Dawnbringer Riven

Dawnbringer Riven released the same day as Nightbringer Yasuo back in June 2017 as part of this cosmic order-vs-chaos event. Riven mains had been waiting for a proper Legendary for years and Riot delivered something that completely transformed how the champion feels in game. First timed it in a ranked match because I have no self control. Won lane. Kept the skin equipped for the rest of the season.

Light-forged blade combos

The model is striking. Riven trades her exile armor for this radiant golden-white warrior aesthetic. Glowing blade, flowing cape of light, angelic wings that appear during certain ability casts. Pan Chengwei’s splash captures the cosmic scale perfectly. Riven mid-swing against a backdrop of creation itself.

Broken Wings on Q is where you feel the Legendary investment immediately. Each of the three Q casts has unique golden light particles with increasing intensity. Q1 is a swift slash. Q2 widens the arc. Q3 slams down with a burst of radiant energy that leaves a brief ground impact mark. Fast combo Q1-Q2-Q3 in a trade flows with cascading light effects that make the animation cancels look even more stylish than usual.

Ki Burst on W stuns in an area with a sunburst pulse. The stun zone leaves a brief golden imprint on the ground which is actually useful for spacing in lane. Helps you see the exact radius after the first trade so you know your range for the next one. Valor on E dashes forward with golden wings briefly extending from Riven’s back. That wing flash on E is subtle but it adds so much to the champion fantasy. Using E to shield into a trade and seeing those wings flare out for half a second makes you feel invincible even when you are about to get chunked.

Blade of the Exile on R activates the full transformation. Riven’s blade reforms into this massive golden sword and her model gets more luminous. The whole screen presence changes when R is active. Wind Slash sends out a golden wave that executes low HP targets with a satisfying explosion of light particles. Killed a Darius at like 15% HP with Wind Slash from max range yesterday and the golden explosion on the kill confirm was absurd. Chef’s kiss moment.

Cristina Valenzuela voices Dawnbringer Riven with a more composed, almost divine tone compared to base Riven’s conflicted wanderer energy. The lines reference cosmic order and purpose. Fits the theme but honestly I mute most voice lines in ranked because I am focusing on the fast combo inputs. (Not gonna lie though the R activation line is pretty epic.)

Chromas and the Dawnbringer-Nightbringer event

Dawnbringer Riven has 2 chromas: Paragon and Nightbringer. The Nightbringer chroma is wild because it flips the entire color scheme to dark red-purple, basically making it a Nightbringer Riven without buying a separate skin. Two looks for one purchase. Paragon enhances the gold tones further.

Released June 14, 2017 at 1820 RP. Part of the Nightbringer and Dawnbringer skinline. Still in the shop. This line later expanded massively with Dawnbringer Soraka, Nightbringer Kayn, and others, but Riven was one of the originals.

The best Riven skin available

Riven has a lot of skins. Championship Riven has the rarity factor. Battle Bunny has the meme legacy. Broken Covenant is the newer Legendary. But for pure gameplay feel, Dawnbringer is still the one I see the most Riven one-tricks running in high elo. The Q combo animations just flow better with the golden light effects. Feels faster even if it isnt. The animation flow on fast Q combos is unmatched.

At 1820 RP with 2 chromas including that sneaky Nightbringer recolor, this is top tier value for Riven players who want the best-feeling skin for fast combos. If you are learning Riven animation cancels, the visual feedback on this skin actually helps you see the timing windows more clearly. At least it did for me. The Q3 ground impact mark in particular is a great visual cue for when the knockup connects. Been recommending this skin to anyone trying to learn Riven in Diamond and nobody has complained yet.