LoL Pro Riven Combos Guide

LoL Pro Riven Combos Guide by badsoul69

hello guys, i’m a diamond 3 riven main (summoner: BrokenSoul24) and, for me, learning riven was kind of a pain… i had to play and replay and replay a ton of montages in order to understand animation canceling at it’s best and to know what combos to use. i will give, for interested riven mains (or wish to main riven players) all the riven all-in combos i know that work well. i did not invent those combos, i’ve took all of them from pros. it’s going to be a lot of information… it took me some months to gather it and then to master it (and there is still room for improvement).

for beginners: just ignore the following combos and learn the Animation canceling part from the bottom! after you master it, you can try learning combos.

note: adding anything from parenthesis (except flash, you use it to get in range) will make the combo slower, but doing more dmg.

1. most generic combo:

gap-closing+the most dmg output possible in a decent amount of time: E-R-(AA, if in range)-(flash)-Q-AA-Q-(AA)-W-AA- Q-AA-R/R-Q-AA (R-Q-AA is faster but may deal less dmg if the enemy has over 25% hp when using R).E-R-AA-Q-AA-Q-W-AA-R-Q-AA in this combo you can use hydra before W or any Qs. you can skip any Q-AA in order to get in range, replacing it with Q.

you can also use: E-R-(AA)-(flash)-Q-(AA)-W-AA-Q-AA- Q-AA-R/R-Q-AA, if you want to keep the enemy closer to you (using stun earlier) in the moment after engaging (example: your jungler is coming to gank and you don’t want the enemy gnar to jump away before your jungler can get in range for his cc or you want to send the enemy in base, without killing him, but he has escape up and would just run away from your combo if using the first form). it’s still better to use the first form of the combo in a normal duel, since you don’t waste your shield stunning the enemy.

by skipping some Q-AA from this combo, you can get: E-R-Q-W-(AA)-R-Q-(AA) (gap closing+burst)

this combo has also another form (W at the end) – video – E-R-Q-AA-Q-AA-Q-AA-W-(AA)-R-(AA) (if you use this, your enemy won’t be able to flash your ultimate, because he will be stunned!)

also, you can skip any Q-AA from this combo, in order to burst the enemy faster: video E-R-Q-W-AA-hydra-R-Q

2. already-in-range combo:

while camping in a brush or simply fighting in lane, you may not want to start the fight with your E, but with the stun, because you keep your E to chese the enemy after you know in which direction he will run.

R-W-(AA)-Q-AA-E-(AA)-Q-AA- Q-AA-R/R-Q-AA (R-Q-AA is faster but may deal less dmg if the enemy has over 25% hp when using R). hydra can be used before W or any Q.

R-W-AA-hydra-Q-AA-E-AA-Q – he did not finish the combo cuz irelia ran away.

you can skip any Q-AA or E for doing it faster.

i usually use this against champs like irelia, rene, pantheon (i wait them to stun me and then i start this combo).

3. highest dmg/time combo: E-R-(flash)-W-(AA)-(hydra)-R-Q-(AA).video

you can extend it to: (Q, to gap closer)-E-R-(flash)-W-AA-(hydra)-Q-AA- -Q-AA-R/R-Q-AA. video note: those combos ares used only for burst and not for duels where the enemy can kill you. using W right after E is not effective (you waste time of your shield). just use combo 1 for a straight duel.

a full extended one E-R-flash-W-AA-Q-AA-Q-AA-Q-R – he did not use the last auto, because he didn’t need it, and he did not use R+Q because he needed knockup to stop jayce’s q.

4. the flash combo:

usually, even though the third combo is the best for burst, you are not fed enough in order to kill someone who has full hp with it, or simply not in range to do 3rd combo (this has a little more range). so, in order to kill a full hp adc (or a 1k hp tank for example), we use: Q-Q-E-R-(flash)-(AA)-Q-(AA)-(hydra)-W-(hydra)-(AA)-R-(AA).

this combo is the most versatile one, depending on your target’s hp, you can skip auto attacks/spells or even change it’s form. i will list the variations of this combo in the order of aproximate speed.

