EDIT: This guide has not been updated for the most recent update. Therefore, some information in this guide may be outdated, incorrect, or misleading. Please take this into account before reading. I plan on updating the guide at a later date to account for the most recent update.

So, you've been given the role of L. Congratulations on becoming the single most important individual in the entire game! The role of L comes with a lot of power, but also a lot of responsibility; a good L player can single-handedly claim wins for the Investigation team, and a bad L player can give Team Kira a win as early as before the first meeting. Thus, it's important that you become familiarized with the tools at your disposal, as well as understanding the importance of your own safety.

I'll confess ahead of time that I've never written a guide prior to this one, or if I have, it's been long enough that I don't remember. Anyways, here are the simplest tips for any would-be Wammy Kids out there;

The simplest tip, yet one that few L players seem to heed. As L, it's important to understand that you are NOT disposable. If you die, Team Kira wins, period. The only way Team Kira can kill you is by stealing your ID, or by having your name revealed if you are arrested. Ergo, so long as you avoid being within ID-snagging distance of other players, the investigation into Kira will be able to continue. To facilitate this, remember your entry and exit routes and avoid peeking blind entrances. Avoid narrow corridors or rooms with only one entrance and exit unless absolutely necessary.

If someone is pestering you and claiming that their task is to investigate you, there are only a few situations in which it is advisable to agree. The most acceptable one being that there is less than 10-5 seconds before the meeting, and Kira is unable to play a card to extend the timer. In such a case, there's little chance of any would-be ID thieves being able to write your name down in time, and if your ID DOES end up stolen, you should be able to quickly and relentlessly expose them during the meeting. The other case is that the person asking to investigate you has already been cleared of any suspicion of being a member of Team Kira, and it is safe to be near them. Revealed Investigators are always safe to be around, so if one of them asks you to come near for a cavity search, there's no risk in complying.

In the case that the above is NOT true and there is plenty of time left before the meeting, it is advised to use one of the following excuses:

- "My task is to keep documents safe, please stay away from me." - Good early on in the day, less so later on.

-"I've been around too many people thus far, and I'm already worried my ID has been stolen." - Recommended once night has fallen, doing this in the morning is NOT advised.

-"No, f!$k off." - While this is the most safe option, it is also the least convincing, and may tip off Team Kira that you are L if used too often.

An additional part of this tip regards Team Kira's own Command Cards; as L, you should almost NEVER participate in these. This is because, should you participate, you run a high risk of having your ID taken, as well as being unable to monitor others while participating.

Another vital part of being L that goes unused by newer players is L's Command Cards, which are vital to both deducing who can be trusted, as well as building towards an Investigation Progress victory. You should ALWAYS be using these, however there is a small degree of nuance to using them.

The first card L has at the start of the game will always be Vindicating Evidence card. This card will spawn a blue NPC on the map for a short period. Whichever Investigator reaches them first and interacts with them will be publicly revealed to everyone as an Investigator. This is vital for both L and the rest of the Investigators, as having someone that can be trusted without any doubt is an immensely powerful tool. It is important to note that Kira and their Follower CANNOT INTERACT with this NPC. In fact, they aren't even marked for members of Team Kira, so if you see someone who could have easily claimed their role as Investigator NOT going for it, and nobody else is there, there's a high chance they're on Team Kira.

Another important detail with this card; you, as L, are also unable to claim it. This is important, since you not claiming the opportunity to be revealed as a trusted Investigator may make other Investigators suspicious of you, or tip Team Kira off to your identity as L. Thankfully, when viewing the card, you'll be able to see where the NPC is going to spawn prior to using it. Thus, it's advised to move away from the area in question prior to activating the card, lest you cast the spotlight on yourself by accident. Once an investigator has been revealed, your next task should be to pair them up with someone to do a Joint Investigation. Since one of the members of the Joint Investigation has been proven to be trustworthy, anyone who isn't willing to meet up with them to do the task should be considered suspicious.

Do note that it's possible for Kira to cancel this card by writing down the Collaborator's name in the Death Note while the NPC is on the map. Doing this will mean that you are down a trusted Investigator, thus while the card is active, you should keep an eye out for anyone on the cameras who may be attempting to thwart you.

For the "Install Surveillance Cameras" card, this can also be a powerful tool. You'll be able to see where the camera boxes will spawn prior to activating the card, allowing you to position yourself nearby them to grab them before Team Kira steals them. There are a few locations that are best for installing new Cameras; the Warehouse, the Backyard, the Parking Lot and the Police Box are the best locations to install them, as Team Kira often use these locations as meetup points for passing IDs or the Death Note, as well as writing down names. Be wary of anyone who picks up a Camera and doesn't install it, as they're almost certainly a member of Team Kira.

For "L Decoy", it's advisable to save this one for when your ID is taken, as it can often save you should you utilize it in time. However, if Team Kira seems to be inching close to a New World victory, then you should use it simply to gain progress on the Investigation.

For "Press Gag", this one is almost always useful and should be utilized shortly after the day begins if you have it. The same goes for "Enhanced Investigation Power", as making progress to an Investigation victory is equally as important as sussing out who Kira and their Follower are, should they be playing overly cautiously.

