Good League of Legends players can be identified by how much Creep Score (CS) they have. They tend to miss very few CS, if at all. Getting a high CS is also the best way to ensure you have the upper hand in the game. And denying CS to the enemy champions is a sure way to win your lane, get to your full build quickly and carry your team.
Watch any stream of pro players, and you will soon realize last hitting minions is almost second nature to them. There is no doubt that a high creep score is instrumental in having a good game.
But how much CS should you have? If you play a sufficiently long game, say 40 minutes or more, you can have a CS of over three hundred to four hundred easily. But having a high creep score late in the game is comparatively of not much benefit. It’s imperative to have a high creep score early in the game for it to make an impact.
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The First 10 Minutes
When the game starts, and you see the enemy team composition, you can immediately start to plan about which items you would want to rush, which to plan later and which final items should there be in the late game at or near-complete build. Of course, there is room to strategize again and rethink your tactics mid-way through the game. However, regardless of strategy, you always want to have the highest creep score possible, especially in the early game.
If you calculate a rough average of the number of minions per wave and how frequently minion waves are respawned at the nexus, you can get an idea of the maximum possible minions you can kill for a high creep score. That being said, you will not be able to hit every last one of those minions.
The enemy will harass you, gank you and try to kill you and in the process, you might drop some minions. Nevertheless, it is possible for us to have a number on how much CS one should have to ensure you don’t lag too far behind your opponents. The first 10 minutes are critical if you want to stay ahead in the game.
Maximum CS in the First 10 Minutes?
If you manage to last hit 80 to a 100 minions in the first 10 minutes of the game, you should be in safe waters. Couple this level of CS with denying last hits by your opponents, and you can definitely have the advantage in the early game.
This will have a knock-on effect mid to late game, especially if you start snowballing. If you are playing really well and your opponent is unable to deny you CS, then you could reach 120 CS in the first 10 minutes.
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How to Achieve 100 CS in the First 10 Minutes?
Remember that having about 100 CS in the first 10 minutes means you need to focus on hitting each minion. While natural talent is always a factor in ensuring a consistently high level of CS, regular practice and training are necessary for this to happen.
Sometimes recording your own gameplay can be a way to realize your mistakes and see where you keep missing CS. It’s challenging to realize your mistakes or weaknesses if you can’t observe how you play.
Another technique can be to team up with a friend who is good at reaching high levels of CS. You can simply watch how he adjusts his champion movement, and times their basic attacks and abilities.
A sufficiently skilled player knows how long the animation for basic attacks and abilities takes. Practicing with a wide range of champions can further help institutionalize this instinct. After a while, it almost becomes second nature.
Some players are more comfortable starting with a Long Sword as AD carry instead of the more usual Doran’s Blade. It gives you just a little bit of an edge while last hitting minions. Starting items, however, can only be effective in getting a high CS early in the first 10 minutes of the game with regular practice.
A simple rule of thumb is to keep one eye on the health of enemy minions and adjust your last hit on each minion accordingly. Try to use abilities to last hit canon minions and harass enemy champions.
Being well versed with your champion dynamics, i.e., basic attacks, combinations of abilities, movement, and attack speed, can also make it easier for you to last hit minions easily. There isn’t really any difference in the techniques needed to last hit minions in different lanes. You just need to be familiar with champion dynamics and well-practiced enough to know how to consistently last hit minions.
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Final Thoughts
Achieving a high level of CS in the first 10 minutes can be a good indicator of how the rest of your game will go. You should ideally have about 80 to 100 CS in the first 10 minutes of the game. This will help you build and buy items faster than your opponents making you more likely to dominate the lane in mid to late game.
It would be best to practice keeping an eye on minion health to know when you time your last hit perfectly. Saving up abilities and mana to last hit canon minions is a sure way to earn that gold.
There are similar dynamics in all lanes for the last hitting minions. Being familiar with your champion is an excellent way to ensure those last hits. Teaming up with a friend who is good at reaching high CS or observing your gameplay to identify weaknesses and mistakes are suitable methods to learn how to achieve high CS.
Starting items don’t matter as much as regular practice, although some players feel comfortable with Long Sword as opposed to Doran’s Blade, for instance.
To conclude, having 80 to 100 CS in the first 10 minutes of the game is the level of CS you should aim at.
