- For information about the species, see Minion (Species).
- For information about the Legends of Runeterra card, see 2 Minion.
Minions are units that comprise the main force sent by the Nexus. They spawn periodically from their Nexus and advance along a lane towards the enemy Nexus, automatically engaging any enemy unit or structure they encounter. They are controlled by artificial intelligence and only use basic attacks.
A group of spawned minions is called a wave. The game's pace fundamentally depends on minion waves.
Spawning location and routes[]
These graphics show the points at which minions spawn right beside each Nexus, and the route they follow after being spawned, for each available map:
- The thick, short segments at each line's end represent the spawning point for each lane (the point at which minions appear on the map).
- The thin, long segments represent the minions' regular route along each lane that they march along immediately after spawning.
Gameplay - Summoner's Rift[]
Minion waves[]
Minions start spawning from each 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:
- If a team's inhibitor is destroyed, one super minion spawns for the enemy team on the same lane as the destroyed inhibitor.
- If all of a team's inhibitors are destroyed, two super minions spawn on each lane for the enemy team instead.
- Three of them spawn in each wave.
- They do not spawn on waves in which are present.
- For the first 15 minutes, one spawns every three waves.
- After the 15 minute mark, one spawns every two waves.
- After the 25 minute mark, one spawns every wave.
- Three of them spawn in each wave.
Behavior[]
While minions have not acquired a target, they will strictly path linearly along a lane until they find a valid enemy unit. Upon finding one, they will move toward and attack it within their range. Minions respect unit collision as well as player-generated terrain.
The first wave's minions have modified behaviour. Top and bottom lanes' minions are ghosted for 28 seconds, while middle lane minions are ghosted for 18 seconds. They will ignore enemy champions until a champion walks much closer to them or until meeting with the enemy wave. When the waves meet, minions will spread out their attacks on the three enemy melee minions regardless of distance. This special behavior exists so that, in every game, neither side gains a pushing advantage without champion interference since the first wave's melee minions are guaranteed to die at roughly the same time.
Nearby enemy minions will become aggressive toward, or "aggro", an enemy champion within their own variable acquisition range and under certain conditions. When activated by enemy champion actions, this aggression is formally referred to as a Call for Help signal in-game and throughout the wiki, and it is indicated by an icon of three concentrated lines above a minion's health bar (this icon indicates all non-playable units' aggro, including monsters, turrets, pets, etc.).
- Abilities interacting with / minion Call for Help specifically, is noted under their respective "Details" section within a formatted table (which includes other fundamental ability properties).
Call for Help signals trigger when:
- A champion stands in the minion's path, without any other targets within the minions' attack range and outside of a turret's range.
- A champion deals damage to an enemy champion with a basic attack, the majority of unit-targeted abilities, and a minority of abilities which are marked as being similar to those two. Minions will prioritize the closest champion in the case there are multiple sources.
- Bar the first wave (which is noted above as an exception), Call for Help signals are also ignored while minions are already attacking an enemy turret.
Priority[]
When minions find several enemy units, they choose their target using a priority system that follows this order:
- Enemy champions attacking an allied champion.
- Enemy minions attacking an allied champion.
- Enemy minions attacking an allied minion.
- Enemy turrets attacking an allied minion.
- Enemy champions attacking an allied minion.
- The closest enemy minion.
- The closest enemy champion.
Once a minion has chosen a target, it only switches to a new target if that new target has a higher priority. The minion cannot acquire a new target that has the same priority as their current target (and thus continues attacking its current target).
Acquisition Range[]
In general, valid targets must be within 500 units of the minion in order to be acquired.
Allied champions being attacked by an enemy champion may be within 1000 range of the minion instead.
Timing[]
Minions reevaluate their target in between each attack windup every few seconds. For instance, if an enemy champion is attacking an allied champion and stops doing so, minions will not stop targeting that champion for a short time afterwards.
Vision[]
When the minion loses sight of its target, the minion switches to a new target or keeps advancing if there are no targets left within sight.
Stats mechanics[]
- Minions "upgrade" strictly every 90 seconds (i.e., every third wave), gaining health, attack damage, and possibly certain buffs depending on the game state.
- Minions deal 50% reduced damage to enemy champions.
- Minions start with 325 base movement speed and gain 25 / 50 / 75 / 100 (based on minutes) movement speed as the game time progresses.
