Taric · Support

Taric Safe Play Guide

DefensiveData-drivenEasyPatch 16.19.1

9.1KUpdated 13 hours ago

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This guide is assembled by the site from match data and the game's own information — nobody wrote it by hand. Official and community guides appear alongside it when they exist.

Overview

This guide is about playing Taric safely and consistently. Safe support means staying next to your marksman, warding ahead and saving your abilities to answer the enemy engage. The kit brings crowd control (stun) with Dazzle and sustain with Starlight's Touch.

Strengths

Very durable: Riot rates it 8/10 in defense.
Sustain from Starlight's Touch.
Crowd control: Dazzle applies a stun to set up kills.

Weaknesses

No dash or blink in the kit: vulnerable to ganks without vision.
Low priority on gold and experience.

Build cheat sheet

Pick the build that fits what you want to do this game.

Defensive buildDefensiveRecommendedKeeps enough damage while adding health, magic resist and armor through Jak'Sho, The Protean, Bandlepipes and Zeke's Convergence. Choose it against dive, assassins or a lane you can't win.
Against magic damageDefensiveSituationalFor a team that kills with abilities: magic resist boots and a magic resist item in the core.

Builds

Defensive build

DefensiveRecommended

Open build

When to use it

Keeps enough damage while adding health, magic resist and armor through Jak'Sho, The Protean, Bandlepipes and Zeke's Convergence. Choose it against dive, assassins or a lane you can't win.

Where it's played

Picked before the game: the main lane first, then the alternatives.

Summoner's RiftRed side · bottom leftBlue side · top right

SupportMain100% of matches
MidPriority 2

Starting items

World AtlasHealth Potion

Core items

1Jak'Sho, The Protean
2Bandlepipes
3Zeke's Convergence

Boots

Plated Steelcaps

Situational

Dead Man's PlateAgainst heavy physical damage.Kaenic RookernAgainst heavy magic damage.Randuin's OmenAgainst burst and assassins.ThornmailCuts the enemy's healing.

Runes

Primary· Resolve

Secondary· Inspiration

Shards

Summoner spells

Flash
Ignite

Abilities

BravadoPassiveSpellcasts empower Taric's next 2 basic attacks to deal bonus magic damage, reduce his spell cooldowns, and attack in quick succession.
QStarlight's Touch3s60 mpHeals nearby allied champions based on charges stored. Bravado-empowered attacks grant a charge of Starlight's Touch.
Cooldown
3
Cost
60
Range
325
WBastion15s60 mpPassively increase the Armor of Taric and any allied champion with Bastion. Actively shields an ally and grants them Bastion for as long as they remain near Taric. Taric's spells also cast off the ally with Bastion.
Cooldown
15
Cost
60
Range
800
EDazzle16/15/14/13/12s40 mpTaric readies a beam of starlight that, after a brief delay, deals magic damage and stuns enemies.
Cooldown
16·15·14·13·12
Cost
40
Range
610
Basic ability — applies a stun. Save it for priority targets or to interrupt a channel.
RCosmic RadianceUltimate180/150/120s100 mpPulses cosmic energy onto nearby allied champions after a delay, making them invulnerable for a short duration.
Cooldown
180·150·120
Cost
100
Range
400
Ultimate. Plan your fights around its cooldown.

Strategy

1Safe laning

Safe support means staying next to your marksman, warding ahead and saving your abilities to answer the enemy engage. Trade when the enemy marksman goes for a last hit: they have to choose between the gold and the damage.

2Surviving fights

Protect whoever the enemy dives: Dazzle on the diver is worth more than any damage you could deal. You have no escape in the kit, so your position is your defence: stay behind someone who can protect you.

3Positioning and peel

Stand where the enemy has to go through your team to reach you, and protect whoever the enemy focuses. Hold Dazzle for the enemy diver.

4Playing from behind

When the game goes badly, farm what's safe, defend with your team and wait for the enemy to make a mistake: a single won fight can turn it around.

Tips

Save Dazzle for whoever jumps on your team.
Keep Starlight's Touch for the enemy's burst, not for chip damage.
Go back when your key abilities are down: a reset costs less than a death.
Never be the first to show on the map in the late game.
If enemies are missing from the map, back off before they appear.

Matchups

Weak against

Lulu
Lulu attacks from 550 units and Taric from 150, with no dash in the kit to close the gap.
Karma
Karma attacks from 525 units and Taric from 150, with no dash in the kit to close the gap.
Vel'Koz
Vel'Koz attacks from 525 units and Taric from 150, with no dash in the kit to close the gap.