Embarking on a journey down memory lane, the rework retrospective of Taric brings back nostalgic memories for players who witnessed the modernization period in League of Legends. Taric's transformation in Season 6 marked a significant improvement over his original design, but despite the changes, his play rate remained relatively low. In this video/article, we delve into Taric's rework, examining his unique niche as the sole representative of the paladin archetype and the challenges he faced due to the game's emphasis on individual survival.

• The Paladin Archetype
• Gemcraft - Taric's Passive
• Imbue - Taric's Q
• Shatter - Taric's W
• Dazzle - Taric's E
• Radiance - Taric's Ultimate
• Ultimate Ability - Cosmic Radiance
• Ability Synergies and Stat Buffs
• Supportive Role
• Laning Phase
• Team Fights and Engagements
• Challenges and Limitations

↖ The Paladin Archetype

Taric, the shining paladin, exemplified the archetype of a tanky support champion who blended damage and healing. While traditional paladins typically focused more on damage or support, Taric stood at a near 50-50 split, allowing him to fulfill both roles to a certain extent. However, this balance posed challenges in making him self-sufficient in a game that often requires champions to survive independently.

↖ Gemcraft - Taric's Passive

Taric's passive, Gemcraft, underwent multiple iterations, with the final version being the most noteworthy. It provided Taric with a spellblade effect, granting bonus damage on his next auto-attack based on his armor while also reducing the cooldowns of all his abilities by 2 seconds. This passive encouraged players to weave auto-attacks between ability casts, rewarding them with bonus damage and refreshing cooldowns.

↖ Imbue - Taric's Q

Taric's Q ability, Imbue, allowed him to heal himself and the nearest ally champion. However, if used exclusively on himself, the heal would be 40% stronger. This ability's simplicity masked its potential problems, as neutral sustain without significant costs or interactions could lead to balance issues. When Taric had access to blue buff, he could regenerate his entire team's health to full with just a few Q casts. To prevent excessive sustain, Taric's recent rework reduced the base numbers and scaling of his Q.

↖ Shatter - Taric's W

Taric's W had a passive and an active component. The passive granted Taric bonus armor while his W was on cooldown, and the active reduced the armor of all targets hit while dealing damage. Additionally, Taric's W provided extra armor to himself and nearby allies based on a portion of his total armor. This ability allowed Taric to provide significant armor coverage to his team, especially in late-game team fights against AD-heavy compositions.

↖ Dazzle - Taric's E

Taric's E ability, Dazzle, was a ranged point-and-click stun. The damage of Dazzle scaled based on the distance between Taric and his target, while the stun duration remained constant. With a stun lasting longer than a second and a half, Dazzle proved to be a solid ability in Taric's kit.

↖ Radiance - Taric's Ultimate

Taric's ultimate, Radiance, underwent two iterations. The initial version was a toggle ability that continuously regenerated Taric's HP at the cost of mana per second. While active, Taric gained bonus armor and shared a fraction of that bonus with nearby allies and minions. This iteration resembled Sion's ultimate, but the allocation of bonus AD seemed misplaced.

↖ Ultimate Ability - Cosmic Radiance

Taric's ultimate ability, Cosmic Radiance, is a game-changer. After a short delay, it renders his entire team invulnerable for a few seconds. This ultimate has immense potential and can turn team fights in your favor. However, timing and positioning are crucial to maximize its effectiveness.

↖ Ability Synergies and Stat Buffs

Taric's abilities work together to provide benefits to his team. By tagging teammates with his abilities, he can distribute bonus attack damage and ability power. This stat distribution makes him a unique champion capable of providing substantial gold value to his teammates in the late game.

↖ Supportive Role

Taric's primary role is that of a support champion. His abilities are designed to enhance his team's performance while dealing his fair share of damage. He excels at buffing and supporting his allies, making him an ideal pick for players who enjoy enabling their team to succeed.

↖ Laning Phase

During the laning phase, Taric can be a solid choice for the bot lane. While he lacks traditional engage tools, his Dazzle ability can stun multiple targets, providing opportunities for your team to secure kills. However, he is best played alongside a melee hyper carry rather than a squishy marksman, as the value of his abilities is better utilized in close-quarters engagements.

↖ Team Fights and Engagements

In team fights, Taric's role is to provide support and utility. His Dazzle ability can stun multiple enemies, potentially disrupting their positioning and enabling your team to secure kills. However, it's essential to position yourself carefully and use Cosmic Radiance at the right moment to maximize its impact.

↖ Challenges and Limitations

Taric's abilities require him to stay close to his team, limiting his ability to function as a solo lane or a jungler effectively. Additionally, his reliance on gold makes him more dependent on items than many other support champions. While his abilities have the potential to provide immense value, they also come with narrow hitboxes and can be inconsistent in their effectiveness.

Conclusion

Taric's rework presented both improvements and challenges. As the only representative of the paladin archetype in League of Legends, his split between damage and support made it difficult to balance his abilities for both individual survival and team support. Despite the rework, Taric's play rate remained relatively low, perhaps due to the game's emphasis on individual performance in the early stages.