Welcome to my guide about " Taric - The Gem Knight"
This is my first guide, and I have been playing Taric for quite a while now, and really enjoy this champion. So I thought I had to share my ways of playing him, with the rest of you guys!

As you might have noticed, I decided to make a guide covering more than just the 'usual' Support build, Yes ladies and g'ments!
I actually tested out Jungling-AD Taric as well as Mid-AP-Carry Taric! (And I gotta admit, it's quite succesfull) I will be introducing both Jungling and Mid-AP carry later on in this guide, but I'm gonna start out with the usual introduction (Pro's & Con's, Summoner Spells etc.) There is only one role that I do not cover "Dominion" since I do not play Dominion myself, it would be silly to make a section about that, therefor I give you another link, with a guy who describes a good Dominion build Golleitrian

BE AWARE

That I have in mind to split up the Runes, Masteries and Items up into 4 sections : Support, AP-Carry, Jungle and Tank. So keep in mind what section you are by, so you do not get confused.

I recommend you to read the whole guide, before voting(I know you guys will skip most of it anyways). And post a comment on why you either like or dislike this guide, of course criticism is allowed. Thank you.

- Taneren <'3
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Pro's

+ A Tanky support (Unlike Sona and Soraka).
+ Good CC(Crowd Control) with Dazzle.
+ Is capable of Solo top, Jungle, Mid and botlane with a partner.
+ A lovely mate to partner with, both on lanes and in teamfights.
+ Ultimate with a decent damage, which buffs the whole team!
+ Can easily scare the enemy, and outzone them while your carry gets free farm
+ Auras for the team ( Shatter(W) and Radiance (R/Ultimate)
+ Great at pushing due to being so tanky and having a decent heal.
+ In need of mana? Just right click on a random minion, and get it replenished.
+ A good Taric will dominate whatever lane he pleases (Not only Dr. Mundo does what he pleases)

Cons

- Imbue isn't the strongest heal in the game.
- The output of damage is mostly based on a small Go in poke, out again combo. He can't burst anyone down with a single combo (Unlike Annie and LeBlanc)
- Can have mana issues if your AD carry does not allow you to hit some of the minions (Not necessarily last hit) for your passive to give you back an amount of Mana.
-The team might see you as some random troll, if you decide to go full AP or AD Taric. (Show them wrong!)

My primary summoner spell for Taric is Flash, and I recommend for you to carry it with you into every game (Unless you're jungling, then its a matter of choice. Ghost is a viable spell when you wish to run in and gank) but Flash is THE spell that can make the difference on either getting a kill, or surviving - As well as a swift flash-stun combo, to pick out a target is perfect too, giving them no reaction time at all.

Taric is made mainly to support people, and therefore your second summoner spell should be Clairvoyance, unless you're jungling or going Mid/solo top.

Other Options

I have always been happy about using Ghost on with strong AD melee characters, and this should only be taken if you have intentions to go AD Taric.

Ignite is a good spell, to finish off another Champion. And a wonderful counter vs other healers, like Soraka

Nothing much to say about Smite, except "ONLY TAKE THIS WITH YOU IF YOU HAVE INTENTIONS TO JUNGLE! M'kay? Carrying Smite with you in the lane, is just silly.

Don't listen to Taric Just because he is saying "With Clarity" Doesn't mean that you actually have to take the blasted Summoner spell! - I never take this Summoner spell along with me into a game, since I find other spells more suitable for Taric. But Taric is a mana-*****, and therefore it can be smart to take it the first few times trying him out as full AP in mid or just on another lane.

Teleport can be used, but shouldn't. This might be an optional choice to pick, if your team already got Ignite and Clairvoyance, let the solo top or mid character have it with them.

Exhaust can be used if you're the tank, remember your role and protect the squishies! Exhaust will help you protect your squishies from someone who goes straight for them. I often take this if I go full Tank.

Heal - Alright, since the recent nerf of Clairvoyance, I decided to accept Heal as well, when going with the support role. Even though it's not a thing I have intentions of using myself.

Promote doesn't really suit me, but I know how much of a pain this new summoner spell can be to people in a classic 5v5 match early game or dominion, and therefore also a viable choice when going support. I would not recommend taking it otherwise.

The summoner spells that I did not mention are not supposed to be used.

Gemcraft

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Can be a minus in the laning phase, as you are forced to auto-hit some of the minions to keep up your mana. You might have to put yourself in range to get harassed, simply pushing your lane by auto-hitting. Also keep in mind to hit minions, who have a high amount of health. This way you can avoid killing them; last hitting is something the carry has to care about, not you.

Imbue

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A decent heal with a high cooldown early game, which is lowered late game. It is one of the spells that is nomnomnomming on your Mana Cho'Gath style. You should always try and heal your partner, because it also heals yourself in the process. The awesome thing about this ability is plain and simple: "The cooldown of Imbue is reduced by 1 second, per auto hit." That is pretty awesome, when you get some attack speed you can spam heal, whenever it suits you. As an AD champion, he will be able to spam heal people while dealing tons of damage in teamfights, because the cooldown is lowered by 1 second per autohit.

Shatter

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Shatter is a useful aura in both team fights and in the lane, granting you armor. This will aid you and your AD carry in the bot lane vs another AD carry & Support, giving you an advantage. The spell can also be used as a nuking device, it even decreases their armor.

Dazzle

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Yes, sire! Dazzle is a perfect CC ability, probably one of the best single target stuns in the game. It is easy to land and will help you out zone the enemy, as they will be in fear of that stun. it can be the key to winning a teamfight, when used to stun their carries. In lane, it's just fantastic when combined with another ability like Caitlyn's Yordle Snap Trap (you can run forward stunning them, while Cait plants a trap under them). A good CC rotation, I will tell you more about laning partners later in the guide.

Radiance

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The ultimate that got buffed! This is such a brilliant spell, a burst damage and a team buff, granting both AP and AD! The cooldown isn't too long, and it lasts long enough for a team fight to finish off.

Taric is a really strong laning partner, especially when it comes to support/AD carry. You'll see him shine like a star. It is very important to keep in mind NOT to take any of the lasthits from your partner, even though you are trying to get back some mana, by auto-hitting the minions, if you are going to hit any of the minions, make sure that you won't do the killing blow on them.
Taric is definitely one of the strongest supports in the game at the moment, and is best in the lane together with a Champion who has good burst due to his stun.

Support:

On the lane you should primarily focus on the following:

• Keep your partner alive, don't do something stupid that gets you both killed.
• Aid your carry to get free farm (Try and see if you can zone them)
• Let your carry have the kills, you're looking for when the opportunity arises.
• Make a quick push, using your abilities when you have in mind to recall or leave the lane(for a swift dragon or gank)
• Prepare to sacrifice yourself, if it means you get to save a fellow teammate.

AP-Carry:

On the lane you should primarily focuse on the following:

• Farm, Farm, Farm.
• Be smart when harassing, and try to avoid getting harassed too much. The good thing about Taric is that he got heal, so trade a few attacks on each other - You can just heal yourself up again.
• Auto-hit minions when possible, don't worry about pushing the lane - I doubt you will get to push it as Taric unless you're spamming Shatter (Which you shouldn't do)
• Did I get to say you had to farm? .. Farm, you will need it.
• Use every single chance you get to hurt the enemy, or kill him.

AD-Carry:

• Stay away from the lane, you're a jungler. Laning AD Taric isn't the best.
• Be quick on the ganks, you got a stun. Its a sure kill almost everytime.
• When you are asked to hold a lane for a fellow teammember, do NOT I repeat do NOT auto-hit the minions, only last hit.
• Counter-Jungle the enemy on Wraiths and Golems.
• Nothing wrong with using your ultimate when having to steal the enemy junglers buff's.
• Ward the enemy jungle, for easy counter-jungling.

