Riven build and guide

 This is Riven's guide and build. Hope you like it!

 

Riven is a typical AD melee tanky caster character. She is not to be played any differently because the build that we will show you and items that we recommend to building here bring out the best qualities in her. Playing AD Riven will only mess up your game.

Riven is character that relies on her skills but mostly on her passive in early game. She needs to cast her spells a lot for enormously increased damage. Solely her basic attacks won't do any harm to the enemy. Riven has her own advantages and disadvantages that we covered up below the skills introduction.

 

Riven is character that has problems playing against AP casters and magical damage dealers so check out building part to see how to bypass that countering to her.

 

Skills:

 

Passive: Runic Blade - Riven's abilities charge her blade, causing her basic attacks to deal 5 / 5.59 / 6.18 / 6.76 / 7.35 / 7.94 / 8.53 / 9.12 / 9.7 / 10.29 / 10.88 / 11.47 / 12.06 / 12.64 / 13.23 / 13.82 / 14.41 / 15 (+100% of bonus attack damage) bonus physical damage. Riven's blade may be charged up to 3 times and expends one charge per attack.

Explanation:

Very useful spell for doing tons of additional damage. It gives you early game abusive power and helps you clear jungle if you are jungler for your team. It can utilize with other spells perfectly, specially with your 'q' spell.

Q: Broken Wings - Riven strikes out in front of her in a short line. This ability may be reactivated 2 additional times:

1st Use: Slashes forward, dealing 30/50/70/90/110 (+60% of bonus attack damage) physical damage to all units she comes in contact with.
2nd Use: Slashes forward, dealing 30/50/70/90/110 (+60% of bonus attack damage) physical damage to all units she comes in contact with.
3rd Use: Leaps into the air and slams the ground dealing 30/50/70/90/110 (+60% of bonus attack damage) physical damage and knocking nearby enemies away from the point of impact.
Cooldown: 13 seconds
Cost: none

Explanation:

This is really good spell. It can be cast 3 times and can give you tons of additional damage.What's more, this skill is extremely good while playing solo top or middle lane to fly around the map. This will either help you dodge skills and effects while making you harder to target or reduce the gap between you and the enemy. It's also good to help you move faster through jungle or if you want to come quicker to your destination. Combining it with passive is really good. Best thing to do is to use it once, slash with basic attack, use it second time, slash with basic attack again, use your 'w' skill, slash with your basic attack and end it off with third use of broken wings and basic attack. Mostly, in early game that's all you need to kill a champion. Try to land basic attack after every use and try not to cap your passive solely with this skill. Try and max this spell first if you are laning, if not, max it secondly.

W: Ki Burst - Riven's sword emits a burst of runic energy that shocks nearby enemies, dealing 50/90/130/170/210 (+100% of bonus attack damage) physical damage and stunning them for 0.5 seconds.

Cooldown: 11/10/9/8/7 seconds
Cost: none

Explanation:
Strong spell. Even though it has AoE stun it is not that large. Due to that you need to be close to your target and it is crucial if you will land this skill right or not. If you don't land it right you usually won't be able to kill your enemy. In team fights try to use it on as many enemies as you can. While jungling landing this spell on minions in right time is vital of how much damage will you receive. Personally, this is spell many of us max last but if you are jungling this is the first spell to be maxed.

E: Valor - Riven does a quick dash in the direction of your cursor and becomes shielded, blocking up to 40/70/100/130/160 (+100% of bonus attack damage) incoming damage for 2.5 seconds.

Cooldown: 11/10/9/8/7 seconds
Cost: none

Explanation:

This is spell you really need to be careful with. It's one of your best escaping mechanisms or chasing mechanisms. It gives you bonus shield as well. Try to save this spell for either crucial moments or for chasing or turret diving. Because of this spell playing AD Riven can make you deceptively tanky. If you are having lane problems max this spell secondly so you are given less cooldown and more shield.

R: Blade of the Exile -Riven's weapon surges with spiritual energy for 15 seconds, granting her 20% bonus attack damage, increased range on her damaging spells and attacks, and the ability to use Wind Slash once.

