Taric vs Neeko Counter Pick

Neeko carries 21 base armour, among the lowest opening values in the game, and Bravado converts every one of Taric’s spellcasts into two empowered attacks that also cut his cooldowns. That is the shortest description of a matchup reading 61.1% for Taric across 131 games on patch 16.13.1, graded Easy.

What each side brings:

• Range: 550 against 150, so Blooming Burst poke is free until somebody commits to a fight.
• Durability: 610 base health and 2,378 at level 18 for Neeko, against 645 and 2,328 for Taric, whose 40 base armour and Bastion aura cover that difference.
• Engage: Pop Blossom knocks up and stuns after a preparation window, and Cosmic Radiance grants invulnerability after a delay of its own.

The ultimate interaction is effectively the matchup. Pop Blossom is telegraphed by its preparation, and Taric only needs to overlap his own timer with it. Inherent Glamour lets Neeko appear as an ally champion, making early identification the practical skill test, and Tangle-Barbs roots everything it passes through, growing larger after it hits. Shapesplitter adds bonus magic damage on every third attack and sends out a clone, so chasing her after a failed engage wastes more time than it gains. Against magic damage Taric’s 28 base magic resistance is the weak point, so landing Dazzle first rather than second decides the exchange. Her disguise rules are on the Neeko champion page.