Tank:

• You're the tank, I hope you know what that means.
• It is your role to protect your teammates, and tank the burst damage.
• Farming as the tank is okay, unless you're taking them from another Carry.
• You are the one to engage the teamfight
• Use your brain, you can be the one to lead your team into victory or death.
• Think about every single step you do, the team will follow you.

Now to the laning partners.
Usefull laning partners(my favorites) are the following:

Ranged AD Carries:

• Caitlyn <'3 She is definitely my favorite partner over everyone, and combined together with Taric she is even stronger. Taric throws a Dazzle on the enemy, followed by Caitlyn's Yordle Snap Trap. A good CC and free time to damage them down and force them to retreat.
  
• Vayne is also another strong AD carry to lane with if Taric first gets a stun on the enemy, she has plently of time to place herself in a good position and knock them into the wall with Condemn
  
• Urgot might look disgusting, but don't judge him by his look - This fellow got some high damage! Once again Taric stuns and Urgot gets free time to land his Noxian Corrosive Charge, which procs with his Acid Hunter (Q) Simply giving too much damage for anyone to outheal it.
  
• Graves, fresh meat. This guy is the latest AD-Carry in the game, and I've been playing with a few Graves, it dominates the bot lane, thanks to Taric's wonderfull Dazzle - The second Taric hits the enemy champion with a Dazzle, Graves can easily Dash forward and hit the target with all 3 bullets.

AP Carries:

• Nomnomnom, Cho'Gath is my favorite partner when it comes to an AP carry. I am playing together with a good Cho'Gath in ranked, and quite frankly we haven't lost a single ranked game together with that combo yet(3v3). It seems unstoppable, as long as our top-carry is doing decent as well. It's even better with a mate who knows the combo, for example my 3v3 partner Nisbeth. By the ding of lvl 2-3 we get atleast 1 kill, and we keep on nuking them. Truly a trolling CC-combo.
  
• Bird, bird.. Bird is the word. Together with an Anivia, a lane will get dominated (This is not recommended for ranked, only trolling in normal) Anivia can smoothly land her Flash Frost on the enemy when first Taric placed a Dazzle. The combo is also really hard to gank, so they shouldn't worry about pushing. Double stun + Slow + a wall. Not the easiest thing to get nearby them.
  
• I haven't played much with the Sion/Taric combo, but it functions. A double stun + lots of burst damage. After the buff on Taric's Radiance(ultimate), all the AP-Carry/Taric combo's turned even stronger.
  
• Yup, this combo is just straight up trollin' Soraka + Taric, the high armor and magic resist combined.. Auch, the lane that never dies? This combo might not get any kills, but it fits for trolling and pissing off your opponent.

Melee Champions

• Talon, assassin that bursts you down before you get to react. I have played with a lot of Talons while being support myself, and most of them have been doing good. Talon/Support seems to brutally counter AD-Ranged/Support.
  
• Garen, spin to win! Garen's spin to win will literally roflcopter the enemy when a Dazzle is placed.
  
• Pantheon is also a strong companion, due to the strong burst and CC.

Arhh, what am I saying? Taric is wonderful partner for everyone.

The feeling of everyone that lanes with Taric:

The teams are grouping up, and a teamfight is incoming - You're running in circles unsure who to choose and Dazzle Remember that you are tanky, and can easily engage. Just run in, when you know your teammates are prepared to pick out the one you stun, which should primarily be an AP carry or a ranged AD Carry, whomever is squishy and fed(STUN THE CHAMPION WHO HAS THE HIGHEST DAMAGE OUTPUT). Pop your Radiance when the fight breaks loose, but remain with your Shatter on for a while, the bonus armor really matters. When the fight is about to end, use Shatter to add some extra damage (Make sure NOT to killsteal with this spell)
Keep in mind to use Imbue on your low healthed teammate, and NEVER on yourself, that is why Imbue is so awesome, it heals both you and the teammate you throw it on.
It might not be a Soraka heal, but it's still pretty damn good!

Support : Keep in mind that you are support, stay in the background after popping your
ultimate, stun their carries and heal your team mates. You're not the one to get the kills.

AP-Carry : You might need to break into them, try and hit multiple targets when popping your Shatter & Radiance It's your job to give as much AoE-Burst-Damage as possible. Keep in mind that your heal is really powerfull when stacked with a high AP ratio, so do not forget about your heal.

AD-Carry : You're not a powerfull magican anymore, you're a melee hero. Let the tank engage, and follow him into the teamfight, pick out the carries with your Dazzle and nuke him down. Keep in mind not to Rambo as Xin Zhao would do, use your brain and pull out if you get focused, then go back in after they change target.

Tank: You're the tank now, it's your role to make the right decisions on when to start the team fight, use the chances you get if someone from the enemy team is out of position. Wherever you go, your team should follow you. But use your brain, they might not always follow you into a suicide mission. You will have the armor, magic resist and health to tank everyone from the opposite team, so do it! The more burst and damage they use on you, the better.

AND FOR GOD SAKE, DO NOT CHASE A TARGET AND LEAVE YOUR TEAM! KEEP CLOSE TO YOUR TEAM DURING THE FIGHT!

I've been telling minor things about both Support, AP-Carry, Jungle Taric and Tank, now I'm gonna go a little more into details on the Items, Runes & Masteries for each role.

Lets start of with Support, which should give your team an advantage on the start items.

• Start the game by casting a Clairvoyance by the enemy Nexus, it should show their starter items and what lane they are heading towards.
• Your build order is quite simple with the starter items, and should not be affected by their team combo. Buy x1 Faerie Charm and x2 Sight Ward's + 2 Health pot's and a mana pot. If you have some gold to spare (due to the new masteries), buy whatever suits you.
• Recall when you have money for Philosopher's Stone, followed by Boots(Remember to bring a ward or two)
• On the third recall you should have money enough for Heart of Gold and shoes(I will explain which boots can be suitable later on)
• Congratulations, you got your shoes. Now it's time to buy either a Vision Ward or an Oracle(I'd personally go with Oracle) To remove the other team's wards, and decreasing their map control.

Aegis of the Legion, is one of the most important items for Taric, and the team. Such a great item, for a low price, It's all around and buffing nearby allied champions. It grants the team Armor, Magic Resistance and extra damage to nearby allied champions. Lets start off with Ninja's tabi are not the best shoes for Taric, but they can be of use. The 25armor and 12dodge are a good counter vs heavy AD-teams,and this item should ONLY be bought if the team is filled with melee and AD characters.

Now to the Mercury's Treads, you should get this item in almost every game, since you're already pretty tanky vs AD thanks to your Shatter. The magic resist is nice, and it really helps you against high CC based teams.

Boots of Mobility? That sounds kinda strange for a Taric, doesn't it now? Nah, not really. Roaming Taric is a possibility, but this should only be done if you are sure, that your bot partner can handle a 2v1 lane. Ionian Boots of Lucidity, are viable as well. They're cheap and grant you CD reduction, nothing to complain about. I noticed several times that I was 0.2 seconds from that Imbue, Shatter or Dazzle which would have saved me, or would have given me a kill. + You will have the gold for a ward or two, on picking these boots.
I recommend only picking one of them, and keep your 6th slot free for wards.

Runes fitting for Taric support:

Marks:

• Greater Mark of Magic Penetration: The Magic Penetration is very good for Taric, and my favorite rune pick in marks, the burst damage with Shatter, Dazzle and Radiance is a bit higher with Magic Penetration.
• Greater Mark of Armor: Is another good pick, if we are almost 100% sure that the combo you meet at bot will be AD-carry. The added armor makes the carry feel like he/she has no damage, when she is attempting to harass you.
  
