Where gold comes from in LoL: minions, kills and objectives
Gold is what turns game time into power. But not all gold is equal: minion gold is safe and steady, kill gold is big but risky. Here you see where each coin comes from and which one is worth chasing.
The gold sources, one by one
Your gold comes from several taps at once. Passive gold trickles in on its own from early (you do nothing). Minions are your main and safest source: each CS is worth ~20 and never fails. Kills give a nice chunk (~300 base) plus assists, but they depend on the enemy misplaying and the fight going well.
Then there’s map gold: early turret plates split gold among nearby players when they fall, objectives (dragon, herald, baron) give team gold, and supports have their support item granting gold without taking minions. The chart compares a full wave’s gold against a kill’s: you’ll be surprised how competitive steady farming is.
The key takeaway: many small, safe sources (CS, passive, plates) add up to more, with less risk, than betting everything on kills. How much each CS is worth and the farming benchmarks are in CS and gold per minute.
Reference values for the patch. A full wave is worth almost a third of a kill: that’s why missing waves for shaky fights gives up more gold than it looks. Farming is deferred damage.
Gold only matters for what it buys
Hoarding gold is useless if you don’t spend it well. Each stat has a reference gold value (what it “should” cost): that’s how you measure whether an item is efficient. The chart shows how much gold each point of attack damage, health, armor or ability power is worth.
This changes how you play: a 1500-gold lead isn’t a lead until you turn it into an item that makes you stronger. Recalling in time to buy, and buying the right thing, converts gold into real power. Sitting on unspent gold is like having the lead in the bank while you fight poor.
How to tell if an item is worth its price is in gold efficiency; play with stats and prices in the efficiency lab. To build the full buy order, see how to build; and to not be late spending it, when to recall.
Computed with the engine’s gold table (the price of the basic item that gives the pure stat). 1 point costs:
FAQ
What gives more gold, farming or killing?
A kill gives more gold at once (~300 base), but minions give more in total and risk-free: a wave is around 105–120 gold and they keep coming. Over the game, steady farming usually beats fight gold, and it doesn’t depend on the enemy misplaying.
Why shouldn’t I sit on unspent gold?
Because gold only makes you stronger once you spend it on items. A hoarded gold lead doesn’t show in your stats: you fight just as weak as before. Recalling in time to buy the right thing is what turns the lead into real power.