CS stands for Creep Score — the number of enemy minions and neutral monsters you've killed. It's one of the most important metrics in League of Legends because every minion kill gives you gold, and gold buys items that make your champion stronger.
What Counts Toward CS?
Each enemy minion or neutral monster you kill adds 1 to your CS. The count is displayed on the scoreboard alongside your kills, deaths, and assists. Champions, turrets, and wards don't count — only minions and monsters.
How Much Gold Is CS Worth?
Each minion type pays out differently:
| Minion Type | Gold | Per Wave |
|---|---|---|
| Melee minion | 20g | 3 per wave |
| Caster minion | 14g | 3 per wave |
| Cannon minion | 50-90g (scales up over the game) | Every 3rd wave early, every wave late |
At 10 minutes, each CS averages roughly 18-19g. A champion kill is worth 300g base. That means:
| CS Difference | Gold Gap | Equivalent To |
|---|---|---|
| 10 CS | ~185g | Half a kill |
| 15 CS | ~280g | Almost a full kill |
| 30 CS | ~555g | Nearly 2 kills |
Missing 15 minions costs as much gold as dying once. If you're 30 CS up on your lane opponent, you have roughly the same gold advantage as being 2 kills ahead.
One caveat: kills also grant XP, and a CS lead usually comes with a minion XP lead too. So being "even on gold" through CS when your opponent has kills doesn't mean you're fully even — they may also have a level advantage from kill XP.
What Is a Good CS in LoL?
There are roughly 114 minions available in a solo lane by 10 minutes. Nobody gets all of them — trades, recalls, and ganks all cost CS. Here's what different benchmarks look like in practice:
| Level | CS at 10 min | % of Available | Gold Gap vs. 80 CS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beginner | 50-60 | ~44-53% | ~370-555g behind (1-2 kills) |
| Solid | 70-80 | ~61-70% | Baseline |
| Great | 90-100 | ~79-88% | ~185-370g ahead (½-1 kill) |
CS is also a major factor in earning S grades. Opponent pressure, jungler interference, and team fights all affect your numbers — the goal is to miss as few free minions as possible.
How to Improve Your CS
- Last-hit, don't push. Only hit a minion when it's one auto from dying. Mashing autos kills minions early and shoves the wave — you want control, not speed. Practice in the Practice Tool until the timing feels natural.
- Recall after the wave, not before it. If you back with a wave incoming, you lose every one of those minions. Push the wave under the enemy turret first so it resets while you're gone. Never recall on a cannon wave — it's too high-value to give away.
- Manage the wave, not just the minions. Where the wave sits determines whether you're safe, gankable, or denied CS. Learn the basics of wave management — freezing near your turret denies your opponent farm and sets up ganks; pushing fast gives you recall and roam windows.
- Don't abandon free waves. If your opponent backs or dies, push the wave into their turret before you do anything else. Every minion they lose under tower while you were standing still is free gold you gave away.
- Know your tower last-hit timing. Melee minions take two tower shots before your auto can finish them. Ranged take one shot, then one auto, then one more tower shot. Learn those rhythms so you can secure minions under tower without using abilities. When you do need an ability — a point-click skill on a low-health target — that's fine. What to avoid is AoE clearing under tower, which kills multiple minions at once and shoves the wave out of your control.
Why Are Minions Called CS?
The term comes from real-time strategy games, where computer-controlled units were called "creeps." League inherited the terminology — minions are the creeps, and the count of how many you've killed is your Creep Score.
