Interception, counterattack and survival
- A normal interception stops one attack and counterattacks its attacker. Multiple attacks can still threaten the protected player.
- Your counterattack is Powerful: it can beat Basic defense, but it does not defeat Invincible defense.
- A Doctor healing the Bodyguard can save it during a normal counterattack exchange. This is different from both protectors visiting the same third player.
Guard the player the attacker wants
Early game
Watch for players who are producing verifiable information rather than protecting the loudest speaker by default. A Sheriff with a clean result chain or a Jailor who has begun confirming claims usually gives the Bodyguard more expected value than an unproven power claim.
Mid game
As the graveyard fills, reconstruct likely kill priorities. Mafia and independent killers often shift from information roles to confirmed vote power. A Bodyguard who anticipates that shift can turn a predictable attack into a two-player swing.
Endgame
In a small lobby, protection is often equivalent to a vote. Choose the player whose survival preserves Town majority or a confirmed action tomorrow; do not chase a low-value target merely because they asked for protection.
Record protection without claiming an unseen save
A Bodyguard claim should list nightly protection targets and, when relevant, why the target was likely to be attacked. Avoid claiming a successful save you cannot explain through the death feed and other visitor information.
Test the guard claim against the whole night
Test a Bodyguard claim against attack outcomes, Lookout visitor logs and Transporter claims. A supposed protection on a player who died normally, or a target sequence that ignores obvious kill priorities, deserves scrutiny.
Important interactions
- Doctor can heal the Bodyguard while the Bodyguard guards the Doctor. Roleblocks, redirects and attacks that bypass the protection can still break this pairing.
- Lookout information can confirm that the Bodyguard visited the claimed target, but a visit alone does not prove the role.
- Transporter can redirect both the protection and the attack, so surprising deaths should be checked against transport claims before calling the Bodyguard fake.
Decision example: Jailor or Lookout?
Suppose the Jailor is publicly confirmed and a Lookout has just posted a useful visit chain. If the Mafia can remove only one source of Town control, the Jailor is the likely target; guarding the Jailor creates both survival value and a possible counterattack. If a Transporter has also claimed, note that possibility in your will so the next day can explain an unexpected outcome.
Common mistakes
- Protecting the same public role every night until the pattern becomes obvious.
- Treating “nobody died” as proof that your protection worked.
- Claiming too early and becoming an easy kill before your protection can matter.
