Why Pro Players Have More CS in LoL | Farming Guide

Why Do Pro Players Have So Much CS? (LoL Farming Guide)

Watch any professional League of Legends match and you'll notice something almost immediately.

At 10 minutes, many pro players already have 90–100 CS.

By 20 minutes, it's common to see numbers above 200.

Meanwhile, the average ranked player is often sitting at 120–140 CS at the same point.

So what are professional players doing differently?

The answer isn't simply better mechanics.

It's a combination of discipline, wave management, map awareness, and understanding where gold really comes from.

What Is CS?

CS stands for Creep Score, which represents the number of minions and neutral monsters you've killed.

Each minion provides gold and experience.

Over the course of a game, those small advantages add up quickly.

For example:

• 15 missed minions ≈ one champion kill worth of gold.
• 100 extra CS can translate into thousands of additional gold.

That's why farming consistently is one of the biggest differences between average and elite players.

Why Farming Matters More Than Kills

Many ranked players chase fights at every opportunity.

Professional players don't.

Instead, they ask:

• Can I secure this wave?
• Will I lose farm if I roam?
• Is this fight actually worth leaving lane?

A kill provides a burst of gold.

CS provides reliable income every minute.

That's why strong farming wins more games over time.

Pro Players Rarely Miss Free Minions

One major habit separates pros from most players:

They almost never miss uncontested farm.

Every wave is planned.

Every recall is timed around the minion wave.

Every roam considers how much CS will be sacrificed.

These small decisions create massive gold leads over the course of a match.

Wave Management Is the Real Difference

Mechanics matter.

Wave management matters even more.

Professional players constantly manipulate waves by:

• Freezing near their tower
• Slow pushing before objectives
• Crashing large waves to deny farm

These techniques force opponents into difficult decisions while creating safe opportunities to recall or roam.

They Waste Less Time

Many players spend too much time:

• Chasing low-health enemies
• Wandering the jungle
• Waiting in brushes
• Grouping too early

Professional players stay productive.

If nothing is happening, they're usually farming.

Every second without collecting gold is a missed opportunity.

They Understand Recall Timings

Bad recalls often cost entire waves.

Pros recall when:

• The wave is fully pushed
• A cannon wave is arriving
• Objectives are not immediately spawning

Good recall timing means returning to lane without losing valuable CS.

Jungle Camps Matter Too

As the game progresses, professional players continue farming beyond the lane.

They efficiently rotate between:

• Side waves
• Jungle camps
• Objectives

This keeps their gold income high even after the laning phase ends.

What Is Good CS Per Minute?

A general benchmark looks like this:

• 5–6 CS/min: Needs improvement
• 6–7 CS/min: Average
• 7–8 CS/min: Good
• 8–9 CS/min: Excellent
• 9–10+ CS/min: Professional level

Remember that support players and highly aggressive games may naturally have lower CS numbers.

How to Improve Your Farming

Improving CS doesn't require perfect mechanics.

Start with these habits:

Practice Last-Hitting

Spend 10 minutes in the Practice Tool without using abilities.

Focus only on timing the final hit.

Stop Fighting Every Minute

Ask yourself whether the fight is worth giving up an entire wave.

Often, it isn't.

Learn Basic Wave Management

Understanding freezes, slow pushes, and crashes will increase your CS naturally.

Track Side Waves

Many players ignore side lanes after 15 minutes.

Professional players constantly collect these waves before grouping.

Farming Wins More Games

Players often believe they need flashy mechanics to climb.

In reality, a player with:

• Better farming
• Fewer deaths
• Smarter recalls

will usually outperform a mechanically gifted player who misses dozens of minions every game.

Consistent gold creates consistent victories.

Final Thoughts

Professional players don't have high CS because they last-hit better.

They have high CS because every decision they make is designed to maximize gold income.

If you improve your farming, wave management, and recall timings, you'll become stronger in every game—even without improving your mechanics.

If you're trying to climb the ranked ladder, we also recommend reading our guides on How to Win More Ranked Games, The Fastest Way to Rank Up in LoL, and Why Players Get Hardstuck.