HOW TO: Sam

This guide will help you play as Sam B and survive the island!

I: Overview

Hello there! It's been a while, huh? Two years since I posted that guide on Xian. It's become one of the top guides for this game and I'm surprised. I figured that I should at least finish what I started; doing guides for all four characters! And today we shall cover Sam B, voiced by Phil LaMarr. I'll let you guys decide if you want to make Samurai Jack or Hermes jokes.

Sam B does have a high HP count and I would consider to be one of the better characters to play solo, but that being said:

+ Low movement speed. He moves like he's got nowhere else to be in while in zombie Armageddon. Expect him to have problems getting around. Sprinting does help matters, but...

+ Bad stamina management. Sam B has one skill that helps him get stamina back, but it relies on getting damage and it's still a chance-based affair if that triggers. Logan and Purna's more ranged game makes it easier for them to maintain stamina, and Xian has so many ways to refund her stamina. Sam B might have more stamina than Logan, but that doesn't mean much when...

+ Lowest damage potential. Sam B is your Tank unit, and he's not built for damage. Most of the other characters get skills that increase damage with a certain weapon type by 5% or higher. Sam gets 2/3%. And while Blunt Weapons are common and a bit more durable than Bladed, they also make Sam B the worst character for throwing weapons. They might fall down, or fly away...

Sam B is a character that can handle most things solo, so if this is your first time playing the game, Sam B is a good way to get used to the game. While throwing weapons is really great (And the best way to handle Thugs), Sam can work with a Pistol.

II: Required Skills

If you read my read my previous guide, then you know that you can only progress down the skill tree if you put enough points into the lowest level. If you want to access Tier 6 skills, you have to put 3 points into Tier 6. Putting points into Tier 2 will not help you progress to Tier 6. If you didn't read my Xian guide...now you know! : >

If a Tier has only one skill, then you have to get those. Those are the Required Skills.

Haymaker/Greater Haymaker/Incredible Haymaker

Fury is Sam's best tool to murder zombies. The sooner, the better!



Heavy Hitter/Blunt Expert/Earthshaker

Go Blunt, or go home. Wait until you get the last one before using the Super Stomp.




Recuperation/Regeneration/Rebrith

(It's the same picture for all three) The skill's description is a bit misleading. You don't regenerate x HP per minute, you constantly regenerate HP! You just get that much back for each passing minute.

III: Don't Bother Skills

These skills are ones that you shouldn't put points into unless you got some spare points.


Sticks and Stones

Wow, a piddling chance to get some piddling amount of Rage! Skip.



Lights Out

What it means by KO, it means when you deplete the enemies' stamina, knocking them down. Thing is, you can kick over most zombies really easily. And a kick keeps them down too. Extending the timer by a few seconds isn't really that good.



Tackle

Sam B's unique skill...is bad. It costs stamina. It only works if you sprint. Repeat, while draining stamina while running, this skill drains EVEN MORE STAMINA. And 9 times out of 10, you'll get hit. Only bother if you're going for the achievement. And as for the ability to break through doors...it's not that big of a deal. And really? You bust down doors when the area is clear. Would suck if you ram through a door and now you have to deal with double zombies.



Exploit Weakness
2%. By the time the enemy is down to half stamina, chances are that they are close to death. Or on the ground. Which is close to death too.
...but here's the thing that someone down in the comment section pointed out. Lights Out, Tackle, and Exploit Weakness are on the same row, so you cannot advance until you put down three points. All three of these skills aren't that great, so to move on, it's best to put them into this one, or equally across the row. Tackle can be more useful if you do it closer...but if you're close enough for that, you're close enough to swing a weapon.


Big Stick

2%. Again. Not only does this provide a weak boost, it only works if the weapon is the one that requires two hands: sledgehammers for instance. You might not find a good weapon...and sledgehammers deal less damage than a lot of one-handed weapons in my playthrough.


Powerful Impact

2%. This is sad...



Telling Blows

1%. 1%.1%.



Motivation

This is Sam B's only skill that helps with his stamina. I didn't get this and I cannot recommend it. Zombies can still deal a ton of damage, and if they got a weapon, they can three-shot a max HP Sam B. It's a skill that has a chance of triggering and it won't help you that much if it does.


