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HomepageHeroes of the StormAssassin HeroesSamuro

Samuro Build Guide “My humble skills are yours.”

Last updated on Nov 20, 2016 at 07:51 by Straften 15 comments

Table of Contents

Samuro Image

General Information

Welcome to our Samuro guide for Heroes of the Storm. Here you will learn everything you need to know in order to play Samuro in a competitive environment, whether you play on your own or with a team.

About the Author

Straften is a Grand Master ranked player in both Hero League and Team League. He has a passion for theorycrafting, and regularly tests new features early on the PTR. He explains his strategy, reasoning, and implementation in these guides.

1. Quick Reference

Harsh Winds Build (talent calculator link)

Level 1 Way of the Blade Icon Level 4 Mirage Icon Level 7 Burning Blade Icon Level 10 Bladestorm Icon Level 13 Shukuchi Icon Level 16 Harsh Winds Icon Level 20 Wind Strider Icon

These Talents are built around dealing as much damage to an enemy as possible during Harsh Winds Icon Harsh Winds' debuff period. Although it is set up for a Level 16 Talent, it will perform well at all stages of the game because of the high value picks in every tier. Once an enemy is marked, you want to immediately cast Mirror Image Icon Mirror Image to deal as much damage possible. If you see kill potential you may want to follow this up with Bladestorm Icon Bladestorm to secure the kill, as it also benefits from the increased damage.

Illusion Master Build (talent calculator link)

Level 1 Way of the Blade Icon Level 4 Mirage Icon Level 7 Phantom Pain Icon Level 10 Illusion Master Icon Level 13 Mirrored Steel Icon Level 16 Press the Attack Icon Level 20 Three Blade Style Icon

This build is very useful if you plan to focus on merc camps during the mid game, as it will increase damage done by the Images. Once you hit Level 16, you will be able to participate more effectively in team fights thanks to the pressure and Image sustainability afforded by Mirrored Steel Icon Mirrored Steel and Press the Attack Icon Press the Attack. Because Illusion Master allows you to take control of (and switch places with) your Images, this build path can also be very effective on maps that require point control, such as Dragon Shire and Sky Temple. Send one Image to the point you wish to control, and keep one with you in a nearby lane. Swap to the Image on point as necessary. A single enemy Hero will not be able to do both tasks at the same time, and you will force them to decide between going to the point or soaking experience. This strategy is not recommended on Braxis Holdout, because you will not be able to do much during the very important early game.

See our Talents page for further information Create your own build and share it with friends!

Synergies and Counters

Samuro synergizes with
Azmodan Portrait Sgt. Hammer Portrait Gazlowe Portrait

Samuro does not directly pressure the map very much, but can gank and clear Mercenary Camps very well. Because of this playstyle, he works well with a strong lane pusher on his team. This allows him to roam more freely and focus on his strengths, rather than laning.

Samuro is countered by
Alarak Portrait Kael'thas Portrait Tassadar Portrait Zarya Portrait

Samuro will have a hard time against Heroes who can reliably reveal Images, or damage all three possible Samuros at the same time. Some Heroes can actually benefit from your Images; either by using them to complete quests easily, or by farming them for unique resources like Energy.

Maps

Samuro's stronger maps Battlefield of Eternity Blackheart's Bay Cursed Hollow
Samuro's average maps Dragon Shire Garden of Terror Hanamura Haunted Mines Sky Temple Towers of Doom Warhead Junction
Samuro's weaker maps Braxis Holdout Infernal Shrines Tomb of the Spider Queen

Samuro does very well on maps that have many Mercenary camps, as well as diverse pathing options to and away from them. His single target sustained damage is very high, which can help him clear bosses and Immortals. He lacks sustain in situations where it is not certain that the Images will tank for him. For this reason he is weak while defending against large waves of enemy forces, and againt Punishers which deal massive AoE damage.

TL;DR Tips

  • Use Mirror Image Icon Mirror Image when you are directly on top of an enemy Hero to ensure that they are surrounded by the Images and you.
  • Use Critical Strike Icon Critical Strike immediately after passively occuring Critical Strikes for maximum value.
  • Wind Walk Icon Wind Walk can be used to help you surprise enemies, or to help you escape dangerous situations.
  • Use Bladestorm Icon Bladestorm to kill enemies who would otherwise be protected by the crowd control provided by thier allies.
  • The Movement Speed provided by Advancing Strikes Icon Advancing Strikes can be used not only to chase, but to dodge or to disengage from combat as well.
See our Abilities page for further information

2. Introduction

Samuro is a melee Assassin who can Stealth and create Images of himself on demand. He excels at forcing enemies to deal with problems other than him. Samuro has no self-sustain other than using his Images to absorb damage, which helps to solidify his sneaky gameplay style. Samuro works best on teams that can waveclear well independently of him, so that he can focus on gathering Mercenary Camps and ganking.

3. Strengths

  • Can create disposable copies of himself with Mirror Image Icon Mirror Image
  • Can enter Stealth at will and gain mobility with Wind Walk Icon Wind Walk
  • Very good at capturing Mercenary Camps
  • Can distract and confuse enemy Heroes
  • Cannot be stopped while using Bladestorm Icon Bladestorm

4. Weaknesses

  • Poor self-sustain
  • Vulnerable to AoE Abilities
  • Vulnerable if Revealed
  • Limited versatility

5. Role in the Current Meta

Samuro fits well into team compositions that need a Melee Assassin who can also clear Mercenary Camps efficiently. What separates him from other Melee Assassins who can clear camps well is that he is also a strong pick against enemy compositions with heavy crowd control. This is because he is able to finish off kills unimpeded by crowd controls by using Bladestorm Icon Bladestorm. Samuro can be a liability against certain Heroes because his Images can help enemies to quickly finish quests, or farm resources like Energy. He also struggles against low cooldown AoE harassment while in lane, and should avoid laning against Heroes who are capable of this. While not without weakness, he can be incredibly oppressive to the enemy team in ideal situations.

6. Reading Further

To take things further, we have 2 more pages that you can read:

7. ChangeLog

+ show all entries - show only 10 entries
  • 20 Nov. 2016 (this page): Guide added.
Abilities and Strategy⋙
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