Gangplank vs Graves — Top Lane Matchup Guide

How to win lane as Gangplank against Graves · 51.96% win rate over 2,885 Emerald+ games · Updated 2026-07-27

Verdict: A genuine skill matchup — the favour swings window to window (2 apiece of the 7 stages). Gangplank wins 51.96% of games vs Graves in top lane (2,885 Emerald+ games analysed).

Favour timeline — who owns each window

StageFavouredWhy
Level 1GravesGraves out-bursts your single Parrrley with double-shell shotgun autos and free-hits your low-HP kegs to deny them before they detonate.
Level 2GravesHis shotgun autos win every short trade while your barrels are on long cooldown and one keg does nothing alone.
Level 3Even / skillYour second Q point lets you start landing Parrrley-into-keg poke, so the lane levels off into an even farm fight.
Levels 4-5Even / skillYou can poke him with Q-into-keg when he walks up, but he answers with shotgun burst and a Smoke Screen blind — it stays a skill matchup.
Level 6Even / skillHis Collateral Damage plus Quickdraw dash plus Smoke Screen all-in is real, but your Remove Scurvy cleanse and heal keep it even since your Cannon Barrage only zones.
First itemGangplankSheen or Essence Reaver makes empowered Parrrley plus a full keg chain out-burst his shotgun, flipping the lane to you.
Two+ itemsGangplankBy two-plus items your chained keg detonations one-shot him through his ADC durability and he does not hyperscale past you like Kayle does.

Early game (levels 1–5)

Graves owns these levels and you cannot fight it head-on — his double-shell shotgun autos out-burst your single Parrrley, and worse, he just walks up and free-hits your Powder Kegs to pop them before they ever detonate, denying your whole kit. Do not place a keg in his auto range expecting value; set them at the edge of your control just to zone and CS with cannon Q last-hits. Respect that his Smoke Screen blinds your Parrrley, so save your trades for when it is on cooldown.

Read the rest of this matchup

The full Gangplank vs Graves report continues with the mid-game plan, the late-game and teamfight plan, every power spike to play around, and the win conditions for both sides — plus cooldown tracking and the live enemy-jungle tracker inside the app.

Become a Founding Member — $1.99/month →

🔒 Secure checkout · 💰 7-day money-back guarantee · ✋ Cancel anytime
Early Access price — $3.99/month for new members after launch.

Related guides

Playing the other side? Graves vs Gangplank guide →
All Gangplank top lane matchups →