Why gold is everything
Gold buys items, and items are where a hero's power comes from. Two heroes at the same level can be miles apart because of their items.
Collecting gold is called farming. Players who farm well usually carry their team to the win.
Last hits: how you earn gold
A creep only gives gold to the hero who lands the killing blow. That blow is called a last hit.
If an enemy lands it, the gold is theirs — even if you did all the hitting before. Farming is about timing, not just hitting.
Hit it right as its health runs out — the gold is yours.
How
Watch the creep's health bar. Hit when it's almost empty — not too early.
First target
Around 40 last hits by minute 10 is good for a beginner.
Practice
Use Hero Demo or a bot game and focus only on last hits.
Denies: take gold away from the enemy
In Dota 2 you can attack your own creeps once they drop below half health. If you kill one, the enemy gets no gold and only a little experience. That's a deny.
The enemy lands the last hit
on your creep:
Enemy gets the gold
You deny your own creep
below half health:
Enemy gets nothing
Experience (XP) and levels
XP levels your hero up and makes their abilities stronger. Unlike gold, XP needs no last hit — just stand near an enemy creep when it dies.
Killing enemy heroes and jungle monsters gives XP too.
Farming the jungle
Once the lane is clear, don't stand around waiting for the next wave. Step into the jungle and kill neutral monsters for extra gold.
Key Points to Remember
- Gold → items → a strong hero
- A last hit is the killing blow on a creep — the only thing that pays gold
- A deny is killing your own creep so the enemy gets no gold
- You get XP just by standing near a creep that dies
- Lane empty? Farm the jungle
Quick quiz
When do you get gold from a creep?
Want to go deeper?