This mid matchup is a control vs snowball duel where Taliyah must manage wave control and punish Riven's cooldown windows to prevent her from snowballing.
Taliyah should avoid giving Riven extended trades and instead use (Q) poke and hold (W) and (E) for counter-engage to maintain medium lane pressure and deny Riven easy all-ins.
Trading pattern
Poke with (Q) from a safe distance and only use (W) and (E) to punish Riven when she dashes or commits forward.
Avoid extended trades especially if (W) and (E) are down to prevent getting locked down by her stun and knockup.
Capitalize on Riven's cooldowns spent on her mobility and shield by stepping forward for short trades and wave pressure.
Danger windows
Be cautious when Riven has all her cooldowns up, especially (Q), (W), and (E), as she can chain combos with crowd control and shield.
Avoid extended trades if (W) and third (Q) are available on Riven to prevent getting stunned or knocked up.
After pushing the wave, ensure vision control before roaming to avoid being punished by Riven or the enemy jungle.
Early game
Use early waves to safely poke with (Q) and avoid engaging until (W) and (E) are ready to punish Riven's forward dashes.
Respect Riven's high early agency by not committing to trades when her mobility and shield are up.
Prepare to push and create roam opportunities once you have wave control and Riven's key cooldowns are spent.
Power spikes
At level 6, use (R) to increase map pressure and look for picks or roams instead of forcing blind all-ins.
After your first mage item, pressure the wave and trades confidently to punish Riven before she completes her haste/damage item.
Respect Riven's level 6 (R) spike and her ability to convert chip damage into lethal combos; hold key defensive tools for her all-in.
Win conditions
Control the mid wave with (Q), punish Riven's dashes through (E) and (W), and use wave pressure to create roam timers for side-lane or river plays.
Exploit windows when Riven's mobility and shield cooldowns are down by committing to short trades or crashing the wave.
Use (R) for map plays to deny Riven side-lane pressure and snowball potential, turning lane control into broader map advantage.
Tip: For Taliyah vs Riven, read overview, trading pattern, and danger windows first for a fast Mid lane check.
