[HaTeD]

If you want to give it a drawback of a different kind, I could also suggest that the range of a Talis is specifically made long. Consider this, being unable to place it within 1-3 tiles of yourself. You can relocate it past 3 range to it's normal end point, but once it's out cannot retract it back in (or make THIS cost 3M, and moving it around otherwise still 1M)

This is a pretty cool idea. Force it at 4 or 5 range, plus 3m to bring it back. I'd say relocating it should also be 3m, basically making it 1m only when you don't have it deployed.

I'm not sure how balanced it would be since you can still have talis spells and non-talis spells and simply switch to those, but it certainly makes gap closing less bad. Oh, also many spells can reach melee range from talis distance away, so for instance you can still cast vyd on someone who's on top of you. Still, it would be a welcome drawback, though perhaps a bit complex

I strongly believe any kind of momentum increase with take away from its use of utility completely. It would make the effect moot and we would have just another unused effect in the game. I think if we either bring other mechanics to par (even though there are several ways to combat and compare talis to other classes already) Or look at a different and new perspective when dealing with it. I don't see the issue with gap closing here and your frustration with it. I feel like youre speaking from your point of view solely, but that's not so bad, feel free to express yourself. As from my experience using talis stones however, I haven't met a class in a fight that couldn't find some way to combat the range within reason. Therefore I offer a new mechanic, letting the talis be targeted by attacks and the like, making it a destructible field object. Don't like it? get rid of it, and when destroyed in such way it will be put on a cooldown. Likewise, I can agree that a use of Talis should be taxing and increase spell cost of what is used with it by a % or flat value. 5 fp to move, and a tax to the great empire of your focus for casting through it. 

Balance isn't an issue outside of the specific domain of the talis that is deployed, so changing to non-talis applicable spells is a moot point imo. It would literally be the norm. To extend on the gap closing argument; Shukuchi, Charge, Winged Serpent, Agile accel, Talvyd Augmented effects, Tactician, Western wind, Nature walk, Create Shade, Other Talis, Voidgate/Vanishing strike, Blink, Electro Boots (forgive my lack of rembering their names proper) These all have very useful tools and methods of gap closing. Now there is not really a way for every single class, but I do believe not every class should being as theoretically fast and mobile as those intended to be light and quite elusive. (See Rogue, mage, archer) Compared to our hunk of iron walls, the black knight. At this point it comes down to game knowledge and an experience check to deal with such things as unfair as that might sound. Where you say, Polk, A range increase is better than a gap-closer I will state this is only in the eyes of an evasion build because a doomwall can utilize and appreciate either boon type. 

I'm still a firm believer artillery maging should remain as it is outside of a few interactions. God help the poor soul being kited by a onyx talis in the center of a map while it's owner blinks upwards 20 tiles in any cardinal direction. With that outlier spoke of I want to express that a mages range was a peculiar detriment outside of invocations. How does a mage stay effectively safe if it's offensive spells were 1-7 range tops? That is no gap, it will be closed on post haste and they would be in constant check of getting hit. Talis offered a way and a mechanic to alleviate some of these problems for magic playstyles.