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Read the introduction to our comprehensive Escape from Tarkov tutorial and guide. Learn how to become better at playing Escape from Tarkov. EFT Tutorial and Guide THE TARKOV CENTRAL News Tips & Tricks & Bugs Deep-Dives Game Features Resources Arena Community TTC Blog EFT Tutorial Intro EFT Tutorial A beginner guide to EFT Just a Few More Words Before We Begin! Choices What is Escape from Tarkov? Choose Your Own Path SCAV or PMC? PvP or PvE? Solo or Team? USEC or BEAR? Where Am I? Your First Objective: Extraction Spawn Points and Extraction Points Just follow the waypoint! Where Am I? Learn maps one at a time Which Map Should I Start With? Exploration Map Knowledge The First Step: Practice Mode Ready, set, go Exploration Trying Out Missions Loadout, Damage, Health The Right Gear Health & Injuries Food & Drinks Damage, Armor and Ammo Weapon Choice Basic Loadout Bring The Right Kit Weapons and Aim The Second Step: Knowing Your Weapons an Aiming and Weapon Control Experiments in Factory ADS and Point Fire Weight, Movement and Stances Weight Movement Stances Combat: AI The Third Step: Real Targets Tagged and Cursed Stay safe Caution, Patience, and a Cool Head Are V Never Give Up Listen Carefully If You Think You Heard Something, You Di Cautious, But Never Passive Peaker Advantage If You Decide to Stay Still, Don't Move! Fighting the AI Don’t Re-Peek! Granada! Don’t be afraid to run Loot Looting Types of Loot and Where to Find It Too much loot! Simultanous Actions Interrupting Actions Combat: PvP The Fourth Step: Time to Get Serious So Many Deaths Your First Raid Timing and Map Flow Your First Loot Your First Kills Primary Objective: Survive Wrapping it up Now It’s Your Turn Appendix How to Improve Further Find You Pace and Playstile Time Management Moneymaking When You Die, You Lose Everything Know Your Enemies Just a Few More Words Before We Begin! This tutorial is aimed at learning the basics on how to survive raids. I haven’t included every single piece of information about Escape from Tarkov because my main focus is on helping you learn effectively while sharing tips and tricks that are usually gained through experience. This is why it's vital that you start by studying a guide with the basic information about the game such as the EFT Wiki - How to Play Guide for Escape from Tarkov Don't miss the Official Field Guide Videos made by BSG which covers various topics such as: Basics, Basics of Medicine, Armor & Ammunition, Hideout & Stash, Trading & Quests, Weapons & Modding. New topics are added regularly, so remember to check back periodically. I will keep adding to this tutorial info and other sections regarding each aspects of Escape from Tarkov, like the hideout management and the game economy, soon. But the first thing to learn is raiding. On YouTube, you’ll find countless videos explaining all aspects of EFT, but the information is scattered and disorganized . That’s why I recommend following this tutorial—I’ve tried to structure the information logically and progressively , so you can learn faster and start seeing results as soon as possible. Nontheless YouTube videos are great to learn, so I linked several of them. Here, on The Tarkov Central , you can find many articles that delve into individual aspects of EFT, as well as deep dives into more complex topics. Use this tutorial as a foundation , then for each topic, you can dive deeper with the articles on TTC, the suggested videos or searching for others on your own. In this tutorial (and throughout TTC ), you’ll find words or phrases underlined with links to explanations or more in-depth content. Click on these to learn more. Pop-ups or pages will open with extra information I’ve added. Escape from Tarkov is a complex game, so to keep this tutorial manageable, I’ve tried to include only the essential information to get you started (and there’s already a lot!). Following the links will lead you to deeper dives into each specific aspect. This tutorial is geared toward PVP mode, but is also adaptable to PVE. Enough talk—let’s get started! Next: What is Escape from Tarkov? comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment.

Discover the game features of Escape from Tarkov. Read our articles packed with info about the game features of Escape from Tarkov now! Game Features THE TARKOV CENTRAL News Tips & Tricks & Bugs Deep-Dives Game Features Resources Arena Community TTC Blog EFT Tutorial Latest Game Features Articles 1 2

Is it better to play solo or team in Tarkov? Discover pros and cons to choose to play solo or team in Escape from Tarkov in our comprehensive Tutorial and Guide. EFT Tutorial and Guide THE TARKOV CENTRAL News Tips & Tricks & Bugs Deep-Dives Game Features Resources Arena Community TTC Blog EFT Tutorial Intro EFT Tutorial A beginner guide to EFT Just a Few More Words Before We Begin! Choices What is Escape from Tarkov? Choose Your Own Path SCAV or PMC? PvP or PvE? Solo or Team? USEC or BEAR? Where Am I? Your First Objective: Extraction Spawn Points and Extraction Points Just follow the waypoint! Where Am I? Learn maps one at a time Which Map Should I Start With? Exploration Map Knowledge The First Step: Practice Mode Ready, set, go Exploration Trying Out Missions Loadout, Damage, Health The Right Gear Health & Injuries Food & Drinks Damage, Armor and Ammo Weapon Choice Basic Loadout Bring The Right Kit Weapons and Aim The Second Step: Knowing Your Weapons an Aiming and Weapon Control Experiments in Factory ADS and Point Fire Weight, Movement and Stances Weight Movement Stances Combat: AI The Third Step: Real Targets Tagged and Cursed Stay safe Caution, Patience, and a Cool Head Are V Never Give Up Listen Carefully If You Think You Heard Something, You Di Cautious, But Never Passive Peaker Advantage If You Decide to Stay Still, Don't Move! Fighting the AI Don’t Re-Peek! Granada! Don’t be afraid to run Loot Looting Types of Loot and Where to Find It Too much loot! Simultanous Actions Interrupting Actions Combat: PvP The Fourth Step: Time to Get Serious So Many Deaths Your First Raid Timing and Map Flow Your First Loot Your First Kills Primary Objective: Survive Wrapping it up Now It’s Your Turn Appendix How to Improve Further Find You Pace and Playstile Time Management Moneymaking When You Die, You Lose Everything Know Your Enemies Solo or Team? In Escape from Tarkov, you can choose to play solo or as part of a team of 2 to 5 members. But which option is better? While it’s true that playing solo has undeniable disadvantages , such as the inability to cover all directions and angles from which enemies might attack and the inferior firepower, the freedom of movement and ability to move more quietly, combined with good map knowledge, effective combat tactics, and quality gear, can offset these drawbacks . Even in situations of being outnumbered, victory is still possible. Another advantage of playing solo is the ability to be more silent and stealthy, making it easier to avoid confrontations . You can hear enemies approaching more clearly, giving you the chance to hide and let them pass unnoticed. On the other hand, playing in a team is highly enjoyable for the teamplay aspect and offers significant advantages , such as covering each other's backs, controlling an area, and coordinating in combat. However, the lack of any indicators to distinguish teammates from enemies, difficulties in effectively communicating movements, and the inevitable noise and distraction caused by your teammates can introduce considerable challenges . It’s not uncommon to find yourself alone, surrounded by a well-organized and prepared enemy team, with no chance of survival. Similarly, a team can be ambushed by a single silent player who, exploiting a moment of distraction within the squad, the confusion caused by one teammate’s death, and the resulting breakdown in communication, manages to eliminate them all—or even causes some of them to accidentally kill each other in the chaos. Without a doubt, starting to play EFT solo is much harder than playing with others , especially if in the team you have more experienced teammates who already know the maps, quests, and tactics. They can teach you and help you avoid making mistakes. However, many argue that playing in a team can also be counterproductive , as relying on more experienced players might prevent you from truly learning the game the way you would by playing solo. My advice? Do both. Play in a team to stay safer and to learn from others . To reduce chaos caused by poor communication and the resulting teamkillings, along with excessive noise and difficulties to track enemies, limit your group size to a duo or, at most, a trio. Then, try playing solo to develop self-reliance and to play with your preferred style and at your own pace , allowing you to explore and learn the maps thoroughly. In any case, it’s important to know that both solo and team play come with their own advantages and disadvantages, making both options well-balanced and equally viable . TIP : to find a team to play with you can join the official EFT Discord , some streamer's Discord channels or you can also check other resources such as the subreddit r/EFT_LFG . Next: USEC or BEAR? comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment.

