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Shturman, a scav boss from the Woods map

Amidst the chaos and lawlessness, scarcity of vital provisions and territories, the first to lift up their heads are shady characters, unembarrassed by excessive moral or ethical restraints or quick to lose them under influence of conditions. They gather into packs, living by dog-eat-dog rules, cutting each other throats over a better piece. This is how yesterday's civilians become Scavs.
~ In game description

Scavengers, also known as its shorter version, Scavs, are a faction in Escape from Tarkov.

Description

Background

Scav

At the onset of active hostilities in the city, in addition to the predictable humanitarian consequences, a special trend is observed that represents a threat for both civilians and armed forces of the conflicting parties. Due to the tense situation in the city prior to the open conflict, Tarkov has developed conditions attractive for all kinds of criminals and antisocial personalities. In addition, the development of the underworld business, especially in recent years, has encouraged the formation of a certain population stratum previously not directly associated with criminals, but, due to their moral and ethical inclinations, prone to antisocial actions in certain cases concerned with their own benefit. Thus, at this point, the formation of groups actively engaged in looting, robbery and armed attacks can be observed in Tarkov, invariably coupled with violence against the civilian population and even military staff. Recently, these groups have earned a nickname from the locals - Scavs.

The Scav groups are quite varied, have diverse ethnic, social and quantitative composition, as well as the different levels and quality of equipment and varying degrees of sustainability. By far, three of these groups the are considered to be the most stable and organized.[1]

Summary

Scavs are Tarkov locals who decided to walk the path of bandits. Essentially, a Scav is a side character which can deliver you an entirely different gameplay experience. Equipment, weapons, place and time of Scav spawning on location are set randomly. They can be recruited by players via the Hideout.

Factions

Lore factions

  • "Grizzle" armed group. Real name unknown.[2]
  • B. S. Pashutin (Boris Semyonovich) armed group. (Alias - Fiend)[3]
  • Y. G. Zhilnov (Yaroslav Grigoryevich) group. (Alias: Yarik, Yaga)[4]
  • B. T. Stoporenko group (alias - Lawyer). Does not have an extended description.[1]

Gameplay factions

  • Normal scavs (poorly armed; topic of this page)
  • Scav Raiders (medium armed)
  • Bosses and guards (well geared)
  • Cultists (well geared and stealthy)

Gameplay

Scavs are both AI and player controlled characters. All maps begin with Scavs already populating them, and more will arrive in waves throughout the duration of a raid. During one of these spawn waves, player controlled Scavs will join the match. Scavs can spawn with random various pieces of equipment, and even have varying skill levels.

Scav mode

Playing as a Scav is like playing the game without rules, one where the players can experience quite different gameplay with a focus on reckless abandon. The Scav player is spawned together with AI Scavs. For example, the player Scav will spawn part-way through a raid in one of several set spawn points. Scav tactics change up the overall style of raid gameplay, and in most cases, complicating the lives of BEAR and USEC players, while also fighting among themselves.

When you just join a raid as a Scav, you are neutral with all AI Scavs. That means they will not shoot or react in any way. However, if you attack a Scav (Does not matter if AI or player) you become a "traitor" and all AI Scavs nearby will become hostile.
Note: You won't become a traitor if you attack or kill a player Scav who attacked you first, or was already marked as a traitor to nearby AI Scavs.

Upgrading the Intelligence center in your Hideout will allow you to reduce the cooldown timer for your Scav mode.

  • Level 1 Intelligence center: Scav cooldown timer -15%
  • Level 3 Intelligence center: Scav cooldown timer additional -20% (-35% in total)

The most important thing about playing as Scav is that if you get killed in the raid, you will not lose anything from your main character's possessions, and if you survive, you can add whatever you looted to your stash. In other words, this is an alternative way to find and save items and to take part in combat, but without constant fear of losing everything brought into the Raid.

Your Scav character is levelled up separately from your main PMC character. The levels carry over between raids, even though the names imply different persons.

Strategy

  • Generally avoid shooting AI Scavs, as they are useful for early warning against PMCs and do not contain a lot of loot. Maps like Factory are quite friendly to Scav runs, as the local AI Scavs start out friendly.
  • Scav Raiders and Bosses will still be aggressive. Either avoid them or kill them before they see you.
  • In addition to picking up loose items, go to high traffic areas and look for PMC bodies. Players may leave the bodies behind due to time constraints, injury, or weight, allowing you to take the lion's share of the loot. Also, search for hidden gear, since group players tend to stash their friends' gear for insurance.
  • When you are short on equipment, do Scav runs whenever possible. There is no risk to the player's PMC character or stashed equipment.

Equipment

Note that the primary weapons can have numerous mod variations and those shown below are examples.

Scavs generally only spawn with one weapon.

