Masteries and Runes

I prefer to use a hybrid mastery of Defense and Utility. Sure Nimble could be very usefull for Taric since he's the leagues turtle, but he's also the bottom lanes tank so he should be quite tanky after all. Skilling Safeguard is important if you got an aggressive AD-Carry on your lane cause he will push your lane to the enemys tower, and if they are low you will go for a dive and start crying when you see their towers damage.

• Greater Quintessence of Health: Health is always important. You got no health ? = You're dead.
  You can also choose Greater Quintessence of Gold if you want to but I am no fan of gold runes because 3 gold per 10 seconds isn't that much and you will need health more than gold because gold is regardless when you are dead.
  
• Greater Mark of Armor: Additionally to your Shatter you will get 8 armor. The enemy AD-Carry will try to harass you, but you have to be untouchable.
  
• Greater Glyph of Scaling Magic Resist: 24 moar magic resist at level 18. Thats pretty nice, and you will need it when you're in teamfights, because the enemy teams AP-Carry will hit you hard. ( If they focus you, but they shouldn't. So you have to hope that he focuses you. )
  
• Greater Seal of Armor: Same as marks here. Just stack armor against the enemys AD-Carry and he wont hit you that hard.

Summoner Spells and Abilities

Exhaust: Great Spell for every situation, laning phase or teamfight. It reduces the movement speed and Attack/Ability damage dealt by 30% and also nerfs attack speed by 50%. Great for ganks in laning phase or shutting down the enemys AD-Carry in Lane/Teamfight. Used onto the enemys AP-Carry it will reduce his burst damage by 30%, and makes him a easy target...

Flash: Flash is very usefull in many situations. It can be used offensive or defensive, just as you want. Use flash and instandly cast Dazzle on the enemy to secure kills, or initiate (if the timing is right you can be the MAN) Or use it defensive as an escape ability.

Heal: Heal is also a very usefull summoner spell but I prefer Exhaust. Heal can be easily blocked by Ignite which is used pretty often on bottom lane, and at late game the heal from that ability wont be that much. Also Taric needs no heal for sustain because he got his Imbue.

• Gemcraft: Not that great passive for an support, since you wont attack minions ( because you don't want your lane pushed ).
  
• Imbue (Q): Tarics heal, it's extremly usefull cause it will heal you and your AD-Carry tons of sustain in lane. Every heal casted on your AD-Carry will also heal yourself so dont use it onto yourself if you aren't close to death.
  
• Shatter (W): MOAR ARMOR PLEAX. This ability will give you tankieness without items. Maxed it will give you 60 armor. And its aura will give the half of it for free to your team so think about when using it to deal decent damage because you lose a lot of tankieniss without its passive.
  
• Dazzle (E): Also a great ability for an support champion. The damage dealt by this ability is quite low but it will stun your target for 1,5 seconds which can be enough to turn a bottom lane battle into your favor.
  
• Radiance (R): Radiance is a pretty nice ultimate for Taric. Sure it is not like Sonas Crescendo or Namis Tidal Wave. And it won't turn you into the super tank like Alistars Unbreakable Will but it will help you and your team out.
  It deals a good amount of damage but the buff is more important so be sure you use it at the start of a fight. At level 3 it will buff you for 70 AD/AP and your teammember around you with 35 AD/AP which is pretty nice. Dont be afraid of using it, it only got 60 seconds cooldown which is pretty low for an ultimate.

> > >

First of all we will max Shatter because it will give us a good amount of armor. But I use to set a second point into Imbue at level 5 because Tarics heal is quite important for sustain and its pretty useful if you are getting harrassed very much. If you have an easy lane just max Shatter first. When you hit 6, 11, or 16 level max Radiance asap, like you do with all ultimates. Dazzle will be maxed at least because the stun last 1,5 seconds at rank 1 and aswell on rank 5 so never mind. Just the lower cooldown of the ability is useful so you got the chance to use it more often in teamfights.

Items

Core Items

Shurelya is one of every supporters core items, since it gives you everything you want. 10 HP, MP Regeneration, 250 Health, 10% Cooldown reduction and a great active to escape or chase enemys down. But keep in mind you should never rush Shurelya's because you need Philosopher's Stones gold per minute passive.

Very nice item and meanwhile also a core item for every support Champion. You can set 3 wards at the same tame with it and still got 2 wards in your pocket for later. Be sure to set enough wards because sight can turn the tables of a game into your favor ! Also the health 360 health will be good for your tankieness.

Great item overall. It gives you everything you want. Health, Armor, Magic Resist... And the best about it ? Your allies also gain 30 M-Res, 10 Armor and 10 health regen, so its a win-win situation.

Woho... this depends haaarrdly on your opinion. You want to have more cooldown reduction ? Sure go for Ionian Boots of Lucidity. More Magic Resistance and Tenacity ? Go for Mercury's Treads. You want to be like a little Blitzcrank and run around the map like madcow Alistar ? Go for Mobility Boots. I prefer Mercurys, because I love tenacity and Taric needs some magic resistance since he got enough armor from Shatter

Situational Items

Same like Zekes Herald but now your Team is AP-Based. It will give you 80AP which is good for every spell of yours, and your allies benefit from 30AP and 20% Spell Vamp. Unfortunately it doesn't grant any Cooldown reduction or health so it won't give you exactly everything you need.

Very nice item... gives you 40 Ability power, 30 armor and 10% Cooldown reduction. The aura isnt that great but its alright. Also it gives you a free Promote every 180 seconds which is a quite cool Active. It allows you to push a lane even if noone is there which can be very helpful.

Also a very nice item for Taric. It will give you 40 ability power, 40 magic resistance and a bunch of movement speed which transforms you into an speed turtle. It doesnt have any passive aura but the active seems to be pretty viable against enemys like Rengar (Use it when he tries to ult ( Thrill of the Hunt)) Evelynn or any other Champion that uses stealth.

I dont recommend it... It just grant Ability Power for you... No resistances, and the active isn't that great. Sure the 4gold every 10 seconds are useful but still not worth it.

Other situational items

Mikael's Blessing

Frozen Heart

Randuin's Omen

Abyssal Mask

Wards (Sight can be everything)

• Yellow: Vital to protect the your jungler.
• Blue: Protect the lane you're on
• Red: Guard Dragon and Baron (use Vision Wards here and destroy the enemys wards)
• Orange: Counter-jungling wards.