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Learn the difference between PvP and PvE modes in Escape from Tarkov and which one should you choose. Get info about the difference and advantages of both. EFT Tutorial and Guide THE TARKOV CENTRAL News Tips & Tricks & Bugs Deep-Dives Game Features Resources Arena Community TTC Blog EFT Tutorial Intro EFT Tutorial A beginner guide to EFT Just a Few More Words Before We Begin! Choices What is Escape from Tarkov? Choose Your Own Path SCAV or PMC? PvP or PvE? Solo or Team? USEC or BEAR? Where Am I? Your First Objective: Extraction Spawn Points and Extraction Points Just follow the waypoint! Where Am I? Learn maps one at a time Which Map Should I Start With? Exploration Map Knowledge The First Step: Practice Mode Ready, set, go Exploration Trying Out Missions Loadout, Damage, Health The Right Gear Health & Injuries Food & Drinks Damage, Armor and Ammo Weapon Choice Basic Loadout Bring The Right Kit Weapons and Aim The Second Step: Knowing Your Weapons an Aiming and Weapon Control Experiments in Factory ADS and Point Fire Weight, Movement and Stances Weight Movement Stances Combat: AI The Third Step: Real Targets Tagged and Cursed Stay safe Caution, Patience, and a Cool Head Are V Never Give Up Listen Carefully If You Think You Heard Something, You Di Cautious, But Never Passive Peaker Advantage If You Decide to Stay Still, Don't Move! Fighting the AI Don’t Re-Peek! Granada! Don’t be afraid to run Loot Looting Types of Loot and Where to Find It Too much loot! Simultanous Actions Interrupting Actions Combat: PvP The Fourth Step: Time to Get Serious So Many Deaths Your First Raid Timing and Map Flow Your First Loot Your First Kills Primary Objective: Survive Wrapping it up Now It’s Your Turn Appendix How to Improve Further Find You Pace and Playstile Time Management Moneymaking When You Die, You Lose Everything Know Your Enemies PvP or PvE? In April 2024, Battlestate Games introduced a highly anticipated and requested feature for Escape from Tarkov: the PvE mode. While an unofficial mod created by EFT fans called Single Player Tarkov (or SPT) was already available, an official PvE mode had never been released before. PvE mode is included in the more expensive editions of EFT , specifically the controversial Unheard Edition and the older, highly regarded Edge of Darknes s (no longer available for purchase). For other editions, it is available as an expansion for $20 . The PvE mode allows players to play solo or in co-op mode with other players, using either their PMC or SCAV characters. Differences Between the Two Versions At the moment, the game is practically identical in both versions. PvE mode was introduced due to high demand from the community, without significant adaptations or changes compared to the PvP version, as the development team is focused on the final release of EFT in PvP mode. However, given the significant success of the PvE version, it's expected that it will be further developed in the future, with more adjustments to tailor EFT to the PvE experience. The main differences currently observed in PvE are: No Wipe: At the moment, PvE is the only mode in Escape from Tarkov that does not include "wipes", meaning the periodic reset of player profiles that erases all game progress except for achievements and a few other elements. While BSG has repeatedly mentioned the possibility that the final release of the game may include a no-wipe option for PvP as well, as long as the game remains in beta, there is no certainty that this will actually happen. Local Hosting = No Queues but Worse Performance When playing solo, raids are hosted on your machine instead of BSG servers, resulting in shorter wait times to enter a raid. However, this also leads to worse performance . PvE, being hosted locally on your computer, is more demanding in terms of hardware requirement s to run smoothly because EFT was originally designed to use remote servers that handle part of the workload. Keep this in mind when deciding to play the PvE version. This applies to all maps except Streets of Tarkov , which is too performance-intensive to be hosted locally. In co-op mode, joining a PvE raid with a team, all raids are hosted on BSG servers . A little secret. One notable aspect of local hosting is that if you ALT+F4 during a raid, you’ll return to your hideout when you log back in, with no consequences —everything resets to how it was before the raid began. While this is a kind of cheat, it’s a convenient feature if things go south, you forget to bring something in raid, or life unexpectedly calls—be it your boss, spouse, children, or pets. Just do it before you die or it will be too late. 100% chance to get back insured gear when playing solo: If you play solo and die, the raid ends immediately, leaving no time for AI to loot your items. This guarantees you’ll receive your insured gear back (the only exceptions are those in which insurance is not intended to work and in case a map is not hosted locally, like Streets of Tarkov). However, in PvE co-op with other players, the raid is hosted on BSG servers and continues as long as other players are alive. This means they or the AI could loot your gear, and you may not get it back through insurance. Increased AI presence: To compensate for the absence of other player antagonists on the map, more Scavs spawn, and the number of AI PMCs encountered is higher than the number of PMCs (other players) typically encountered in PvP. This is also due to the fact that players often avoid confrontation, while AI PMCs usually attack on sight. Increased loot availability : Since there are no other players collecting loot, it’s much easier to find items scattered across the map, especially high-value ones. Higher probability of encountering Bosses: Bosses seem to spawn with a higher probability, and since there are no other players to kill them, it’s easier to come across them. AI PMCs sometimes fight and manage to kill them, but this usually happens with solitary Bosses like Tagilla and Killa. It’s rare for AI PMCs to kill Bosses that have bodyguards. Difficulty completing quests requiring PMC kills in specific areas: Because AI typically roams only certain parts of the map, completing these quests can be challenging. Currently, it is often necessary to bait them into the correct areas. This mechanic is one that clearly needs improvement. No cheaters in raids: While there are still players who use exploits or cheats in PvE, their impact on others is limited to the in-game economy, as the Flea Market is the only point of interaction with other players. While there have been cases of duping and temporary prices fluctuations, in all honesty, I haven’t noticed any significantly negative effects. Why Play PvE? Although the true EFT experience —the toughest but also the most rewarding—is in the PvP version , PvE is still an excellent option, especially for players who are not yet veterans of EFT or have limited time to play. Local hosting for solo raids eliminates the need for matchmaking with other players and results in faster loading times , as everything is hosted directly on your machine. At the moment PvE is also the only EFT mode that doesn’t wipe , allowing players to get to the endgame at their own pace. Many PvP players started playing on PvE for this reason, after many wipes that caused them to lose everything and start from scratch the whole questline. In PvE, it’s also much easier to earn money and find rare and useful items for upgrading the hideout since AI enemies don’t loot containers or scattered items on the map. In PvP, you’re competing with other players, who often rush to high-loot areas, grab the best items, and extract as quickly as possible to avoid being killed. PvE as a tool to learn EFT and get to PvP PvE is still quite challenging, particularly for newcomers, but being significantly easier, it’s an excellent tool for learning EFT in preparation for PvP. The main reason is that battles against AI, while they may seem difficult at first, are much easier than those against other players (some of whom may have hundreds or even thousands of hours of gameplay experience). This allows players to learn at a lower difficulty level before stepping up to PvP once they're ready. PvE is great for learning combat because firefights are much more frequent . In PvP, many players adopt stealthy strategies and often avoid confronting others because they might be completing a quest or have found something valuable they want to bring home safely. It's quite common to play an entire raid and only kill a couple of Scavs, if anything. In PvE, however, AI enemies are much more easily encountered and are always aggressive. This provides much more combat practice (aim, shooting, recoil control, stress resistance, etc.), and while it is simplified because it's against AI, it’s still excellent training for beginners. Additionally, in PvE, it’s easier to explore maps because AI movements are more predictable, and their presence is usually limited to well-defined areas. This means the empty parts of the map allow for faster movement with less tension. Transitioning from PvE to PvP Once you’ve honed your skills, learned one or more maps, and achieved a high percentage of successful extractions in PvE, it might be time to transition to PvP to experience EFT in its most challenging yet rewarding version . However, keep in mind that in PvP, you’ll face real players, which means dealing with opponents who use much more complex and sophisticated strategies and tactics , taking advantage of all the possibilities the game offers. Examples include fast and unpredictable movements that AI enemies will never perform, unusual ambush spots, traps, using grenades to cover movements or avoid detection, and actions designed to disorient the opponent using game mechanics that AI cannot utilize. For these and other reasons, you’ll need to shed certain “bad habits” you might acquire while playing PvE, where it’s easier to rely on the predictability and limitations of AI. You must also be prepared for a greater level of frustration , which will be offset by an even bigger dose of dopamine and excitement when you successfully extract. My Thoughts I see a lot of people thinking or reacting as if you have to choose between playing either PvE or PvP. In reality, I play both and enjoy both . The emotions of PvP can't be replicated in PvE, but PvE is still fun, and I'm also using it as a way to improve in PvP. I explore maps more, get more combat opportunities, and complete more raids because I die far less often. And even if I do die, my gear always comes back with insurance. So less downtimes . Sure, AI enemies are repetitive and more predictable compared to PvP players, but you still have to hit your shots, move efficiently, react quickly, heal, reload, and perform all the actions you need in PvP. In short, it's good practice while also being good fun. Arena is great for practicing aim and pure combat. PvE can be a more well-rounded training experience. Notes This tutorial was designed for the PvP version of EFT but, with the necessary distinctions, also works for the PvE version. I’ve seen people asking whether playing in PvE mode has any downsides or negative effects on PvP mode. The two accounts are completely separate, and playing PvE does not affect PvP directly. The only drawback, as mentioned, is that you might develop bad habits due to the AI being easier and more predictable compared to real players. You’ll need to adapt your combat skills when transitioning to fights against real players. Next: Solo or Team? comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment.

