A Challenge Advantage is an advantage introduced in Survivor: Guatemala. It allows the castaway who holds it to gain an advantage over other castaways in an upcoming challenge.
Overview[]
The challenge advantage gives the person who holds it an advantage in an upcoming challenge, most typically an individual Immunity Challenge, but can only be used in the next immediate challenge. What the advantage entails differs, usually allowing the castaway to skip a portion of a challenge, gives them a second chance in the challenge, or allows them to practice the challenge ahead of time. Edge of Extinction introduced a challenge disadvantage, allowing a castaway to penalize another in a challenge. These advantages are usually sold at Survivor Auctions or as a reward at the final Reward Challenge of the season.
Nicaragua introduced the Medallion of Power, a similar concept which gives the option for when the tribe holding the Medallion of Power wishes to use it, rather than it having to be used at the next Immunity Challenge.
Since Survivor 41, challenge advantages have been regularly introduced prior to the the final five Immunity Challenge. The advantage is hidden at the merged tribe's new camp, promising its finder a "slight" advantage at the upcoming challenge. The clue to the advantage is provided in the form of a word scramble, which solves to yield a riddle that hints at the advantage's location.
History[]
Guatemala[]
Danni Boatwright purchased an advantage for the next Immunity Challenge at the Survivor Auction on Day 31. The advantage was good for Watch Your Step, allowing her to swap with one other castaway at any point in the challenge. She used the advantage to swap places with Stephenie LaGrossa and outmaneuvered her to win the challenge.
Fiji[]
Boo Bernis received a challenge advantage for coming in first place at the Reward Challenge on Day 31. The advantage was good for Twisted, allowing him to skip directly to the final portion of the challenge, making him one of three to be eligible to win immunity. Boo would go on to win the challenge.
Gabon[]
Corinne Kaplan would purchase a challenge advantage for $500 at the Survivor Auction on Day 28. This advantage was good for The Domino Effect, allowing her to skip directly to the final portion of the challenge, making her one of three to be eligible to win immunity. Corinne would lose the challenge to Ken Hoang.
Samoa[]
Jaison Robinson purchased a challenge advantage for $500 at the Survivor Auction on Day 28. This advantage was good for Drop A Log, allowing him to move up two knots at any point in the challenge, reducing tension. Jaison would go on to win the challenge.
One World[]
Troyzan Robertson would purchase a challenge advantage for $420 at the Survivor Auction on Day 26. This advantage was good for Return From The Dead, allowing him to skip the first round of the challenge. Troyzan barely beat out Kim Spradlin to get into the final round, and would go on to win the challenge.
Philippines[]
Abi-Maria Gomes would purchase the first challenge advantage available in the season for $500 at the Survivor Auction on Day 28. This advantage was good for Brains and Brawn, allowing her to skip directly to the final portion of the challenge, making her one of three to be eligible to win immunity. Abi-Maria would go on to win the challenge.
Malcolm Freberg would win the second challenge advantage available in the season at the Day 37 Reward Challenge. This advantage was good for the Final Immunity Challenge, The Ball Drop, allowing him to start over if he dropped his ball. Malcolm would be quickly eliminated from the challenge, unable to make the most of his second chance. Michael Skupin would win the challenge.
Caramoan[]
John Cochran would purchase the first challenge advantage available in the season for $340 at the Survivor Auction on Day 29. This advantage was good for Drop A Log, and like Jaison Robinson in Samoa, allowed him to move up two knots at any point in the challenge. Cochran would go on to win the challenge.
Cochran would go on to win the second challenge advantage available in the season at the Day 37 Reward Challenge. This advantage was good for the Final Immunity Challenge, Vertically Challenged, having all of his puzzle bags untied. Just like Drop A Log, Cochran would win this challenge as well.
San Juan del Sur[]
Keith Nale would win a challenge advantage at the Day 36 Reward Challenge. This advantage was good for Spoon Man, allowing him to practice with a replica of the challenge. Keith would go on to win the challenge.
Worlds Apart[]
Mike Holloway would win a challenge advantage at the Day 36 Reward Challenge. This advantage was good for Going Blind, allowing him to practice the challenge beforehand with his mother's aid. Mike would go on to win the challenge.
Game Changers[]
After being left without a tribe during the Tribe Switch on Day 14, Debbie Wanner was sent to Exile Island, where she was offered an advantage for her new tribe in their next Immunity Challenge, as a part of an Advantage Menu offered by the visiting John Cochran. However, she elected to take the Extra Vote over the challenge advantage or a fake Hidden Immunity Idol kit.
Ghost Island[]
Wendell Holland would send himself to Ghost Island on Day 31 in lieu of going on reward, earning him the chance to get an advantage. This advantage was Malcolm Freberg's advantage from Philippines, and was good for the same challenge, The Ball Drop, allowing him start over if he dropped his ball. Much like Malcolm, Wendell was unable to make the most of his second chance and lost. Domenick Abbate would go on to win the challenge.
Edge of Extinction[]
Chris Underwood found the first challenge advantage on the Edge of Extinction on Day 13. This allowed him to practice the first portion of the first re-entry duel, Back In the Saddle. On Day 16, Keith Sowell would find the first challenge disadvantage, allowing him to penalize a player at the first re-entry duel. He decided to penalize Chris, who would have to untie thirty knots before going onto the second portion of the challenge. Despite the disadvantage, the six Edge of Extinction inhabitants would be close, but Rick Devens would ultimately go on to win and re-enter the game.
Aubry Bracco would find the second challenge advantage on the Edge of Extinction on Day 21, in addition to an Extra Vote which she could gift to someone in the main game. The advantage allowed her to practice the first portion of the second re-entry duel, Don't Call It a Comeback. Aubry would lose the duel to Chris, and was permanently eliminated from the game.