Wind Slash: Riven fires a shockwave that deals from 80/120/160 (+60% of bonus attack damage) to 240/360/480 (+180% of bonus attack damage) physical damage to all enemies hit, increasing based on how much health they are missing.
Cooldown: 75/60/45 seconds
Cost none:

Explanation:

Great skill that goes utterly well with her kit. Not only it gives you steroid attack damage power it also increases your skills' and basic attacks' range. Finally, as your ultimate devastating attack you can fire your sword to deal extra damage. It is usually used as finishing or multiple enemy damaging spell. Don't try to save this spell as it can secure you killing your enemy really easily.

Summoner Spells:

Laning:

Flash - crucial spell to help you set up more ganks or killing your enemy or escaping from pinch situation. Having this spell will help you not to rely on your 'e' spell that much. It is the safest possible way.

Ignite - spell that will help you kill your enemy easily. You can rely on it to deal devastating blow to the enemy and not risk yourself attacking under the turret. Another option is ghost instead of ignite, but it's not that good.


Jungling:

 

 Flash - already explained.

 

 

 

 Smite - spell that will help you in jungle a lot. I think that there is not to much there to explain. 

 

 

Pros about playing Riven:

• Incredible Pubstomper
• High Damage
• High Mobility
• Strong Early, Mid, and Early Late Game
• Safe blind pick, no direct counters
• Hard to gank
• Extremely fun to play
• Can be played Top, Mid, or Jungle

Cons about playing Riven:

• Not Very Tanky
• Not as strong end game
• Can be kited by certain enemy comps.

Characters who Riven can hardly counters in lane, but can win against:

 

 

Characters in duo lane with who Riven does the best:

Item building:

Starting Items: 

Starting item 1:


Doran's Blade:
Will give you power you need when starting.

Starting items 2: 



Boots of Speed, 3 health potions:

This is the best start against dangerous enemy junglers and some of the AP laners. Provides sustain, movement speed to harass, get away, and dodge skill shots, and is generally just the safest start.

Starting items 3:


Cloth armor, 5 health potions

This is the most common item start and the safest due to the nature of the meta with AD bruiser top lane usually. It's also one of the best starts when jungling.

Early Game Goals:

When we play Riven in Troll Patrol we don't want to focus her like many people do. Many people go around buying few Doran's Blade items and we find that extremely disappointing. It's waste of money! Instead buying two of Doran's Blades you can go for two Long Swords which you can combine in Brutalizer. If you are having hp problems, there is always Ruby's Crystal do help you with that.

 
Brutalizer
An item you need as quickly as possible. It will help you win against your enemies easily by giving you enough attack damage and armor penetration.


Mercury's Threads
One of the best items to get for Riven. Unfortunately, if you are not laning against magic user or character with hard Crowd Control effects don't buy them in early game. Go for them in the middle game. If you are jungling, then consider them your must buy item in the early game. They are really good because it will make you a bit tankier than you are.


Middle Game Goals:


Hexdrinker

Item you really need to protect yourself from magical damage dealers. You might have noticed by now that we really want to boost magic resistance Riven's potential because she is really weak against magical damage dealers. She has her 'e' skill to protect her from physical damage but not from magical as well. That's why we want to build her second shield with Hexdrinker and this is her core item and must buy in middle game.


Bloodthirster

Get this item whatever you are playing as quickly as possible in middle game. That's the time when team battles start and you really need its power and durability.


Guardian Angel

Always start building this item in a mean time before obtaining Bloodthirster and after you've bought Brutalizer but finish it only after Bloodthirster. It will not give you only durability but strength not to be afraid to die in battle which will help you maximize your damage output.

Picking the right items for the late game:

Randui's Omen

This is must buy item on Riven. Not only that will give you more armor and health regain per second but it will also give you power you need and make you supportive to your team. Never forget to activate this item.

Maw of Malmoritus

This is right about the time to build this item. It will give you more power against your enemies and make you even more tankier than you already were. We know that this is expensive item but it is really good to be built on Riven.


Last Whisperer

If the enemy team has a lot of characters that have built a lot of armor this is item you need to pierce through their defenses.


Quicksilver Sash

It is very rear to see anyone buying this item but it is actually the core item you must get if your enemy has a lot of Crowd Control effects. That will help you either survive or disrupt enemy's strategy to kill your team.

