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(Merged subsection Items with section Minion-Related Items)
(→‎Spawning: Title changed)
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==Gameplay - Summoner's Rift==
 
==Gameplay - Summoner's Rift==
===Spawning===
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===Minion waves===
 
[[File:Minions.png|thumb|300px|Minions on [[Summoner's Rift]]]]
 
[[File:Minions.png|thumb|300px|Minions on [[Summoner's Rift]]]]
Minions start spawning from the [[Nexus]] at '''1:05''' and keep spawning in waves every 30 seconds for the rest of the match. The minions in each wave spawn in this order:
+
Minions start spawning from the [[Nexus]] at '''1:05''' and keep spawning in waves every 30 seconds for the rest of the match. Each wave comprises several types of minions, which spawn in this order:
   
 
# {{ui|Blue Super Minion|link=Super minion|Super minions}}
 
# {{ui|Blue Super Minion|link=Super minion|Super minions}}

Revision as of 14:05, 12 May 2020

Minions 2018 April Fools promo 01

Minions of League of Legends
(by Riot Employed Artist Mary Magny)

Minions are units aligned with one of the teams. They spawn periodically from their nexus and advance along a lane towards the enemy nexus. They automatically attack any enemy unit or structure they find in their way. They are controlled by artificial intelligence, and only use basic attacks.

There are four kind of minions: melee minions melee minions, caster minions caster minions, siege minions siege minions and super minions super minions.

Lore

Minions are magical constructs summoned for battles. They are not fully sentient beings, they are controlled by summoners.

Summoning minions requires a constant and massive amount of magical energy. Nexuses focus magical energy from powerful crystals. This energy is enough for sustained minion spawning. The destruction of a nexus stops the summoning magic.

Minion bodies can be magically constructed from several sources, including animated magic scrolls, animated sand, magically animated bolts of cloth, and even sound.

Necromancy is a minion summoning technique that uses dark magic to reanimate corpses corpses. Most known practitioners of necromancy come from the Shadow Isles.

While not magically constructed, living minions share many traits with magically constructed minions. Voidborn summoned through portals portals are controlled by those who have the magical power required to use them. One of such persons is Malzahar Malzahar. A Celestial Being known as Bard Bard is frequently followed by minion like spirits known as Meeps Meeps that aid him in his tasks (though they are more like companions than outright minions).

One of the earliest recorded use of minions for battles was at the battlefield known as Summoner's Rift, where summoners from ancient sides known as the Protectorate (Stag crest) and Magelord (Owl crest) fought against each other.

Spawning location and routes

These graphics show the points at which minions spawn in Summoner's Rift and Howling Abyss, and the routes they follow after they spawn. The spawning points are the thick and short segments at the ends of each red/blue line. Immediately after spawning minions march along the routes marked by the thin parts of those lines:

Gameplay - Summoner's Rift

Minion waves

Minions

Minions on Summoner's Rift

Minions start spawning from the Nexus at 1:05 and keep spawning in waves every 30 seconds for the rest of the match. Each wave comprises several types of minions, which spawn in this order:

  1. Super minions Super minions
    • If one of the allied inhibitors on a lane is destroyed, one super minion spawns for the enemy team on that lane.
    • If all the allied inhibitors of a team are destroyed, two super minions spawn on each lane for the enemy team.
  2. Melee minions Melee minions
    • Three of them spawn in each wave.
  3. Siege minions Siege minions
    • They do not spawn on lanes on which super minions super minions are spawning.
    • For the first 15 minutes, one spawns every three minion waves.
    • After the 15 minute mark, one spawns every two minion waves.
    • After the 25 minute mark, one spawns every wave.
  4. Caster minions Caster minions
    • Three of them spawn in each wave.

Start of the game

When minions start spawning they are ghosted for a few seconds:

  • Top and bot lane minions are ghosted for 28 seconds.
  • Middle lane minions are ghosted for 18 seconds.