  Seals:
• Greater Seal of Scaling Mana Regeneration: Mana regen per level? Perfect! Easier to remain on the lane, without having to auto-hit the minions constantly for more mana.
• Greater Seal of Armor: The same as above in Marks, the extra armor makes the enemy AD-Carry feel like its invalid to harass you.
  
  Glyphs:
• Greater Glyph of Magic Resist: Magic resist? It's always useful, along with the armor to engage the battles, without feeling too squishy.
• Greater Glyph of Scaling Ability Power: AP per level, for more damage and heal on the lane, who can complain about that? I bet your partner likes that you have good damage and heal.
  
  Quintessences:
• Greater Quintessence of Health: The extra health is always nice, you get the feeling of being more tanky.
• Greater Quintessence of Ability Power: Ability Power increases Taric's early game damage with a good amount, and it might make the difference between getting the kill or not. Should give you a better start in the laning phase.
• Greater Quintessence of Gold: It's decent, 1 gold per 10sec is always nice, but not something I use often.
• Greater Quintessence of Movement Speed: The extra movement speed will make the enemy step further back, in fear of you rushing out from the bush to land a stun on them.

Masteries:
I personally like to start out 9/0/21, taking up in Archaic Knowledge for the 10% Spell penetration. 1% of the target's magic resistance is quite a lot, even though it had a nerf from 15% to 10%.

Utility Utility 0/9/21:
Wards:Warding guide, with both Sight Wards and Vision Wards. This should show you the best places to put down a ward, and which type of ward.
As you might see, I decided to place down a Vision Ward nearby the wraiths. If you played support for a while, you probably often decide to place a ward nearby their wraiths or your own for the extra map control, and I've earned a good amount of gold on placing Vision Ward's at those two locations in the game. Vision Warding that location should wait to mid/late game.

Well, that was my supportive part of the guide. Lets move on to AP-Carry.

This chapter will cover what champions you could risk meeting in the bot lane, and how to counter them, from A-Z. AD-Carry:

Ashe

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Frost Shot Keep in mind to stay behind the minions until Ashe used her first auto-hit on a minion, if she gets to hit you with both Focus and Volley in level 1, you will be around 50% health or less. From there on it should be easy to handle, the second Ashe used her Volley you can step forward and zone her, her auto-hit is simply giving too little damage and if you first get her with Dazzle she will get a rough start and be forced to stay in a defensive position, which should also decrease the number of her last hits. The most dangerous part would be when she reaches level 6 and gets her Enchanted Crystal Arrow, keep those wards up! If first she hits you with that arrow + their jungler comes out, you're dead. I doubt Flash will rescue you. But in overall I'm not afraid of Ashe at all, and you should be able to handle her.

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Corki

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I rarely see Corki anymore, and I have not met him many times. Just remember to watch out for Missile Barrage, you can get hit even if you hide behind minions, they deal splash damage. Gatling Gun is used as a offensive ability, try and see if you can make him turn around and flee when having this ability on, if you can't make him waste it, pull back. Corki can be difficult to gank thanks to Valkyrie and hard to escape as well, try and see if you can make him waste it, by acting like you have intentions of using Dazzle on him. Go for the kill, when he got Valkyrie on cooldown, and do not chase him! He can jump over walls. But nothing you cannot handle.

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Caitlyn

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Solo mid with no teleport, but she can also duo bot with no teleport :3 I feel like rage-quitting, when I pick Taric and ends up meeting Caitlyn, everytime I'm trying to step forward and Dazzle her, she will just kite me and shoot me 1-2 times thanks to her long range on the auto-hits, I cannot get close to her and if I finally get close enough, she'll just use 90 Caliber Net and get too far away from me to Shatter. Yordle Snap Trap is excellent to zone me and my partner, I usually like to creep up in the bush and jump out to Dazzle them, but her traps keeps me away from doing it, which also makes it harder for me to get close and stun her. Piltover Peacemaker is not a problem, all you have to do is pay some attention and you can dodge them all, but when first it hits, it hurts, just keep an open eye on her. Caitlyns ultimate Ace in the Hole is not THAT big a deal, you can step infront and take the damage for your partner, it isn't hard. Ace in the Hole gives a lot of damage, and prepare to sacrifice yourself if the rare situation happens where both you and your partner are on low health, do not hesitate to sacrifice yourself for him, you are the support. Use your brain versus Caitlyn you can beat her, but it is not easy.

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Ezreal

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Skill.. Shots, Shots, Shots, Shots! Keep in mind that Ezreal is a very fragile champion, so play aggressive vs him, and that he is completely skill shot based, so just make sure to stay behind the minions. Shouldn't be a big problem, he got some good damage early game, but will get weak in the late game if you avoid feeding him, he shouldn't be a problem if just you know how to stay behind the minions and engage when he used Mystic Shot Just keep in mind when recalling while on low health that he might fire his ultimate Trueshot Barrage and hit you, so don't shop start shopping before you recalled.

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Graves

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I haven't found a good song for Graves yet, please be kind and link one, if you can find one Stay out of range, Graves got two excellent ways of escaping with Quickdraw and Smoke Screen, but you should play very aggressive against Graves do NOT let him remain in combat due to his passive True Grit, the more you zone him the better it gets. He shouldn't be a problem, the only thing that annoys me about him is Quickdraw when I'm attempting to Dazzle him.

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Kog'Maw

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No song yet, if you got one, please link it. Annoying little creature, with a passive that annoys me. When finally killing this guy he ends up with his passive Void Ooze and manages to chase you, meaning you often trade kills 1 for 1. Thanks to the long range you can have problems when attempting to get close and Dazzle him, this is one of the few situations where I would max Imbue before Shatter. Remember to move swiftly when Kog'Maw reaches level 6 and gets Living Artillery It can burn his mana, so just remember to move when you see it, its not hard. You should be able to handle this guy, just play a bit defensive.

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Miss Fortune

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Miss Fortune ft. Gangplank xD I personally love Miss Fortune (Mafia MF ^.^) but Taric is a ***** towards her, and you should max. Shatter here, since Imbue won't be worth much, when Miss Fortune uses Impure Shots. Nothing you should worry about here, just keep in mind to stand infront of the minions because her Double Up often bounces to the target behind the one she used it on.

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Sivir

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Your base about to Blow-uh-uh-uh up Believe it or not, I HATE meeting Sivir, she's the worst AD-Carry to meet when playing Taric, you are giving her free mana when attempting to Dazzle her, since Tarics stun is rather slow Sivir will have plenty of time to pop her Spell Shield and gain mana from my ability, Spell Shield is basically a free Banshee's Veil which grants you mana, she can easily kite me and I need my partner to poke her down, as I cannot get close and Dazzle her. I used to play Sivir a lot once, almost every game and dominated. People really underestimate her. One of the most annoying characters to meet on the lane.

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Teemo

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Captain Teemo! Captain Teemo is great at harrasing, and with Toxic Shot his pokes are very annoying, I would recommend to max Imbue before Shatter when playing against this little fellow :) Be carefull in the first level, he sometimes waits in a bush with Camouflage and jumps out, killing you within seconds, if stepping into a bush early game, make sure you are atleast 2 people. Blinding Dart is a pain for the AD-Carry, causing your partner to miss all his/her shots, try and see if you can Dazzle him before he gets to use Blinding Dart to get a few autohits on him, before pulling back. Either you will meet a pro Teemo or a horrible Teemo, 50 50 on how he will do. Just keep in mind to either get a pink ward or stay out of the bushes when Teemo reaches level 6 and gets Noxious Trap.

