Easy Money Part 1: Tarkov – Beginner’s Guide to Filling Your Pockets

Introduction

Tired of venturing into raids constantly broke, just hoping for a miraculous find? Or perhaps you are new to Escape from Tarkov, and find yourself struggling to stay afloat financially? In Escape from Tarkov, the struggle is real. The harsh environment, the constant threat of PMC’s and Scav’s, and the complexity of the game’s mechanics can be overwhelming, especially when you’re strapped for cash. Roubles, the in-game currency, are essential for survival and progression. You need them to buy gear, upgrade your hideout, and ultimately, become a more effective and confident player.

This guide, “Easy Money Part One: Tarkov,” is your starting point to building a solid financial foundation in the game. Forget about instant riches or high-risk strategies. We’re focusing on safe, consistent, and beginner-friendly methods that will allow you to steadily earn money in Escape from Tarkov, even if you’re new to the game or have limited resources. Consider this your economic survival primer for navigating the brutal world of Tarkov.

It’s important to acknowledge that Escape from Tarkov is a challenging game, and luck certainly plays a role in every raid. A rare find or a lucky encounter can significantly boost your earnings. However, relying solely on luck is a recipe for frustration. This guide provides reliable methods that, with consistent effort, will help you build a healthy bank account and reduce the stress of gear runs.

Understanding the Basics of Making Money in Tarkov

The core principle of making money in Escape from Tarkov is simple: find items of value and sell them to traders or on the Flea Market. The execution, however, requires knowledge, patience, and a little bit of planning. You need to know what to look for, where to find it, and, crucially, who to sell it to for the best profit.

Knowledge is power, and in Tarkov, it translates directly to Roubles. Learning the value of different items, understanding loot spawn locations, and knowing the traders’ preferences are all crucial for maximizing your earnings.

It’s also important to understand the balance between risk and reward. Higher-risk areas and strategies often offer the potential for greater profit, but they also come with a higher chance of losing your gear and your investment. This initial guide focuses on minimizing risk while still providing a reliable stream of income. We’ll leave the more daring expeditions for later articles.

Finally, understanding trader reputation and loyalty levels is essential for long-term financial success. As you complete tasks for traders and buy/sell items, you’ll increase your reputation with them. Higher reputation unlocks higher loyalty levels, which in turn grants access to better prices when buying and selling, as well as access to more valuable items. Don’t underestimate the power of a good relationship with your local arms dealer. Also, be wary of Fence, he will buy anything, and you can always increase his reputation, which is useful early game.

Low-Risk Money-Making Methods: The Beginner’s Arsenal

These methods prioritize safety and consistency, allowing you to build a solid foundation of Roubles without constantly risking your hard-earned gear.

Scav Runs: Your Best Economic Friend

If you’re new to Escape from Tarkov and struggling to make money, Scav runs are your best friend. Think of them as free money with a side of potential danger. A Scav run allows you to enter a raid as a randomly equipped Scav, with no initial investment. If you survive, you get to keep everything you loot. If you die, well, you lost nothing!

But which maps are best for Scav runs, especially when you’re just starting out?

• Factory: Factory is a fast-paced, close-quarters map. It’s not for the faint of heart, but it’s excellent for learning the basics of combat and looting quickly. Focus on the office area, where you can often find valuable items like flash drives and documents. Also, keep an eye out for dead Scav bodies; they often carry valuable loot.
• The Ruined Coastline: Also known as Shoreline. This location offers a good balance of risk and reward, especially for early-game Scav runs. Focus on looting stashes, which are marked on online maps. You can sometimes find dead PMC’s around resort, but it’s usually a hot spot.
• Woods: The large map with plenty of scavs. It’s relatively easy to navigate, making it ideal for new players. Focus on looting dead Scavs, checking the sawmill area (be careful!), and looting hidden stashes. Again, online maps are your friend.
• Interchange: A difficult map, as a beginner it’s probably best to avoid.

Before you rush into a Scav run, take a moment to assess your Scav’s loadout. What weapon are you carrying? What kind of armor (if any) do you have? What items are already in your inventory? Prioritize keeping the most valuable items, such as medical supplies, weapon attachments, and any loose loot like money, gold chains, or valuable electronics.

Extraction is the name of the game. Knowing the safest and easiest extractions on each map is crucial for surviving and keeping your loot. Learn the extraction points for each map and practice navigating to them in offline raids (more on that later). Don’t be afraid to extract early, even if you haven’t found a lot of loot. Surviving with something is always better than dying with nothing.

