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So what do you guys wanna do with Taric? PART III. The Modern Man's Paladin.

RiotIronStylus·11/27/2014, 4:24:37 AM·31 votes·34,106 views

Hello again (again).

So something interesting came up in this thread:

http://boards.na.leagueoflegends.com/en/c/story-art/HALQfHsu-marvelous-portrait-of-taric-on-surfer-singeds-updated-textures

Namely, a discussion around hair. Yes. Hair.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_zaSKZks1A

Bur seriously, there's a thought swimming in my head about slanting Taric a little more "modern". Even the term "metrosexual" came up, mainly referring to a well-kempt, good looking gentleman that's fashionable and, for lack of a better term, "modern". Some of my explorations lean this way. I'll emphasize explorations as this is super early concept stuff.

In part II of this discussion..

http://boards.na.leagueoflegends.com/en/c/story-art/a7ulBkBM-so-what-do-you-guys-wanna-do-with-taric-part-ii-pics-or-it-didnt-happen

..we talked about visual reference, asking what people were looking for in our favorite gem knight. A lot of fancy paladin art came up, sort of standard fantasy fair. The traditional suit of armor that's nicely ornamented and beautiful. But, it begs a question. What can separate Taric out from a standard paladin? One idea that's been floated in giving him that "modern" twist I mentioned. What does this mean? Well, it can mean a lot of things. One thing is his hair. Hair often can define modernity and current fashion trends. The way I perceive it is that the poof that Taric sorta has now dates him quite a bit. The suggestion was made to give him more of a modern cut, and therefore, give him more relatable, and current, style.

I'm wondering that maybe we don't stop there. Maybe we push him to feel "modern" and fashionable all over. I'm not talking about futuristic, or runway high-fashion, but I'm wondering if it'd be a valuable exercise to ask for ideas about what people think a "Modern Paladin" could look like. Maybe supply some images that stress Taric's beauty and charm, but also set him apart from sword-and-sorcery fantasy. Not that that sort of fantasy is bad, but I'm looking to see what sort of spin we might be able to put on Taric that isn't just an armor set. I think exploring fashion, modern trends, and more contemporary looks might yield some results.

What do you think?

142 Comments

Podge11/27/2014, 4:32:36 AM26 votes

Personally, I think Taric should have this kinda swarthy charm that makes him sorta mordern. Fandral from the thor movies is a good example IMO

Epengu11/27/2014, 6:21:56 AM17 votes

Sure, Taric's current hair dates him, but it's not a result of the length in my mind - rather in dated style and pretty laughable modeling. Long hair feels core to the "serenity" of Taric that I mentioned in other discussion posts - his hair is beautiful and it just happens that way. Less poof would be good, but I think long hair is something good to stick to. These examples mostly happen to be white guys, but I do think you can pull it off with a middle-eastern bent, which really is something I'd like to see in the redesign.

http://imgur.com/jZtTngr (but less grim facially) http://imgur.com/IzzrQ6M (man buns?!) http://imgur.com/jR8Ibb5 http://imgur.com/eo32b9v http://imgur.com/PXQr3Ik

I'm not sure how I feel about the modern paladin idea. I think exploring what a modern paladin would be is certainly interesting material, but one thing that stuck out to me from the other threads was that people had a conception of Taric as being otherworldly, almost stuck in time - a typical Prince Charming type, perhaps even played to farce. I liked when the discussion was trending towards that, and being extremely handsome. That seems to contrast with a modern paladin. Both are interesting ideas to explore - maybe the modern paladin is more-so design-wise, but I feel like it runs counter to the character most people expect.

P.S. Sorry to hear about Kiwi. Good luck, Parrot. :( I feel for you.

Kingsgrave11/27/2014, 4:59:28 AM12 votes

Siegfried + Modern?

