Best Escape from Tarkov Starter Tips | Early Wipe Start Guide

As a seasoned survivor of the desolate wasteland that is Tarkov, I can’t stress enough how crucial it is to heed these expertly crafted tips for newcomers. Having ventured through countless raids and emerged victorious (and sometimes not so much), I’ve learned a thing or two about thriving in this unforgiving environment.

Approximately every six months, Escape from Tarkov experiences a ‘wipe’, a complete reset that ensures fairness for all users on the platform. This is also the period when Tarkov sees an influx of players, with hundreds of thousands logging in to tackle fresh wipe assignments as soon as possible.

In this tutorial, I’ll be sharing top-notch starting strategies for Escape from Tarkov that will help you outperform other players at the onset of each server reset. If you’re a novice Tarkov gamer eager to learn the most effective techniques, look no further than this guide.

Best Tarkov Starter Tips for a New Wipe

Whether you’re a first-time Tarkov player or a veteran in need of a refresh, here are the best Tarkov tips you can use to get a foothold in the wipe as early as possible.

Run Your Gear

When the situation arises, feel confident to utilize your T4 rigs and vests, as most others will be relying on their PACA vests (if they are from USEC). Since they’re keen on preserving their valuable items, you’ll have an edge in this scenario. However, if you should happen to lose your T4 vest, you’ll need to put in extra effort to regain it, soldier.

If you happen to discover a T5 or even a rare T6 item in your storage or box, feel free to use it. This will significantly boost your resilience compared to other players who are not using such items.

Understand the Mechanics

Recently, Escape from Tarkov has experienced significant transformations, introducing novel gameplay elements. For example, in version 0.12.12.0, ‘inertia’ was incorporated, causing players to move more slowly due to added weight. Nowadays, users are taking advantage of maneuvers like climbing and jumping, and in the most recent update, 0.16.0.0, modifications concerning recoil have been adopted.

In recent updates, Tarkov has introduced various innovative features like hotkey techniques and advanced bipods for improved long-range precision. If you’ve taken a break, these new mechanics might leave you puzzled. So, make sure to familiarize yourself with the changes that have been made.

For novice players, it’s crucial to spend some time learning the fundamentals of Tarkov’s key features.

Healing
Inventory management
Insurance
Weapons and ammunition

Shopping List

For certain gamers, Escape from Tarkov functions as a loot-and-shoot game, where players actively move across the map in search of top-tier loot. To enhance your early-stage endeavors, it’s essential to gather specific items from the start, such as:

Salewa medkits
Morphine injectors
Gas analysers
Flash drives
Module 3M body armor
TOZ-106 shotgun
Small ‘Tushonka’
Toolsets

Furthermore, while navigating through the various maps of Tarkov, it’s essential to watch out for specific items that will greatly aid in the early stages of building your Hideout: these items are indispensable.

Leatherman Multitool
M-Tape
Car battery
Awl
Lightbulbs
Corrugated hose
Screws
Nails
Medical tools

Using Tarkov Dev can be quite beneficial for familiarizing yourself with the game’s maps, as it helps identify the locations where specific items tend to appear.

Prioritise

Prioritisation is key in Escape from Tarkov.

Instead of charging toward the gunfire in an attempt to grab some victories, might it be wiser to retreat for self-preservation? Or, should you seize the treasure at the risk of becoming overly burdened, or opt to continue your search for lighter items instead?

To begin, it’s advisable not to take everything at the start of a wipe. Instead, use resources like the Tarkov Market to find out what items are selling well and are most valuable. This will aid in managing your inventory more efficiently. Whenever possible, you should extract with all slots filled, but keep in mind that you won’t always be able to leave with a fully loaded backpack.

This new Tarkov wipe guide is centred around prioritisation when you think about it:

Prioritise high-value, necessary loot such as quest items and Hideout components
Prioritise quest completion over gunfights
Prioritise your route before loading onto a map
Prioritise one-time quests over daily or weekly tasks

Get Busy Tasking

One of the best Escape from Tarkov starter tips is to start grinding tasks as early as possible. By doing this, you’ll get a leg up on your opponents and start earning massive chunks of XP. Within a few raids, you’ll have the Flea Market unlocked – which is massively important and a key part of this early wipe start guide.

