League of Legends Riven Kit and Combos Complete Guide

League of Legends Riven Kit and Combos Complete Guide by RivenBadChampKappa

Hey everyone!

First, let me introduce myself :) I’m a Riven main making guides about her on my YouTube channel. These guides are focused on whatever that concerns Riven. Matchup guides, itemization, masteries, keystones, tips, I’m talking about anything about Riven!

I really went into the details and explained Riven’s kit so people would understand it, and understand better how to pull the combos off thanks to it. Riven’s combos are made off multiple small combos, mixed together they’re forming a bigger one.

This is why it is important to know the potential of the kit, some little combos so you can put everything together and become more fluent with Riven!

1) DOUBLECAST – WHAT IT IS, AND HOW TO USE IT

A doublecast is the meaning for using two spells at the same time. But Riven can not do it whenever she wants! In order to pull off a doublecast, you have to use your E, it allows you to do a doublecast within the next second.
You can not do it too late after the usage of your E, nor too early, the delay would be somewhere between 0.3s to 1.0s after the usage of E.

Let’s get more into the details! There is a perfect exemple of doublecast combo:

E > WQ  

As mentioned above, you have a small delay in which you can make use of the “WQ” doublecast after using your E, meaning that you have enough time to throw an auto attack inbetween, transforming the combo into

E > AA > WQ

If you are using Thunderlord’s as a keystone, this would then proc as you used a basic attack and 2 spells really fast.

Let’s get even further into this trick now! You still remember that you have between 0.3s to 1s to pull the WQ doublecast, right? Then why not use even more things in this delay? We are gonna repeat the previous combo but this time we will add a tiamat (or ravenous hydra) in it!

It would then look like it:

E > AA > Tiamat/Hydra > WQ  

Let’s add even more stuff to these combos! Yes, it is possible. The delay is still big enough to put a flash in the combo. You can prepare a doublecast by using your E, then flash on your target and make use of it. It is a really great combo to surprise your ennemy and kill him with almost no time for him to react if he is low enough to get killed off that combo.

E > F > AA > WQ  
E > F > AA > Tiamat/Hydra > WQ  

Note: It’s worth to mention that you can prepare your auto attack earlier by buffering it. To buffer it, you just need to right click on your target after using E, right before flashing, therefore your champion will automaticaly throw her auto attack as she flashed on the ennemy, making the combo even faster!

Another type of doublecast:

A doublecast can also be done with your ultimate and your Q spell! It works exactly like the WQ doublecast, the delay is the same so you just need to reproduce it by replacing W by R.

It would look like this:

E > RQ
E > Tiamat/Hydra > RQ  

Like the previous doublecast (WQ), you can use an auto attack inbetween, which would be like that:

E > AA > RQ  
E > AA > Tiamat/Hydra > RQ  

Once again, you can use flash in this combo as well!

E > F > AA > RQ  
E > F > AA > Tiamat/Hydra > RQ  

Note: Riven’s ultimate increases her Q and W hitboxes, and auto attacks’ range, therefore doing this doublecast could help you hitting your Q when chasing someone, without stopping yourself.

We are done with the doublecasts! Let’s get into something else now :)

2) E-R BUFFERING, DASHING WHILE CASTING YOUR ULTIMATE

Most of the newer Riven players tend to stop themselves to use their ultimate (No matter if it is for turning it on, or using the second activation!).
I am then gonna talk about the ER buffering; you can turn your ultimate on or use its second activation (Called windslash, or R2) as you are dashing forward with your E!

The combo is pretty easy:

E > R  

Note: This works with both part of the ultimate, whether it is to turn it on while dashing, or dashing forward in order to throw the windslash further!

3) MIXING COMBOS TOGETHER TO MAKE A BIGGER ONE

As said in the title of this chapter, we are now gonna mix the two different combos we learned earlier!

The main thing about Riven is that her combos are a mix of different others. This is why you need to understand her kit in order to pull them off easily!

We recently learned the doublecast combo, and the ER buffering. You still remember that you have about 1s to do whatever you want before doing a doublecast? You got me right, we’re not done adding more stuff in the doublecast combos! We are now gonna add the buffering in it.

Here are the different combos:

E > R > AA > WQ  
E > R > AA > Tiamat/Hydra > WQ  
E > R > Flash > AA > Tiamat/Hydra > WQ

Note: Just a reminder that you are not obliged to auto attack, this is just a bonus to DPS even more, making the combo more optimal.

4) R2-Q BUFFERING, USING YOUR Q ALMOST INSTANTLY AFTER THROWING THE WINDSLASH

This one is as simple as it sounds. When your ultimate is active, you just need to press Q right after throwing your windslash. It will put more damage in your combo, and would help you to proc thunderlord’s if possible!

R2 > Q  

Note: If close enough, your Q will deal the damage before your ultimate. Therefore your ultimate will deal even more damage as it is an execute spell (The lower your target is, the higher the windslash damage will be).

5) LET’S MIX THE 3 COMBOS WE LEARNED EARLIER, YEAP IT STARTS TO BE A LOT, RIGHT?

So we recently learned how to Doublecast, buffer your ER and your R2Q. What about using these 3 things in a single combo?
Let’s do it! :)

E > R > AA > WQ > AA > R2-Q  
E > R > Tiamat/Hydra > AA > WQ > R2-Q  

As always, you still can flash during this combo!

E > R > Flash > AA > WQ > AA > R2-Q  
E > R > Flash > AA > Tiamat/Hydra > WQ > AA > R2-Q

NOTE: Keep in mind that, as always, the auto attacks aren’t a MUST, but they increase your DPS and make the combos more optimal. It’s better to avoid using them only when your target could escape during the auto attack animation, and that the combo itself without basic attack would be enough to kill them.

