Introduction

Taric is a tanky support. He can be played as a full support with some early-game damage, a tank, or a tanky support. Taric should be played as a tanky support most of the time. Only play as a tank if your team doesnt have one. Also, only go full support if your team already has a really good tank AND the enemy team isn't dealing much damage.

Items

Get a Meki Pendant for the mana regen. This builds into a Tear of the Goddess which you should be able to get on the first trip back. Whenever you are at the summoner platform, feel free to use two abilities (q, w) to increase your mana pool.
The next item is boots. You have a choice here:
1. Boots of Mobility: get this if you like to run very fast around the map.
2. Boots of Swiftness: get this if you like to have a constant movement speed.
3. Sorcerer's Shoes: get this if your team is doing well and you want to deal extra damage

DO NOT GET MERCURY'S TREADS. I will explain later.

Your third item is a Moonflair Spellblade. Not only does this give AP, it also give 25 tenacity. Tenacity is the new CC Reduction and it DOES NOT stack. Thus, we can not buy Merc Treads and still be less vulnerable to CC.

HOWEVER, if the enemy team has a lot of CC or CC that will stop you long enough for the whole team to jump you (EX. Ashe, Malz, Nunu), GET MERC TREADS and DO NOT get spellblade.


Next get Aegis of Legend. This is an obvious choice. It gives a great aura of MR, armor, and damage. The aura also affects minions. Thus, it is a great early/mid-game item.

The final item of the core build is Abyssal Scepter. This item lowers MR of enemy champs. Gives you MR and AP. Perfect item. However, if the other 4 guys on your team are all physical DPS, don't get this. But, that shouldn't be happening anyway.
This is pretty much the final item, the rest are situational.

Situational Items

Heavy Physical DPS

1. Thornmail: Returns a portion of the physical damage done to you. Very nice.
2. Zhonya's Hourglass: Gives AP and armor and a useful passive.
3. Frozen Heart: Gives manna and armor. It also has a great passive. The extra mana can help you in a long game because of the archangel staff you will get. But, you will rarely get that far.

Heavy Magic

1. Banshee's Veil: A must against burst damage champs (EX. Veigar).
2. Force of Nature: Gives you a LOT of MR.

Balanced

1. Guardian Angels: Amazing passive, which revives you with a some hp and mana. CD of 5 minutes. You can use this to come back, stun an enemy and save you and your ally.
2. Warmog's Armor: Pure health is always nice.

Full Support

1. Rod of Ages: Gives you mana, health, and AP.
2. Rabadon's Deathcap： Give you a load of AP. Perfect for more healing.
3. Spirit Visage: Gives health and extra heal. More of an early/mid-game item.

If the game is really long or your are doing good, upgrade your Tears of the Goddess to an Archangel Staff.

Gameplay

Remember to use your ult (Radiance) in team fights, taking down turrets, and escaping. It heals you and gives your team extra AD.

Sometimes, mostly when escaping, leave your aura of armor (Shatter) on. This gives you and your teammates extra armor for taking less damage.

In early/mid-game, Taric can use his Shatter to kill off a whole wave of minions.

You can switch the skilling order of Shatter and Imbue if you and your lane-mate are getting harassed a lot.

Try to stun their carries in team fights.

Early/mid-game, you can use this combo to harass squishy champs:
Dazzle > Shatter > Radiance > auto-attack once or twice.
Very effective, especially if you maxed out Shatter.