#07 · Standard body

Riven

The Exile

Rushdown chain-combo swordfighterResource: ExileDifficulty

A fast sword whose Unique is Broken Wings, a three-part swing chain with an overhead, a mid, and a launching low. Every swing banks a Runic charge that she cashes on an empowered normal or a Runic Discharge wave. Pick her if you like running a high/low mix off every knockdown and routing long, multi-leg combos.

Strengths

+Real high/low/side mix off every knockdown (6U, 2U, 214H)
+Swings pick up knockdowns, so legs chain into more legs
+Runic charges make her air normals and pokes hit much harder
+Valor's shield soaks a poke she dashes into
+Best meter routes cross 4500 damage off a single opener

Weaknesses

−Short sword normals; the swings, Valor, and the wave are her range
−Most of her strong tools are minus on block (2U, 236, 623H)
−623H is a weak reversal; the real one costs 50 Style
−The chain has rules (each part once, 2U ends it) you must track
−Throws beat Valor's shield

Unique mechanic

Broken Wings and Runic Blade

Three swings chain in any order and end on the launching low; every landed swing banks a Runic charge (up to 3) that empowers her next normal or sizes her Runic Discharge wave.

Overview

Riven is a dash sword built around Broken Wings, three swings she can throw in any order: 5U (mid), 6U (overhead hop), and 2U (the low that launches and always ends the chain). A jump-in j.U opens the chain too, and after a launch it becomes her air finisher.

Every landed swing, Valor, and Ki Burst banks a Runic charge (up to three). A charge makes her next landed normal hit much harder, and Runic Discharge (236) spends all of them at once for a bigger wave. The whole character is a loop of bank with the swings, cash with the normals or the wave.

Her buttons are short and her best tools are minus on block, so she wins by getting the knockdown and running the mix: overhead 6U, low 2U, crossing 214H, or throw. Every correct guess feeds the chain again.

Gameplan

Neutral

Her sword normals are short. Use 5M/2M as pokes and move in with dashes (fast run) and 214L/214M, which advance and put up a shield that soaks a stray poke.
With a charge banked, 5M and 2M reach a step further, and a hit spends the charge for extra damage. Bank one before you start poking.
236 is a long-range tool only when charged. An empty wave is short and weak, while a three-charge wave crosses the screen. 236H climbs at 45 degrees and works as an anti-air wave.
Anti-air with 623H only as a read. It is strike-invulnerable on startup but has a long recovery. 623EX is the real answer.

Offense

Confirm everything into the swings: 5L 5M 5U 6U 2U. 2U launches, hard-knocks down, and jump-cancels into a charged air leg.
On their wakeup, run the mix:
- Overhead: 6U (the hop). Standing block stops it.
- Low: 2U launches on hit but is punishable on block. 2M is the safer low.
- Side: 214H warps past them and slashes from the other side. 214L is the same dash that stops in front.
- Throw: 623M leaves her far enough ahead on hit to walk up and throw.
The swings cancel on block too, so a blocked 5U becomes a guess between 6U (overhead) and 2U (low). Every part is minus, and a blocked 2U is a punish, so don't autopilot the whole chain.

Defense

Riven has no cheap reversal. 623H has a short strike-invulnerable startup and a long recovery, and it is very punishable on block. Spend 50 Style for 623EX (strike and throw invulnerable) when you need to get out.
Valor is her real defense. 214 dashes out or through and leaves a shield that soaks one strike's damage. She still takes the hitstun, and throws beat it.
Backdash has invulnerable frames. Burst is the corner exit.

Unique Mechanic

Broken Wings (the chain)

Any swing (5U, 6U, 2U, j.U) opens a chain. 5U and 6U cancel into each other on hit or block, and either one cancels into 2U. 2U always ends the chain.
Each part can be used once per chain. If you cancel into a part you already used, it is refused. Started from neutral, it simply opens a new chain.
The chain stays open while a swing, 2H, Valor, or Ki Burst is running, then for about half a second after. Getting hit closes it.
Hand-back: Valor (214) and 623L/623M cancel into a swing on hit and keep the chain alive, so 5U 214M 6U 2U and 5U 623L 6U 2U work.
Air finisher: 2H also keeps the chain open. After 5U 6U 2H jc, j.U continues the chain as the finisher. It relaunches, hard-knocks down, and 5U/6U pick that knockdown up to start the next leg.
5U and 6U are OTG pickups, like 5L, so any hard knockdown (3H, j.H, the finisher) can be picked up straight into the swings.

Runic Blade (the charges)

0 to 3 charges, shown as three rune shards beside the Exile bar. Every landed swing, Valor, and Ki Burst banks one. They reset each round.
While you hold a charge, any landed normal (not throws) deals +50% damage and spends one charge. Blocked or whiffed normals spend nothing.
5M and 2M also reach further while a charge is held.
236 spends every charge at once. More charges make a longer, wider, harder-hitting wave:

Charges	Wave
0	Short, one tick
1	Mid range, two ticks
2	Long, three ticks
3	Full screen, four ticks, wallsticks

Any normal you land before 236 eats a charge and shrinks the wave. Decide what each charge is for: one empowered normal, or one more wave tick.

Blade of the Exile (the install, 22)

22L is short and banks one charge on the flash.
22M and up: the chain window stops expiring, you get one extra 5U/6U cancel per chain (5U 6U 5U 2U), and any connected swing can dash-cancel once (j.U's is a free air dash).
22H and up also let Valor's shield soak a second strike.
Only one Exile can be active at a time.

Combo Notes

Bread and butter: 5L 5M 5U 6U 2U (or 6U 5U 2U). Add jc j.M j.H, land 5U 6U 2U for a charged second leg.
Bank, then cash: three swings bank three charges. Spend them on the air leg (2U jc j.M j.H) or on the wave (2U 236H), not both. A normal before 236 shrinks the wave.
Leg loop: 5U 6U 2H jc j.U gives the finisher knockdown, then 5U 6U 2U picks it up. j.H and 3H knockdowns are picked up the same way.
Stun routes: 5U 6U 623M 2U is the strongest opener into her legs. 623M also relinks the series (5H 623M 5L 5M 5U 6U 2U).
Air dash: each air normal can air-dash-cancel once per combo on hit (j.H j.66 j.H), at some damage cost for the rest of the combo.
Meter: with 50 Style, cancel the first 2U into 22EX and continue as normal. With 100, spend Awakening off the first 2U. Supers only follow routes that end on 2U.
Corner: 2U and the full 236 wave wallstick.

Key Moves

Generated from the kit data.

Fastest button	5L 5f
Reversals (strike invuln)	623H 5f 623EX 6f
Lows	2L 5f 2M 10f 2U 10f 3H 12f 236L 13f
Overheads	6U 12f
Safest specials on block	214L 8f · -5 214H 14f · -5 214M 11f · -6