Cho'Gath
Top Lane Tank/Mage
The Terror of the Void – tanky control mage with AoE CC and true damage execute
VS
Riven
Top Lane Skirmisher
Riven matchup vs Cho'Gath
Matchup Dynamics
How This Matchup Works
Play for short, controlled trades with Q – Rupture (6s) into W – Feral Scream (11–9s) to deny Riven’s first all-in. Stack Feast safely and contest objectives with R execute; Riven’s key threat is Valor/Blade of the Exile forcing extended fights. The matchup pivots at level 6 and first item: Heartsteel/Hollow Radiance vs Riven’s Stridebreaker/Sundered Sky.
Early Game (1-5)
Riven Favored - Fish Q at max range; punish after Riven Broken Wings or Valor is used; trim wave near tower 2:30–4:00; ward pixel 2:30, raptors/tri 3:30.
Mid Game (6-11)
Riven Favored - Complete Heartsteel 3000g or Hollow Radiance 2800g; group for Herald/Dragon; hold R for objective or execute under tower.
Late Game (12+)
Skill Matchup - Front-to-back; zone chokes with Q > W; secure Baron/Atakhan with R 1200 true damage to epic/minions; protect carries or front door.
Key Interactions
- Q – Rupture vs Riven Valor: Bait Valor with walk-up; cast Q 0.3s after animation start to pop landing; knock-up (1s) forces Ki Burst/Blade of the Exile late.
- W – Feral Scream vs Riven Ki Burst: Silence for 1.6–2.0s cancels Ki Burst cast; punish during mute window with E autos; exit before jungle timer hits 3:15–3:45.
- E – Vorpal Spikes spacing: Auto from 50 bonus range; stutter-step so spike line hits champion while last-hitting; slow (30–50%) enables retreat.
- R – Feast objective control: Hold R for Herald/Dragon/Baron or Atakhan (20:00); 1200 true damage vs non-champ guarantees smite combo when synced at 900–1200.
Cho'Gath
Strengths
- Q 950 range punishes Riven telegraphed engages (Valor);
- W 650 range silence denies Riven Ki Burst/Blade of the Exile timing;
- Feast executes dives; tower defense lethal at 6;
- E spikes + Grasp chip in short trades;
- Great objective secure with R 1200 true dmg to non-champs
Weaknesses
- Vulnerable to extended trades if Riven procs full kit;
- Long Q wind-up can be dodged without setup;
- Low mobility—punished by early jungle ganks 2:45–3:30;
- Mana gating early if spamming Q/W on wave;
- Realm/isolation ults or anti-CC (Blade of the Exile or similar) can bypass peel
Riven
Strengths
- Extended trades favor Riven; out-DPS on long fights
- Valor can dodge/avoid Q if timed
- First item (Stridebreaker/Sundered Sky) spikes dueling
- Can punish low mobility with jungler
Weaknesses
- Struggles in chokes vs Rupture+Silence
- Tower dives fail vs Feast execute
- Low effectiveness if kited by Q zones
- Objective bursts out-secured by Feast
Power Curve Comparison EXPERIMENTAL
Power Curve Visualization
Win Conditions
Cho'Gath's Win Condition
- Freeze 5–6 minions 3:30–4:15; deny melee last-hits; call jungler on cannon crash;
- Trade only after opponent mobility/CC used; Q>W then 1–2 E autos;
- Stack Feast on cannons and jungle; hit 8–10 stacks by 22:00;
- Secure Herald/Dragon with R+Smite sync;
Riven's Win Condition
- Force long trades post-level 3 with Broken Wings + autos;
- Hold Valor to dodge Q; re-engage when Cho'Gath Q is down (6s);
- Stack wave and dive before Cho hits 6 or first item;
- Ping jungler to punish no-Flash windows (300s)
Laning Phase Guide
| Level/Phase | Cho'Gath | Riven |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | Start Q – Rupture; leash only if needed; thin wave, last-hit only; place pixel brush ward 2:30; poke with Q when enemy walks up; no all-in. | Start Broken Wings; shove first 3 casters; ward river 2:30; trade if Q hits; avoid standing on minions to dodge Q. |