Frozen Mallet

 

Item that you will need to buy if your enemies are too quick for your team to catch. It will give you health as well, but unless situation doesn't demand for it, don't buy it.

 

Trinity Force

Even though you might hear that this item is total waste of money for Riven, we assure you that that is not true. This will boost Riven's damage up high and will totally increase damage she gets with her passive. You can easily get 1000 damage every two seconds. If you are really fed, go for it!

Note of caution: Never buy Trinity on her if you have already bought Frozen Mallet!

 

Items Not to Buy:

Atma's Impaler

This is item you will be wasting your money onto since you don't build health a lot.



Warmog's Armor

With Maw of Malmoritus to deal with AP burst teams and Randuins to take care of AD bruisers, this item truly has no place on Riven. It gives you unnecessary health that you do not need.


Ionian Boots of Lucidity

This is item we consider the most foolish one to buy on Riven. Riven has short reductions already and high damage that she doesn't need cooldown reduction given with this item. In whole game Riven will be focused as great damage dealer, stunned and Crowed Controled a lot, and because of that Mercury's Threads are really important item and there is no place for these boots.


Infinity Edge

This is item we see that many Riven players buy. We don't think that that is necessary item. It's much more expensive than Bloodthirster and it gives you less damage but only 25% of critical strike. If you do the math, with items we recommended you too, Infinity Edge will be poor replacement for Bloodthirster and make you less durable in team battles.

 

Ninja Tabi
This is the item many of our players oppose to. We think that this item is unnecessary and that does not help as much as it sounds. If someone is that fed, he will be able to kill you, no matter if you have these shoes or not. It might save you one out of ten times so do not buy them at all. You have enough sustain items that you really don't need this one.


Wriggle's Lantern

This is an item you don't need. It takes slot and it doesn't help you much after the 20th minute had passed. So don't buy it.

More about jungle Riven:

Pros about playing her in jungle:

• No cost champion
• Extremely mobile
• Both AOE and Single Target Clear
• 2 Forms of Hard CC (Knock-up, Stun)
• Easily 1v1 jungler
• Kills squishies
• Snowballs hard

Cons about playing her in jungle:

• Needs good start Early Game
• Can Easily get CC'ed to death
• Item Dependent
• Squishy

When to pick Jungle Riven:

• Your team has good initiate like Leona, Malphite, etc.
• At least 1 of your 3 lanes have some form of hard CC during laning phase like Taric, Morgana, Amumu
• Your team does not need someone tanky or a peeler
• The enemy team is fairly squishy.

Note of caution: If any of the above conditions are met feel free to play jungle Riven.

How to play jungle Riven:

Standard Level 4 Route:

Wolves -> Blue -> Wraiths -> Wolves -> Red -> Wraiths -> Level 4 Gank

Smiteless Blue Start:

Wolves -> Blue -> Wraiths -> Red -> Gank

Red Start Level 2 Gank:

Wraiths -> Red -> Gank -> Wolves -> Blue

Skill combo for clearing the jungle:

 

To clear Jungle Camps the most efficiently after getting your all 3 of your skills you first turn on your -> auto -> -> auto -> -> -> auto ->

Ganking with Riven:

Ganking with Riven is very easy. Like most junglers, it's best to gank from behind. When ganking try to get your lane to initiate the gank with some sort of CC. Afterwards come from behind and use your 'w' skill to stun them. Use your 'e' skill for a faster gap close if your teammates CC isn't that long. Afterwards You are going to want to use your first 2 casts of 'q' skill in the direction that they are running away even if you are already blocking their path. That way, can easily land your third cast of
'q' skill even if the enemy uses its flash. Try to auto attack reset as often as you can, especially with red buff. When you gank after level 6, turn on your ultimate before you go in to gank and repeat the process. Use your ultimate whenever you can finish off the kill or get out of range to do more damage. Feel free to use your flash for super gap closing and to help finish off kills. Because of your mobility losing flash isn't such a big deal.

Well this should cover all the basics behind playing Riven. If you have any questions send us on e-mail owenwithfield@gmail.com or post a comment beneath.

All the best on fields of justice!

Troll Patrol