Learn how to combat players and AI in Tarkov with our Escape from Tarkov Tutorial and Guide. How to fight real targets, strategies, and tips to master your sruvival skills! EFT Tutorial and Guide THE TARKOV CENTRAL News Tips & Tricks & Bugs Deep-Dives Game Features Resources Arena Community TTC Blog EFT Tutorial Intro EFT Tutorial A beginner guide to EFT Just a Few More Words Before We Begin! Choices What is Escape from Tarkov? Choose Your Own Path SCAV or PMC? PvP or PvE? Solo or Team? USEC or BEAR? Where Am I? Your First Objective: Extraction Spawn Points and Extraction Points Just follow the waypoint! Where Am I? Learn maps one at a time Which Map Should I Start With? Exploration Map Knowledge The First Step: Practice Mode Ready, set, go Exploration Trying Out Missions Loadout, Damage, Health The Right Gear Health & Injuries Food & Drinks Damage, Armor and Ammo Weapon Choice Basic Loadout Bring The Right Kit Weapons and Aim The Second Step: Knowing Your Weapons an Aiming and Weapon Control Experiments in Factory ADS and Point Fire Weight, Movement and Stances Weight Movement Stances Combat: AI The Third Step: Real Targets Tagged and Cursed Stay safe Caution, Patience, and a Cool Head Are V Never Give Up Listen Carefully If You Think You Heard Something, You Di Cautious, But Never Passive Peaker Advantage If You Decide to Stay Still, Don't Move! Fighting the AI Don’t Re-Peek! Granada! Don’t be afraid to run Loot Looting Types of Loot and Where to Find It Too much loot! Simultanous Actions Interrupting Actions Combat: PvP The Fourth Step: Time to Get Serious So Many Deaths Your First Raid Timing and Map Flow Your First Loot Your First Kills Primary Objective: Survive Wrapping it up Now It’s Your Turn Appendix How to Improve Further Find You Pace and Playstile Time Management Moneymaking When You Die, You Lose Everything Know Your Enemies The Third Step: Real Targets At this point you should have a basic knowledge of at least one map and tried out the weapons. It’s time to try fighting against AI enemies (while you keep exploring and learning the maps you chose to start with). Choose a basic loadout (see next section for some starting tips ), but don’t forget to select the Practice Mode . This way, even if you’re killed, you won’t lose anything, and any ammo you use won’t deplete your inventory, as it will reset to its pre-raid state. Initially, I recommend disabling the bosses . Bosses are a much tougher version of regular AI, with some possessing special abilities and armed guards protecting them. Trust me, initially they will probably seem impossible to beat. But you'll learn to deal with them. By disabling bosses, you’ll also avoid higher-level AI like Raiders and Rogues , facing only Scavs instead. To learn about the different types of enemies and their characteristics, click here for more about the enemies you’ll encounter in EFT . It’s a good idea to set AI difficulty to “easy” at first and gradually increase it as you become more comfortable with combat. Later, when you feel more confident, you can also increase the number of AI enemies to practice handling more intense situations. Next: Tagged and Cursed comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment.

Find out how to choose your basic loadout in Escape from Tarkov. Starting weapon, armor and ammo. Learn how to play with our comprehensive Escape from Tarkov tutorial and guide. EFT Tutorial and Guide THE TARKOV CENTRAL News Tips & Tricks & Bugs Deep-Dives Game Features Resources Arena Community TTC Blog EFT Tutorial Intro EFT Tutorial A beginner guide to EFT Just a Few More Words Before We Begin! Choices What is Escape from Tarkov? Choose Your Own Path SCAV or PMC? PvP or PvE? Solo or Team? USEC or BEAR? Where Am I? Your First Objective: Extraction Spawn Points and Extraction Points Just follow the waypoint! Where Am I? Learn maps one at a time Which Map Should I Start With? Exploration Map Knowledge The First Step: Practice Mode Ready, set, go Exploration Trying Out Missions Loadout, Damage, Health The Right Gear Health & Injuries Food & Drinks Damage, Armor and Ammo Weapon Choice Basic Loadout Bring The Right Kit Weapons and Aim The Second Step: Knowing Your Weapons an Aiming and Weapon Control Experiments in Factory ADS and Point Fire Weight, Movement and Stances Weight Movement Stances Combat: AI The Third Step: Real Targets Tagged and Cursed Stay safe Caution, Patience, and a Cool Head Are V Never Give Up Listen Carefully If You Think You Heard Something, You Di Cautious, But Never Passive Peaker Advantage If You Decide to Stay Still, Don't Move! Fighting the AI Don’t Re-Peek! Granada! Don’t be afraid to run Loot Looting Types of Loot and Where to Find It Too much loot! Simultanous Actions Interrupting Actions Combat: PvP The Fourth Step: Time to Get Serious So Many Deaths Your First Raid Timing and Map Flow Your First Loot Your First Kills Primary Objective: Survive Wrapping it up Now It’s Your Turn Appendix How to Improve Further Find You Pace and Playstile Time Management Moneymaking When You Die, You Lose Everything Know Your Enemies Basic Loadout When you’re level 1 and just starting to play EFT, the best thing to do is hop into Practice Mode and try out everything available in your stash. This way, you’ll learn the mechanics and also understand the differences and options you have. In the previous chapters, we discussed what you might need during a raid, but only experience and practice will help you figure out what you actually need, based on your playstyle and what you want to accomplish in each raid. Just remember that unexpected events are always around the corner . For example, you might decide not to bring food and water because you’re planning a short raid. However, if you’re forced to take a detour or wait because there are enemies nearby, your plans could change. Another tendency EFT has to completely alter your plans is making you find a rare or highly valuable item . A raid you planned to be quick and low-stakes—where you might have entered with minimal gear just to explore—can suddenly become a desperate fight for survival because you want to extract with that juicy loot. Bring Your Best Kit A common piece of advice for new players is to always enter raids with the best gear you have available (armor, weapons, and ammo). This maximizes your firepower and protection, giving you the best chances of surviving and successfully extracting. While the theory behind this advice is sound, I don’t think it’s always the best possible advice, especially for an inexperienced player. First of all, at the beginning, your resources are limited, so you need to save them. Second, at the start, survival isn’t determined so much by your gear as by your inexperience . In my opinion, it’s far more likely for a new player to die because of a mistake they make than because of a lack of gear like armor or weapons. Additionally, the higher the stakes, the greater the Gear Fear , which leads to more tension and nervousness. These emotions can cause hesitation due to the fear of being seen or heard, and in general, they increase the likelihood of making mistakes (If you want to learn tricks to reduce Gear Fear, tension, and nervousness, click on the link above). In my opinion, especially at the beginning, it’s better to find your own “comfort zone” based on what you have and can afford at any given time—something you’re willing to risk without too much fear of losing it. It’s also worth noting that even with the worst kit, it’s possible to take down enemies with far superior gear. That’s the beauty of Escape from Tarkov. So, "Bring your Best Kit"? Sure, but only once you have some experience, and even then, avoid falling into Gear Fear. Scav Kits I found out that a great way to accumulate experience in raid, gain knowledge and confidence, while also avoiding Gear Fear, is running Scav kits. They are free and easy to acquire : Have normal a Scav run trying to loot and survive. When you get back to your hideout, transfer the Scav kit to your PMC . Repair the weapon and armor. If it has no armor you can decide to buy a cheap one or go without. Add some consumabels in needed (healing, ammo, etc.). Hop in a raid. Same as point 1, but you do a Scav run specifically to retrieve the kit. Just enter a raid as a Scav and run to the nearest extract . Factory is the best map to do this because it's small with a lof of options for extract. Loot dead Scavs during your raids as a Scav or PMC. You clearly need to check for the weapon durability. If it's too low it doesn't make much sense to repair it. But even if it's bad it's still a free kit you're using to learn. Keep in mind that weapons can malfunction . Set the right keybinds for inspecting your weapon and fix it in case it happens by checking the article about Keybinds . Next: Bring The Right Kit comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment.