I feel like I haven't been super helpful just linking this image everytime, but honestly it feels like exactly what Taric should be. Tall, stunning, fabulous to both men and women, etc.,

http://img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20091001191254/soulcalibur/images/thumb/e/ed/Siegfried-schtauffen-in-soul-calibur-4.jpg/300px-Siegfried-schtauffen-in-soul-calibur-4.jpg

peachplumpear11/27/2014, 5:00:59 AM11 votes

I really like his long and flowing hair as it gives him a unique silhouette for a male champion in the game. If I'm not mistaken, the only other male champions in the game with long hair are Xin Zhao and Yasuo, who wear theirs in a pony tail. Therefore I'd be somewhat sad and feel like part of his recognizability would be removed if his long hair was removed, but what he has right now feels really dated and is also badly rendered/animated. However, I do really like what they did in Korra with the artsy son's hair (picture attached) and his eyebrow ring (though that likely would be hard to show on the in-game model). The shaved side and eyebrow ring help add character to the silhouette due to asymmetry and they're also both very modern, and I think it would give Taric a lot of character and uniqueness.

As far as his armor is concerned, I think it'd be cool to keep some sort of asymmetry (opposite his hair asymmetry), so maybe have him with only one pauldron/epaulet, or have one a dragon or some other sort of mythical-inspired animal curled around his shoulders. I think there's some cool space for accessories/garnish on his armor since he is a gem-knight, so don't be afraid to make him reflect some light.

EDIT: Please could we also have him be a darker shade of tan/brown than other humanoid champions? Karma and Lucian are really all we have right now :X

Wolfeur11/27/2014, 11:27:00 AM10 votes

The words I would use to describe the new Taric:

Slim: Taric should be slender, like Vladimir. Fabulous: You can redesign Taric anyway you want, but his fabulousness will always be in the players' spirits. Elegant: Taric is fabulous, but he cannot be if he's not elegant. His walk must be courtly, his pose must be cambered. Noble: Noble is spirit and noble in form. He should feel like a socially-high-placed, yet humble, man. A true knight. Long hair: Straight or slightly curved, but long hair that go past his shoulders (Bloodstone Taric is a good example). Calm: Taric must feel calm and serene, he speaks slowly (please, keep his old voice!). Imposing: He's stunning. His pose, his armor, his weapon impresses people. Hammer: A paladin must have a hammer. It's kinda mandatory. A lance is good, though. Shield: A shield is also required. A pretty big shield. (I know it looks a lot like a medieval paladin but a paladin without a shield is not a paladin) Light metal armor: Incrusted with gems, of course, but not a heavy armor, only a light, thin armor. Focus on the shield for the protection aspect. Fashion: His stuff should be very aethetic, heavily decorated. and last word, Gay: I know, some people don't like the gay/outrageous Taric, but it's an indivisible aspect of Taric. Just, don't make him look gay, but design him remembering that he is (maybe just let a hint in his joke or something).

SIayton11/27/2014, 1:01:25 PM9 votes

While not particularly MODERN persay, I feel like Alucard's look from Symphony of the Night would fit a guy like Taric really well. Obviously up his gear to be more armory and add gems for FLARE AND PIZZAZZ but, the pantene pro-v hair, the handsome / beautiful face, etc etc would go well with his theme. I'd love to see him more graceful and less.... clunky.

Calderweiss11/27/2014, 4:38:26 AM9 votes

I'm alright with some modernity, but remember. Taric is confident and manly, but also uses his confidence to make his beauty work. It doesn't matter if he's straight or gay, Taric is fabulous and cutting edge. Please keep the hair swoosh. If Taric loses his hair swoosh it would be like Johnny Gat without his glasses, . There's not necessarily something wrong with Taric keeping his current hair style. Just because you make something modern, does not mean you improve upon what was already there.

How can we incorporate being bedecked in jewels with a modern paladin? Seeing how he's one of the only actual paladins in Runeterra that we have seen as a champion, you have the freedom of expression to define what this universe's paladins would even look like, and how he differs from their "traditional" design.

Taric is already more then an armor set. This is why pictures of Taric in speedos and other types of armor still feel like Taric. That being said, he wears his armor for a reason, so it probably means a lot to him, seeing how fashion conscious he is. I rather like how the crystals stick out of his armor like arcane conduits. Please keep those, even if you update his armor some.

