Go Labs. Seriously. - Guide for the average player.

Go Labs.

No, seriously. If you are over level 35 (Therapist Keycards), you should be running Labs at least for the items you need (if not profit). ***This isn't really a guide. It's more of a selection of tips and things to hopefully ease the mind of the average player***

Preface: LEDx on Shoreline is a fucking pain and a toss-up at best. If you like Shoreline, I have some whips and chains to sell you, you Masochist. I have better survival rates on Labs than Shoreline. I don't have to spend half the fucking raid RUNNING to and from resort. Dying in Labs is WAY less frustrating than Shoreline where some cock-rabbit shoots me from a bush 300m away. Dying in Labs means you fucked up somehow, or got cheated on but dying in Shoreline is ALWAYS bullshit (I don't make the rules). Fuck Shoreline.

Just bear with me for a bit while I explain. There are a lot of misconceptions about Labs. I know tons of people are scared shitless of it and I'm going to explain why they shouldn't be so apprehensive about it.

LEDx are quite common OUTSIDE keycard rooms. MORE so than keycard rooms oddly enough. If you could check all accessible spawns, you could EASILY find one every 5 raids (or less). I've gotten 8 this wipe and I definitely haven't run labs 40 times.
You can either PvP or not PvP. (tips on this later)
Sure, there are cheaters often enough, but that's the price of business.
Sure, there are giga-chads, but not every raid, and their biggest advantage is knowing the map and having confidence.
There is no insurance, but insurance is never really a guaranteed thing anyway. Not insuring saves you 50-80k. And if you always die to someone better than you, you're never getting much back anyway.

Some tips for AVERAGE players (and possibly level 42). (Are you a Chad? Go watch the Danish King, Glorious-E)

Get used to dying a lot. It's fine. Even non-chads can make profit in Labs. If you have 25% survival you will still come out ahead and even if you ONLY looted basement.
Loadouts. Don't take super pricey loadouts.
1. level 4 armor (Barter for TV rig, M1 rig) [other barters for lvl4 aren't really worth it. MMAC or Strandhogg are fine to use, but not worth to barter for]
  1. Level 5 is often a waste, although I am sometimes partial to a Gzhel. Korund SUCKS. Don't use it. It breaks in like 2 shots.
2. Take either no helmet, or a penis helmet. In the long run, they rarely save you, and usually only against raiders if they do.
3. Comms, your choice.
4. Backpack, doesn't really matter. Either a 20 slot, or 30 slot. If you have the F-5 or Tri-zip purchase, I usually recommend that. An extra 25k cost generally always makes up for it in 10 extra slots. Labs is hard to get out of without a 15k slot value. That's 150k over 4 raids and if you have 25% survival and more than covers the upgrade price.
5. Ammo – Obviously fairly important, however anything over 35 pen is generally good enough.
  1. I will not really be discussing Leg Meta but it's always an option.
6. Weapon – Suppressor is optional IMHO. You can generally hear suppressed shots, or bullets landing, anywhere on the map so your existence is always known if you fire anyway.
7. Weapon – Entry level. Some guns that are perfectly usable and affordable.
  1. MP7 – suppressed or not, doesn't really matter. Subsonic or FMJ rounds.
  2. P90 – SB193 or SS190 (193 are my preference usually, less recoil)
  3. SR2-M isn't bad, but close range ONLY.
  4. RFB – M80 is such an insane value. You can run this with close optics or a scope.
8. Weapons – Medium tier, good value for cost.
  1. RD-704 – My go to. Functions pretty well with just PS ammo. I'll often take a primary mag of BP, 2 of PS, and BP stacks in my butt. (I almost want to put this in high-tier, but you can build it for about 250k loud ed.)
  2. VSS or VAL – Close range only. Don't take medium range fights. Great bullet value. 20 round mags can work in a pinch
  3. 545 AK or RPK – If you're like me, you have stacks of BS ammo from looting woods cabin early wipe. Otherwise BT bullets aren't too bad.
  4. If you have the 762 MDR purchase it's actually a pretty good deal since it has so few mods.
  5. MK17 7.62 – I don't know about you but I have these things lying around. Not my favorite, but certainly usable.
9. Weapon – Meta High Tier- Are you too rich for your own good? 10mill plus? These offer a SLIGHT advantage for a lot more cash. (all suppressed)
  1. M4A1
  2. Mutant
  3. MDR 762, suppressed and scoped
10. Weapon – Leg meta (not super recommended, I rarely die to this)
  1. I don't do this, but you could always get a cheap PP19 with RIP, or shotgun with magnum, or flechette, or a KS23 with Shrap10. Go in naked and try and bag a Chad. Mount him on the wall next to your new shiny kit.
11. Optics – largely preference obvi
  1. EOtech – If you have an SMG or similar with average ammo. Do NOT take medium range fights if you can help it!
  2. Burris, Vudu, SChmidt, etc – Only uf your gun is good at medium long range, and your ammo is strong. – For example, I'll choose between either close range or a scope even on meta guns. It just changes the fights I choose to take or avoid.
12. Weapon build tips.
  1. Don't spend an extra 10k + on 5 ergo. Don't spend an extra 20k on -1 recoil.
  2. 44 recoil and 60 ergo is often not worth the upgrade costs from 50 recoil 40 ergo.
  3. Go for MAX VALUE. A good example is the Magpul AFG grip. It's simply a better value than other grips that have 1, 2 or 4 more ergo points. it's about 6000 rubles. The SE-5 is 15000 from vendor for 3 ergo. Not worth it IMO.
13. Grenades. Bring one or two. These are meant to get raiders or PMCs to MOVE. Not to get kills with. No need to throw randomly.
14. Meds –
  1. Grizzly – Honestly, get the barter, for about 26k. You save space from splints in your butt. AFAK's vendor for more than this, don't last half as long and don't do everything you need.
  2. CMS – in butt.
15. Injectors Case – You have one right?
  1. Literally EVERYone should have one. Either from a quest or from purchasing. Are you a hardcore rat? You should have one. Are you a giga-chad? You probably already have one.
  2. You don't have to USE stims to make money. Even on maps like woods or customs, if you die with found stims, they still vendor really well.
  3. If you DO use stims, it allows for you to bring things in like MULE.
  4. I recommend at a minimum, MULE, Propital, and perforotan
16. Docs case. Not a SICC. There are more things you can loot to Docs. Safes, jackets etc.
17. Keys – Buy the weapons testing key at a minimum. Managers office key is a good option, but don't use this one unless you're CERTAIN things are clear, raiders or PMCs.

