League of Legends champion Taric is getting a complete overhaul

Taric

The League of Legends hero Taric has been around for almost as long as the game itself, but he hasn't been what you'd call popular with the players for a while. But that may soon change, as Riot is making some big changes to the character, who will soon hit the PBE with an all-new look, story, kit, and audio.

Taric's passive, Bravado, enables him to swing faster with his next two basic attacks whenever he casts an ability, dealing increased damage and also lowering his ability cooldowns. The Starlight's Touch ability allows him to heal himself and all nearby allies based on the number of charges he has stored, while Bastion casts all of Taric's abilities, simultaneously, from Taric and his linked ally, who he can change at will. With the Dazzle ability, he can fire a wave of “celestial energy” that stuns all enemies it hits, while Cosmic Radiance pulls down protection from the stars, making Taric and all nearby allies invulnerable for a few seconds.

The new and improved Taric works well with Graves, Vi, and Diana, but will have trouble with Zyra, LeBlanc, and Corki, according to the Champion Update page, which also digs into how the changed character will perform in Laning, Skirmishing, and Teamfights. He's also got an entirely new and more interesting history, as told in this tale of failure and redemption, and this digital comic about an encounter on his journey to the top of Mount Targon.

So what do you say, LoLers: Are you anxious to give the Shield of Valoran a second chance? Or do find his rework truly outrageous?

Andy Chalk

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.