Gangplank vs Illaoi TOP Matchup Guide | LaneStomp

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Illaoi

Gangplank vs Illaoi

Updated Jun 3, 2026

Overview

Focus on controlling barrel zones to deny Illaoi safe tentacle setups and force her to clear before committing trades.
Manage medium lane pressure by balancing poke and barrel threat to prevent Illaoi from establishing her zone or landing (E).
Prioritize scaling through controlled farming and side-lane pressure to leverage your stronger late-game carry potential.

Trading pattern

Trade short bursts using (Q) and passive resets while threatening barrel chains to control spacing.
Only extend trades when barrels are primed and (W) is available to cleanse Illaoi's engage attempts.
Punish Illaoi immediately after she misses (E) or clears barrels, as her lane threat drops significantly then.

Danger windows

Avoid fighting when Illaoi has tentacles established and (E) is off cooldown, as she can force committed trades.
Be cautious when (W) is down, as you lose cleanse and sustain, making you vulnerable to Illaoi's engage.
Watch for Illaoi's level 6 all-ins with (R) active, especially if multiple enemies stack near her tentacle zone.

Early game

Use (Q) to safely poke and farm while maintaining barrel control to zone Illaoi and avoid her (E) angles.
Avoid extended melee trades without barrel chains or (W) ready to cleanse potential crowd control.
Keep the wave in a state that limits Illaoi's tentacle placement and forces her to clear rather than all-in early.

Power spikes

At level 6, use (R) to influence side-lane fights and slow Illaoi's all-ins, forcing her to respect your global pressure.
Upon critical barrel scaling, set up protected barrel chains to threaten one-shot damage and zone Illaoi from fights.
Respect Illaoi's level 6 (R) as it creates strong all-in windows; avoid committing when multiple tentacles are active nearby.

Win conditions

Maintain barrel zone control to deny Illaoi tentacle setups and force her into unfavorable trades.
Scale safely through farming and side-lane pressure, leveraging (R) to impact fights globally without risking all-ins.
Punish Illaoi's cooldown windows, especially after missed (E) or tentacle clears, to chip her down and secure lane dominance.