Last Hitting and Wave Management Guide
Minions are the most reliable source of gold in League of Legends. Learning to last hit and control where the wave goes gives you gold, safety and time to roam, even when you're not winning fights.
How last hitting works
When a minion dies to your attack or ability, you get its gold. If it dies to another minion or a turret, nobody gets the gold. That's why the number of minions you kill, your CS, is one of the best ways to measure how you're doing.
- Melee minions have more health and give more gold than caster minions.
- Cannon minions come every few waves and are worth the most. Don't miss them.
- Attack a minion only when your next hit will kill it. Hitting it too early lets the enemy take it.
Last hitting under your turret
When minions reach your turret, the turret hits them hard. A common rule early in the game: let the turret hit a melee minion twice, then last hit it. For a caster minion, hit it once first, let the turret hit it, then last hit it. The rule changes as you get more damage, so practice it.
Practice Tool lets you farm without pressure. Ten minutes of last hitting before ranked raises your CS a lot over time.
CS goals
| CS per minute | What it means |
|---|---|
| 5 | A good start for new players. |
| 6 to 7 | Solid for most ranked games. |
| 8 to 9 | Very good. Common in high ranks. |
| 10 | Pro level. Hard to keep up for a whole game. |
At 10 minutes, a perfect lane has around 100 CS. Even 70 puts you ahead of most players.
Slow push, fast push, bounce and freeze
Wave management means controlling where your minions meet the enemy minions. These are the four main tools:
Slow push
Kill the enemy caster minions and let your minions handle the rest. Your wave slowly grows bigger than theirs, and after two or three waves a big wave crashes into the enemy turret. Use it before a dive, before a dragon or before you roam.
Fast push
Kill the enemy wave as fast as you can with your abilities. Your wave reaches their turret quickly, so you can recall, help your jungler or move to an objective without losing gold.
Crash and bounce
When a big wave hits the enemy turret, the turret kills it and the next waves start pushing back toward you. That's the bounce. It gives you time to recall or roam while the enemy has to farm under their turret.
Freeze
Keep the wave just in front of your turret by only last hitting. The enemy has to walk far into your side to farm, which makes them easy to gank. A freeze holds best when the enemy wave is a little bigger than yours, so the wave doesn't move forward.
When to recall
- After you crash a wave into the enemy turret, so you lose few minions while you shop.
- When you have enough gold for an important item or item part.
- When your health or mana is too low to fight. Staying and dying costs more than going back.
Recalling right after the enemy laner recalls is often good timing: neither of you loses much.
Using waves to roam and take objectives
A pushed wave gives you free time. Push, then move: help your jungler at a dragon, gank another lane or place deep wards. If you roam without pushing first, you lose minions and your turret takes damage. The jungle guide explains how laners and junglers work together around objectives.
Common mistakes
- Attacking every minion instead of waiting for the last hit.
- Pushing all the time with no wards, then getting ganked.
- Recalling when a big wave is about to crash into your turret.
- Forgetting the cannon minion during a trade.
- Leaving a side lane empty in the mid game. Someone should always catch those waves.
FAQ
What is a good CS score in League of Legends?
Around 7 CS per minute is good for most ranked players. 8 to 10 per minute is excellent.
What does freezing a lane mean?
Keeping the minion wave near your own turret by only last hitting. It makes the enemy walk into danger to farm.
Should supports take CS?
Usually no. Supports leave the minions to the bot laner and earn gold from their support item.
