Anivia top with First Strike is strong because she can reliably proc the keystone from range using her Q (Flash Frost) and E (Frostbite) combo. This allows her to generate consistent extra gold in lane while safely poking melee champions. First Strike also amplifies her burst damage, making her trades more punishing once she lands crowd control.

In the top lane, Anivia benefits from longer lanes and more isolated matchups, which gives her more time to scale and farm safely. Her waveclear and zoning with R (Glacial Storm) let her control the lane and deny farm, while First Strike rewards her for playing patiently and capitalizing on poke windows.