EFT Tutorial and Guide
THE TARKOV CENTRAL
USEC or BEAR?
When you start playing Escape from Tarkov, or after a wipe, every player faces what seems like a difficult choice: should I play as a BEAR or a USEC?
Personally, I’ve almost always chosen USEC and I only played as a BEAR once for two reasons:
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Curiosity.
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Starting weapons. BEARs begin with Russian firearms, which makes it easier to find compatible ammunition and weapon mods early on.
However, in practice, the weapon choice didn't make much of a difference. The starting gear has minimal impact, especially since USECs can simply buy and use Russian weapons anyway, as many common ones are available from early levels.
A Major Difference: Rogue AI Faction Behavior
One big difference between BEAR and USEC at the moment is that the Rogue AI faction is aggressive towards BEARs but remains neutral towards USECs unless provoked. This has a significant impact when playing on Lighthouse (currently the only map where players can encounter Rogues), especially when completing quests there.
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USECs are not shot on sight by Rogues. They can enter the Water Treatment Plant (WTP) without being attacked, as long as they don’t get too close to the Rogues or fire at them. However, if a USEC shoots at a Rogue, all Rogues will become hostile towards them for the next three raids (these can take place on any map, not just Lighthouse).
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BEARs are shot on sight by Rogues—and from extreme distances with pinpoint accuracy (it is likely a bug and should be fixed by BSG). This means that, before being able to enter the Water Treatment Plant, BEARs must clear out all Rogues, who often have aimbot-level precision and become even deadlier when using the mounted guns on the three WTP buildings.
BSG has long mentioned the possibility of adding a faction (RUAF?) that would be neutral or friendly to BEARs and hostile to USECs, but so far, this has not been implemented. As a result, only BEARs currently suffer the disadvantage of having an AI faction that is exclusively hostile to them.
Which One Should You Choose?
For this reason, at least for now, choosing USEC is recommended if you want to take advantage of this mechanic. However, keep in mind that many players still choose BEAR and manage to progress—even if it’s more difficult.
If you want more information about the differences between BEAR and USEC before making your choice, I recommend this excellent video by Gigabeef, known for his thorough and informative content: Should You Choose BEAR or USEC In Escape From Tarkov?