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Tristana

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No song yet When meeting Tristana on the lane, stand away form your creeps in a lane to take less collateral damage from Explosive Shot, she can difficult to stun thanks to Rocket Jump, you won't get close before the stun is over and she can return the damage. But I do not find Tristana a challenge at all, and I cheer every time I meet Tristana, Draw a Bead might increase her range, but she won't be a problem for you at all.

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Twitch

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No song yet The Plague Rat is not a big problem, you shouldn't worry too much about him early game. Twitch is rather fragile, so just work with your teammates to focus him when you're able to catch him out of position and stealth. Oracle should counter him, and a Vision Ward early game will force him to play defensive. Just REMEMBER to call that damn MIA/SS when Twitch is missing. This guy should be dead the second you stun him.

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Urgot

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Time to die Ugh, most disgusting Champion in this game? Urgot is annoying to meet, and I feel like people don't know how to handle this guy. Stay behind your minions to avoid getting hit by Acid Hunter, not that hard. But when Urgot hits someone with Noxian Corrrosive Charge I feel like people are handling him wrong, they usually flee for their lives in fear of getting hit by Acid Hunter DO NOT FLEE, remember you are Taric go forward and Dazzle him, by that time the effect from Noxian Corrosive Charge should be about to off and you and your partner would end up giving him much more damage than what he did to you. Also keep in mind not to turret dive him early game, thanks to his ultimate Hyper-Kinetic Position Reverser, it will keep you in a locked position while taking turret damage + you will switch positions, that turret dive could easily end up as a failure. Urgot is difficult on the lane, but you should be able to handle him.

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Vayne

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No song yet Keep in mind that Vayne is a fragile champion, turn the pressure up on her and force her to play cautiously, a farmed Vayne can give your team a lot of problems mid and late game. Be careful when staying in the bush, or close to another wall, you can have a hard time escaping when first she gets to Condemn you, try and stay away from the walls, and go forward the second she Tumble and uses an auto-hit. Vayne can be annoying and one of the worst champions to meet, or one of the easiest, it depends on your position and how you handle her.

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Support:
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Alistar

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Hey there Alistar! Damn that cow! Be careful as always Alistar got more CC than you, he can throw you around and into the air. Watch out for his Pulverize-Headbutt combo when around turrets. And keep in mind that when Alistar uses Unbreakable Will it can sometimes be better to either back off or change target. He can be very difficult for you, and you will need a skilled partner to handle him, you can't do it alone.

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Gangplank

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Walk the Plank I know the most of you wonder why I decided to place Gangplank under the support section. But I have seen enough support gankplanks to accept this, I am not a fan of it myself, but after thinking it through he fits perfectly with another AD-Carry. Imagine Vayne and Gangplank together when first he uses Raise Morale, increasing their attack damage and movement speed + Cannon Barrage to slow them down, and a nice amount of damage. Be careful when playing vs this pirate, he can quickly turn the fight around before you get to react.

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Janna

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0:10-1:20, Janna taking care of the mic Time for Janna, she can be tiresome sometimes with all her abilities, everytime you're attempting to poke your enemy down Janna just shield them with Eye of the Storm, and increases the shielded targets Attack Damage, it can be very difficult to take Janna, you just gotta keep in mind she got no heal, so keep on poking and trade health for health, keep in mind you are Taric and can heal your partner back up again Janna cannot do the same. Try and save somesort of interrupt to when Janna uses Monsoon it can be a lifesavior, as well as Howling Gale a small and short CC, turn up your volume and you can hear her charging it up, so just be awake and dodge it Howling Gale is slow and you will have plenty of time to dodge it. She can be annoying, but if you're playing with your brain, you will win this lane.

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Karma

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No song yet Most underrated support champion in the game: Karma. People do not realise how much damage she has, and how good her skills are. Heavenly Wave gains AoE heal, Spirit Bond can increase your teammates run speed, and slow your enemies, Soul Shield gives excellent damage and shields your teammate. See if you can poke down Karma and make her waste Mantras, without them she will be weak. Her Heavenly Wave won't heal anyone, just give damage and Soul Shield will only grant her target a shield without any kind of damage. SO JUST ATTACK WHEN YOU SEE Karma HAVE NO MantraS READY! You can take her.

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Leona

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Till The Game Ends I never played Leona myself, but I've met her many times.. A time too much for me, tanky support. Might not have a heal, but she can tank and her CC + Damage actually overshines Taric luckily enough, she are skill-shot based on her Zenith Blade and Solar Flare so they are possible to dodge, but it is hard. When playing vs Leona you have to play extremly careful, I really hate meeting this champion when it comes to a 2v2 fight. Focus on the farm and sustain in the lane, do not go for the kills against Leona and her partner.

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Lux

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1:14-1:35, Lux takes over the mic in D-Town. D'aww, Lux <'3, I love playing on a lane with Lux when I'm going AD-Carry. She is a good partner, but there exist better. Lux got CC with Light Binding and slow through Lucent Singularity, that is really it about her. If you play smart enough, she won't get to hit you, since she is 100% skill-shot based and her shield Prismatic Barrier won't do much, you hit right through it. I love playing with her myself, but on the other hand.. I also love meeting her, she's very easy to counter.

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Nidalee

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..Just listen Some people roll it, and I feel the need to place her in the support section. I personally like her going solo-top a lot more than bot as support, she need some last hits and the second she gets her ascept of the cougar she usually decides to take some creeps no matter if her partner complains or not. But lets see it from another perspective, where she isn't stealing the creeps, she got some good damage and a powerful Primal Surge which increases the healed targets attack speed. That's very good with a champion like Vayne but I do not see Nidalee as a challenge, just try and keep out of the bushes since she will probally take control over them with Bushwhack and if you are chasing her through the bush she will most likely get away thanks to her passive Prowl. But that said Nidalee will not be a problem, just keep in mind to dodge her Javelin Toss

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Nunu

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Brings back memories If you have a better song here, please link it. I cannot speak from personal experience when writting this part about Nunu & Willump, only from what I have seen on a few streams. The only reason I decided to accept Nunu & Willump is because I have seen it in action on a 2k elo player, where it worked perfect. Acording to me Nunu & Willump should remain in the jungle, but besides that - He does fit good together with an AD-character, thanks to Blood Boil which increases the movement and attack speed of nearby allies. And his ice blast got a good amount of damage, and a slow which really helps on the chasing. But he is also really easy to counter, the second he uses Absolute Zero, all you have to do is throw Dazzle and it will be a waste for Nunu & Willump. I would say you can afford to ignore him and go directly for their carry, since Nunu & Willump isn't dealing extremly much damage.

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Sona

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Sona <'3 Play me another song <'3 :* - When I cannot play Taric I pick Sona, I love playing Sona almost as much as Taric, her damage early game is amazing Hymn of Valor + Power Chord Be aware of when she have Power Chord up, and when she used it. The second she used it, you use the chance and step forward to take her out. She is one of the hardest supports you can meet on the lane, thanks to all her aura's (Almost like a small Nashor' buff) + She can turn the fight around when she gets her ultimate Crescendo, the melody is simply so good, that you just have to stop up and dance. Sona will be a challenge on the lane.

