Gangplank vs Riven TOP Matchup Guide | LaneStomp

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Riven

Gangplank vs Riven

Updated Jun 3, 2026

Overview

Focus on controlling the lane with (Q) poke and barrel zoning to prevent Riven's aggressive all-ins.
Manage wave and barrel placement to avoid giving Riven easy engage windows and punish cooldowns.
Prioritize scaling through farm and avoid extended fights before key barrel and item power spikes.

Trading pattern

Trade with (Q) and barrel chains when (Q) and (E) are on cooldown to punish her lower mobility.
Use (W) to cleanse her (W) stun and heal up after trades to survive her burst attempts.
Avoid extended melee trades without barrel setup or (W) available, as Riven can outburst and disengage quickly.

Danger windows

Be cautious when Riven has all cooldowns available, especially (W) stun and third (Q) knockup, for lethal combos.
Avoid fighting without (W) ready, as crowd control will stick and open you to full burst.
Watch for Riven's level 6 all-in with (R) active; avoid extended trades or standing in barrel chains without cleanse.

Early game

Use (Q) to safely poke and farm while maintaining barrel control to zone Riven.
Avoid fighting when (W) is down or barrels are not set up, as Riven's mobility and burst are strong early.
Respect Riven's short cooldown combos; only trade when her mobility or crowd control is spent.

Power spikes

At level 6, use (R) to influence side fights and slow Riven's all-in attempts from a distance.
Once critical barrel damage and item thresholds are reached, set up barrel chains to zone and punish Riven's engages.
Respect Riven's level 6 (R) burst execute window and her cooldown resets after her first haste/damage item.

Win conditions

Control lane with consistent (Q) poke and barrel zoning to deny Riven clean engages and scale safely.
Exploit windows after Riven uses mobility or crowd control cooldowns to land barrel chains and short trades.
Use (R) globally to assist teamfights while safely farming and scaling into a major barrel damage threat to win side-lane fights.