Champions that enforce the meta
Let me preface this by saying I'm not a good league player. I'm over 40 and have no real aspirations to make it to challenger or play the game professionally. I'm happy to putter around in Silver and improve gradually and have fun while doing so, I am aware that if I can't carry a game when I win my lane, then I'm at the right elo.
With that out of the way, I do get bored playing the same champions over and over, and as a top lane player I feel like the acid test for taking a champion top has to be the question: Can this Champion survive a good Riven?
So here let me clarify, this is not a post that Riven is OP or needs a nerf. It is simply that her kit is very good with very high damage and mobility, as well as two CC's, and any champion you take top lane has to potentially deal with it.
So while I'm comfortable taking tanks, since she probably can't burst me down I can play safe and just farm, or taking ranged champions like Jayce or Kennen where I can stay at a safer range with some disengage tools, and even then a small mistake can mean a quick death on those ranged champs. Try to take something squishy and melee ranged like an assassin or some fighters, and it seems like an unwinnable situation for you as long as the Riven is decent and your jungler doesn't tilt the lane in you favor.
To me, Riven is the champion, more than any other, that enforces the top lane meta (aside from a certain champ that probably is/was a little imbalanced), because to step outside of it is likely going to be heavily punished if they face a Riven, and Riven is popular enough to be a fairly common pick. Is this a bad thing? Not really, more champion diversity and options would be nice, but I don't think Riven needs any nerfs or changes.
Are there other champions in different lanes that also enforce the meta? It seems like Mid and bot are more flexible in their champions,
. You just have to know the matchup. For me it's not getting hit by herd 3rd Q and being full fury, if I can do that I win the 1v1. I outtrade her lvl 1 with AA + E, from lvl 2-3 I just straight up lose, and after that I can win given above mentioned circumstances.
Just play this monster and you'll pray to god they pick riven into you.