Samurai Buff

[Osias_Qol]

I have not really read the thread but I don't mind tossing in a thought as a person who has been climbing as a SAM exclusively (am in diamond)

I think SAM is in a weaker spot at the moment and needs some changes.(I think SAM and DRG are in need of help TBH and I think RPR is a lot stronger than ppl make it out to be)

SAM LB is a noob stomper and that is it.
At higher ranks it tends to be about as good as a monk lb but with a build up that is twice as long and you mostly just sit on it tbh. People pay far more attention to it(as they should be) and you are are either instantly ignored the moment you pop chiten and focused down once it drops or you are CCed and blown up before you can do anything with it. Leaving it to mainly be used on a single target.
Is that to say at times you cant get a nice lb off? No... But it is to say that, that nice lb that everybody talks about so much is an incredibly rare occurrence. It just stands out in peoples minds more because omgwtfbbq the sam just killed 3 ppl vs other LBs that set things up in less obvious ways or are knocking people out 1 at a time through out the entire match.
The LB is lack luster and while I personally would be ok with it being reworked... I do think it has a place in PVP and is flavor that does give an enemy team something to think about.

SAM is the most telegraphed job in pvp.
We can not do anything as a SAM without our opponent seeing it coming a mile away and having a ton of time to react, pop a CD, LOS. move away.

SAM is horrid at chasing. All of its skills are casted. Heck I have found even the bind tends to miss a target running after I gap close them...
We are also bad at 1v1 (which is fine its a team game) with everything being again so telegraphed its easy to just time CDs or move away. And If I dive the backline "to apply pressure" all that happens is I burst, they heal, I burst, they heal, I go to burst again and they maybe die or more likely I am being focused down before we ever make it that far. And I am not tanky like a Monk, not slippery like a NIN, lack the sustain of a RPR, or the bouncing in and out of a DRG

In my opinion SAM wants to play on point and cast long ass attacks with team mates helping close the deal. We have our 8k shield from Ogi if we hit more than 1 target. And we have a 5 sec 25% dmg reduction from Chiten. But we have to cast all the meaningful damage we are going to do and are more or less sitting there. I feel squish and lacking and it seems like I am asking to be focused as I heavily telegraph everything I am about to do.

This may also just be bad luck on my part but I am starting to think SE has SAM classified as a back up tank... I was keeping track of the teams I was getting placed on vs the teams I was being placed against.

In 100 games:

23 I was the only non ranged person on the team and out of those 23 the other team had a melee and a tank 13 times

I was placed on a team with another melee (including nin even tho they play more like a ranged if you ask me) w/o a tank 38 times and out of those 38 times the other team had a tank 21 times

I was placed on the same team as a tank and the other team did not have a tank, 11 times

and both teams had a tank 28 times

Our AOE DMG heal is trash! If we are being focused we are not going to last our burst or even an Ogi and 3 gcd attacks to get our AOE DMG heal. We are going to Ogi then spam recup and run, or use guard to gtfo, or use chiten to do the same. If we are not being focused it can help keep us in the fight a bit longer sure but we are prob better off keeping the dash for 1 of the other 2, or to get on a target...

In any case I am getting enough wins to climb. But it has been 1 heck of a roller coaster to get to where I am. There have been many many fights leaving me feeling like if I was any other melee I would bring so much more to the team...

I have found most of my success comes from sitting back for a few to let the fight develop to the point I am no longer going to be the immediate focus and then I go assist some other dps in hopes they can finish the remaining HP off a target that I cant.

If I was to take a crack at changes for SAM I think I would ask for...
Reduced cast times on all casted skills
Revert Chiten back to what it use to be
Make Ogi give the shield no matter the number of targets
Leave the LB as it is for flavor even tho i feel like it sucks in higher ranks