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Soraka

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Hey there Soraka 2-legged unicorn? Soraka is amazing when it comes to sustain, so what if Astral Blessing got a long Cooldown? It heals a lot, and you have to play very aggressive against her, otherwise you will loose the lane over time. The most annoying part about this strange creatue is Infuse not only does it give her partner or Soraka herself a good amount of mana back, but it also works as a silence, everytime I'm stepping forward to Dazzle she ends up using Infuse on me, and force me to go back. You have to wait for her to use infuse on someone else before attempting to Dazzle, and keep in mind to attack the opposite target of whom she uses Astral Blessing on. That is the only way to get her, elsewhy Astral Blessing will grant too much armor.

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Taric

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Truly Truly Outrageous Oh no what is this?! Mirror lane?! Don't worry, I met Taric lots of times while playing him myself. Taric often makes a mistake in the lane when it comes to using Dazzle. What you have to do is be patient and wait for the enemy Taric to stun you or your partner, keep in mind it will take them a while to get close and actually hurt you, so the second Dazzle wears off, you throw it on them and gets a bit more time to actually damage them, and force them to pull out. It's all about being patient. Many Tarics often does the mistake of running forward and throwing only Dazzle for no good use, you're just loosing mana on it and giving 0 damage. Keep Dazzle ready till you actually need it, don't just use it randomly. May the best Taric win!

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Zilean

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Bonus XP in effect I met him a few times, and I hate this guy. High damage early game, thanks to Time Bomb and is hard to catch thanks to Time Warp, might not have any heal, but that doesn't matter for this guy. A skilled Zilean can be a very big challenge for you, and when you finally think that you get to kill him.. Owh! He revives with Chronoshift, I hate this guy. And it takes a lot of skills to win over him, since you need to get within melee range to even hurt him, the problem about this is that he will end up giving more damage than you and your carry when first Dazzle goes off. Remember he will be worse late game, just avoid giving them kills and wait for a gank.

If you feel like I miss anyone, please do not hesitate to tell me.
And if you feel like you know a better song to a Champion that the one I picked, just show me and I will think about it.

Time for a quick walkthrough on AP-Carry.

AP-Taric is one of the rare builds out there in the League of Legends, and something I haven't seen with my own eyes, except for myself playing AP-Taric. I've seen a guide or two about it, and was quite impressed by some of the scores (I was originally inspired to try out AP-Taric, by iCheatx. Look him up on Mobafire) I decided to test it out, and was quite impressed over the results and the damage output that Taric has as an AP-carry. I'm not saying he is the best AP-carry in the game, but he can be played and he can carry a decent team.

When playing AP-Taric, you should use the advantage of having Dazzle, everyone fears the stun and you can easily outzone the enemy with it. If they give you a chance to harass, USE IT! Scare them as much as possible, dominate the lane and show people a new way of playing Taric other than just the usual support style!

Start items:

• Start of with Doran's Ring (I find his AP ratio a little too low for MID carry without Doran's Ring as starter item) On your first recall, you should have the money for Boots, buy them and x1 health pot and x1 mana pot.
• On your next recall I suggest for you to buy Kage's Lucky Pick all depending on how it is going, if you're feeling a bit too squishy and mana hungry, pick up another Doran's Ring instead before you continue with your build.

Deathfire Grasp is the MOST important item in this build, and you should get it as soon as possible, I sometimes jump straight to Deathfire's Grasp before I get tier 2 boots.
Taric's rotation is not enough to kill a target with full hp, he will be in need of the extra damage from Deathfire Grasp, which is also why it is so important to get it!

Rabadon's Deathcap, made through your Needlessly Large Rod. This item is also very important, since you need a high AP ratio, and its kinda a standard core item for AP-carries in general.
Lich Bane is made through your Sheen, and it can rapidly increase your damage output to the max, if you know how to use it decently. If you have the time, try and put in an auto-attack between every single spell (even Imbue) to max your damage output, you will notice how much Lich Bane matters when first you figure out how to use it correctly. I'm gonna keep this one very short, there is only one kind of boots you should get for Taric, when going AP-Carry - And that is Sorcerer's Shoes! End of discussion. You will be in need of that Magic Penetration. SPACE
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Runes fitting for Ability Power Taric:

Marks:

• Greater Mark of Magic Penetration:, Magic penetration? Aye, I would not say that this should be replaced. I won't recommend anything else in this section, you will be in need of that Magic Penetration.
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  Seals:
• Greater Seal of Scaling Mana Regeneration, as Taric always says "With Clarity", instead of going with the Summoner spell Clarity, just take the runes. The mana regen is a nice thing, and really helps on his mana-hunger.
• Greater Seal of Ability Power, is also great, if you have intentions to go flat AP in all your runes (Do NOT change them in marks, go Armor Penetration there]
  
  Glyphs:
• Greater Glyph of Scaling Ability Power goes as my top 1. recommended in blue runes, the extra ability power early game will make the difference on getting a kill, or seeing him escape with 5hp.
• Greater Glyph of Magic Penetration stacked with your build? You will penetrate through their magic resist, like a knife cutting through butter.
  
  Quintessences:
• Greater Quintessence of Ability Power = Yay! High damage early game, while the enemy got no kind of Magic resist to stop your spells from piercing right through their Magic resist.
• Greater Quintessence of Magic Penetration,Mhmrhm another Magic penetration rune.
• Greater Quintessence of Health: More health early game? Why the heck not? Anything that will make you less squishy is always an option.

A quick brief about the Masteries:
They are very much alike the aggressive support style 9/0/21, but I placed some of the talents in the Utility tree somewhere else.

Utility 9/0/21 : Shatter as well in the supportive masteries, for the early damage Shatter offers you. Instead of heal, I recommend maxing up Dazzle afterwards, for the extra damage. Imbue should be maxed out last, when going for AP-Carry, and remember to pick your ultimate Radiance, in lvl 6, 11 and 16.
Gameplay :
I know most of you probally have an idea on how Taric functions, but for those of you who do not know, I'm gonna show you a good rotation when going in for the kill (Don't worry, there are pictures to show it) Since Taric is a melee based hero with close-up spells, you will need to have your [dazzle] ready to get close and give some damage before the opponent gets to react:

What you will have to do is go in with Dazzle and use your Deathfire Grasp to take a good portion of their health, when finally getting close up to him, pop your Radiance followed by a swift Shatter, then finish him off with Ignite and an auto-hit.- IF YOU HAVE THE TIME & HAVE BOUGHT Lich Bane - THEN REMEMBER TO PUT IN AN AUTO-ATTACK BETWEEN EACH SPELL IF POSSIBLE -

Now with some pictures, to keep it more simple :)

Dazzle :(
Deathfire Grasp :/
Radiance :)
Shatter :o
Ignite to end him :O
(The smileys are supposed to represent your real life facial reaction when bursting them down)
I hope I managed to go in depth on everything you needed to know. If not, please inform me.

-Once again, I was originally inspired by Cheatx to try out AP-Taric, look him up on Mobafire.

This chapter will cover what champions you could risk meeting in the mid lane, and how to counter them, from A-Z (The most common AP-Mid Champions). AP-Carry:
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Akali

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Might not be Akali based, but she got a picture of Akali This girl should not be a problem early game, you should take her on the lane, but it can turn out difficult when she begins to get enough spellvamp, you get the feeling that your harass is in vain. And it is, by this point you should have killed her once or twice, and start focusing on either farming as much as possible or ganking on the different lanes. When Akali gets her spellvamp, then you will start to have problems.

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Anivia

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Bird, Bird, Bird is the word This bird is a lovely partner for you in a normal game, but also a very easy champion to win against. True, she got her annoying passive Rebirth throwing her into an egg when you finally kill her, but don't worry, Anivia is relatively easy to handle, I recommend for you to get Boots instead of Doran's Ring as your first item, just be quick and dodge her Flash Frost then you should have control over her. Make her fear your Dazzle, do not spam it, use it when going in for a swift harass attempt, and hurry away quickly again. If you are skilled, you will learn to throw Dazzle the same second Anivia throws Flash Frost - The smart thing about this is, that Anivia cannot stun you with Flash Frost while in any kind of Crowd Control. You can take this bird, don't you worry!

