How To Be A Better Jason Player

Friday the 13th: The Game has been around for a while now, and while there are plenty of online articles and guides on how to survive as a counselor or how to win as Jason, (which seems kind of pointless as Jason is so overpowered anyway) there is one type of guide that I've seen precious little of. How to BE Jason Voorhees.

Now, I don't mean those guides on how to be scary. I'm talking about on how to think like Jason and plan like him. How to utilize all those various kills that game gifts us. So I've decided to share my little strategy on how to play the game with the same mindset as our favorite hockey mask visaged serial killer. Keep in mind this is not a sure-fire, guaranteed to win strategy that will give you a total win every single time. This is how to play as Jason in a way that would make Kane Hodder proud! Also, this guide can be used regardless of what Jason skin you use, although you may need to adjust depending on which one you do use. So grab your machete and let's get to it!

Part 1: The Setup

Like in a game of chess, the setup is a very important part of your game. A proper setup, or at least one that's semi-prepared, will save you a lot of grief in catching those darned counselors. Many Jason players like to teleport straight to the hub building on a map. That's usually the biggest and most centralized building and where a lot of lesser skilled players will go for items and weapons, making for some seemingly easy kills. But not only does this make it harder to deal with escaping counselors later, it's not very Jason-like. Even if the counselors know he's running around, Jason is gonna mess with them. So instead of going for the obvious, take out those escape methods, and your first target should be the phone.

I. The Phone and the Power

If players are lucky, they can manage to find the fuse for the phone box in the same cabin as the phone. If they're REALLY lucky, they'll start in that very cabin and within minutes, the police will be on the scene and Jason will be a VERY unhappy camper. Since this is considered the easiest way to survive, this is often the most sought-after goal. So when the game starts, teleport to the phone (it'll have an icon on Jason's map) and lay a trap on the fuse box outside. If you're playing as Part 2 Jason and have extra traps, consider laying two there. Once the phone box has been secured, move towards the nearest power box and take it out. Cutting power serves two purposes: It raises the fear levels of nearby counselors, which makes them easier to detect via Jason's Sense ability, and it prevents Tommy Jarvis from being called in, which is a requirement for killing Jason. (Not that it would stick) Unfortunately, the phone for the police only requires the fuse, but you should still cut the power anyway. After all, Jason would do it, so why not you?

II. The Vehicles

In any given map, there are two of three possible means of escape by vehicle; the boat, the 2 seater car, and the 4 seater car, all of which have to be repaired by finding various components (gas, battery and keys for the cars while the boat only needs gas and the propeller) and fixing them. Once you've secured the phone box and destroyed the nearest power supply, teleport over to the nearest vehicle it and trap it. For the boat, you'll want to lay two traps at the start of the dock leading to it. For the cars, lay a trap on the right side of the car, near the back, where counselors will have to stand to put the gas and one in front of the open hood where the battery goes. Then, just like before, go to the nearest power box and destroy it. Wash and repeat with the second vehicle.

Part 2: The Hunt Begins...

By this point, unless the counselors have already started trying to fix things or unless you've deviated for some reason, the phone box and both escape vehicles should be trapped and there should be only a small section of the camp that still has power. Now the fun begins! This is where you start actively hunting after counselors. For this part, I'm not going to give step by step instructions like in the previous section. Instead, I'm going to give you my suggested actions to seem more like Jason.

I. Don't Talk

It's amazing how often I see this simple rule being broken. Ok, it's not a RULE, but Jason never talked in the movies, so you shouldn't either. Apart from the roleplay aspect of it, not talking also helps you become more focused on the task at hand if you're not gibbering away like a manic monkey. Remember, Jason is like a shark or some other predator. He moves with a single-minded determination, so you should too. However, if you must talk, then at least have your microphone turned off so that the other players are getting the true Jason experience.

II. Variety is the Spice of Life and Death.

A common tactic amongst Jason players who just want to win and not savor the role is to use the same technique over and over: grab and kill, grab and kill, grab and kill... and it's usually the same kills, ones that are quick so they can move to their next victim as fast as possible. While I'm not gonna tell you not to grab players, I am gonna suggest you put some more thought into what you do next. Be aware of what's near you. If you grab a player near a window, chuck them through it! Is a coat hanger nearby? Now it's a counselor hanger! The biggest appeal of Jason in the movies is HOW he killed his victims. That's the draw for fans and it should be your goal as a Jason player. One of the best thrills is seeing that final scoreboard and noting all the different ways players bit the dust. To that end, here are my killing methods: 4 grab kills, (one for each grab kill I have in my loadout) 2 environment kills, and one kill with the weapon in hand. This makes it more interesting and fun as you're not being a one trick pony. Whatever you do, just don't get stale.