David Wright found a third challenge advantage on the Edge of Extinction on Day 26, which had to be sent to one of the remaining players in the main game for the next Immunity Challenge. He chose to give it to Rick, who then only had to land four balls instead of five in the Paddle Out challenge. Rick would go on to win the challenge.
Winners at War[]
Challenge advantages could be purchased by a tribe for any challenge prior to the merge for four Fire Tokens, though no tribe chose to avail of this option.
Castaways on the Edge of Extinction could purchase challenge advantages via Fire Tokens to assist them in the re-entry duels. Prior to the first re-entry duel, each challenge advantage could be purchased for one Fire Token. Prior to the second re-entry duel, each challenge advantage would cost two Fire Tokens. A single castaway is allowed to purchase a maximum of three advantages.
On Day 19, Danni Boatwright, Ethan Zohn, Natalie Anderson, Rob Mariano, and Tyson Apostol each used one Fire Token to purchase an advantage at the first re-entry duel, Back in the Saddle. All five would not have to dig for their bag of string. Tyson would go on to win the duel, re-entering the game.
On Day 32, a challenge disadvantage was hidden on the Edge of Extinction. This would be good for the next Immunity Challenge, but had to be sold by sundown for as many Fire Tokens as the finder wanted. Natalie found the disadvantage and sold it to Nick Wilson for 8 Fire Tokens. Nick would anonymously disadvantage Ben Driebergen at the High Step Back challenge: Ben would have 30% more beam and blocks than the other castaways. Michele Fitzgerald won the challenge.
On Day 35, Natalie purchased three advantages for six Fire Tokens in the second re-entry duel, while Parvati Shallow, Wendell Holland, and Yul Kwon each purchased one advantage for two Fire Tokens. The first advantage allowed them to skip the fence obstacle, while Natalie's second and third advantages allowed her to not have to dig up a rung and having 1/3 of her rope bridge already completed. Natalie went on to win the duel, allowing her to re-enter the game.
Survivor 41[]
On Day 24, the final five castaways were given a word puzzle at Tree Mail, which they had to unscramble to get the riddle "Your Treasure Hangs Where the Trees Love to Dance", leading castaways to find the advantage at a landmark on their new camp. Erika Casupanan found the advantage, making it so that the first four rungs of both her ladders in the Day 24 Immunity Challenge, Born to Rung, would be completed for her. Erika won the challenge.
Survivor 42[]
On Day 24, the final five castaways were given a word puzzle at Tree Mail, which they had to unscramble to get the riddle "Good Fortune is Tucked in the Toes of the Sleeping Giant", leading castaways to find the advantage at a landmark on their new camp. Lindsay Dolashewich found the advantage, making it so that, in the Day 24 Immunity Challenge, Giant Tick, she would only need to undo one (instead of six) knots to retrieve each of her six bags. Lindsay narrowly lost the challenge to Mike Turner.
Survivor 43[]
On Day 24, the final five castaways were given a word puzzle at Tree Mail, which they had to unscramble to get the riddle "I stand near the sea with a rock at my surface. Long since lifeless, but knot without service. Sprint to find me, and reveal my purpose", leading castaways to find the advantage at a landmark on their new camp. Karla Cruz Godoy narrowly beat Owen Knight to the advantage. At the Day 24 Immunity Challenge, Draw The Line, ten of Karla's puzzle blocks had already been placed at her puzzle station for her, so she would only have to transport 19 (instead of 29) blocks. Karla ended up losing the challenge at the puzzle stage to Owen.
Survivor 45[]
On Day 24, the final five castaways were presented with a combination lock at camp. They were instructed to count the number of crabs, coconuts, and bamboo poles planted at various points throughout the island to obtain their combination. Each time a castaway made an incorrect guess, they had to head back to recount each item. By matching each number to its corresponding season's winner, Jake O'Kane won the advantage for the upcoming challenge, High Deck Matsui. At the challenge, Jeff Probst informed him that he would only have to land one sandbag, instead of three, to obtain numbers for a combination lock in the challenge. Due to a pair of critical blunders, Jake ultimately lost the challenge to Austin Li Coon.
Survivor 47[]
On Day 11, the final thirteen castways were presented with a sign telling them there was an advantage for the upcoming Earn the Merge challenge hidden at camp. Genevieve Mushaluk was the one who found the advantage and was able to skip the team Reward Challenge and automatically advance to the individual Immunity Challenge. Genevieve ended up losing the challenge to Kyle Ostwald.
Survivor 48[]
Similar to Survivor 47, on Day 12 the final thirteen castaways were presented with a sign telling them there was an advantage for the upcoming Earn the Merge challenge hidden at camp. Saiounia Hughley beat Charity Nelms in a footrace to get the advantage; thus, she was able to skip the team Reward Challenge and automatically advance to the individual Immunity Challenge. Saiounia ultimately ended up losing the challenge to Kyle Fraser.
Summary[]
Advantage[]
Disadvantage[]
| Season | Location | Episode Acquired | Owner | Penalized | Challenge | Disadvantage | Outcome
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edge of Extinction | Edge of Extinction | "It's Like the Worst Cocktail Party Ever" |  Keith Sowell |
 Chris Underwood |
Back In the Saddle | Must untie a set of thirty knots before continuing |  Lost |
| Winners at War | Edge of Extinction | "The Penultimate Step of the War" |  Nick Wilson |
 Ben Driebergen |
High Step Back | 30% more beam and blocks | Lost |
Trivia[]
- John Cochran is the first castaway to obtain two separate challenge advantages in a season.
- Danni Boatwright is the first castaway to obtain a challenge advantage in two separate seasons.
- Chris Underwood is the first castaway to have both a challenge advantage and a disadvantage for the same challenge.