If you are wondering how to play Town of Salem as a Doctor or a Bodyguard, let me phrase it better:
How do you know who you should protect and when? And when to reveal your role?
I’m about to tell you, so scroll down!
How to Play Town of Salem as Bodyguard or Doctor?
The tactics for a Doctor and a Bodyguard are very similar.
If you are a Doctor, your Last Will should look something like this:
And the same goes for a Bodyguard:
Stay under the Radar
The rule of a thumb when you are playing a town protective role is to lay low. You are the primary target of the Mafia and the Neutral Killers, so stay under their radar until it is absolutely necessary to come out (for example, they voted you up).
Also, don’t fall for traps such as “any TP claim?”. These questions are often asked by the Mafia for the same reason - they want you dead.
How to Play with the Jailor Meta?
The popular Meta going around is that the Jailor reveals on the very first day. A bit boring, if you ask me, because you simply know the rest of the game is going to be a prototype. But still, it’s quite easy to win if you are in the Town.
So, if you are faced with “Jailor here, TP LO on me” the first day, then it’s best to stay on them the first night. You might get confirmed by a Lookout. However, if you are confirmed and the Jailor is out, there’s no need to stay on them the second night. The Mafia and other killing roles won’t attack the Jailor unless the TP roles - that is, you - are dead.
In case a Lookout saw you visiting the Jailor, they’ll probably whisper to you to confirm your role. In that way, you can tell them that you will protect them and that they should stay on Jailor. This is a very strong chain strategy for defense.
And if you can pair up with another Doctor or a Bodyguard, even better! A Doctor protecting a Bodyguard who will then not die after they guard someone is almost unbreakable.
Who to Heal and Guard?
Early in the game, if the Jailor has not revealed themselves yet, it’s best to go for names that are striking in one way or another. The bad guys are much more likely to attack provocative names, Caps Lock, or catchy word nicknames than the generic ones.
Obviously, as the game progresses and you pick on people’s roles, it’ll be easier to decide who to heal. The priority should be like this:
- Mayor (bear in mind that a Doctor cannot heal a revealed major, so only do that if you are a Bodyguard)
- Other TP roles
- Jailor
- Investigative roles
- Other Town roles (Town Support, Town Killing, etc.)
When to Use Self-Heal? When to Vest?
As tempting as it is, do NOT use your self-heal or vest yourself the very first night. That is: Unless your name is a very provocative one. In that case, you’ll probably be dead if you don’t heal.
Jokes aside, it’s best to save these for later in the game because you can use them only once. If you feel like the Mafia or other evil roles may know who you are, do not hesitate to use it up because you are one of the most precious roles for the Town.
Final Words
I can’t decide what’s more satisfying:
Getting that "Your target was attacked last Night!" message or killing an evil role after you’ve successfully guarded your target. Either way, if you use these tips, you are likely to get both.