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A compilation of basic attack maneuvers by [[Albert B. Rampage]], [[Xylthixlm]] and [[Yosarian2]]:
{{Article
|Name=
|Type=Play
|Type2=Scumplay
|Author=Umbrage}}
==History==
'''Original Publication:  August 19th, 2012 by [[Umbrage]]'''<br>
'''Uploaded: September 21st, 2013 by [[Albert B. Rampage]]'''


==The Minimalist Approach==
[http://forum.mafiascum.net/viewtopic.php?p=4274310 Original Thread]


Pinpoint a single scummy player and bring him down. This approach includes the strategy of only attacking one player at a time until you are satisfied with his reactions and then move on to someone else, repeating the process until you are determined of sticking to a particular target. An aggressive way to do this can be found in [http://www.mafiascum.net/wiki/index.php?title=How_to_Focus_on_Scum_and_Get_them_Lynched this article].
----


Advantages:
This is a guide for new players and a review for old ones on how to win with a Mafia PM, every single time. I have never lost a scum game using this method, and every time I deviated from it, I was quickly eliminated.


-Minimum effort
Now, there's sure to be some clown who will dig up some old scum game I lost and try to use that as evidence that I shouldn't be taken seriously. That person is full of shit, and likely completely stupid as well. This method is fail-proof BECAUSE I have lost games. Every loss teaches me something. I have learned through trial and error what works and what doesn't. And even with my method, I have lost. You can't control everything in a game, sometimes events occur that lead directly to your elimination and there's nothing to be done about it. There's a lot of randomness in mafia. And of course there are times when I simply fucked up. I'm not perfect. My method is. I have absolute faith in these rules, so much that I expect that even after I expose the list to everyone it will still be every bit as effective until the site meta changes. The beauty of this method is that it relies on town's hesitations. Even if the town knows exactly what you're doing, they'll still be too scared to eliminate you. Townies are notoriously afraid of everything, particularly the unknown. They are more likely to lim a player they are unsure of than a player that they think is scum. Townies are morons. In order to win, you must prey upon their stupidity.


-Reduces the number of players that will potentially OMGUS you
These rules are all important, they are numbered for ease of reading but they have no hierarchy. Obey them all.


-Concentrates on relevant information in the present time
Remember: you do not have to make the town believe you are town. You just have to avoid getting eliminated. NEVER EVER play a scum game as if you were town, because you're not, and it will never work. Contrary to common logic, the best way to survive is not to appear town. Players that are obviously town get eliminated all the time. The best way to survive is to manipulate people into doing what you want them to do. If your reads are good enough, you can use some of these strategies to win town games as well.


Disadvantages:
----


-Will be accused of tunnelvision
'''1. Be funny. Be charming.'''
:: If someone has a question, answer it promptly, honestly, and in a friendly way. Never make an entire post contain only a joke though, townies hate that. Weave them in your posts. Pretend to be posting from a phone and make some funny autocorrect mistakes. Or link to a small .gif file. It doesn't matter what. If you make people laugh, they will like you. Trust you. And they can't help it, it's basic human psychology. If they say to cut out the jokes, do so immediately and with a contrite apology.


-Not paying attention to what's going on with other players
'''2. Have at least one firm town read on a townie.'''
::From as soon as it's reasonable to the end of the game, that one player is town to you. Don't pick someone randomly, have a good case behind their towniness. Then ignore all criticisms towards that townie. Best case scenario, they get limmed and you earn mega townie points. Worst case, you get limmed and everyone suspects that townie. Plus, townies love to pick out people without town reads, so you should be safe from that.


-Many players doing this with different targets will cut down the lynching pressure that is vital to gaining new information
'''3. Don't have a meta.'''
:: Make your play exactly the same across all games. Even if you absolutely hate being X alignment, suck it up and play your best. If anyone ever thinks you're scum because of a meta tell, you have fucked up. Find out what you did wrong, and fix it for the future.


(credit to [[Albert B. Rampage]])
'''4. You have absolutely no connection to your scumbuddies'''.
::You cannot give a shit whether they're limmed or not. You will not buddy them. You will not bus them. You will, however, argue with them. When you're ganging up on the same townie, poke holes in each other's cases. Bicker. Do not get along. It doesn't matter whether you find each other town or not, you just can't look like you're synchronized. Town picks up on that, not consciously, but they will notice and it will bite you in the ass. Generally scum buddies are either best friends or mortal enemies. Don't do that.


