[Patch 6.8] Taric Champion Update

Posted on at 4:59 AM by Moobeat
"The climb may be long, but the view is worth it." - With 6.8 out on live, Taric's champion update is now available! With a new look and updated gameplay, Taric is ready to defend Valoran!

Smash those gems and continue reading for kit specifics, updated skin previews, and more!

Table of Contents


Release Announcement 

Now that he's out on live, here's the release announcement "Taric's Update Dazzles Live" -
"Taric’s just finished buffing his armor, warming up his voice and conditioning his award-winning hair, meaning his update is all set for life in the live lane! We’ve updated the former gem knight with an entirely new kit, look, and story—check out the links for the full story behind his moves and update, or scroll down for a glimpse at his updated model in action!
We’re bundling Taric with all of his skins and forming an awesome boyband reducing the price to celebrate his update! His Outrageous bundle runs up at 1796 RP (20% off) - or 2264 RP if you need the champ himself - lasts through April 25th and includes the following:
  • Taric
  • Emerald Taric
  • Armor of the Fifth Age Taric
  • Bloodstone Taric
Ready to hit the Rift with new Taric? Let us know in the comments below!"
Now on to a better look at the Shield of Valoran!

Taric, The Shield of Valoran

1350 IP / 585 RP

Champion Spotlight

"Let me make myself crystal clear." Before we hop into specifics, familiarize yourself with Taric's new gameplay by checking out his updated champion spotlight:


Stats & Abilities

Stats:
  • Range: 150
  • Movement Speed: 340
  • Base Health: 575
  • Health Growth: 90
  • Base Health Regen: 1.2
  • Health Regen Per Sec: 0.1
  • Base Mana: 250
  • Mana Growth: 75
  • Base Mana Regen Per Sec: 1
  • Mana Regen Growth Per Sec: 0.2
  • Base Armor: 25
  • Armor Growth: 3.4
  • Magic Resist: 32.1
  • Magic Resist per level: 1.25
  • Base Attack Damage: 55
  • Attack Damage Growth: 3.5
  • Base Attack Speed: 0.625
  • Attack Speed Growth: ~
[Passive, Q, W1, W2, E, R]

Bravado (Passive):
Spellcasts empower Taric's next 2 basic attacks to deal [~18+ 4 per level] (+ 15% bonus armor) bonus magic damage, reduce his base spells' cooldowns by 1* second, and attack in quick succession.
  • [*NOTE: This scales downward with Taric's CDR, going down to .6 seconds per hit at 40% CDR] 

Starlight's Touch (Q):
60/80/100/120/140 Mana, 1-3 Charges
15 sec Recharge 
[Range
Spends all charges to heal nearby allied champions for 20/30/40/50/60 (+ .2 AP) (+ 1.5 per 100 bonus Health) per charge, up to 60/90/120/150/180 (+x) (+x) at 3 charges. 
Bravado-empowered attacks reduce this recharge time by 5* additional seconds.
  • [*NOTE: This scales down with Taric's CDR, going down to 3 seconds per hit at 40% CDR.] 
When linked to an ally with W, here's the double cast:

Bastion (W):
60 Mana 
15 sec Cooldown 
[Range
Taric's spells will also cast from a nearby ally protected by Bastion.  
Passive: Bastion increases Armor by X (10/12.5/15/17.5/20% of Taric's Armor). 
Active: Blesses an ally with Bastion and shields them for 8/9/10/11/12% of their maximum Health for 2.5 seconds. Bastion lasts on the target until a new one is chosen. 
  • [NOTE: Cast Range is around 1000, Tether range is around 1500. If you go further out than tether range, link will go inactive but going back into range will reactivate it.**]

Dazzle (E):
60 Mana 
15 sec Cooldown at all ranks
[Range
Readies a beam of starlight that, after 1 second, deals 60/105/150/195/240 (+ .5 AP) (+
30% Bonus Armor) magic damage and stuns enemies for 1/1.125/1.25/1.375/1.5 second(s).
  • [NOTE: Can move, attack, cast, etc after starting cast.] 
  • [NOTE: E targeting with W on ally always aims towards Taric's cursor.]
Using E with an ally tethered with W casts towards Taric's Cursor, similar to Lulu's Q.