Learn how healing system works in Escape from Tarkov. Discover tips and tricks about health, meds and healing in Escape from Tarkov. EFT Tutorial and Guide THE TARKOV CENTRAL News Tips & Tricks & Bugs Deep-Dives Game Features Resources Arena Community TTC Blog EFT Tutorial Intro EFT Tutorial A beginner guide to EFT Just a Few More Words Before We Begin! Choices What is Escape from Tarkov? Choose Your Own Path SCAV or PMC? PvP or PvE? Solo or Team? USEC or BEAR? Where Am I? Your First Objective: Extraction Spawn Points and Extraction Points Just follow the waypoint! Where Am I? Learn maps one at a time Which Map Should I Start With? Exploration Map Knowledge The First Step: Practice Mode Ready, set, go Exploration Trying Out Missions Loadout, Damage, Health The Right Gear Health & Injuries Food & Drinks Damage, Armor and Ammo Weapon Choice Basic Loadout Bring The Right Kit Weapons and Aim The Second Step: Knowing Your Weapons an Aiming and Weapon Control Experiments in Factory ADS and Point Fire Weight, Movement and Stances Weight Movement Stances Combat: AI The Third Step: Real Targets Tagged and Cursed Stay safe Caution, Patience, and a Cool Head Are V Never Give Up Listen Carefully If You Think You Heard Something, You Di Cautious, But Never Passive Peaker Advantage If You Decide to Stay Still, Don't Move! Fighting the AI Don’t Re-Peek! Granada! Don’t be afraid to run Loot Looting Types of Loot and Where to Find It Too much loot! Simultanous Actions Interrupting Actions Combat: PvP The Fourth Step: Time to Get Serious So Many Deaths Your First Raid Timing and Map Flow Your First Loot Your First Kills Primary Objective: Survive Wrapping it up Now It’s Your Turn Appendix How to Improve Further Find You Pace and Playstile Time Management Moneymaking When You Die, You Lose Everything Know Your Enemies Health & Injuries To understand what you need during a raid, you must first grasp the Health and Damage system . Regarding Health, Healing, and Hitpoints, I recommend starting with the official video guide by BSG: Field Guide #2: Basics of medicine . Note: There is one thing missing in the Field Guide linked above. In a recent patch, the "Full Treatment" option has been added to the list you get when you hold the quickbar button your medkit is assigned to and you scroll the mouse wheel. This is now the faster option to heal multiple damaged parts of your body. Then, move on to the relevant section of the EFT Wiki: How to Play Guide for Escape from Tarkov . It’s also important to read the Health System Wiki page , where you’ll find details about body part-specific status effects, temporary status effects, and more. If you've already studied these topics, you'll understand that during a raid, you'll need the following medical items and provisions: Items to heal HP. Items to stop light bleeding. Items to stop heavy bleeding. Items to heal fractures. Items to perform surgeries on blacked-out (destroyed) limbs. Food & Drink items. To learn about all the healing items, check the dedicated EFT Wiki page: Medical . A Remedy for Multiple Conditions While reading the specs of medical items, you'll notice that some can address multiple conditions. For example, the Grizzly medical kit can heal HP, light bleeds, heavy bleeds, and fractures. However, you need to pay attention to the item's size and healing speed. For instance, treating a fracture with a Grizzly takes much longer than using an Immobilizing splint or an Aluminum splint . Additionally, the Grizzly is heavy and occupies four slots. Alternatively, bringing an AFAK , a CALOK-B , and an Aluminum splint lets you treat the same injuries (HP loss, heavy bleeds, and fractures) with three items occupying only one slot each and weighing less overall. Keep in mind that treating conditions like heavy bleeding, light bleeding, or fractures consumes a certain amount of "healing points" from medical kits. For instance, healing a heavy bleed that consumes 130 healing points isn’t a big deal with a Grizzly (which starts with 1800 points). However, using a Salewa first aid kit , which has only 400 points and requires 175 to stop heavy bleeding, means losing almost half of its capacity . In general, it’s better to carry dedicated items for specific injuries to conserve your med kits for healing HP and to save time. Destroyed (Blacked-Out) Limbs When you lose a leg, you’ll limp and won’t be able to run . Losing an arm will make it harder to keep your weapon stable while aiming, and it will take much more time to ADS . If your stomach is destroyed, your character will groan in pain , making it easy for enemies to locate you. Additionally, with a blacked out stomach, you will lose energy and hydratio n very fast. In short, it’s a critical condition that needs immediate attention. Carrying a surgical kit is essential. Painkillers and Pre-Med Painkillers are extremely useful items for quickly managing issues like fractures or blacked-out limbs. They are almost indispensable for raids. For instance, using painkillers allows you to sprint even if you have a fractured or blacked-out leg (although you’ll take slight damage to all other body parts with each step). If you get a fracture from an enemy’s bullet, you can use a painkiller, which will not only let you move normally but also keep you pain-free for a certain period (depending on the painkiller). This effect neutralizes any further fractures or sources of pain during its duration. Other important effects are that your character stops groaning (unless you sprint with a broken leg), and the screen blurring caused by the Pain effect disappears for the duration of the painkillers effect. An advanced technique worth learning early on is pre-medding : taking painkillers before or at the start of a fight to prevent potential issues from fractures or blacked-out limbs. Limping from a broken leg during a gunfight often means certain death due to extremely reduced mobility. By taking a painkiller “preemptively,” you can avoid this limitation entirely. For this reason, many players take painkillers before entering a hot zone where enemies are likely or right at the start of a fight to prepare for any eventuality. Some even stay under the constant effect of painkillers to be ready for anything at any moment. This is viable but expensive and also requires consuming food and water, as painkillers deplete hydration and energy faster. Next: Food & Drinks comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment.

Discover the ultimate beginner guide and tutorial to Escape from Tarkov. Learn essential tips and strategies in this EFT tutorial and guide for new players. EFT Tutorial and Guide THE TARKOV CENTRAL News Tips & Tricks & Bugs Deep-Dives Game Features Resources Arena Community TTC Blog EFT Tutorial Intro EFT Tutorial A beginner guide to EFT Just a Few More Words Before We Begin! Choices What is Escape from Tarkov? Choose Your Own Path SCAV or PMC? PvP or PvE? Solo or Team? USEC or BEAR? Where Am I? Your First Objective: Extraction Spawn Points and Extraction Points Just follow the waypoint! Where Am I? Learn maps one at a time Which Map Should I Start With? Exploration Map Knowledge The First Step: Practice Mode Ready, set, go Exploration Trying Out Missions Loadout, Damage, Health The Right Gear Health & Injuries Food & Drinks Damage, Armor and Ammo Weapon Choice Basic Loadout Bring The Right Kit Weapons and Aim The Second Step: Knowing Your Weapons an Aiming and Weapon Control Experiments in Factory ADS and Point Fire Weight, Movement and Stances Weight Movement Stances Combat: AI The Third Step: Real Targets Tagged and Cursed Stay safe Caution, Patience, and a Cool Head Are V Never Give Up Listen Carefully If You Think You Heard Something, You Di Cautious, But Never Passive Peaker Advantage If You Decide to Stay Still, Don't Move! Fighting the AI Don’t Re-Peek! Granada! Don’t be afraid to run Loot Looting Types of Loot and Where to Find It Too much loot! Simultanous Actions Interrupting Actions Combat: PvP The Fourth Step: Time to Get Serious So Many Deaths Your First Raid Timing and Map Flow Your First Loot Your First Kills Primary Objective: Survive Wrapping it up Now It’s Your Turn Appendix How to Improve Further Find You Pace and Playstile Time Management Moneymaking When You Die, You Lose Everything Know Your Enemies A beginner guide to Escape from Tarkov EFT is a hardcore game—pretty ruthless for newcomers , with a steep learning curve due to its difficulty and the wealth of information to absorb. There’s no in-game tutorial or guide , but fortunately, there are many online resources, including The Tarkov Central , that help you understand the game and gather essential data. It’s important to have the patience to study the basic information and grasp a few mechanics before diving into raids using the money, weapons, and gear you start with. Remember, in EFT, when you die, you lose everything you're carrying . It's true that you have your trusted Secure Container and the option to insure your gear , but insurance comes at a cost. Without a basic understanding of the game before your first raids, it's easy to quickly run out of both money and gear. Of course, there are ways to recover from a total loss, but this would make the early game even more challenging and frustrating. (If you've already lost everything before reading this tutorial, check out this article to learn what to do next ). Success in EFT isn’t just about being an experienced FPS player with good aim and shooting skills. It helps, of course, but it’s not enough. There’s a lot to learn—I still discover new details every day—and you’ll need to adapt to EFT’s unique dynamics. Next: Just a Few More Words comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment.

Learn movement in Tarkov with our Escape from Tarkov Tutorial and Guide. Discover strategies to master running in Tarkov. Visit now for expert tips! EFT Tutorial and Guide THE TARKOV CENTRAL News Tips & Tricks & Bugs Deep-Dives Game Features Resources Arena Community TTC Blog EFT Tutorial Intro EFT Tutorial A beginner guide to EFT Just a Few More Words Before We Begin! Choices What is Escape from Tarkov? Choose Your Own Path SCAV or PMC? PvP or PvE? Solo or Team? USEC or BEAR? Where Am I? Your First Objective: Extraction Spawn Points and Extraction Points Just follow the waypoint! Where Am I? Learn maps one at a time Which Map Should I Start With? Exploration Map Knowledge The First Step: Practice Mode Ready, set, go Exploration Trying Out Missions Loadout, Damage, Health The Right Gear Health & Injuries Food & Drinks Damage, Armor and Ammo Weapon Choice Basic Loadout Bring The Right Kit Weapons and Aim The Second Step: Knowing Your Weapons an Aiming and Weapon Control Experiments in Factory ADS and Point Fire Weight, Movement and Stances Weight Movement Stances Combat: AI The Third Step: Real Targets Tagged and Cursed Stay safe Caution, Patience, and a Cool Head Are V Never Give Up Listen Carefully If You Think You Heard Something, You Di Cautious, But Never Passive Peaker Advantage If You Decide to Stay Still, Don't Move! Fighting the AI Don’t Re-Peek! Granada! Don’t be afraid to run Loot Looting Types of Loot and Where to Find It Too much loot! Simultanous Actions Interrupting Actions Combat: PvP The Fourth Step: Time to Get Serious So Many Deaths Your First Raid Timing and Map Flow Your First Loot Your First Kills Primary Objective: Survive Wrapping it up Now It’s Your Turn Appendix How to Improve Further Find You Pace and Playstile Time Management Moneymaking When You Die, You Lose Everything Know Your Enemies Don’t be afraid to run Another fundamental rule: if an enemy spots you first and starts shooting (whether AI or player), your initial reaction should never be to turn toward the shots and try to fire back. Instead, your first move should be to sprint as fast as possible to the nearest cover . From there, you can decide whether to return fire, reposition, or retreat. If you stop, turn, and try to figure out where the shots are coming from—especially if you take the time to return fire—you’ll become a stationary and exposed target . The enemy spotted you first and already has you in their sights , so your best option is to break their line of sight and then execute an unexpected strategy to counter their advantage. Moreover, if you realize the situation is too risky, and you have an option to disengage and escape, there is no shame, do it! EFT is about survival, not an honorable duel where fleeing is shameful. Save your skin! Next: Looting comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment.

