Hi Riven players old and new welcome to my first guide on MOBAFIRE. I worked pretty hard on it so tell me if it needs some fixing (and i know it does somewhere) tell me as I am not the best Riven player around, or the best LoL player. I will cover in this build what to buy, when, how to adapt to new challenges, what is best for Riven, what her spells do and how to use them. Enjoy!

I think it helps to know a champion's lore when you play them. To me it just makes it more fun.

In Noxus, any citizen may rise to power regardless of race, gender, or social standing - strength is all that matters. It was with committed faith in this ideal that Riven strove to greatness. She showed early potential as a soldier, forcing herself to master the weight of a long sword when she was barely its height. She was ruthless and efficient as a warrior, but her true strength lay in her conviction. She entered battles without any trace of doubt in her mind: no ethical pause, no fear of death. Riven became a leader amongst her peers, poster child of the Noxian spirit. So exceptional was her passion that the High Command recognized her with a black stone rune sword forged and enchanted with Noxian sorcery. The weapon was heavier than a kite shield and nearly as broad - perfectly suited to her tastes. Soon after, she was deployed to Ionia as part of the Noxian invasion.

What began as war quickly became extermination. Noxian soldiers followed the terrifying Zaunite war machines across fields of death. It wasn't the glorious combat for which Riven trained. She carried out the orders of her superiors, terminating the remnants of a beaten and fractured enemy with extreme prejudice. As the invasion continued, it became clear that the Ionian society would not be reformed, merely eliminated. During one bitter engagement, Riven's unit became surrounded by Ionian forces. They called for support as the enemy closed in around them. What they received instead was a barrage of biochemical terror launched by Singed. Riven watched as around her Ionian and Noxian alike fell victim to an unspeakably gruesome fate. She managed to escape the bombardment, though she could not erase the memory. Counted dead by Noxus, she saw an opportunity to start anew. She shattered her sword, severing ties with the past, and wandered in self-imposed exile - on a quest to seek atonement and a way to save the pure Noxian vision in which she believed.

''There is a place between war and murder / in which our demons lurk.''

Pros
High mobility
No mana
Good early damage
AOE stun

Cons
hard to master
needs good timing to be effective
CC is super effective against her
cool down dependent

Flash and Ignite are a great combo for almost anything, that's why i grab them as my spells. Many people don't like these spells and i can understand why, so feel free to use what ever spells you want, although i can recommend some;
Heal: Most people hate this spell and they call it noob heal, but when your about to die and you heal to grab a kill, it's worth it. They can call it noob heal all they want while you dip your nut sack on their face.
Ghost: A great chase or fleeing spell, though don't get too greedy with this spell, you can't chase every thing.
Exhaust: this spell is great to focus and chase, don't be afraid to grab this spell.

My rune page is a bruiser build. I do this because it is very effective with riven, she can dish out tons of damage while taking some as well.

I take Greater Mark of Attack Damage because it give me a great boost in damage, not much else to it.

I also take Greater Seal of Armor for some extra armor.

I take Greater Glyph of Scaling Magic Resist for great magic resist.

I take Greater Quintessence of Attack Damage for a massive boost in damage, this gives me a great boost early game and lines me up for a great late game.

Some alliterative runes are: greater mark of desolation, Greater quintessence of Desolation, greater seal of defense, Greater Glyph of Armor, Greater Glyph of Magic Resist, greater glyph of vigor, greater glyph of vitality the list goes on. All of these runes work well with Riven but it's really is up to you how you use them.

My skill sequence is completely personal. Many Riven's like to max out their Broken Wings First and many (like me) like to max out there Ki Burst. The choice is entirely up to you.

I pick Ki Burst to max out first because it is great for farming and a good source of damage when laning or in team fights.

although i sometimes max out Broken Wings First because it is a great harass and can win me lane domination.

Passive: Runic Blade
Riven's abilities charge her blade, causing her basic attacks to deal 5 / 5.59 / 6.18 / 6.76 / 7.35 / 7.94 / 8.53 / 9.12 / 9.7 / 10.29 / 10.88 / 11.47 / 12.06 / 12.64 / 13.23 / 13.82 / 14.41 / 15 (+100% of bonus attack damage) bonus physical damage. Riven's blade may be charged up to 3 times and expends one charge per attack.


