MacroMind matchup data: real ranked games, not opinions
Varus vs Riven
How often does Varus beat Riven in Top?
Varus into Riven in Top: 50% observed win rate across 302 ranked games.
Global ranked sample: games from every region and every rank pooled together, not one server's stats. Data runs through patch 26.12; curves updated 2026-08-07.
By 15 minutes the median game has Varus ahead by 1,020 gold.
Varus at 15:00
- Gold: +1,020
- CS: +30
- XP: +1,053
Typical gap to Riven, from 298 games that reached 15:00.
Does Varus counter Riven?
No counter here: Varus sits at 50% over 302 games. The swing lives in the spots below, so play the side you know better and chase the row that moves the number the most in this lane, then hold that lead through the first back.
Beating Riven: the Varus game plan
A gold lead at 10:00 puts Varus at 58% across 218 games. Flip the lead and Varus falls to 30% across 84.
| The spot | Win rate | Games |
|---|---|---|
| Ahead in gold at 10:00 | 58% | 218 |
| Behind in gold at 10:00 | 30% | 84 |
| First blood | 57% | 156 |
| +kills at 10:00 | 64% | 154 |
| +CS at 10:00 | 54% | 259 |
| 0 deaths at 10:00 | 62% | 42 |
Someone usually dies here around 4:09 in the median game, and level 6 lands near 5:29. Until your spike is online, respect the all-in.
Varus's Top build, with receipts
Into Riven specifically, Varus finishes Dusk and Dawn first most often: 50.0% over 78 games of this matchup.
The most-finished Varus core is Dusk and Dawn, Nashor's Tooth, Riftmaker: 56.0% across 1,103 games when all three got done. All matchups, patches 26.1-26.12.
Most games start Doran's Blade + Health Potion; the first finished item is usually Dusk and Dawn (5,050 games).
Skill plan: Varus players max W first and take W at level 1.