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Annie

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Annie ft Alistar A small girl, she seems harmless right? NO! Annie is difficult for you, it is all about timing. Watch her passive Pyromania when you noticed she recently used it, you have to use your chance and go in for the harass with a Dazzle+ Shatter combo, then hurry away again. Try and see if you can get to do this as Annie uses either Disintegrate or Incinerate. Dominate her until she reaches level 6 and gets Summon: Tibbers Tibbers(/pedobear), this is where you have to be careful and do not step forward before being at almost 100% health, at this point she will turn very dangerous. Try and see if you can't trick her somehow, maybe flash out as she uses Tibbers.

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Brand

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Who can I slay? Another person using fire?.. Jeezh, against Brand I suggest you get Boots to dodge both Sear and Pillar of Flame. Most Brands that I encounter when playing mid-lane likes to spam their abilities, use this to your advantage! The second Brand decides to use both Pillar of Flame and Conflagration rush forward and show him what you're made of! It can be difficult to beat him, play on the sustain.

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Cassiopeia

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1:28 - 1:44, N-Game Cassiopeia. Probally one of the hardest AP-carries you can meet on the lane, and that doesn't only go for Taric, I hate playing an AP-carry when meeting Cassiopeia. You have no choice get those Boots, elsewhy she will have too much harass for you to sustain and farm. Everytime you attempt to take a creep, you will either get hit by Noxious Blast or Miasma if not both, either ask for A LOT of ganks, or focus most of your game on ganking the side lanes. You're xp and farm will be denied mid.

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Gragas

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Like a Gragas Care for a drink? I'm sure Gragas is up for one! This lane should not be a problem, your choice if you wish to start with dorans ring or Boots both are fine, you could use the shoes to dodge Gragas' Barrel Rolls. Keep in mind that Gragas do not have much more besides his Barrel before level 6, Body Slam can deal some damage true, but he will probally use this ability to escape. Every time Gragas decides to Barrel Roll the minion wave or you, just attack him. You can handle him.

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Karthus

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Press R Okay, I'm gonna be honest here: Meeting Karthus makes me feel like ragequtting before the match even begins. Karthus is the hardest champion you can meet, and you have no choice but to pick Boots, he will harass you so easily, and keep you away from last hitting. If you finally get a Dazzle and Shatter on him, you will end up loosing more health yourself. Lets see: Wall of Pain --> Lay Waste --> Defile --> Lay Waste --> Lay Waste --> Lay Waste --> Lay Waste --> Lay Waste --> Requiem. You will loose much more on it than him. Ask for ganks 24/7, drop the farm and go gank on the side lanes. You cannot meeting anyone worse than Karthus when playing Taric.

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Kassadin

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The Void Unless Kassadin gets blue buff very early in the game, he should be easy for you. You can get close and harass him without problems, if he uses Null Sphere to silence you just keep on running after him and Dazzle when the silence goes off. Avoid spamming your abilities, to avoid for Kassadin to stack up Force Pulse. Ask your support to throw Clairvoyance by their Nexus when the game begins, buy dorans ring unless Kassadin gets Boots himself.

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Katarina

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Katarina takes care of this song, N-game The Deadly Beauty Katarina will be smooth to handle, everytime she uses Shunpo for a last hit, you can use Dazzle + Shatter and a few auto-hits without any problems. You should NOT loose to a Katarina unless you are getting ganked 24/7. When Katarina reaches level 6, just keep Dazzle ready for Death Lotus, if you cancel that ability she's done. Zone her, and farm. Farm, farm, farm. Very simple.

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Kennen

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I wanna be the very best!(Pokémon) League of Legends Pokémon? Kennen is not easy to handle, and as always you gotta wait for the enemy to use an ability they shouldn't have used. In this example you should for Kennen to use Thundering Shuriken or Lightning Rush without Thundering Shuriken he won't have as much damage, and without Lightning Rush he got no good escape mechanism. You can take him, but you gotta play good.

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LeBlanc

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Tu es Foutu (I did not understand a single word in this song) LeBlanc got such a high burst, and can be hard for you to handle. Keep in mind you got Dazzle, stunning her will prevent her from activating the return part of Distortion. Also keep in mind to kite LeBlanc by staying behind your minions, to make Ethereal Chains hard to place. If LeBlanc hits you with Ethereal Chains use your Dazzle immediately. It will give you the time you need to get away before being unable to move. She will test your skills without a doubt, be cautious, you cannot afford a failure and fall behind on xp and gold.

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Lux

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1:14-1:35, Lux takes over the mic in D-Town. I will more or less do a CTRL-C CTRL-V from my other chapter, telling you how to handle Lux " Lux got CC with Light Binding and slow through Lucent Singularity, that is really it about her. If you play smart enough, she won't get to hit you, since she is 100% skill-shot based and her shield Prismatic Barrier won't do much, you hit right through it. I love playing with her myself, but on the other hand.. I also love meeting her, she's very easy to counter." Get Boots or Doran's Ring, your choice, depends on how sure you are about dodging her skill shots.

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Malzahar

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Dubstep version This guy can be hard, but you should beat him on the sustain. Wait for Malzahar to use an ability or two, and go forward when the chance comes. When he uses Malefic Visions on a minion, begin your harass with a Dazzle + Shatter combo, then pull out afterwards, you should be able to dodge Call of the Void and Null Zone without too many problems. He can begin to be a problem around level 6, as Malzahar is one of the strongest 1v1 champions thanks to his ultimate Nether Grasp. Believe it or not, you can actually cancel this spell! If you are skilled (and extremly lucky) enough to time his ultimate with your Dazzle it will cancel the cast and give you a better chance to win the battle. You should be able to take this guy, but it will be a challenge.

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Morgana

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No song yet Doesn't matter what kind of character I play on the mid lane as AP-Carry, I hate meeting Morgana, she will be very difficult, and your harass sometimes feel to be in vain, due to her passive Soul Siphon granting her spell vamp, and since you're melee-ranged, she can zone you from attacking the minions with Tormented Shadow. Stopping your farm is hurting you badly, and I would suggest focus on ganking the other lanes as much as possible. Do not even think about going in 1v1 vs Morgana she got her Black Shield to take care of your Dazzle, and she will out damage you. If you are going ranked, ask them to ban Morgana.

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Orianna

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Orianna's song :) and uhm.. BALLS TO YOU Get Boots against Orianna, to dodge her ball. You have to be patient and wait for her to use an ability, when she used, you should go in and harass her as much as possible, try and see if you can scare her and zone her. She won't be a big problem, just try and be aware of her ball, then everything should be fine.

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Ryze

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I'm blue da ba dee, da ba die.. Very hard champion for you, one of the worst to meet for you. Everytime you Dazzle and Shatter him, he will return the damage when Dazzle goes off, and probally end up damaging you more than you did to him. Try and exchange health once in a while, and win on your sustain with Imbue. Be patient, wait for him to use Overload and/or Rune Prison, that is where you should use your chance and attack while he got his abilities on cooldown. Very hard champion against Taric

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Sion

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Bone-Thug Sion (Arnold Schwarzenegger) xD Almost like a mirror lane, your abilities reminds of eachother. When you see Sion use Death's Caress step back, and wait for it to go off, that is where you should use your chance to harass him. In sustain you will win, trade some health once in a while, but I do not recommend to go in 1v1 without having him on low health first, he do have Cannibalism to get him full in no time.

