**Introduction**
Riven stands as one of the most iconic champions in *League of Legends*. With her unique combination of mobility, explosive damage, and a steep learning curve, Riven rewards players who invest the time to master her. While she can be challenging to pick up at first, once you’ve learned her mechanics, she becomes a powerful carry capable of swinging the momentum of a game in your favor.
This guide will cover everything you need to know about Riven's gameplay, including runes, item builds, combos, and strategies, helping you dominate the top lane and secure victories.
**Riven’s Abilities**
Before diving into runes, items, and combos, it's crucial to understand Riven’s kit. Each of her abilities is essential to her aggressive playstyle, and using them effectively is key to maximizing her potential.
- **Passive – Runic Blade**
Riven charges her blade after using each ability. The next basic attack consumes one charge and deals bonus physical damage. Riven can store up to three charges, which last for 5 seconds. Mastering the art of weaving auto-attacks between abilities is vital for maximizing your damage output.
- **Q – Broken Wings**
Riven's signature ability allows her to dash up to three times, dealing physical damage with each dash. The third dash knocks up enemies in a small area. This ability is central to her burst damage and mobility, with each cast resetting her auto-attack timer, making auto-attack weaving between casts essential for optimal damage.
- **W – Ki Burst**
Riven sends out a shockwave, dealing damage and stunning enemies around her for 0.75 seconds. Aside from her third Q, this is her primary form of crowd control, making it crucial for locking down enemies and extending combos.
- **E – Valor**
Riven dashes a short distance while gaining a shield that absorbs damage for a brief period. Valor serves both as a mobility tool and a defensive spell, allowing Riven to dodge skill shots or negate incoming damage. Using this ability at the right time can help you outplay opponents and survive in fights.
- **R – Blade of the Exile (Ultimate)**
Riven empowers her sword, increasing her attack damage and range on basic attacks and abilities. While active, she can cast Wind Slash, a powerful cone attack that deals more damage to low-health enemies. This ultimate lets Riven execute enemies from a distance, turning fights in her favor.
**Runes for Riven**
Riven excels with runes that boost her burst damage, mobility, and sustain in lane. Below are the optimal rune choices for her:
- **Primary Rune Path: Precision**
- **Keystone: Conqueror**
Conqueror is the best keystone for Riven, granting stacking attack damage and healing once fully stacked. This synergizes perfectly with her extended trades and combo-focused playstyle.
- **Triumph**
Triumph restores a portion of Riven’s health after takedowns, helping her sustain in teamfights and providing bonus gold on kills or assists.
- **Legend: Tenacity**
Tenacity reduces the duration of crowd control effects on Riven, which is invaluable as she relies on her mobility to navigate fights.
- **Last Stand**
Last Stand increases Riven’s damage output when she’s low on health, making her a deadly force in clutch moments, especially when her shield and healing come into play.
- **Secondary Rune Path: Inspiration**
- **Magical Footwear**
This grants free boots at 12 minutes (earlier with takedowns), providing additional movement speed, which is great for Riven’s roaming and mobility.
- **Time Warp Tonic**
Time Warp Tonic boosts the effectiveness of your health potions, allowing you to sustain in lane and trade more effectively during the early game.
**Core Build and Itemization**
Riven’s build revolves around items that offer attack damage, cooldown reduction (ability haste), and survivability. Here is the recommended core build:
- **Core Items**
- **Goredrinker**
This mythic item is a must-have for Riven, providing sustain through its active ability that heals for a portion of damage dealt to nearby enemies. Its ability haste and health synergize well with Riven’s playstyle.
- **Black Cleaver**
Black Cleaver grants armor shredding and ability haste, making Riven more effective against tankier opponents. The movement speed bonus from dealing physical damage also helps her stick to targets during trades.
- **Ravenous Hydra**
Ravenous Hydra boosts wave clear and provides sustain through its lifesteal passive. The extra healing helps Riven stay alive in fights, and its AOE damage helps with clearing minion waves and dealing with multiple enemies in teamfights.
- **Situational Items**
- **Death’s Dance**
Provides healing from physical damage dealt and converts a portion of incoming damage into a damage-over-time effect. This helps Riven survive in extended fights while healing from kills.
- **Guardian Angel**
Guardian Angel gives Riven a second chance in life, making it easier to play aggressively without the fear of dying. It’s especially useful in late-game scenarios where one death could decide a fight or the outcome of the game.
- **Sterak’s Gage**
Sterak’s Gage grants a large shield when your health drops below a certain threshold, increasing Riven’s survivability in teamfights. It also provides bonus health and attack damage, making her tankier and boosting her damage output.
- **Boots**
- **Plated Steelcaps**
Choose these boots if you’re facing a heavy AD composition or a champion that relies on basic attacks (e.g., Yasuo or Tryndamere).
- **Mercury’s Treads**
These boots are effective against teams with heavy crowd control or magic damage.
**Riven Combos**
Riven’s combos can be complex, but mastering them is essential to unlocking her full potential. Here are a few important combos to practice:
- **Basic Trade Combo: Q-Auto-Q-Auto-Q**
This combo is key for trading in lane. Each Q resets the auto-attack timer, allowing you to dish out more damage in a short period. Weaving in auto-attacks between each Q cast maximizes your damage.