Explanation: This passive is amazing. When used with ability's like Broken Wings and Ki Burst is can deal massive damage. pretty simple right? correct, but when in the heat of a team fight it is hard to hit perfectly, so it requires some practice.


Q: Broken Wings
Riven strikes out in front of her in a short line. This ability may be reactivated 2 additional times.

1st Use: Slashes forward, dealing 30/50/70/90/110 (+60% of bonus attack damage) physical damage to all units she comes in contact with.
2nd Use: Slashes forward, dealing 30/50/70/90/110 (+60% of bonus attack damage) physical damage to all units she comes in contact with.
3rd Use: Leaps into the air and slams the ground dealing 30/50/70/90/110 (+60% of bonus attack damage) physical damage and knocking nearby enemies away from the point of impact.

Cooldown 13 seconds

Cost none

Explanation: This is a very cool and useful spell, as i mentioned in the passive explanation combined with Runic Blade you can deal a ton of damage. You can also use this ability to run when needed. From my experiences when running don't just spam it, when spaced out you can move faster. I take a point in this at level 1, but max it last.


W: Ki Burst
Riven's sword emits a burst of runic energy that shocks nearby enemies, dealing 50/90/130/170/210 (+100% of bonus attack damage) physical damage and stunning them for 0.5 seconds.

Cooldown 11/10/9/8/7 seconds

Cost none

Explanation: This is a very effective farmer and damage dealer but only really effective against players when used with Broken Wings this is why i take a point in it at level 2 but max it first.


E: Valor

Riven does a quick dash in the direction of your cursor and becomes shielded, blocking up to 40/70/100/130/160 (+100% of bonus attack damage) incoming damage for 2.5 seconds.

Cooldown 11/10/9/8/7 seconds

Cost none

Explanation: a good shield for tower diving or gaining a bit of distance from your enemy. I've also found that when timed right you can block a Karthas ult even, when on very low health, just a way to show it to that walking R.


R: Blade of the Exile

Riven's weapon surges with spiritual energy for 15 seconds, granting her 20% bonus attack damage, increased range on her damaging spells and attacks, and the ability to use Wind Slash once.

Wind Slash: Riven fires a shockwave that deals from 80/120/160 (+60% of bonus attack damage) to 240/360/480 (+180% of bonus attack damage) physical damage to all enemies hit, increasing based on how much health they are missing.

Cooldown 75/60/45 seconds

Cost none

Explanation: This alt is really good, when used with her combo (which i will cover in the next tab) can really be the icing on the cake. try to use it right before a teamfight but make sure you use it again before it runs out, and only when they are 20% or lower health.

The skill combo for riven is very good against most champs and I'm going to show you how to do it.

use your Broken Wings once then do a basic attack, then your second use of Broken Wings then another basic attack, then your third use of Broken Wings and another basic attack.
Now you use your Ki Burst and basic attack. Then use your valor and another auto attack.
They should be running at this point, if they aren't back up a bit and wait for the next engage. If they are running and on low health get close enough and use your Blade of the Exile this should finish them, if they are STILL alive a couple of auto attacks should finish them.


There are two ways to initiate a fight.
1st one: just run in and start the combo.
2nd one: use your Valor to dash into the enemy and go from there, if its not off cooldown by the time you reach it in your combo just try to harass with basic attacks, Ki Burst as it has a lower cooldown or fall back.

Riven is an extremely good farmer, using her combo of spells she can exterminate minion waves easily. How i farm minions is i start with Broken Wings use all of its charge then move onto Ki Burst, now if you have maxed it out like i normally do, this will work a lot more effectively. remember there is no delay between the time you use the last charge of Broken Wings and when you use Ki Burst. So farm away!

In this tab I'm going to show you why i chose the items i did and what else to buy and when.

Starter Items
Boots and 3 Health Potions are a great opener and are very popular. They give you great sustain and movement speed to avoid skill shots. It's also good to get your upgraded boots quicker.
You could also start with a Doran's Blade this is not a popular but good to get some early attack damage.
Doran's Shield is another alright choice if you need to build a bit more like a tank.

