How to Play Guide for Escape from Tarkov

This page covers the basics of combat and survival in Escape from Tarkov.

Beta Warning

 * Escape from Tarkov is presently in Beta state of development. Features will be added and removed, and the current state of the game is not representative of the final product. Battlestate Games, the developer of Escape from Tarkov, periodically wipes all progress when a major patch is set to launch. Major patches tend to be 4-6 months apart, but can happen sooner. (You will lose all of your items, weapons, gear, skills, and have to re-do all the quests when a 'Wipe' hits. This might change when the game is fully released)
 * Many of the systems in the game are not yet finished and are in a placeholder state, so things may break or simply not function as intended.

Basics

 * Escape from Tarkov aims to emulate the modern combat experience in the vein of ARMA. It boasts an accurate ballistic model, an in-depth health system, and an outstanding weapon modification system with few parallels in modern gaming. Escape from Tarkov's full body awareness and movement systems similarly match that of ARMA's, with features such as leaning, adjustable posture and movement speed, and a far slower pace of combat tied to the shoot and scoot mindset.
 * The weapon modification system is a primary cornerstone of Escape From Tarkov, and allows for near complete customization of every firearm you're likely to come across. This depth of weapon customization enables the user to swap out everything from the barrel of the gun to being able to place multiple optics on the same weapon.
 * The in-game economy is similarly unique, and relies heavily upon looting and scavenging from the surroundings. You must successfully extract to be able to keep what you've found. It requires a keen eye and a quick wit to know when to get out, or when to risk gambling what you've got for that extra bit of loot.
 * Situational awareness is key to being successful in all aspects of Escape From Tarkov. Be it in spotting a wayward bit of rare loot, or realizing that that far-off bush is actually a player in disguise. As there are no HUD indicators of friends or foes, keeping a constant awareness of your surroundings is mandatory. Whilst your vision is a vital factor in identifying targets, sound will be your greatest enemy, and ally. Especially given the brutal nature of combat.

Movement
Movement in Escape From Tarkov is more than simply sprinting or walking. It is handled differently than most other first person shooters, with the movement model trying to mimic the actual performance of a soldier encumbered with gear and weapons. It allows you to move at varying speeds, from a snail's pace which generates the least amount of audible noise, to a normal walking pace.

The way you move through a level is just as important as your ability to gun down a target in a single shot. When moving through the terrain of a map, stepping on broken glass and tile, stepping on a pile of metal debris, or walking through a bush, everything generates a different sound cue which your opponent can use to narrow down your position. Slow, steady, and thoughtful movement should be your mainstays. Be it something as simple as moving across an abandoned street, or as complex as repositioning in a firefight to flank your unsuspecting foe. How you move, how you're postured, and when you move are all vital aspects of consideration.

Be warned, Headsets amplify your footsteps in clear, crisp, HD surround sound. They are a powerful tool against even the power of slow walking, and can render even the stealthiest players flatfooted when an errant footstep is heard through them.
 * Movement Speed can be broken down into three types: Sprinting, walking, and slow walking.
 * Walking requires no change or key press, it is by default your main movement speed. It is limited only by the various pieces of body armor you're wearing.
 * Sprinting can be performed by pressing    and depletes your stamina bar. Knowing how far you can travel with one stamina bar's worth of sprinting can be the difference between an engagement being lost or won. It's important to keep in mind that steadying your aim also depletes your stamina bar, so it's better to always leave yourself some wiggle room either to engage a target, or run to a different bit of cover. Sprinting also generates the highest amount of noise compared to the other methods of moving.
 * Slow Walking can be performed by pressing the   or by manually lowering your walk speed to it's lowest, by simply scrolling    To return to a higher movement speed if you've used the mousewheel, you must use   to maximize the movement bar in the bottom left portion of the UI. Slow Walking is the bread and butter of survival in Tarkov.  It generates the least amount of noise, prevents you from making noise whilst moving through foliage, and negates the effects of walking on different materials such as glass or metal. The power of moving with this method cannot be overstated, and should never be underestimated.  Beyond the standard movement types, there are two additional movement techniques. Sidestepping, and Sliding.
 * Sidestepping can be done by pressing  +   /   Sidestepping does exactly what it sounds like. There are two types of sidestepping, pressing the keys and releasing them immediately will move you one step left or right, and then immediately back to your previous position. Holding the keys will result in your keeping position until released.
 * Sliding a problematic mechanic at best, and at worst it can get you in a precarious situation. Sliding can be initiated by holding       and pressing   after you pick up enough speed. This mechanic can also be initiated by releasing    However, this method seems to be an unintended behavior of the Slide mechanic and a bug. Sliding, intentionally or otherwise, locks you into a forward movement and generates a unique noise compared to other methods.

Stances
Just as important as Movement in Escape From Tarkov, how you stand can make a world of difference to your overall ability to survive. Knowing when to duck is just as vital as knowing when to move. The ability to vary your stance, combined with the movement options that the game provides, permits a huge amount of flexibility in terms of tactical agility and how you can engage an opponent.


