Get the most out of the first few days of the wipe with our EFT early wipe guide!
The early wipe in Escape from Tarkov is the most chaotic, thrilling, and rewarding time in the game. Everyone starts from scratch, scrambling for loot, completing quests, and trying to get an edge.
I’ve been through enough early wipes to know what works and what doesn’t. From questing efficiently to making money, maximizing XP, and picking the right gear, this guide covers everything you need to dominate the early game.
The goal is to help you progress faster, level up efficiently, and avoid common mistakes. So let’s break it down and set you up for success in the early wipe in Tarkov.
The Ultimate EFT Early Wipe Guide
1. Choosing Your Faction
One of the first decisions you’ll make is choosing between USEC and BEAR. But honestly, it doesn’t matter much. The main differences are starting gear and voice lines.
USEC gets an M4 and MP5, while BEAR starts with an AK-74M and PP-19. You might prefer USEC for its English voice lines or BEAR for its Russian aesthetic, but in the grand scheme of things, your faction won’t impact your success.
There is a minor downside for BEARs: rogues on Lighthouse will shoot at you from farther away, making it slightly harder to farm them later. Unless you’re committed to the long game, pick whichever faction you prefer. Personally, I go USEC for the drip, but it’s just my personal preference.
Also Read: EFT Wipe Day Tips: What to Do on Your First Day
2. How to Level Up Fast in Early Wipe
If you want to stay ahead of the pack, leveling up quickly is essential. Experienced players progress faster because they know what to focus on. The secret is, always enter a raid with a goal.
Instead of blindly chasing a quest objective, optimize your runs. For example, if you need a pocket watch from Customs, don’t rush in immediately. Loot jackets, grab quest items, and hit stashes along the way. This way, even if you die, you still gain XP.
Quests are the biggest XP boosters, but headshots are an underrated way to farm experience. Always aim for the head. Headshotting scavs, PMCs, and bosses significantly increases your XP gain. Killing Roshala, for example, normally gives 2,500 XP, but a headshot bumps it to 5,500 XP. That’s a massive difference.
Lastly, survival matters. Surviving a raid applies a 1.3x XP multiplier to everything you did. Even if you don’t kill much, just extracting is a great way to maximize XP. Also, manually healing with a Grizzly in your stash gives bonus XP—every little bit adds up.
3. Securing Your Gear
Your secure container is your best friend in the early wipe, especially if you’re using a standard account with a tiny 2×2 Alpha container. You need to be smart about what goes in it.
- CMS Kit – As soon as you find one, keep it in your container. It lets you fix blacked-out limbs, including your stomach.
- Painkillers & Splints – A broken leg in Tarkov is a death sentence if you can’t move. Always keep a painkiller or splint ready.
- Quest Items & Keys – If you find an important quest item, stash it. Dying with it in your pockets means losing it forever.
- Metabolism Boosting – Using Golden Star balm early wipe helps level your metabolism, reducing food and water penalties.
For loadouts, early wipe guns like SMGs (MP5, PP-19) and budget rifles (SKS, Mosin) are fantastic due to their low recoil and cheap ammo. Level 3 armor and helmets are a priority, and Peacekeeper Level 1’s Onar helmet is a great budget pick.
Also Read: The Only EFT Hideout Guide You’ll Need
4. Hideout Upgrades
Your hideout is a massive asset in the early wipe. Upgrading it strategically will save you time, help you craft quest items, and even generate passive income.
What to upgrade first:
- Medstation – Unlocks crafting for painkillers, CMS kits, and other essentials.
- Workbench – Lets you craft high-value barter items and quest items.
- Intelligence Center – Reduces scav cooldowns and improves quest rewards.
- Bitcoin Farm (eventually) – GPUs are dirt cheap early wipe, but their price skyrockets later. Stock up early if you plan on running a farm.
A simple rule: if you have spare rubles, invest them in your hideout. Prices for upgrade materials will only increase as more players reach the same milestones.
5. Painkillers, Metabolism, and Survival
Painkillers are a must in Tarkov, but they come with trade-offs. Most painkillers drain hydration and energy, making metabolism one of the most important early wipe skills. The faster you level metabolism, the less negative impact painkillers will have on your survival.
- Use painkillers frequently, Golden Star is the best early wipe option because it not only removes pain but also restores energy over time.
- Always eat and drink in-raid to gain passive skill points, even if you’re not low on hydration or energy.
- Pick up food and water, even if you don’t need it immediately. Having extras lets you sustain yourself in extended fights or make a quick profit selling them on the flea market later.
- Avoid chugging water or food all at once. Instead, consume small amounts over time for better skill progression.
- If you run low on hydration, prioritize finding juice or condensed milk in raids—these provide both hydration and energy.
For painkillers, I follow a simple progression based on efficiency and availability:
- Golden Star – The best for metabolism leveling. It lasts 6 minutes and even provides a small energy boost, making it the most efficient painkiller early on.
- Ibuprofen – With 15 charges, it’s a great mid-wipe option for long-lasting pain relief. Its extended use means fewer supplies needed per raid.
- Propital – A must-have later in the wipe. Not only does it remove pain, but it also provides passive healing for five minutes, making it one of the best stimulants for survival in high-risk fights.
6. Making Money Early Wipe
Making money early wipe might seem tough, but it’s actually straightforward if you follow a few key rules.