Q-Q-E-R-(flash)-Q-W-R

Q-Q-E-R-(flash)-Q-W-R-hydra

Q-Q-E-R-(flash)-Q-hydra-W-R-(AA) video (this is slower than previous one, but can deal more dmg if the target has over 25% hp before R)

Q-Q-E-R-(flash)-Q-W-R-AA video

Q-Q-E-R-(flash)-Q-AA-W-R

Q-Q-E-R-(flash)-Q-AA-W-R-hydra

Q-Q-E-R-(flash)-Q-AA-hydra-W-R video (this is slower than previous one, but can deal more dmg if the target has over 25% hp before R)

Q-Q-E-R-(flash)-Q-AA-W-R-AA video

Q-Q-E-R-(flash)-Q-AA-W-AA-R (this is slower than previous one, but it can deal more dmg if the target has over 25% hp before R)

Q-Q-E-R-(flash)-Q-AA-W-hydra-R-AA

Q-Q-E-R-(flash)-Q-AA-W-hydra-AA-R (this is slower than previous one, but it can deal more dmg if the target has over 25% hp before R)

note: you use hydra before W when you don’t want to auto attack between W and R. also, the auto attack between Q and W will go way faster than the one between W and R. but, if you have youmu, just pop it before combo and doQ-Q-Youmu-E-R-(flash)-Q-AA-hydra-W-AA-R-(AA) or Q-Q-Youmu-E-R-(flash)-Q-AA-W-AA-hydra-R-(AA)

important: you should, if your objective is not only to kill someone, but to be able to do something after the combo (or maybe to kill someone if this combo was not enough), use the 2 Qs from the beginning of the combo and the E-R-(flash)-Q part at ~time gaps of the Q going to cooldown if not used timer. with ~40% cdr you will be able to use Q again after the combo (if you don’t have 40% cdr, you will have to wait some seconds after the combo in order to use q again). but, if the adc has really bad position, just press Q-Q-E-R-(flash)-Q as fast as you can ;).

just skip one step from the complete form if your dmg is high enough to kill someone. it’s not like i think before engaging which of those 10 variations i will use before starting the combo (i may just guess), i just start the combo, and depending on how much dmg i do with the first part of it (which is the same everytime) i decide on how many things to skip in order to do the kill in the fastest way possible. important

• after you master all those combos, you can combine them/use ult not at the beginning/at the end to trick your enemyes, but those combos are way too situational and have way too many variations… i won’t write them all. here is an example: E-Q-W-AA-Q-R-AA-Q-AA-R.
• i feel like the 4th combo is the best for aoe in a teamfight, since you can use 3rd Q and W. if you flash stun into 5 enemyes, you may die before casting 3rd Q. and for a teamfight (in which you may need to go for as many targets as possible instead of only for 1) when enemy has hard cc+burst, i suggest using: E-R-flash-Q-(hydra)-W-R-AA or E-R-flash-Q-W-R-(hydra)-AA (this is faster, but r may deal less dmg) video. you can do it without letting enemies caught into it to react. even though the best scenario (if you have no aoe comp) is to catch the enemy adc/both carries positioned bad (in your range for execute combo (3rd or 4th) and nobody is near him to protect him) and instakill him.
• after each q from those combos you can (/must if you want to be a very good riven player) use the Fast Q mechanic and click on the ground before auto attacking. i won’t talk about the fast q combo because there are plenty of videos/guides about it! just search for it. i’ll add it since this got to frontpage and some players may discover that there is a fast q combo.
• if you can kill an enemy with Q+Q (while already in range) just do it (but only for execute), it’s faster than Q+AA. but, it’s almost never good to use Q-Q-Q (while already in range) to execute someone or to cc them. maybe you can use it when you are almost dying and your super fed katarina (or any instaburst champ) is coming and going to instakill the enemy with e-w and you need 0.1 more seconds to stay alive before she is there in order to survive (1 in a million chances, lol).
• tip: a good use for hydra is when your q’s and auto attacks are on cooldown. for example: Q-AA-Q-AA-Q-AA-W-hydra-AA. or simply before any Qs or Ws.
• before minute 20 you can use flash however you want (take kill/escape/trade flashes/send enemy base to take objective), but after min 20, use it only to get shut downs/avoid getting shut downed, to take objectives, or to protect objectives (use it to kill someone/to save someone in order to take/save an objective).
• you can use youmu before any of the combos above to speed them up! (many may not know, but attackspeed makes the hydra animation faster).

while watching the videos, in order to understand the combos better, play them in slow motion (0.25 speed)

feel free to ask anything you would like to know about riven. i’ll answer everyone.

