Riven vs Locke Counter Pick

Two melee champions at 125 attack range, both dealing physical damage, and a 59.7% result for Riven across 570 games on patch 16.13.1. The stat sheet does not predict that gap. Locke carries more health at both ends of the curve, 655 base and 2,508 at level 18 against 630 and 2,330, and trails only slightly on armor at 32 base against 33, and 103.4 at maximum level against 107.8.

The difference is the cost structure of his damage. Soul Ignition grants attack speed and move speed but damages Locke while it runs, healing back only a portion at the end, so an aggressive Locke fights from a self-inflicted deficit. Silver Stake and Purgatory both scale with missing health, meaning the kit is designed to finish a target already worn down, which works poorly against a champion who blocks incoming damage with Valor, stuns with Ki Burst, and resets the exchange with the knockback on the third cast of Broken Wings. Riven’s 64 attack damage against his 58, combined with paying no resource cost while Locke spends mana, favors repeated short trades over one committed all-in. The threat worth respecting is Ashen Pursuit, a teleport followed by a dash that punishes a Riven who has already spent her mobility. See Locke.