EFT Tutorial and Guide
THE TARKOV CENTRAL
Bring The Right Kit
The right kit depends on how comfortable you feel with it and what you plan to accomplish during the raid.
Apart from the Scav kits that are good to learn without risking gear (or a fun diversive when you're more experienced and want to have some fun)
Start by watching this video from Gigabeef: Tarkov Budget Kits: Cheap Early Loadouts & Efficient Gear! (Patch 0.15). Although it references Patch 0.15, it’s still relevant today.
The video is quite long, but I suggest watching just the first 20 minutes initially and returning to the rest once you’ve unlocked level 2 traders.
In the video, Gigabeef provides excellent advice and suggests a solid starting loadout, explaining why certain choices are better than others.
Here are a few considerations I’d like to add:
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Learn useful and cheap barters like the one for MF-UNTAR body armor, a level 3 armor (which is decent when you are starting to play) obtainable with 2 cans of MaxEnergy, which are fairly easy to find. The barters not only make buying some items cheaper (sometimes much cheaper), but allow you to buy gear that is otherwise unavailable to buy with money. There are so many barters it's difficult to know and memorize them all. Check the EFT Wiki to see if an item is obtainable through barter.
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At the early levels, I always carry 2 CAT tourniquets or 2 Esmarch tourniquets to stop heavy bleeding because it kills you very quickly. I spend a bit more, but I’ve often ended up using all of them in a single raid. Without them I would have used up all my med kit and died anyway.
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I often buy and carry at least 1 Immobilizing Splint because it’s cheap and applies very quickly. It saves me from having to use painkillers, as it permanently heals fractures.
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I completely agree with Gigabeef’s suggestion to use the Kalashnikov AKS-74UN 5.45x39 or the Kalashnikov AKS-74U 5.45x39. These are easily modifiable to be able to add a red dot, a tactical foregrip, and even a flashlight with laser pointer (read the tip below). Compared to the mods you’ll have access to later, it’s not much—but for level 1, it’s a big deal.
TIP: If I remember correctly, Gigabeef doesn’t mention that you can get a flashlight with a laser pointer from level 1 traders. The Glock GTL 21 tactical flashlight with laser is available from Mechanic LL1.
Starting Gear (and Some Confusing Aspects)
When starting EFT or after a wipe, you’ll find some starting gear in your stash. I recommend using your best equipment in Practice Mode to withstand a few hits during combat training with AIs. After that, switch to level 2 armor and a cheaper gun to test out more budget-friendly kits before jumping into online raids.
The initial equipment also includes some confusing elements, particularly regarding weapons.
USECs find in their stash the HK MP5 and the Colt M4A1 5.56x45.
Both come equipped only with iron sights, and adding at least a red dot makes a huge difference in their effectiveness on the field. However, to achieve this, you need to know how to do it.
For the Colt M4A1 5.56x45, you can simply remove the carry handle to reveal a mount rail where you can attach a red dot or scope. The issue lies with the large default gas block, which not only handles the gas but also blocks your line of sight unless you get a scope that sits higher than the block.
The best solution is to complete the Gunsmith Part 1 quest as soon as possible (you will get this quest after completing the first quest from Mechanic, Saving the Mole). This unlocks the AR-15 Windham Weaponry Rail Gas Block sale from Mechanic, which is much smaller and eliminates the sight-blocking problem.
An intermediate workaround is shown in this video: Escape From Tarkov Lvl 1 M4A1 Build (.14 Patch). As you can see from the title, it’s for an older patch, but it’s still valid.
Since this last isn’t an optimal solution and the M4A1 is a very good gun for its very high rate of fire, you might want to do what I do: save your starting M4A1 for later, when you can change the gas block (and you are a bit more confident with combat and online raiding).
In the meantime, buy and mod a Kalashnikov AKS-74UN 5.45x39 assault rifle or a Kalashnikov AKS-74U 5.45x39 assault rifle, as suggested in the Gigabeef’s video I linked above.
For the HK MP5, mounting a red dot is much simpler. All you need is to buy the appropriate rail mount from Peacekeeper level 1.
To find it easily, instead of manually searching through the trader’s inventory, use the Flea Market.
Many players don’t realize that before level 15, you can’t trade with other players, but you can still purchase items sold by traders via the Flea Market.
Just search for “MP5 MFI” and you’ll find the HK MP5 MFI HK universal low-profile scope mount. That’s what you need—attach it to your MP5, and you’ll be able to mount a red dot.
BEARs find in their stash the PP-19-01 Vityaz and the Kalashnikov AK-74M 5.45x39.
Both of these are much easier to equip with a scope or red dot. All you need to do is replace the default dust cover with one that includes a mount rail:
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For the Vityaz, you’ll find the PP-19-01 Vityaz-SN dust cover at Prapor level 1.
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For the AK-74M, you can purchase the AK AKademia Bastion dust cover from Skier level 1.