How did we get here?
This is a topic that has remained surprisingly relevant over the years, with some players stating that there is no point in accumulating 10 Gold in the first PVE rounds, since you wouldn't benefit from it.
I guess the gold tab showcasing your expected income is partly to blame here, since it can be somewhat misleading when it comes to the total gold you receive. In this guide I will proof that gold interest during PVE rounds definitely works and why it can makes sense to only play a single unit in Stage 1-4.
Part 1 - Control
First of all we need to gather data from a normal game that acts as a baseline. Afterwards we can compare the two games and check for any differences. Not counting any gold from Orbs, winning or streaks, the baseline you receive is:
- Stage 1-2 -> 0 Gold
- Stage 1-3 -> 2 Gold
- Stage 1-4 -> 2 Gold
- Stage 2-1 -> 3 Gold
- Stage 2-2 -> 4 Gold
- Stage 2-3 -> 5 Gold
At Stage 2-3 you received the maximum of 5 gold, from here on you can only increase your gold gain by winning fights or creating a streak.
Part 2 - Interest
In the following game we get lucky with Orbs and end up with a total of 11 gold at the end of Stage 1-3. We start Stage 1-4 with 14 gold and received another Orb that pushed us to 20 gold. At the beginning of Stage 2-1 we now have 25 gold in our bank. This means in Stage 1-4 we received one gold interest and in Stage 2-1 we received two gold.
- Stage 1-3 End -> 11 Gold
- Stage 1-4 Start -> 14 Gold
- Stage 1-4 End -> 20 Gold
- Stage 2-1 Start -> 25 Gold
Compared to our baseline we received more gold thanks to interest, so we can confirm that there is an advantage to save up gold.
Part 3 - The Setup
Players who prefer to lose streak and aim for a large roll down in Stage 3-1 or 3-2 like to use this strategy to maximize their gold as much as possible. You will always want to be able to hit the next threshold and if possible run some units to minimize the damage you take in Stage 2.
As for the setup, it is surprisingly simple. The most reliable setup is with Renekton. He doesn't require any items and you can simply put him to the very left of the first row and he will clear Stage 1-4 all by himself.
The alternative to Renekton is a bit less reliable. Here you will need Irelia with a Giant's Belt on the very right of the first row. It's extremely rare for either of these setups to fail, but it can happen if you are extremely unlucky with critical strikes from your own units and the minions.
Usually you should have 8 gold in Stage 1-4 and receive a grey Orb containing 2 gold that allows you to reach the 10 gold you were aiming for to receive the bonus interest.