So, what items should you prioritize as a Scav? Here’s a detailed list with examples and approximate values:

• Loose Loot: Money, gold chains, bitcoins, rolers, lab cards, and other small valuable items. These can often be found in drawers, safes, and on desks.
• Attachments: Sights, muzzle devices, stocks, and grips are highly sought after by players. Even common attachments can fetch a decent price on the Flea Market.
• Medical Items: Salewas, IFAKs, Car Medkits, and SurvKits are always in demand. Players need them to heal injuries, so they are a consistent source of income.
• Food and Drink: Certain food and drink items, particularly those needed for hideout crafts, can be surprisingly valuable.
• Weapons: Keep an eye out for weapons in good condition, especially those with valuable modifications. A fully kitted AK can be worth significantly more than a stock one.
• Armor: High-durability armor is always valuable. Even damaged armor can be sold to traders for a decent price.

Offline Raids: Knowledge is Power (and Roubles)

While Scav runs are a great way to earn money, they can also be dangerous. That’s where offline raids come in. Offline raids allow you to explore maps and practice looting without the risk of losing your gear or facing other players.

Use offline mode to learn the layout of different maps, practice your Scav routes, and identify key loot spawn locations. You can even practice looting without engaging enemies to learn locations and routes. Experiment with different settings and maps to find what works best for you.

Specific Loot Run Examples

Let’s look at a couple of specific loot run examples to illustrate how these methods can be applied in practice.

• Factory Office Run (as Scav): Spawn into Factory as a Scav and immediately head towards the office area (the main office building in the center of the map). Check the desks, drawers, and shelves for valuable items. Be careful, as this area is often contested. Once you’ve looted the office, head to the Gate Three extraction point. This is a quick and easy run that can yield a decent profit in just a few minutes.
• Shoreline Stash Run (as Scav): Spawn into Shoreline as a Scav and head towards the stashes located along the coastline. These stashes are marked on online maps. Loot the stashes and then extract via the Tunnel extraction point. This is a longer run than the Factory example, but it can yield significantly more profit.

Selling Your Loot: Traders versus Flea Market

Once you’ve accumulated a stash of loot, it’s time to sell it. You have two main options: selling to traders or selling on the Flea Market.

Selling to traders is the simpler option. Traders offer guaranteed prices for items, and you don’t have to worry about competition from other players. However, traders generally offer lower prices than the Flea Market.

The Flea Market allows you to sell your items directly to other players. This can often result in higher profits, but it also requires more effort. You need to price your items competitively and be aware of Flea Market fees.

In the early game, prioritize selling to traders to build up your reputation and loyalty levels. These will unlock better prices and access to more valuable items. Traders like Fence, Prapor, Therapist, and Skier are particularly useful in the early game.

• Fence: Sell anything you find. It’s a good place to increase his rep, which is useful for your overall trader leveling.
• Prapor: Sell weapons, ammo, and weapon mods.
• Therapist: Sell medical supplies and valuable items like gold chains.
• Skier: Sell electronics and barter items.

Before selling anything, it’s a good idea to check prices on online resources like the Tarkov Market website. This will help you determine whether it’s more profitable to sell to a trader or on the Flea Market.

Also, don’t be afraid to use bartering. While it’s tempting to focus solely on selling for Roubles, bartering can be a good way to acquire items you need, such as weapon parts or medical supplies.

Inventory Management Tips

Efficient inventory management is crucial for maximizing your profits. Prioritize space by stacking items whenever possible and using containers to store valuable items. The Alpha and Beta containers are particularly useful for storing high-value items that you want to protect. Also, learn how to use rigs, they offer a decent amount of space early game.

Remember that upgrading your hideout will eventually provide better storage options and even passive income. Investing in your hideout is a long-term strategy that will pay off in the long run.

Conclusion: Your Journey Begins Here

Making money in Escape from Tarkov can seem daunting at first, but by focusing on safe, consistent, and beginner-friendly methods, you can build a solid financial foundation and reduce the stress of gear runs. Remember the importance of Scav runs, learning loot locations, and understanding the traders.

Keep practicing, keep learning, and you’ll see your Roubles start to grow. Don’t get discouraged by setbacks; everyone dies in Tarkov. The key is to learn from your mistakes and keep improving.

In “Easy Money Part Two,” we’ll explore more advanced money-making techniques, including PMC raids, map-specific loot runs, and using your hideout for profit. We’ll also delve into more complex strategies for navigating the Flea Market and maximizing your profits.

Now it’s your turn. Try these methods and share your experiences in the comments below. What are your favorite money-making strategies in Escape from Tarkov? What topics would you like to see covered in Part Two? Your feedback is valuable and will help us create even more helpful content in the future. Good luck in Tarkov, and happy raiding!