Learn techniques to aim and control weapons in Escape from Tarkov. Get better at aiming and shooting in Tarkov to fight your enemies and win! EFT Tutorial and Guide THE TARKOV CENTRAL News Tips & Tricks & Bugs Deep-Dives Game Features Resources Arena Community TTC Blog EFT Tutorial Intro EFT Tutorial A beginner guide to EFT Just a Few More Words Before We Begin! Choices What is Escape from Tarkov? Choose Your Own Path SCAV or PMC? PvP or PvE? Solo or Team? USEC or BEAR? Where Am I? Your First Objective: Extraction Spawn Points and Extraction Points Just follow the waypoint! Where Am I? Learn maps one at a time Which Map Should I Start With? Exploration Map Knowledge The First Step: Practice Mode Ready, set, go Exploration Trying Out Missions Loadout, Damage, Health The Right Gear Health & Injuries Food & Drinks Damage, Armor and Ammo Weapon Choice Basic Loadout Bring The Right Kit Weapons and Aim The Second Step: Knowing Your Weapons an Aiming and Weapon Control Experiments in Factory ADS and Point Fire Weight, Movement and Stances Weight Movement Stances Combat: AI The Third Step: Real Targets Tagged and Cursed Stay safe Caution, Patience, and a Cool Head Are V Never Give Up Listen Carefully If You Think You Heard Something, You Di Cautious, But Never Passive Peaker Advantage If You Decide to Stay Still, Don't Move! Fighting the AI Don’t Re-Peek! Granada! Don’t be afraid to run Loot Looting Types of Loot and Where to Find It Too much loot! Simultanous Actions Interrupting Actions Combat: PvP The Fourth Step: Time to Get Serious So Many Deaths Your First Raid Timing and Map Flow Your First Loot Your First Kills Primary Objective: Survive Wrapping it up Now It’s Your Turn Appendix How to Improve Further Find You Pace and Playstile Time Management Moneymaking When You Die, You Lose Everything Know Your Enemies Aiming and Weapon Control You’ll need to get familiar with the gunplay and weapon mechanics in EFT, which differ from other FPS games. I intend to make a more complete Gunplay Guide, but for now just know that unlike many games where bullets always hit the center of your screen, in EFT, bullets follow the actual direction of your weapon's barrel at any given moment. This means that every time your weapon sways due to movement, your aim will shift accordingly , requiring you to compensate with the mouse. Note: Your weapon has slight sway even when you’re stationary . When aiming down sights (ADS), you can hold your breath with the designated key. Remember, if you move, you’ll stop holding your breath, and once you’re stationary again, you’ll need to press the "Hold breath" key again. Check out the Keybinds Guide I prepared for you, to learn how to automatically hold your breath as soon as you enter ADS, without needing extra key presses. This is a crucial trick to master. Next: Experiments in Factory comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment.

Learn about extraction and spawn points in Tarkov with our EFT Tutorial and Guide. Discover tricks and tips about spawn points and extraction points for gaming success. EFT Tutorial and Guide THE TARKOV CENTRAL News Tips & Tricks & Bugs Deep-Dives Game Features Resources Arena Community TTC Blog EFT Tutorial Intro EFT Tutorial A beginner guide to EFT Just a Few More Words Before We Begin! Choices What is Escape from Tarkov? Choose Your Own Path SCAV or PMC? PvP or PvE? Solo or Team? USEC or BEAR? Where Am I? Your First Objective: Extraction Spawn Points and Extraction Points Just follow the waypoint! Where Am I? Learn maps one at a time Which Map Should I Start With? Exploration Map Knowledge The First Step: Practice Mode Ready, set, go Exploration Trying Out Missions Loadout, Damage, Health The Right Gear Health & Injuries Food & Drinks Damage, Armor and Ammo Weapon Choice Basic Loadout Bring The Right Kit Weapons and Aim The Second Step: Knowing Your Weapons an Aiming and Weapon Control Experiments in Factory ADS and Point Fire Weight, Movement and Stances Weight Movement Stances Combat: AI The Third Step: Real Targets Tagged and Cursed Stay safe Caution, Patience, and a Cool Head Are V Never Give Up Listen Carefully If You Think You Heard Something, You Di Cautious, But Never Passive Peaker Advantage If You Decide to Stay Still, Don't Move! Fighting the AI Don’t Re-Peek! Granada! Don’t be afraid to run Loot Looting Types of Loot and Where to Find It Too much loot! Simultanous Actions Interrupting Actions Combat: PvP The Fourth Step: Time to Get Serious So Many Deaths Your First Raid Timing and Map Flow Your First Loot Your First Kills Primary Objective: Survive Wrapping it up Now It’s Your Turn Appendix How to Improve Further Find You Pace and Playstile Time Management Moneymaking When You Die, You Lose Everything Know Your Enemies Spawn Points and Extraction Points Each map has specific entry (or spawn) points and designated extraction points . Depending on where you spawn, you’ll have access to only certain extraction points, usually located on the opposite side of the map from your spawn point (with a few exceptions). Another thing to know is that there are extract points that can be used only by PMCs , others that can be used only by Player Scavs , and others that can be used by both indistinctly . It’s also worth noting that some extraction points have specific requirements to be used. Some may require a key to open an access door, others need a switch to be activated, some require money to pay for the extraction, and others may need a flare to signal extration. With patch 0.16 BSG introduced also Hidden Extracts , that can be used by both PMCs and Scavs, but to activate them you need to find a piece of paper with a code (learn more in this article ). Lastly, there are co-op extracts , that require the presence of both a PMC and a Scav to be activated. This means you need to find a peaceful member of the opposing faction that wants to collaborate and extract together. The reward for both is extra Fence Rep (or Scav Karma) and some presents from Fence (you'll receive them in your mail). So, how do you find all these extract points? Next: Just follow the waypoint! comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment.

Discover how to improve in Escape from Tarkov with Practice Mode. Read our suggestions and get better without losing equipment and money. EFT Tutorial and Guide THE TARKOV CENTRAL News Tips & Tricks & Bugs Deep-Dives Game Features Resources Arena Community TTC Blog EFT Tutorial Intro EFT Tutorial A beginner guide to EFT Just a Few More Words Before We Begin! Choices What is Escape from Tarkov? Choose Your Own Path SCAV or PMC? PvP or PvE? Solo or Team? USEC or BEAR? Where Am I? Your First Objective: Extraction Spawn Points and Extraction Points Just follow the waypoint! Where Am I? Learn maps one at a time Which Map Should I Start With? Exploration Map Knowledge The First Step: Practice Mode Ready, set, go Exploration Trying Out Missions Loadout, Damage, Health The Right Gear Health & Injuries Food & Drinks Damage, Armor and Ammo Weapon Choice Basic Loadout Bring The Right Kit Weapons and Aim The Second Step: Knowing Your Weapons an Aiming and Weapon Control Experiments in Factory ADS and Point Fire Weight, Movement and Stances Weight Movement Stances Combat: AI The Third Step: Real Targets Tagged and Cursed Stay safe Caution, Patience, and a Cool Head Are V Never Give Up Listen Carefully If You Think You Heard Something, You Di Cautious, But Never Passive Peaker Advantage If You Decide to Stay Still, Don't Move! Fighting the AI Don’t Re-Peek! Granada! Don’t be afraid to run Loot Looting Types of Loot and Where to Find It Too much loot! Simultanous Actions Interrupting Actions Combat: PvP The Fourth Step: Time to Get Serious So Many Deaths Your First Raid Timing and Map Flow Your First Loot Your First Kills Primary Objective: Survive Wrapping it up Now It’s Your Turn Appendix How to Improve Further Find You Pace and Playstile Time Management Moneymaking When You Die, You Lose Everything Know Your Enemies The First Step: Practice Mode As mentioned in the introduction, Escape from Tarkov, unlike other games, doesn’t have a tutorial mode or beginner missions to guide players through the learning phase . From your very first raid, you’ll face the brutal (virtual) reality of Tarkov, which will relentlessly try to take you down. And it will. And you’ll risk losing all your gear and money before you even have the chance to gain more. That’s why I strongly suggest that you start by training in Practice Mode . Practice Mode allows you to run test raids where, even if you die, you won’t lose any of the gear you bring with you. Additionally, any ammunition, medical supplies, or other consumables you use will be restored once you exit the Practice Mode raid. In essence, once you leave the raid, your character resets to its pre-raid condition , as if nothing had happened. Similarly, any experience gained, missions completed, or loot gathered won’t be saved or recorded in Practice Mode. While this might seem like a waste of time, losing all your starting gear would cost you far more time to recover from the setback. Next: Ready, set, go! comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment.

