EFT Tutorial and Guide

In EFT, you’ll face both AI and other players. Knowing how to take down AI fast and efficiently is vital because it allows you to focus on the greater threat—other players.

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Starting with the AI set to “easy” should make combat manageable, but as you increase the difficulty, the challenge will grow.

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Learn how AI moves and fights.

Notice their voice lines. They usually shout before shooting at you. And usually the first couple of shot are not accurate, more like a warning shot (but sometimes they are deadly, it's RNG).

The most important voice lines to learn to recognize are those they say before throwing a grenade.

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AI voice lines are useful also to understand if you're facing a Boss and his guards instead of normal Scavs. In this case too, throwing granades is a good way to force them to talk and understand which and how many AIs you're facing.

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By moving carefully and listening, you can avoid being detected by AI and spot them first, giving you a chance to aim and target their heads, which often results in a one-tap kill unless they’re wearing heavy-duty helmets.

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Even better, aim for exposed areas like the face, ears, or neck.

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Legs are also a good target, as they lack armor, and damaging them will slow the enemy’s movement, causing them to limp. This technique is especially effective against well-equipped enemies with strong armor and helmets.

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Also, keep in mind that after a limb gets blacked, if it continues to take damage, a part of that damage will be transferred to the remaining parts of the body (collateral damage). So it's possible to kill your target by continuing to hit the same limb.

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Be aware that when you aim at an AI, even from behind, they may react as if they sense you’re targeting them. This “sixth sense” feature prevents stealth players from easily taking them out.

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Usually, you’ll have a brief window to land a headshot before they start moving and react. If your first shot doesn’t kill them, take a few more if possible, but don’t stand still and don't stay exposed for long—move behind cover quickly. Then, peek out to shoot again.

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If you still haven’t finished them off, avoid peeking from the same spot immediately again. AI remembers your position and will be ready to shoot the moment you’re visible again (this is true for player encounters as well, but AI has an even quicker reaction time).

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Another important point to keep in mind—one that many in the EFT community agree on—is that AI seems to have a kind of timer that affects their accuracy and lethality. The longer a fight lasts, the more dangerous they become. This is yet another reason why holding the same angle is a mistake.

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Keep moving, rotate around the AI (flanking or rotation), and try to find another angle to engage from. The faster and more unpredictably you move, the harder it will be for them to hit you (This also serves as excellent training for PvP, as the same principles apply when fighting other players).

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If you’re pinned and can’t move, wait for the AI to reposition and look for an opportunity to surprise them.

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Here’s a trick that often works: if you’re stuck, wait a few seconds to let the AI “lose focus” on your position. Once they’re “distracted,” you’ll have another chance to shoot or reposition.