Riven vs Gnar TOP Matchup Guide | LaneStomp

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Gnar

Riven vs Gnar

Updated Jun 3, 2026

Overview

Riven aims to snowball by punishing Gnar's cooldowns and avoiding extended fights where his mega form shines.
Apply medium lane pressure to deny Gnar safe scaling and force him to mismanage Rage timing.

Trading pattern

Chain (Q), (W), and (E) to burst trade quickly, using your shield to absorb poke and disengage before cooldowns expire.
Punish Gnar after he wastes (E) or mega form expires, as his mobility and CC threat drop significantly.
Avoid trading when Gnar holds crowd control or his (E) is available to kite and punish your cooldowns.

Danger windows

Be cautious when Gnar's Rage is near mega form and (E) is up, as he can engage with hard CC and durability.
Avoid extended fights during Gnar's mega form, especially near walls where his (R) can stun.
Your vulnerability spikes after spending (Q) and (E); avoid all-ins when your mobility and shield are down.

Early game

Use your high early agency to trade aggressively when (E) is down, as mini Gnar is vulnerable without escape.
Avoid committing when Gnar's Rage is close to mega form; wait for him to transform or waste cooldowns before engaging.
Prioritize level 3 trades to leverage your full kit before Gnar can safely engage with mega form.

Power spikes

Level 6 is a major spike; bait Gnar's crowd control before activating (R) to convert chip damage into kills.
First haste/damage item improves your cooldowns and trade frequency; use this to contest waves and punish Gnar's cooldowns.
Respect Gnar's level 6 mega form and terrain angles for (R) stun; back off or disengage until it expires.

Win conditions

Use cooldown sequencing and animation-cancel trades to build an early lead and snowball side-lane pressure.
Deny Gnar safe scaling by forcing him to waste Rage or mega form before fights.
Convert level 6 all-in windows with (R) into kills by baiting Gnar's crowd control and exploiting his cooldown downtime.