How to Play and Unlock Riven in Swarm

Riven, a fan-favorite champion from League of Legends, joins the lineup of nine playable characters in Swarm, a PvE-focused component of Riot Games’ Summer Event. In Swarm, players can choose from a diverse roster that includes Jinx, Seraphine, Aurora, Illaoi, Leona, Xayah, Yasuo, Briar, and Riven herself. This mode allows for solo play or teaming up with three others to battle through waves of enemies and confront formidable bosses, with special appearances by champions like Rek’Sai and Yuumi.

Unlike some other champions, Riven isn’t available from the start in Swarm. Unlocking her involves completing several specific challenges, offering a rewarding progression for players. In Swarm, Riven retains two of her core abilities, though they are adapted to fit the unique dynamics of this PvE setting. These abilities provide a blend of the familiar and the new, tailoring her combat style to the challenges of Swarm.

For more detailed strategies and a comprehensive breakdown of how to maximize Riven’s potential in Swarm, be sure to visit the 1v9 Blog, where we continuously update with guides and tips for each champion featured in the game mode.

How to Unlock Riven in Swarm

Unlocking Riven in Swarm requires players to advance significantly within the game. Initially, you must complete the main storyline and unlock the game’s hardest difficulty setting. Only after fulfilling these prerequisites can you attempt to unlock Riven.

To gain access to Riven, you’ll need to conquer a specific challenge: defeating Rek’Sai on the Warehouse District map. This task may require multiple attempts, but teamwork can greatly enhance your chances of success, especially if you coordinate with friends. Persist through these challenges, and you’ll be rewarded with the ability to play as Riven, adding her formidable skills to your arsenal in Swarm.

Riven Swarm Abilities

In Swarm, Riven retains abilities that echo her Summoners Rift gameplay, adapted to streamline her experience in this PvE mode. She is equipped with two active abilities and a Passive, which become available as she progresses. Her E ability is unlocked at level 3, providing tactical advantages early on, and her impactful Ultimate ability is unlocked at level 6, further enhancing her combat effectiveness. This setup makes Riven more accessible and potentially easier to manage compared to her traditional League of Legends playstyle.

Riven’s Swarm Spells

In Swarm, Riven’s arsenal of abilities is designed to enhance both her mobility and damage output, adapting her well-known Summoner’s Rift skills to fit the PvE format:

Passive: Runic Blade
Riven’s passive, Runic Blade, allows her to deal damage to nearby enemies, with the damage scaling based on proximity. Additionally, activating this passive grants Riven a modest shield, bolstering her durability in skirmishes.

E Ability: Valor
Valor, Riven’s E ability, provides her with a quick dash forward, enabling her to close gaps or evade attacks while simultaneously dealing damage to enemies in her path.

Ultimate Ability
Riven’s ultimate significantly boosts her movement speed and continuously deals damage to nearby enemies over an extended duration. Importantly, any dash Riven performs while her ultimate is active triggers additional damage, making her dashes particularly lethal.

These abilities collectively make Riven a dynamic and potent champion in Swarm, capable of swiftly maneuvering through enemy ranks while unleashing powerful, sustained damage.

Augments and Upgrades

In the early stages of Swarm, prioritizing the right upgrades for Riven can significantly enhance her performance. Here’s a focused approach to choosing the most beneficial upgrades:

Prioritize Weapon Upgrades: For a melee champion like Riven, securing powerful weapons should be your first objective. Weapons that deal area-of-effect (AOE) damage are particularly effective, helping Riven manage groups of enemies efficiently and enhancing her overall combat effectiveness.

Seek Out Projectile Enhancements: Upgrades that increase the number or effectiveness of projectiles can greatly amplify Riven’s damage output. These enhancements allow her weapons to hit harder and more broadly, making her a formidable force against swarms of opponents.

Alternative Upgrades: In scenarios where desirable weapon upgrades or projectile enhancements aren’t available, focus on boosting Riven’s offensive capabilities through stats like ability haste or increased damage. These attributes ensure that her abilities are more frequently available and more impactful, allowing for sustained aggression in battle.

By strategically selecting upgrades that bolster her offensive prowess, you can optimize Riven’s strengths and make her an unstoppable force in the early rounds of Swarm.

Riven Swarm Tips and Tricks

Mastering Riven in Swarm can be a rewarding challenge, similar to her playstyle in traditional League of Legends. Here are some refined tips and strategies to help you excel with Riven, keeping in mind her complexity and the demands of the game mode:

Frequent Use of E (Valor): Riven’s E, Valor, has a relatively short cooldown, making it ideal for frequent use. Utilize this ability liberally to navigate through and engage groups of enemies, enhancing your mobility and offensive impact.

Strategic Use of the Ultimate: Unlike Valor, Riven’s Ultimate has a significant cooldown, requiring judicious use. It’s most effective in crucial moments, particularly during boss battles or intense skirmishes in the later stages of the game. To maximize its impact, try to cluster mini-bosses together when playing solo, and then unleash the Ultimate. This strategy allows you to deal substantial damage to multiple targets simultaneously and collect valuable rewards quickly.

Managing Riven’s Playstyle: Given Riven’s high skill ceiling, maintaining awareness of your surroundings and managing her abilities smartly are key to minimizing damage intake and maximizing your effectiveness. Timing and positioning are critical—know when to engage and when to retreat to make the most of Riven’s capabilities.

By adhering to these strategies, you’ll be able to harness Riven’s full potential in Swarm, making her a powerful ally in your quest to dominate this challenging game mode.

Conclusion

Playing Riven in League of Legends’ Swarm mode requires a blend of strategic ability management, tactical positioning, and timely aggression. While Riven presents a challenging playstyle that mirrors her complexity in traditional League gameplay, mastering her in Swarm can significantly enhance your gaming experience. By frequently utilizing her E for mobility, carefully timing her powerful Ultimate during critical moments, and skillfully managing engagements, players can unleash Riven’s full potential. Embrace the challenge, adapt your tactics, and Riven can become a formidable champion in your Swarm arsenal, capable of turning the tide in both boss battles and against waves of enemies.