Mana | 255 (+40) | 265 (+35) |
| Attack damage | 57 (+3) | 59.675 (+3.375) |
| Armor | 23.8 (+3.3) | 25.5 (+3.2) |
| Magic resist | 31.25 (+1.25) | 31.25 (+1.25) |
| Attack speed | 0.651 (+2.75) | 0.638 (+3.4) |
| Move speed | 345 | 350 |
| Attack range | 125 | 125 |
Level-1 values with per-level growth in parentheses, read from the Classic client and re-checked against it on every update.
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