Cosmic Radiance (R):
100 Mana 
160/130/100 sec Cooldown 
[Range
After a 2.5 sec delay, pulses cosmic energy onto nearby allied champions, making them invulnerable for 2.5 seconds.
  • [NOTE: This casts on self (Taric) and on whoever W is attached to & active on.] 
  • [NOTE: This is similar to Kayle R in that you will not take damage but can be CC'd**
and here's the double R cast with W on an Ally:

Voiceover

Along with his new kit and visuals, Taric also has a brand new voiceover! His new VO clocks in at over 16 minutes of gems and special interactions. His new VO is voiced by Yuri Lowenthal.


In case you had trouble picking them out, here's a video of Taric's special interactions:

Here's Taric's  new champion select quote:

"That glimmer of hope you see, that's me."



Lore

Taric's new short form lore was also added this cycle:
""The best weapons are beautiful.'' 
Taric is the Aspect of the Protector, wielding incredible power as Runeterra's guardian of life, love, and beauty. Shamed by a dereliction of duty and exiled from his homeland Demacia, Taric ascended Mount Targon to find redemption, only to discover a higher calling among the stars. Imbued with the might of ancient Targon, the Shield of Valoran now stands ever vigilant against the insidious corruption of the Void."
Taric's Full lore can be found on Mount Targon page!
The best weapons are beautiful.”
 
