 Gold is primarily obtained by killing enemy heroes , destroying enemy structures , and killing creeps , the latter act being called " farming " . Only the hero that lands the killing blow on a <unk> obtains gold from it , an act called " last hitting " , but all nearby allies receive gold when an enemy hero dies . Players are also able to " deny " allied units and structures by destroying them , which then prevents their opponents from getting full experience . Gold is then spent on items that provide unique active and passive abilities , in addition to attribute <unk> to their wearer , depending on the item . The player also receives a small , continuous stream of gold over the course of a match . 
