12 Team Roles

Extractor

The extractor is the role that makes the elevator move. Their focus is turning machines, keeping extraction progress flowing, and ending the floor before the team gets overwhelmed. For beginners, it helps to think of the extractor as the “objective player.” While everyone can and should touch machines when it is safe, the extractor treats machines as their primary job, not a side task.

A good extractor spends as much time as possible on machines without dying or causing wipes. This means they choose paths that pass multiple machines in sequence, commit to skill checks confidently, and avoid unnecessary detours for items or risky chests. They are also the role most sensitive to Twisted positions, since a single chase can waste a lot of extraction time.

An extractor should be very aware of which machines are already touched and which ones are still untouched. If the team communicates, the extractor becomes the person who quietly “directs traffic” by saying where they are extracting, which side of the map feels cleared, and where the remaining progress likely is. They do not need to lead loudly, but they do need a clear internal plan.

Because extractors are usually on machines, they are exposed to ambushes. A good extractor will leave early rather than greed one more skill check, especially on higher floors. They also think about safe escape routes before starting a long extraction session, so that if a Twisted appears, they already know which hallway or loop to run to.

Distractor

The distractor is the player who deliberately takes aggro from Twisteds and keeps them busy, so others can extract or reposition safely. Beginners often misunderstand this role as “sacrifice yourself,” but a true distractor is trying to stay alive as long as possible while wasting Twisted time.

A distractor must understand aggro and line of sight well, which is covered in detail elsewhere. For team roles, the key point is that a distractor chooses when to show themselves and when to disappear. They draw a Twisted away from machines that need work, then kite in safe loops or wide areas that the rest of the team avoids. The distractor calls out which Twisted is on them and where they are running, so teammates know which part of the map is currently unsafe.

Because they will be chased more often, distractors value stamina very highly. They plan their movement so they do not fully drain their bar, and they avoid getting boxed into dead ends while trying to be “helpful.” A dead distractor who dies mid-chase can throw the Twisted straight back into the team. Surviving is more important than pulling off flashy jukes.

Distractors also control how many Twisteds they are willing to hold at once. On low floors, one skilled distractor can sometimes handle multiple enemies. On higher floors or with dangerous combinations, they should communicate the limit. If they say they are about to lose control of a chase, extractors and supports must be ready to abandon machines and rotate away.

Support

The support role keeps the team running. They are the flexible player who fills gaps: bringing items where they are needed, covering half-finished machines, reviving downed teammates, and stabilizing runs that are starting to fall apart. While support toons and trinkets exist, any player who focuses on team safety and resource flow is acting as support.

A support pays close attention to the team’s health, stamina items, and positioning. If the extractor is low on hearts but there is a healing item nearby, the support is often the one who fetches it or pings it. If the distractor is about to run through a dangerous area, the support might clear a machine in the opposite direction so there is a safe zone to retreat to later.

Supports are usually the best at reading when the team should slow down and regroup. If multiple people are low on hearts, items are scarce, and Twisteds are extremely active, the support suggests a pause from aggressive extracting to reset. They also often take responsibility for safe revives, waiting until a Twisted leaves line of sight, then sneaking in, instead of rushing in recklessly.

On floors with heavy pressure, the support sometimes doubles as a “backup extractor,” finishing machines that others had to abandon mid-chase. This keeps progress from stalling. A good support also keeps mental track of where useful items were left behind, such as spare healing or stamina bottles, so that when a crisis happens they already know where to send teammates.

Scout

The scout is the map knowledge specialist. Their main work happens early on each floor, when information is more important than immediate extraction. While others may jump straight on the first machine they see, the scout moves quickly to uncover layout, find machine clusters, identify safe loops, and spot the most dangerous zones.

A scout’s value lies in knowing where everything is. They can call out how many machines are in a certain wing, where the elevator is, and which paths form good loops for kiting. This lets the extractor pick strong routes and allows the distractor to plan chases in areas that do not cut across machines that still need work.