Upgraded Boots
Mercury's Treads are a alright choice for upgraded boots. they give some good magic resist and tenacity.
Berserker's Greaves are not the best choice, but hey if you need a bit of help farming go ahead.

Mid Game Items
Phage and hexdrink are good items to get for their passives and stats (obviously) and they line you up for a Frozen Mallet and Maw of Malmortius which i recommend to get.
Frozen Mallet is a good source of armor and health and its passive slow.

Late Game
Atma's Impaleris good because of its passive, this passive is really good, but you will need a lot of health armor which is provided by Frozen Mallet
Maw of Malmortius is a good source of magic resist, which you cant get enough of, and its passive is really helpful
Bloodthirster the last item in my build for a reason, its not as helpful as the others and the life steal is good in late team fights.
Guardian Angel is a item you get only if you can spare the money, don't waste time building into this item as it is not as needed as the others, but is still a worth while item.

Riven's Broken Wings locks onto the champion your cursor is over at the time of cast. If you want to move past your opponent, make sure you cursor is not hovering over them

Riven doesn't have any healing ability's or strong defense (that will develop later in the game) so use the ability's Broken Wings, Valor or Ki Burst to escape.

Early game is vital as Riven. If you mess up here you'll have a pretty hard time getting back on your feet.

Once you have bought your starter items head for blue to leash or if they are getting red, just head top. play it super safe and wait for an opening to strike hit as much as you can to keep the harass up, this is where Broken Wings comes in handy that's why i get it first. when you get your Ki Burst the harass just gets better, so does the farm. by the time you get your Valor try to get an early kill, but not too recklessly. When you can recall and get your next set of items and get a ward if your can.

You should have snagged a few kills by now, so you should have a decent amount of money.first chance you get A Phage and a hexdrink(if you haven't already) and start building a Frozen Mallet next you should move onto a Atma's Impaler and if you have a rush of gold grab a Guardian Angel. This should do for items in mid game.

Now playing in mid game you want to catch as many people by their self as possible and destroy them. but don't get too cocky you don't want to die because you got too greedy. many people disagree playing Riven as an assassin, but i find it is very effective for mid game, defiantly not late game though it will not end well. Whenever in team fights focus the squishiest champ or the most dangerous, and use Ki Burst whenever you can, it can provide a steady source of damage, although little it can make the difference. ward dragon and your red, this can give you a good indicator for around the map.

you should be able to see a pretty one sided match by now. If its in your favor don't hold back, rip apart their team with your AMAZING MAGIC SWORD. make sure you grab Maw of Malmortius and Bloodthirster these will help you dramatically late game, again Guardian Angel is not need although it is handy to have one under up you sleeve.

You should have warded baron by this point, if you haven't you really need to it is vital, it could mean life or death. Make sure you have stopped you Riven assassin phase and gone to ( depending on who is winning) aggressive or defensive. try to grab baron if it isn't already gone. if you get it push hard and get in as many team fights as possible, with baron your chances of winning in teamfights are increased dramatically.

Teamfights with riven are super fun, when played right

this is how i do team fights: Activate your Blade of the Exile right before the fight, then use all three uses of Broken Wings to knock your enemy around, this gives some vital CC to the fight, follow that up with some basic attacks on the focused target then Ki Burst. Focus the main target with basic attacks and constantly use Valor throughout the fight, make sure you keep using your skills when the are off cool down.

Make sure you don't activate Blade of the Exile for nothing use your windslash if someone is below 25% health. If it hits more than one person this can change the tide of the fight,although it's not as effective against people with more health, any damage is good.

Protect your carry's during the fight. This is very important, use Broken Wings and Ki Burst against their carry or anti-carry, to keep them CC'd

Escaping ganks is really easy with Riven. If you by chance haven't warded (which you should have) and you get ganked, use your Ki Burst when they are together to stun both of them. then use Broken Wings to gain some distance, remember to not spam it, space it out to get more ground between you and the gankers. If you get CC'd use your Flash if need be. when you get some distance between you and them, use Valor to stop them chasing.

This has been my Riven solo top guide. I hope you all enjoyed! Please tell me if something is missing so i can fix it. I will be updating this guide every now and then, improving it visually and in quality.