Hi, my name is Jacob and today Im bringing you a guide for all of you but mainly new players. For litle introduction Im playing eft for almost 3 years. I played every wipe and reached always lvl 40+ with about 100M roubles worth stash while playing only solo/duo. In this guide you will learn something from every aspect of the game and hopefully help you survive for longer. Please, leave comment and enjoy. (English is not my first language so my apologies for grammar mistakes).
Useful hotkeys:
Midle mouse – examine items !
T – laser / flashlight
Ctrl + t – changing laser (if laser have more colors)
N – Visor / night vision (up and down)
Alt + S– blind fire / blind grenade throw left
Alt + W – blind fire / blind grenade throw down
Alt + A/D – slow peak
Alt + T – Mag check (Will also show you ammo type)
R + scroll wheel – open option which mag you want load into gun
2x R – fast reload (but you drop mag on the ground)
2x O – time in raid left + Avaiable extracts
2x V – you insta swap your weapon in hand and swing. This is super useful mainly in situations you need to deal with hatchetling in your intimite zone or break glass and run through.
B – fire mode
Change scope and Magnification – for change reticle on for example pk-06 or zoom on 1/6 scopes just make your own keybind (Im using my mouse side buttons)
By holding midle mouse button you have free look and you can look around while running.
p.s. You can hotkey items such as grenades or meds by placing them into vest / pockets and press number which will be your new hotkey for fast access 4-9. (You can use items such as mags for reload or grenades only, if you have them in vest or pockets not in backpack). Also change keybind ,,Hold breath´´ to something else I remember original keybind is super bad and if you didnt know about this, you was probably not holding breath this whole time.
Traders: With new traders coming its hard to say but this is (atleast for me) best way how to start traders with fresh wipe
– Always take all quests from all traders because sometimes by dealing with one quest you can complete others
– Im always leveling Peacekeeper first, why? He will give you access to armor pretty soon in the game plus some good low / mid tear guns such as Mp5 or Mpx
– For leveling Peacekeeper you will have to convince Skier, so your first goal is lvl skier. You dont need bother too much with Prapor and Ms. Therapist. Depending on your game version and how much rep you have on start. Prapor is one of the last guys to lvl but he have some easy quests to complete.
– For maximum profit sell items: Skier – Vests,Helmets,Armor,Backpack and weapon parts
Ms. Therapist – Meds, dogtags, food, random junk
Prapor / Peacekeepr – Guns (depends if you want dollars, rubels or money spend)
Mechanic – sell guns if you dont need money spend with Prapor/Peacekeeper or dollars
Fence – dont bother
p.s. Taking weapons a part you can for example sell parts to skier and gun core to mechanic so you will get bit of money spend for both and max profit. Completing quest will give you exp, rep and sometimes rewards. It might be money, items, guns or unlock new items. If you want lvl up trader you need: Reputation, money spend with that trader and you beeing curtain level.
Weapons and ammo
This is a big one ha? Not realy, its easy. Everything listed below is my opinion. You can use what ever you want but this is my way every wipe and it just works.
Best guns on start – Any gun … Ye its true nobody have armor and every gun can be used in first days so have fun
Early game : Use scav guns mainly , dont spend money on guns too much buy only ammo
– 9mm – Mp5 / Mpx, Pistols
– Semi-auto shotguns , kedr , mosin
– 7.62 guns – SkS, Vepr
Mid game : Means you start using guns you stored from early and you have slightly better ammo
Required: BP and BT ammo for AKs, 5a5 and 5a6 ammo for ADAR, M80 for FAL, M1
– BP / BT = AK 47 and other 5.45 guns
– M855a1 / M856a1 = ADAR (your m4 and HK are waiting)
– M80 = FAL from scavs can be saved or used, M1 is sweet, Vepr hunter
– Start using sniper rifles, its a lot of fun
Late game – You unlocked or gathered late game guns and ammo
– BS / Igolnik ammo – Best pene and AKs reached final stage
– M995 – best ammo in the game, use M4s and Hks
– M80 – still good ammo, for max pen use M61 with previous weapons
– AP 9mm – I dont recommend 9mm in late game. Use it only if you go for face or leg meta
– ApSx – best MP7 ammo, mp7 is a lot of fun but prepare a lot of mags
– SP6 – Val or VSS best ammo. This guns hit like truck hiting into truck and can delete heavy players on close / mid range.
– Sniper rifles and DMRs if used corectly are devastating and can 1-2 tap heavy enemies.
p.s. – use any sight or scope you like. Most used sights are okp-7 (the good one have side mount) and pk-06. Scopes ? I can recommend Vudu scope or new Valdai. Every gun is useful if used correctly. If enemy dont have visor even litle makarov can kill a giant. Be sure to use ammo with highest penetration posible.
Meds
AI-2 – basic healing med, low durability, do not stop bleeding
Bandage – stoping bleeding, multiple use on most, do not have healing efect (always stop bleeding first)
Splint – remove fracture, do not have healing efect (if limb is blackouted it will help with effects but it wil not get you limb back)
Painkillers – most common type of med for stoping pain and other efects (for example if you get hit into helmet, use painkiller). Same effects and for longer have Ibuprofen, Star, Vaseline, morphin.
Combined meds : Meds which will heal you and stop bleeding
Car heal: Basic med will heal and stop bleeding
Salewa / Ifak – advanced meds with same effect but have more durability
Grizzly kit – Will heal you, stop bleeding and remove fracture (downsite? Price and its 2×2)
Stims – Stim injectors can be found in medical resorts and simular medical places. Can boost your character for some time but you must count with side effects later.
p.s. on start place AI, bandage and splint into container. Use them if needed. Bit later replace with Car heal and hotkey AI med. Later put car heal / Salewa into vest and painkiller into pocket on hotkeys. Im always having one Ifak + Ibuprofen with me but placed in container for 1×1 reason. This way you will not loose your healing items as quickly. Always have backup meds in container if needed.
