Navy SEALs (Third Party): Overview and Strats

 

The Navy SEALs are a third-party faction in Deck Mafia that specialize in conversion early in the game and capturing players later on. The Navy SEALs have a flexible win condition, focusing on achieving 50% population control through strategic recruitment and removal of players via prison captures. The faction grows initially through conversions, establishing a powerful team before transitioning to capturing and removing players from the game, creating significant disruption.

Let’s explore the Navy SEALs’ abilities, strategies, and optimal playstyle to maximize your influence and achieve victory.

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Primary Objective:

• Goal: The Navy SEALs win by controlling 50% of the remaining living players.
• Challenges: The Navy SEALs must balance converting and capturing players while avoiding targeting group scum or masons, which would lead to the Navy Boss’s death. The faction must also manage its transition from conversions to captures by Night 3.

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Key Abilities:

1. Night 1 & Night 2: Factional Conversion

   • Mechanic: On Night 1 and Night 2, the Navy Boss must attempt to convert one player each night.
     • The first successful conversion establishes the Navy SEALs Faction and grants the Navy Boss a private night chat with the converted player.
     • Conversion Effects: Converts keep their cards except for killing cards and are added to the faction.
     • First Conversion: The first player you convert will also be commuted for that night, preventing any kills or actions on them.
   • Conversion Risk: If you target a group scum or mason, you die immediately, which ends your leadership but not the faction itself (if established).
   • Strategic Use: The initial conversions are key to establishing your faction. You must carefully select players who are unlikely to be group scum or masons to avoid immediate death. Your goal is to create a powerful and loyal team by Night 3.

2. Immune to Night 1 Kills:

   • Mechanic: The Navy SEALs leader is immune to night kills on Night 1, giving you protection while attempting your first conversion.
   • Strategic Use: This immunity allows you to take risks in Night 1 without fear of being eliminated before you can establish your faction. However, you must remain cautious in Night 2, as this immunity does not carry over beyond the first night.

3. Start of Night 3: Factional Capture Powers

   • Mechanic: Starting from Night 3, the Navy Boss loses their converting powers and gains the ability to capture players. Captured players are sent to a special jail, referred to as "Prison," where they are effectively removed from the game.
     • Prison Effect: The captured players are placed in a temporary dead players' chat (DVC), unable to participate in the main game until the Navy Boss dies or wins. No flip is revealed, and the host will state that the captured player is “nowhere to be found.”
     • The Navy Boss can assign one capture per night to one of their operatives but cannot capture their own operatives.
   • Strategic Use: This ability allows the Navy SEALs to remove key players from the game without killing them, preventing the remaining factions from knowing whether those players are dead, aligned with the Navy SEALs, or simply captured. The faction can use this to strategically weaken opposition and inch closer to the 50% win condition.

4. Transfer Leadership (Optional, Post-Night 3):

   • Mechanic: Instead of capturing a player, the Navy Boss may choose to Transfer Leadership to another member of the faction. This action is permanent, and the Navy Boss becomes a plain vanilla operative while the new leader takes over the capturing abilities and command of the Prison.
   • Strategic Use: This mechanic allows for tactical flexibility. If the Navy Boss is at risk of being exposed or eliminated, transferring leadership ensures the continuation of the faction’s strategy. By shifting leadership, the Navy SEALs can continue capturing players and securing their win condition.

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Win Condition:

1. Achieve 50% Population Control:
   • The Navy SEALs win when they control 50% or more of the remaining players in the game.
   • Strategic Considerations: The key to winning lies in careful conversions early on, followed by the strategic use of captures to remove threats and grow your faction's influence. Managing the transition from conversion to capturing will be critical to maintaining momentum and achieving population dominance.

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Optimal Playstyle and Strategy:

1. Early Game: Conversions and Establishing the Faction

• Conversion Strategy on Night 1 & 2: The Navy SEALs need to make smart choices for their first two conversions to avoid targeting group scum or masons, which would lead to the leader’s death. Focus on targeting players who seem likely to be neutral or town-aligned but not part of a confirmed group.
  • First Conversion Protection: Remember that your first convert is commuted for the night, preventing any actions or kills on them. Use this to your advantage by targeting a player you suspect might be in danger.
• Build a Strong Faction: After the first successful conversion, you have the foundation for the Navy SEALs Faction. Continue growing your faction with the Night 2 conversion. Use the private night chat to coordinate with your new operative and plan your next moves.
• Keep a Low Profile: During the first two nights, your goal should be to avoid drawing too much attention. If players suspect you are the Navy Boss, you may be targeted for elimination, which would dismantle your ability to convert or capture effectively.

2. Mid-Game: Transition to Captures (Night 3 Onward)

• Begin Capturing Key Players: Once you gain the ability to capture on Night 3, your focus shifts to removing critical players from the game. Capture players who are likely to disrupt your plans or pose a significant threat to your faction’s survival. You want to weaken other factions without drawing attention to your captures.
• Control the Game with Prison: As players are captured and sent to Prison, the remaining players won’t know who is captured or even why certain players are missing. Use this confusion to your advantage, allowing your faction to grow in power without others realizing the full extent of your control.
• Don’t Overuse Captures: Be mindful of how many players you are capturing, as an overly aggressive capture strategy could expose your faction’s identity. Balance captures with strategic voting and deception.

3. Late Game: Maintain Control and Ensure Leadership Security

• Capture High-Value Targets: In the late game, your goal is to ensure that your faction remains at or above 50% of the total players. Focus on capturing high-value targets, such as investigators, protectors, or players with powerful roles, to prevent them from turning the tide against you.
• Transfer Leadership if Necessary: If the Navy Boss is at risk of being eliminated or exposed, consider using Transfer Leadership to another member of your faction. This will keep the capture ability active and protect the faction’s long-term survival.
• Use the Vote Strategically: Once your faction comprises a significant portion of the remaining players, you can control the vote and direct eliminations toward players who threaten your dominance. Coordinate with your faction members to secure the final few eliminations or captures needed to win.

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Strategic Considerations:

• Conversion Targeting: The first two nights of conversions are critical. You need to avoid group scum and masons while building your faction. Study the game dynamics to make educated guesses about who might be safe to convert.

• Capturing vs. Leadership Transfer: After gaining capture powers, you must decide when to capture and when to transfer leadership. Capturing is a powerful tool for removing key players, but if you are under threat, transferring leadership could ensure the faction’s long-term survival.

• Use Prison to Disrupt the Game: The Prison is a potent tool for confusing other players. By capturing players and sending them to a temporary DVC, you can remove critical players without revealing their alignment or role, making it harder for other factions to organize against you.

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Final Thoughts:

The Navy SEALs are a powerful and versatile third-party faction with a unique blend of conversion and capture mechanics. By converting players early and capturing them later, the Navy SEALs can disrupt the game’s balance and gradually take control. The key to victory lies in careful conversion targeting, strategic use of captures, and protecting the Navy Boss or transferring leadership when needed.