Riven vs Malzahar TOP Matchup Guide | LaneStomp

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Malzahar

Riven vs Malzahar

Updated Jun 3, 2026

Overview

Riven should leverage her high early agency and mobility to pressure Malzahar and deny him a passive scaling lane.
This matchup is a snowball vs control lane where Riven must punish Malzahar's cooldowns and avoid his suppression threat.

Trading pattern

Engage with a planned combo using (E) shield, (Q) mobility and knockup, and (W) stun when Malzahar's spell shield or silence is down.
Avoid trading after using all mobility cooldowns as Malzahar can retaliate with silence and suppression.
Punish Malzahar immediately after he uses (R) or when his Voidlings are low, forcing him under tower and limiting his lane control.

Danger windows

Respect (R) suppression window as it can lock you down for kills; hold (E) shield and (W) stun for counterplay.
Avoid all-in trades when your (Q) and (E) mobility cooldowns are spent to prevent being caught by silence or suppression.
Be cautious when Malzahar has Void Shift spell shield up, as it blocks your initial crowd control and burst.

Early game

Use level 1-3 to aggressively trade when Malzahar's Voidlings are weak and before he can push effectively.
Focus on short trades that reset cooldowns, avoiding extended fights where Malzahar's push and silence become oppressive.
Keep the wave flexible to create opportunities for cooldown advantage trades and prevent Malzahar from safely pushing.

Power spikes

At level 6, use (R) to convert prior chip damage into lethal burst, baiting Malzahar's suppression before committing.
After first haste/damage item, increase trade frequency to contest wave and punish Malzahar's cooldowns.
Respect Malzahar's level 6 (R) suppression and first completed mana/AP item power spike to avoid lethal lockdowns.

Win conditions

Snowball early by punishing Malzahar's cooldowns and forcing him under tower to deny his wave control.
Use your mobility and (R) execute threat to win short burst trades and create side-lane pressure.
Leverage cooldown sequencing and animation-cancel combos to outplay Malzahar's suppression and secure kills before he scales.