Because scouts move a lot and often run into Twisteds first, they need good reaction time and situational awareness. However, their goal is not to stay in chase forever, but to stay one step ahead of trouble. If they see a Twisted patrolling a critical area, they warn the team early instead of silently trying to sneak past and then getting caught.

As the floor progresses, a scout often transitions into another role. Once the map is mostly known and machines are discovered, they may become a secondary extractor, a light distractor, or a roaming support. The role is most important on larger or more complex floors, where blind wandering wastes huge amounts of time.

Hybrid Roles

In real matches, players are rarely pure extractors or pure distractors. Most teams operate with hybrids that lean in one direction, while still helping with other tasks. Understanding hybrids helps beginners adapt when lobbies are small or teammates are inexperienced.

A common hybrid is the “extractor plus support.” This player spends most of their time on machines, but deliberately runs near teammates to drop items, finish partial revives, or cover a machine that someone else had to leave. If a dedicated distractor goes down, the extractor plus support might temporarily kite a Twisted, then return to extraction once the threat is moved.

Another frequent hybrid is the “distractor plus scout.” This player explores aggressively, pulls early aggro, and leads Twisteds to already scouted loops. When there is no active chase, they use their map knowledge to find new machines or item spawns. They may not extract as consistently as a pure extractor, but they create huge time windows for others.

Hybrids must be honest about their limits. If a player is trying to both extract and hold long chases, they may burn out their stamina and hearts faster than the team can sustain. Clear communication helps. A hybrid can say which job they are prioritizing right now so others know whether to commit to machines or play safer.

The key idea is that roles are tools, not cages. On small teams or in random lobbies, you may need to change your role mid-floor. If you notice that no one is distracting properly, you can lean into that job. If machines are barely touched, even a skilled distractor might need to help extract until progress catches up. Flexible hybrid play is what separates rigid teams from resilient ones.

Building a Balanced Team

A balanced team covers all essential jobs with as few overlaps as possible. At a minimum, a strong group wants one player mainly on extraction, one comfortable distracting, and someone willing to act as support or scout. On full lobbies, you usually aim for some variation of one main extractor, one main distractor, one flexible support, and one scout or hybrid.

The exact composition depends on floor difficulty and player skill. On low floors, you can get away with multiple extractors and only light distraction because Twisteds are slower and less punishing. On higher floors, a lack of a reliable distractor or support quickly leads to wipes, no matter how strong your individual toons are.

Balanced teams also think about overlap. Two people both trying to solo-distract in the same hallway can cause chaos, as Twisteds bounce between targets and wander across machines. Similarly, three people stacking on the same machine leaves the rest of the map unexplored and gives you no safety net if a patrol wanders in.

Before fully committing to a plan, it helps for the team to quickly state their intended roles at the start of the run. Even a short exchange like “I will mainly extract,” “I can distract,” “I will scout early then help machines,” creates enough structure that people avoid working against each other. A team that agrees on roles can adapt mid-run, but a team with no plan usually scrambles in every crisis.

Balanced teams also adjust as runs go on. If the main distractor is low on hearts, support or extractor players may take lighter chases for a while. If machines fall far behind and time is ticking, even the support might have to focus on extraction until you catch up. A good team reads the situation and reshuffles roles temporarily instead of stubbornly clinging to the opening plan.

Role Communication

Role communication is how you make your chosen jobs actually work together. It is not enough to silently decide to be an extractor or distractor. You must continually share what you are doing and what you need, in clear and short messages.

Extractors should state which section they are working on and when they are leaving a machine early. A simple update like “middle machine at half, had to leave, Twisted nearby” lets others decide whether to finish it later or avoid the area. If an extractor finds a cluster of machines, mentioning it helps the scout or support route there.