Backfire

Realistically, only Thugs and Rams are capable of knocking you down, and you can play in a way to avoid being pushed around. Not worth while.

IV: Situational And/Or Semi-Useful Skills

These skills can be good, but it depends if you're playing solo, with a bud, or are going for something specific. Think before you equip!


Feel No Pain/Pain Killer

Both are good, but you can live without it. The defense boost is good, but...you mostly one-shot zombies. Good if you plan on fighting the special infected with Rage...but that's not a good use for Rage.


Volatile

It's good...but small. Funny how the biggest guy on the team has the smallest boosts...



Devastation

I...never got this. And that's because it's outclassed by the other skills in the tier.



Aimed Shots

As I mentioned in my Xian guide, she's the only one that lacks skills relating to guns. This one does give you more damage, but all humans (Save for one boss) die in one hit from headshots. Extra damage for guns is only for you if you aren't going for headshots or using it to fight zombies...and you don't have the ammo to fight all off the zombies.


Decoy

DO NOT GET THIS WHEN PLAYING SOLO! I mean, you can, if you want to fight all of the zombies in the area at once. Have fun! : >



Deeper Pockets/Picklock

Same deal as last time. Good to have, but not really needed.



Bulletproof

Sam B's high HP and headshots on human foes makes this skill not that useful. There is one point in the Jungle where this will be useful...but man, that's about it.



Last Stand

Once again, the other two skills on this tier are so much better.



Bone Breaker

This is better than insta-kill Xian, but even then? it's not that much...

V: The Best Skills

These will make your life so much easier!



Grim Inspirtation/Smash Hit

More Rage, more often, less problems!



Effortless

Literally Sam B's only good way to maintain good stamina.



Maintenance/Custom Maintenance

It's not the Mini Chainsaw from Dead Rising 1, but it will last.



Money Magnet/Fence

More money, less problems. Sell the Bladed weapons and Auto Rifles and you'll be rocking tens of thousand of bucks.



Hammer Blows

Not instant-kill, but it does make Sam B's job easier when the zombies are down and aren't able to gang up on him.


Hardened

Zombies are all melee. This makes you take less damage from zombies. Get it.



Critical Impact

This does have its use! And really, this is only skill in its tier worth a damn.

VI: General Tips

+ Loot EVERYTHING. Sam B gets a skill that gives him more money per drop, and this can be used to make all of the money you will need to buy, repair, and craft.

+ Keep a pistol on you. Sam B doesn't do much damage, even with throwing. Keeping a Pistol on you is good for dealing with Suiciders (Who can oneshot him). Two shots from a good Pistol will put them down. Just...don't blast it too close to you.

+ Med-kits are still good for you, even with your high HP and regeneration.

+ Special infected do give Sam B a bit of a hard time. Make some Deo-Bombs, and start lobbing!

+ Keep an eye out for a Heavy Morning Star. That can be used to make a real powerful weapon, the Bluntly-Shocked Mod! (You're supposed to get this by completing the Ryder White campaign, but it comes unlocked at the start.)

+ Batteries, Wires, Metal Scrap. You'll need as many as you can get your hands on.

VII: Links!

XIAN Guide: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2365489279

PURNA Guide: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3038047820

LOGAN Guide: Coming soon!

[General_Caddy98]

Nice

[ColonelGuy5509]

TheAwakening...yeah, that slipped my mind. Adding it on, with the other important details.
bing le floof, do you have bullet

[bing :3]

I just use gun

[TheAwakening]

You realize you're not recommending to unlock either lights out, tackle, or exploit weakness when one of those are needed to progress down another tier right? In any case, the only skill that saves time to open locked doors is tackle. You can also save some stamina by starting sprinting near, it's like a regular attack but if maxed out it will always knockdown anyone.

[Eternal One]

Anyone has an Extra "Defender of the Motherland" gun you can share been farming for weeks and nothing.

[xx]

I did Sam B on my first playthrough without any help, I was just spamming tackle and kicking them until they died while they were stuck on the ground..

[Sam B From Dead Island™]

Thank you... I needed this.

[chicken chow mein]

thx for the guide <3 its very good, ALL HAIL SAM B