Riven is a highly skill based Top laner who utilized her skill to be highly mobile while doing insane damage. She takes a ton of practice to master and when she is mastered, she can nearly do anything. She takes time as you need to combo her skills together to maximize her kill potential.

This guide is updated for the Preseason 4 or Patch 3.14.

Riven uses these runes:
9 AD Marks to help with her scaling on all her abilities
9 Armor Seals to beef her up as she is likely to go against a physical damage dealing top laner.
9 CDR Glyphs because Riven ultizes her skills (QWER) to help her be mobile.The more CDR you obtain, the higher kill potential.
3 AD Quints for higher AD.

She uses these masteries as of November 21st, 2013 (Patch 3.14 or Preseason 4 Patch):

Broken Wings - This is her main attack, you get 3 uses within a time period. The 3rd use is a knockup/knockback and can be used to pass mini-terrain.

Ki Burst - This abilitie is a high damage, melee-ranged aoe stun.

Valor - This ability is usable in 1 of 2 ways, purely as a shield, or as a gap closer.

Blade of the Exile - This ability amplifies her attack damage, and as a ranged execute in a cone.

Max Q first - Your main damage dealer besides AA themselves.
Max W second - this is IF you are greatly skilled/ahead of your lane opponent if not - max E second
Max E third - if you are ahead, max second

You should start in 1 of these 3 ways:

Elixir of Fortitude Health Potionx3
This is for more experienced/confident riven players, would not recommend if you haven't played her often.

Doran's Shield Health Potion
This would be a legit starting Riven player build, also if you are vsing a lane opponent such as Renekton, Nasus or even Kennen.

Doran's Blade Health Potion
Since Doran's blade price got reduced to 440, this is also a viable start.



After your first back, i would recommend to have atleast these in your inventory:
Doran's Blade Doran's Blade Long Sword

At the mid-game point, you should be working on having these:
The Brutalizer Ravenous Hydra Bloodthirster
This is to be VERY strong to the point no one would want to be within sight as you could easily jump onto them and wombo them :).

Your end build should consist of these items:
Mercury's Treads Ravenous Hydra Last Whisper Bloodthirster Guardian Angel
Mercury Tread's for the Tenacity, GA for the 'oops' moment or "going ham" moment and become too full of yourself :) or if you simply been caught out!

Pros:

Highly Mobile
Scales really well into the Late game
Kill potential from level 1-18 :)
High Damage
Build orders vary

Cons:

Very Squishy
Counters that really punish her
If she gets behind, GL coming back
You lose the game when you start building tanky early
Hard champion to play

She is a unique champion where you need to simultaneously use her skills for maximum damage/mobility.

Valor -> Broken Wings: Used very often. This is a huge jump that catches most people off guard.

Valor -> Ki Burst: Used to stun from afar. This is a jump into a stun which can be set up for ganks and even for a kill!

Valor -> Blade of the Exile -> This cancels your ultimate animation which helps you in the long run to get that quick execute :).

Pre-6 All in:
Valor -> Broken Wings -> Ki Burst -> AA -> Broken Wings -> AA -> Broken Wings

Post-6 All in:
Valor -> Blade of the Exile -> Ki Burst -> AA -> Broken Wings -> AA -> Broken Wings -> AA -> Broken Wings -> Blade of the Exile

TL:DR - Valor is used to cancel all of her other skills animation.

Video from the Riven God himself, Boxbox:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMFXF2D6Zek [Lol-Class presentation on Youtube]