| Level 2 | Take W – Feral Scream; trade Q>W when enemy steps for melee CS; keep wave 6–8 from tower; track jungle 3:00 path. | Take Valor; punish after Cho'Gath Q is down; avoid corridor where Q lands; prep crash on 3rd wave. |
| Level 3 | Take E – Vorpal Spikes; look for Q>W>AA>E short trade; back off after 2–3 autos; ward raptors/tri 3:30; | With full kit, trade on big wave; hold Valor for Q; call jungler if Cho burns Flash. |
| Level 4 | Hold wave; stack Grasp with E autos; only Q when enemy is locked to last-hit; recall on bounce if 900–1100g for Bami’s 900g. | Thin wave if stuck; look for window when W silence is down; track TP timer (360s). |
| Level 5 | Keep short trades; do not commit without Q; prep wave state for 6; control ward river/tri 5:00. | Force extended trades before 6; shove → ward deep 5:00; ping for dive if Cho is <50% HP. |
| Level 6 | All-in only with Q hit; Q>W>AA>E>R; calculate R execute; save R for objective if jungler is nearby; | Respect Feast execute; bait R with barrier tools or disengage; track heal/shield options. |
| Level 7 | Max E or Q based on hit rate; slow push 2 waves then crash for roam; hover Herald at 8:00–10:00. | Match shove; take plates if Cho roams; keep vision mid-river. |
| Level 8 | Complete Heartsteel (3000g) or Hollow Radiance (2800g) on back; group when TP is up; | Spike on first item (Stridebreaker 3300g/Sundered Sky 3100g); threaten all-ins on side waves. |
| Level 9 | Max second ability; perma shove only with vision; look for Q picks in river; | Shadow jungler for 2v2; avoid narrow choke Q setups. |
Power Spikes
Level Spikes
| Cho'Gath | Riven | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Level | Description | Level | Description |
| 2 | Minor W silence (1.6–2.0s) unlocks Q>W punish; deny enemy counter-cast | 3 | Minor Full combo (Broken Wings/Ki Burst/Valor) allows longer trades |
| 6 | Major R – Feast adds execute; tower dive defense and objective threat | 6 | Major Blade of the Exile unlock adds kill pressure—track Flash 300s |
| 9 | Major First max on Q/E improves pick or DPS; choose based on hit rate | 9 | Major First max increases DPS and clear |
| 11 | Critical R2 lowers CD (70s) and raises execute; Baron/Atakhan setup | 11 | Minor Second rank ultimate improves finishing potential |
Item Spikes
| Cho'Gath | Riven | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Item | Description | Item | Description |
| Heartsteel (3000g) | Stack permanent HP; outscale bruisers; combo with Feast | Stridebreaker (3300g) | Active slow and gap-close to extend trades |
| Hollow Radiance (2800g) | AoE burn + MR; helps wave clear and dueling AP tops | Sundered Sky (3100g) | On-hit heal/crit-like burst in duels |
| Kaenic Rookern (2900g) | Huge MR shield vs burst AP; stifle poke lanes | Executioner's/Bramble (800g) | Anti-heal to blunt Cho sustain |
| Frozen Heart (2500g) | Shuts down AS carries; mana + haste for Q/W uptime | ||
| Thornmail (2450g) | Anti-heal vs lifesteal juggernauts; early Bramble 800g | ||
| Spirit Visage (2700g) | Boosts all healing & shields; pairs with Feast stacks | ||
Best Build for Cho'Gath
Starting Items
Doran's Shield (400g) + Health Potion
Core Items
Heartsteel → Steelcaps/Mercs → Hollow Radiance → Kaenic/Frozen Heart
Runes
Primary: Grasp, Demolish, Second Wind, Overgrowth
Secondary: Biscuit Delivery, Time Warp Tonic
Summoner Spells
Flash + Teleport
Priority Build Path
1
Heartsteel
Core HP scaling; permanent health pairs with Feast execute threshold
2
Plated Steelcaps / Mercury's Treads
Armor vs AAs (Steelcaps 1200g) or Tenacity vs CC (Mercury 1300g)