Pistols

Icon Name
Yarygin MP-443 Grach icon MP-443 "Grach"
P226R icon P226R
PB 9x18PM silenced pistol icon2 PB pistol
APS icon APS
PM(t) icon PM (t) pistol
PM icon PM pistol
TT icon TT pistol
Beretta M93 9x19 Pistol M9A3
M1911A1 Icon M1911A1

Shotguns

Icon Name
MP 153 icon MP-153
MR-133 icon 2 MP-133
Saiga 12ga v10 icon Saiga-12
TOZ-106 icon TOZ-106

Submachine Guns

Icon Name
PP-9 Klin icon PP-9 "Klin"
PP-91 Kedr PP-91 "Kedr"
Kedr-B icon PP-91-01 "Kedr-B"
Saiga-9 icon Saiga-9
PPSH-41 Icon PPSH-41

Assault Rifles

Icon Name
ADAR icon ADAR 2-15
AK-105 5.45x39 icon AK-105
AK-74 icon AK-74
AK-74M icon AK-74M
AK-74N icon AK-74N
AKS-74 Icon AKS-74
AKM icon AKM
AKMN icon AKMN
AKMS 7.62x39 assault rifle icon AKMS
AKS-74U icon AKS-74U
AKS-74UB icon AKS-74UB
AKS-74UN icon AKS-74UN
SAGIF SA-58
VPO-209 icon Vepr AKM/VPO-209
VPO 136 icon Vepr KM/VPO-136

Assault Carbines

Icon Name
OP-SKS icon OP-SKS
SKS icon SKS
VeprHunterIcon Vepr Hunter/VPO-101 7.62x51 carbine

Designated marksman rifles

Icon Name
SVD-S icon SVDS 7.62x54 Sniper rifle
VSS icon Special Sniper Rifle VSS Vintorez

Sniper Rifles

Icon Name
Mosin icon Mosin
M700Icon Remington Model 700 Sniper rifle
SV-98 icon SV-98
VPO-215 Icon VPO-215

Vanity headwear are the most common.

Armor

Icon Name Armor Class
TK FAST Icon Tac-Kek Fast MT Helmet (non-ballistic replica) 1
PSH-97 -Jeta- helmet Icon PSH-97 "Djeta" helmet 2
SHPM Firefighter's helmet icon SHPM Firefighter's helmet 2
Kolpak-1S Icon Kolpak-1S riot helmet 2
6B47 Icon 6B47 Ratnik-BSh Helmet 3
UNTARHelmetIcon UNTAR helmet 3
SSH-68Icon SSh-68 helmet (1968 steel helmet) 3

Mount

Icon Name Gear Mods
Armasight NVG Mask Icon Armasight NVG mask Armasight N-15 Night Vision

Vanity

Icon Name
Cow boy hat icon Kinda cowboy hat
Ushanka icon Ushanka ear-flap cap
Knitcap icon Beanie
Kotton Beanie icon Kotton beanie
File:Army cap icon.png Army cap
Baseball cap icon Baseball cap
Rushatxmasicon Ded Moroz hat
Euhaticon Santa's hat
Policeicon Police cap
Fleecicon Tactical fleece hat
USECCapIcon USEC baseball cap
BEARCapIcon BEAR baseball cap
Emercomicon EmerCom cap
Pompon hat icon Pompon hat
ShmaskaIcon Ski hat with holes for eyes

Armor

Icon Name Armor Class
Shattered icon Light armored Shattered mask 1

Vanity

Icon Name
GP-5 Icon GP-5 gasmask
Deady Skull Mask Icon Deadly skull mask
Respirator icon Respirator
SlenderMaskIcon Slender mask
MishaMaskIcon Misha Mayorov's mask
JasonMaskIcon Jason mask
Balaclava icon Balaclava
Cold fear infrared balaclava icon Cold Fear Infrared balaclava
GHOSTBalaclavaIcon Ghost balaclava
Momex balaclava icon Momex balaclava
Lower half-mask icon Lower half-mask
Neoprene Mask Icon Neoprene mask
Fake Mustache icon Fake mustache
Fake white beard icon Fake white beard

It is not uncommon to spawn with a piece of level three armor.

Icon Name Armor Class
3M icon Module-3M bodyarmor 2
6B2 Icon 6B2 armor (flora) 2
PACA icon PACA Soft Armor 2
UNTARArmorIcon MF-UNTAR armor vest 3
Zhuk-3 Press armor icon Zhuk-3 Press armor 3
BNTIKirasaNarmorIcon BNTI Kirasa-N armor 3
6B23-1icon 6B23-1 armor (digital flora pattern) 3
6B13 assault armor icon 6B13 assault armor 4
GZHELKArmorIcon BNTI Gzhel-K armor 5
Defender-2 Icon FORT Defender-2 body armor 5

Pilgrim Backpack icon Pilgrim tourist backpack
ScavBP Icon Scav Backpack
Day pack icon LBT-8005A Day Pack backpack
Flyye MBSS Backpack Flyye MBSS Backpack
Duffel icon Duffle bag
T-Bag icon Transformer Bag
Armybagicon VKBO army bag
SlingBackPackIcon Tactical sling bag

Icon Name Armor Class
Bank Robber icon Spiritus Systems Bank Robber Chest Rig -
Scav Vest icon Scav Vest -
Blackrock Icon BlackRock chest rig -
Tarzan icon Splav Tarzan M22 Rig -
Wartech gear rig icon Wartech gear rig (TV-109, TV-106) -
Scout Sniper rig icon UMTBS 6sh112 Scout-Sniper -
Mk3 Wartech MK3 chest rig (TV-104) -
Triton M43-A Chest Harness icon Triton M43-A Chest Harness -
Belt-A Belt-B gear rig icon

-

Belt-A + Belt-B gear rig -
6B3TM-01M Icon 6B3TM-01M armored rig 4
6B5-15icon 6B5-15 Zh -86 "Uley" armored rig 4

Trivia

  • In Russian, Scavs are known as 'Savages' or 'Wild'.

See also

References

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