To that end, you’ll be heading to Ground Zero, the newest Tarkov map, to complete five tasks:

Burning Rubber
First in Line
Shooting Cans
Saving the Mole
Luxurious Life (unlocks after some pre-requisites)

In essence, Ground Zero serves as an introductory level for the game Escape from Tarkov. It’s designed to provide a compact, swift initiation to combat and exploration experiences for novice players.

If you’re skillful or stealthy, you can accomplish these tasks during a single run in Tarkov. This will result in earning numerous XP points upon your first raid exit, allowing you to unlock attractive early-wipe rewards. Additionally, it will serve as a morale boost for the challenges ahead.

Build Up

In Escape from Tarkov, The Hideout plays a crucial role. It provides numerous advantages, like crafting items, enhancing skills, and perks that you’ll find essential as you progress through the game. An effective tip for new players is to start constructing your Hideout right away.

The shopping list I’ve provided offers a starting point, but you’ll require substantial resources to maximize your Hideout effectively. Be sure to look out for essential items that will provide the greatest enhancements and advantages for your Hideout during gameplay.

Some of the key constructs you’ll want to focus on in the Tarkov Hideout are:

Workbench (weapon customisation)
Medstation (health regen and med crafting)
Intelligence Center (money gain boost)
Library (experience gain boost)

To access some of these, you’ll first need to address a range of aspects, including power, safety, lighting, and comfort features such as a resting spot and food production systems. After going through a Tarkov wipe, your Hideout will be fit for the most skilled Private Military Contractor (PMC).

Stash Management

Effective organization of your storage, often referred to as “stash management,” plays a crucial role in your wealth accumulation within Escape from Tarkov, particularly for standard players who have the standard-sized storage space. This is where you store the loot from your missions, including weapons, ammunition, medical supplies, food, and all other items you acquire or manufacture in Tarkov.

Here’s a solid new wipe Tarkov tip: Buy the Lucky Scav Junkbox as soon as possible. Once you’ve got the 1.1 million rubles needed, acquire the box to stash a stunning amount of quest, Hideout, and miscellaneous items that you’ll bring back from your raids. It’ll stop your stash from getting overwhelmed in the first days after the wipe.

Remember to also:

‘Backpack stack’, putting backpacks inside of each other to increase storage space
Strip guns, removing their magazines and grips to make them only one line deep. If it’s a cheap weapon, you can scrap or sell the magazines, putting on new ones later for just a few rubles

Make Gains

As a dedicated Tarkov player, one tip I always follow at the beginning, post-wipe, is to offload unnecessary items early. This quick sale grants me a substantial influx of cash, kickstarting my journey back into the game with a stronger financial position.

In other words, the extras that come with pre-ordering Edge of Darkness and The Unheard Edition – like caps, healing items, alcohol, specific weapons, low-quality accessories, and crafting materials – may not be useful to you. If you believe these items won’t serve a purpose, chances are you’re correct. As you acquire better gear in the game, holding on to these extras becomes unnecessary.

As a keen enthusiast, if I come across a ‘CALOK’ hemostatic dressing, I would opt for it over a CAT or an Esmarch tourniquet any day because it serves three essential purposes before it runs out. The same goes for the AI-2 medkit; in no time, it will be surpassed by IFAK, AFAK, Salewa, and Grizzly kits.

If you find a Grizzly, you’ll be soaring – that can heal heavy bleeds, light bleeds, injured limbs, concussions, and broken bones.

Running Guns

In the game Escape from Tarkov, the top choices for early-game firearms could determine the outcome of a battle, whether it’s victory or defeat. Immediately following a server reset (wipe), these weapons are abundant, and you often encounter players armed with them.