edit:
ANIMATION CANCELING

i’ll talk about how animation canceling works, and why those combos work:

• E allows you to use any spell/hydra right after pressig it. (E-w, e-q, e-r, e-hydra) if you press e-w instantly, it will stun the area you were before pressing e.
• you can combine the E canceling and do: E-W-Q or E-hydra-W-Q
• you can press E, wait a bit (~1 secnd) and then hydra-W-Q. that time allows you to fill the gap with an auto-attack, so, you can E-AA-hydra-W-Q
• you can add after the previous combo, the generic q-aa-q-aa-q-aa combo, resulting in something like this
• you can add R into the E-Q combo, resulting in the best engaging tool for riven: E-R1-Q. you can also add flash and do: E-R1-flash-Q
• add W and do E-R-W-Q or E-R-Q-W (the first one is faster, but the second one stuns after you get closer to the enemy with q)
• add hydra and do E-R-hydra-W-Q
• you can cast Q right after R and do R-Q combo
• you can R-W instantly
• combine the 2 above and do: E-R-W-AA-R-Q (e just for shield and gap closing) – this is actually 3rd combo from the guide
• you can cast w right after q in a normal q-aa-q-aa-q-aa combo (if you want to w after 3rd q, use it after you auto-attack)
• if you can’t do the fast q combo, just stun everytime before knocking up enemyes, this will give you time to auto attack between W and 3rdQ. if you can do the fast q, you can 3rdQ-AA-W without letting them escape (you have to catch q at 3/4 range at least, if the enemy is too far away, just cast 3rdQ-W and then auto attack)
• you can cast hydra right after or before 2nd R (shockwave) instantly
• you can hydra-W
• you can hydra-Q
• you can W-R2-AA and the auto attack will go instantly
• you can use AA-Q-AA-W-hydra-AA
• you can E-3rdQ-W or
• add auto attack for E-3rdQ-AA-W
• add hydra and get E-3rdQ-AA-hydra-W (part of the flash combo) note: the animation canceling works the same way for first R and the shockwave R.
• a nice trick is to ward (or trincket) behind you while you jump with third q. you will still jump in the right direction, but the knockup area will be behind you instead of in front of you. example the middle of the area knocked up is where riven’s sword is (or something a little bit in front of her, idk), thus, when you ward backwards, riven will turn for a little bit, and knockup the area behind her.

FAST Q COMBO
this is one of the most important (and hard) combos on riven.

• normally, a combo such as AA-Q-AA-Q-AA-Q-AA takes ~3 seconds, but if you do the fast q combo, it will take ~1-2 seconds (depending on how fast you can do it).
• how it works: AA the enemy target, keep the mouse over the enemy (so Q won’t pass through them, but you can make it pass through by having the mouse over no enemy unit, if you want to chase), press Q right after AutoAttack dmg went off, to cancel the useless animation, click on the ground (after this, the Q inbuilt stun, which does not let you auto attack while casting q, will end and you will be able to auto attack the enemy, stacking the animation of the auto attack (and also making it faster) with the q one, but the game will still display the q animation), auto attack the target and then, as soon as the auto dmg went off, press q to cancel the auto attack animation. repeat x3.
• the full combo is something like this: AA-Q-move-AA-Q-move-AA-Q-move-AA
• this video will show you how it looks and speak about how it works.
• you can also combine the fast q mechanic (Q-move-AA) with any other combos that contain Q.
• a good combo without ultimate is: e-aa-q-move-aa-q-move-w-aa-q-move-aa you can add hydra in this combo before any q (or right after e) and add only 0.1 seconds to it. you have to move between q and w, to cancel the animation of q and to be able to press w, furthermore, the auto attack right after w will go off really fast.
• since this combo needs to be a reflex for a good riven player, try practicing it a lot in custom games.

any of the combos above are completely doable even without ult, you can use them to all in when your ult is down, even though the combos without ult are really versatile… most of them are based on 2-3 spells to go in and 2-3 to go out and depend on every matchup.

REALLY IMPORTANT: for all riven players: disable (from video settings) Wait for Vertical Sync and Anti Aliasing. Wait for Vertycal Sync is good only for people with bad PC or bad internet or high ping. this makes the game smoother for people with bad pc, but worse for people with good pc&internet! as for the anti aliasing, it just makes the graphics smoother, but can give lag sometimes.