Behavior

Minions walk along a lane until they find an enemy unit. When they find an enemy unit, they attack it. Champions aggro enemy minions when they attack a nearby enemy champion with basic attacks, targeted abilities or spells. When minions find several enemy units they choose their target using a priority system that follows this order:

  1. Enemy champions attacking an allied champion.
  2. Enemy minions attacking an allied champion.
  3. Enemy minions attacking an allied minion.
  4. Enemy turrets attacking an allied minion.
  5. Enemy champions attacking an allied minion.
  6. The closest enemy minion.
  7. The closest enemy champion.

Once a minion has chosen a target, it only switches to a new target if the new target has higher priority. If they see a new target with the same priority as their current target, they keep attacking their current target.

Minions reevaluate their target every few seconds. For instance, if an enemy champion attacks an allied champion and then stops attacking, minions will keep targeting the enemy champion for a short time after he stops attacking.

When the target of a minion leaves its sight, the minion switches to a new target or keeps advancing if there are no targets left within sight.

Stats mechanics

  • Every 90 seconds (i. e., every third wave) minions upgrade, increasing their strength.
  • Minions deal 50% reduced damage to enemy champions.
  • The armor of turrets is reduced when enemy minions are nearby.
  • Minions start with 325 movement speed and gain Error: Parameter '3' is not accepted. movement speed as the game progresses.
  • New spawning minions level up based on their team's average level (e.g. one level 15, 10 and 18 would make a minion level 14).

Minion-Related Items

Some items affect the way champions interact with minions.

The following items affect the amount of gold received from minion kills:

The following items affect interactions with minions in other ways:

Buffs

General

  • Destroying an enemy Inhibitor Inhibitor provides a small buff to allied minions in the lane where the inhibitor was destroyed.

Minion Pushing

Minions in the team with higher average champion level receive a buff that increases the damage they deal and reduce the damage they take, which is proportional to their lane's turret advantage and their team's level advantage.

Bonus damage = (5% + (5% × Turret advantage)) × Team level advantage

Damage reduction = 1 + (Level advantage × Turret advantage)

Where:

  • Team level advantage is the difference between the average level of one team and the average level of the other. This value can be decimal and is capped at 3.
  • Turret advantage is the difference between the number of turrets destroyed in one side of a lane and the number of turrets destroyed on the other side.

Since there are three turrets on each lane, the maximum possible benefits are:

Bonus damage = (5% + (5% × 3)) × 3 = 60%

Damage reduction = 1 + (3 × 3) = 10

This buff starts to apply at 3:30. Note that nexus turrets are not lane turrets.

Neutral Buffs

Champion Abilities

Some champion abilities work on minions, but generally prioritise champions.

Targeted

The following abilities can be targeted on lane minions but will not buff them in any way:

Others

The following abilities will affect lane minions with their area of effect:

Creep Score

Creep Score (CS) is the number of minions, monsters, and champion pets a champion has slain by dealing the killing blow to these units. Dealing this hit is known as last hitting and is considered one of the most important skills in League of Legends.

In the early and mid game, CS along with KDA can be used to compare how well a player is doing against their lane opponent.

Wave Gold Value

A group of spawned minions is considered a wave.

In Summoner's Rift, an undistributed wave consists of three melee minions melee minions, three caster minions caster minions and possibly a siege minion siege minion.

  • As of V8.23, a minion wave has an average gold value that varies from 125 Gold 125 and up to 195 Gold 195 at 25:00.
Game time Average gold per wave Calculations
0:00 125 Gold 125 (3 × 21 21) + (3 × 14 14) + (60 60 ÷ 3)
15:00 147 Gold 147 (3 × 21 21) + (3 × 14 14) + (84 84 ÷ 2)
17:15 150 Gold 150 (3 × 21 21) + (3 × 14 14) + (90 90 ÷ 2)
25:00 195 Gold 195 (3 × 21 21) + (3 × 14 14) + (90 90)

Wave Strategy

  • Without player interference a lane's wave is neither advancing or retreating in any significant amount.
  • A minion wave that catches up with its preceding wave starts pushing the lane towards enemy turret.
  • Big waves of minions can overwhelm a turret.
  • When a player interrupts an enemy minion wave by ensuring their side is making more damage to the opponents minions than they are receiving, the lane starts to push.
    • In simplest way this is made by killing every minion without interference from your own minions thus moving the point where the minion waves clash.
    • On more sophisticated turning the player makes sure their side is making just slightly more damage thus allowing the wave to build up as the wave gets reinforcements before than the enemy wave.

