How in the HELL do I even compete against a Riven?

Niyumi·Sep 18, 2015·1 votes·1,012 views

Basically, the title. I was just in a game with a Riven who killed me in ONE COMBO at level 3 (I was level 2) as GP (meaning I can break out of her stun and everything), and then proceeded to instantly kill me the rest of the game and anyone else who came across her path. She ended the game at 9/1, and with two items, was able to INSTANTLY kill me and anyone else (She was at our nexus turrets at 17 minutes, and we lost at 20 minutes). In what world is that balanced? I just don't understand how that's even remotely fair.

So, how can I beat a Riven who is: Tanky as all hell, ridiculously mobile, has more damage than a fed ADC and a ranged execute? I don't even know how you can fight something like that.

I bait out her Q and I know it's on CD? I get one poke in, and it's off CD again, and she eats my face off. I see her use her stun? She stuns me again anyway. Her dash is on CD? Well she has 50 charges of it. Her ult was used 20 seconds ago? Well, actually, it's off CD...

I just don't even know what you can possibly do against a Riven. People say she's so bad and she's never played in LCS and all that, but I don't understand why. She can obliterate anything that isn't a mega tank that does 500 damage a hit.

19 Comments

SpartenA7991Sep 18, 20154 votes

play extremely passive defensively. Its the smartest choice. Start cloth and 5 pots and farm the best you can. Don't push your lane, and don't ask for ganks. You don't want Riven to get any kills. Playing defensive is the best thing. You could have poked her with your barrel/parley combo or just used those to CS to your best capability. I know this sounds stupid, but its either this or have Riven dominate the game.

NiyumiSep 18, 20151 votes

Thing is, I did. If I dropped any barrels, she'd immediately rush me. If she didn't get to me, she'd just kill my barrels and continue denying me any farm. I even tried chaining barrels from under my tower, but she'd just dive me whenever I dropped a barrel. I tried everything, but there was just nothing I could do. : /

The jungler ganked on his own and died to her twice, and then proceeded to call me bad and a noob and all kinds of things. >.>

Does Riot honestly believe she's balanced in any way though? Lots of champions are stupidly strong right now, but Riven is just beyond ridiculous.

High5Sep 18, 20151 votes

{quoted}

Thing is, I did. If I dropped any barrels, she'd immediately rush me. If she didn't get to me, she'd just kill my barrels and continue denying me any farm. I even tried chaining barrels from under my tower, but she'd just dive me whenever I dropped a barrel. I tried everything, but there was just nothing I could do. : /

The jungler ganked on his own and died to her twice, and then proceeded to call me bad and a noob and all kinds of things. >.>

Does Riot honestly believe she's balanced in any way though? Lots of champions are stupidly strong right now, but Riven is just beyond ridiculous.

Riven is like Blanc. Don't die and they both get weaker though out the game.

The point is to win the game, not have a high kill score. Sometime you can do both, sometimes you can't.

As other's have said, buy armor and win vs Riven. If you build all or mostly damage, you'll likely lose.

Lemon ViIIainSep 18, 20154 votes

Don't die. Don't get CS if you have to. Riven does nothing when not fed.

You win.

The WhamboozlerSep 18, 20151 votes

^ This, sadly. I don't know who thought it was a good idea for the game that Riven snowball into an unstoppable death machine after a single kill, but she does. Meanwhile most other early-game top-laners fall off hard come mid and late game. Not Riven. One kill and she's going to destroy you every time you LOOK at your farm.

Just pick someone who trades brutally hard or can farm VERY safe... and assume she WILL try to all-in you at LEAST 10 times before the 5 minute mark. Play safe and farm, or punish her aggression with someone like Darius or Garen. It's really all you can do. #riotbalance

TyrenSep 18, 20153 votes

I like to play Trundle against Riven. With his sustain and is stat stealing R. Also, Frozen Heart and Tenacity boots. I've also seen Garen and Darius rip Riven a new one.

Like the poster before you do have to play passive and farm up doing very little trades and farm under tower. If you're patient enough the Riven will dive you. Most Rivens I see are very blood thirsty.

Jolyne CujohSep 18, 20152 votes

Ranged champs destroy Riven and as gangplank you have 2 ranged abilites, and one of them slows Playing Riven against gangplank is horrible if the gp knows what they are doing, but really unforgiving if they make mistakes

NiyumiSep 18, 20151 votes

I made a comment below about using ranged abilities against her. >.>

Basically though, I could exploit barrel chaining from under my tower, and she'd still dive me and instantly kill me.

Rand0mH3r0XSep 18, 20152 votes

GP isn't a good counterpick to Riven if you're not really good at using the barrels. Probably a better pick would've been Fiora or Olaf. They're not dependent on interrupts like GP or Darius.

Zoning Riven from farm with the Barrels would've been the best thing for you to do until you had a well enough lead to jump on her. Trying to 1v1 at level 2 is just kind of dumb... She has the strongest level 2 stats, similar to Lee or Evelyn.

NiyumiSep 18, 20151 votes

She didn't care one bit about the barrels. She killed me because, as I was dropping a barrel to try and scare her away, she just rushed me, stunned me, and killed me before I could even move -- and I dropped it at max range. >.>

I forgot to mention that she was level 3, as she stole some of the jungle and came in at 2. So when I hit 2, she was 3.

Rand0mH3r0XSep 18, 20152 votes

Again, the maxing the barrels first so the decay is faster would've been a better zoning tool than maxing your parry. GP vs. Riven doesn't fall down to "Riven is OP" rather, it's skill vs. skill and I'd just have to call less skilled than the Riven.

Try to imitate a pro, I've seen the Wolves-B-TP thing before, and It's not as useful now as it was before S5 JG. Seriously consider looking at some video of yourself on na.op.gg and of professional players on YouTube. Not always is it a good idea, but practice makes perfect sometimes.

In another consideration, smurphs are rampant and very detrimental to League. Riot doesn't care too much since people usually buy skins on these accounts anyways. There is a possibility you ran into a smurph who was just taking advantage of you.

3tysonSep 18, 20151 votes

Pick teemo dont all in just poke it will be so easy it wont even be fun

NiyumiSep 18, 20151 votes

I'm goinna pick up Teemo soon anyway, even though he's boring. He's kind of a free win against any AA-reliant champs.

NemeBroSep 18, 20151 votes

{quoted} So, how can I beat a Riven who is: Tanky as all hell

lol

AxestsSep 18, 20151 votes

riven is not a tanky champion, if you think she's tanky it's because you're attacking her while she's shielded
riven has some of the lowest sustain in game, so even trades are to your advantage
riven is snowball dependent and falls off if she doesn't get fed, play safe in lane and DON'T push out on her if she can kill you
as gp you should drop barrels behind your minion line, that way you have more room for using it if riven jumps on you or if you want to place a second to push out the wave Riven isn't op, you just need work on knowing how to deal with her in lane.