Riven vs Vladimir MID Matchup Guide | LaneStomp

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Riven

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Mid

Vladimir

Riven vs Vladimir

Updated Jun 4, 2026

Overview

Riven must pressure Vladimir early to deny his calm scaling and prevent him from freely farming and healing with (Q).
Use Riven's high early agency and mobility to force Vladimir to burn (W) defensively and punish its long cooldown.
This is a snowball vs scale matchup where Riven aims to dominate early and snowball side pressure before Vladimir hits major AP spikes.

Trading pattern

Trade aggressively when (W) is on cooldown to land your full combo safely.
Use (E) shield to absorb poke and (W) stun to lock Vladimir during combos, then disengage before cooldown downtime.
Avoid trading when Vladimir's empowered (Q) is ready or (W) is available to dodge your engage.

Danger windows

(W) untargetability creates a strong defensive window; avoid committing when it's available.
Be cautious during Vladimir's empowered (Q) and level 6 (R) windows as his burst and sustain peak.
Riven is vulnerable after expending (Q) and (E) mobility; avoid extended fights without cooldowns.

Early game

Focus on short trades with (Q), (W), and (E) to chip Vladimir before he can safely sustain with (Q).
Avoid extended trades after using mobility and crowd control until cooldowns refresh to prevent getting punished.
Look to engage when (W) is down to limit his untargetability and healing.

Power spikes

Level 6: Use (R) to convert chip damage into lethal burst; bait (R) before committing.
First haste/damage item: Increase trade frequency and pressure Vladimir before he completes his first AP item.
Respect Vladimir's level 6 (R) and empowered (Q) windows by holding key cooldowns and spacing accordingly.

Win conditions

Snowball early by punishing (W) cooldown and low early pressure with fast, cooldown-efficient trades.
Use level 6 (R) to secure kills after chipping Vladimir down and leverage side-lane pressure to extend lead.
Deny Vladimir a calm scaling lane by forcing fights and resets before he completes key AP items.