Dying is normal in Escape from Tarkov, but you can improve and get better with some simple suggestions. Read our articles, guide and tutorial to know more! EFT Tutorial and Guide THE TARKOV CENTRAL News Tips & Tricks & Bugs Deep-Dives Game Features Resources Arena Community TTC Blog EFT Tutorial Intro EFT Tutorial A beginner guide to EFT Just a Few More Words Before We Begin! Choices What is Escape from Tarkov? Choose Your Own Path SCAV or PMC? PvP or PvE? Solo or Team? USEC or BEAR? Where Am I? Your First Objective: Extraction Spawn Points and Extraction Points Just follow the waypoint! Where Am I? Learn maps one at a time Which Map Should I Start With? Exploration Map Knowledge The First Step: Practice Mode Ready, set, go Exploration Trying Out Missions Loadout, Damage, Health The Right Gear Health & Injuries Food & Drinks Damage, Armor and Ammo Weapon Choice Basic Loadout Bring The Right Kit Weapons and Aim The Second Step: Knowing Your Weapons an Aiming and Weapon Control Experiments in Factory ADS and Point Fire Weight, Movement and Stances Weight Movement Stances Combat: AI The Third Step: Real Targets Tagged and Cursed Stay safe Caution, Patience, and a Cool Head Are V Never Give Up Listen Carefully If You Think You Heard Something, You Di Cautious, But Never Passive Peaker Advantage If You Decide to Stay Still, Don't Move! Fighting the AI Don’t Re-Peek! Granada! Don’t be afraid to run Loot Looting Types of Loot and Where to Find It Too much loot! Simultanous Actions Interrupting Actions Combat: PvP The Fourth Step: Time to Get Serious So Many Deaths Your First Raid Timing and Map Flow Your First Loot Your First Kills Primary Objective: Survive Wrapping it up Now It’s Your Turn Appendix How to Improve Further Find You Pace and Playstile Time Management Moneymaking When You Die, You Lose Everything Know Your Enemies So Many Deaths In EFT, you must turn every mistake and every death into a lesson . Sure, there are cheaters, and there’s little you can do against them. But don’t assume that every “weird” death is due to cheats. Most of the time, when you lose a fight, it’s because of your own mistakes , and if you want to improve, you need to accept it and understand what went wrong. You’ll die a lot. You have to accept this too. Often, you won’t even know where the shot came from or how they knew your position. It’s normal to die frequently, and it’s normal for some deaths to feel impossible to survive. But with experience, you’ll start to understand and learn the “tricks of the trade”. Don’t give up —what seems impossible now will become achievable, and you’ll eventually pull off feats you once thought were beyond your reach . One great way to improve is to record your raids or enable the feature to save the last few minutes of gameplay (using Nvidia App or other AMD or third-party apps like Outplayed). Review the fight and analyze what went wrong and how you could have done better. You need to build some sort of mental maps , so that the next time you find yourself in that situation, you will react swiftly and (hopefully) in the right way . Next: Your First Raid comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment.

Discover essential Escape from Tarkov strategies in our comprehensive tutorial and guide. Learn to combat in PvP effectively with expert tips and insights. EFT Tutorial and Guide THE TARKOV CENTRAL News Tips & Tricks & Bugs Deep-Dives Game Features Resources Arena Community TTC Blog EFT Tutorial Intro EFT Tutorial A beginner guide to EFT Just a Few More Words Before We Begin! Choices What is Escape from Tarkov? Choose Your Own Path SCAV or PMC? PvP or PvE? Solo or Team? USEC or BEAR? Where Am I? Your First Objective: Extraction Spawn Points and Extraction Points Just follow the waypoint! Where Am I? Learn maps one at a time Which Map Should I Start With? Exploration Map Knowledge The First Step: Practice Mode Ready, set, go Exploration Trying Out Missions Loadout, Damage, Health The Right Gear Health & Injuries Food & Drinks Damage, Armor and Ammo Weapon Choice Basic Loadout Bring The Right Kit Weapons and Aim The Second Step: Knowing Your Weapons an Aiming and Weapon Control Experiments in Factory ADS and Point Fire Weight, Movement and Stances Weight Movement Stances Combat: AI The Third Step: Real Targets Tagged and Cursed Stay safe Caution, Patience, and a Cool Head Are V Never Give Up Listen Carefully If You Think You Heard Something, You Di Cautious, But Never Passive Peaker Advantage If You Decide to Stay Still, Don't Move! Fighting the AI Don’t Re-Peek! Granada! Don’t be afraid to run Loot Looting Types of Loot and Where to Find It Too much loot! Simultanous Actions Interrupting Actions Combat: PvP The Fourth Step: Time to Get Serious So Many Deaths Your First Raid Timing and Map Flow Your First Loot Your First Kills Primary Objective: Survive Wrapping it up Now It’s Your Turn Appendix How to Improve Further Find You Pace and Playstile Time Management Moneymaking When You Die, You Lose Everything Know Your Enemies The Fourth Step:Time to Get Serious Once you’re able to fight AI at the “as online” difficulty—meaning you can usually take them down without getting hurt much —and can reach extraction points (even if it’s with the help of an external map), it’s time to embark on your first true raid and start your Tarkov adventure. If you’ve followed my advice, you’ve studied Ground Zero and are reasonably familiar with it. You may have even tried one or all of the missions in Practice Mode, so you know where to go and what to do. The “real” experience will feel similar to Practice Mode, except for two pretty big differences: the added presence of other players (PvP) and the potential presence of tougher AI foes (Raiders, Rogues, Cultists) and Bosses . Note: In Ground Zero, the level 1-20 version contains no Bosses or AI tougher than Scavs. You’ll encounter only Scavs and other players. If you haven't done it yet, read the guide on enemies you’ll encounter in EFT to learn more . The presence of other players makes everything riskier and more challenging. In EFT, there’s no matchmaking based on player level or experience . So, you’ll find both newcomers and players with hundreds or thousands of hours of experience on the same map. Unlike AI, players employ a broader variety of tactics and playstyles , making their movements and behavior much more unpredictable . Experienced players, in addition to knowing the map and combat strategies well, also know tricks that can confuse , disorient , or pressure you into making mistakes. But to learn how to defend yourself or attack in PvP, there’s no substitute for playing online . Apply what you've learned by practicing against AI and build your experience and tactics on that foundation. I will add info, guides and articles in TTC to help you in this process , hoping to give you the right advices and cues to develop your own strategies and combat skills. Next: So many deaths comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment.

Index of the EFT Tutorial in The Tarkov Central. See all sections and topics of our Escape from Tarkov Tutorial and Guide. EFT Tutorial and Guide THE TARKOV CENTRAL News Tips & Tricks & Bugs Deep-Dives Game Features Resources Arena Community TTC Blog EFT Tutorial Intro EFT Tutorial A beginner guide to EFT Just a Few More Words Before We Begin! Choices What is Escape from Tarkov? Choose Your Own Path SCAV or PMC? PvP or PvE? Solo or Team? USEC or BEAR? Where Am I? Your First Objective: Extraction Spawn Points and Extraction Points Just follow the waypoint! Where Am I? Learn maps one at a time Which Map Should I Start With? Exploration Map Knowledge The First Step: Practice Mode Ready, set, go Exploration Trying Out Missions Loadout, Damage, Health The Right Gear Health & Injuries Food & Drinks Damage, Armor and Ammo Weapon Choice Basic Loadout Bring The Right Kit Weapons and Aim The Second Step: Knowing Your Weapons an Aiming and Weapon Control Experiments in Factory ADS and Point Fire Weight, Movement and Stances Weight Movement Stances Combat: AI The Third Step: Real Targets Tagged and Cursed Stay safe Caution, Patience, and a Cool Head Are V Never Give Up Listen Carefully If You Think You Heard Something, You Di Cautious, But Never Passive Peaker Advantage If You Decide to Stay Still, Don't Move! Fighting the AI Don’t Re-Peek! Granada! Don’t be afraid to run Loot Looting Types of Loot and Where to Find It Too much loot! Simultanous Actions Interrupting Actions Combat: PvP The Fourth Step: Time to Get Serious So Many Deaths Your First Raid Timing and Map Flow Your First Loot Your First Kills Primary Objective: Survive Wrapping it up Now It’s Your Turn Appendix How to Improve Further Find You Pace and Playstile Time Management Moneymaking When You Die, You Lose Everything Know Your Enemies EFT Tutorial Index Intro EFT Tutorial A beginner guide to EFT Just a Few More Words Before We Begin Choices What is Escape from Tarkov? Choose Your Own Path SCAV or PMC? PvP or PvE? Solo or Team? USEC or BEAR? Where Am I? Your First Objective: Extraction Spawn Points and Extraction Points Just follow the waypoint! Where Am I? Learn maps one at a time Which Map Should I Start With? Exploration Map Knowledge The First Step: Practice Mode Ready, set, go Exploration Trying Out Missions Loadout, Damage, Health The Right Gear Health & Injuries Food & Drinks Damage, Armor and Ammo Weapon Choice Basic Loadout Bring The Right Kit Weapons and Aim The Second Step: Knowing Your Weapon Aiming and Weapon Control Experiments in Factory ADS and Point Fire Weight, Movement, and Stances Weight Movement Stances Combat: AI The Third Step: Real Targets Tagged and Cursed Stay Safe Caution, Patience, and a Cool Head Never Give Up Listen Carefully If You Think You Heard Something, You Probably Did Cautious, But Never Passive Peaker Advantage If You Decide to Stay Still, Stay Completely Still Fighting the AI Don't Re-Peek! Granada! Don't Be Afraid to Run Loot Looting Types of Loot and Where to Find It Too Much Loot! Simultaneous Actions Interrupting Actions Combat: PvP The Fourth Step: Time to Get Serious So Many Deaths Your First Raid Timing and Map Flow Your First Loot Your First Kills Primary Objective: Survive Wrapping It Up Now It's Your Turn Appendix How to Improve Further Find Your Pace and Playstyle Time Management Moneymaking When You Die, You Lose Everything Know Your Enemies Next: Know Your Enemies comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment.