Big Bags, Big Rigs
Always wear the largest backpack and chest rig you can find. Even if it’s a cheap one, more space equals more loot, which equals more money. The more you can carry, the more rubles you’ll make. If you kill a scav or a PMC with a better bag or rig, always swap it out.
Loot Everything
Every empty slot in your inventory is wasted rubles. Even a cheap 2,000-ruble item is better than nothing. Prioritize high-value items, but don’t leave slots empty—swap lower-value loot for better ones as you go. Hidden stashes, sports bags, and filing cabinets often contain valuable finds, so always check them.
Check Fence
Early wipe, players dump gear at Fence all the time. You might find a cheap scav backpack, a solid chest rig, or even decent weapons for next to nothing. Since many players sell their scav gear to Fence instead of traders, you can grab some useful equipment for a fraction of the cost.
Learn Loot Runs
Knowing good loot spots is key. Stash runs on Customs, Interchange, and Woods can be extremely profitable. Dorms on Customs, Techlight on Interchange, and hidden stashes on Woods or Shoreline are great spots for quick money. Learn the high-value loot spawns and rotate between them.
Sell Wisely
Not everything should be sold immediately. Some items, like GPUs, tetriz, and high-tier barter items, will rise in value later in the wipe. Consider holding onto items that will be useful for hideout upgrades or key quests, but don’t hoard too much or you’ll run out of stash space.
Insurance is Situational
If you’re solo, insuring gear makes sense since you can hide it in bushes or undercover. But expensive armor and fully modded weapons will almost always get looted, so think twice before insuring them. Scavs also loot bodies, meaning your gear is less likely to come back if it’s valuable. However, insuring cheaper loadouts, like basic weapons and rigs, can sometimes pay off.
Also Read: How to Start A Wipe Late in Tarkov – 5 Strategies to Catch Up
7. Leveling Up Traders
One of the biggest hurdles when leveling up traders in Escape from Tarkov is the money spent with them. While reputation also matters, money spent is the primary factor for unlocking higher trader levels. Daily and weekly quests can help with reputation, but efficient spending is the key. Let’s break down the best ways to maximize money spent with each trader.
1. Prapor – Insurance and Grenades
Prapor is one of the easiest traders to level up since insurance counts toward money spent. Always use Prapor’s insurance—it’s cheaper than Therapist’s, and though slower, it’s a great way to get value.
Once he reaches Level 2, start buying grenades from him every reset. It might not seem like much, but spending 27k–28k rubles per reset adds up quickly. He also sells the Ratnik helmet, a solid choice for early-game protection. Additionally, his AK variants are weapons you’ll frequently use, naturally increasing your spending with him.
2. Therapist – Healing and Junk Box
Therapist is the easiest trader to level up. Any rubles spent healing through her after raids count as money spent. Selling barter items to her instead of using the flea market also helps, as she generally offers the best prices. If an item isn’t accepted by Therapist, the next best trader is Peacekeeper.
Additionally, purchasing medical supplies like AI-2s, Salewas, and Surv12 kits contributes to leveling her up. The biggest money sink, however, is the Scav Junk Box, which costs around a million rubles and significantly boosts money spent with her.
3. Skier – Headsets and Euros
Skier can be frustrating to level due to limited high-value purchases. The best way is to buy headsets from him consistently. Over time, this adds up. He also sells useful weapon attachments early in the wipe, which you’ll naturally buy.
Another method is buying Euros, but only if you need them for later investments, such as the Solar Power upgrade in the hideout or the Mentor quest for Peacekeeper. If you ever need money spent fast, you can buy Euros from Skier and use them with Ragman for markers, doubling your trader spending.
4. Peacekeeper – Buy USD
The best and simplest way to level up Peacekeeper is to buy USD from him. You’ll need large amounts later for weapon attachments, tasks, and purchases, including 13,000 USD for quests alone. Avoid selling to Peacekeeper just to increase spending, it results in financial loss. Just buy USD whenever possible, as you’ll need it throughout the wipe.
5. Mechanic – Selling Attachments and Guns
Mechanic naturally levels up as you sell him gun parts and weapons. He offers the best value for mechanical components, so always offload attachments and broken-down weapons to him. His late-game barter trades for weapon cases also significantly boost spending. Since barters count towards money spent, take advantage of them whenever possible.
6. Ragman – Selling Armor and Buying Gear
Ragman is another trader that levels up naturally. Sell unwanted armor and rigs to him, especially insured gear that no longer fits your playstyle. If you’re using Level 4 armor, sell any returned Level 3 armor to Ragman instead of Fence.
Repairing gear before selling also counts toward money spent. As you unlock better loadouts, purchases of backpacks, helmets, and armor will also add up, making it unnecessary to go out of your way to increase spending.
7. Jaeger – Bartering and Antique Axes
Jaeger is often the hardest trader to level due to his limited useful items. The best way to boost money spent is to barter for a Dog Tag Case at Level 1, which can be resold to him for 186,000 rubles. At Level 2, he offers a Thermal Bag barter, which is worth getting.
Conclusion
That wraps it up for our EFt early wipe guide. The start of the wipe in Tarkov is all about efficiency. If you optimize your questing, money-making, and XP gain while managing your gear properly, you’ll be ahead of most players.
Focus on your secure container, prioritize key hideout upgrades, always bring painkillers, and level up your traders. Stick to these tips, and you’ll dominate the early wipe in Tarkov with ease.
