Riven vs Vex MID Matchup Guide | LaneStomp

Back to matchup selector

Champion

Opponent

RoleGenerate matchup

Riven

VS

Mid

Vex

Riven vs Vex

Updated Jun 4, 2026

Overview

Riven should leverage her high early agency and mobility to pressure Vex and deny her passive fear from controlling trades.
This is a snowball matchup where Riven must punish cooldowns and avoid giving Vex safe scaling and control in lane.

Trading pattern

Chain (Q), (W), and (E) for quick burst trades, using (E) to shield return damage and disengage before cooldown downtime.
Punish Vex immediately after she fails to land her passive fear or when her (R) is on cooldown.
Avoid trading when your mobility is spent or Vex holds her fear to counter your engage.

Danger windows

Vex's passive fear creates strong zone control; respect its timing to avoid getting stunned or locked down.
Be cautious when (R) is available, as she can reset fights or escape, making extended trades risky.
Riven is vulnerable when her (Q) and (E) are spent; avoid committing without mobility and shield to escape.

Early game

Use early levels to trade short combos with cooldown advantage, avoiding extended fights when (Q) and (E) are down.
Bait Vex's passive fear before committing to trades to reduce her control effectiveness.
Prepare to all-in at level 6 after chipping Vex to convert with (R) burst damage.

Power spikes

At level 6, use (R) to increase burst and execute low-health targets, setting up lethal all-ins after prior chip damage.
After your first haste/damage item, increase trade frequency to pressure Vex before she completes her first AP burst item.
Respect Vex's level 6 (R) window and her first completed AP burst item, avoiding risky trades when these are available.

Win conditions

Snowball by punishing Vex's cooldowns and fear windows with fast, cooldown-sequenced combos.
Use level 6 all-in windows with (R) to convert chip damage into kills and pressure side lanes for roams.
Deny Vex safe scaling by maintaining lane pressure and forcing her to use defensive cooldowns inefficiently.