Riven vs Irelia
Skill matchup
You are stronger late game. Farm safe and avoid early trades.
Build vs Irelia
Build adapted to this matchup
Recommended items for Riven: Axiom Arc, Death's Dance, Endless Hunger, Ionian Boots of Lucidity, Eclipse, Black Cleaver, Sundered Sky, Maw of Malmortius.
Starting items
Core build
Standard
Summoner spells
Anti CC
Other options
Power Spikes
Strength by game phase
Irelia's abilities
Passive, spells and ultimate
When Irelia strikes enemies with spells she gains stacking bonus Attack Speed. At maximum stacks she also gains bonus damage on hit.
Cooldowns
Cooldowns by spell rank
| Level | Q | W | E | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 10s | 20s | 16s | – |
| 6 | 8s | 20s | 16s | 2m05 |
| 9 | 6s | 18s | 16s | 2m05 |
| 11 | 6s | 16s | 16s | 1m45 |
| 16 | 6s | 12s | 13s | 1m25 |
| 18 | 6s | 12s | 10s | 1m25 |
Playing as Riven
Tips to maximize your impact
- Weave an auto between spells
Weave an auto between each spell: Runic Blade (passive) charges your blade with each ability, and your autos spend those charges to hit harder.
- Save your third hit for CC
Save the third hit of Broken Wings (Q) for CC: that leap gives nearby enemies a 0.75-second knock-up.
- Valor against their burst
Cast Valor (E) just as the enemy unleashes their burst: the dash gives you a shield for 1.5 seconds, then chain into your combo.
- Finish with Wind Slash
Save the Blade of the Exile (R) recast to finish: Wind Slash deals more damage to enemies missing health.
Playing against Irelia
How to counter and exploit weaknesses
- Stay away from low-health minions
Don't stand near your low-health minions: Bladesurge (Q) resets when it kills, so she chains dashes from minion to minion until she reaches you.
- Dodge the line of her blades
As soon as the first blade of Flawless Duet (E) lands, change direction: the stun only hits enemies caught between the two blades.
- Trade before her passive stacks
Take your trades when Ionian Fervor (passive) isn't stacked: she builds stacks with her abilities, and at max stacks her autos deal more damage.
- Wait out her Defiant Dance
Save your burst for after Defiant Dance (W): while charging, she takes much less damage, but she can't do anything else.
- Dodge her blade ult
Dodge Vanguard's Edge (R): its blades make you Unsteady, which resets Bladesurge (Q) on you, and the cage they form damages and slows anyone who crosses it.
Other Riven matchups
Patch 16.21.1