Game Terminology

Some game terms related to minions:

  • Farming: Last hitting minions to earn gold and experience.
  • Lane Momentum: The strength with which the minions in a lane advance without champion aid.
  • Pushing: Attacking enemy minions to keep allied minions alive and allow them to advance along their lane.
  • Freezing: Preventing enemy minions from pushing the lane without pushing them back.
  • Winions: A wave of minions so big or so strong that it can destroy turrets, nexuses, or champions without champion aid.
  • Free Farming: Farming without being confronted by an enemy champion.
  • Proxy Farming: Farming behind an enemy tower. It's easier than conventional farming because there is no interference from allied minions, but it's usually much more dangerous.
  • Split Pushing: Attacking several objectives at the same time when at least one of the objectives is a lane turret.

Trivia

  • If the champions do not take part in the battle, the minions in one of the teams will eventually win the game. The team that wins is random.
  • When minions scan for a target, it is possible for a champion to pick up aggro multiple times from a minion. Minions can constantly pick up aggro from you and can follow you through the jungle.
  • By default, each player sees their allied minions and structures in Summoner's Rift in blue and the enemy minions and structures in red. This is just a visual effect, it has no practical effects in the game.

Media

Related Music

Related Videos

Patch History

V9.23
  • Melee minion base XP increased to 65 from 64.
  • Minion solo experience increased to 93% from 92%.
  • Minion shared experience reduced to 116% from 120%.
    • Melee minion
      • Solo XP increased to 60.45 from 58.88.
      • Shared XP reduced to 75.4 from 76.8.
    • Caster minion
      • Solo XP increased to 29.76 from 29.44.
      • Shared XP reduced to 37.12 from 38.4.
    • Siege / Super minion
      • Solo XP increased to 93 from 9200.
      • Shared XP reduced to 116 from 120.
V9.4
  • The first wave of top and bot lane minions are ghosted for 28 seconds, instead of 18, after spawning. Mid lane minions unchanged at 18 seconds of ghosting.
V8.23
  • General
    • Damage to turrets reduced to 50% from 60%.
    • Damage to champions reduced to 50% from 60%.
    • Bonus movement speed based on game-time increased to Error: Parameter '3' is not accepted. from 25 at 20:00.
  • Melee Minions
    • Health changed to Error: Parameter '3' is not accepted. from Error: Parameter '3' is not accepted..
      • Maximum health (at 37:00) increased to 1300 from 1200.
    • Armor increased to Error: Parameter '3' is not accepted. from 0 at all times.
      • Maximum armor (at 37:00) increased to 16 from 0.
    • Attack damage increased to Error: Parameter '3' is not accepted. from 12 at all times.
      • Maximum attack damage (at 37:00) increased to 80 from 12.
    • Hand of Baron Hand of Baron
      • Incoming champion damage reduction reduced to 70% from 75%.
      • Removed: 30% reduced damage from turrets.
  • Caster Minions
    • Health changed to Error: Parameter '3' is not accepted. from Error: Parameter '3' is not accepted..
      • Time threshold to trigger health cap increased to 37 minutes from 27 minutes.
      • Maximum health increased to 485 from 425 (previous maximum at 27 minutes). Value at 27 minutes remains 425.
    • Attack damage changed to Error: Parameter '3' is not accepted. from 22.5 (+1.5 / 90s).
      • Attack damage now has a maximum threshold instead of scaling infinitely.
      • Maximum attack damage implemented at 120.5 (at 37 minutes). Previous value at 37 minutes was 60.5.
    • Hand of Baron Hand of Baron
      • Incoming champion damage reduction increased to 70% from 50%.
  • Cannon Minions
    • Health changed to Error: Parameter '3' is not accepted. from 900 (+ (Error: Parameter '3' is not accepted.) / 90s).
      • Maximum health implemented at 2900 at 37 minutes. Previous value at 37 minutes was 2300.
    • Time threshold to spawn every 2 waves reduced to 15 minutes from 20.