 * You have three standard stances to choose from: Standing, Crouching, and Prone, each with a different application, and maximum movement speed.
 * Standing allows you to move the fastest, but also makes you more visible at range and causes you to generate the most noise.
 * Crouching balances a low profile and reasonable movement speed and is excellent for taking advantage of most cover, whilst generating the lowest amount of sound.
 * Prone makes you almost immobile, but gives you excellent accuracy and greatly reduced silhouette. Paradoxically, whilst being prone, you cannot lower the amount of noise you make by moving slowly. So in most situations, being crouched is far superior to laying prone.

However, whilst the three standard stances are available, you are able to shift between a slew of different postures. By pressing the following keys:   +  /   Doing such enables you to peek over cover that would otherwise be impossible to see or fire over.
 * Beyond the stances you have access to, there is also leaning to take into account. Leaning and peeking should become second nature, around every corner, every edge, every bit of cover. Exposing only a portion of yourself is far less dangerous than moving wholly out of cover. The advantages of doing so should not need to be stated.
 * The primary method of leaning is done with the   and    keys. Doing so requires holding down either key, and puts you out at a maximum lean.
 * The secondary method is to hold  +   /    This secondary method is a variable lean, and doesn't need to be held down when you release the keys. To reset your stance, press either    or

Weaponry and Equipment
Weaponry in Escape From Tarkov is your bread and butter and could have a guide written about it three times the length of this one. Be it a simple sidearm or a lead-throwing M4 with extended magazines. The choice of what you go into a raid with is entirely yours, excluding when one goes in as a Scavenger. Firearm performance will vary wildly depending on what modifications you use, and how you use them. Where-as in most games, the overall statistics of a weapon matter far less than in other games. Learning an individual weapon's handling and kinks, be it modified heavily or a stock variant, is vital to your overall success against other players and AI opposition. The depth of the weapon systems cannot be overstated, or overlooked. Equipment in Escape From Tarkov covers a breadth of items, from body armor to backpacks. Knowing what to bring along with you on a raid is critical to ensuring your success financially, and overall survival. Things like Comtacs, backpacks, vests, and body armor, are everywhere.
 * There are a slew of vital considerations when picking a weapon's modifications such as your estimated range you expect your engagement to take place in, what your intended target is going to be and if that target is armored or not, as well as how your playstyle factors into such considerations.
 * Picking your weapon's optics is very much a personal preference, but time to ADS (Aim Down Sights), and the distance you expect to have to engage from are important. Contrary to most other games, point shooting (Firing without aiming down your weapon's sights) is just as, if not more effective, than ADS in most situations. Learning how to effectively point shoot is critical to surviving engagements.
 * What ammunition you use isn't as cut and dry as the "best" statistic that a given ammo type has. Availability, if that ammunition is sold out in the traders or not, or if you've unlocked it all are further considerations. If you figure you're not going to be going up against fully geared squads of five, then you may settle on something that doesn't have a high of an armor piercing value, and instead does more overall damage to flesh. What type of magazine, and the quantity of them you take into a raid is a similar concern, as reloading ammo into an empty magazine is a dangerous proposition and virtually impossible to pull off whilst engaged. You're not limited to using a single ammunition type per magazine.
 * What weapon type you decide upon, much like optics, and ammo, is further personal preference. However, It is highly recommended that you never go into a raid unarmed, as doing so will render you mostly harmless and make you an object for criticism and scorn.
 * When picking up a weapon in the field, it's always wise to do a quick magazine check, using  +    to ensure that the weapon has ammo. After doing so, checking the weapon's chamber, using   +   will ensure that you've got a round in the chamber.

What grade of armor you're wearing matters significantly, as Class II protection will do you no good against a rifle round. Just as Class VI protection will stop everything but large caliber armor piercing ammo. One important consideration is head protection. The head hitbox in Escape from Tarkov is divided into 5 segments: Top, Nape, Ears, Eyes and Jaws. Different helmets will cover different segments.

To choose your equipment, you are faced with three factors : Availability, Price, and Quality. An expensive loadout like the following: SSO "Attack 2" raid backpack + 6B43 6A Armor + ANA Tactical M2 armored rig can hold a lot of magazines, meds, loot and will protect you from a great variety of threats, but is going to be hard to come by if you don't have much money and high trader loyalty levels. On the other hand, a cheap loadout like the Scav Vest + MBSS Backpack is not going to protect you and won't let you take a lot of loot on the way back, but is way cheaper and available at an early stage of the game. Also, bringing high end weaponry alongside low end gear is a risk, of course. You could lose the fight easily and thus lose your gun. You can find this type of gear on Scavs, so don't hesitate looting the ones you kill for easy and free loadouts: Scavs are sometimes found a Scav Backpack or an even bigger one, the Pilgrim Backpack, alongside many other pieces of equipment. You can check the following pages to learn more about the different options Tarkov has to offer:


 * Weapons
 * Headwear
 * Earpieces
 * Chest rigs
 * Armor vests
 * Backpacks

Insurance
Except for raids on Labs, make sure to always insure the gear you go out with using the Insurance Screen, just before entering the lobby. You can click on the "Insure All" button to make sure that you select all of your belongings. To confirm, press the "Insure" button just above "Ready". You can choose to insure with Prapor or Therapist:
 * Prapor is cheaper, but returns your insured items after 24-36 hours.
 * Therapist is roughly 1.5x more expensive, returns your items after only 12 hours.