Something few L players seem to understand is that you alone have the ability to resolve conflicts in the meeting by sending anonymous messages as L. The only information given to other Investigators, as well as Team Kira, is that it is a message sent by L. Ergo, if you have any thoughts you wish to convey as L, this is the way to do it. That being said, don't be TOO obvious; if you're certain someone is a member of team Kira, send an anonymous message accusing them of being suspicious a short while AFTER you begin hurling accusations, lest your voice be drowned out by the screeching shouting match that usually ensues. Remember, you don't want to reveal yourself as L to Team Kira in the case that you're incorrect.

It's also useful for pulling votes away from individuals who you believe are NOT members of Team Kira. If you're certain that someone can be trusted and find them coming under fire during the meeting, use your anonymous messages to pull suspicion away from them, either by asking to hear them out, casting suspicion on someone you think is being suspicious or that you're reasonably certain is a member of Team Kira, or by asking the group to skip the vote. If you feel someone has something to say which would be useful (including yourself), but they're being talked over, sending an anonymous message that you want to hear from them is a good way to allow them to speak their piece.

Remember that this tool is an excellent way of expressing your thoughts and inquiries to the group without revealing yourself, so long as you aren't too blatant.

Additionally, should someone be voted to be arrested, you will be able to decide who does the actual arrest once voting has concluded. You'll only be able to select from people who voted for the person being arrested; anyone who skipped the vote or voted for someone else will be unable to be selected. Naturally, you should pick the most trustworthy person alive besides yourself; however if there isn't anyone left that you feel you can trust, then you should select yourself to do the arrest. This is because, should a member of Team Kira be chosen to do the arrest, neither the Death Note, nor any stolen IDs will be revealed, essentially letting them off almost scott-free.

Cameras are a severely underutilized tool by many L players, which is a damn shame, because they're a very powerful tool. As an L player, the Icon in the top right will have an "!" on it whenever any Camera is picking up a player. Upon opening the camera menu, cameras that have players within their range will also have this mark. This can be a useful way to secretly catch Kira writing in the Death Note, however this is much less effective if "Everyone Has Black Notebooks" is enabled, as anyone caught will have immense plausible deniability.

It's also a fantastic way of finding the bodies of your fellow investigators, should they go missing. Many of Kira's pre-determined death locations come with Cameras; The Bathroom, The Classroom, and The Meeting Hall all have cameras by default, and are places where Kira can send someone to die.

You'll also be able to check in on how people are resolving the "Death Note Test" Command Card, used by Team Kira. You'll often be able to find Kira or their Follower sneaking in to steal IDs while everyone is busy dealing with the bodies that spawn. Coincidentally, all 3 spawn locations for the "Death Note Test" bodies come with Cameras, letting you monitor them in real time from a safe distance.

Another thing that some L players often overlook is the important of assigning Joint Tasks during the morning section of the day. Joint Tasks are the sole largest contributor towards achieving an Investigation victory, as they grant a lot of progress if completed entirely. Not only that, but they're a great way to both clear suspicion, or confirm suspicion by checking if the people assigned to the task actually complete them or not.

Failure to assign Joint Tasks regularly may result in Team Kira taking the lead in progress, putting you and the rest of your investigators on the back foot. This can put you in situations where you're essentially forced to gamble on an arrest for a hail mary, else you lose the game shortly after via Team Kira achieving a New World victory.

This is more of a general tip for Team L as a whole, but a Revealed or trusted Investigator can play a major role in building a rapport between your fellow Investigators. As an investigator, if you are Revealed, you should consider yourself a sort of mini-L in the sense that you are not nearly as disposable as the rest of your fellow investigators. Your presence will play a large role in the game as one of the only people L, and to a lesser extent the rest of the Investigators can confidently trust without any doubt. If you see someone pick up a Dying Message, ask them to give it to you; as someone is confirmed to be on Team L, they should leave Journals with you to both clear suspicion and to validate the Journal's contents. Anyone who refuses to do this, either by blatantly denying your request or by playing dumb should be considered suspicious. Additionally, you should also not participate directly in working on Kira tasks, but that doesn't mean you can't assist in another way; as a confirmed investigator, you can make an excellent lookout to see if anyone tries to steal an ID while everyone is occupied. Remember that if you die, all of these advantages are moot, so try and keep a tight grip on your ID and avoid needlessly bumping into others.

As a non-confirmed Investigator, consider Revealed or trusted Investigators as a mini-L; give any dying messages to them for safe keeping, especially if you yourself have lost your ID. They'll be able to corroborate the validity of the dying message, lending more weight to its contents. Even if your name shows up in the dying message, you should still share its contents with the Revealed Investigator to build a trust network, especially since a member of Team Kira would be highly unlikely to give a Revealed Investigator information that would incriminate them. Additionally, if you are given the task of investigating a Revealed Investigator, or a Revealed Investigator asks to Investigate you, you should do this without fear or hesitation.

As L, treat your Revealed Investigator as your right-hand man. Whenever possible, assign them to arrest whoever is voted. Hand of Dying Messages to them, but make sure to read the contents for yourself first so that they aren't lost if the Investigator is killed.

These aren't infallible tips, nor should you consider this gospel. However, following the guide presented here will at the very least make you a somewhat competent L player who contributes to the Investigation, rather than being a veritable dead weight to your team.