Does Taric Protector's Shield boost to allied units persist through combat when he dies, given that he has Tank and will likely die first?

Ruling: Taric's Shield boost persists through the damage assignment phase of combat. The boost only disappears after Taric is removed during cleanup, which happens after combat damage is assigned.

Sequence:

• If Taric is alive when damage assignment begins, the Shield boost applies to all allied units
• All combat damage is assigned simultaneously before checking if units die
• After damage assignment, units with lethal damage are removed during cleanup
• Once Taric is removed to the graveyard, his boost stops applying
• The boost remains active during the entire damage assignment phase

Nuances:

• If Taric is killed before combat starts (e.g., by a spell like Hidden Blade), the boost disappears before damage assignment
• During exotic timings between damage assignment and end of combat (such as Conquest or Deathknell triggers), Taric may already be in the graveyard, so the boost would be gone during those windows
• Opponents must assign lethal damage to Taric before assigning damage to other units due to Tank, and cannot reduce damage by 1 anticipating the Shield loss