Discover the best tips and tricks for Tarkov! Explore our latest tips and tricks for Escape from Tarkov to enhance your survival rate and get better at fighting and surviving. Tips & Tricks THE TARKOV CENTRAL News Sections Home News Tips & Tricks & Bugs Game Features Resources Deep-Dives Community Arena TTC Blog EFT Tutorial EFT Tutorial Latest Tips & Tricks & Bugs 1 2 3

Subscribe to The Tarkov Central or Donate to Support Us! Thanks! Subscribe or Donate THE TARKOV CENTRAL News Tips & Tricks & Bugs Deep-Dives Game Features Resources Arena Community TTC Blog EFT Tutorial Support TTC At The Tarkov Central, we’re all about giving you the best possible experience—no ads, no distractions, just pure Escape From Tarkov content. But let’s be real—our passion for the game and delivering the latest news, info, and discussions doesn’t exactly pay the bills. If you appreciate what we’re doing, find it useful, and want to help keep this place running smoothly, please share our website with your EFT fan friends and consider throwing a few bucks our way. Even a small donation makes a big difference and helps us keep bringing you the EFT content you love—without the hassle of annoying ads. Thanks for being part of our community! We truly appreciate any support you can give. Buy Me a Coffee is a simple, hassle-free way to tip and support your favorite content creators. No account or sign-up is required to donate.

Learn about stances in Tarkov with our Escape from Tarkov Tutorial and Guide. Discover strategies and tips to master stances in Tarkov for better gameplay. EFT Tutorial and Guide THE TARKOV CENTRAL News Tips & Tricks & Bugs Deep-Dives Game Features Resources Arena Community TTC Blog EFT Tutorial Intro EFT Tutorial A beginner guide to EFT Just a Few More Words Before We Begin! Choices What is Escape from Tarkov? Choose Your Own Path SCAV or PMC? PvP or PvE? Solo or Team? USEC or BEAR? Where Am I? Your First Objective: Extraction Spawn Points and Extraction Points Just follow the waypoint! Where Am I? Learn maps one at a time Which Map Should I Start With? Exploration Map Knowledge The First Step: Practice Mode Ready, set, go Exploration Trying Out Missions Loadout, Damage, Health The Right Gear Health & Injuries Food & Drinks Damage, Armor and Ammo Weapon Choice Basic Loadout Bring The Right Kit Weapons and Aim The Second Step: Knowing Your Weapons an Aiming and Weapon Control Experiments in Factory ADS and Point Fire Weight, Movement and Stances Weight Movement Stances Combat: AI The Third Step: Real Targets Tagged and Cursed Stay safe Caution, Patience, and a Cool Head Are V Never Give Up Listen Carefully If You Think You Heard Something, You Di Cautious, But Never Passive Peaker Advantage If You Decide to Stay Still, Don't Move! Fighting the AI Don’t Re-Peek! Granada! Don’t be afraid to run Loot Looting Types of Loot and Where to Find It Too much loot! Simultanous Actions Interrupting Actions Combat: PvP The Fourth Step: Time to Get Serious So Many Deaths Your First Raid Timing and Map Flow Your First Loot Your First Kills Primary Objective: Survive Wrapping it up Now It’s Your Turn Appendix How to Improve Further Find You Pace and Playstile Time Management Moneymaking When You Die, You Lose Everything Know Your Enemies Stances Your stance, weight and movement speed determine how much noise you make. Stance also affects factors like weapon recoil and arm fatigue when aiming down sights (ADS). It also affects the rate of stamina regen and consumption for both arms and legs. You can assume three stances: standing , crouching , and prone . Standing It's the stance that lets you move faster, but also making the most nois e When aiming down sights it consumes the most arm stamina It causes the highest recoil both in ADS and point fire It's also the stance that needs the most time to recover both the arms and the legs stamina You can sprint from the standing stance You can gradually crouch by holding the crouch key (default C) and scrolling the mouse wheel Crouching When crouching, you can adjust your height gradually by holding the crouch key (default is C) and scrolling the mouse wheel It's a position that consumes intermediate amount of arm stamina between standing and prone when aiming down sights It provides better recovery than standing for both arms and legs stamina It provides much better recoil control than standing, but worse than prone The quietest way to move is by crouching at the lowest height and at the lowest speed It's more quiet than prone , but when moving while crouched you consume stamina Prone The prone position provides the best recoil control It causes the least arm fatigue (sensibly less than the other 2 stances, huge difference) It provides the best arms and legs stamina regeneration It restricts movement significantly You're very slow and if you move with WASD while shooting you'll stop shooting, so be careful what you do. You can only lean left and right while shooting. Also, getting up takes some time—this can be a serious disadvantage if you need to escape from a grenade, for example. Stamina regen and consumption table This table provides rough, approximate measurements in seconds for stamina regeneration and consumption times across the three stances. These values are purely indicative, intended to highlight the differences among the three stances, rather than provide precise or definitive data, as they vary depending on skill progression and the use of stims Stance change You can get up from prone or crouch position to standing by pressing the jump button. If you're crouching and start sprinting (SHIFT+W) the character will automatically stand up and start running Changing stances from crouched to standing consumes legs stamina Changing stances from prone to standing consumes both legs and arms stamina Changing stances from prone to crouching consumes both legs and arms stamina, but less than standing up BUG: Be aware that there are some bugs causing some sounds to not be influenced by movement speed . For example, the noise made by vegetation when you touch or pass through it can result to be louder (louder than it sounds to you) and audible from a greater distance than it should, even if you're moving as slowly as possible. Also, be careful when you’re hiding in a bush or touching tree branches , the contact with foliage and/or branches may continue to cause rustling sounds even when you’re stationary, potentially revealing your position to enemies. Next: The Third Step: Real Targets comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment.

Explore our Escape from Tarkov Tutorial and Guide for in-depth insights on Damage, Armor, and Ammo. Master EFT mechanics with our detailed guide now! EFT Tutorial and Guide THE TARKOV CENTRAL News Tips & Tricks & Bugs Deep-Dives Game Features Resources Arena Community TTC Blog EFT Tutorial Intro EFT Tutorial A beginner guide to EFT Just a Few More Words Before We Begin! Choices What is Escape from Tarkov? Choose Your Own Path SCAV or PMC? PvP or PvE? Solo or Team? USEC or BEAR? Where Am I? Your First Objective: Extraction Spawn Points and Extraction Points Just follow the waypoint! Where Am I? Learn maps one at a time Which Map Should I Start With? Exploration Map Knowledge The First Step: Practice Mode Ready, set, go Exploration Trying Out Missions Loadout, Damage, Health The Right Gear Health & Injuries Food & Drinks Damage, Armor and Ammo Weapon Choice Basic Loadout Bring The Right Kit Weapons and Aim The Second Step: Knowing Your Weapons an Aiming and Weapon Control Experiments in Factory ADS and Point Fire Weight, Movement and Stances Weight Movement Stances Combat: AI The Third Step: Real Targets Tagged and Cursed Stay safe Caution, Patience, and a Cool Head Are V Never Give Up Listen Carefully If You Think You Heard Something, You Di Cautious, But Never Passive Peaker Advantage If You Decide to Stay Still, Don't Move! Fighting the AI Don’t Re-Peek! Granada! Don’t be afraid to run Loot Looting Types of Loot and Where to Find It Too much loot! Simultanous Actions Interrupting Actions Combat: PvP The Fourth Step: Time to Get Serious So Many Deaths Your First Raid Timing and Map Flow Your First Loot Your First Kills Primary Objective: Survive Wrapping it up Now It’s Your Turn Appendix How to Improve Further Find You Pace and Playstile Time Management Moneymaking When You Die, You Lose Everything Know Your Enemies Damage, Armor and Ammo Like the Health and Healing system, the Damage system in Escape from Tarkov is also very complex . In addition to having seven different body zones that can take damage, there are factors influenced by armor and the ballistics of weapons and ammunition. We can't cover everything in this section, as it would require an entire manual . For now, as a beginner, you just need to understand the fundamentals, starting with the fact that the entire system aims to simulate what happens in real life. Ballistics also is complicated, and I’ve explored it in detail in this article: We are not shooting laser weapons: EFT ballistics explained . Mechanics When a bullet hits a part of your body protected by armor, the penetration value of the bullet is compared to the level of the armor. This is a complex topic, but for now, you just need to know that every ten points of penetration roughly correspond to one armor level. For example: A bullet with 10 penetration will easily penetrate level 1 armor. A bullet with 20 penetration will handle level 2 armor, and so on. Conversely, a bullet with 10 penetration will struggle to penetrate level 2 armor and may require multiple hits. Each shot will damage the armor , gradually reducing its effectiveness and increasing the likelihood of penetration over time. If the bullet fails to penetrate, it will still deal blunt damage to the body part covered by the armor, in addition to damaging the armor itself. Currently, armors in EFT can have up to two layers : Plate armor, which can be replaced. An integral layer, which is part of the armor and cannot be changed (but it can be repaired). It is usually lower level than the first layer. When there are two layers, the bullet must pass through both to hit the body. If the first layer stops the bullet, the second layer may absorb all the blunt damage. Or, if the first layer doesn't stop the bullet, it may slow down the bullet and reduce its penetration power enough so that the second one will manage to stop it. Choosing Ammo Now it should be clearer the importance of using good, high-penetration ammunition. It’s often said in EFT that ammo is more important than the weapon —and it’s true. Any experienced EFT player will always prefer a cheap gun with high-quality bullets over an amazing weapon with useless ammo. In EFT, there’s a wide selection of ammunition types for each caliber. The most sought-after, rare, and expensive rounds are those with the highest penetration values . Low-penetration ammo isn’t entirely useless, though. Many body parts are unprotected—legs, for instance, are always exposed because there is currently no leg armor in the game. Arms too. Those limbs can be blacked-out by one or 2 shots and if you keep hitting them the damage wil be distributed to all other healthy limbs. Some weapons, such as pistols and SMGs, do not have access to high-penetration ammo. These weapons typically excel in other areas. SMGs, for instance, benefit from a high rate of fire , while pistols are compact and easy to handle . IMPORTANT: Be careful when loading ammo into your magazines. Some magazines are compatible with multiple types of ammunition. For example, magazines for 7.62x39mm rounds can also fit .300 Blackout rounds. You don’t want to load into a raid only to realize you’ve used the wrong ammo and can’t fire your weapon! Choosing Armor Armor selection shouldn’t be based solely on its protection level. While higher protection is better, it often comes with drawbacks: Increased weight. Reduced mobility. Higher cost or rarity. At the beginning, your choices will be limited to what’s available in your stash, what you find during raids, and what little traders will sell to you. Later on, with access to the Flea Market and by unlocking new items from traders, you can create preferred loadouts depending on the missions or tasks you aim to complete during a raid. A good benchmark is consistently wearing level 4 armor. At this stage, you’ll be well protected against Scavs, who typically use low-penetration ammo. Against players, however, there will be a fair number with ammo that exceeds 40 penetration points, but not everyone will have it . This also depends on the point in the wipe cycle . At the end of a wipe, many players have high-penetration ammo and armor above level 4 . Likewise, ammo with penetration around or above 40 is considered high-quality , worth collecting if found during a raid, and should be used sparingly. Keep in mind that ammo with penetration above 42 cannot be purchased from the Flea Market . It can be bought from some traders for specific calibers, but only after completing certain quests. Alternatively, it can be crafted in your Hideout—but only after unlocking the required crafts through quests. Next: Weapon Choice comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment.

