Gangplank vs Volibear Top Matchup

Gangplank Top wins 52.2% of 1,677 Low Elo games against Volibear Top, +1.6 points vs expected, 2-patch window 26.19-26.20.

Researched on LoL patch 26.20. Tips are written to hold at any rank; stats come from Low Elo ranked games up to patch 26.20.

Why Gangplank is favored

Gangplank can poke with Parrrley(Q) and slow Volibear's approach with Powder Keg(E), making it harder for Volibear to stay close enough to keep fighting. If Volibear does land Thundering Smash(Q), Gangplank can remove its stun with Remove Scurvy(W); player advice for the lane is to kite and poke rather than take a straight extended duel.

How to play as Gangplank

Hold Remove Scurvy(W) for Volibear's Thundering Smash(Q) stun, then use Powder Keg(E) to slow his chase and Parrrley(Q) to keep up the poke. Avoid a long melee trade while Volibear's passive is fully stacked.

Remove Scurvy(W) removes crowd control, including the stun from Volibear's Thundering Smash(Q).

Parrrley(Q) can hit from 625 range and Powder Keg(E) slows enemies, while Volibear's Q gains speed toward enemies and stuns on his first attack.

How to play as Volibear

Don't spend Thundering Smash(Q)'s stun while Gangplank still has Remove Scurvy(W) available; draw out the cleanse before committing to an all-in. Watch his Powder Keg(E) slow when choosing a chase path.

Sources

These notes come from r/gangplankmains, checked against the champions' abilities.