After crunching and digesting SAM a bit more I'm leaning to Hagakure being used on cool-down as soon as you get 3 Sen (there are exceptions).
Iaijutsu does not break your combo (going by Merri's video) which gives some flexibility to SAM.
As long as you use your 3Sen before Yukikaze/Gekko/Kasha come around you should be fine.
IE:
Hakaze > Jinpu > 3Sen,
Hakaze > 3Sen > Jinpu,
3Sen > Hakaze > Jinpu
Same amount of GCD's, same amount of Keniki gained, and the only thing to note would be buff alignment with BRD, SCH, DRG, and etc.
So we then end up with instances where you can have something like:
Hakaze (Kaiten) > 3Sen vs Hakaze (Hagakure) > Yukikaze.
Yukikaze is basically substituting for 3Sen.
Hakaze (Kaiten) > 3Sen comes to 1080p (potency) for 3Sen+Kaiten.
You still have 25-35 Keniki afterwards, but that affects 3Sen and Hagakure phases equally (you build 55 Keniki generating 3 Sen if you land positional's).
Hakaze (Hagakure) > Yukikaze comes out to 1240.
340 from Yukikaze and 900 from Shinten spam since you have 60+20 Keniki.
The 20 is from the "unused" Kaiten.
You will also have 15 Keniki left over (10 from Yukikaze and 5 leftover from Shinten spam).
Also, using Guren + Shinten is even more potency (still have 15 Keniki left over).
Even basing this off of Hakaze you will get 1150p with 0 Keniki left over (5 leftover + 5 from Hakaze, so you can use Gyoten. Course it's better use that 5 in a better potency/Keniki move).
There are still instances where you would still not use Hagakure on CD if you have 3Sen.
You have to know that you can expend most of the gained Keniki before the enemy/boss dies.
There is a point where if you use x minimum amount of Keniki generated from Hagakure you will be good.
Have not crunched as it depends on enemies remaining health, Guren, and some other things (not wasting the Keniki from your WS).
Considering values may change don't want to do to much theory craft.
Oh and you could maybe use a 2Sen Hagakure into Yukikaze combo into the 1Sen dot (something thats on my list, but not sure how that is going to pan out)
Oh and on flexibility? Assume you have 3Sen (Hagakure and Guren are on cool-down), but 15 Keniki because you fucked up somewhere.
Instead of using 3Sen asap, you do Hakaze, Kaiten, and then 3Sen.
It's nothing huge, but it gives some wiggle room to make the best out of a Keniki usage mistake.
Of course all of this is still subject to change before EA, but that's what excel is for.
I'm super hyped for SAM cause you will use every tool in their kit at some point.
Yes even Starry Eyes.
I will make my healers cry! (if we go by the jp tool-tip it is 15 Keniki cost and not 25, making it better potency/kenki than Shinten.
I can already see SAM's staying in aoe to try and proc open eyes, fail, and then die. That will be me week 1).
Ok done rambling, back to trudging through this work day (why isn't it the 16th yet?)
Have you read Hai Hai's
insane 19 page preview speculation thing?
He seems pretty optimistic about SMN in general; his stuff is always interesting to read through, at least.
I thought I was being long winded. I'm going to have take my time and read through this after work. Should be good stuff.