Last-hitting represents the most fundamental skill separating successful players from struggling beginners. This mechanic involves delivering the precise final blow to minions to secure gold, directly impacting your ability to purchase items and scale throughout the game.
The CS (Creep Score) Benchmark System:
Professional analysis shows that achieving 6-7 CS per minute represents solid performance for beginners, while 8+ CS per minute indicates advanced proficiency. Each melee minion provides 21 gold, caster minions give 14 gold, and cannon minions offer 60+ gold depending on game time.
Advanced Last-Hitting Techniques:
Preparation Timing: Begin your attack animation just before the minion reaches last-hit health. This technique, called "preparation timing," accounts for your champion's attack speed and projectile travel time, ensuring consistent CS acquisition.
Minion Health Prediction: Learn to predict minion health decay by observing damage patterns from your minions and enemy abilities. This skill allows you to position for multiple last-hits in sequence.
Under-Turret CS Patterns: Turret shots follow predictable patterns—melee minions require 2 turret shots plus 1 auto attack, while caster minions need 1 turret shot plus 2 auto attacks (at early levels). Practice these patterns to maintain CS when pushed under turret.
Ability-Assisted CS: Use abilities strategically to secure CS when auto attacks aren't sufficient. However, balance this with mana management—wasting abilities on CS can leave you vulnerable to enemy aggression.