Best Riven counters in LoL

LoL Esports

April 15, 2024

Davide Xu

Here are the best Riven counters you should play in LoL this season. Can you guess who is making the list?

Image Credit: Riot Games

Riven counters in LoL – the top three picks

Back in the first seasons of League of Legends, Riven was considered one of the most rewarding champions in the game. Mechanical players could take advantage of specific canceling animations to outmaneuver opponents with various combos, making her one of the ideal top lane carries.

While she’s not as popular anymore, Riven players are always a scary bunch, especially in solo queue. In case you’re wondering how you can win against her, we have listed the best Riven counters for the current meta.

If you’re fairly new to the game, check out our guide on how counter picks work in League of Legends. You will understand why counter picks are important, and how you need to take advantage of them to increase your win rate. Make sure to also understand how classes counter one another in LoL so you always know what to pick in each game.

Rek’Sai – the meta counter

Rek’Sai has been popping up as a primary top laner thanks to her incredible sustain and tankiness. She excels against melee champions and Riven is no exception. Every time the enemy wants to fight, she will be able to fight back and then heal up a large chunk of the damage taken. In a matchup where Riven cannot snowball by killing Rek’Sai, her value inherently drops.

Renekton – the lane counter

Similar to Rek’Sai, Renekton also beats Riven during the landing phase. The trades will always be in the crocodile’s favor and one kill can heavily swing the matchup in Renekton’s favor. Unless heavy misplays, Riven shouldn’t be able to win this matchup.

Image Credit: Riot Games

Poppy – the evergreen counter

Poppy doesn’t have the same level of dominance as the other two picks, especially early on, but she can neutralize Riven’s power in the later stages of the game. Thanks to her W, she can block the enemy’s dashes and lock her down with the crowd controls. In other words, Riven will rarely have a window to be actively part of the fights.

Worst Riven counters

Yasuo – avoid this at all times

Even though a strong Yasuo can sometimes win this matchup, Riven is heavily favored. Thanks to her burst combos, she can always kill the Ionian blade master without many issues. In an extended lane like top lane, Riven’s strength is further amplified as she can close the gap and beat Yasuo’s mobility.

Pantheon – a bad choice

Another champion that often struggles with Riven is Pantheon. This is because Riven can easily dodge most of Pantheon’s damage with her Q and E, and win through extended trades. His windows of opportunity are also small given that Pantheon falls off faster compared to Riven.

How do you counter Riven with the items?

When going up against Riven, it’s recommended to stack a mix of armor and health. Below is a list of items to build you should consider, based on the class of champion you’re playing:

Bruisers: Death Dance, Warden’s Mail
AD assassins: Guardian’s Angel
ADC champions: Guardian’s Angel
AP champions: Zhonya’s Hourglass
Tanks: Warden’s Mail, Frozen Heart

What Champion counters Riven?

The three best counters are Rek’Sai, Renekton, and Poppy. Other strong counters are Urgot, Camille, and Garen.

Does Fiora counter Riven?

Fiora and Riven is a skill-based matchup. Riven should have better early game trades thanks to her passive but Fiora will eventually outscale with the sustain from the passive and the ultimate. It comes down to how the two take trades and whether Fiora can successfully parry Riven’s W or ultimate during the skirmishes.