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Swain

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T-Swain in the lane, N-Game When playing against Swain keep in mind that High mobility counters all of his basic abilities. When Swain uses Decrepify do not flee, move against him and Dazzle, elsewhy he will end up throwing Nevermove and damage you for a good amount of health. Swain is one of the few I won't play on sustain against, by level 6 he gets Ravenous Flock which will help him get health back very easy. Play aggressive vs this fellow and you should be able to take him.

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Veigar

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Baleful Strike (Dynamite Parody) I would suggest for you to get x3 Doran's Ring, I NEVER take 3 doran's at once, but against Veigar I will accept it, mana regen, ability power and health to survive his high burst. Play on the sustain, and poke him down. This guy is known for nuking people from 100% to 0% health in a second, that is why you need to buy a few health items early game. When he uses Baleful Strike on a minion for the ability power, start harrasing. Sometimes you can just see when Veigar have intentions of placing Event Horizon, if you are aware of him about to put it down, turn around and avoid getting stunned - This will also mean that he most likely will miss with Dark Matter as well, play on the sustain and play aggressive.

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Vladimir

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Trolololol A hard champion for you, play extremly aggresive in the first few levels, when Vladimir first reaches level 9 all your harass will be in vain, and he will out damage you in a 1v1 situation. Farm, farm, farm and play aggressive until level 9, you should begin to gank the different lanes by then.

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Xerath

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No song Is one of the strongest AP-Champions in the game at the moment, when it comes to the laning phase. Such a high burst and insane range, I have intentions of buying this champion after the next patch, unless Riot decides to him. When playing against Xerath try and be in a close range to scare him. Xerath does take a long time to use locus of power, when he uses this spell you should step forward and attempt to Dazzle him. I would suggest getting Boots when playing against Xerath, to avoid abilities like Mage chains and Arcane Barrage even though Arcane Barrage can be hard to dodge even with shoes. Try and see if you can keep up close ranged to this guy, the longer away you stand, the harder it can get for you.

If you feel like I need a specific AP-Character up there, feel free to tell me so and I will update it. + If you find a better song, fitted for a specific Champion I will listen to it and judge.

Jungling? Yes, Taric can jungle, and quite easy! Of course he is not the fastest jungler in the game, unlike people as Lee Sin and Trundle - You know what I mean :)

I used several attempts, tested different runes, masteries, builds and jungle routes attempting to get the best result possible, and I hope to get some positive feedback and criticism around my jungle guide, as I would always like to upgrade it to the be the best guide possible.

I'm gonna start it of by introducing you to 'my' way of jungling Taric, I've been checking out the different Taric guides and they all start by Blue pill (Golem), which I kinda dislike, 1 gank and you can be screwed early game. - To make sure you won't get confused, there will be a video representing my way of jungling as Taric.

• Start off with Cloth Armor and 1 Health Potion (You will only need 1 before recalling), as spell you have to choose Shatter
• Go down to the wolf camp and focuse the big wolf, kill the small ones afterwards (DO NOT Smite! OR USE A HEALTH POT)
• When done with the wolf camp, head towards the Wraith's camp but Smite the big wraith (The blue one) not the 3 other Wraiths then pick Imbue(just kill them afterwards), use Imbue the second you get it and pop your Health Potion.
• Go down towards the two Golems and start nuking them.
• After the two Golems you should recall, and buy x4 Health Potion's and a pair of shoes (or 4 health pots only, and spare up for Madred's Razors)
• Now head down towards the big Golem (Blue) and nuke it, smite when its on low health then kill the two small minions beside it.(Remember to use your Imbue rapidly and 1 Health Potion in the beginning of blue, when your health pot runs out, use another one)
• By this time, the wolves should have respawned for you to pick them up. Your second health pot from blue should still be on while you're fighting the wolves. (Don't pop a healthpot by blue, wait till you attack the wraiths before taking your 3rd last healthpot)
• You killed the wraiths, and got only 1 healthpot back.. Do not use it yet. Go down and kill Lizard (Red), when he is about to die you should pop your last healthpot and head down to the golems.
• Finish off the two golems, and you should have around 800g (if you did not buy Boots, which should be enough for Madred's Razors and a ward. You should probally find somewhere to gank now, while having double buff.

I know most of you are thinking "TARIC Y U NO START ON LE BLUE BUFF?" Well, starting at blue buff is possible, but I like my route a lot more due to the fact that even if I fail on my gank, I will still have enough money for Madred's Razors. If I would go the route by starting at Golem(Blue buff) and gank succesfully I would have the money for Madred's Razorsand Boots, BUT if my gank will be a failure I only have enough money for Boots and Long Swordwhich I find kinda annoying, I want to rush Madred's Razors asap. Therefore I picked my own route, finding it much more safe and when you're recalling (even if you will fail on your gank) you still got enough money for your Madred's Razors.
Play Video

Starting items:

• Most of the starting items is explained in the jungling route guide, but start with Cloth Armor and 1 Health Potion.
• On your first recall get x4 Health Potion's and Boots (you have to remain the base for 5 seconds more) or keep the 350g and continue jungling with only x4 Health Potion's, if you decide not to go with the boots to buy Madred's Razors, instead when you have the gold.
• When you finished the jungle, you should have 800g (Unless counter jungled or bought the boots) and have money enough for your Madred's Razors, which costs 700g. If you decided to go with the boots, get Long Sword and a Health Potion.
• On your next recall you should have enough for Heart of Gold, and are ready to begin building your core items.

Wriggle's Lantern will be a key-item early game, and is one of those things you should rush too as quick as possible. The stats are simply too great for a jungler as Taric to ignore, the item got some nice stats, but what makes this item so important early game is the 500 Magic damage it can do once in a while on the minions. It really helps you through the jungle and on dragon. + A free sight ward every 3rd minute.

Stark's Fervor is always nice, buffing your team, combined with 1-2 more AD carries on your team, this thing is worth the gold. Attack damage to yourself, 20% lifesteal & Attack speed + 30 regen per 5th second to the whole team + Reduction of the nearby enemy Champions armor.


Time for Frozen Mallet, with a passive slow combined with red buff this baby will not just slow your target, he can barely move! You will start to feel squishy, and this big hammer should keep you more tanky + It's not just some tank item, it has the damage you search for as well. Even better for you to get, thanks to the slow it grants. Ninja's Tabi is a decent choice, but not my favorite. Should ONLY be picked if they have heavy AD Champions on their team.
Mercury's Treads are my personal choice, going full AD Taric will simply make him too squishy, and since he is easily countered by heavy CC, Mercury's Treads will aid Taric.
I tried out these boots, but I feel too squishy without Mercury's Treads. Useful for high damage, but makes you very squishy. I know that my Manamune isn't part of my core build, but this is on purpose - You should buy Manamune after your shoes and before your Zeke's Harbinger. You will use it to keep up your mana regen while jungling and helping on the lanes (As jungle you will start giving out blue buff around level 9 and feel rather mana hungry. I'm attempting to solve the early/mid-game mana hunger problem by buying Manamune) Randuin's Omen, A 100% Defensive thing? Sometimes you will need a defensive thing or two if you wish to survive the teamfight longer, or survive through the whole thing. Armor, Health and regen + Unique passive with 5% Cooldown Reduction and a chance to slow their auto attacks with 20%. While its Unique passive slows the movement and attack speed of the surrounding units for 35%, while reducing their armor and magic resist, it can change the outcome of a teamfight and turn the whole thing around.
I would pick up Atma's Impaler as your last item, unless you are feeling the need for magic resist and are vs a heavy CC team, then I recommend for you to get banshee's viel - Otherwise get Atma's Impaler, it grants you armor and critical strike chance. Your physical damage is increased by 2% of your maximal hp, since you're gonna get this item in the late game, you should have a nice amount of hp, which fits perfectly together with Atma's Impaler
Jungle runes fitting for Taric :

Marks:

• Greater Mark of Desolation: The extra Armor Penetration is good, since I decided not to use armor penetration quintessences. I do not have many armor penetration items, which is also why I pick these runes in marks.
• Greater Mark of Attack Speed: Attack speed marks? This is a pref. in most of the guides I have read about a jungling Taric. But it's not really something I like to go with.
  