==Calling the Team==
'''5. Never have a VI or lurker town as your primary suspect.'''
::All other things being equal, a VI or lurker will always be the elimination. It is your job to be in on this lim as a compromise. You can't ignore the wagon because that shows scum knowledge. You can't push the wagon, that's too dangerous. Do your own thing, but come deadline, say that guy's going to be the elimination no matter what you think and switch over. This isn't hard to do. As I said, townies always want to lim VIs and players that are annoying, no matter how town they look. All you need to do is give in at the right moment. The mislim isn't your fault, you're just going with the flow.


Theorize a scum connection between living players. This means that one player being scum implies the scumminess of another player. [http://www.mafiascum.net/wiki/index.php?title=Tarhalindur_Standard_Tells#Chainsaw_Defense_.28Tarhalindur_Version.29 Tar's Chainsaw Defense] is an example of evidence supporting such a connection.
'''6. A clueless townie that is hard to eliminate is a great asset.'''
:: Particularly if they have a short fuse and lots of posting time. You should always be testing potential wagons, and you'll usually find one guy who nobody wants to lim. That guy is now your primary suspect. Tunnel on him all day, then when nobody else wants him dead, you settle for a VI townie lim, then do it all over again next day.


Advantages:
'''7. Be as distracting as possible.'''
:: While people will complain if you make too many wall posts, almost nobody complains if you take up several pages with a silly one-on-one argument that nobody else cares about. This can be done with a buddy or your primary suspect. Use confusing pronouns whenever possible to increase uncertainty, and never let a single point drop. Argue your stance back and forth, getting more obscure each time. If you make reference to an earlier post, state the number but do not give a link. Nobody will admit that they can't follow the argument, they will find it difficult to concentrate both on reading you and pushing their own agenda, and best of all, they can't call you out on anything because you're just a loyal townie doing his best to catch scum.


-Establishes a basis for your expected behavior the next day
'''8. WIFOM is good.'''
:: Use it whenever possible. Nobody really knows if it's a scumtell or not, and few people actually know what it is as well as how it applies to games. If you're going to use WIFOM to counter an opponent's argument, be sure to end your statement with "so that's all WIFOM anyway". This has the double effect of protecting yourself from getting caught using WIFOM and voiding the topic. Someone might catch on to what you're doing, but you can just ignore them. You won't get limmed for that. Since nobody knows what WIFOM is, they can't say it's a scumtell.


-Draws a special attention to your case if one of the players are proved scum
'''9. Never ever ever use OMGUS.'''
:: Even if someone obviously has a bad case against you and is really scummy, never vote them back. Even if the word OMGUS is never used, people will be thinking it, and they will see you as a weak loser. If your suspect votes you, be sure to imply this, only without using the word OMGUS since that sets people off, and nobody's really sure what to make of it now.


-Provides a more varied set of reactions that you can analyze
'''10. Make lists.'''
:: Take all the players in the game, and make a list of them with your thoughts. Use the words 'town', 'scum', 'null', 'gut' and 'leaning'. I'm surprised people still use these, they mean absolutely nothing and their only use is to make it look like you're doing more shit than you actually are. But somehow, players love them. They eat them up. So do around one per day, then forget you ever made it. There are always new events happening that change your mind, after all, so you can't hold people to that kind of thing. I know, dumb as shit, but townies buy it.


Disadvantages:
'''11. Kill off the serene ones.'''
:: The townies that have no emotions whatsoever. You can't rile them up, and if they catch you you won't shake them. If they think you're town, then you can let them live for a while, but remember that they're usually unlimmable. Townies want drama in an elimination, and they won't get it from someone who doesn't get mad. Be careful though, because a lot of the townies that seem sensible and cool on the outside are just ready to erupt. Make them lose it. Break their spirits and the game is yours.


-High error margin
'''12. Quickhammer once per game.'''
:: This is such a major scumtell that it actually becomes a towntell. Particularly if your hammer is accompanied by a large post reaffirming the reasons for the lim.


