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Runes: All Ins
1
2
Precision
Resolve
+10% Attack Speed
+9 Adaptive (5.4 AD or 9 AP)
+6 Armor
Spells:
1
2
3
Easy to kill Matchups
Flash
Ignite
Items
Ability Order Normal
Runic Blade (PASSIVE)
Riven Passive Ability
Champion Build Guide

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Secondary Tree
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Broken Wings ACTIVE: Riven dashes towards the target nearest to the cursor or in the direction she is currently facing, dealing 15 / 35 / 55 / 75 / 95 (+ 45 / 50 / 55 / 60 / 65% AD) physical damage to all enemies in front of her. Broken Wings can then be reactivated twice within the next 4 seconds, with the second cast refreshing the timer. The third strike will knock enemies up and can be used to jump over terrain. The 3rd Q: This ability can be used to hop over terrain or engage/disengage when chained with other abilities. Most wall hops can be accomplished by positioning close to the wall and directing Riven towards the thinnest part of the wall and using third q. Some jumps can be achieved with incredibly precise positioning and often don't have a great payoff if they work. Some wall jumps are impossible to get consistently so I don't think it's worth attempting to learn them. Here's a map of walls that can be jumped for reference. ![]() This is the ability to max for DPS, as well as being a good tool to poke (in some matchups), engage, escape, and burst down enemies. As for "The Fast Q", auto between each Q and use animation resets by clicking behind you after the q is cast then immediately assigning another auto. Once you get some Ability haste on you, you can use qs slowly and look for engage opportunities with third q. The benefit of doing this is that after the third q, you will have a fresh set of qs up. This can frequently one-shot opponents. In the early game, if you are confident you win a fight, instead of just fast qing and having your opponent walk away when you have no more mobility, instead, chain 2 autos in between qs while keeping up so your opponent doesn't escape. This ability can also be used to dodge abilities. You just have to be very quick with a directional click. If this is too difficult, use e instead until you've practiced to the point of perfection. This last cast is used in many of our combos and even just to poke in some cases. Do your best to master directing it. Note: If your movement speed is above 550, using your abilities will slow you down. Her dashes do not scale with MS. |
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Ki Burst ACTIVE: Riven's sword emits a burst of runic energy that shocks nearby enemies, dealing 50 / 80 / 110 / 140 / 170 (+ 100% bonus AD) physical damage and applying a stun for 0.75 seconds. This ability allows very profitable trading. A stun that deals good damage has a short cooldown and scales nicely. It has a lot of outplay potential, just make sure to be close enough to hit it. From poking, interrupting autos, chaining cc, profitable combos, and interrupting certain abilities like ![]() This will be our second maxed ability because of its low cooldown, great damage, and obviously, its stun. To escape ganks you can perform what's called a "sliding w". You use ![]() ![]() ![]() |
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Valor ACTIVE: Riven dashes in the direction of the cursor, gaining a 90 / 120 / 150 / 180 / 210 (+ 100% bonus AD) shield for 1.5 seconds. Blocking damage, engaging, disengaging, your E is a good ability. Time ![]() ![]() ![]() Look to use your e when you can abuse the shield the most. If you have lifesteal use it after taking damage. If your opponent has something that will crack the shield (Renekton empowered W), wait until they use it if possible. If your opponent has a heavy-hitting ability, use it in response to that if possible. Use this ability to dodge enemy abilities as a last resort. ![]() |
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Blade Of The Exile ACTIVE: Riven empowers her sword for 15 seconds, gaining (20% Bonus AD) and (75 bonus range) on her basic attacks. This ability also increases the range on ![]() ![]() ![]() This ability can turn almost any lane around. The increase in damage scales well with any kind of build. The increase in range will help you hit the knock-up and stun just a little easier. On top of that, its secondary activation ![]() Cloak this abilities usage by chaining it with another. This is most commonly animation canceled with ![]() ![]() Some variations of this include: - ![]() ![]() - ![]() ![]() - ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() You can also throw ![]() |
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Wind Slash ACTIVE: Riven unleashes a wave of energy in a cone, dealing 100 / 150 / 200 (+ 60% bonus AD) physical damage to all enemies hit, increased by 0% − 200% (based on missing health). This ability scales at a 1.8 ad ratio. In most cases, you are going to want to ![]() ![]() |
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1. Creep Score
Fight within your minions for the early game. If your minions are outnumbered, wait till you can change that. If your minions outnumber the opponent, trade one auto and



Creep score is incredibly essential to absolutely everything you do in the game. Many top Riven players are incredibly dedicated to csing. If a great opportunity to trade arrives though, don't hesitate to take it. Getting a massive health advantage will secure all the cs you can get until your opponents next back and until they arrive to lane.
