Older Town of Salem guides use Consort for this Mafia Support role. Since patch 3.3.11 it is named Bootlegger; its roleblock remains a tool for disrupting Town actions and supporting the Mafia kill.
What a Bootlegger roleblock can stop
- The roleblock can stop many active Town night abilities.
- You share information with Mafia at night.
- Classic promotion rules may turn Mafia support into a killer when dedicated killing roles are gone.
Coordinate the block with the Mafia kill
Early game
Roleblock likely investigators or protectors only when the Mafia plan benefits. Blocking a random player can create information for Town without meaningfully protecting the faction.
Mid game
Coordinate with the kill target. Blocking the Doctor is useful only if the Mafia is attacking someone the Doctor might save; blocking an Investigator can be stronger when a teammate’s fake claim is under direct mechanical threat.
Endgame
Control the action that can break parity: a Jailor execution, a crucial investigation, or protection on the final Town vote. One correct block can be worth more than an elaborate day deception.
Using Tavern Keeper as a cover
Because Tavern Keeper produces similar roleblock effects from the Town side, it is a common cover, but a fake Tavern Keeper log must fit every target’s feedback and the Mafia visit history.
Separate a real block from Town alignment
Town should compare claimed Tavern Keeper/Bootlegger blocks with Spy logs, target feedback and the behavior of roles that should have acted. Repeatedly convenient blocks around Mafia pressure can expose the pattern.
Important interactions
- Tavern Keeper and Bootlegger can create similar night feedback, so roleblock evidence alone does not establish alignment.
- Spy can see Mafia visit activity and may correlate it with a player who reports being blocked.
- Serial Killer interactions make roleblocking suspected independent killers dangerous and can produce unexpected deaths.
Decision example: bootlegger target choice
Mafia wants to kill a confirmed Sheriff, but a Doctor claim has been consistently protecting information roles. Blocking that Doctor while Mafia attacks the Sheriff creates a coherent two-role plan. Blocking an unrelated quiet player that night would waste the support slot.
Common mistakes
- Blocking targets with no useful active ability.
- Claiming Tavern Keeper targets that conflict with Spy or Lookout evidence.
- Forgetting that the Mafia kill plan and the roleblock plan should support each other.
