Special Forces Gangplank

Not gonna lie, when I first saw Special Forces Gangplank I thought Riot was trolling. A pirate in tactical gear? Sounds ridiculous on paper. But something about the execution just works. Been running this skin on and off since season 3 and it still holds up surprisingly well for a 975 RP Standard tier skin from 2012.

What Special Forces Gangplank actually changes

The whole model gets a military overhaul. Gangplank trades his pirate captain look for full tactical loadout – combat vest, night vision goggles pushed up on his forehead, and a sidearm strapped to his chest. Clean design. The barrel he carries has this matte black military finish that reads well against the Rift even in chaotic teamfights.

The VFX updates are where Special Forces Gangplank punches above its weight class. His Q feels snappier with the new muzzle flash particles, and placing barrels in lane has this slight tactical edge to the animation. Could be wrong here but I think the E barrels look slightly different too, more like improvised explosives than standard wooden casks. His recall animation is a nice touch for a 975 skin, most skins at this price point back in 2012 didnt even get a custom recall.

Voice lines stay base. Same Matthew Mercer VO, no filter. Honestly its fine for what it is. Gangplank’s base voice already carries enough personality that slapping a radio filter on it would’ve felt forced.

(Random aside: my buddy who’s ex-military refuses to play any other Gangplank skin because he says the gear is “close enough to accurate.” Take that for what its worth.)

The Commando line and where this skin fits

Special Forces Gangplank dropped September 12, 2012. Deep into season 2. Part of the Commando skinline, which is one of Riot’s older thematic sets. The line includes Commando Garen, Commando Jarvan IV, Commando Lux, and a few others. Military theme across the board.

Kinda feels like Riot was testing the waters with these alternate fantasy skins back then. The Commando line never got the love that newer skinlines get, no event pass, no prestige edition, no cinematic. Just solid model changes at budget prices. I respect that approach honestly.

At 975 RP this sits in that sweet spot where you’re getting more than a texture swap but not paying Legendary prices. Permanent shop availability too, so no waiting around for vault rotations or praying to the Hextech gods. Shop has it whenever you want it.

Should you pick up Special Forces Gangplank?

Real verdict: if you’re a Gangplank main climbing through ranked and you want something different from the pirate aesthetic, this is a solid pickup. Not the flashiest option in his catalog. Captain Gangplank exists, Dreadnova exists, FPX exists. But for pure value at 975 RP? Hard to complain.

Played this in maybe 40 ranked games last month around Plat-Diamond MMR and got compliments on it twice. Might not sound like a lot but for a skin from 2012 thats not bad. Most people lock in the newer Gangplank skins so running Special Forces in the bot lane specifically stands out.

Skip it if you already own Dreadnova or Pool Party, those offer more for the price bump. But if you’re building a Gangplank collection or you just want that tactical operator vibe while you’re setting up barrel chains and poking with Q pre-6, 975 RP feels fair for what you get. Been daily driving this one again since last Tuesday and I keep forgetting how clean the model looks in late-game fights.