I've prepared a video to help you learn how to cs if you average below 6/minute, but this is just one of the ways of improving your cs. People have many other methods and you basically need to practice with all of them.
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2. Enemy Jungle Camps
You don't have to miss lane creeps to get jungle creeps. Push a wave then walk past tower and kill the wave there, this is proxying. If you're strong enough to fight either your laner or the jungler this is one of the best ways to "buy time". Buying time for things like jungle camps, or killing the enemy jg/mid then running back top in time to catch the wave. Sometimes enemies will even let you proxy in front of tertiary tower but it's pretty risky. You need some form of lifesteal or high level q to proxy without risking a lot. Health pots help but they aren't the answer if you intend to juggle waves and camps.
Enemy jungle camps are gold swings. This means that they're gold that you get, and your opponents miss out on. This makes them incredibly valuable. A 100 gold camp is suddenly worth 200 using this formula. You can sweep a side of the jungle without too much difficulty most of the time and that's a 1k gold swing.
3. Enemy Jungler
If you can also kill the enemy jungler or at least force them to back without taking too many risks yourself suddenly you've impacted the entire map, not just your island. Taking a red buff and killing a jungle on their first clear isn't irrational and this is a game ending play. The enemy jungler may just afk off of it, or be a level or two behind the entire game.
4. Killing Your Laner
Killing your laner is nice, it gets 300 gold. Make sure you set up your kills to do more than this though. 300 gold and denying an entire wave, that's huge. 300 gold and recalling because a tp is coming in and you're low and them crashing the wave on you, that's kind of pointless.
5. Another Laner
Killing another laner can actually be more useful than your own because then you both can push the wave and get a few plates while denying creeps. It all depends on how you set up your roam. If you proxy 2 waves before leaving that could make it obvious but also give you the most time.
6. Pressure
If you constantly have their entire team on top of you, this is what's called "drawing pressure". You should smile every time this happens even if you die. Feel special, look at all the attention you got. Don't even look at the rest of the map to see what your teammates did or didn't do. You did your job. You did it damn fine. Be proud. Having said this, try to prevent deaths like this the best you can. If you can just waste their time without giving them any gold it's even better.
The big thing about pressure is the more pressure you have on you, the less there is elsewhere. This means that your 0-8 bot lane can recover and your mid laner who doesn't know how to push a wave after their laner leaves can get some cs. This is carrying through pressure.
7. Abusing a lead
Once you get a lead from one of these tactics, my favorite thing to do is stand between the enemy tower and the second tower. Then watch the enemy laner squirm as they try to figure out what to do. I've seen people teleport, just give up and walk into me, steal from their jungler, take an excessively long path just to die anyways when they get under their tower. Honestly it's comical, and you should get in on the joke.
8. Split Pushing
This is when your team is elsewhere and you are alone or matching your laner. You have to keep a very close eye on the minimap to make sure no one else is heading your way. I know we want to think we can 1v2 in whatever circumstance but sometimes it works out for the enemy and that's not good for you. Whenever someone is walking top if you play within your means without dying you're just wasting their time and pressure. This opens plays for dragon or towers/jg camps on the other side of the map. Not to mention all the creeps they'd be getting, basically for free.
If you take TP, having it up while your laner doesn't is extremely important late game. If you can shove a wave in, then back off and tp bot and make a play it can just win the game.
