Guide · Gear
Escape from Tarkov: ammo, armor and budget kits
Objective
Why ammo matters more than guns, how armor classes work and how to kit on a budget.
5 steps · 3 min read
- 1
Ammo beats gun choice. Penetration value decides whether a round damages through armor. Cheap ammo with low penetration bounces off higher armor classes.
- 2
Armor classes run 1–6. Mid-tier players should aim for Class 4 armor and helmets as a baseline.
- 3
Strong budget picks: AKM with decent 7.62x39 rounds, or an M4A1 once unlocked. Mosin or SKS work for scav-heavy early raids.
- 4
Learn one map deeply (Customs or Factory early)
Extracts, spawns and loot routes beat better gear.
- 5
Insure your gear and run only what you can afford to lose.
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