- **Burst Combo: E-Q-W-Auto-Q-R-Q**
This combo is great for all-ins. Start with Valor (E) for the shield, then immediately follow up with Q and W to apply crowd control. Finish with an empowered auto-attack, followed by your remaining Q casts and ultimate to secure the kill.
- **Flash Combo: E-W-Flash-Q-R**
This combo is ideal for catching opponents by surprise. Cast E and W, then immediately flash towards the enemy to catch them off-guard. Follow up with Q and R for the final blow.
**Animation Cancels**
Riven excels at animation canceling, which allows her to deal damage faster. Key animation cancels include:
- **Q into Auto-Attack**: Cancel the animation of your auto-attack by using Q.
- **W into R**: Use W, then immediately follow up with R to cancel the animation of Wind Slash.
**Laning Phase**
In the early game, Riven excels in short, aggressive trades thanks to her mobility and shield. Here’s how to approach the laning phase:
- **Level 1**: Start with Broken Wings (Q). Poke your opponent with short Q-auto trades while using your mobility to stay in and out of range.
- **Level 2 Power Spike**: At level 2, unlock Ki Burst (W). Engage with Q, use W to stun the enemy, and follow up with another Q combo. This is a prime moment to secure kills or take control of the lane.
- **Laning Strategy**: Use Valor (E) to block key abilities and dodge skill shots. Focus on building Conqueror stacks with short trades and go all-in once you have your ultimate.
**Mid and Late Game Strategy**
Riven excels in the mid-game once she has her core items. Here’s how to play Riven as the game progresses:
- **Split Pushing**: Riven is a fantastic split-pusher due to her mobility, wave clear, and dueling potential. Apply pressure on side lanes while your team groups, and be ready to teleport or roam for teamfights.
- **Teamfights**: In teamfights, Riven should flank enemies and engage on the backline. Use Valor to dodge key crowd control and engage with your Q-E combo. Save your ultimate’s Wind Slash for executing low-health enemies to deal maximum damage.
**Conclusion**
Mastering Riven takes time, but with practice, you can unlock her full potential and become a dominant force in *League of Legends*. Focus on practicing her combos, understanding when to engage, and learning her matchups in the top lane. With this guide, you’ll be well on your way to mastering Riven and carrying your team with her aggressive, high-skill playstyle.
---
This version maintains the key information while restructuring and simplifying certain parts to ensure clarity.
Riven stands as one of the most iconic champions in *League of Legends*. With her unique combination of mobility, explosive damage, and a steep learning curve, Riven rewards players who invest the time to master her. While she can be challenging to pick up at first, once you’ve learned her mechanics, she becomes a powerful carry capable of swinging the momentum of a game in your favor.
This guide will cover everything you need to know about Riven's gameplay, including runes, item builds, combos, and strategies, helping you dominate the top lane and secure victories.
**Riven’s Abilities**
Before diving into runes, items, and combos, it's crucial to understand Riven’s kit. Each of her abilities is essential to her aggressive playstyle, and using them effectively is key to maximizing her potential.
- **Passive – Runic Blade**
Riven charges her blade after using each ability. The next basic attack consumes one charge and deals bonus physical damage. Riven can store up to three charges, which last for 5 seconds. Mastering the art of weaving auto-attacks between abilities is vital for maximizing your damage output.
- **Q – Broken Wings**
Riven's signature ability allows her to dash up to three times, dealing physical damage with each dash. The third dash knocks up enemies in a small area. This ability is central to her burst damage and mobility, with each cast resetting her auto-attack timer, making auto-attack weaving between casts essential for optimal damage.
- **W – Ki Burst**
Riven sends out a shockwave, dealing damage and stunning enemies around her for 0.75 seconds. Aside from her third Q, this is her primary form of crowd control, making it crucial for locking down enemies and extending combos.
- **E – Valor**
Riven dashes a short distance while gaining a shield that absorbs damage for a brief period. Valor serves both as a mobility tool and a defensive spell, allowing Riven to dodge skill shots or negate incoming damage. Using this ability at the right time can help you outplay opponents and survive in fights.
- **R – Blade of the Exile (Ultimate)**
Riven empowers her sword, increasing her attack damage and range on basic attacks and abilities. While active, she can cast Wind Slash, a powerful cone attack that deals more damage to low-health enemies. This ultimate lets Riven execute enemies from a distance, turning fights in her favor.
**Runes for Riven**
Riven excels with runes that boost her burst damage, mobility, and sustain in lane. Below are the optimal rune choices for her:
- **Primary Rune Path: Precision**
- **Keystone: Conqueror**
Conqueror is the best keystone for Riven, granting stacking attack damage and healing once fully stacked. This synergizes perfectly with her extended trades and combo-focused playstyle.
- **Triumph**
Triumph restores a portion of Riven’s health after takedowns, helping her sustain in teamfights and providing bonus gold on kills or assists.