"Taric is the Aspect of the Protector, wielding incredible power as Runeterra’s guardian of life, love, and beauty. Shamed by a dereliction of duty and exiled from his homeland Demacia, Taric ascended Mount Targon to find redemption, only to discover a higher calling among the stars. Imbued with the might of ancient Targon, the Shield of Valoran now stands ever vigilant against the insidious corruption of the Void. 
Expected to serve as a stalwart guardian of Demacia, Taric’s life was meant to be the model of focused, selfless dedication to the ideals of king and country. Though he always saw himself as a protector, he never felt the need to limit or define whom and what he protected—be it an ideal, a piece of art, or a stranger’s life. Each could be considered worthy. Each could be seen as beautiful. 
Most of Taric’s contemporaries were focused on the martial principles of battle (things that came naturally and effortlessly to him). The young warrior was drawn instead to the fragile wonders that give life meaning, not endless brutish contests for flag or crown. 
This was a potentially treasonous philosophy, especially for one of Taric’s standing and role within the Demacian military hierarchy, but he chose to dedicate himself to understanding the simple truths of love, beauty, and life, so he could become their champion. Admired by all, Taric used his disarming manner and innate warmth to charm his way past most obstacles, and on the rare occasion they failed, his skill with hammer and sword could be counted on to settle the matter. 
As his quest for understanding broadened, Taric would miss combat training to wander the forest in search of a glimpse of a rare animal, neglect parade drills to sit in a tavern and listen to a bard’s hauntingly simple ballad, and skip regimental meetings to take horseback rides to observe the silver cloak of night settle across the countryside. Taric knew that, in his own way, he was training in a manner just as dedicated and focused as his fellow Demacians, but it wasn’t seen that way by his superiors. 
Taric’s casual nature, disregard for orders, and disinterest in his patriotic calling finally put him at odds with nearly everyone in authority—his family, his king, and especially his long-time friend Garen. And while the commoners saw Taric as a charming rogue, Garen recognized him for what he truly was—a man with the potential to become one of Demacia’s greatest heroes. The fact that Taric seemed to be thumbing his nose at his destiny as well as his country enraged Garen. 
Eventually, even his former friend could no longer protect him, and Taric’s military career started to crumble. Demotion after demotion pushed Taric further from Demacia’s heart, until, at last, he found himself commanding a small squad of lowly recruits assigned to guard an inconsequential ruined fortress out in the borderland wilds. After weeks spent standing in the rain and mud as ordered, and with no threat evident, Taric decided to let his men sleep while he wandered to a nearby temple to take in its cyclopean architecture. 
As morning lit up the temple’s overgrown cloisters, Taric finally decided to head back and check on his men. He was greeted by a scene of carnage. His troops had been butchered in their sleep, their corpses bearing the jagged hallmarks of the Void’s monstrous predators. 
Taric had failed his men, his country, and most painfully, his self-avowed mission to protect life. 
Returning to Demacia in shame, Taric was stripped of his rank and sentenced by Garen to endure “the Crown of Stone,” a ceremony that demanded a dishonored soldier ascend Mount Targon, known to all as a death sentence, as few mortals had ever survived the climb. 
And while the Crown of Stone was traditionally used by the dishonored to simply flee Demacia and make a new life in exile, Taric decided to actually atone for his mistake and set out for the towering spire of Mount Targon. 
The ascent nearly claimed him, body and soul, numerous times, but Taric pushed past the pain, past the memories of his mistake, the ghosts of his dead men, and other tests inflicted upon him by the mountain. 
As he approached the summit, Taric was challenged by a seemingly neverending myriad of conflicting realities, each warped existence offering a new, horrifying vision. Taric experienced the infinite fates that could befall those who had no one to protect them in their times of crisis. He saw the Alabaster Library engulfed in pitch and flame, and still he dashed into the roiling inferno to retrieve the poetry of Tung. He screamed in rage as the Frostguard ran the last dreamstag off a blind cliff, and then leapt into the abyss himself in a desperate attempt to save it. Before the ebon gates of Noxus, Taric slumped to his knees at the sight of Garen’s shattered body chained aloft as a warning. Between Taric and his friend stood the sum total of Noxus’s might. And yet still, without hesitation, Taric raised his shield and drove all before him. Claiming Garen from the gates, the young warrior marched toward Demacia, heavy with his burden, knowing full well that his return would ensure his execution. As he walked, Taric looked upward—and the blood-strewn fields of Noxus gave way to the star-filled expanse above Mount Targon. 
His trials complete, and freed from all illusion, Taric found himself at the pinnacle of the mountain, and he was not alone. 
Before him, cut from the sackcloth of night itself, stood something wearing the shape of a man. Its features composed from the pinpoints of stars, Taric was struck by the odd familiarity of its nature. 
Its voice spoke in a thousand whispers that cut through Taric like a mountain wind. 
Though he heard no recognizable words, he understood the figure’s intent with utter clarity. 
It called itself “the Protector.” 
Impressed by Taric’s steadfast resolve, the otherworldly being deemed the fallen Demacian hero a worthy avatar, imbuing him with its ethereal powers. The Protector spoke of the truths Taric had known his entire life, and of the mantle that he had unknowingly been preparing for with every decision that brought him to the top of the mountain. 
As the Protector’s whispers faded, Taric received a final warning: He would stand as the Shield of Valoran, but crashing against him would be a wave of howling madness, an ocean of gnashing teeth intent on consuming all, a squalid horror born of the Void. 
Reborn with power and purpose, Taric gladly accepted the seemingly impossible challenge and now dedicates himself to his sworn duty—as the steadfast guardian of an entire world. 
I look out across the once-verdant field, now scarred and ruined by the toil of battle. 
The loss of life will be immense, but I cannot save those who seek their own destruction. All those sons, all those fathers, all those futures lost. Demacians and Noxians, ever at each other’s throats, magnetically drawn to one another by something lesser than both. 
Plenty of defenders exist for their lofty ideals, and they all stand in my way, almost gleefully slaughtering themselves over a scrap of land, with no idea of its true importance. Two armies entwined, both committed to their ruinous dance. 
I could try to reason with them, ask them to move their brawl elsewhere, but my former countrymen now see me as something between a traitor and a wrathful god, and the Noxians… well, the Noxians have always been short on patience. 
My usual weapons—wit, charm, and warmth—are useless in this cauldron of desperation. So I push aside those who would slow me, and wade into those who would stop me. Every kind of horror one soul can inflict on another rages around me as I near my goal. 
And there, dead center of the roiling fury of battle, the blaze of color calls to me—a delicate life about to be snuffed out amid the mud- and gore-covered boots. Standing bravely, unbowed by the thudding dullness of the armored brutes around it, its beauty rings out like a single crystal bell. It is the last flower of its kind. If it dies, no more shall bloom. I can not allow it to perish. 
The two opposing commanders pause in their combat as I approach, an uninvited guest at their last moments. They turn to me, suddenly allied in their outrage at my intrusion. 
I stand at the very eye of the two armies, seemingly inviting the cold embrace of death from all sides. But unlike all those who are now taking wary steps toward me, their sword hands trembling, I know why I fight.

In addition to the above, Taric's origins are also explained through THE ASCENT - a comic detailing his treacherous ascent of Mount Targon:

Updated Skins

All three of Taric's skins have also been updated, including new splash arts and models!

Emerald Taric

520 RP (Legacy)


Armor of the Fifth Age Taric

750 RP


Bloodstone Taric

975 RP


Login

Taric also has a new login theme!
 

Interested in more on Taric's champion update? Check out these links for more:

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