  Seals:
• Greater Seal of Armor: Armor! Armor, Armor, Armor! It's a great choice for runes early game when you're jungling.
• Greater Seal of Attack Speed Greater Seal of Alacrity : Attack speed in seals can also be very good, and I used to go with it myself but I like the armor seals a bit more.
  
  Glyphs:
• Greater Glyph of Attack Speed: Another rune part to use Attack speed. If you did not pick attack speed it either Marks(red) or Seals(yellow) You need to take them in Glyphs!(blue) Nothing much more to discuss.
• Greater Glyph of Magic Resist: If you have enough attack speed, just go with Magic resist. Always a nice defensive glyph to have on you.
  
  Quintessences:
• Greater Quintessence of Attack Damage: Attack damage is mostly for early game to make it through the jungle a bit quicker and have some extra damage when ganking on the lanes.
• Greater Quintessence of Fortitude size: 26+ health in the start is recommended, but only take 1 of these Quintessences not all 3, you're AD not tank.
• Greater Quintessence of Desolation: 3.33 armor penetration, aye! Should only be taken if you skipped Armor penetration in your Marks.

Masteries

I play Jungle Taric with two different kind of masteries, the offensive one 21/0/9, and the Defensive/Utility one, going 1/14/15 (If you want me to go into depth of why I am picking these, please ask in a comment and I will go in depth about them).

Defensive: Instead of starting out with Dazzle, I start out with Shatter for the armor and AoE damage on the minions, followed by Imbue, I first pick Dazzle by level 4, unless I have intentions of ganking early. Max out Shatter first, second should be Imbue, followed by your ultimate Radiance and remember to pick your ultimate Radiance, in lvl 6, 11 and 16.
I hope I managed to take care of everything you wish to know, if I miss something tell me.

A quick introduction to my last build, Taric is an overall tanky character and does not need 'tank' items to be a challenge to kill. So when actually building him like a tank, it makes him kinda unstoppable.

Tanky Taric is not one of my favorites, but my guide is named "All-around" So I felt the need of covering this part. (I do not recommend it, there excist better tanks)

I will not go into details about this part of my guide, as Tank Taric shouldn't be used unless you got a very squishy team, with you as the only tanky character.

Start items:

• I would suggest you starting the game with Doran's Ring.
  (Q:That's not very tanky, why aren't you going with Doran's Shield.
  A: Well, Taric is tanky enough early game thanks to his Shatter which grants you armor + it's not health regen you need, it's mana regen so you can heal yourself up).
• Get your Philosopher's stone as soon as possible, to help you sustain in the lane, early onn.
• I suggest recalling when you have money for both Heart of Gold and Boots
• Get Mercury's Treads afterwards (Unless they got heavy AD, get [[Ninja tabi]).
• Keep in mind to sell both Doran's Ring & Philosopher's Stone when you got no space for them, and need a better item. Philosopher's stone is only a temp. item in your build, which you should not complete but sell.
• Afterwards you should get Aegis of the Legion, the buff it grants your teammates is simply too good early/mid-game to ignore.

Abyssal Scepter is really important for you, not only as AP-carry but also as Tank. It grants you magic resist and reduces their magic resist + Granting you ability power. The reason I find this item so important is because of the Ability power it grants. You might be a tank, but you also need some damage. What is the point if the enemy do not fear you? And can pretty much just ignore you, because you got zero damage. This item should make them
I've been telling you guys about Randuin's Omen already, and will keep it relatively short this time. Randuin's Omen is just perfect for Taric, Armor, health and regen with an awesome unique passive slowing the enemy units Also a chance of slowing their auto-hit speed, when they hit on you. All around item, granting armor & Magic resist + It revives you from the F'ing dead! How cool is that? Almost like somekind of necromancer reviving you.. except for the fact that it is Angels that revive him. When the enemies see this item on you they'll be like "How will we ever get to kill this guy?"
Banshee's, good vs heavy CC teams and AP Champions. It grants you health, mana & Magic resist. I think that pretty much covers what you need in this build.. But wait, it only got a unique passive! Blocking one spell from the enemy every 45 second! Can really get you out from a sticky situation.

You should pick them both, to complete your build, unless you are vs a HEAVY AD TEAM, then replace Banshee's Veil with Frozen Heart.
I know most of you wish there was a Warmog's Armor in this build, but lets be a bit realistic here : As Taric you will never get to stack Warmogs up unless you're stealing your partners' creeps.

Runes to make you even more unstoppable :

Marks :

• Greater Mark of Magic Penetration: The Magic penetration is decent, and a viable choice. Just break through some of their Magic resist, a tank isn't worth much if he gives so little damage, that the enemies can ignore him.
• Greater Mark of Magic Resist: Is useful, granting you flat Magic resist early game. Usefull for a tank.
  
  Seals :
• Greater Seal of Armor: This is a must to have in Seals, the armor will be of use. This is a must for tanks. M'kay?
  
  Glyphs :
• Greater Glyph of Magic Resist: Granting magic resist, this is a MUST HAVE if you didn't choose Magic resist in Marks.
• Greater Glyph of Replenishment: A little Ability power won't hurt you. Stacked with Doran's ring early game, you might get able to get a few early kills if you go aggressive early game.
  
  Quintessences :
• Greater Quintessence of Health: grants you health early game, this is my favorite in the Quintessence spot to make you very tanky early game.
• Greater Quintessence of Magic Resist: Good amount of flat magic resist early game.
• Greater Quintessence of Armor: Same as above, except this goes for armor instead of Magic resist. flat armor vs AD-carry in bot, will make them feel so useless and with 0 damage.

About my masteries. It's pretty standard for a tank. 0/23/7.
This build is not recommened by me at all, but I feel the need for this chapter, due to the fact of my guide name.

YOU MADE IT THROUGH THE WHOLE THING! (Unless you skipped some of it .|.)
I really hope that you enjoyed my guide, and that you understood what I wrote and meant. Please leave a comment and vote, it means a lot to me. If you have any questions then shoot, I will try and answer them if I can.
Criticism is allowed, but try to have a reason instead of writting stuff like "ubadnoob dis i don't liek" :)
(What does my guide need?)
- Also a quick Thank you to Jhoijhoi who made an excellent guide, showing how to create a good guide, which helped me a lot.
( http://www.mobafire.com/league-of-legends/build/making-a-guide-101506 )

- A big THANK YOU to Calibern, who helped me a lot with the coding, and a few other things.
I suggest for you all to go and check him out, +rep him and visit his Xin Zhao guide.

-Taneren <'3 (EU-West) You're welcome to add me.

Thank you for reading my guide.

Well, I know that I have a few to many kills. But I actually have excellent excuses for this one! One of them, I solo turret dived 2 and got a double kill. + 1 more from a solo turret dive early game. Then there was one, where ez was oom and had 40hp - I had no choice, he would have died if I didn't take. One where my ch--- You get the point. Most of my kills are where I take them alone, or if my partners give me no choice but to take them.