Escape from Tarkov: A Beginner's Guide to Surviving Raids

 

1. Understanding the Game Modes

There are two main game modes in Escape from Tarkov:

• PMC (Private Military Contractor): You play as your main character, equipped with the gear you’ve chosen from your inventory. Any gear you lose in a raid will be gone if you die.
• Scav (Scavenger): You control a randomly equipped character. It’s lower risk since you aren’t risking your own items.

2. The Raids

Each game session in Escape from Tarkov is called a raid. You choose a map, enter with your character (PMC or Scav), loot items, kill enemies, and try to escape through designated extraction points before time runs out. If you die, you lose the gear you brought with you. If you escape, you keep everything you looted.

3. Setting Up Your Character

• Inventory Management: Equip your PMC with weapons, armor, ammunition, and medical supplies before entering a raid. You also have a stash where you store items between raids.
• Health System: The game has an advanced health system. Your character has body parts (head, chest, arms, legs), and each part can take damage individually, which can affect movement, aim, and vision.
• Insurance: Before entering a raid, you can insure your gear. If you die, and another player doesn’t loot your items, they’ll be returned to you after a certain period.

4. Choosing a Map

• Factory: A small map, great for short and intense encounters.
• Customs: Popular among new players for loot and early-game quests.
• Shoreline: A larger map with various loot locations and sniper positions.
• Interchange: A shopping mall with lots of loot and complex navigation.
• Reserve: A military base, filled with high-tier loot and tough AI enemies.
• Woods: A forest map with open areas and sniping spots.

Each map has multiple extraction points, and you need to figure out how to get to them after looting.

5. Looting and Inventory

Looting is essential in Tarkov, as you gather gear, weapons, and valuable items. Here are the types of loot you’ll encounter:

• Weapons: Guns, knives, and grenades.
• Attachments: Scopes, suppressors, magazines.
• Armor and Helmets: Protective gear that helps absorb damage.
• Medical Supplies: Bandages, painkillers, splints, and medkits.
• Valuable Items: Electronics, money, tools, and quest-related items.

Loot weight matters. The heavier your gear, the slower and noisier your movement.

6. Combat and Tactics

Escape from Tarkov focuses on realistic combat, so firefights are lethal and can end quickly. Here are some tactics:

• Sound Awareness: Footsteps, gunfire, and even reloading can be heard. Pay attention to sounds around you.
• Movement: Slow, deliberate movement can help you stay hidden. Crouching or lying prone can reduce noise.
• Aiming: The game features realistic weapon handling. You can aim down sights (ADS) or use a free-look option to peek around corners.
• Cover: Always use cover during firefights. Bullets can penetrate thin walls, but you’ll stay safer behind solid barriers.
• Healing: Carry medical supplies to stop bleeding, heal wounds, or recover lost limbs. If a limb is blacked out, you’ll need a surgery kit.

7. Quests and Progression

Quests are assigned by in-game traders. These quests provide experience, money, and unlock better gear for purchase.

• Trader Loyalty: Completing quests and trading increases loyalty with traders, unlocking new items for purchase.
• Hideout: A home base where you can upgrade and craft items over time.

8. Extracting

Extraction points are scattered throughout each map. Some are always available, while others may require specific conditions (like paying in-game currency or wearing certain gear). Finding the extraction points is critical to completing a successful raid.

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9. Tips for Beginners

• Play as a Scav to practice and gain loot without risking your PMC’s gear.
• Insurance is valuable, especially for newer players.
• Learn the maps by playing offline mode or watching YouTube guides.
• Always carry medical supplies: bleeding out is common.
• Sell to traders to make money and level up their loyalty.