Honestly, Sam is one of those brawlers that feels like a cheat code until you actually try to play him. You see a pro running through an entire team, healing like a madman, and you think, "Yeah, I can do that." Then you jump into a match, miss one super, and spend the next thirty seconds getting bullied by a Piper because you’re stuck with "baby punches." It's rough.
If you want to actually win with a sam build brawl stars players respect, you have to realize that Sam isn't a traditional tank. He’s more like an assassin that accidentally ate a brick wall. He’s fast, he’s aggressive, and his build is remarkably rigid. Unlike brawlers like Crow or Leon where you can swap gadgets based on the map, Sam really only has one viable setup. If you deviate, you’re basically playing on hard mode.
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The Loadout You Can't Ignore
Let’s get the basics out of the way. You need a Power 9 Sam at minimum to even touch him in ranked. Anything less and you're missing the core of his kit.
Hearty Recovery is the only Star Power worth your gold. Period. Every time you pick up your Knuckle Busters, you recover 20% of your missing health. This is the engine that keeps him alive. You throw the gloves at a wall, walk over them, and boom—instant health. If you pick Remote Recharge, you’re basically telling your teammates you don’t want to win.
For the gadget, Magnetic Field is your bread and butter. It pulls enemies toward your gloves when they’re on the ground. This is how you stop people from kiting you. Without it, anyone with a brain will just walk away from you. With it, you pull them into your "heavy punch" range and delete them.
Gears: Where the Real Customization Happens
Since Sam’s Star Power and Gadget are set in stone, gears are where you actually get to make choices.
- Damage Gear (Must-Have): Sam is almost always at low health because he’s constantly diving into the thick of it. This gear gives you that extra 15% damage boost when you're below 50% HP. It turns your "nearly dead" state into a "murder machine" state.
- Health Gear: This is surprisingly better than Shield for Sam. Because you’re constantly retreating to pick up gloves and heal with Hearty Recovery, the Health gear helps you get back to 100% way faster. It minimizes your downtime.
- Gadget Charge: If you’re playing a mode like Brawl Ball where you need those pulls to secure goals or stop a rush, having that 4th gadget is a lifesaver.
Don't bother with the Speed gear unless the map is literally 80% bushes. Sam already gets a massive 25% speed boost just by using his super. The speed gear doesn't stack effectively with that, so it’s often a wasted slot.
Mastering the "Wall-Hugging" Meta
If you aren't touching a wall, you're probably playing Sam wrong. Pro players like SpenLC and the Tribe Gaming crew have shown time and again that a Sam away from a wall is a dead Sam.
Why? Because you need to cycle your super instantly. The fastest way to heal and keep your speed buff is to throw your Knuckle Busters directly against a wall you are standing next to. You throw, you instantly pick them up. This triggers Hearty Recovery and resets your speed boost without you having to run across the map.
The Combo You Need to Memorize
Stop just auto-aiming. It doesn't work. To kill most mid-range brawlers (like Mandy or Poco), you need the "One-Two Punch."
- Super + Gadget + 2 Attacks + Super (Recall). This combo does upwards of 11,000 damage at Level 11. You throw the gloves past the enemy, hit the gadget to pull them into the gloves (and toward you), hit them with two heavy punches, and then use your super again to recall the gloves for the finisher. It’s disgusting.
When to Draft Sam (And When to Run)
Sam is a late-pick brawler. If you pick him first, the enemy team will just go Gale, Emz, or Shelly and you’re going to have a miserable ten minutes.
He shines on maps with tight corridors. Look at Hard Rock Mine or Sneaky Fields. These maps have "safe" walls that let you cycle your healing while staying in cover.
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Hard Counters to Avoid:
- Gale: His leaf blower gadget and super will keep you away forever.
- Emz: Her "Acid Spray" gadget (which is still annoying in 2026) lets her hit you through walls and slows you down.
- Cordelius: If he takes you to the Shadow Realm, you lose your gloves. You’re just a guy in a suit getting punched by a mushroom. It's embarrassing.
Practical Next Steps for Your Sam
If you really want to climb with Sam, don't just jump into Ranked. Go into a friendly match on a map like Hot Potato and practice throwing your gloves against a wall while moving. You need to get the "rhythm" of the pick-up.
If you can't pick up your gloves without looking at them, you aren't ready for high-ladder play yet. Focus on keeping your HP above 40% using the wall-bounce trick. Once you master the healing loop, you become the most annoying brawler on the field.
Start by practicing the Super-Recall timing. If you can master the recall damage, you’ll start winning those 1v1s that usually end in you dying with the enemy at 100 HP. Go grab those Knuckle Busters and start some trouble.
Actionable Insight: Spend 5 minutes in the Training Grounds practicing the "Wall-Bounce Heal." If you can trigger Hearty Recovery three times in five seconds while moving, you’ve mastered Sam’s most important survival mechanic.