EPT
[D][G]Basic Scumhunting and Voting Strategies
You guys know me, I'm not Captain McScumhunt like some players, I'm just a regular guy. Still, I thought I'd collate a couple of themes I've seen together in scumhunting and voting strategies in my time here at TL Mafia. This is a [G]uide because I hope to maintain it as a resource for newer players to read, but it is also a [D]iscussion because I really don't have all the answers, it's still incomplete, and some of these tactics vary in effectiveness. So, let's dive in!
Template:
+ Show Spoiler +
Title
Description! Blah Blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah
Pros: blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah
Cons: blah blah blah blah blah blah
Rating: something/3 (1 = poor, 2 = ok, 3 = good)
Description! Blah Blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah
Pros: blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah
Cons: blah blah blah blah blah blah
Rating: something/3 (1 = poor, 2 = ok, 3 = good)
Policy Lynching
Yeah, we're starting here. The ephemeral Policy Lynch. This is a lynch (or vote) that basically says "I don't like how you're playing this game." We distinguish policy from lynching based on scumtells because policy isn't about lynching scum. If you're lynching someone for scummy lurking, you are using scumtells and maybe meta for that guy-- this is a regular lynch. If you're lynching someone just because they're lurking, and not due to other factors, it's policy. Policy by definition isn't about hunting scum, but about changing playstyles. This definition applies for lurkers, liars, fakeclaims, or even policy lynching a certain player.
Pros: gets rid of a player you dislike, and encourages a playstyle you like. may generate a lively policy discussion if town is having issues talking
Cons: typically doesn't hit scum, and not supported by many other players. you will often be ignored, and if you're supported, a policy lynch might stifle discussion instead of generating it.
Rating:
![[image loading]](http://www.teamliquid.net/blogs/images/blackstar.gif)
½ or Play-by-play analysis
Go through players' (or just one if you already have someone you think is scummy) filters and think about why a post was made: is there a town motive for this post? Or is there a mafia motive? Write down your findings.
Pros: causes you to pay close attention to the thread, and reread people's posts multiple times.
Cons: by looking at filters alot you miss a lot of the context of posts. Also has the risk of punishing bad play rather than scummy play.
Pitfalls: there is literally ALWAYS a reason for scum to make any type of post. Ockham's Razor is a very necessary tool for play-by-play analysis to work.
Rating:
Credit: Acrofales
Negative Elimination
This is kind of a bad name for the strategy, but basically you focus on making town-reads (which you largely keep to yourself). You defend them in the thread and focus on pressuring anyone you don't have a town read on, supporting their lynch and trying to gather info and increase your list of townreads. You use the process of elimination and townreads to pressure scum instead of scumreads.
Pros: townreads are easier to make than scumreads. focussing on defending good townies can keep them alive for later.
Cons: this makes you a bit hard to read. also, you need to constantly re-evaluate your townreads since scum could have you fooled. in games where townies are hard to find this goes very poorly.
Rating:
Positive Elimination
This is the contrapositive of the Negative Elimination strategy. You focus on making town-reads, and instead of attacking whoever isn't on that list, you support whoever is. If your townread, for example, begins pushing a wagon, follow her and push that wagon. If she defends a player, you help out. You remain attached, barnacle-like, to this player's ass for the rest of the game. Basically, you just use someone else's read in place of your own. Bahh-ahh-ahh.
Pros: you get to use the skills of a better scumhunter, and your vote will likely be on an important wagon
Cons: you're literally sheeping and not scumhunting. people won't have a strong townread on you as a result. Even worse, your townread could be off and you're sticking to scum all game.
Rating:
Counter-Attack
Well, this doesn't sound like a strategy, but it sure is used often enough. I've seen it done and I've done it, so it deserves discussion. Basically, you accuse and vote anyone who accuses and votes you. If someone attacks you, since you know you're town, they might be scum trying to get you lynched. Logically it makes sense for you go after them. This could help you in staying alive, and staying alive as a townie is good. It probably shouldn't be used alone since it's a reaction strategy.
Pros: scum will be scared of attacking you
Cons: town won't be as scared and it could lead to big town vs town arguments. people will call you out for OMGUS. they may be right. also, you'll probably hit townies a lot with this sort of strategy, and almost never hit scum.
Rating:
Vote Swapping
This is a personal favorite of mine. You attack several people, either consequetively at once, either with FoSes or your vote itself. The instant another player seems scummier, you immediately move your vote, possibly changing your vote several times in a day as conditious evolve. You avoid tunnelling or getting stuck on any one target unless they really are the scummiest-- and remain unafraid to move around.
Pros: calls attention to any scumtells and slips. you are aware of everyone and have a good sense of the game. you aren't tied down to one possible mislynch. you are easy to read.
Cons: you can be pushed onto a mislynch wagon by wily scum. this makes enemies among townies. vote-switching often is considered a scumtell
Rating:
½One-Player Focus
This is what I typically coach newbies towards. It's not my favorite but I've seen it done very well. Basically, you focus on developing a single scumread. You find a scummy player and pressure him, attempting to get him lynched, or at least to get him to respond to you. You keep on attacking him until either he is lynched or you are satisfied with his responses. If he responds well, then you move on to another target, and you keep on doing this until you find someone who can't satisfy you.
Pros: all it takes is 1 scumread to get started. minimal OMGUS wagon threat. concentrates on one player, letting you focus on her filter without getting distracted.
Cons: at risk of tunnelling, or being called out for tunnelling. will miss out on analyzing other players. can miss opportunities to consolidate onto another wagon
Rating:
Play the Rules
If you know the setup, sometimes you can play the rules to win rather than the game. Massclaims, Follow The Cop, and focusing on role actions in theme games all fall into this category. Some consider this to be in poor taste, but it happens nonetheless. In non-themed games typically you'll see a cop claim with a silent doctor protecting him-- though mafia RBs, non-conseq docs and macho cops are all employed to prevent this from getting out of hand.
Pros: can be very easy. doesn't need scumhunting skill. typically works well.
Cons: you're not playing the game. can be boring for VTs. you could also be wrong about your game-breaking massclaim, and it could end with mafia slaughtering all the blues because you missed something.
Rating:
Meta
This belongs up top with Policy, but it's down here instead. Basically, if you've played many games with a player, you might recognize patterns in her play. She could be a lurker as scum but active as town, or maybe only does a certain kind of analysis when she's scum. Regardless, you have some scumtells that are only scumtells for a particular player.
Pros: can be effective for players with consistent meta. also lets you identify if a certain player is town. easy to use.
Cons: meta is wrong a lot-- sometimes a player is just busier than usual, or has updated their playstyle. meta cases, like policy cases, let scum join wagons without scumhunting. doesn't work on players with short histories or Chezinu.
Rating:
Associative Tells
So, associative tells are looking for connections between scum players. Players bussing, distancing, or working together to get townies lynched, as well as seeming to use each other's language and support each other, can be signs of scum. This is typically used on flipped scum, but it's been done speculatively on unflipped players as well-- though it has the chance to backfire disasterously, lynching Masons or just people who were friendly. One typically calls out a team or a pair they think to be scum.
Pros: draws attention to your case if one flips scum. a bird in hand is worth two in the bush. scum typically have associative tells.
Cons: can be wrong quite a bit via coincidence and friendship. attacking multiple players at once is dangerous. could accidentally out masons
Rating:
½ ( if one has flipped)Let me know what you guys think, and if I've missed or misunderstood anything. Always looking for more help.