Read Terms & Condition of The Tarkov Central website. Terms & Conditions THE TARKOV CENTRAL News Tips & Tricks & Bugs Deep-Dives Game Features Resources Arena Community TTC Blog EFT Tutorial Terms of Use 1. Introduction Welcome to our website dedicated to news and guides about Escape from Tarkov. By using this website, you agree to these Terms of Use. If you disagree with any part of these terms, please refrain from using the site. 2. Ownership of Content All content published on the site, including articles, guides, images, and logos, is protected by copyright. Copying, distributing, modifying, or using the content without explicit permission is prohibited. 3. Website Use Users must use the site in a lawful and respectful manner. It is prohibited to: Post offensive, defamatory, or hate speech comments. Perform hacking activities or any other actions that could compromise the website. We reserve the right to remove non-compliant content and suspend access for users who violate the Terms. 4. Responsibility While we strive to ensure the accuracy and timeliness of the content, we cannot guarantee it will always be error-free or up-to-date. Use of the content is at your own risk. 5. Newsletter Users subscribing to our newsletter provide their email address voluntarily. The emails collected will be used solely to send updates and communications related to the site. We will not share emails with third parties or use them for advertising purposes. 6. Login and User Credentials If a login system becomes available in the future, users will be responsible for protecting their credentials. It is prohibited to: Share credentials with third parties. Use another user’s account without authorization. We reserve the right to suspend accounts in case of Terms violations. 7. Changes to Terms We reserve the right to update these Terms of Use at any time. Any changes will be communicated visibly on the site. 8. Cookies The site uses cookies to improve the browsing experience. For further details, please refer to the Privacy Policy. 9. Disclaimer on Escape from Tarkov This website is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by Battlestate Games. All trademarks, logos, and images belong to their respective owners. 10. Contact For questions or reports regarding the Terms of Use, you can contact us at: [your-email@example.com ] . Thank you for visiting our website and enjoy Escape from Tarkov!

Learn to optimize time in Tarkov. Time management to get the best results. Learn how in our Escape from Tarkov Tutorial and Guide. EFT Tutorial and Guide THE TARKOV CENTRAL News Tips & Tricks & Bugs Deep-Dives Game Features Resources Arena Community TTC Blog EFT Tutorial Intro EFT Tutorial A beginner guide to EFT Just a Few More Words Before We Begin! Choices What is Escape from Tarkov? Choose Your Own Path SCAV or PMC? PvP or PvE? Solo or Team? USEC or BEAR? Where Am I? Your First Objective: Extraction Spawn Points and Extraction Points Just follow the waypoint! Where Am I? Learn maps one at a time Which Map Should I Start With? Exploration Map Knowledge The First Step: Practice Mode Ready, set, go Exploration Trying Out Missions Loadout, Damage, Health The Right Gear Health & Injuries Food & Drinks Damage, Armor and Ammo Weapon Choice Basic Loadout Bring The Right Kit Weapons and Aim The Second Step: Knowing Your Weapons an Aiming and Weapon Control Experiments in Factory ADS and Point Fire Weight, Movement and Stances Weight Movement Stances Combat: AI The Third Step: Real Targets Tagged and Cursed Stay safe Caution, Patience, and a Cool Head Are V Never Give Up Listen Carefully If You Think You Heard Something, You Di Cautious, But Never Passive Peaker Advantage If You Decide to Stay Still, Don't Move! Fighting the AI Don’t Re-Peek! Granada! Don’t be afraid to run Loot Looting Types of Loot and Where to Find It Too much loot! Simultanous Actions Interrupting Actions Combat: PvP The Fourth Step: Time to Get Serious So Many Deaths Your First Raid Timing and Map Flow Your First Loot Your First Kills Primary Objective: Survive Wrapping it up Now It’s Your Turn Appendix How to Improve Further Find You Pace and Playstile Time Management Moneymaking When You Die, You Lose Everything Know Your Enemies Time Management Unfortunately, time is a scarce resource, and we must learn to make the best choices to optimize it. Escape from Tarkov is a complex game, full of activities that can consume too much of your time. You need to limit and manage them according to your in-game goals. Since we are talking about learning to play EFT from scratch, here are some tips: Balance the time spent in the Hideout Sorting out items in your stash, selling, buying, reselling, and repairing can take up a lot of time. Try to complete these tasks quickly so you can return to raiding. Don’t spend too much time on weapon modding either—study and learn it, but don’t overdo it. Minimize downtime by using simple and consistent kits Unfortunately, you will die often in EFT, and preparing for the next raid can take a long time if you’re not well-organized and clear about what you need. Try to memorize a standard loadout that you can assemble quickly, knowing exactly where to find everything you need. It may not seem like much, but when you add up all the time lost, you’ll realize you’re wasting a huge amount of time that could have been spent practicing in raids and accelerating your learning process. Use Scav Kits Either have a quick Scav run, extract as soon as possible and then pass the Scav gear to your PMC. Repair the weapon and armor (if not present buy a cheap one), add the needed consumables (healing, ammo, etc.) and hop in a raid. You are learning, so the most important thing is to gain experience in raids with your PMC At first, players worry too much about money and accumulating wealth. Making money isn’t difficult, but you need to learn how to survive until extraction. Using the Scav to loot and resell items is a great way to boost your finances, but don’t overdo it. You learn more by playing your PMC. Experience will make you better, allowing you to extract safely more often and, consequently, earn more money. If you don’t gain raid experience, you will always struggle to make money (and will keep losing it by dying). Moreover, you won’t earn experience points, level up your PMC, build trader reputation by completing quests, or improve skills that make your PMC stronger, faster, and more resilient. Save time in every possible way Find shortcuts and ways to be more efficient. For example, if you see that selling an item to a trader gives you only slightly less money than selling it on the Flea Market, sell it to the trader. You’ll save a lot of time. Similarly, if you need to mod a weapon, don’t waste time searching for parts in your stash. Instead, use the "Modding" option from the menu that appears when you right-click on your weapon. This will allow you to select attachments from the various menus, showing only the mods you have in your stash (the weapon must be in the stash, not equipped on your PMC, and you need to have Workbench Level 1 in your Hideout). Next: Moneymaking comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment.

Read the latest news about Escape from Tarkov community. Trends, reactions, fun stuff from the EFT community. EFT Community THE TARKOV CENTRAL News Tips & Tricks & Bugs Deep-Dives Game Features Resources Arena Community TTC Blog EFT Tutorial Latest Articles on the EFT Community 1 2