Incoming Taric Update, you say? Opinions from an Outrageous Support Main

Hi, I play Support Taric in addition to Karma and Nami and a handful of others.

Here's what I like about Taric, the things I think really make up his identity and I don't want going away.

• Taric is a relatively easy champion to learn to play. His single-target stun is not a skillshot, and his heal can be cast on himself or another target - but even if you hit a minion, Taric still heals himself as well. New players who tend to hang back in fights, still broadcast a powerful armor aura, contributing while not playing well. Those who run straight in and button mash can do surprisingly well, if they follow the recommended items. Taric is an excellent "Training Wheels" support, who can provide something easy to play while not hitting his full power. With more skill, he can change gears and become the frontline cooldown-monster I love. But if you don't do this, he's still quite playable.

• Taric in lane, is a strong sustain-type support. He could harass, maybe, by spending his precious mana on Dazzle, but that choice usually doesn't end well. And he can go all-in, but aside from his single stun, he has no way to close the gap nor force an enemy out of position. However, he excels at stabilizing his lane, and shutting down all-ins and even ganks. If the enemy goes in hard, Taric teaches them that they are well below his power on the Mohs scale.

• Taric can get in your face. He is not the toughest support, nor the quickest - but trying to solo him is a very risky proposition. He remains an excellent duelist - especially versus a melee opponent. Xin Zhao should feel a shade of fear in his heart before attempting to solo-kill a Taric, even if he usually doesn't. He uses tanky math, so closing kills can be difficult, but the longer the enemy remains in arm's reach, the more likely Taric will tip the scale and then stun-kill a foe who overstayed his welcome.

• Taric is especially vulnerable to Crowd Control. He already has poor mobility, and is at the very pinnacle of his power when actively rotating between skills. Keeping him from moving will limit his ability to rotate, and force his skills to cool down naturally. This cuts him off from his healing, CC and area burst. This weakness is key to keeping him balanced and therefore fun. The change to his cooldown was an excellent decision, and one I applaud.

• Outrageous voiceover and quotes. Truly, truly outrageous. Taric is a calm soul in a bloody war-torn world. If he gets a VO change, he should stay the shining soul he is. Shine bright like a diamond, Taric.

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Here are the things I don't think work in Taric's overall favor and might need adjusting.

• Taric is an Anti-AD character right now. Enemy is all-AD? Taric is a Win button. Enemy is all-AP? Taric is woefully ineffective. For ranged, slippery, or magical CC - such as Morgana or Fizz - this is just as it should be. But against an opponent like Shyvana or Vladimir, it can be a disappointment.

• Taric's loss of Armor when activating W and its return as he cools down causes ... an oscillation, let's call it, between his peak toughness and otherwise. Loss of his own armor when activating a damage skill, gives Taric a hidden achilles heel that punishes new Taric players in a rather invisible way, while rewarding foes who know him in-and-out with a guaranteed weakspot.

• He's awfully jaggy. Better visuals are welcome. He can keep his forehead; he's awkward, he's always been awkward, and he can stay awkward. Awkward makes him charming. And disarmingly dangerous. He's a pretty man. A pretty, pretty man. Just not in his model, yet.