Armor
You have helmets and body armor. Body armor of two types. One is body armor and second is Armor vest.
Helmets: On start dont worry with helmets. Your best friend will be basic green helmet SSh-68 commonly find on scavs. With mid game and better gear coming in start wearing helmets with visors. Some helmets can cover your ears so you will hear less so be more carefull. Other helmets can allow you were contacts headset. With that you can hear much more, use it if you can.
Body armor:
Early game : class 2 – PACA basic armor, good agains pistols and shotguns
,,White armor´´ – droped by scavs. Save this x3 for quest
Mid game – class 3 and class 4 – Unter armor (blue armor) and better version 6B-23 (green armor plus have more hp). If you want something better 6B-13 series will keep you safe from ak,sks sometimes even mosin round. This type of armor is pretty good but can take only few hard hits. Ghzel is one of the best armor pieces in game but its curently locked behind quest series so its rare to see.
You can use armor vests insted standart body armor but I would not recommend doing that. If you want swap your vest you will have to replace all items and might get you killed. Wearing armor vest over body armor is posible but with huge movement penalty and drastic weight increase draining your stamina.
Late game – class 5 and class 6 – Strong armor, always used with late game gun and helmets with visors. Typical late game armor is Gen4 series with class 5 protection and small amount of limitations.
Heavy armor such as Fort armor or Zhuk (litle fort) are class 6 armor. This will protect you alot but for cost on money and mobility.Also its pretty heavy and you will not have great time to run in open space. If you want look cool you can buy Samurai class 5 armor but on ragman lvl 4.
p.s. Armor is not ultimate life saver and you must keep it in mind. It will help you survive scavs for sure, players depending on gun and ammo type. Best way to keep your self alive is using solid cover, flanking and stratégy in general. Use fast peaking and dont let your enemies to hit you for free.
What should I do?
Most important learn maps and extracts. You can use eft wiki or other sorces but knowing where to go is priority. You can practise in offline mode. Learn how to use meds efectivly. Discover guns and ammo types. Always use right ammo with right guns and with best pene posible. Always manage your stash and dont gather trash. Sell for rep and money to get better stuff or boost traders.
Tips*:* Scavs ? Scav is AI wearing ,,scav gear´´ and have predictible travel path. They are always taunting in russian and will attack you automaticly if you are in raid as PMC (your main character). If you join raid as scav you will be safe from other scavs until you attack them. If you kill scav on one side of the map you will not get attacked by breaki on the other side. If you are not sure about scav beeing player or AI just look if he have pounch slot. If ye, it was player scav. Be careful on sniper scavs they will f you up. And now some facts:
– Smokes works agains scavs
– Leveling traders is very imporant, work on that
– Always bring water on bigger maps like woods or shorline
– Always insure your gear. That means if you die and nobody find your dead body your gear will come back next day in insurence mail.
– Keep for quests : spar plugs, morphins, car battery, 60r AK mags, Flash drive, white armor (this and more you will need to keep because they are realy hard to find and everybody wants them)
– Forbidden ammo: 5.45 PS, PRS ammo, 5.56 everythnig except M855a1 / M856a1 and M995
– Dont try change zeroing on scopes (its not working properly)
– Get Icases and Junk box as soon as posible
– Glasses are curently buged and make you visible in fog, smoke ,dark. Dont wear them
– You can click on green icon in stash to make it disaper (You dont need click on every new item)
– Fast examine all new items at traders (will get you bit exp and you dont need do that in raid)
– Non-examined items you CAN´T put on you in raid you need examine them first. For that reason use Flea market and examine everything you can.
– Take of mag and grip from weapons for more space in stash
– Collect all keys you can
– Laser is not just for better pointfire aim but also grouping bullets is better (if you have laser on). But be careful and dont have laser on all the time, it can get your position away. Use laser if you are fighting someone, if not turn off.
– All bolt action rifles can be filled with ammo directly from pockets (even if they have magazine, you dont need extra one)
– Some mags will show you proximite amont bullets left. Mags with ,,holes´´ on side will show you exactly how much bullets you have left.
– Dont forget to change Hold breath keybind to something else
– Always look around by using midle mouse button while running straight.
– If you spend too much time in raid and raid ends you will be ,,lost in action´´ which count as death.
– Use link Search option. It will save you a lot of time and you dont need spend time by looking for items you want. If you are looking for items at traders use filters on side.
– Dont store useless stuff. Your stash is limited and it can get full and messy super fast.
– Jumping, running and beeing shot cost your stamina so if bar gos red you cant sprint or swing your melee anymore.
– Extracts with ??? might and might not be open. In some cases you need to pay for extract
– Use scav for practise, you have nothin to loose. Use Scav for discover and money making
– If your limb is bleeding and about to be gone use healing med first. Bandage might be too late
There is more to say but I feel its already enough. Move from cover to cover but dont camp for too long. Only way how to get better is by winning and failing and you will fail a lot and thats ok. We was all noobs on beginning and it was not easy but with every day you will be stronger and smarter. You will die a lot but with every mistake and every death try learn about new spots, new loot places and try not repeat same mistakes also keep your legs safe. You are one of us now and I wish you best of luck! See you on battlefield comrad.
Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/EscapefromTarkov/comments/dj5pjz/complete_eft_noob_friendly_guide/
