Tuesday, September 24, 2024

Venus (Third Party): Overview and Strats

 

(AI Generated Artwork)


The Infinitum type third-party role is a fascinating mix of survival and manipulation, with a unique ability to withstand night kills and use that to their advantage. The Infinitum, particularly Venus, has a high-risk, high-reward win condition: either bait three night kills onto themselves or successfully identify a member of the scum party during the Judgement Phase. While they are immune to night kills, their vulnerability during the day is compounded by the fact that every vote cast against them counts double.

Here’s how to play Venus and optimize your chances of achieving one of her two win conditions.


Primary Objective:

  • Goal 1: Bait or redirect three night kills onto yourself to secure a victory.
  • Goal 2: Successfully guess the identity of a scum player during the Judgement Phase to win.
  • Challenges: Venus must avoid dying during the day by votes or being eliminated through other means, as well as ensure that either of her win conditions is achieved before the Subver or Scum factions win.

Key Abilities:

  1. Night Immortality:

    • Effect: Venus cannot die during the night except by mod kill. Any night kill action directed at Venus will fail.
    • Strategic Use: Use your night immortality to draw attention from factions and players who might waste their kill actions on you. By successfully redirecting kills toward yourself, you can bait the kills needed to secure your win. However, be aware that this immunity does not apply to day kills.
  2. Double Vote Penalty:

    • Effect: Every vote cast against Venus counts as two votes at the end of the day phase, making Venus particularly vulnerable during public voting.
    • Strategic Use: This forces you to tread carefully in public discussions. Drawing too much suspicion or making enemies can lead to an early elimination through voting. You’ll need to carefully manage your social game to avoid being a target for yeeting.

Factional Actions:

  1. Factional Redirection (Night Action):

    • Mechanic: Every night, Venus must target a player to redirect all their kill actions onto herself.
    • Strategic Use: This ability allows you to bait additional night kills onto yourself, which is critical to fulfilling your win condition. The key here is to target players you suspect of having kill actions, whether they are scum members or third-party players. Successfully redirecting these actions to yourself moves you one step closer to victory.
  2. Judgement Phase (Triggered Ability):

    • Mechanic: If Venus is killed during the day by any method except through a vote elimination and was not visited by a kill action the previous night, she may activate the Judgement Phase.
    • Effect: Four random players (one of whom is guaranteed to be a scum or third-party member) will be placed in private chat rooms with Venus. Venus can chat with them and, before the night action submission deadline, may attempt to guess the identity of the scum/third party.
    • Strategic Use: The Judgement Phase is a critical backup win condition for Venus if she is forced into a corner or eliminated. By engaging the four selected players in conversation, you can attempt to discern the scum player through behavioral analysis. A correct guess will lead to an instant victory, but an incorrect guess will result in an immediate loss, turning you into a spectator.
  3. Nowhere to Hide (Passive, triggered by Judgement Phase):

    • Mechanic: If Judgement Phase is triggered, Venus may kill any of the four players involved in the phase without penalty if they have posted 30 game-relevant comments or fewer by the end of Judgement Phase. This kill action bypasses restrictions and immunities.
    • Strategic Use: If you suspect the scum player is among the less active players or want to force players into action, this ability allows you to eliminate any of them based on their participation levels. This is particularly useful for eliminating the scum member if you don’t feel confident in guessing through conversation alone. If you kill the correct scum player this way, you will win the game.

Win Conditions:

  1. Bait or Redirect Three Night Kills:

    • Venus must bait or successfully redirect three night kills onto herself. Each kill attempt that targets Venus and fails due to her immunity will count toward this win condition.
    • Strategic Considerations: Use your Factional Redirection ability to increase your chances of being targeted. Focus on players who are likely to perform night kills, particularly scum or third parties who are actively seeking to eliminate threats.
  2. Judgement Phase Victory:

    • If Venus is killed during the day by non-voting means and hasn’t been targeted by a night kill the previous night, she enters the Judgement Phase, where she must guess the identity of a scum or third-party member from a selection of four players. If correct, she wins and leaves the game.
    • Strategic Considerations: Use the private chats during Judgement Phase to carefully analyze players’ behavior and responses. A correct guess guarantees victory, but a wrong guess leads to immediate loss. This ability is a powerful fallback if you can’t fulfill the night kill baiting win condition.

Optimal Playstyle and Strategy:

1. Early Game: Fly Under the Radar and Set Up for Redirections

  • Stay Low Key: In the early stages, avoid drawing too much attention. The double vote penalty means that even a few votes can quickly lead to your elimination, so focus on blending into discussions without becoming a focal point.
  • Strategically Use Redirection: During the early nights, use your Factional Redirection ability to target players who are likely to perform night kills. Scum members, vigilantes, or other killing third-party roles are ideal targets. Each night kill you successfully redirect toward yourself brings you closer to your first win condition.

2. Mid-Game: Bait Kills and Keep a Low Profile in Discussions

  • Bait the Right Killers: By now, players may start noticing that you are immune to night kills. Use this knowledge to your advantage by subtly baiting scum or third-party killers into targeting you. If you can get them to waste their actions on you, it will work toward fulfilling your win condition.
  • Avoid Daytime Death: Avoid any actions that might provoke players into voting for you, as every vote counts as two against you. Focus on redirecting the conversation away from yourself or supporting the elimination of key scum players, while keeping your profile low.
  • Judgement Phase Strategy: If you’re getting close to being eliminated during the day by means other than voting, be ready to activate the Judgement Phase. Gather information on potential scum members throughout the game so that you are prepared to identify them correctly during this phase.

3. Late Game: Secure Victory or Enter Judgement Phase

  • Secure the Final Kills: If you’ve successfully redirected a few kills onto yourself, your next step is to secure the last one or two to fulfill the first win condition. Focus on making yourself a target while continuing to manage your position in day votes.
  • Prepare for Judgement: If the Judgement Phase becomes inevitable, prepare by paying close attention to the behavior of likely scum members. Use the private chat rooms to gather as much information as possible, and don’t hesitate to use Nowhere to Hide to eliminate less active players who might be the scum member.

Strategic Considerations:

  • Manipulate Conversations: Use your social manipulation skills to influence others into targeting you with night kills. This might involve subtly painting yourself as a threat to certain factions or aligning yourself with temporary allies who might be willing to attack you in the right circumstances.

  • Judgement Phase as Backup: The Judgement Phase is your fallback if things go wrong during the day. Use this phase to your advantage by engaging in meaningful conversations with the four selected players. Focus on psychological and behavioral analysis to correctly guess the scum member’s identity, and use Nowhere to Hide if needed to eliminate the scum player without guessing.

  • Don’t Overplay Your Hand: If you draw too much attention to yourself during the day, you risk being eliminated through votes. Every vote counts as two, making you a prime target for a quick lynch if you aren’t careful.


Final Thoughts:

The Infinitum role, especially Venus, offers a unique mix of survival, manipulation, and strategy. By balancing your night kill redirections with careful social play during the day, you can bait your way to victory. However, the risks are high, and your double vote penalty makes you especially vulnerable in the voting phase. If you find yourself in the Judgement Phase, be ready to analyze and outwit your opponents to secure a win.

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