Estimate kill value from the attacker’s perspective
Ask which living player most threatens evil tomorrow. A confirmed investigator with a fresh result, a Jailor controlling claims or a Mayor holding vote power can become priority targets at different stages.
Avoid automatic repetition
Protecting the same obvious target every night is easy to route around. Once killers expect that protection, switching to the second-highest-value information role can catch the plan they thought was safe.
Doctor and Bodyguard are not interchangeable
Doctor preserves the target; Bodyguard can trade life for the protected player and attacker. That difference matters when the likely attacker has night immunity or when Town cannot afford to lose the protector after a successful trade.
Use attack feedback carefully
A Doctor learning the target was attacked is meaningful evidence. A quiet night without feedback is not proof that the target was safe because of you. Keep the exact feedback separate from the theory about who attacked.
Protect the vote in the endgame
When only a few players remain, a confirmed vote may be more important than an investigative action. Protection should preserve the player who keeps Town from losing parity, not simply the role with the most impressive name.
Predicting the second target
Mafia tried to kill a confirmed Investigator but the player survived. Everyone now expects Doctor to stay there. The more likely next attack may be the Lookout who can confirm visitors around that Investigator. Switching protection can preserve the information network instead of defending yesterday’s target forever.
Choose the protection that can actually work
| Situation | Doctor | Bodyguard |
|---|---|---|
| A revealed Mayor needs protection | Cannot heal the revealed Mayor | Can consider guarding the Mayor |
| The other protector is the likely attack target | A heal may preserve the Bodyguard through an interception | Guarding the Doctor can punish an attacker |
| A Survivor vested against a stronger attack | The vest is not a substitute for healable protection | Evaluate whether the attack can be intercepted |
| Several attacks may hit one target | Compare each attack with the protection it receives | One ordinary interception does not guarantee survival against every attack |
Coordinate without publishing a complete predictable plan to every killer. A pairing can be broken by blocks, redirects or attacks that bypass its protection; treating it as unconditional safety invites mistakes.
Common mistakes
- Protecting only the loudest claim.
- Stacking Doctor and Bodyguard without considering redundant value.
- Assuming a quiet night proves your target was attacked.
- Ignoring vote preservation in the final players.