- After the first wave and before 14 minutes, all top and bottom lane minions gain bonus movement speed. This increase matches the time it takes for top and bottom lanes' minions and midlane minions to reach the midpoint of each lane, as the side lanes are longer than the middle lane.
- New spawning minions level up based on their team's average (integer) champion level (e.g. champion levels 15, 10, 18 = minion level 14). Minion levels interact with the minion pushing buff explained below.
Buffs[]
General[]
- Destroying an enemy inhibitor grants a small buff to allied minions in the lane where the inhibitor has been destroyed.
Minion Pushing[]
The team with the higher average champion level gains the minion pushing buff. The buff increases the minion damage against enemy minions and reduces the damage they take from them.
Bonus damage = (5% + (5% × Turret advantage of the lane)) × Team level advantage
Damage reduction = 1 + (Turret advantage of the lane × Team level advantage)
- Team level advantage is the difference between the (decimal) average of the (integer) levels of the players in one team and the average of the levels of the other. This difference can be a decimal value, and is capped at 3.
- Turret advantage is the difference between the number of turrets destroyed in one team on a specific lane and the number of turrets destroyed on the other team on that same lane. Note that Nexus turrets are not lane turrets. This difference cannot be below 0.
Since there are three turrets on each lane, the maximum possible benefits on Summoner's Rift are:
Bonus damage = (5% + (5% × 3)) × 3 = 60%
Damage reduction = 1 + (3 × 3) = 10
This buff starts to apply at 3:30. Already-spawned minions will also receive the buff and these values will update for all minions when the level and turret advantages change.
Minions in the team with higher average champion level receive a buff that reduces damage taken from enemy minions.
Damage reduction = Level advantage × Turret advantage
- Team level advantage is the difference between the (decimal) average of the (integer) levels of the players in one team and the average of the levels of the other. This difference can be a decimal value, and is not capped.
- Turret advantage is the difference between the number of inner and nexus turrets destroyed for each team.
This buff starts to apply at 3:30. Already-spawned minions will also receive the buff and these values will update for all minions when the level and turret advantages change.
Neutral Buffs[]
Minion interactions[]
The following game elements have special interactions or effects against minions:
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Capped damage[]
Modified damage[]
Other interactions[]
Creep Score[]
Creep Score, or 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.
Every minion is worth 1 CS.
In the early- and mid-game, CS along with KDA can be used to measure a player's performance against their lane opponent.
Wave Gold Value[]
In Summoner's Rift, an undistributed wave consists of three , three and possibly a .
- As of V8.23, a minion wave has an average gold value that varies from 125 and up to 195 at 25:00.
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, ensuring their minions deal more damage to the opponent's minions than they are receiving, the lane starts to push.
- In the simplest way, this is done by killing every minion in a wave without interference from your own minions. This changes where in the lane 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.
Minion Variants[]
Labels use the Order (blue team) and Chaos (red team) faction names.
Other game modes refers to April Fools' Day, Arcade, Arcane, PROJECT, Snowdown Showdown and Ultra Rapid Fire Minions.
Both original Howling Abyss, Twisted Treeline and Murder Bridge had altered variants of the original Summoner's Rift inhibitors before their eventual updates.
Trivia[]
- If the game plays out without champion interference, the minions in one of the teams will eventually win the game. The team that wins is random.
- When minions acquire 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.
- Previously, midlane minions had reduced gold bounties, which lasted until 14:00 (until the wave at 13:35). The gold penalty was ultimately removed in V13.12.
- Between V10.23 and V12.21, midlane siege minions were worth 10 less. Compared to other lanes, the total amount of gold from midlane minions was 80 less.
- Between V12.22 and V13.11, all midlane minions were worth 1 less (i.e., siege minions were in total worth 1 less instead of 10 less than their regular bounty as before). Compared to other lanes, the total amount of gold from midlane minions was 164 less.
- Blue Siege Minion in beta is a mobile ballista.
- The unused Blue Siege Minion model in beta also became the now Blue Siege Minion.
- Visually, Blue Super Minion's pilots use two control sticks similar to analog sticks on Siege Minions to control their mech while Red Super Minion's pilots control their mech with a red crystal sphere, suggesting that magic is used.
Patch History[]
- Removed: Mid lane minions no longer give 1 less gold before 14:00.