III. Let Them Run

Sometimes, the easiest kill isn't the highest priority. During the Setup phase, you may be tempted to go after a nearby counselor for the kill. Or you might be in the middle of chasing down that slow, terrified player when you hear the audio clue telling you that a trap has been triggered. Whatever the case, sometimes it's better to let a player get away from you, at least for a little while. While it has no in-game effect of raising fear levels, it will freak out that player you just spared, making them more likely to screw up when you come back to finish the job. Plus, sometimes a counselor manages to escape. If you notice a vehicle heading for the exit and they're really close, let them go. People escaped from Jason in the movies, so there's no shame in letting one or two get away from you every so often. Mommy still loves you either way.

IV. Kill Tommy

While your actions in the Setup Phase should have made it unlikely for players to call in Tommy Jarvis, sometimes he still comes back. Tommy Jarvis is a sort of "second life" for players. When called, a player who has died or escaped will come back as him. If Tommy comes into play, your new goal will be to off him and fast. Tommy has perfect stats across the board, which makes him a challenge for you and he's required for the players to actually fight back and kill Jason. Not to mention, if the player who comes back as Tommy has been paying attention to what's been going on in the game, they'll know what's been happening and will try to help by fixing things or by distracting you so others can escape. (Usually. It depends on who's playing Tommy and whether or not they're jerks.) For the sole reason that he's required to kill Jason, you should be aiming for him ASAP. Dispose of him quickly, but keep in mind that other counselors might be using that time to get away.

V. Use (and Abuse) Those Abilities

Jason has certain abilities to help him track and kill counselors. You've already used one during setup: the ability to teleport anywhere on the map. Your abilities will unlock as the match progresses. Be smart about them. Use Stalk when a player doesn't know you're just outside the cabin they're in. If a player goes one way around a cabin getting to the car, Shift around the other way and meet him at the corner. Most importantly, remember that Rage buffs ALL of your other abilities, so if Rage is active spam the hell out of your tricks. While many players complain about the shift-grab tactic, it's perfectly in character for Jason, so have fun with it. Combine them too. Use Sense to find a player in a cabin, then activate Stalk to cut out the music and Morph to their location to get the drop on them! Remember, Jason is a force to be reckoned with, so play like it and be relentless!

VI. Go For the Low Hanging Kill

I know I said earlier to let them run, but sometimes circumstances give you a kill you simply can't ignore. Perhaps when you teleport to the car to trap it, you find a player already pouring gas in the tank. Or maybe you're rounding the corner of a cabin on the way to a power box when a counselor runs smack into you. I once teleported right in front of a counselor less than a minute into the game.You can guess what happened next. When moments like these occur, savor them as you brutalize the poor sap who made a wrong turn at the wrong time.

VI. Be Mindful of Groups

While you are incredibly powerful and nigh unstoppable as Jason, you can still be overwhelmed, even killed, by a coordinated group who is actively working on your demise. While you obviously want to avoid that happening in the first place, sometimes the counselors get lucky and manage to group together to fight. When that happens, play it smart and safe. Focus on one counselor at a time, usually the weakest, and destroy them. Try to split them up so they can't knock a fellow player out of your grasp before you can kill them. Use your knives, if you have them. (I personally don't use them, but others do.) Use the combat stance to block blows from counselors and retaliate with a few of your own, especially since you swing faster than them. If you're good, you'll whittle them down, and that strength in numbers won't make a lick of difference. But be ready, because if they manage to knock your mask off, they've just accomplished one of the steps to end you and you're really gonna need to bring your A-game to keep that from happening.

VII. A Note About Traps...

I mentioned earlier how you may need to adjust, depending on what skin you use. Well, here's the adjustment. The default number of traps that Jason starts with is 5 except for three skins. Part 2 Jason starts with 7 traps while Part 7 and Part 9 Jason only start with 3 traps. Because of this, if you're using either Part 7 or 9 Jason, you won't be able to use the traps as I mentioned above. However, you still have enough to lay one trap at each escape method. Just change it so that the boat and cars each receive one trap. If using Part 2 Jason, you can lay more traps down, either at those locations or elsewhere. I usually suggest trapping the escapes, especially the phone, but those two extras can be used however you see fit.

Conclusion

Now that you know how to think and act like Jason Voorhees, go out and BE Jason Voorhees in your next match where you're picked to be the iconic killer. And remember, it's a game. So above all else, have fun.

Happy gaming!