**12 Things You Need to Know About Escape from Tarkov as a New Player**
To say **Escape from Tarkov** is a complex game does a massive disservice to the concept of complexity. Like all truly complex things, the best way to tackle Tarkov is one little piece at a time. In this guide, we’ll cover 12 basic concepts you need to know as a beginner to help you start your journey in Tarkov.
—
### What Is a Raid?
A **raid** is Escape from Tarkov’s term for a match, round, or instance. Whenever you select and load into a map, that constitutes entering a raid.
Raids have timers that start counting down the moment the first player spawns. If you don’t extract before the timer hits zero, the game treats it as if you died — you lose everything you brought in and everything you found that wasn’t in your Secure Container.
If you successfully extract, you keep all your loot and can sell it for money to buy better gear.
—
### What Is a Secure Container?
The **Secure Container** (also called a Pouch) is a special, small storage container your PMC carries that allows you to keep some items safe, even if you die during a raid. Other players cannot access the items inside your Secure Container when looting your body, guaranteeing their safety.
Most players keep essential meds and ammo in their Secure Container. As a raid progresses, they swap out cheaper items for more valuable loot found in the raid.
—
### How Do I Start a Raid?
Starting a raid involves several steps:
– From the main menu, select **Escape from Tarkov**.
– Choose either **Scav** or **PMC**.
– If you choose **Scav**, select a map, choose a time of day, and click **Ready**. Clicking **Next** lets you review your Scav gear.
– If you choose **PMC**, you can select a **Practice raid** (where dying costs you nothing). Clicking **Next** opens the insurance menu, and one more click on **Next** brings you to the ready screen.
—
### What Is a Scav? What Is a PMC?
Before loading into a raid, you must choose between a **Scav** and a **PMC**, each serving a unique purpose.
– **PMC (Private Military Company):**
Your main character, fully customizable in appearance and equipment including weapons, armor, and ammo. When you enter a raid as a PMC, you spawn at the start of the raid timer, and initially will only encounter other PMCs for about 17 minutes.
– **Scav:**
Scavs spawn later into the raid with randomized, low-quality gear. You cannot customize them. Scavs offer a relatively risk-free way to loot, explore, and earn money without risking your PMC’s expensive gear.
Additionally, each raid features AI-controlled Scavs—less threatening than PMCs but still dangerous.
—
### What Is Insurance?
**Insurance** lets you pay a fee to either Prapor or Therapist to insure your gear in a raid. If you die, insured items may be returned to you unless:
– They were picked up and extracted by another PMC.
– They were picked up and extracted by a player-controlled Scav.
– They were picked up and kept by an AI Scav.
If none of these apply, the insured items are returned to your in-game mailbox.
– **Prapor’s return time:** 24–36 hours
– **Therapist’s return time:** 18–24 hours (more expensive due to faster return)
Note: Items are held for one real-world week before being permanently lost.
—
### How to Tell the Difference Between a Scav and a PMC in a Raid
While Scavs and PMCs generally look different, it can sometimes be tricky at a distance.
**PMCs usually:**
– Wear larger backpacks and military-style ammo.
– Carry more modern, fancier weapons.
– Wear military fatigues and good helmets.
**Scavs generally:**
– Wear civilian clothes with brighter colors.
– Lack helmets, large backpacks, or headphones.
– Carry low-quality, crummy-looking weapons.
A common exception is when a Scav loots a PMC’s body and wears better gear; in these cases, look at their leggings (which cannot be swapped) to identify them.
As a Scav player, avoid killing fellow Scavs—doing so will cause all AI Scavs to attack you. As a PMC, almost everyone else is hostile.
—
### What Are Extractions in a Raid?
**Extraction points** are the only way to leave a raid and keep your loot. Each map has multiple extracts, usually located on the opposite side from where players spawn, forcing PMCs toward conflict.
PMCs and Scavs often have separate extractions, except for:
– **Co-op extracts:** Available when a player Scav and PMC extract together.
– Some map-specific extracts accessible by both factions (rare).
Most extractions require you to stand in place for several seconds (typically 8 seconds), but some advanced extractions on maps like Reserve or The Lab require additional interactions, making those maps less suitable for beginners.
—
### What Is a Stash?
Your **stash** is your out-of-raid inventory—a grid of cells where you store all purchased or looted items that aren’t currently on your PMC.
Every item in Escape from Tarkov has a size measured in cells, which determines how much stash space it occupies.
—
### What Is a Bear? What Is a USEC?
**Bear** and **USEC** are the two player factions in Escape from Tarkov. They function identically in gameplay but differ in aesthetics, voice acting, and starting gear.
– **USEC:** Starts with Western weapons like the M4A1 and MDR.
– **Bear:** Starts with Russian-style weapons like the AK series.
Later-game customization options and NPC faction reactions may differ slightly based on your choice, but these nuances don’t impact beginners significantly.
—
### What Are Traders?
**Traders** are the vendors in Tarkov from whom you can buy gear and supplies.
There are seven main Traders, each specializing in different equipment:
– **Prapor:** Russian weapons, especially AK-style rifles.
– **Therapist:** Medicines and healing items.
– **Skier:** Mixed Russian and Western gear.
– **Peacekeeper:** Western firearms like M4A1, M1911.
– **Mechanic:** Western gear and weapon modifications.
– **Ragman:** Backpacks, armor, helmets, and rigs.
Each Trader has a reputation system—completing tasks and spending money increases your reputation, unlocking better gear and exclusive items.
—
### What Are Tasks?
**Tasks** are quests assigned by Traders requiring you to:
– Go to specific locations in raids.
– Find and deliver specific items.
– Kill certain targets.
There are hundreds of tasks ranging from simple to highly challenging. Completing them rewards cash, experience, loot, and Trader reputation.
Most item fetch tasks can be completed using either a PMC or Scav, but task-specific items only appear when the task is active and only for PMC players.
—
### What Is the Hideout?
The **Hideout** is your personal base where you can spend money and loot to:
– Unlock crafting recipes.
– Gain buffs to your character’s stats.
– Expand storage space.
There are 25 Hideout stations available, each with up to three upgrade levels. Upgrading requires increasingly rare items, money, and high Trader and skill levels.
Many items needed for the Hideout are a driving force in Tarkov’s player economy, as it is often easier to buy them than to find and extract them in raids.
—
### Final Thoughts
Escape from Tarkov is a deep and challenging game, but focusing on these 12 foundational concepts will make your early experience smoother and more enjoyable. There’s a lot more to discover, so take your time, learn at your own pace, and good luck in Tarkov!
—
*Ready to dive in? See you in the raid!*
https://www.shacknews.com/article/146186/12-things-new-players-need-to-know-about-escape-from-tarkov