- New Effect: After the first wave and before 14 minutes, side lane minions gain increased movement speed, matching the time it takes for two opposing minion waves to meet at the midpoint of top lane and bottom lane, with the time it takes for the middle lane.
- New Effect: Minions that are targeting towers now ignore "call for help" signals against enemy champions.
- New Effect: All minions spawned in the middle lane will now be worth 1 less before 14 minutes when last hit.
- Solo lane minion bonus experience modifier increased to 95% from 93%.
- Minion shared experience unchanged.
- Siege minion
- New Effect: Gold from mid lane siege minions are reduced by 10 for the first 14 minutes of the game.
- New Effect: Mid lane siege minions gain 30% bonus attack speed while attacking turrets.
- 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 92.
- Shared XP reduced to 116 from 120.
- Melee minion
- 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.
- 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 25 / 50 / 75 / 100 (based on minutes) from 25 at 20:00.
- Melee Minions
- Health changed to 477 − 1300 (based on upgrades) from 473 − 1200 (based on minutes).
- Maximum health (at 37:00) increased to 1300 from 1200.
- Armor increased to 0 − 16 (based on upgrades) from 0 at all times.
- Maximum armor (at 37:00) increased to 16 from 0.
- Attack damage increased to 12 − 80 (based on upgrades) from 12 at all times.
- Maximum attack damage (at 37:00) increased to 80 from 12.
- Incoming champion damage reduction reduced to 70% from 75%.
- Removed: 30% reduced damage from turrets.
- Health changed to 477 − 1300 (based on upgrades) from 473 − 1200 (based on minutes).
- Caster Minions
- Health changed to 296 − 485 (based on upgrades) from 296 − 425 (based on minutes).
- 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 24 − 120 (based on upgrades) 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.
- Incoming champion damage reduction increased to 70% from 50%.
- Health changed to 296 − 485 (based on upgrades) from 296 − 425 (based on minutes).
- Cannon Minions
- Health changed to 912 − ∞ (based on upgrades) from 900 (+ (50 / 60 (based on wave)) / 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 8 / 10 / 12 (based on turret) (based on turret) shots-to-die from 8 shots-to-die from all turrets.
- Health changed to 912 − ∞ (based on upgrades) from 900 (+ (50 / 60 (based on wave)) / 90s).
- 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.
- Summoner's Rift:
- Summoner's Rift:
- Melee minions
- Caster minions
- Siege minions
- Super minion
- Melee minion turret damage per shot increased to 45% of maximum health from 43%.
- Removed: Basic attacks dealing 5 bonus physical damage to minions.
- New Effect: Melee minions now have the cosmetic item .
- New Effect: Caster minions now have the cosmetic item .
- New Effect: Siege minions now have the cosmetic item .
- New Effect: Super minions now have the cosmetic items and .
- 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.
- 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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Melee minion gold reward 19 ⇒ 20.
- ranged minion gold reward 14 ⇒ 15.
- 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.
- Visual Update on Summoner's Rift map.
- Lane minions are no longer worth more experience based on game time.
- 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
- 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.
- 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.
- Melee minion
- 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.
- Melee minion
- Personal score on Dominion: minion kill reward increased to 2 points from 1.
- Fixed a bug where minions were not properly displaying stat growth over time.
- 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.
- Melee minion
- 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%).
- 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%).
- Removed mana from all inhibitor minions.
- Twisted Treeline super minions:
- Health increased to 1200 from 1000.
- Base damage increased by 30.
- 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.
- Melee minion
- Fixed a bug that caused purple Siege minions to deal and receive normal damage from towers.
- Gold from minion kills increased by 3 for all minions.
- 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.
- 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.
- Minion kills now display the correct values.
- Super minion movement speed aura removed.
- Minions no longer clear the player's bounty.
- 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.
- 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).
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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%.
- 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%.
- Brightened the new mech minions and siege minions.
- Corrected the collision sizes of the new mech minions and siege minions.
- Removed aura from rider minions.
- Basic minion gold yield growth reduced by 50%.
- Added new rider minion and super minion models.
- 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.
- 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.
- Minions should no longer be able to get killing streaks.
- 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.
- Minion health bars are now brighter.
- 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.
- Minions can no longer be denied.
- Reduced the selection radius of archers and riders (caster and siege minions)