I didn't play much Taric. I hardly ever play top lane any more since the advent of dynamic queue. I can queue up as support practically every game now, so I don't need a bigger champion pool than
.
When I did play top lane, having Taric as a pocket pick into Riven mains who always ruined my fun was extremely useful. It meant that I didn't have to waste a ban on Riven. Without Taric in his current incarnation, I don't have that any more. It means I'll have to waste a ban on Riven if I want to top lane. I have one of these situations mid lane too -- my pick of
into
. Leblanc gives me fits every time I step into mid lane -- unless I'm on Galio. If I'm on Galio, I don't feed her, she doesn't snowball, I get farmed, and I get to build
into her and ruin her day. Any other mid laner? I get wrecked, she gets fed, and I go on to lose when Leblanc can get a triple with just WR. If Galio is ever changed to where I can't pick him into Leblanc and win, I can't mid lane any more.
Same with Taric. The Taric change takes away the one thing I know I can pick into any RIven, regardless of her skill level, and not feed. I won't win lane and she'll get a good deal of farm and an advantage in lane, but I won't feed her. Now? I have no idea how Taric into Riven will play.
This is why the Taric rework makes me sad -- because I lose my deep pocket pick in the event I find myself top lane against a Riven. Taric in my champion pool is like my handgun -- I really don't want to have to shoot a home invader, but if there is a home invader, I can go for that gun and know it's going to be there, and I can know that I won't die that day because I have my handgun. I don't want to see Riven picked if I'm top lane. But if I do see that Riven pick, I know I have Taric that I can pick into her. Now, I don't have that any more. Riot stole my handgun.