- **Legend: Tenacity**
Tenacity reduces the duration of crowd control effects on Riven, which is invaluable as she relies on her mobility to navigate fights.
- **Last Stand**
Last Stand increases Riven’s damage output when she’s low on health, making her a deadly force in clutch moments, especially when her shield and healing come into play.
- **Secondary Rune Path: Inspiration**
- **Magical Footwear**
This grants free boots at 12 minutes (earlier with takedowns), providing additional movement speed, which is great for Riven’s roaming and mobility.
- **Time Warp Tonic**
Time Warp Tonic boosts the effectiveness of your health potions, allowing you to sustain in lane and trade more effectively during the early game.
**Core Build and Itemization**
Riven’s build revolves around items that offer attack damage, cooldown reduction (ability haste), and survivability. Here is the recommended core build:
- **Core Items**
- **Goredrinker**
This mythic item is a must-have for Riven, providing sustain through its active ability that heals for a portion of damage dealt to nearby enemies. Its ability haste and health synergize well with Riven’s playstyle.
- **Black Cleaver**
Black Cleaver grants armor shredding and ability haste, making Riven more effective against tankier opponents. The movement speed bonus from dealing physical damage also helps her stick to targets during trades.
- **Ravenous Hydra**
Ravenous Hydra boosts wave clear and provides sustain through its lifesteal passive. The extra healing helps Riven stay alive in fights, and its AOE damage helps with clearing minion waves and dealing with multiple enemies in teamfights.
- **Situational Items**
- **Death’s Dance**
Provides healing from physical damage dealt and converts a portion of incoming damage into a damage-over-time effect. This helps Riven survive in extended fights while healing from kills.
- **Guardian Angel**
Guardian Angel gives Riven a second chance in life, making it easier to play aggressively without the fear of dying. It’s especially useful in late-game scenarios where one death could decide a fight or the outcome of the game.
- **Sterak’s Gage**
Sterak’s Gage grants a large shield when your health drops below a certain threshold, increasing Riven’s survivability in teamfights. It also provides bonus health and attack damage, making her tankier and boosting her damage output.
- **Boots**
- **Plated Steelcaps**
Choose these boots if you’re facing a heavy AD composition or a champion that relies on basic attacks (e.g., Yasuo or Tryndamere).
- **Mercury’s Treads**
These boots are effective against teams with heavy crowd control or magic damage.
**Riven Combos**
Riven’s combos can be complex, but mastering them is essential to unlocking her full potential. Here are a few important combos to practice:
- **Basic Trade Combo: Q-Auto-Q-Auto-Q**
This combo is key for trading in lane. Each Q resets the auto-attack timer, allowing you to dish out more damage in a short period. Weaving in auto-attacks between each Q cast maximizes your damage.
- **Burst Combo: E-Q-W-Auto-Q-R-Q**
This combo is great for all-ins. Start with Valor (E) for the shield, then immediately follow up with Q and W to apply crowd control. Finish with an empowered auto-attack, followed by your remaining Q casts and ultimate to secure the kill.
- **Flash Combo: E-W-Flash-Q-R**
This combo is ideal for catching opponents by surprise. Cast E and W, then immediately flash towards the enemy to catch them off-guard. Follow up with Q and R for the final blow.
**Animation Cancels**
Riven excels at animation canceling, which allows her to deal damage faster. Key animation cancels include:
- **Q into Auto-Attack**: Cancel the animation of your auto-attack by using Q.
- **W into R**: Use W, then immediately follow up with R to cancel the animation of Wind Slash.
**Laning Phase**
In the early game, Riven excels in short, aggressive trades thanks to her mobility and shield. Here’s how to approach the laning phase:
- **Level 1**: Start with Broken Wings (Q). Poke your opponent with short Q-auto trades while using your mobility to stay in and out of range.
- **Level 2 Power Spike**: At level 2, unlock Ki Burst (W). Engage with Q, use W to stun the enemy, and follow up with another Q combo. This is a prime moment to secure kills or take control of the lane.
- **Laning Strategy**: Use Valor (E) to block key abilities and dodge skill shots. Focus on building Conqueror stacks with short trades and go all-in once you have your ultimate.
**Mid and Late Game Strategy**
Riven excels in the mid-game once she has her core items. Here’s how to play Riven as the game progresses:
- **Split Pushing**: Riven is a fantastic split-pusher due to her mobility, wave clear, and dueling potential. Apply pressure on side lanes while your team groups, and be ready to teleport or roam for teamfights.
- **Teamfights**: In teamfights, Riven should flank enemies and engage on the backline. Use Valor to dodge key crowd control and engage with your Q-E combo. Save your ultimate’s Wind Slash for executing low-health enemies to deal maximum damage.
**Conclusion**
Mastering Riven takes time, but with practice, you can unlock her full potential and become a dominant force in *League of Legends*. Focus on practicing her combos, understanding when to engage, and learning her matchups in the top lane. With this guide, you’ll be well on your way to mastering Riven and carrying your team with her aggressive, high-skill playstyle.
---
This version maintains the key information while restructuring and simplifying certain parts to ensure clarity.
