Thread:Leyrann/@comment-6818722-20130302093755/@comment-4834593-20130302132049

Well, I'm not on YouTube, as far as I know, and chances would be small I'd be playing Riven, because I literally play every champion that there is available for me. She's my favorite champion though, and I think also my best. If you're wondering how I play Riven, I'll just copy/paste a sort of "guide" that I made for someone who posted a message on my wall asking how to play Riven. It's a long read though. It's with Season 2 items by the way, but the only new items you should maybe take are Warmogs (instead of Frozen Mallet), Black Cleaver (instead of selling Brutalizer for another item), and maybe take Warmogs as first defensive item and Guardian Angel after.

And one last tip, I skimmed a bit through it again, and I noticed I said it was best to stay behind your team, but I've since then learned, and I'd like to change that to "try to come from the side, to have an easier time killing squishies".

Normally, you should (like in nearly every situation with any champion) start with boots and 3 health pots. Always level Q up at level 1, as it grants most damage (if used right) and grants most mobility. On level 2, I prefer taking E, as it's a better initiation tool than Q (less casting animation, more a straightforward dash, plus a shield), and also makes it easier to escape from a level 2 gank without burning flash. You can, however, take W if you really like that more. Take the other one at level 3. After this, you should put skills in abilities for what you think you need. Take Q when you can easily win trades, as it gives most damage. Take W if you want to keep trades short and use EW and then gtfo away with Q, normally taking next to no damage. Take E when losing lane that hard you only want to run when someone attacks you, as it will mitigate most damage, OR take 3 points in it when you got your enemy tower hugging all the time, as you can EW and then out with Q, and your E can absorb a full tower shot at rank 3. Less ranks are maybe needed if you already got some AD. Always rank ult whever you can, for reduced cooldown and increased damage.

The first few times you go back to base, buy some of the following: Brutalizer, 1-2 Doran's Blades, Vampiric Scepter, BF Sword, Ionian Boots, Mercury Threads, Ninja Tabi, eventually a Wriggles Lantern, if you really enjoy it's active. However, don't forget that, if you're really having trouble with for example a Renekton, you can take something like a Chain Vest, or maybe a Hexdrinker if you have trouble with an AP top. I don't recommend Hexdrinker though. I feel like it doesn't grant enough damage, and Mercury Threads should also work.

After this (of course, don't buy all of it, just some parts), buy a Bloodthirster. A Bloodthirster is, I think, always superior to other items on Riven, as her ratios on a full combo (R - aa - E - aa - W - aa - Q - aa - Q - aa - Q - aa - R - aa) are above 15 (this is counting the bonus AD her ult grants). Notice however, that you will (nearly) never get this combo fully pulled off. This grants no defense though, outside of the 1.0 ratio on shield and the life steal on every autoattack (Riven's passive also procs life steal btw). You could argue other items are also good on Riven as first item, most notably Frozen Mallet, but I feel like a total ratio of 15 (of which about 6 is AoE) cries for damage too hard. And also notice that early game, after having used all your damage, you will normally already be relatively close to an enemy tower, and your slow will be useless. FM becomes better later in the game. But I'll come on that.

After the Bloodthirster, damage is really high, and an R flash W Q Q Q E R combo (if done at the right moment) can destroy an enemy team while you are still living. As a backup (for if you execute this combo wrong), buy a Guardian Angel. It's also a strong item in general, as it's one of the only two items granting hybrid resistances. Plus, if you're a bit in the higher Elo's, it will be a sign "do not focus me".

After this, it becomes really situational. First note is that, if they ever introduce Lord Van Damm's Pillager, Heart of Gold becomes a good item in that list of small items before the Bldoothirster, and that LVDP should be bought either before or directly after the Guardian Angel. As long as it's not, there are a few items you can pick one from, depending on what you think you need. If you have Mercury Threads, you will have about 70 bonus armor and magic resistance now, meaning most likely about 130-150 of both total. So that's normally not needed anymore. Most viable choices are Bloodthirster (just straight damage, but maybe not needed, as you really have a lot of damage with just one already), Frozen Mallet (health becomes better the more armor and magic resistance you have, you most likely already have some nice damage, plus the slow becomes better now that towers are down), Maw of Malmortius (only against double AP and/or really fed AP carries that hate you because iced their killing spree) and Last Whisper (if enemies are getting over about 120 armor average. Building GA, Zhonya's and such stuff. Basically anything that builds from a Chain Vest). At this point, you might have to sell some of the little early items. In this, ALWAYS sell Brutalizer last.

The next items are a bit the same as above, but with one more note. You might be stomping the enemy team that hard it's basically already game over. In this case, you can buy Youmuu's Ghostblade. Do not, however, forget that you only use the ArPen, Cooldown Reduction and Attack Damage from it. Crit Chance and Attack speed are wasted, same with movement speed, most of the time (even if only you already got 34% cdr aka constant dashing with masteries + Youmuu's + Ionians, plus you might have Frozen Mallet).

As already shortly said before, in a team fight, wait for the initiation. Stay a bit behind, like a squishy (if you have both a Guardian Angel and a Frozen Mallet, it's different and act like a bruiser. Just don't initiate except with a squishy really out of position), go in after the fight started and the first wave of cc is blown. Ult, flash into the enemy team (you can do without flash, but it makes it a lot easier to get to the squishies), use WQQQ as fast as you can, E a bit to the side, and Wind Slash. You do waste a lot of your passive stacks, but if you try to use them, the chance to get cced before your combo is over becomes too big. Just don't forget the autoattacks in a 1v1. After this, if three things all worked (you did the combo right, you have enough damage, and your team also deals damage), you should normally have like 1-2 kills for the team, plus 1-3 on low health (normally not all five low health or dead though. Then you're really lucky), ready to be finished off. I'd say that staying together after the start of a teamfight while playing against a Riven with flash ready is like staying together while playing against a Malphite or Orianna with ult ready. Also don't be afraid to die with your Guardian Angel. One little tip about that: Use W the moment of revive. That way the campers next to where you revive get stunned and you got some time in which you can maybe dash to safety (or you kill them, if they are low on health).

Now, on runes, masteries and summoner spells.

For runes, you should take flat AD marks (maybe armor penetration also works, but someone said that they were "a noobtrap". I still have to do the maths on that), flat armor seals (as on all top laners), magic resist per level glyphs, flat AD quints. However, you might change some thing to personal preference though. I feel like this is in general the best page.

Masteries I take normal Bruiser ones, 21/9/0. However, I still need to make an AD caster page and go something in between 21/9/0 and 25/5/0 and take the cooldown reduction in Offense. For me, this feels like something that is, in fact, needed on Riven, Lee Sin, etc.

Summoner spells. Flash is a must for Flash + W, Flash + Wind Slash or just for the general combo for teamfights. It can also make the difference when getting ganked in lane, though I find that four dashes and an AoE stun is normally enough to get away. You can vary the other one. I normally take Exhaust to land more damage, but Ignite (ult + ignite is a nice amount of "ranged" damage in lane), Teleport (ganking bot lane with teleporting to a ward is just really funny) or maybe even some others can also be used. What you want.

I hope that's enough. :)

One last thing, activate ult always BEFORE your combo, to increase your damage, and use it's active either after your combo in team fights, or to make the kill or the last possible moment before the cooldown (check buffs/debuffs at the bottom of the screen for the remaining duration), as it's damage is higher if the enemy has less hp.