3
Hollow Radiance
Wave clear + aura burn for mid game fights
4
Kaenic Rookern / Frozen Heart
Pick MR shield vs AP or armor/AS shred vs ADCs
Situational Adjustments
- Thornmail: Heavy healing (Aatrox, Fiora, Darius); buy Bramble early (800g)
- Spirit Visage: Allied enchanter or heavy self-heal; increases Feast sustain
- Unending Despair: Teamfight drain vs mixed damage; front-to-back brawls
Key Patterns
Lethal Combos
Cho'Gath Full Combo (Level 6+):
Q – Rupture (hit) > W – Feral Scream > AA > E – Vorpal Spikes > R – Feast
Execute at ~25–30% HP vs base MR; confirm indicator before R
Riven Escape/Counter Combo:
Valor (gap close/disengage) > Ki Burst > Broken Wings > R
Time re-engage during Cho'Gath Q/W downtimeTrading Combos
Cho'Gath Short Trade:
Q tip > W instant > 2x AA with E spikes > disengage
Aim for 2–3s trade; hold Q if jungle is near
Riven Quick Trade:
Hit wave > fish with Broken Wings > trade on push > back off before silence
Avoid fighting inside minion wave if Rupture is upLethal Thresholds
- Cho'Gath Kill Range: R – Feast deals 300/475/650 + 50% AP true damage to champions; secure kills ≤25–30% HP after Q+W+E
- Riven Kill Range: Blade of the Exile lethal when Cho'Gath <40% with stacked passive/resources; deny by holding Flash/TP and hugging tower
- Critical Levels: 6 spike for both; 9 first max; 11 R2; boots upgrade after Feats can swing skirmishes
Level by Level Game Plan
| Level | Primary Goal | Lane Position | Trading Opportunities | Kill Windows | Setup Opportunities |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | avoid early all-in; thin wave | hold outside tower | Q poke on last-hits | low unless jungle cover | track jungle 2:30 |
| 2 | unlock silence punish | same; ward pixel 2:30 | Q>W short; exit | only if Q hits and enemy missteps | keep wave 6–8 |
| 3 | short trades only | bounce wave on 3rd | Q>W>AA>E | possible on cannon wave with jungle | crash then reset vision |
| 4-5 | prep 6 | freeze near tower | poke, do not chase | rare | buy Bami’s 900g on crash |
| 6 | feast execute control | fight on your minions | only with Q hit | Q>W>E>R if ≤30% | hover objective |
| 7-8 | complete first item | push when safe | continue short trades | on Q connect + jungler | rotate Herald/Dragon |
| 9+ | transition to skirmishes | pry chokes | fish with Q picks | tower dive on execute read | group with TP |
| Mid Game (11-16) | frontline and zone | play rivers and jungle entrances | front-to-back | R2 execute on carries | force objectives |
| Late Game (16+) | objective control | Baron/Atakhan pits | peel or engage by Q hit | any Q land into R | vision denial + TP flank |
First Back Goals
Ideal Back (900–1400g)
- Bami's Cinder (900g)
- Control Ward (75g)
Crash 3rd wave ~2:30 then recall (8s)
Standard Back (700–900g)
- Ruby Crystal (400g)
- Boots (300g)
Base on bounce; keep TP for lane state
Teamfight Tips
| Aspect | Cho'Gath | Riven |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Role | Frontline zone control; engage off Q hits | Primary Skirmisher; look for flanks/isolations |
| Target Priority | ADC or fed diver Riven if overextended jungler at objective |
Backline carries isolated tanks to stall |
| Objective Control | Sync R with Smite for 1800–2100 burst Start early to force face-checks |
Rush before Cho arrives Bait R then commit |
| Positioning | Fight in chokes (river entrances, tri-brush) Hug carries vs dive |
Side-lane pressure Avoid tight spaces vs Q |
| Other Tips | Save W to cancel channels/dashes Body-block skillshots with size from Feast |
Tag Cho when Q is down Disengage on silence |