Best Sam Build & Guide 2026

Is Sam Good in Brawl Stars 2026?

Sam is a situational, niche pick in Brawl Stars 2026, sitting at D-tier with a live win rate of 45.1% and a pick rate of 9.6%. As a Epic Assassin, Sam is currently trending down (-1.2 over 7 days). It shines most in casual and quest play, where players can lean on its core strengths and map control. If you want to climb with Sam, prioritise favourable maps and modes, trade only with an advantage, and exploit its class identity as a assassin to dictate the pace of every fight.

Sam In-Depth — Super Timing, Matchups & Maps

Piloting Sam well comes down to a few repeatable habits rather than raw mechanics. Run Hearty Recovery with the Magnetic Field Gadget to get the most out of its Epic kit, then focus on Super usage: Hold the Super as an execute-or-escape tool: jump in only once the target has burned its Gadget or dash, secure the kill, then immediately reset behind a wall before the enemy team can collapse on you. At a 45.1% win rate and 9.6% pick rate, Sam lives or dies on when — not whether — you press that button.

Matchups decide most of Sam's games. It comfortably beats Chester and Amber, where its assassin kit dictates the trade. The matchups to fear are Sprout, Nani, Frank — Sprout alone holds a 51% edge in the fight. Against them, save "garden mulcher" for the moment sam tries to land its super — it cuts the key window., and never contest neutral ground without a Gadget or Super ready to answer their engage.

Map choice is the last piece. Sam is a priority pick on Sunny Soccer (Brawl Ball), Core of Orbit (Solo Showdown), Crystal Eye Castle (Solo Showdown). In Brawl Ball, play for lane pressure and Super cycles around the goal rather than forcing risky solo dribbles. Bench it on Back Shuffle and Playmaker, where the terrain hands the tempo to its counters. Draft Sam when the mode and cover reward its assassin strengths, and swap off the moment the map neutralises them — that single discipline is worth more ladder trophies than any build tweak.

Best Sam Build 2026 — Gadget, Star Power & Gears

The best Sam build in 2026 pairs its highest-value Star Power with the Gadget that fits its assassin role. Run the Star Power that amplifies Sam's damage or utility uptime, and the Gadget that gives you burst control in skirmishes. For Gears, Speed is the universal pick to improve rotations and dodging, while Damage maximises trades when you drop below half health. On open or aggressive maps consider Shield or Health over Damage. This build keeps Sam consistent across the current meta and is updated daily as win rates shift.

Best Sam Counters

The best counters to Sam right now are Sprout, Nani, Frank. Sprout (Artillery) pressures Sam thanks to a 51% win rate and a kit that punishes assassin positioning. Nani (Marksman) pressures Sam thanks to a 50.8% win rate and a kit that punishes assassin positioning. Frank (Tank) pressures Sam thanks to a 50.7% win rate and a kit that punishes assassin positioning. Against these matchups, Sam struggles to find clean trades, so respect their range, bait their key abilities and only commit when you have a numbers or cover advantage.

SproutNaniFrank

Best Modes and Maps for Sam in 2026

Sam performs best on maps with walls and cover, especially Sunny Soccer (Brawl Ball), Core of Orbit (Solo Showdown), Crystal Eye Castle (Solo Showdown). These layouts let Sam leverage its assassin strengths and control key objectives. Avoid picking Sam on Back Shuffle, Playmaker, where its weaknesses are exposed. In ranked drafts, value Sam on maps that favour its range and rotation, and bench it when the enemy comp or terrain neutralises its kit. Map and mode picks refresh every 24 hours from live battle data.

How to Play Sam in 2026

Sam is a situational, niche pick this season, holding D-tier (Weak) with a 45.1% win rate and a 9.6% pick rate while slipping 1.2 points over the last week. As a Epic Assassin, Sam wants to play to its class identity: a assassin thrives when it controls spacing, picks favourable trades and rotates to objectives instead of forcing fights. Lean on its strongest Star Power and Gadget, keep your supers banked for game-deciding moments, and respect counters that out-range or out-burst you. Sam performs best in casual and quest play, where smart positioning turns its kit into consistent value. Track win rate daily, adapt your build to the current maps, and pick Sam when the mode and terrain reward its assassin strengths rather than punishing them.

Sam — Frequently Asked Questions