Distractors must constantly update the team on aggro. Saying which Twisted is chasing them and where they are running gives extractors and supports a mental map of danger. If a distractor is about to lose a chase or plans to break line of sight near certain machines, they should say so. This prevents teammates from blindly walking into a Twisted they assumed was far away.

Supports communicate about resources and risk. If they see someone low on hearts, they can say where healing items are or offer to escort them. Before attempting a risky revive, they might tell the team to avoid drawing aggro nearby. Scouts, on the other hand, focus on information: machine counts in each wing, safe loops, and the elevator location.

Good role communication is specific and calm. Saying “Twisted!” does little. Saying “main Twisted on me, left wing, safe to extract right side” tells your extractor exactly what to do. Over time, a team that communicates this way starts to understand each other’s patterns so well that they can coordinate even with fewer words.

Team Strategies

Team strategies are plans that combine roles into consistent patterns of play. A simple and effective basic strategy is to start each floor with a short scouting phase. The scout ranges ahead to locate elevator and main machine clusters. The extractor follows paths with known machines. The distractor looks for the first safe opportunity to pull aggro away from those clusters. The support lingers between players, ready to respond where needed.

As the floor progresses, the team shifts into a steady cycle. The distractor holds a Twisted in a known loop. The extractor and support work machines on the opposite side of the map. The scout, if not yet absorbed into another role, looks for remaining machines or unexplored wings. When the Twisted pressure spikes, the extractor and support fall back, rotate around, or wait for the distractor to reposition the threat.

Another common plan is the “split and collapse” approach. At the start of a floor, the team splits into pairs or solo roles to cover more ground: maybe extractor plus support on one side, scout plus distractor on the other. Once they locate key machine clusters or discover especially dangerous Twisteds, the team collapses back together and focuses on safer sections, adjusting pairings if necessary.

On harder floors, teams may adopt safer strategies that emphasize survival over speed. This can include slower pushing of machines, more frequent regrouping at known safe spots, and deliberate item sharing. A strong support will sometimes call for a “reset minute,” where everyone steps off machines, checks hearts and items, and plans the final push to the elevator.

Strategies should match the lobby’s experience level. Beginners usually benefit from simple plans like “one main extractor, one main distractor, others support and scout.” Advanced teams can layer more complex ideas such as rotating distraction routes, high-risk early machine rushes, or specialized scouting patterns. No matter the complexity, the core is always the same: each role understands its job and how it supports the others.

Helping New Players

Helping new players is one of the most valuable things you can do in a team role system. Beginners often do not understand roles at all, so they randomly touch machines, run into Twisteds, or follow others too closely. Instead of getting frustrated, you can guide them with simple instructions that match the role you are playing.

If you are an extractor, you can ask a new player to watch nearby hallways while you work, or to finish machines you had to leave. This gives them a clear job that contributes without forcing them into dangerous full-map routes. You can ping machines or areas and say, “Can you help me with machines around here?” instead of vague “Do machines” commands.

As a distractor, you can keep Twisted attention away from beginners by pulling aggro first and staying visible, then kiting in loops that do not cross paths with them. You can also warn them early, such as “Do not go left wing, Twisted here, stay near middle machines.” Over time, they will see how your movement controls enemy positions and start to copy it.

Supports can help new players by sharing extra items, escorting them through risky sections, and taking the more dangerous revives themselves. Explaining simple ideas like “Save one heart, do not tank hits for no reason,” or “If you hear loud cues, stop and listen before running in,” can dramatically increase a beginner’s survival.

Scouts can walk newer players through map basics by pinging safe loops and important landmarks. A quick explanation such as “This hallway is a good loop, use it if you get chased,” can turn a panic runner into someone who has at least one safe plan.

Most importantly, keep your expectations reasonable. New players will make mistakes, pull Twisteds through machines, or leave revives too late. Instead of blaming them, quietly adjust your role to cover their errors. Over time, patient guidance builds stronger teammates who understand extractor, distractor, support, and scout roles, which improves the entire community.