Updated 12/6/11: HUGE CHANGES! I had to do a complete overhaul on items with Priscilla's Blessing being taken out and the mastery changes. And I changed skill sequence back to MAXing Imbue 2nd

Updated 10/4/11: changed skill sequence to Dazzle being MAXed out 2nd

DON'T KNOCK IT TILL YOU TRY IT!

As far I have heard and read, not many ppl think that Taric is viable in Dominion...

BUT HE IS!!

Yes it's true ladies and gentlemen, your team will be glad that you rolled Taric when you bring a lot of help to your team.

You will be a huge factor in any teamfight. Your job is to be tough and take some hits, but also punish your enemy for picking a fight with the wrong knight.

So let's get started..

DEM RUNES

9x Greater Mark of Attack Speed - because his attack speed is naturally slow
9x Greater Seal of Armor - now you won't need to buy an armor item
9x Greater Glyph of Magic Resist - helps you reach your MR quota
3x Greater Quintessence of Ability Power - a bit of AP never hurt anyone

Attack speed helps with Taric's slow AS, Armor Seals and MR Glyphs keep him tanky, and AP quints gives him some punishing power.

Build for AP so you can use your skill combos to dish out some nasty damage.

I skipped most of the AD advantages because you won't get many melee swings with Taric in a fight.

Finally, pick up a little extra Armor and MR and get the buff for Garrison

Mercury's Treads - Bam! The first item to grab are these trusty little boots. They'll come in handy as you rush top and attempt to cap the windmill. Also feel free to pick up a Health Potion or two.

Aegis of the Legion - As always, a good choice for tank/support. The aura is nice for your allies.

Abyssal Mask - Tanky AP items are the way to go. We build this one next so Taric's MR can get close to his Armor.

Zhonya's Hourglass - Tanky AP again, this time your Armor will basically reach its maximum and you'll get a neat active.

Rylai's Crystal Scepter - keep building up AP and stack up on some Health to keep yourself in the fights

Odyn's Veil - I can almost guarantee that you'll never actually build this item.

Imbue - So, if you haven't noticed the heal reduction on CS yet....yeahhhh. So needless to say you're healz won't be your strength, but they can still help when you or your teammates are in a pinch. As always, try and use this heal on an ally who needs it instead of just on yourself. 200%>140%, more bang for your buck.

Shatter - I LOVE SHATTER. And since his rework, I feel that shatter is better than it has ever been. Now your buddies won't lose that nice armor aura buff when you activate, you just lose your personal buff. But no biggie, because you'll only activate Shatter when you're on the offensive and by the time your enemies start fighting back you'll have your extra armor back. MAXing this skill first is important because you'll want to MAX out the armor buff for your defense.

Dazzle - Effective? Yes. Annoying? Yes. Fabulous? Absolutely.
Your stun is a huge portion of your identity as Taric. And since his re-work, Dazzle now has a flat 1.5 sec stun duration, rather than scaling to distance from target. But still, you will be able to help your team kill plenty of runners, interrupt base cappers, and be truly outrageous.

Radiance - DAT ULT! Okay, I admit it. Initially when I heard of his ult re-work, I was pissed. I loved the original toggle ult and was upset that I wouldn't have it anymore. But the new one is great! I'm a big fan of auras to help your teammates and his new aura ult does just that! AAAAAAAND....in the Xerath patch they are reducing the CD on Radiance to a flat 60 sec! Like all ults, level up at 6,11,16.

Garrison - Yes. Garrison.
Normally for Taric I would pick Clairvoyance, but CV is really not important on this map. Most of the time your enemies will be in the outer ring and constantly visible, and if they aren't then there only a limited amount of bushes they could be hiding in.
So yes, Garrison can be used offensively/defensively, depending on what you're doing. If you are defending a turret, you can activate your spell to start firing on enemy cappers and help you defend the point and possibly kill some champs.

Offensively. If you and some allies are going to take a spot and their is an enemy guarding it, don't be afraid to use Garrison to keep the turret off your *** as you dispose of the enemy champ.

Ghost - This spell is invaluable in Dominion. I prefer Ghost over Flash on this map. More than just a gap closer, you can hightail it to the opposite end of the map, pick up some speed boosts in the jungle, and get to your allies aid very quickly. Also, Ghost will let you be the first champ at the windmill for your team...well, maybe 2nd place to Rammus.

THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT CHAPTER IN THE ENTIRE GUIDE! READ THIS!

Capture-and-hold gameplay relies heavily on good strategy, and a good strategy is what wins games. Unfortunately, if you're PUGing your team will probably not have good communication and after some time the game will become a chaotic mess. So being an intelligent Gem Knight, it is your duty to establish some order.

START: The match begins, what is your first task? Capture the Windmill.

As soon as you leave base, activate Ghost to get in front of the rest of your team. Enter the jungle, run through the speed buff, and get up to the top and stake your claim. Don't over commit until your allies get there, and do your best to win the teamfight and assure the capture of the Windmill. If you do cap the Windmill (as well as mid and bot points) you'll already be dealing dmg to your enemy's nexus. If not, get the Windmill back ASAP. It is a crucial and contested point, and it's best to always have it in your possession.

REST OF GAME: You're role is to be a roaming defender, rather than a defender that is solely responsible for holding one spot the entire match. Reinforce points that are under siege (but be smart about it and don't rush to aid a spot that is doomed).

While your team has the advantage, keep the pressure on but don't overextend. Kill some minions, poke at their bases a bit, and pick up kills when your enemies get desperate.

While your team has the disadvantage, try to get back to the advantage quickly. Don't be reckless though. If there are 3 enemies guarding a base, don't kill your whole team trying to cap it. Attack your enemies weakpoints, cap undefended points, kill stragglers, focus fire, etc.

With this build, you will have plenty of offense and defense capability. Taric has some difficulty defending a point by himself, but you'll just need to work with what you have and defend with the help of the turret until your team arrives for back up.

If you pick Taric for Dominion, you automatically become the underdog and an element of surprise. Not often picked, players often underestimate the potential of the Gem Knight. Play well, play smart, and surprise everyone!

Hopefully you have read through this guide and you are now ready to go play some Dominion.

When using Taric keep in mind:

-Good strategy wins games
-Always help out your teammates
-Capture the Windmill
-The best offense is a good defense, and vice-versa
-Have fun, and be fabulous.

THANKS FOR READING AND PLEASE COMMENT AND VOTE!!!