Lisbeth11/27/2014, 6:05:17 AM7 votes

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Krizalid11/27/2014, 4:58:49 AM6 votes

Speaking of pictures or videos, I'll just post here everything what associated to me with Taric. http://cs616830.vk.me/v616830848/17538/XGcCL-R-2rI.jpg - Trevor Belmont minus scars. http://fr33ky.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/castlevania-_trevor-poster.jpg Or Richter Belmont: http://images2.fanpop.com/image/photos/13100000/Richter-Belmont-richter-belmont-13184450-310-334.jpg As I've mentioned already, music of Tesla Boy. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aK36lXlby4Q Jojo's Bizarre Adventure's fabulous character poses: http://images.eurogamer.net/2014/usgamer/1366060654969.jpg http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FT7ECDllO3c http://i.imgur.com/dnT08Cv.jpg Glass armor from Elder Scrolls games: http://static-1.nexusmods.com/15/images/110/1932308-1369079693.jpg Siegfried from Soul Calibur games: http://8wayrun.com/attachments/sigsc4art2-jpg.4198/ George Michael - Careless Whisper http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izGwDsrQ1eQ IAMX. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdUEfb5ELjI

Keladri11/27/2014, 4:57:12 AM6 votes

If we're talking about Taric's hair, it would amiss of me not to mention how awesome it would be if he looked like a long-haired Turkish model. Very classy, charismatic, and a little mysterious. Someone with grace and elegance but just enough snark to keep things interesting.

Hadriel11/27/2014, 4:34:16 AM5 votes

Contemporay would be good. I think his overly volumized hair had more to do with the reality of blocky models and less with a conscious effort to make him look like Fabio styled with a vaccum cleaner.

Bloodstone Taric has a nice style, for example, but it's unique to that skin's feel. But achieing that level of natural with another, elegant style is probably the way to go.

Solidair311/27/2014, 2:20:52 PM5 votes

I like the idea of modernizing Taric, especially because of his one quote regarding gems: "Functional, yet stylish"

I see Taric as a man who tries to stay on the cutting edge of fashion, but also being a bit realistic about what he wears because he's in combat so often.

This is a good mentality to have.

PaintedFox11/27/2014, 4:38:28 AM4 votes

Alright, so what we need is to center around the gems (truly, truly...you get it) without making him look like a friggin stalactite. Streamlining his model (sanding him down, so to speak?) and making the gems feel like more focusing crystals than rocks is key here IMO.

Specific ideas? I'm assuming you look at WoW art (and we all know Taric is based in part off of that style); maybe we could shy away from the Uther/Maraad-style huge-shoulderpads-and-hammers idea and gravitate more toward a Blood Knight style, something subtle but still resolute. Something that doesn't need to be huge to be powerful.

The general concept I see is a silver armor, shiny but not huge and boisterous. I can see darker crystals than the pale...things he wears now; to show that they're living, could they seem to grow from where they are, per se? A polished look with a touch of natural-looking overgrowth from the crystals (I'm envisioning shoulder pads that rise vertically from the armor on the upper arms, rather than pauldrons--that'll slim the look down and make it look less bulky while also giving a great spot for a pair of huge, deep blue, radiant gems). Things like I mentioned would immediately make it more streamlined, which is the word that keeps recurring in my mind.

Were I an artist, I would totally sketch you up some of the ideas I've tried to detail here, but alas, I'm terrible at the physical part of art. I hope I described my ideas in great enough specificity for you to grasp what I'm saying :D Cheers, love you Iron<3

-Sol

EDIT: Flipping through Google images, the Paladin Tier 13 armor I stumbled upon is awesome and even has the shoulder armor idea I was talking about! http://fc00.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2011/217/0/6/paladin_tier_13_armor_concept_by_futuredami-d45jrbh.png Ah, spontaneous findings. Just some inspiration!

patmax1711/27/2014, 8:40:07 PM4 votes

Apart from the fact that he's evil, when I think how Taric should look like with his rework, Dio Brando insistently comes to my mind

http://img1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20140617055942/avengersalliance/images/1/10/Jojos_bizarre_adventure-01-dio_brando-antagonist-villain-sunset-evil.jpg

Uberphish11/27/2014, 4:58:00 AM4 votes

'Modern' in Valoran seems to be heading in a semi-victorian direction. I think that the best example of fashion/nobility along that vein might be something like Corvo from Dishonored:

http://fc08.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2012/317/2/7/corvo_attano_by_reliah-d5ko4lk.png

So many Paladin styles tend to have cloaks/tabards over the top of heavy armor. I wonder if it might be possible to have this sort of long-coat - coupled with pauldrons and/or armguards and the like - used in much the same way.