    • Time threshold to spawn every wave reduced to 25 minutes from 35.
    • Incoming turret damage modulator changed to Error: Parameter '3' is not accepted. (based on turret) shots-to-die from 8 shots-to-die from all turrets.
  • Super Minions
    • Base attack damage reduced to 225 from 306.
    • Base attack speed increased to 0.85 from 0.694.
    • Removed: Aura that grants nearby minions +70% damage.
    • Super minions now show up on the minimap through fog of war.
V8.8
  • Summoner's Rift:
    • Siege minion
      • Capped gold increased to 90 Gold 90 from 87 Gold 87.
    • Super minion
      • Capped gold increased to 90 Gold 90 from 87 Gold 87.
V8.7
  • Summoner's Rift:
    • Melee minions
      • Base gold reward increased to 21 Gold 21 from 20 Gold 20.
      • Gold reward growth reduced to 0 Gold 0 from 0 0.125.
    • Caster minions
      • Base gold reward reduced to 14 Gold 14 from 17 Gold 17.
      • Gold reward growth reduced to 0 Gold 0 from 0 0.125.
    • Siege minions
      • Base gold reward increased to 60 Gold 60 from 45 Gold 45.
      • Gold reward growth increased to 3 Gold 3 from 0 0.35.
      • New Effect: Gold reward is now capped at 87 Gold 87.
      • Base health increased to 900 from 828.
      • Health growth changed to 50 from 23.
      • Health growth at wave 16 increased to 60 from 32.
    • Super minion
      • Base gold reward increased to 60 Gold 60 from 45 Gold 45.
      • Gold reward growth increased to 3 Gold 3 from 0 0.35.
      • New Effect: Gold reward is now capped at 87 Gold 87.
V8.5
  • Melee minion turret damage per shot increased to 45% of maximum health from 43%.
V8.4
  • Removed: Basic attacks dealing 5 bonus physical damage to minions.
V8.2
V7.23
  • Minion reduced damage to turrets reduced to 40% from 50%.
  • New Effect: After 20 minutes, minions gain +25 movement speed. This change will be enabled several days into the patch so we can more accurately track its impact.
V6.22
  • Melee and caster minion health growth over time increased by ~60%
  • Melee minions no longer gain attack damage as the game progresses.
  • Ranged minions now gain ~100% attack damage as the game progresses
  • Turret bullets now deal a fixed percent of minion max health:
    • Melee minions ~45% health per bullet
    • Caster minions ~70% health per bullet
    • Siege minions ~14% health per bullet
    • Super minions ~5% health per bullet
V5.23
  • New Buff - Pushing Advantage
    • Team level advantage = Average level of your team − average level of the enemy team. The value can be decimal but cannot be higher than 3.
    • If you have a team level advantage:
      • Your minions deal bonus damage to enemy minions equal to 5% + 5% per turret advantage in their lane, all multiplied by your team's level advantage.
      • Your minions take reduced damage from enemy minions equal to 1 + 1 per turret advantage in that lane, with the turret advantage bonus multiplied by the team's level advantage.
V5.22
  • Melee minion
    • Initial gold increased to 20 from 18.5.
    • Gold growth reduced to 0.125 per minute from 0.17.
  • Caster minion
    • Initial gold increased to 17 from 13.8.
    • Gold growth reduced to 0.125 per minute from 0.17.
  • Siege minion
    • Initial gold increased to 45 from 36.8.
    • Gold growth reduced to 0.35 per minute from 0.425.
V5.8
  • Visual and Gameplay Updates on Howling Abyss map (to match Summoner's Rift).
    • Minions no longer gain magic resistance over time.
    • Minion health gain over time increased to compensate the loss of resistances.
    • Siege minions no longer have base armor.
    • Super minions now grant nearby allies minions bonus damage and resistances.
V4.21
  • Melee minion gold reward 19 ⇒ 20.
  • ranged minion gold reward 14 ⇒ 15.
V4.20
  • Minions no longer gain armor or magic resistance over time.
  • Siege minions no longer have base armor.
  • Siege minions now start spawning every two waves at 20 minutes.
  • Siege minions now start spawning every wave at 35 minutes.
