Q vs. E, Potions, and the Early Game
Starting Q does not heal for 100 hp per cast at level 1 like you said. With Windspeaker's Blessing and Veteran's Scars , its base heal is 40 per cast, which cannot keep you at full health all the time. Throughout the first clear, it'll keep you more around 50-75% HP, which isn't necessarily unhealthy, but it's neither perfect nor vastly superior to the E start.

I tested both clears just now, using no potions in either for the sake of comparing raw stats, and each took the same amount of time to do. The main difference is that, during the first two camps, Q maintains HP while E maintains mana. However, they actually balance out by the end of the clear since that excess mana can be used for a couple extra heals later.



On to Taric's early game. It has its strengths, that's for sure, but it is very exploitable by strong early game junglers if proper care is not taken. Champions with better clears such as Lee Sin, Warwick, and Elise have more freedom in their routes and can set them up in a way to shut you down. After all, there's only one first route that Taric can take, so it won't be hard for them to track you. In a game like League especially, it's best to believe that anything that can go wrong will go wrong. By not using potions, you may set yourself up for danger in several ways.

Fighting invaders is possible IF your cards stack up right, but there are certain times when you'll be especially vulnerable where you can get caught and killed — for instance, if you're low on health during Raptors or OOM during Red Buff. Potions solve that problem, allowing you to always be at a good level of health and with enough mana saved up to defend yourself. You can even pop a potion during a fight and automatically win most times.

Also, you said it yourself: Taric is easily kiteable. A fast enough invader can just back off from you if the fight goes south for them. While the both of you may end up low on resources, if that invader has a Hunter's Machete and/or lower mana costs than you, they can continue to clear efficiently and sustain back up like nothing happened. On the other hand, your clear will be comparatively slower since you'll have to wait on mana regen to do practically anything, which will give them more free time to do as they please — and every second can matter in the jungle.

Ganking without having used any potions is also possible, but after you blow everything on an enemy, you'll be nearly OOM and at a lower health than you potentially could be. In such a case, a countergank can ruin you. Potions keep you on your feet if a fight escalates, and using a one in place of a Q can save enough mana to let you use a second, fight-winning stun.

Mana and Mikael's
Mikael's Blessing does not offer much use for Taric. Instead, I recommend Ardent Censer for its similar stats and synergy with your heal. Regarding mana, I don't actively look for it in my build path. Base mana regen compared with one mana item along the way suffices, anyways.

Scaling, Muramana, Jungling Builds
Yes, armor does equate to some damage, but not a huge amount. It's more like a nice bonus to keep Taric's damage relevant. Bravado's damage scaling is 15% bonus armor, and Thornmail's is 10%, so after building 100 armor, you'll deal 15 extra Bravado damage per swing and 10 bonus reflection damage. Compare that to the 110+ damage gained from Iceborn Gauntlet's Sheen effect every 1.5 seconds and you'll see the difference in damage potential.

That discrepancy is why I laid out the two build paths in the guide: Offensive and Defensive. From what you've told me, I assume you prefer the latter, choosing tankiness and utility over damage. It takes longer to scale, but it remains wholly viable. The Offensive build, however, is for those like I who prefer to capitalize on Taric's early game dueling power before it falls off. Killing and shutting down enemies before they can get rolling is much easier after having a damage item or two.

I understand that Taric can be kited. Thus, I explain when to go for the offensive build as so in the guide: "If you aren't easily kited by your enemies and you're confident with your dueling." I can tell you with a straight face that an immobile carry will be on the enemy team at least once every few games, not 1 out of 100. If so, I don't see a reason not to capitalize on that by building damage and shutting them down early.

The offensive build still plays to Taric's natural strengths because Taric has different strenghts throughout the game. In the early game, he has high base damage compared to many champions along with a low-cooldown stun. Mid to lategame, his protective skills go from great to unmatched. Just because the damage falls off does not mean it could not have been put to good use earlier. Once the game progresses into its later stages, then is when I shift my playstyle to be more protective. Filling up the rest of my build with tank items ensures that that both I and my team can survive in teamfights.