In addition, it might also work for someone like Taric to have his stylistic side flow into the more bulky, likely gem-encrusted armor side. Say, for instance, his shield is held on the side of his body that is more fully armored, being the side he holds up against oncoming strikes, while his hammer-wielding arm is a bit less shielded so as to be more dexterous.

In that way, you can mesh the more posh, 'fashionable' side of Taric with the bulky, slightly gaudy side that people have come to expect and love, in a way that still fits within his role and character.

Zaphas11/27/2014, 5:53:40 PM3 votes

One thing I really thought I liked about old splash Taric (or, Emerald Taric now), was the fact that his fashion sense was likely top of the line for fashion in his original world that he came from. It really gave Taric a feel of being 'displaced'. His old world probably idolized Freddie Mercury as the optimal height of fashion, and hence, why Taric looked as fucking fabulous as he did.

So he arrives on Runeterra, and all the Noxians have this grimdark fashion, and the Demacians are always dressing in bright blues and golds, Steampunk is all the rage over in Piltover... but Taric? It felt like Taric was going to rock that sweet 70's hair and those fabulous gems until time stood still.

To me, Taric's aesthetic represents someone who doesn't fit in with the rest of Runeterra, but he is so unspeakably fabulous that he started trends all of his own, with young people thinking Taric is just the shit, and he's singlehandedly driving the price of gems up all across the world because people want to BE him.

Lajinn511/28/2014, 10:29:22 AM2 votes

When thinking of Taric I feel less armor made completely of gems, and more armor that is augmented with them. When I think of Taric's powers I think of the gemstones and priests in the world of Corona, in that the gems themselves have magical properties, and that he uses his powers to bring out said properties.

I also believe it would make more sense for him to have less bulky armor. As one person said before me, lighter armor with maybe a bit more towards his shield, and make the 'hammer' into an actual mace, or reduce the size at least, given that it's ridiculous as it is. As for hair, I agree that he should have somewhat long hair for a man, maybe not insanely long like Fabio, but maybe more like Thor's, in that it reaches to just about the shoulders.

TiberiusAudley11/27/2014, 4:43:21 AM2 votes

I'm a big fan of Asymmetrical stuff as a sort of "modern" style. But it doesn't make -much- sense for armor.

pbnjaime11/27/2014, 5:48:18 AM2 votes

I'd like for Taric's armor to have some sort of majestic theme to it but not completely "outrageous".

This is something that's nice from GW2 http://i.imgur.com/Jak3IZV.jpg

Adding a cape or some sort of jacket over the armor like in this picture could open up more opportunities for an elegant design. http://i.imgur.com/HOmdxg6.jpg

Hullabaloo90711/27/2014, 6:13:23 AM2 votes

I think the best way to keep him from being too over the top is to make everything look functional as well as fabulous. Have him be refined, not glitzy.

MagicGALAXY11/27/2014, 6:46:52 PM2 votes

Personally I think you guys should do to Taric the same you did to Sion; needs a fix up in almost all his abilites and visually fix him, but still keeping him feeling like Taric. I know this is a lot of work, but it is just a thought.

IFraserAu11/27/2014, 4:32:16 AM1 votes

How do you successfully incorporate the imagery of his gems to fit with the thematic style of 'modern' though? What I picture as modern Taric is difficult understanding his gem shield. When I imagine the modern your talking about, I think of the debonair skins. One thing for that direction of style that could be for sure, would be that the gems would have to be less like shards and more refined and deliberate. What do you think?

EDIT: Assuming that the re-imagined Taric will still have a large portion of his design with obvious (almost excess) gems