  • All minion health gain over time has been increased to be roughly as durable as when they had resistances.
V4.19
  • Visual Update on Summoner's Rift map.
V3.14
  • Lane minions are no longer worth more experience based on game time.
V3.5
  • Siege Minions now take 70% damage from Turrets, increased from 50% damage.
  • Siege Minions now deal 150% damage to Turrets, reduced from 200% damage
  • Super Minions now take 70% damage from Turrets, increased from 50% damage
V1.0.0.152
  • Melee minion base gold value reduced to 20 from 22.
  • Caster minions base gold value reduced to 15 from 16.
  • Siege minions
    • Base gold value increased to 40 from 27.
    • Scaling gold value based on time increased to 1 from 0.5.
V1.0.0.138
  • Minion shared experience increased to 120% from 116%.
    • Melee minion
      • Shared XP increased to 76.8 from 74.24.
    • Caster minion
      • Shared XP increased to 38.4 from 37.12.
    • Siege / Super minion
      • Shared XP increased to 120 from 116.
V1.0.0.130
  • Damage from lane minions to champions reduced by about 15%.
  • Undocumented: Minion shared experience increased to 116% from 110%.
    • Melee minion
      • Shared XP increased to 74.24 from 70.4.
    • Caster minion
      • Shared XP increased to 37.12 from 35.2.
    • Siege / Super minion
      • Shared XP increased to 116 from 110.
V1.0.0.127
  • Personal score on Dominion: minion kill reward increased to 2 points from 1.
V1.0.0.122
  • Fixed a bug where minions were not properly displaying stat growth over time.
V1.0.0.113
  • New effect: Shared minion kill experience now grants 110% experience, shared equally between nearby allied champions.
    • Melee minion
      • Shared XP increased to 70.4 from 64.
    • Caster minion
      • Shared XP increased to 35.2 from 32.
    • Siege / Super minion
      • Shared XP increased to 110 from 100.
March 9th Hotfix
  • Siege minions now spawn every 2 waves after 35 minutes instead of 20.
  • Siege minions and super minions now reduce turret damage by 50%, down from 65%.
  • Minions now deal 50% more damage to turrets, down from 60%.
  • Super minions now reduce turret damage by 50% (down from 65%).
V1.0.0.112
  • Minions now deal 60% more damage to turrets, up from 40%.
  • Melee minion magic resist now increases by 1.25 per 3 minutes, up from 0.5.
  • Caster minion armor now increases by 1.25 per 3 minutes, up from 0.5.
  • Siege minions:
    • Armor and magic resist now increase by 3 per 3 minutes, up from 0.5.
    • After 20 minutes, siege minions now spawn every 2 waves, up from every 3 waves.
  • Siege minions and super minions now reduce turret damage by 65%, up from 50%.
  • Fixed a tooltip bug with siege minions and super minions.
  • Super minions now reduce turret damage by 65% (up from 50%).
V1.0.0.108
  • Removed mana from all inhibitor minions.
V1.0.0.106
  • Twisted Treeline super minions:
    • Health increased to 1200 from 1000.
    • Base damage increased by 30.
V1.0.0.104
  • Undocumented: Solo minion kill experience reduced to 92% of the base value (shared experience unchanged).
    • Melee minion
      • Solo XP reduced to 58.88 from 64.
    • Caster minion
      • Solo XP reduced to 29.44 from 32.
    • Siege / Super minion
      • Solo XP reduced to 92 from 100.
V1.0.0.100
  • Fixed a bug that caused purple Siege minions to deal and receive normal damage from towers.
V1.0.0.87
  • Gold from minion kills increased by 3 for all minions.
V1.0.0.61
  • Melee minions:
    • Gain 2 additional armor every 3 minutes.
    • Gain 0.5 additional magic resist every 3 minutes.
    • Gold bounty increased to 22 from 20 on Summoner's Rift and to 26 from 24 on Twisted Treeline.
  • Caster minions:
    • Gain 0.5 additional armor every 3 minutes.
    • Gain 2 additional magic resist every 3 minutes.
    • Gold bounty increased to 16 from 14 on Summoner's Rift and to 19 from 17 on Twisted Treeline.
  • Siege minions:
    • Gain 2 additional armor every 3 minutes.
    • Gain 2 additional magic resist every 3 minutes.
