Taric is the ultimate protection support. His kit revolves around the W tether stun, Q healing through it, and perfectly timing R Cosmic Radiance to make his entire team invulnerable. He has high skill ceiling because R timing is extremely precise.
Abilities
Skills Overview
P
Bravado
Passive
Spellcasts empower Taric's next 2 basic attacks to deal bonus magic damage, reduce his spell cooldowns, and attack in quick succession.
Bravado: after each ability, next 2 autos deal bonus magic damage and reduce cooldowns. Always AA after every ability cast — this is fundamental Taric mechanics.
Q
Starlight's Touch
Targeted Heal · Chain Heal
Heals nearby allied champions based on charges stored. Bravado-empowered attacks grant a charge of Starlight's Touch.
CD: 3 · Cost: 60
Q heals both Taric and the tethered ally (linked by W). Tether an ally with W before using Q so both get healed simultaneously.
W
Bastion
Tether · Stun
Passively 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.
CD: 15 · Cost: 60
W tether stuns both you and the target after traveling the tether distance. Used offensively, walk away from the tethered enemy to stun them.
E
Dazzle
Shield · Armor Buff
Taric readies a beam of starlight that, after a brief delay, deals magic damage and stuns enemies.
CD: 16/15/14/13/12 · Cost: 40
E shields both you and the tethered W ally. The armor buff is massive — use it during trades for tanky engages.
R
Cosmic Radiance
Team Invulnerability · 2.5s
Pulses cosmic energy onto nearby allied champions after a delay, making them invulnerable for a short duration.
CD: 180/150/120 · Cost: 100
R has a 2.5-second delay before activating. Cast it BEFORE the enemy burst combo lands, not after. Time it 2.5 seconds early.
Skill Leveling Order — Max Q first, then E, then W · R at 6 / 11 / 16
| Level | Q | W | E | R | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | E — shield for level 1 | ||||
| 2 | W — tether/stun online | ||||
| 3 | Q — heal available | ||||
| 4 | Level Q | ||||
| 5 | Level Q | ||||
| 6 | R — Cosmic Radiance unlocked | ||||
| 7 | Level Q | ||||
| 8 | Level E | ||||
| 9 | Q maxed ✓ | ||||
| 10 | Level E | ||||
| 11 | R rank 2 | ||||
| 12 | Level E | ||||
| 13 | E maxed ✓ | ||||
| 14 | Start leveling W | ||||
| 15 | Level W | ||||
| 16 | R rank 3 | ||||
| 17 | Level W | ||||
| 18 | W maxed ✓ |
Itemization
Recommended Builds
Starter Items
Targon's Buckler
Melee gold income — you're always in melee range trading.
400g
Refillable Potion
Sustain through the auto-attack heavy trading pattern.
150g
Core Build
Plated Steelcaps
Armor from auto-attacks — Taric's Bravado passive makes him auto frequently.
1100g
Locket of the Iron Solari
Team shield that synergizes with R invulnerability — stack protection.
2200g
Frozen Heart
Armor + attack speed slow — your autos are frequent, Frozen Heart reduces enemy AS.
2500g
Warmog's Armor
HP for being in the frontline constantly during W tether plays.
3000g
Situational
Thornmail
Grievous wounds + armor vs heavy healing and crit ADC comps.
2700g
Fimbulwinter
Slows on your E and Q — persistent CC chain with tether stun.
2600g
Evenshroud
MR reduction on CC'd enemies — amplifies your whole team's damage on W-stunned targets.
2500g
Taric auto-attacks frequently due to Bravado passive — Frozen Heart attack speed slow is uniquely effective since it procs on every auto you deal. Build tank and let R do the carrying.
AP Core
Ardent Censer
Q heal triggers Ardent — attack speed buff for any ally you heal.
2300g
Moonstone Renewer
Q healing amplified by Moonstone — massive sustained healing.
2500g
Ionian Boots of Lucidity
CDR for more Q heals and faster R cooldown.
950g
Redemption
AoE healing — pair with R invulnerability for ultimate sustain.
2300g
AP Taric is better when your team needs more healing than engage. Q heals significantly with Moonstone + Ardent.
Runes
Resolve Primary
Guardian
Shield for you and nearby allies — pairs perfectly with E shield for double shielding on your ADC.
Font of Life
W tether stun marks enemies — allies heal attacking stunned targets.
Bone Plating
Reduces burst damage during your W tether engage pattern.
Revitalize
Increases Q healing and E shield size — more protective utility per cast.
Inspiration Secondary
Magical Footwear
Free boots at 12 minutes — save gold for tank items.
Cosmic Insight
CDR on R — the most important cooldown to reduce in Taric's kit.
Shards
Ability Haste · Armor · Health
Gameplay
How to Play Taric
01
Early Game
W Tether Stun and Q Heal Rotation
- W tether on an enemy, then walk AWAY from them to pull the tether and trigger the stun.
- Auto-attack after EVERY ability cast — Bravado passive bonus damage and CDR requires constant autos.
- Q heals both you and the W-tethered ally simultaneously — always keep W active for double heals.
- E shields both you and your W ally — a massive defensive tool during aggressive all-ins.
- Your E armor bonus makes you significantly tankier during trades — engage with E active for better trade ratios.
02
Mid Game
Peel ADC with E Shield and Q Heal
- R has a 2.5-second delay — cast it during the enemy engage animation, NOT after they've already hit.
- Tether W on your ADC before big fights — Q healing both of you is efficient sustain.
- Group with your team — R requires proximity to be effective for everyone.
- Your W stun enables objective fights — stun the enemy jungler smiting, preventing the objective steal.