Use the insurance system, even at a low level: There's always the chance that your killer won't loot you, or will find better gear. And if a Scavenger kills you, there's a high chance you'll get everything back.

Your insurer will contact you a few hours/days later to let you know what came back. You can then claim it from the messenger tab. If you do not claim it in 48 hours, the insured items will be lost.

Health, Healing, and Hitpoints
You start the raid with 435 Health Points, set across 7 body parts: Head, Thorax, Stomach, and both Legs and Arms. If you are hurt, the body part that is damaged will lose HP. For that, you need a Medkit. Those will give back health to your limbs, and at the same time may stop a bloodloss, or a fracture. Careful! The AI-2 medikit you get at the beginning doesn't stop bloodloss, so you might want to consider bringing along bandages. However, if your limb is black, you can't add health points to it anymore. This is where Painkillers, Morphine and other meds come in place. These will allow you to keep running even if your legs are blacked, stop coughing if your stomach is dead... They are super useful, but a bit expensive at the beginning. You can find a lot of them in Med Bags along the map. Consider picking them up, you'll need them.
 * There are three colors indicating the state of each body part: Grey, Red and Black. Grey means your limb is fine, or maybe a bit damaged. Red means that limb is hurt, and you need to treat it. Black means your limb is gone, shredded, kaput, and you can't do anything about it anymore. On top of those three states are the different kind of wounds you'll encounter.
 * A blacked out limb will seriously hinder your progress for the rest of the raid. In order to avoid the loss of your limbs, there are meds present in the game, each with a different use. To avoid getting a blacked out limb, you'll have to heal them. However, you won't always be able to avoid getting a body part blacked, so be careful.
 * If your legs are blacked out, you'll have trouble walking, running and aiming when moving.
 * If your arms are gone, you'll have trouble aiming and looting. Your weapon will sway a lot more, which will hinder your accuracy.
 * If your stomach is black, you're going to dehydrate a lot faster, and cough, which can draw nearby enemies to your position.
 * Bandages will stop a bloodloss, but will not heal a body part.

Quests
There are many quests in Escape from Tarkov. Some require you to pick stuff up for certain traders, while others require you to kill other operators or mark vehicles or specific places. Quests are the fastest way of gaining XP in Escape from Tarkov. Completing one will often reward you with thousands, if not tens of thousands of XP points. On top of the experience, quests reward you with:
 * Trader Reputation. By gaining trader reputation you unlock new trader loyalty levels. Each time you unlock a new loyalty level you will be able to purchase a large amount of new items from that trader.
 * Quest locked items. Some items can only be purchased from a trader after you complete their relevant quest. For example, after completing The Punisher - Part 4 you are then able to purchase 5.45x39 mm BT at Loyalty Level 3 from Prapor.
 * A variety of money and items. Some items are only able to be received as a quest reward, such as the Secure container Epsilon from The Punisher - Part 6.

Stash size, Organization and Containers
In Escape from Tarkov, the size of your Stash is, for now, entirely dependent on what edition of the game you buy. The basic edition of the game yields a 10x26 cell Stash, while the Edge of Darkness edition allows you to store items in a 10x66 cell Stash. Here are the different stash sizes available for now:
 * 10x26 on Standard Edition
 * 10x36 on Left Behind Edition
 * 10x46 on Prepare for Escape Edition
 * 10x66 on Edge of Darkness Edition

It is recommended that you keep all items of a similar category - weapons, helmets, bags, healing objects - close to each other in order to minimize the time spent in the menu and maximize the action.


 * automatically equips the item on your PMC if the slot occupied by said item is free
 * automatically transfers the item between your PMC and your stash.
 * is the default shortcut to quickly examine unknown items or examine magazines.

At some point in a patch, you will feel limited by the size of your stash, even in more expensive editions of the game. This is where Containers come in. These items allow you to store more than the stash space they occupy. For example, the Items case is a 16 cells item (4x4), but can offer 64 storage cells (8x8). These containers are rather high level items, and apart from the Items case, there exists category specific containers as well. The Ammo case only allows you to store Ammunition, while the Meds case will only hold Meds and Healing Kits. More containers are making their appearance in the game, all with different uses, such as the Lucky Scav Junkbox and the T H I C C Weapon case.

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