We know he has been banned constantly in Hero League and has completely dominated quick match, but is the latest Melee Assassin fit for tournament play?
If you don't know about the Gold Club World Championship, that's ok. Everyone is still reeling after BlizzCon 2016 and there hasn't been much fervor over what comes next.
Now is the time to get caught up.
The Wild Card matches played yesterday are to determine which teams get to qualify for the main event-- a global tournament happening in China. Some of the teams playing in this qualifier are the best of the best, including MVP Black and Tempest.
One team, Imperium Pro from the Phillipines, have been using Samuro to mixed affect. It is the first time Samuro has been seen in a tournament setting, and the following matches offer a glimpse on when Samuro is effective (vs. Team Face Check) and when it is countered hard (namely by a mean Zeratul from Tempest)
THE MATCHES
In this game, Samuro goes toe-to-toe against Sonya and Tychus and thanks to the level 4 talent, Deflection, and manages to hold his own. This is a close game and one can even argue that a clutch Blade Storm from Samuro ends it, however I would realistically thank the team composition that allowed Samuro so much space to do his things.
From my experience, it seems like Samuro does well when he's on a team with plenty of other targets the enemy team needs to deal with. Valla, Falstad, and Lt.Morales have big targets on their head, which allows Samuro some breathing room.
This game doesn't go so well for the Samuro team, but that is probably because their opponent is Korean power house, Tempest. This game isn't a total stomp (and I think Samuro pairs well against Li-Ming thanks to his Spell Shield talent and illusions soaking damage) but Tempest was clearly ready for the Blademaster. Zeratul seems to be a potent counter to Samuro, as his burst damage takes full advantage of Samuro's lack of regneration abilities. A low HP Samuro is at his least effective, and we see that constantly this game.
THE VERDICT
Although these are just two games, I commend Imperium Pro Team for shaking things up and boldy choosing Samuro twice. They seem to feel that the hero is worthy of first pick, but I'm not entirely convinced. As I was watching the games, I often found my self saying "If only Samuro was Zeratul" or "Sundering would be amazing right now."
In a world of potent Melee Assassins that bring stuns and burst damage, the illusive factor that Samuro brings in sacrifice of these strengths doesn't entirely seem worth it. Level headed teams like Tempest don't seem bothered by the confusion Samuro brings. If one hero (like Zeratul) is devoted to punishing him every time he commits to an attack, life can be miserable for the Samuro player.
Regardless of his competitive viability, it looks like Samuro continues to divide players, even in the face of his most recent nerfs:
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