- Use E shield + R to create windows of total invulnerability during Baron and Dragon fights.
03
Late Game
Win Teamfights with R Cosmic Radiance
- R timing is the entire game. Watch for enemy engage animations — Amumu R, Malphite R, Leona R. Cast R 2.5 seconds before those land.
- Your team being invulnerable for 2.5 seconds can completely negate the enemy's engage win condition.
- W stun + auto chain is surprisingly strong single-target lockdown — use it on their carry mid-fight.
- E armor buff during R window makes your team even tankier — they take zero damage and have extra resistances.
- Never waste R on a 1v1. Save it for 3+ man situations where invulnerability wins a fight.
Teamfighting
How to Teamfight as Taric
Taric teamfights revolve entirely around R timing. Everything else is in service of getting your team into position for a perfect Cosmic Radiance that negates the enemy's burst window.
1
Pre-Fight — Position for R
Before engage
01
Identify the enemy engage ability — Malphite R, Amumu R, Orianna R, Leona R. Know what you're timing R against.
02
W tether your ADC before the fight so Q heals them during the chaos.
03
E shield activation as soon as the enemy engages — armor buff for your frontline.
R has a 2.5-second delay. If you press R AFTER the enemy burst lands, your team is already dead. You must predict and cast R as the enemy engage STARTS, not when it arrives.
2
Engage — R into Enemy Burst Window
Fight opening
01
Cast R when enemy engages — 2.5 seconds later, your team is invulnerable.
02
W tether stun their carry during the R delay to lock them down before invulnerability kicks in.
03
Q heal your ADC through W tether continuously.
04
Auto-attack after every ability — Bravado CDR reduction lets you cast more during R window.
3
Aftermath — Chain CC and Heal
Mid-fight
01
Re-tether W on enemies after invulnerability ends — your team survived, now counter-attack.
02
Q heal anyone who took damage before or after the R window.
03
E shield for the second wave of enemy abilities after they recover from the initial shock.
R invulnerability applies to allies at the moment of activation, regardless of where they are (within range). Stand centrally in your team so R covers everyone. Allies outside 400 units don't get the buff.
Tips & Tricks
Advanced Mechanics & Hidden Tech
Advanced mechanics for Taric.
Basic
Always Auto After Abilities
Bravado passive gives bonus damage and CDR on your next 2 autos after each ability. Never cast abilities without auto-attacking twice between them. Ability → AA → AA → Ability → AA → AA is the core Taric rhythm.
Basic
W Stun Mechanic
W stun triggers when the tether reaches max distance. Walk AWAY from the W target to extend the tether and stun them. Running toward the target does nothing — you must create distance.
Intermediate
R 2.5-Second Rule
R has a 2.5-second delay. Cast it as the enemy engage animation starts, not when it arrives. Watch for Malphite leap, Amumu bandage, Leona dash — cast R when those animations begin.
Intermediate
Q Double Heal
Q heals you AND your W-tethered ally. Always have W on an ally (ideally your ADC) so Q heals both of you simultaneously. A Q heal without W active only heals you.
Intermediate
E Armor Buff Trade
E grants massive armor to you and your W ally. Activate E before engaging into trades — the armor buff makes short trades heavily in your favor even against AD-heavy lanes.
Advanced
R with Twisted Fate
Twisted Fate's R (Destiny) and Taric's R synergize perfectly — TF ports to a lane, Taric R follows, and both engage invulnerably. The enemy cannot kill TF before invulnerability kicks in.
Advanced
Counter Malphite Engage
Malphite R is the most telegraphed engage in the game. He leaps in a very visible animation. Press R the moment Malphite starts his R jump — your team is invulnerable when he lands.
Basic
Tether W Range
W tether range is 1100 units. Stand near an enemy (within 1100) and W them — then walk away to create distance and trigger the stun. The stun applies at max tether range.
Matchups
Counters & Matchups
Taric struggles in long-range poke lanes where he can't reach enemies to stack Bravado. He excels against heavy engage compositions where R Cosmic Radiance has maximum value.
Click any matchup to expand tips & how to play against them
Loses Against
Caitlyn + Jayce/Lux poke lane completely zons Taric who needs to be in melee range to function. He can't reach them and his healing can't keep up with sustained poke.
Rush into W tether range as fast as possible. Pair with a short-range aggressive ADC like Draven who can match Caitlyn's range.
Xerath's infinite range keeps him safe from Taric's entire melee kit. He pokes past your shield range and you cannot build enough armor to reduce his magic damage.
You cannot beat Xerath in lane. Focus on teamfight R timing and let your ADC be damaged through the laning phase.
Black Shield absorbs your W tether stun on the ADC. Without the stun, you have no engage and your kit falls apart.
Target Morgana with W tether stun — she rarely uses Black Shield on herself. Stun her and kill her first.
Wins Against
Leona's engage is exactly what Taric's R counters. Her E-W-Q-R combo is perfectly telegraphed — R Cosmic Radiance negates the entire sequence.
Let Leona engage, then immediately R. Your team takes zero damage from her CC combo while invulnerable.
Nautilus's entire kit is CC — hook, AoE anchor, and ult knock-up. R Cosmic Radiance negates all of his damage during invulnerability.
Time R when Nautilus hooks your carry. The invulnerability means the entire hook-ult-anchor sequence deals zero damage.
Malphite R is the most iconic all-in engage in the game. Taric R counters it completely — Malphite's only kill threat is negated by invulnerability.
Save R specifically for Malphite's R. Press R the moment you see Malphite leave the ground. Perfect counter.