-Gives incentive to many players to discredit your case
'''13. Appeal to Emotion works.'''
:: It's also nearly impossible to prove. You have to create a sympathetic character that will appeal to the townies. Someone smart, honest, eager to hunt scum, but hiding a scared and vulnerable centre. Don't be afraid to have a breakdown when under pressure. People won't like it, but it'll work all the same.


-Possibility of exposing masons
'''14. Don't respond to attacks.'''
:: I was shocked to discover this works, but if you stick your head in the sand long enough the threat actually will go away. See, townies are scared of dealing with problems head on. They don't want to push for answers. If you simply don't give answers, they have no idea what to do. Now if someone goes to the trouble of making a huge case on you, that means they're locked in and you should reply to everything they say. But let the casual things slide. Responding to attacks will only draw attention to yourself.


(credit to [[Albert B. Rampage]])
'''15. Take any chance you get to 'confirm' yourself as town.'''
:: Do something that scum would never ever do. It doesn't matter how illogical or WIFOMy your story is, just keep saying it. You're practically confirmed town. If you believe it, they will believe it. People absorb information by repitition. People are also stupid.


==The Mafia Police==
----


Propose a policy lynch because you disagree with the way someone plays mafia. For example, lynching someone who claimed not to read their role pm (so they wouldn't commit any scumtells). I include lurker lynching in this category.
I think that's enough of a list. Feel free to ask any questions. I might do another article on the types of players you meet in games, and how to manipulate them. Every game has the same cast of characters, and with practice you can become adept at recognizing them. Characters like the Town Leader, the Indecisive, the Arrogant, and the Immature. I'm sure you know some people who fit these archtypes.
 
Advantages:
 
-Terminate a player that cannot be modkilled and/or refuses to be replaced
 
-Incite a player to play in a way that pleases the other players
 
Disadvantages:
 
-Will be ignored in favor of "scumhunting"
 
-Easy way to let scum slip out of the town's scrutiny
 
-Stifles discussion
 
(credit to [[Albert B. Rampage]])
 
==Chip on the Shoulder Maneuver==
 
Only draw suspicion on players that attack you. A generally discouraged survival-based strategy that can be used in the midgame. If employed too early, you won't have enough logical reasons to attack your opponents, so it comes off purely as an emotional outburst. Once the game advances to a certain point, you will need to figure out the scum more importantly than you need to survive.
 
Advantages:
 
-Discourages scum to attack you without at least some town support
 
Disadvantages:
 
-Will be accused of OMGUS
 
-High chance of friendly fire; town attacking town.
 
-Too arbitrary to consistently catch scum
 
(credit to [[Albert B. Rampage]])
 
==Bandwagon to Victory==
 
Pick out players you think are town. Jump on whatever the largest bandwagon is, as long as it's not on one of those players.
 
Advantages:
 
- Brings people to lynch range quickly
 
- Helps avoid fragmenting the town among many wagons
 
Disadvantages:
 
- May be accused of bandwagonning and/or "not scumhunting"
 
- The largest wagon may be scum-led
 
- Doesn't let other players read you easily
 
(credit to [[Xylthixlm]])
 
==Barnacle==
 
Pick a player, or small group of players, who you think are likely town and better scumhunters than you. Follow that player(s).
 
Advantages:
 
- Borrows the skill of a better scumhunter
 
- Helps avoid fragmenting the town among many wagons
 
Disadvantages:
 
- May be accused of bandwagonning and/or "not scumhunting"
 
- The player(s) you pick may be scum
 
- Doesn't let other players read you easily
 
(credit to [[Xylthixlm]])
 
==Vote Hopping==
 
Attack a wide variety of people, either with FOS's or by moving your vote. Try to constantly keep voting for whoever seems slightly scummier then other people, even if that keeps changing
 
Advantages:
 
-Brings attention to a lot of different scumtells
 
-Lets you get a better read on a lot of people, help you figure out the whole lay of the game
 
-Keeps yourself flexible, preventing one of those "two townies lock horns and fight forever distracting the town hopelessly" situations.
 
-Makes it easier for the rest of the town to read you, which is an advantage when you're town.
 
Disadvantages:
 
-May make it easier for scum to manipulate you into being on a town wagon
 
-Can make a number of "enemies", especially if there's multiple pro-town people who OMGUS.
 
