Taric/Development

Development

 * Taric's original release did not have any development information. The following information pertains to his relaunch in V6.8.

Taric hit the Rift just a few months after League’s release, and while a bunch of the OG champs have gone through the champion update team’s brush up, the champion formerly known as the Gem Knight had to wait his turn. Until Now. We’re about to send the stunning Aspect back out to the PBE replete with a whole new story (check out his comic and new bio!), kit, look—including the most glorious hair the Rift has ever seen—and audio. Read on for the details.

I= Taric infuses his next two basic attacks whenever he casts an ability. He swings faster with these two attacks, which deal increased damage and reduce his cooldowns. Q= Taric heals himself and all nearby allies based on the number of Starlight's Touch charges he’s stored. Taric generates up to three charges over time. W= All of Taric’s abilities are simultaneously cast from both Taric and his linked ally. Passive: Bastion increases Taric’s armor. Active: Taric links with an ally, shielding them from damage. Bastion remains on Taric’s ally until he recasts it onto another ally, or the two move far enough apart to break their link. E= After a brief delay, Taric fires out a short wave of celestial energy in a target direction that stuns all enemies struck. R= Taric calls on the stars themselves for protection. After a moderate delay, he and all nearby allies become invulnerable for a few seconds.
 * Abilities
 * Bravado
 * Starlight's Touch
 * Bastion
 * Dazzle
 * Cosmic Radiance

Taric’s one hell of an eye-catching character in lane, and not just because of that magnificent mane. Clever aim with Dazzle will land his trademark stun and gift Taric the chance to walk up and weave in a couple of basic attacks. Bravado gives those attacks an extra kick, of course, but also significantly lower his cooldowns, offering him the chance to get back to stunning all the sooner. And after he’s smacked his opponent a couple of times, he can head back to safety before healing up with Starlight’s Touch.
 * LANING

But don’t mistake Taric for a one-trick pony, because once he unlocks Bastion, the Shield of Valoran’s utility, options and threat ramp up significantly. By linking up with his ally, Taric can essentially double down on his abilities in intensely creative and intelligent ways. The twin heal on Starlight’s Touch means he no longer needs to hang out beside his

lane pal all the time, while smart positioning and aim with Dazzle can utterly wreck even the most determined ganks or tower dives. What’s more, Bastion isn’t an ability solely reserved for Taric’s marksman. He can recast the ability on a friendly jungler as they approach to give them a quick damage-soaking shield, then start doing Taric things as the gank begins. Smart Dazzle casts will again stun multiple enemies, while Starlight’s Touch will help sustain Taric’s jungling pal as they dive deep to finish off their kill. Speaking of the heal, it’s often an ability that Taric will want to play around. Even though the Shield of Valoran can cast it pretty frequently, he’s usually better off saving Starlight’s Touch until he’s stacked all three charges. The mana cost doesn’t change, and by enacting a gank or other proactive call when Taric’s fully loaded his Q, he’s all the more likely to keep his team ticking.


 * SKIRMISHING

“With smart timing, Cosmic Radiance can pull a whole bunch of would-be suicide missions into the realm of smart, realistic plays.” Taric boasts a whole box of tools around neutral objectives thanks to his inherent tankiness and powerful teamfighting abilities. He can fend off enemy teams around dragon, for example, absorbing enemy poke with well-timed Bastion shields and his burgeoning health pool. Enemy junglers looking to chance a smite steal have to deal with Dazzle, too, which—if landed—pretty much gifts Taric’s team an easy kill alongside a guaranteed dragon stack. If, on the other hand, Taric’s team is running late and looking to stop the enemy from securing dragon, Taric can charge in with his jungler, using Starlight’s Touch to keep them both alive while Bastion and Dazzle work together to spew out twin lines of AoE stuns.

Taric and his allies can claim and defend objectives even harder while basking in the azure invulnerability glow of his ultimate, Cosmic Radiance. In last-minute dragon contests, he can cast Bastion on his jungler, providing them the perfect window to brazenly contest their winged bounty. Similarly, he can cast Bastion on an allied assassin before ulting to give them the perfect window for otherwise desperate tower dives. Either way, with smart timing, Cosmic Radiance can pull a whole bunch of would-be suicide missions into the realm of smart, realistic plays.

Taric gets to choose from a few different approaches once the two teams decide to rumble together. The first is the backline peeling role that other supports typically play. This sees Taric sticking by his marksman and protecting them with his self-targeted abilities, while using Bastion to project his efforts from an allied frontliner. Alternatively, he can take up a spot at the front of his team’s formation before casting Bastion on a backline ally. Either way, Taric ends up with boatloads of utility options and presence on both ends of his team’s formation, although he’ll have to keep an eye on all the action all the time, and will often be forced into some hard decisions. He can save allies with Starlight’s Touch or cast Cosmic Radiance, for example, but if he chooses to save his dying assassin, he’ll lose his heal for his nearby marksman when they run into trouble. Similarly, he can Dazzle to stun the enemy assassin about to turn his backline bro into mincemeat, but doing so might rob him of the chance to help kill the wounded squishy fleeing from Taric’s Bastion buddy. Ultimately, Taric has a huge impact in teamfights however he plays, but the choices he makes from moment to moment will often dictate who lives and who dies.
 * TEAMFIGHTS

Gallery
 was designed by Brackhar.

Previous Lore
Hide= 2nd lore= There is a form of magic unknown to many Runeterrans and discredited by the few who are even aware of its existence. It is the magic of the earth, drawing power from the resonance of crystals and gems. Taric, the Gem Knight, is Runeterra's sole practitioner of this form of magic, having been erratically summoned to Runeterra from a faraway world. Back home, Taric's father was a distinguished healer in their home city. Taric was always interested in his father's pursuits, even from a young age. Despite his burgeoning understanding of herbs, plants, and animal medicines, it was the power of gems that most fascinated the growing boy. It wasn't long before Taric had exhausted his father's coveted library and set out on a path of his own. He wanted to help the people, but not simply salving their wounds and curing their woes. He wasn't to be a healer, but a defender - one who used the power of earth to preserve and protect.

Taric became a wandering knight, renowned across his homeland as a guardian of the just until the day a spell of summoning grabbed him from his home and deposited him on Runeterra. Though disoriented and confused at first, he now feels that the continent of Valoran is in need of someone like him. Despite missing his homeland, Taric is happy to fight in the League, serving as a protector for all who seek one. His neat and stylish appearance combined with his shiny bejeweled armor and weapons have rapidly made him a celebrity champion of the League of Legends. Valoran's media, for some reason, has taken great interest in his personal life. While open about his life as a champion and gracious in all things, Taric is tight-lipped about his life outside the League and prefers his privacy. "As Taric's father taught him, every stone has its meaning. For Taric's enemies, they all mean trouble." Prior to V1.0.0.116:
 * -|1st lore=

There is an ancient form of magic, forgotten by many and discarded by some. It is the magic of the earth, of the resonance of crystals and gems. Taric's father was a healer in their city, on a world far away. Taric was always interested in his father's pursuits, even from a young age. Despite his burgeoning understanding of herbs, plants, and animal medicines, it was the power of gems that most fascinated the growing boy. It wasn't long before Taric had exhausted his father's coveted library and set out on a path of his own. He wasn't to be a healer, but a defender - one who used the power of the earth to preserve and protect. Quickly, Taric became a wandering knight, renowned across the land. That is, until the day a spell of summoning grabbed him from his home and deposited him on Runeterra. Now, Taric misses his world, though he is happy to fight in the League, protecting all who are in need.


 * "As Taric's father taught him, every stone has its meaning. For Taric's enemies, they all mean trouble."