I agree with the cutting the top for the taper, and bending the trunk is a good idea. I would go absolutely crazy with this tree! There's so many branches to play around with. If you worried about the root pruning maybe is a good time to cut back the top. Just an idea

my plan this year is to wire the trunk and loose the top and a fat branch on the backside of the 1st trunk bend thats it. next year will be the major styling...3 days still good

um well larches do not like their roots chopped plus i put it in shade to recover which i think was my second mistake...95% needle loss usually means certain death but now that i have it in the sun again the last remaining needles are holding on well and i think 2 branch ends are budding so im keeping my fingers crossed. at least i know that original plan of styling is out the window

oh no! this is terrible news! Im sorry to hear, i really do hope the tree pulls through.

Horrible news. On the bright side..it's still hanging on.
Have you ever tried super thrive or willow water to help the roots?

nope... what is willow water by the way
its going to need a big energy boost to refoliate itself but its definately not dead. im just wondering how much will come back if anything cuz the apex took the biggest hit and has no needles...this always happens i just cant seem to get a tree with not much work needed a bend here a couple snips there and this one would have been going good :S

Willow water....Get any fresh willow branch and cut it up into small pieces and "steep" them in water for a few days outside. Strain the willow out and use the water on trees in need of a boost.

ok that was more obvious than expected so were did you get this idea from, and is this like a medicine of sorts or a root promoter

I read about it somewhere...sometime. Here's a great website about it. It's kind of interesting.
www.bluestem.ca/willow-article1.htm

thats cool ...i put rooting hormone on the rootball when i replanted so i think the W.W. won't help. definately will use it for future projects tho i have a pussywillows in my backyard