Total value of things worth losing?

Comms, 30k
TV rig, 90k
Tri-zip, 45k
Grizzly, 30k
1x nade, 10k
Gun, mags and bullets?
1. 80k to 500k
2. 100k for MP7, 3 mags and FMJ.
3. 500k for M4A1 with 60s of 855a1.

Total (MP7 with Labs Access Card): ~475k

That's not much different from your Streets or Reserve loadout.

Shove some things in your butt real quick (I usually have 2 or 3 free slots going in, and my Docs case) and you easily make back 50-200k even if you die.)

PVP tips *Note, this isn't really a PVP guide* (or avoiding it) [I'm level 54, and I die to rats as often as Chads)

You're probably better at PVP than you think. You honestly probably just lack confidence.
1. Hold that corner.
2. If you hear a grenade pin, fucking PUSH it!
3. Taking close range pushes and swings evens any potential "skill gap" to almost 50-50.
4. Stop and listen. Try and understand where people are.
If you want to avoid PVP, and still get a LEDx you'll need to try and get dead raids, or raids with only one other player.
1. Queue off time. I'm in EU, but I can queue east coast USA for local time of say 6am.
Run, hit the close priority spots to you, and if you find one GET TO THE BASEMENT ASAP. In my experience most players will not chase all that long. If you're in the basement you're not threatening my loot up topside.
If you want to avoid PVP, you can run light, rat, and learn the basement. You could actually easily make loadout costs by looting only basement for tools and such.
1. Stop and Listen. Try and understand where people are.
If you aren't confident in fighting raiders, go train in Offline mode. They are VERY unforgiving. I often die to raiders as often as players.
You don't need to know the map perfectly, but the general layout is quite simple if you break it down.
1. Go offline for like 3 or 4 raids. You'll quickly pick it up.
2. Don't worry about 100% retention. I have probably 300-400 Labs raids and I STILL don't fully know the basement.

The PVP isn't actually THAT much harder than other higher level maps like Reserve. Chads generally aren't more mechanically skilled. They just understand the key to everything.

POSITIONING IS EVERYTHING.
That other player knows exactly where you are. Even if they don't, assume they do.
If you are not in a spot of advantage, MOVE until are you are.

PVE – Raiders

Mid to late wipe, their monetary value goes down dramatically. The risk-reward ratio to farming them drops hard.
Raiders are fucking scary. They are a menace.
Do not peak them from the same spot twice. You will die.
Do not be in view of them for more than 2 seconds. You will die.
Do not be in dark offices when they run at you. You will die.
Avoid being in the main areas ground floor. You can take some cover in Weapons Testing area to recover, heal, repack mags etc.
DO, some combination of the following:
1. Rotate against them, let them push you through doors, or corners.
2. Prone right hand slow peak.
3. Crouch quick peak
4. Let them push you through doors and blast 'em then.
5. Run away and not fight them at all. (a generally good option).
6. PRACTICE IN OFFLINE MODE.

In my opinion, all playstyles are somewhat functional on Labs. Ratting can work for profit, but won't get you a LEDx. Camping, holding a high loot spot can also work, provided Chad Thundercock didn't hear you get there (if he did, man up and shoot him in his fragile ego (I mean face). You can also just Loot and scoot. You can even hit a couple high value spots and run away if you hear something.

I started to get tired near the end of writing this so I hope I didn't botch the structure. I started writing this as a comment reply to another post, but maybe it has value for some of you like this.

Finally, I would love to have people to duo with in Labs. If you're interested and can play EU-west, let me know 🙂

Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/EscapefromTarkov/comments/10yuoi3/go_labs_seriously_guide_for_the_average_player/