    • Gold bounty increased to 27 from 25 on Summoner's Rift and to 19 from 17 on Twisted Treeline.
  • Super minion gold bounty increased to 27 from 25 on Summoner's Rift and to 32 from 30 on Twisted Treeline.
V1.0.0.52
  • Improved minion turning when they appear from fog of war.
  • Twisted Treeline:
    • Melee minion gold per kill increased to 24 from 22.
    • Super minions:
      • Health increased by 200.
      • Damage increased by 20.
    • Fixed minion pathfinding.
V0.9.22.16
  • Minion kills now display the correct values.
  • Super minion movement speed aura removed.
  • Minions no longer clear the player's bounty.
V0.9.22.15
  • Super minions and siege minions now have new portraits.
  • Siege minion health boost per 3 minutes increased to 27 from 25.
  • Super minion magic resist reduced to -30 from 0.
  • Minion corpses now fade out when they disappear instead of popping.
V0.8.22.115
  • Super minions:
    • Base health reduced to 1500 from 2000.
    • Health scaling increased to reach the current values at 30 minutes (exceeding it past that mark).
    • Base damage reduced to 180 from 250.
    • Damage scaling increased to reach the current values at 30 minutes (exceeding it past that mark).
V0.8.21.110
  • Super minions:
    • Health scaling increased to 150 from 100 every 180 game seconds.
    • Added a 30% multiplicative movement speed boost aura with a 800 radius that affects both minions and champions.
June 19, 2009 Patch
  • Minions no longer have health or mana regeneration. This will help the game run faster.
  • Siege minions:
    • Health increased to 700 from 600.
    • Spawn rate increased to every 3 waves from ever 4 waves.
  • Fixed a bug with ghost minions. They will no longer be present when you reconnect.
June 12, 2009 Patch
  • Siege minions:
    • Red and blue siege minions now have Turret Shield (receives 50% reduced damage from turrets).
    • Red and blue siege minions now deal 100% bonus damage to turrets.
June 6, 2009 Patch
  • Fixed an issue where minions were not giving players full credit for kills in the announcements.
  • Damage minions deal to champions increased to 70% from 60%.
May 29, 2009 Patch
  • Inhibitor bonuses:
    • Melee minion bonus damage increased to 10 from 8.
    • Caster minion bonus damage increased to 18 from 15.
    • Siege minion bonus damage increased to 25 from 20.
  • Added a new passive to mech minions
    • Turret Shield: damage taken from turrets is reduced by 50%.
May 23, 2009 Patch
  • Brightened the new mech minions and siege minions.
  • Corrected the collision sizes of the new mech minions and siege minions.
May 15, 2009 Patch
  • Removed aura from rider minions.
  • Basic minion gold yield growth reduced by 50%.
  • Added new rider minion and super minion models.
May 1, 2009 Patch
  • Destroying an inhibitor no longer causes the enemy team to gain less experience and gold from minion kills.
  • Duration between minion upgrades increased to 200 from 180.
  • Damage minions deal to champions increased to 60% from 50%.
  • Minion gold bounty now caps after 30 minutes (10 upgrades).
  • New melee and caster minions for both blue and red teams.
April 25, 2009 Patch
  • Super Minions:
    • Armor reduced to 40 from 50.
    • Critical strike chance reduced to 0 from 10.
    • Health reduced to 2500 from 4000.
    • Damage increased to 250 from 150.
Alpha Week 7
  • Minions should no longer be able to get killing streaks.
Alpha Week 6
  • Archer minion health increased to 280 from 260.
  • Melee minion health increased to 445 from 425.
  • Minions no longer give half gold and experience when you have lost an inhibitor.
Alpha Week 5
  • Minion health bars are now brighter.
Alpha Week 4
  • Melee minion gold bounty increased to 26 from 22.
  • Caster minion gold bounty reduced to 18 from 22.
  • Minions now spawn after 1 minute instead of 1 minute and 40 seconds.
  • Minions now spawn from the Nexus instead of inhibitors.
Alpha Week 2
  • Minions can no longer be denied.
  • Reduced the selection radius of archers and riders (caster and siege minions)