Welcome fellow summoners to my special guide for Taric, the gem knight. I've been playing taric since season 2 and despite the changes on him I still believe he's an awesome champion. So let's get started!

PROS
+ taric can be naturally tanky, through his passive on w
+ he provides his teammates with great auras
+ can be scary when hiding in the bushes, due to his stun
+ offers his adc a good mix of tankiness, sustain and damage
CONS
- enemy can escape when your stun is down
- melee, vulnerable to harassment
- poor cc, compared to other supports

Flash we all use flash in 99% of our games, don't we?
Exhaust good for weakening an enemy champion, or catching up to them. Extremely helpful for extra cc
Heal can help in early game at bot, but usually the adc will have this
Ignite can secure kills and do extra damage, but won't be able to deal with a fed champion, or someone who threatens your carries
Clairvoyance not often used, can offer some extra vision to avoid ganks or set up an invade

Since the enemy can easily escape when your stun is down, Ghost is great for chasing them down.
As your second spell, you can either choose Ignite for extra damage or Teleport for ganking or returning to lane immediately.

Let's start with taric's abilities.
You will always want to max Shatter first, as it is your free armor buff. Remember that the more armor you have the more armor your teammates gain. When Shatter is used on enemies it lowers their armor as well as yours, but you will not have any problem since your build gives you enough of it. Shatters damage is based on your armor[/u.
Second,I usually max Dazzle for more stun duration and damage. With Gemcraft you may be able to use Dazzle more than one time in a fight.
Max Imbue last except if you and your adc get really harassed and you need that heal to survive. It heals you as well as your teammate when used on your teammate. If you use it on you, then only you get the heal, but it will be boosted.
Your ultimate gives you ad and ap, and half of those stats are given to your teammates, while also deals damage upon activation. Make the most out of your ultimate by using it while near your enemies

start your build with these
Relic Shield I prefer relic shield over Doran's Shield since it gives almost the same stats, plus gold income and healing effect through killing minions, helping at the same time your adc not to miss any minions
Health Potion which will transform into a cookie if you follow my masteries

when you get back to base
Sightstone free wards and some health, which can work well with Imbue
targon's brace extra stacks, health,health regen, healing effect
Boots some extra movement will help you stay close to your enemies or avoid a gank
Sweeping Lens after lvl 9 it is more useful than Stealth Ward, since u will also have your sightstone

must-have items
Glacial Shroud good stats and will build into your big item, which we will discuss later
Warden's Mail a lot of armor, this one will also lead to one of your big items
Aegis of the Legion standard support item, offers a bit of everything and has a unique aura

late game
upgrade your Glacial Shroud into Frozen Heart (your big item) or Iceborn Gauntlet depending on what you need most
Warden's Mail can become either Frozen Heart or Randuin's Omen. Pick randuin's omen if you have chosen the Iceborn Gauntlet from above
turn Sightstone into Ruby Sightstone
aegis will finally become Locket of the Iron Solari
and targon's brace will become face of the mountain
Spirit Visage will help you a lot against heavy ap, giving you lots of mr, health,some cdr and a nice passive

I made a different section for boots, cause taric can use effectively three kinds of boots
Mobility Boots is what i choose most of the time. Support need to be mobile in order to place wards fast, to chase down enemies or return to your lane in an instant
Ninja Tabi is a great choice if your team really needs some extra armor, makes you tankier too
Mercury's Treads provide some magic resist and tenacity, good to have against ap teams

as for enhancements
I usually pick captain, in order to lead your minions and fellow teammates, but homeguard can be helpful too

be sure to buy Stealth Ward and Vision Ward, don't forget that you are the support

You can start with either Doran's Shield, Doran's Blade and even Doran's Ring. I personally prefer the shield, cause it enhances your survivability a lot. The blade is better for attackers which you are not really, while the ring gives you ap, but it doesn't help you stay in lane. When you get back to base, you will want a Sheen. IT TOTALLY INCREASES YOUR DAMAGE DRAMATICALLY As for boots, pick Ninja Tabi EVERY TIME, except if the enemy team has too many ap champions. The more armor you get the more damage you do. Pick a Chain Vest unless you face an ap champion at top. Then you can go with Negatron Cloak. Build an Iceborn Gauntlet right away, as it is your main damage tool, while giving you lots of armor too. If the enemy top is ap, get Spirit Visage next. If not, go for the Sunfire Aegis. If you want some extra damage, as well as hp pick Frozen Mallet, it's slow will also help you not miss any kills. If you just want pure hp go for Warmog's Armor. Eventually get your Randuin's Omen and you are now ready to tank or even assassinate with your burst combo (e,r,w and some auto attacks in between). You can sacrifice one of those items if you want to deal extra damage, but I don't really recommend that, unless your team has enough tanks already. A Blade of the Ruined King is just perfect, it's attack speed will help you landing more auto attacks to work with your passive and [iceborn gauntlet]]'s effect. It's active and passive are also great. You can also get a Muramana which will increase your damage when toggled on.

Thanks to Taric's amazing auras you can help your team just by being there! Stay close to your team, try to protect your carries with your life, you are just the support after all. You can easily focus the enemy carry with your stun, which will certainly hit the target, except if they become untargetable or something. The more targets you hit with your Shatter, the better, they will all have their armor reduced. When at bot lane, if you get ganked, stay behind your adc in order to block projectiles or champions rushing at him, like Rammus, you may be able to survive due to your tankiness. Even if you die trying, it's still better than them getting your adc.

Taric is an exceptional character that you will love playing with. Of all the supports, I believe he is the most balanced, offering stat buffs, heal, cc and armor debuff for your enemies. He can work good with almost any adc, whether they are playing aggressively or defensely. You just can do anything, from initiating to keeping your adc alive. Don't forget that building armor is the key to your success. Don't hesitate to pick taric if the enemy team has strong ad champions. This is my guide for taric guys, I hope you enjoyed it and found it helpful!