The Desert Rose: An Introductory Guide to Samira

28 Sep 20

Guides

Ztrax

The Desert Rose: An Introductory Guide to Samira

Interested in trying out League's stylish new champion? This guide has everything you need to get started.

If you've played a game on Summoner's Rift in the last 48 hours, chances are you've seen the newest champion League of Legends has to offer: Samira, The Desert Rose. Shuriman by birth but Noxian by heart, Samira is a fun-loving, risk-taking bounty hunter who enjoys bullets just as much as she loves money. Her brazen demeanor translates flawlessly into her gameplay on the Rift, introducing a wild playstyle and crazy mechanics that are sure to shake up the ADC pool. So, if you think you're up for the challenge, then read on and learn how to cash in some wins with Samira!

Skills

Reading through the descriptions of Samira's abilities can make you wonder if you accidentally alt-tabbed to a Shakespeare novel, but they're actually not as complicated as they seem. Let's run through a distilled version of each one:

Passive - Daredevil Impulse: Samira's passive has several components that combine to form the essence of her kit.

First, she will attack enemies in melee range with her sword rather than her gun, doing a small amount of bonus magic damage.

Second, she can click a nearby immobilized enemy to dash into attack range and knock them up for half a second.

Third, Samira can build up a Style meter by using her attacks and abilities, gaining bonus movement speed as her Style increases. Her Style builds from E -> D -> C -> B -> A -> S, and increases by one letter each time she uses an auto attack or ability unique from the last one used. (Huh, maybe she is kind of complicated... But her other abilities are simpler, I promise!)

Q - Flair: She fires a shot in a straight line or slashes with her sword if the enemy is close enough. (See? Nice and simple.)

W - Blade Whirl: Samira spins and slashes, destroying enemy projectiles (excluding turret projectiles) that enter the circular zone. This also does two instances of damage to enemies inside the range.

E - Wild Rush: Samira dashes through an enemy or allied unit, gaining attack speed for a short time at the end of the dash. The dash resets its cooldown on kills, and Q can be used during the dash to do extra damage to enemies along the path.

R - Inferno Trigger: She unleashes a flurry of bullets that does damage to all enemies in a large, circular area. (Think Katarina ult, but you can still move slightly.) Samira can only use her ultimate when she has a Style rank of S, but the ultimate itself has no cooldown.

(Bonus ability!) Taunt: Samira's #2 taunt tosses a coin at an enemy (even a dead one), dealing 1 true damage and giving them 1 gold while she mocks them. Oof. This also raises her Style meter by one rank.

You should also level up and max your abilities in this order: Q -> E -> W -> R.

Runes

Whew, that ability rundown was a lot of information. Fortunately, Samira's rune choices are pretty clear-cut. Conqueror should be your choice of keystone, as Samira has the ability to stack it very quickly by weaving autos and abilities. Your minor Precision runes should then be Triumph (since she doesn't really need the mana from Presence of Mind), Legend: Bloodline (for the extra sustain, especially since your ultimate applies lifesteal), and Coup de Grace (to finish off low-health enemies). Your secondary runes will most likely be the standard fare for ADCs: Magical Footwear and Biscuit Delivery in the Inspiration tree. Then you can take attack speed, AD, and armor runes.

Items

<img src="https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/leagueoflegends/images/b/bd/Berserker's_Greaves_item.png/revision/latest?cb=20171221055553" alt="Berserker&amp;#039;s Greaves" width="60" height="60" />

Samira's build path for items is also rather consistent with ADCs who like to use their abilities a lot. Start with Doran's Blade, then build Essence Reaver, Berserker's Greaves, and Infinity Edge. These will be your core items most games, with the rest of your build being more situational. However, here are some suggestions to round out your inventory:

Death's Dance: This item almost feels like it was built for Samira. Not only is it absurdly strong in general right now, but its traits complement Samira's kit extremely well. The CDR helps Samira sling out abilities more frequently; the armor, MR, and bleed effect help her survive longer when she dives into the enemy team; and the lifesteal makes her deceptively tanky, especially during her ultimate.

Phantom Dancer: Many of Samira's abilities can critically strike, so having an extra crit item can help significantly with damage output. The shield aids your survivability as well.

Guardian Angel: In many ways Samira plays like an assassin, diving headfirst into the fray to finish off enemies. Guardian Angel provides the safety net for you to pop off without fear, in true Samira fashion.

Mortal Reminder: I will never not be an advocate of this item. Healing is rampant in League at the moment, meaning that having a source of grievous wounds is practically obligatory. Fortunately, Samira's ultimate can apply grievous wounds in a large area extremely easily, making this a solid item choice on her.

Gameplay

Samira's gameplay is as fiery and flashy as her personality, rewarding aggression and confidence. With only 500 range, it's easy for Samira to get poked out during lane or zoned out from a fight. Be mindful of this, then, and look to capitalize on Samira's primary strength: her all-in threat. Samira can jump in and unload massive damage very quickly, proving to be a bursty threat to enemy backliners.

Samira wants to go in with guns blazing and get out with full pockets. Ideally, you go in with E, unload your damage, get the kill and the E reset, and get back out before the enemy knows what hit them. To pull this off successfully, though, speed is of the utmost importance. As such, here are some swift combos to help you snag those bounties like a pro:

Q -> auto -> E -> auto -> Q -> auto (-> ult)

This combo works best when you have some CDR, but it is an extremely fast way to reach S Style rank while pumping out damage. Timed properly, your second Q should come off cooldown right when you need it.

E+Q -> auto -> W -> auto -> Q (-> ult)

This combo also gets you to S rank and works a little better when you don't have as much CDR. However, it does make you use your W, which slows down the combo and can leave you vulnerable on the retreat.

Auto -> Q -> auto

This alone won't get you S rank, but it is impressively quick (due to the auto reset) and will help you build meter nonetheless. Short strings like this are really good ways to trade in lane.

Auto -> E -> auto

Similar to the one above, but a little riskier since it uses your E. Still, it can be good to finish off an opponent or reposition while dealing damage.

With such potent all-in potential, Samira pairs really well in the bot lane with an engage support like Nautilus, Leona, or Thresh. Stay aggressive in lane and push your advantages before you get poked out. In teamfights, try to skirt around the edge of the fight while building Style, then rush in when enemies are low and finish them off with your ultimate. Remember that your ultimate has no cooldown, so you can use it, build up meter again, and use your ultimate a second time.

Closing Thoughts

Samira has all the tools necessary to become a fearsome threat in the bot lane for the near future, so it will probably pay dividends to understand how she plays. Whether you're the one piloting her into battle or she ends up on the enemy team, knowing her abilities and objectives can help you respond successfully.

And regardless of her meta viability, Samira is incredibly fun to play. She's stylish, showy, and her abilities flow together in an engaging, intuitive, and satisfying pattern. If you enjoy the ADC position but are looking for something a little different, look no further than Samira, The Desert Rose.

Related articles