Taric, an Outrageous-ish Rework Concept

So I was sitting around today thinking about what could be done with everyone's least favorite boat-footed champion who really needs some love. Since we probably won't be seeing his rework for a while, I thought I'd add my two cents on the matteras to what I think could be an interesting kit. Eventually I came up with a rough concept for his rework, so I thought I'd share it and see what everyone thought.

So I really wanted to find a niche for Taric to fit into other than just another tanky CC heavy support. I scrapped the armor stacking thing since we already have Rammus and Malphite for that. Looking at the supports I figured we really don't have a definitive aura champion so I started there. I know Riot doesn't love auras because they tend to be low interaction elements and don't have the best counterplay options other than "don't let Taric stand in the middle of his team". So, I added some zone control aspects and moved the aura off of Taric himself to try and balance it out.

Lore wise I'm leaning towards more of a focus on Shurima than different types of gems. Specifically I was thinking of linking him more to crystals than rubies and sapphires and whatnot. For instance, if he drew his magical ability from a mystical crystal hidden in the expanse of the Shurima desert he discovered in his travels, it would also tie him in with Skarner's theoretical lore (I mean he's the crystal vanguard, he might as well be guarding something, right?). He can still fall into the noble protector archetype that he currently has going for him, but maybe a little less... outrageous.

Keep in mind that all of the numbers are essentially placeholders as balance is hard. Also I recognize some of these names could use some work, so I'll edit them myself or of anyone else thinks of something better.

Taric, the Crystal Vanguard

Yes, I do recognize that this title is already taken. I do feel like it fits this new Taric pretty well though.

Passive: Crystal Defense

Taric gains 2/4/6/8/10 bonus armor and magic resist for each obelisk he has active on the map.

The passive gives Taric some much needed defense to be able to stay in the middle of the fight. Also it rewards keeping good control of the map with and synergizes with the passive aura.

Q: Imbue

Cost: 80/85/90/95/100 mana Cooldown: 8 seconds Range: 500

Taric imbues target obelisk with healing magic for 3 seconds, causing all allies within the radius to regenerate 20/35/50/65/80 (+0.4 AP) (+10% bonus health) per second.

With the reworked heal, I wanted to incentivize fighting within the radius of Taric's obelisks as much as possible, so I opted for a heal over time rather than a flat heal.

W: Crystal Obelisk

Cost: 40 mana Recharge Rate: 20/18/16/14/12/10 seconds Max Charges: 2/2/3/3/4 Range: 200 Obelisk Health: 20/30/40/50/60 (+10% max health) Aura Radius: 300

Taric summons a towering obelisk at target location for 10 seconds, dealing 10/20/30/40/50 (+0.1 AP) magic damage to any enemies hit by the erupting crystal. Allies in the radius gain 5/10/15/20/25 (+0.25 armor)(+0.25 magic resist) bonus armor and magic resist while enemies have their armor and magic resist reduced by half the amount. If Taric moves too far from the obelisk his magic fades and the crystal returns to the earth.

The core of the new kit, I tried to find a way for auras to be a little more exciting than just standing near your team. Using this, Taric can actively contribute to fights by repositioning obelisks, constantly giving his team the upper hand. Also they are destroyable by enemy attacks and spells similar to Zyra's plants or Donger's turrets. They also incentivize playing in a duo lane rather than solo or jungle (not that I'm opposed to either) as the efficiency of the ability only increases for each affected unit.

E: Crystallize

Cost: 75 mana Cooldown: 24/20/16/12/8 Range: 600

Taric causes all nearby obelisks to crystallize the ground around them for 3 seconds, slowing any nearby enemies within the area by 60% for 1 second, refreshing every 0.5 seconds.

As exciting and mechanically complex as Taric's old stun was, I wanted a little more cohesion in the kit, as well as more incentive for Taric to be in the middle of the fight soaking damage.

R: Shatter

Cost: 100 mana Cooldown: 120/100/80 seconds Shatter Radius: 300 Zone Radius: 400

Taric shatters all active obelisks dealing 50/100/150 (+0.5 AP) magic damage to all nearby enemies and gaining 5/10/15 armor and magic resist for each shattered obelisk for 5 seconds. Shattered obelisks leave a persisting zone as their magic fades for 5 seconds, granting allies within the area 20/40/60 bonus AD and AP while within the area.

While I liked the idea of the old ultimate, it always felt clunky and forgettable once it was cast to me. This way, players are rewarded for proactive and efficient placement of obelisks for teamfights, and also gives a reason for the enemy team to prioritize proper positioning and destroying the structures. Also multiple instances of damage and the buff don't overlap because that would be crazy.