EFT Tutorial and Guide
THE TARKOV CENTRAL
Health & Injuries
To understand what you need during a raid, you must first grasp the Health and Damage system.
Regarding Health, Healing, and Hitpoints, I recommend starting with the official video guide by BSG: Field Guide #2: Basics of medicine.
Then, move on to the relevant section of the EFT Wiki: How to Play Guide for Escape from Tarkov.
It’s also important to read the Health System Wiki page, where you’ll find details about body part-specific status effects, temporary status effects, and more.
If you've already studied these topics, you'll understand that during a raid, you'll need the following medical items and provisions:
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Items to heal HP.
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Items to stop light bleeding.
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Items to stop heavy bleeding.
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Items to heal fractures.
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Items to perform surgeries on blacked-out (destroyed) limbs.
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Food & Drink items.
To learn about all the healing items, check the dedicated EFT Wiki page: Medical.
A Remedy for Multiple Conditions
While reading the specs of medical items, you'll notice that some can address multiple conditions.
For example, the Grizzly medical kit can heal HP, light bleeds, heavy bleeds, and fractures.
However, you need to pay attention to the item's size and healing speed.
For instance, treating a fracture with a Grizzly takes much longer than using an Immobilizing splint or an Aluminum splint. Additionally, the Grizzly is heavy and occupies four slots. Alternatively, bringing an AFAK, a CALOK-B, and an Aluminum splint lets you treat the same injuries (HP loss although only 400 instead of 1800, heavy bleeds, and fractures) with three items occupying only one slot each and weighing less overall.
Keep in mind that treating conditions like heavy bleeding, light bleeding, or fractures consumes a certain amount of "healing points" from medical kits. For instance, healing a heavy bleed that consumes 130 healing points isn’t a big deal with a Grizzly (which starts with 1800 points). However, using a Salewa first aid kit, which has only 400 points and requires 175 to stop heavy bleeding, means losing almost half of its capacity.
In general, it’s better to carry dedicated items for specific injuries to conserve your med kits for healing HP and to save time.
Destroyed (Blacked-Out) Limbs
When you lose a leg, you’ll limp and won’t be able to run. Losing an arm will make it harder to keep your weapon stable while aiming. If your stomach is destroyed, your character will groan in pain, making it easy for enemies to locate you.
In short, it’s a critical condition that needs immediate attention. Carrying a surgical kit is essential.
Painkillers and Pre-Med
Painkillers are extremely useful items for quickly managing issues like fractures or blacked-out limbs. They are almost indispensable for raids.
For instance, using painkillers allows you to sprint even if you have a fractured or blacked-out leg (although you’ll take slight damage to all other body parts with each step).
If you get a fracture from an enemy’s bullet, you can use a painkiller, which will not only let you move normally but also keep you pain-free for a certain period (depending on the painkiller). This effect neutralizes any further fractures or sources of pain during its duration.
An advanced technique worth learning early on is pre-medding: taking painkillers before or at the start of a fight to prevent potential issues from fractures or blacked-out limbs.
Limping from a broken leg during a gunfight often means certain death due to reduced mobility. By taking a painkiller “preemptively,” you can avoid this limitation entirely.
For this reason, many players take painkillers before entering a hot zone where enemies are likely or right at the start of a fight to prepare for any eventuality.
Some even stay under the constant effect of painkillers to be ready for anything at any moment. This is viable but expensive and also requires consuming food and water, as painkillers deplete hydration and energy faster.