Predator: This is a must for River Shen, being able to use this during our early ganks is insane, you want to pop this once you are in range and they are out of position.

Cheap Shot: True damage after your Shadow Dash, and your Twilight Assault if you drag it through the enemy, it'll give you the extra damage you need during ganks.

Zombie Ward: We take Sweeper level 1 because of this rune,clearing wards will give that extra free vision.

Ultimate Hunter: Shen's Ultimate Stand United is one of the highest cool downs in the game, our build doesn't always have much cool down so this rune helps tremendously with that problem.

Nimbus Cloak: This really makes your early ganks powerful with our summoner spells, first use Exhaust and when Nimbus Cloak ends then Ignite for insane stickiness.

Waterwalking: + Boots of Swiftness are amazing for trying to escape after a gank, it can save you a lot of times, you also thrive during river fights as you run so fast.

Boots Oracle Lens These Items work with our runes Predator and Zombie Ward from level 1.
I take Oracle Lens at the start and always invade then clear enemy wards for extra vision/exp.

Spectral Sickle First recall get this for gold generation, remember to get stacks from the turret so you unlock your wards faster.

Boots of Swiftness + Waterwalking is crucial for controlling the River, if played well enemy has to use so many resources to get you out!

In lategame you can change them to Ninja Tabi (Vs. Heavy AD/auto attackers) or Mercury's Treads (Vs Heavy AP/CC)

Ask yourself does my team need damage ( Titanic Hydra) or need a tank ( Sunfire Aegis)?

When building Titanic Hydra go Tiamat first to help your allies shove the wave after a successful gank, it gives more damage to kill Rift Scuttler and more damage on the ganks,

If we lack tanks then go Sunfire Aegis but health is not as useful in early game, you already have cc, a shield and your w so it is better to get more damage if you can get away with it, positive to getting Sunfire Aegis is that it helps you solo dragon.


Choose Randuin's Omen even if enemy doesn't have crit, as it is the more gold efficient item.
Choose Thornmail to counter life steal, it is also fine to just sit on Bramble Vest as there cold steel passives do not stack.


Adaptive Helm's passive is strong vs high frequency spell damage champions ( Cassiopeia / Teemo / Swain / Singed / Karthus / Rumble / Heimerdinger).
if the passive doesn't function vs the enemy then go Spirit Visage (it's also gold efficient).



if you are far ahead, Wit's End, Liandry's Torment is good vs multiple tanks

if your team's win condition is fed adc or bruiser consider Knight's Vow and putting it on them, it is also pretty cheap.
Choose Locket of the Iron Solari for late game shielding in team fights and it makes you more tanky.


Gargoyle Stoneplate is the best tank item in team fights and Warmog's Armor is extremely good once you already resistances. You can change Swifty boots to Tabi's (Vs Heavy AD team and auto-attackers) or Merc's (Vs Heavy AP/CC team)

Always try to invade with team at the start, then gank top lane at level 1, wait in the bush closer to the enemy tower, use Predator, go behind him, Shadow Dash and both summoner spells (first Exhaust and when nimbus cloak ends Ignite) but if he Flash's before you Ignite you do not follow unless you can kill him then i path towards mid and i wait in the bush until enemy pushes while i tax some EXP.

Attempt a gank mid then i go bot and help my adc clear the wave at that moment I'll be lvl 2 at min 3:30

Then you go bot Rift Scuttler and reset or you can always help your jungler invade

After recall ask yourself:
Who needs help?
Who is pushing?
River Shen always watch's his lanes.

You must learn about the river, here are some stats you might not know;
Rift Scuttler's spawns at 3:15 and from there only one will be on the map at any time.
It lasts for 1:30 min once it dives under the water until it expires then after 0:55 seconds of darkness it will respawn at a random side of map, to reiterate after killing the Rift Scuttler another will pop up in 2:25 mins.

Honeyfruits first spawns between 6:00 and 6:30.
the respawn time is between 5.5 and 7 minutes.

On the Ocean Rift additional Honeyfruits grows in each jungle quadrant 30 seconds after the rift transforms(respawn time is reduced to 2 minutes).

It is always a good idea to get the solo bot laner to play something safe as they will be 2v1 most of the early game "I suggest a safe ADC like Caitlyn, Ezreal, Sivir, consider taking with Doran's Shield and Teleport." This helps them not get poked out of lane and when they do they can just recall and be back full health.

Weather this is your duo playing ADC or your duo typing it for you so the ADC see's it, this helps not to break the immersion of the legend of River Shen.

River Shen is not a strategy.

River Shen is an ideology.