-Some people (incorrectly, according to Yos2) think that vote hopping is a scumtell.
 
(credit to [[Yosarian2]])
 
==Other==
 
 
[[Adel]] has suggested [http://www.mafiascum.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=1980205#1980205 Team Player], and [[populartajo]] has suggested [http://www.mafiascum.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=1980215#1980215 Process of Elimination] along with several more, although these do not constitute the definition of ''Attack Maneuvers''.
 
[[Category:Theory]]

Latest revision as of 15:30, 16 September 2021

Type:
Author:

History

Original Publication: August 19th, 2012 by Umbrage
Uploaded: September 21st, 2013 by Albert B. Rampage

Original Thread


This is a guide for new players and a review for old ones on how to win with a Mafia PM, every single time. I have never lost a scum game using this method, and every time I deviated from it, I was quickly eliminated.

Now, there's sure to be some clown who will dig up some old scum game I lost and try to use that as evidence that I shouldn't be taken seriously. That person is full of shit, and likely completely stupid as well. This method is fail-proof BECAUSE I have lost games. Every loss teaches me something. I have learned through trial and error what works and what doesn't. And even with my method, I have lost. You can't control everything in a game, sometimes events occur that lead directly to your elimination and there's nothing to be done about it. There's a lot of randomness in mafia. And of course there are times when I simply fucked up. I'm not perfect. My method is. I have absolute faith in these rules, so much that I expect that even after I expose the list to everyone it will still be every bit as effective until the site meta changes. The beauty of this method is that it relies on town's hesitations. Even if the town knows exactly what you're doing, they'll still be too scared to eliminate you. Townies are notoriously afraid of everything, particularly the unknown. They are more likely to lim a player they are unsure of than a player that they think is scum. Townies are morons. In order to win, you must prey upon their stupidity.

These rules are all important, they are numbered for ease of reading but they have no hierarchy. Obey them all.

Remember: you do not have to make the town believe you are town. You just have to avoid getting eliminated. NEVER EVER play a scum game as if you were town, because you're not, and it will never work. Contrary to common logic, the best way to survive is not to appear town. Players that are obviously town get eliminated all the time. The best way to survive is to manipulate people into doing what you want them to do. If your reads are good enough, you can use some of these strategies to win town games as well.


1. Be funny. Be charming.

If someone has a question, answer it promptly, honestly, and in a friendly way. Never make an entire post contain only a joke though, townies hate that. Weave them in your posts. Pretend to be posting from a phone and make some funny autocorrect mistakes. Or link to a small .gif file. It doesn't matter what. If you make people laugh, they will like you. Trust you. And they can't help it, it's basic human psychology. If they say to cut out the jokes, do so immediately and with a contrite apology.

2. Have at least one firm town read on a townie.

From as soon as it's reasonable to the end of the game, that one player is town to you. Don't pick someone randomly, have a good case behind their towniness. Then ignore all criticisms towards that townie. Best case scenario, they get limmed and you earn mega townie points. Worst case, you get limmed and everyone suspects that townie. Plus, townies love to pick out people without town reads, so you should be safe from that.

3. Don't have a meta.

Make your play exactly the same across all games. Even if you absolutely hate being X alignment, suck it up and play your best. If anyone ever thinks you're scum because of a meta tell, you have fucked up. Find out what you did wrong, and fix it for the future.

4. You have absolutely no connection to your scumbuddies.

You cannot give a shit whether they're limmed or not. You will not buddy them. You will not bus them. You will, however, argue with them. When you're ganging up on the same townie, poke holes in each other's cases. Bicker. Do not get along. It doesn't matter whether you find each other town or not, you just can't look like you're synchronized. Town picks up on that, not consciously, but they will notice and it will bite you in the ass. Generally scum buddies are either best friends or mortal enemies. Don't do that.

5. Never have a VI or lurker town as your primary suspect.

All other things being equal, a VI or lurker will always be the elimination. It is your job to be in on this lim as a compromise. You can't ignore the wagon because that shows scum knowledge. You can't push the wagon, that's too dangerous. Do your own thing, but come deadline, say that guy's going to be the elimination no matter what you think and switch over. This isn't hard to do. As I said, townies always want to lim VIs and players that are annoying, no matter how town they look. All you need to do is give in at the right moment. The mislim isn't your fault, you're just going with the flow.