6) SOME TIPS ABOUT TIAMAT/HYDRA ACTIVE

You can make us of your Tiamat/Hydra while dashing with your E. All you need to do is to press E followed by Tiamat/Hydra.

Note: You can also use your Tiamat or Hydra BEFORE flashing and the damage would still be dealt at the FINAL position of your flash.

Here are some combos:

E > Tiamat/Hydra > AA > WQ > AA > R2-Q
E > Tiamat/Hydra > Flash > AA > WQ > AA > R2-Q  

Note: As said earlier, flashing while the casting time of Tiamat/Hydra will deal its damage to the flash location, and NOT where you were before flashing. It helps to “hide” a part of the animation so your ennemies have less time to react.

Another combo with Tiamat/Hydra > Flash would be the next one; that combo is useful to surprise a low health target and finish them off really quick without time to react.

E > Tiamat/Hydra > Flash > R2-Q  

Note: “E > Tiamat/Hydra > Flash > AA > R2-Q” would work, but it would leave a door of reaction time to your target!

You can hide a part of your ultimate’s animation by using tiamat before. It’s even better if your tiamat hits the target as it will increase the windslash’s execute damage!

Tiamat/Hydra > R2  

You can also mix it with the E into Tiamat/Hydra that you learned earlier!

E > Tiamat/Hydra > R2

7) FLASHING WHILE CASTING YOUR WIND SLASH

You can flash while casting your wind slash. Therefore your target will have to react faster than if you would flash before using the ult since the missile will reach them faster.
You can also use it while dashing forward with your E by pressing it right after, here is the combos:

R2 > F  
E > R2 > F  

8) MIXING EVEN MORE STUFF AND THANGS

You thought we were done with mixing dem combos, eh? Nah, we are not done yet!
We’re now gonna mix a doublecast combo with the R2 Flash that we just learned!
This would mostly be useful when a lot of ennemies not full health are packed together!

It would look like it:

E > R2 > Flash > WQ
E > R2 > Flash > Tiamat/Hydra > WQ  

NOTE: You can make use of a basic attack between your Flash and W (or between Flash and Tiamat/Hydra if you went for the second combo), but you have to be sure that no one would be able to escape or kill you before you stun them.

NOTE 2: If doing it fast enough, your WQ might hit the target before the wind slash’s missile reaches the ennemies, increasing the execute damage even more! Bonus point if playing with thunderlord’s!

9) SOME GOOD COMBOS TO ENGAGE A FIGHT

Riven does have great tools to engage a fight if her opponents make a mistake in their positioning. Flashing onto them or jumping over a wall, she definitely can turn the game around with a powerful engage.

There are multiple ways to engage a fight.

Turning the ultimate on while jumping over a wall in order to knock people up:

E > R > Q3  

NOTE: You have to put your cursor in the direction you want to dash in order to turn yourself in the right direction to wall hop.

Throwing the windslash while jumping over a wall and then stun everyone:

R2 > Q3 > W  

R2 > Q3 > Tiamat/Hydra > W   

NOTE: Use your wind slash in the direction you want to wall hop.

Or, there is also this combo that is one of the most basic to engage as Riven.
Extend your Q by waiting the last moment before using the second one, then dash forward with your E to then flash-in followed by a 3rd Q.

Do not 3rd Q before. Flashing during the Q animation would cancel it so there would be no damage and no knock-up. You don’t especially have to use the windslash in this combo if it is not necessary.

E > R2 > Flash > Q3 > W
E > R2 > Flash > Q3 > Tiamat/Hydra > W  
E > Tiamat/Hydra > Flash > Q3 > W  

10) BUFFERING THE W AFTER THE USAGE OF YOUR ULTIMATE

When using your ultimate, no matter if it is the first one or second activation, you can input buffer your W, they both will go off almost instantly. If using the first phage of your ultimate, you will turn it on while stunning your target.

For the first activation of your ult:

R > W  

If you buffered it after the wind slash, then the stun will go off and deal the damage BEFORE it, so it will deal more damage on the execute.

R2 > W  

It also works with your flash. You can use the WindSlash Flash combo that we saw earlier, but on top of that you will use your W right after using your flash. The stun (W) damage will hit the target before your ultimate.

R2 > F > W  
E > R2 > F > W  

11) … THE SHY COMBO

Here we are, the most memed combo on the rivenmains subreddit, Ŧ The Shy Combo ŧ. This combo was discovered by “The Shy”, a Korean Riven player.
Its goal is to 100-0 someone with the least amount of time possible for them to react. Here is a perfect The Shy combo from The Shy himself

Here is the magic trick:

E > R > Flash > W > AA > Tiamat/Hydra > R2-Q  

12) THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN EW AND E-W

Riven can use her stun (W) while dashing with her E, but the stun location will depend on how fast she pressed her W key!

E > W  

If pressing W almost instantly after pressing E, the stun will hit around the start of the dash.

E >> W  

If waiting a bit more, the stun location will hit around the END of the dash.

Therefore, Riven can use the fast EW combo in order to run away without stopping herself so she can stun whoever is chasing her and keep on running!

13) REVERSED WINDSLASH
There is a trick allowing Riven to windslash backward as she dashes forward. It’s not done that often but it sometimes can be useful to get a kill without taking any risk.

The thing is that your wind slash will always go to the direction your cursor was when you pressed R.
So if you dash past your cursor, you will go forward but your windslash will still go in the direction your cursor WAS before.

It means that you can also throw a windslash backward as you’re hoping over a wall to get away.

E > R2
E > R2 > Q3  < *This is meant to wallhop*

Your cursor needs to be around Riven’s feet in order to let her dash past this one so her wind slash will go backwards.

Here we are, the guide is over! I hope some of you would’ve learned some things.