Gangplank vs Irelia TOP Matchup Guide | LaneStomp

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Irelia

Gangplank vs Irelia

Updated Jun 3, 2026

Overview

Focus on controlling the lane with (Q) poke and barrel zoning to prevent Irelia from freely stacking her passive and resetting (Q).
Prioritize scaling by maintaining medium lane pressure and avoiding extended all-ins without barrel setups or (W) cleanse ready.

Trading pattern

Trade only when you have a barrel chain set up and (W) available to cleanse her (E) stun or (R) slow zone.
Use short (Q) poke and passive resets to chip away at her health without committing to melee range.
Punish Irelia when she uses (Q) forward without reset paths by chaining barrels and forcing her to retreat.

Danger windows

Be cautious when (W) is down, as (E) stun and (Q) resets become much more threatening.
Avoid extended trades when barrels are cleared or unavailable, as your zoning and damage drop significantly.
Watch for Irelia's level 6 (R) engage and slow zone, which can force unfavorable all-ins if your defensive tools are spent.

Early game

Use (Q) to farm safely and poke, setting up barrels behind minions to punish Irelia's attempts to engage.
Avoid fighting when (W) is down to prevent getting locked down by (E) stun and (Q) resets.
Keep the wave controlled to deny Irelia easy access to low-health minions for (Q) resets and passive stacks.

Power spikes

At level 6, use (R) to influence fights globally, slow Irelia, and protect yourself from her all-ins.
Your critical item barrel scaling makes barrel chains lethal; set barrels before she can safely engage.
Respect Irelia's level 2 power spike when she gains (Q) and (E) for early stun and reset threat; avoid giving her wave or spacing to start trades.

Win conditions

Control the lane with (Q) poke and barrel zones to deny Irelia passive stacks and reset paths.
Scale into your critical barrel damage and use (R) to impact fights globally without leaving the side lane.
Use (W) intelligently to cleanse her crowd control and survive her all-in attempts, then punish with barrel chains.