Taric ARAM Build and Guide

Updated for patch 26.22. Ability details come from Riot’s official game data for this patch; ARAM balance numbers come from the League of Legends Wiki’s champion data.

A Taric ARAM build is a protector’s kit: Locket of the Iron Solari, Knight’s Vow, Frozen Heart and Redemption, on Ionian Boots of Lucidity, so Cosmic Radiance and Starlight’s Touch come up as often as possible. He’s one of the best bodyguards in the mode (and he knows it). His single ARAM modifier is 110% damage taken on the Howling Abyss.

Each item below supports a specific line of his patch 26.22 kit, which is how a Taric ARAM build should be judged anyway (we skip win rates).

How is Taric changed in ARAM?

One nerf: he takes 10% more damage. His healing and shielding stay at normal values, which is the bit that matters, since Starlight’s Touch and his W shield are why you pick him. Why touch his durability at all? Cosmic Radiance makes his whole team invulnerable, and in ARAM all five teammates are always close enough to get it. Riot left the ultimate alone and made Taric himself a little easier to kill.

Why does Taric fit the Howling Abyss?

Every ability he has gets better when allies stand close, and in ARAM they always do. His patch 26.22 kit:

• Bravado (passive): after each spell, his next 2 attacks deal bonus magic damage, cut his cooldowns and land in quick succession.
• Starlight’s Touch (Q): heals all nearby allied champions, stronger with more stored charges. Cooldown 3.
• W (Armor link): Armor for Taric and a linked ally, a shield for that ally, and his spells also cast from them while they stay close. Cooldown 15.
• Dazzle (E): a delayed beam of magic damage that stuns. Cooldown 16/15/14/13/12.
• Cosmic Radiance (R): nearby allied champions turn invulnerable for a short time after a delay. Cooldown 180/150/120.

Starlight’s Touch heals every nearby ally, and on a single lane that usually means four teammates at once. The W link lets Dazzle fire from his carry too, so the enemy has two angles to dodge in a crowded corridor. Cosmic Radiance is the reason teams fear him, though. A five-person invulnerability window in the middle of a fight turns the enemy’s all-in into wasted cooldowns (assuming they don’t wait it out). Funny enough, Taric has almost no damage and still decides ARAM fights.

What should a Taric ARAM build focus on?

Ability Haste and team protection. Bravado already cuts his cooldowns through empowered attacks, and items stack on top of that.

Locket of the Iron Solari is first. Devotion shields nearby allies, which adds to his own heals right when the enemy commits, and it brings 30 Armor and 30 Magic Resist.

Knight’s Vow second. Pick the carry as Worthy, and Sacrifice redirects 14% of the damage they take to Taric while healing him for 12% of their damage to champions. To be fair, combined with his W link to the same ally, it makes one carry very hard to kill. Add 200 Health and 40 Armor.

Frozen Heart third: 75 Armor, 20 Ability Haste, and Winter’s Caress lowers nearby champions’ Attack Speed by 20%. Thing is, enemy marksmen who walk up to his carry then hit noticeably slower.

Redemption finishes it. Drop Intervention on the clump and, a moment later, allies inside heal while enemies inside take true damage. Two team heals beat one. Boots: Ionian Boots of Lucidity, because 10 more Haste brings Cosmic Radiance back sooner.

How do you play Taric on the Howling Abyss?

• Link your W to the carry. Dazzle and Starlight’s Touch will also cast from them while they stay near you.
• Weave attacks between spells; Bravado empowers the next 2 attacks and lowers your cooldowns.
• Cast Cosmic Radiance early. It takes effect after a delay, so start it as the enemy commits, not when allies are already dying.
• Aim Dazzle through your linked ally for an angle the enemy doesn’t expect.
• Stay in the middle of your team so Starlight’s Touch reaches everyone.

How do no-recall shopping and Mark change the plan?

Items get bought at the fountain after deaths, nowhere else. Locket of the Iron Solari is the first full purchase, and an Armor component on the way still helps. Taric heals himself with Starlight’s Touch, which means he can leave health relics for teammates who need them more.

A Mark snowball that connects offers a dash onto that enemy. Summoners are set before loading. For Taric, Mark is a way to dash into the enemy team for a two-target Dazzle, but it pulls him away from the allies he’s meant to protect. Flash is usually better; real talk, his job is to stay near his carry, not to start fights alone.

Is Taric worth picking on the Howling Abyss?

Yes, especially with fragile carries on the team. The 110% damage taken makes him squishier, but healing and shielding are untouched, and a team-wide invulnerability swings fights hard in a mode built on teamfights. Teams with a lot of long-range poke can still wait out Cosmic Radiance and chip him down.

Supporting against him on the Rift? Read the Taric counters guide. For raw stats, open the League of Legends item database. For gems and glitter, there’s the Taric skins page.

Long story short, the Taric ARAM build is Locket of the Iron Solari, Knight’s Vow, Frozen Heart and Redemption on Ionian Boots of Lucidity, with his W linked to the carry and Cosmic Radiance cast before the enemy dives.

FAQ

What is Taric’s ARAM modifier?

Only damage taken changes: 110% in patch 26.22. Healing and shielding stay normal, honestly the best news for him.

What items should Taric build in ARAM?

Locket of the Iron Solari, Knight’s Vow, Frozen Heart and Redemption, with Ionian Boots of Lucidity.

When should Taric cast Cosmic Radiance?

Early, as the enemy commits. It makes nearby allied champions invulnerable only after a delay.

Can Taric’s W link help in ARAM?

Yes. While the linked ally stays near him, his spells also cast from that ally, so Dazzle and Starlight’s Touch get a second origin point.

How was this Taric build picked?

From his patch 26.22 kit, matched to item effects. Win-rate data was not used.