SKS
AKS-74U
M4A1
Mosin

These items are affordable, require minimal upkeep, and their ammo will be abundant at the game’s start due to widespread usage by others. As previously stated, don’t hesitate to use superior gear; it will provide you with a competitive advantage during the initial stages of play.

Be mindful to select the appropriate weapons for each Tarkov map. For instance, Woods calls for rifles, marksman rifles, or sniper rifles due to its expansive terrain. On the other hand, Customs and Factory are more suited for high-ergo assault rifles or SMGs, given their compact layouts.

When it comes to loading into a raid, make sure you’re insuring your gear with Prapor rather than Therapist, but don’t feel the need to waste money insuring very low-level equipment.

Preparation is Everything

If you’re a novice at Escape from Tarkov and are seeking valuable tips for your initial wipe, having an additional screen such as a second monitor, tablet, or any similar device would be highly beneficial. Having multiple screens significantly enhances the gaming experience in this game, as it enables you to simultaneously access maps, marketplaces, and quest guides for easier navigation and decision-making.

Tarkov isn’t a simple game; it’s deliberately challenging and can feel uncomfortable at moments. That’s why, for the best experience, it’s recommended to utilize a secondary screen while playing.

Here are the best sites to use when playing Tarkov:

Tarkov.dev (maps, item guides, profit trackers, loot tiers)
Tarkov Market (Flea Market tracker)
Wiki Ballistics (Ammo stats)
Wiki Quests (quest guides)
Map Genie (interactive maps)
Tarkov Changes (patch notes)

If you’re just starting out in Tarkov, consider either purchasing PvE access or opt for playing offline games with bots to familiarize yourself with the maps. However, avoid relying too heavily on these bot-populated matches as they won’t provide much combat experience – the real combat experience comes from playing against human opponents.

Buddy Up

As a gamer myself, I’d say it’s wise to team up when diving into Escape from Tarkov. Having more eyes and ears on the field, not to mention an extra weapon at hand, can be the difference between survival and defeat in this intense game. Plus, you’ve got backup when taking on challenging tasks, and they can ‘stash your loot’ if you bite the dust but they manage to stay alive.

Keeping that thought, numerous Tarkov communities thrive on social media sites, and plenty of active Discord servers are available for finding teammates. Many popular Tarkov streamers host Discord channels where you can connect with other Tarkov gamers looking to play together.

If you want to find Tarkov players to run with, try some of these servers:

Landmark
Pestily
Glorious_e
Gingy
WillerZ

Run Your Scavs

This is a divisive Tarkov starter tip as not many people agree with it, but it’s a solid recommendation to run your Scav character. In Escape from Tarkov, you can play as a temporary ‘Scav’ or your persistent PMC character. Playing as a Scav will see you assigned a one-shot build that you can take on any map – except Labs.

Playing the role of a Scav means you can’t finish tasks nor will your PMC character level up, but instead, it offers a thrilling chance to search for task items and gear without the fear of losing your own equipment or suffering financial losses on your PMC character.

If you’re finding yourself on a prolonged losing spree in a Private Military Company (PMC), it might be beneficial to attempt a Scavenger (Scav) run instead, to switch things up a bit. Scavs appear later during the raid, meaning that most of the intense action would have already transpired. This leaves fewer PMCs active, providing you with a chance to gather any leftover loot and remnants of skirmishes.

Quick Settings

Here are some quick settings changes you should make when you start playing Tarkov:

‘Autohide’ Quick Slots to increase visibility
‘Always Shown’ Stamina and Stance icons
‘Always Shown’ Health Condition
‘Polychrome’ Health Color Scheme, making it easier to see what’s injured
‘Head Bobbing’ set to 0.2, as low as possible
‘FOV’ should be between 66 – 70
‘Malfunction Notifications’ On

That’s the full breakdown of the best Escape from Tarkov starter tips. I hope this helps you get started in your first wipe – or your first wipe back. Have fun out there!

For more Tarkov guides, learn how map-to-map travel works

2024-12-26 16:18