TopRiven
Fighter · Assassin · Ranked Solo/Duo
Difficulty 8 of 10
Rank in Top
Pick rate
Win rate
Similar
Rank
All ranks
Patch 16.16.19–16.20
151617181920
How to play Riven
Read the full guide
TopTopTreat Q as a pacing tool, not just a combo button: a lot of Riven’s edge comes from knowing when to Fast Q for a punish and when to stagger Q1/Q2/Q3 so Q3 stays loaded and the next few seconds stay yours
Your E should already know why it is being cast—shielding the real return hit, setting up E-AA-WQ, or covering Q1/Q2-W-E out—because Riven’s lane gets much worse when E is spent as a blank gap-close
Good Riven games make top lane feel haunted: crash the wave, take another bite out of tower, then disappear over terrain so the enemy has to answer both the side wave and the threat that you already left, especially since her early leads lose force if they are not spent before the map clogs up
Use Fast Q when the window is short and already earned: the enemy just missed the spell that keeps you out, stepped up for a last-hit, or is low enough that a clean burst plus passive autos can decide the trade before they reset it. If the lane is still neutral, you usually get more by slowing down—hold Q3, threaten the knockup, or start the Q timer early so the next rotation comes back sooner. A simple check helps: if you need immediate damage, Fast Q; if you need chase time, threat, or a safer exit, space the casts instead of dumping them.
Riven's abilities charge her blade, and her basic attacks expend charges to deal an additional damage.
Riven lashes out in a series of strikes. This ability can be reactivated three times in a short time frame with the third hit knocking back nearby enemies.
Riven emits a Ki Burst, damaging and stunning nearby enemies.
Riven steps forward a short distance and blocks incoming damage.
Riven empowers her keepsake weapon with energy, and gains Attack Damage and Range. During this time, she also gains the ability to use Wind Slash, a powerful ranged attack, once.
