In League of Legends, a gank (short for “gang kill”) is a surprise attack on an enemy lane by a player — usually the jungler — who comes from outside the lane to create a numbers advantage and attempt a kill.
Ganks are all about timing, positioning, and pressure. The goal is to catch an enemy champion off-guard, force a summoner spell (like Flash), secure a kill, or help a teammate gain lane control.
Who Ganks and When?
1. The Jungler (Primary Role)
The jungler is the most common ganker. Instead of farming minions in a lane, they kill neutral monsters in the jungle and look for opportunities to ambush lanes where enemies are overextended or vulnerable.
2. Laners (Secondary Role)
Sometimes, mid laners or top laners will roam to other lanes to gank, especially after pushing their wave. This is often referred to as a roam gank.
3. Supports
Supports occasionally gank mid lane when roaming after a successful bot lane play, especially if they have crowd control abilities.
What Makes a Good Gank?
A successful gank typically includes:
- Enemy overextending: If the enemy laner is too far from their turret, they’re more vulnerable.
- Crowd control: Abilities like stuns, snares, or slows make it harder for the enemy to escape.
- Vision denial: Clearing or avoiding wards is key. A gank loses its element of surprise if spotted early.
- Follow-up damage: The laner and ganker must coordinate to finish off the target quickly.
Ganks can snowball a lane, giving your team gold, map pressure, and objective control.
How to Avoid Getting Ganked
Just as you can gank, you can also be ganked. Here’s how to protect yourself:
- Ward the river and jungle entrances to track enemy movement.
- Watch the minimap and ping missing enemies.
- Play safe when your summoner spells are down.
- Track the enemy jungler’s location by noting where they start and where they’ve been seen.
Knowing when you’re likely to be ganked is part of developing strong map awareness — a skill that separates casual players from ranked climbers.
The Strategic Impact of Ganking
Ganking isn’t just about scoring kills. It’s a tool for:
- Applying pressure across the map
- Securing early objectives (like dragons or Rift Herald)
- Tilting enemy laners or forcing them to play defensively
- Creating lane leads that scale into mid-game dominance
A good jungler can change the course of a game through smart and timely ganks — while a poorly executed one can waste time or even feed the enemy.
Final Thoughts
A gank in League of Legends is one of the most fundamental tactics in the game. It’s a mix of stealth, aggression, and strategy — and when done right, it can flip the entire game in your favor.
So next time you’re on the Rift, remember: a well-timed gank can make all the difference — whether you’re the one pulling it off or surviving it.
Written by:
Christian