6. A clueless townie that is hard to eliminate is a great asset.

Particularly if they have a short fuse and lots of posting time. You should always be testing potential wagons, and you'll usually find one guy who nobody wants to lim. That guy is now your primary suspect. Tunnel on him all day, then when nobody else wants him dead, you settle for a VI townie lim, then do it all over again next day.

7. Be as distracting as possible.

While people will complain if you make too many wall posts, almost nobody complains if you take up several pages with a silly one-on-one argument that nobody else cares about. This can be done with a buddy or your primary suspect. Use confusing pronouns whenever possible to increase uncertainty, and never let a single point drop. Argue your stance back and forth, getting more obscure each time. If you make reference to an earlier post, state the number but do not give a link. Nobody will admit that they can't follow the argument, they will find it difficult to concentrate both on reading you and pushing their own agenda, and best of all, they can't call you out on anything because you're just a loyal townie doing his best to catch scum.

8. WIFOM is good.

Use it whenever possible. Nobody really knows if it's a scumtell or not, and few people actually know what it is as well as how it applies to games. If you're going to use WIFOM to counter an opponent's argument, be sure to end your statement with "so that's all WIFOM anyway". This has the double effect of protecting yourself from getting caught using WIFOM and voiding the topic. Someone might catch on to what you're doing, but you can just ignore them. You won't get limmed for that. Since nobody knows what WIFOM is, they can't say it's a scumtell.

9. Never ever ever use OMGUS.

Even if someone obviously has a bad case against you and is really scummy, never vote them back. Even if the word OMGUS is never used, people will be thinking it, and they will see you as a weak loser. If your suspect votes you, be sure to imply this, only without using the word OMGUS since that sets people off, and nobody's really sure what to make of it now.

10. Make lists.

Take all the players in the game, and make a list of them with your thoughts. Use the words 'town', 'scum', 'null', 'gut' and 'leaning'. I'm surprised people still use these, they mean absolutely nothing and their only use is to make it look like you're doing more shit than you actually are. But somehow, players love them. They eat them up. So do around one per day, then forget you ever made it. There are always new events happening that change your mind, after all, so you can't hold people to that kind of thing. I know, dumb as shit, but townies buy it.

11. Kill off the serene ones.

The townies that have no emotions whatsoever. You can't rile them up, and if they catch you you won't shake them. If they think you're town, then you can let them live for a while, but remember that they're usually unlimmable. Townies want drama in an elimination, and they won't get it from someone who doesn't get mad. Be careful though, because a lot of the townies that seem sensible and cool on the outside are just ready to erupt. Make them lose it. Break their spirits and the game is yours.

12. Quickhammer once per game.

This is such a major scumtell that it actually becomes a towntell. Particularly if your hammer is accompanied by a large post reaffirming the reasons for the lim.

13. Appeal to Emotion works.

It's also nearly impossible to prove. You have to create a sympathetic character that will appeal to the townies. Someone smart, honest, eager to hunt scum, but hiding a scared and vulnerable centre. Don't be afraid to have a breakdown when under pressure. People won't like it, but it'll work all the same.

14. Don't respond to attacks.

I was shocked to discover this works, but if you stick your head in the sand long enough the threat actually will go away. See, townies are scared of dealing with problems head on. They don't want to push for answers. If you simply don't give answers, they have no idea what to do. Now if someone goes to the trouble of making a huge case on you, that means they're locked in and you should reply to everything they say. But let the casual things slide. Responding to attacks will only draw attention to yourself.

15. Take any chance you get to 'confirm' yourself as town.

Do something that scum would never ever do. It doesn't matter how illogical or WIFOMy your story is, just keep saying it. You're practically confirmed town. If you believe it, they will believe it. People absorb information by repitition. People are also stupid.

I think that's enough of a list. Feel free to ask any questions. I might do another article on the types of players you meet in games, and how to manipulate them. Every game has the same cast of characters, and with practice you can become adept at recognizing them. Characters like the Town Leader, the Indecisive, the Arrogant, and the Immature. I'm sure you know some people who fit these archtypes.