User blog comment:Yawus/Vi - First Thoughts/@comment-5.83.71.124-20121223092323

Honestly, I have Vi, I main Riven, and I don't really see the simmilarities. Yeah, both have a shield and both are AD casters, but Vi doesn't has so good movement. Riven can engage and disengage at will, Vi can only engage, any good expert enemy will exploit her Q charge time to CC her and stop her from fleeing. I wouldn't really consider her a high mobile champ.

And frankly, I wouldn't consider the next Riven nerf an attempt to improve Vi. The CD nerf on her ult is kinda fair, I don't like it, but I admit that it has a really low CD for a resourceless champ. Other than that, removing the only defensive stat she has (Her regen) and buffing her shield so she has to be more dependant on it it's just derpy. If anything, she should've got an armor buff in exchange. But like always, even when they say that they only care about tournaments and nerf as a result, Riot has just failed to keep it's own word and listened to the QQers.

On the other hand, I don't feel that Vi needs a buff. It's still too soon to even think if she needs it, most players still need to learn about how to play her. Per example, just as you, I think that she has to focus early on outfarming the lane, go back before the enemy does and get some items, and use that advantage, however, some of my friends actually find her as a good duelist. To tell the truth, although I usually have a good insight at champions' behaviour (Even when I've not played with them ever), they actually have better K/D/A rates and play more aggresively than me, so I don't know what to think for the moment. To sum it up: She's fairly balanced right now, and requires skill to play her well.

Other than that, I agree you in the rest.