'Hunger Games': 5 'Survivor' alums reveal their strategies

Sure, the Hunger Games already have a slogan. But if the gamemakers of the Capitol ever get tired of “May the Odds Be Ever In Your Favor” they would do well to consider “Outwit, Outplay, Outlast” as a substitute. Luckily enough for today’s Survivor contestants we don’t live in Panem and Jeff Probst hasn’t started wearing cake makeup, so the backstabbing that occurs on CBS’ venerable franchise is still just metaphorical. For now, anyway.

EW wondered what a few notable former Survivor contestants would do if they were thrown into the Hunger Games arena and risked having more snuffed out, so to speak, than their torches. So, to get you psyched for our live chat of tonight’s Survivor: One World at 8:00 p.m. ET, we got Coach Wade, Parvati Shallow, John Cochran, Jenna Morasca, and Eliza Orlins to confide in us what their respective strategies would be—and how they think they’d fare–if they were to find themselves on a show produced by Seneca Crane instead of Mark Burnett. Here’s what they had to say. Perhaps it shouldn’t come as a shock that Coach’s strategy involves a suicide pact.

Coach Wade, 40, Dragon Slayer.

5th Place—Survivor: Tocantins

12th Place—Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains

Runner-Up—Survivor: South Pacific

My strategy in the arena would be simple, just like I play chess. It’s kill or be killed, and I would play Suicide Slayer Style (SSS). I would let out a primal yell, and then charge forward, grabbing two swords and leaping over the crates in a single bound and take out the alpha male across from me. With both arms flailing, I would swing my sword left and right slaying everyone in my path. It’s only the alphas that go for the goodies in the beginning so the kids would remain unharmed.

I would, for sure, start taking the weak and the small and the young and place them firmly under my wings. I would lead a new band of Coach-ies and protect them all. It would end in a stalemate, and if the leaders tried to play any funny games with us we would just all sit around and drink the Jim Jones Kool-Aid at the same time. I mean it’s pretty much the apocalypse, and since heaven would be a much better place to live we could all go there sooner rather than later.

NEXT: Parvati Shallow seeks a “sweet, nerdy, nimble woodsman” as a partner. John Cochran may be just that woodsman—but fears wielding a machete.

Parvati Shallow, 29, Sole Survivor, and 114-day veteran.

6th Place—Survivor: Cook Islands

Winner—Survivor: Micronesia

Runner-Up—Survivor: Heroes Vs. Villains

I love me some Katniss. I’ve spent some time mulling over my strategy and don’t want to give it all away, so here’s just a little taste of Hunger Games, Shallow Style. In the arena, I would definitely work an alliance with a partner; I’m envisioning a sweet, nerdy, nimble woodsman who needs my love and protection. Because I’m an ace with weapons and I live for a good fistfight, I want a partner with some serious wilderness survival skills. If I’m going down, it won’t be because I ate the wrong berries, if you know what I mean.

Since we won’t have the muscle mass of the strong guys, we’d have to play defense and work from the high ground, taking our competition out like snipers. I’m sure at some point within the game I’ll end up catching my hair on fire, sleeping in a bear carcass and getting in a fight with a pirate. And that’s how a Survivor superwoman bombs out a Hunger Games win.

COCHRAN, 25, Scourge of Savaii

8th—Survivor: South Pacific

I can only imagine that I’d be horrible in the Hunger Games: I’m weak, uncoordinated, and perpetually nervous. I’d have to keep my fingers crossed that the A-type personalities in the competition would be so focused on taking each other out that they’d forget about the self-deprecating nerd trembling up on the treetop. I also think it’s entirely possible that I’d inadvertently eliminate myself from the Games; I’m still haunted by visions of the machete from Survivor, and the limbs I very nearly lost while wielding it.

NEXT: Jenna Morasca plans to kill her enemies while they sleep, and city girl Eliza Orlins ponders her hunting skills.

Jenna Morasca, 31, Youngest Sole Survivor Ever

Winner, Survivor: The Amazon

My strategy in the arena would be to climb up the first tall tree I see that’s far enough away from the cornucopia, but would still allow me to see what’s happening at a safe distance. When I’m up there I would fashion a weapon to kill people from the safety of the tree. Every time I kill someone I would grab their pack to use. Eventually when it gets down to a few tributes, or I’m flushed out by the gamemakers, I’d try and align with a few others. I would use my best effort to convince the other tributes that someone else seems to be the most dangerous to our group and needs to be taken out immediately. Emphasizing my small stature would help me, so I would not stand out as an immediate threat to the others I am trying to align with. Then I would kill them all while they’re sleeping! Brutal I know but, hey, only one makes it out, people.

What I am sure would happen is that I would be able to win. The Hunger Games and Survivor both force contestants to think on their feet and be adaptable. I feel I was somewhat adept in my adaptability when I first played Survivor when I was 21. Since then I have grown up quite a bit, and traveled extensively. These growing experiences have helped my ability to adapt to foreign and sometimes uncomfortable situations. This would work heavily in my favor, along with the fact that I am always ready to expect the unexpected. What I am also 100% sure would happen is that at one point I would likely get super pissed off and yell and scream at no one. I’m not sure if this would annoy or amuse the viewing audience! But, hey, when you think you are having a good day, then the gamemakers decide to send a pack of killer toucan birds after you that would ruin anyone’s mood!

Eliza Orlins, 29, Survivor Sweetheart

4th Place—Survivor:Vanuatu

10th Place—Survivor:Micronesia

Unlike on Survivor, I think I would try to lay low in the arena and not make so many enemies right off the bat. I don’t think I’d be in an alliance with the Careers, because, much like James and Ozzy and some of the other big guys I competed against on Survivor, they would underestimate me and think me an unworthy member of their group. Instead of using brute strength, which might not be my No. 1 asset, I would try to outthink the other tributes and lead them into my traps.

In the arena, I’m sure I would encounter strategically placed animals, much like Katniss and Peeta did, and as a city girl I would probably have a tough time catching them, like I did with the pigs on Survivor: Vanuatu. I have no doubt that my classic eye-rolls would make many an appearance while competing in the Hunger Games.

Be sure to log on to EW.com tonight for our live chat during the new episode of Survivor: One World.

More from EW.com:

‘Survivor’ finalist Stephen Fishbach on the ties between reality TV and ‘The Hunger Games’

‘Survivor’: Chat live with ‘Redemption Island’ alum Andrea Boehlke tonight at 7:40 p.m.