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Pre-game:Check out my matchup section for the champion you're facing and heed it's advice. http://www.mobafire.com/league-of-legends/build/-470401 Hell, you might just want to bookmark it. Avoiding Ganks:If you rush t2 boots like I recommend, It's going to be incredibly hard to die to a gank. If you're being camped, you may just have to chill back for a bit and wait for the wave to push in. Know your pressure is doing valuable things. Lvl 1:So, you know that front bush in top lane? Yeah, that one close to the tower. Well, if you're facing a squishy opponent or anyone with a weak level 1, sitting there will give you a great opportunity to get a massive health/summoner spell advantage or even first blood. Consider priming your q for passive procs as well. Now, just walk at your opponent once they cross an imaginary line (example below) in the lane that you set to where you can get a q combo off. Against squishy laners, this is any circumstance. Here's a visual for reference : ![]() If they respond immediately, use your first ![]() ![]() TP Playstyle: Make much more calculated trades around your wave and your cooldowns. You don't win auto trades as hard without ![]() Lvl 2:Take W, and after the lvl 1 trade, it should be easy to one-shot nearly any champion, especially if you took nimbus cloak. The level 2 oneshot combo kills from any health value below ~50% health. TP/Ranged Matchup playstyle: If you're facing a ranged champ that you haven't got much poke onto, e is the best option level 2 because it allows for farming without losing hp, which is crucial in those matchups. It also allows for more damage by not having to use ![]() ![]() Lvl 3:You have access to all your abilities, this is where you're very threatening and can easily capitalize on mistakes. Realize where someone messes up, like that Jayce who just switched to cannon form and has his E on a 6-second cd EVEN IF IT'S UP! This is one of the best examples of a "Green light" like a Renekton w-ing a minion, it means GO! Abuse it, but be wary of the enemy jungle. They should be top by now. Make sure to ward, and don't go for extended trades or long fights unless you see the enemy jungler. TP playstyle: During these levels you're mostly looking to chip away at your opponents health bar with short trades around your w and e. Your q should just be kept up as much as possible unless you're using it quickly for a heavy trade. Lvl 4 & 5:At these levels, you just get an extra 90 damage on your q combo with each point. While this can lead to some incredible plays I don't think too many changes with your playstyle. Some champions are hard to kill pre 6. This is usually the section where you give them some space. Focus on the farm and see if your jungle can come to give you a gank. Lvl 6:This is when you pop off and most matchups can be easily killed at this point, Especially Darius. If you walk close to him, and he pulls you in, pop your ult and turn the fight around. If he doesn't pull you in, ER - Auto - W - Q (through him to avoid his pull) - Auto - Q (through him again to avoid the pull if he saved it the first time) - Auto - Third Q - ![]() Times:6:00-6:30 Free 250+ health in the river from the honeyfruit, if you need it, get it. 8:00 Herald (You'll want a control ward): Make sure to pink this then take it or have your jungler take it. Hopefully you've gotten some plates down, you may be able to end a tower even this early if you have it. 12:00-14:00 Plates are falling in two minutes, try to go get some. If you've already gotten your tower, shove top and rotate mid. Those spicy 2 plates worth 320 will thank you for your effort. Plates will fall after you get the second one most likely, but if not finish off the tower. 20:00: Baron (need another control ward) and ask yourself if your team can sneak it. |
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Make sure your flash is up, if not, notify your team. Then you can happily go splitpush. Make sure you're flashing into a fight that means something. If they're on your side of the map, that may just have to be that way. If you can get an engage near their towers though, that can open up progress. If you ace them at your inhibs it's just empty gold, if you ace them at their inhibs, it's game over. Teamfighting is rather difficult on Riven. But you really just have to wait for an opportunity to engage with ERF Third Q -> Auto -> W. This gives you 1.5 seconds of cc and whatever other damage you can get off in that time. Always target champions with cc that you can one shot. Morgana? Nami? Sure! Alistar? Sion? Probably not. If you can hit them and the adc/mid laner with the combo and live to tell the story or reengage that's the ideal timeline. Of course you could always hit the miracle combo of all 5 with everything but that's incredibly rare. If you must, a shorter range combo offers less time for your enemy to react. It's much more complicated though. ERHF -> WQ (third) -> R2 -> Q. The aforementioned combo is incredibly difficult and unnecessary in low elo where people don't react to the normal teamfighting combo. I had to develop this because I kept eating cc before my third q landed in high elo. Even a simple thresh flay would just ruin my day. This usually can kill one or two champions assuming you don't get interrupted (make sure that doesn't happen). Sometimes you just have to wait for someone to "draw aggro" (run in like an idiot) and then engage because all the CC will be used on them. Use your Goredrinker proc at half health if you have it. You most likely won't get time for two uses. You also want to make sure you get Goredrinker off since you spent so much money on it. If you're using other items, you don't have to think about that, congrats. The lethality build is very built around one shotting it's targets while also being durable. The crit build is based around long fights so it can get out many autos. Meaning it's best for split pushing. |
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Credit Where Credit is Due - Riot games for their game and all icons/pictures/maps I used - All the people who wrote the league of legends wiki pages - Arkhala_TheSlayer gets the biggest thank you for helping me with all the coding throughout the guide! |
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