Riven: Exhaust and Recover
Radiance preview events, October 2026: Riven, The Exile won NovaRiftbound's Online Showdown 5 (74 players), took 1st and 2nd at Circle TCG's League Cup #4 and 3rd at Haven Online Challenger Series #5. All seven lists play Riven, Broken Blade, three Blade of the Exile, Scuttle Crab, Stellacorn Herder, Tideturner, Defy and Discipline; six of them add Astral Heron and Zhonya's Hourglass. Each exhaust is a choice for Riven — a buff, a stun or a second Move.
How it works ◆
- Riven, Broken Blade gets a choice every time she becomes exhausted: [Buff], stun with the buff, or ready with the buff. Moves, Ki Burst's cost and the Blade's "exhaust a friendly unit" all count.
- Blade of the Exile: +3 Might and [Ganking] — with one "ready me", Riven fights twice.
- The Exile: units played to your battlefields enter ready — fresh bodies to pay the Blade's Equip or Ki Burst.
- Astral Heron makes the second card each turn cost [2][C][C] less: a cheap card, then the Blade for 1.
- Scuttle Crab (0, draw 1) and Switcheroo: the Crab walks in and swaps Might with the defender.
- Zhonya's Hourglass and Tideturner from face down protect what you've built on their turn; Baron Nashor makes every other unit +2.
Intermediate ◆
Expert ◆
The lists ◆
Legend: The Exile. Champion: Riven, Broken Blade. Runes: 6 Calm / 6 Chaos in five lists; 5 Calm / 7 Chaos in the League Cup winner and Nova #5's 8th.
| Card | Nova #5 · 1st | League Cup · 1st | League Cup · 2nd | Haven #5 · 3rd | Nova #5 · 8th | Haven #5 · 14th | Nova #5 · 67th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Core | |||||||
| Blade of the Exile | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Discipline | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Stellacorn Herder | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| Scuttle Crab | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Defy | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Tideturner | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| Astral Heron | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | – | 3 |
| Zhonya's Hourglass | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | – | 3 |
| Switcheroo | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | – | 2 | 1 |
| Rebuke | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | – | 2 |
| Flex | |||||||
| Reckless Innovator | 3 | 3 | – | 3 | 3 | – | 3 |
| Bedeviling Stranger | 3 | 3 | – | 3 | 3 | – | 2 |
| Ki Burst | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | – | – | 2 |
| Star-Crossed | 1 | 1 | – | 2 | 1 | 3 | – |
| Baron Nashor | – | – | – | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Battle Preparations | – | 2 | – | – | 2 | – | 2 |
| Meditation | – | 2 | 2 | – | – | 1 | – |
| Ride the Wind | 1 | – | 2 | – | – | 2 | – |
| The Good Stuff | 1 | – | – | 2 | 1 | – | – |
| Blitzcrank, Impassive | 1 | – | – | – | 1 | – | 1 |
| An Offer You Can't Refuse | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 1 |
| Abandon | – | 1 | – | – | 1 | – | – |
| Not So Fast | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | 1 |
| Charm | – | – | – | – | 2 | – | – |
| Treasure Hunter | – | – | 2 | – | – | – | – |
| Akali, Silent | – | – | 2 | – | – | – | – |
| Edge of Night | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – |
| Gust | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Twilight Shroud | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Hunker Down | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Siren's Song | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Lonely Poro | – | – | – | – | – | 3 | – |
| Illaoi, Prophet of the Great Kraken | – | – | – | – | – | 3 | – |
| Up from the Deep | – | – | – | – | – | 3 | – |
| En Garde | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | – |
| Hush | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – |
| Battlefields | |||||||
| Star Spring | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | – | 1 |
| Hunters' Circle | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | – | – | 1 |
| Emperor's Dais | 1 | – | – | – | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Valley of Idols | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – |
| Targon's Peak | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – |
| Trifarian War Camp | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – |
| Forbidding Waste | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – |
| Sunken Temple | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Windswept Hillock | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – |
Deck lists (names and counts) and placings from riftdecks.com: NovaRiftbound's $2,000 Online Showdown 5 (2026-10-18, 74 players), Circle TCG League Cup #4 — Cycle 3 (2026-10-12, 34 players, France) and Haven Online Challenger Series #5 (2026-10-11, 50 players). Card text from Riot's official card gallery.
Owner's list ◆
Legend: The Exile. Champion: Riven, Broken Blade. Battlefields: Forge of the Fluft, Star Spring, Hunters' Circle. Runes: 6 Calm, 6 Chaos.
Main deck
- 3 Defy
- 3 Discipline
- 3 Zhonya's Hourglass
- 3 Sneaky Deckhand
- 3 Stellacorn Herder
- 3 Scuttle Crab
- 3 Blade of the Exile
- 2 Charm
- 2 Tideturner
- 2 Astral Heron
- 2 Battle Preparations
- 2 Reckless Innovator
- 1 Gust
- 1 Back Off
- 1 Star-Crossed
- 1 Baron Nashor
- 1 Akali, Silent
- 1 Life from Stone
- 1 Siren's Song
- 1 Riven, Deserter
Sideboard
- 2 Decree of Focus
- 2 An Offer You Can't Refuse
- 1 Rebuke
- 1 Ride the Wind
- 1 Not So Fast
- 1 Vex, Apathetic
- 1 Hunker Down
- 1 Hush
Suggestions for it, set against the tournament lists, are in docs/decks/riven.md.