A great thing about Escape from Tarkov is the variety of locations that you can explore and play as you progress throughout the game. Some areas are a breeze, while others require a bit more skill and strategy. One of these more challenging areas is the EFT Labs map, which we will discuss in more detail in this article.
Sep 02, 2020 The Lab Underground laboratory complex TerraGroup Labs is a secret object right under the center of Tarkov. Officially, this research center does not exist and, based on data scraps, is engaged in R&D, testing and simulation projects in chemistry, physics, biology, and high-tech areas. Escape from Tarkov Beginner's Guide to The Lab. The Lab is a top-secret underground laboratory facility built by the Terra Group underneath the city of Tarkov. It does not exist in any official records and its existence surfaced only after the Tarkov conflict escalated and personnel evacuation had to be carried out. Escape from Tarkov Maps Each EFT Map has its own characteristics, match styles, and bosses. To get the most out of each match, it is essential to have a good understanding of what you will be getting into each time you load up Customs or The Lab. How to get a Red Keycard in Escape from Tarkov. Despite being used on the Lab map, the Red Keycard isn’t actually found there, in a similar manner to the other keys like the Factory key and Unknown Key. To get a Red Keycard you need to explore the Shoreline map and run through a few different spawn locations on the map. Feb 17, 2020 Here are all the exit locations for Terragroup Labs Map in Escape From Tarkov. Click timestamp below for each exit. Main Elevator - 0:02 Ventilation Shaft Exit - 1:23 Medical Block Elevator - 2:04.
Labs Map for EFT: What is it?
First things first, let’s orient the uninitiated, shall we? Right under the heart of Tarkov lies TerraGroup Labs, an underground laboratory facility meant to do R&D, testing, and simulation on various projects. In the game, it is a hardcore, medium-sized map that’s meant to challenge players and reward those who can clear it with sweet loot. It can have 6 up to 10 USEC or BEAR players per run.
Important note: insurance DOES NOT work inside the Labs map of EFT. Regardless of which trader you purchase insurance from, they won’t be able to retrieve any items you may lose inside. In fact, they will inform you that they couldn’t find the location and that their men didn’t come back.
How do I find Key Cards for the lab?
Accessing Tarkov’s Labs map requires each player to have a TerraGroup Labs access key card. This can be traded in limited quantities for Roubles with Therapist (level 2) or for Bitcoin with Mechanic (level 2). It has a low drop chance on Scav backpacks or pockets as well as filing cabinets. Note that this particular card is single-use and consumed upon entering the Lab. Now, of course, this only provides entry to the map–and other parts of the location are locked behind the need for other, color-coded key cards.
(Side note: access key cards for the Lab aren’t used up when you are playing offline. Items also stay intact and don’t get lost upon death in this mode.)
Each area that a key card opens provides certain types of loot. The black one unlocks the Test Room – Room G12. Blue opens up the Quarantine Zone, while the green card allows access to the Sterile Laboratory. There are also red, violet, and yellow key cards that open various areas, as well as keys to the arsenal storage room, manager’s office, and testing area. For a more in-depth guide on these key cards, what areas they open, and how to obtain them, refer to the links further down below.
What are the challenges that await me when running Labs?
The presence of Scav Raiders makes the Labs more difficult than other locations. They are often grouped in threes, are surprisingly formidable, and can kill you if you underestimate them or commit a misstep. Raiders are also well-equipped with armor, although they tend to lack head protection most times. But, as long as you’re good at clicking heads, checking corners, and taking cover, you should be fine against them.
In terms of extraction points, the Lab has multiple of those. The catch, however, is that each of these extraction points carries a requirement that you need to fulfill before it’s activated – and Scavs show up near doors upon activating these exfil’s.
Worse, there is also an announcer that triggers whenever Scavs manage to get inside the facility or when a player or squad extracts in most spots. Not all spots are always available as well.
You can exfil through the Sewage Conduit or the Ventilation Shaft without triggering the announcer, but the requirements must still be met. For Sewage Conduit, the player must first sink the water level (which takes about half a minute); while for Ventilation Shaft, players can’t have a backpack that’s larger than MBSS.
How do I prepare for an EFT Lab Map Run?
As challenging as the Labs map may be, these hurdles are something you can prepare for beforehand. If anything, proper preparation is essential before running this raid. While the loot makes the Labs worthwhile, you can’t benefit from it without beating the map first.
Key cards do not usually come cheap, but securing these is actually the easy part. What’s trickier is understanding the map, its exfil locations, and the strategy you (or your squad) would follow while doing the raid. Key cards open only select locations, which means knowing the nearest extraction point would prove useful for you and/or your squad. It’s also important to know the requirement of the exfil you’re going for to iron out your game plan.
Next, gear! Never enter the Labs without the proper equipment for it. Raiders do actually hit hard and have pretty decent AI, not to mention you may also run into players. You might feel a little nervous about wearing pricey gear for this raid, but think of the possible loot you can get when you finish it. Weapons, valuables, meds, and more await – so don’t hesitate to gear up!
In terms of ammo, you would want to have armor piercing rounds on you. Scav raiders usually have armor in the mid and high tiers. It’s better to err on the side of caution when gauging the type of armor they have. Assume they are wearing something better than you expect. Besides, it is much smarter to aim for their heads anyway, as they don’t usually wear face shields.
Are there available guides I can reference?
In case you want to learn more about the Labs, there are a few guides you can check out online. On the EFT website, for example, there’s a forum post from user Thug_Life_WASD with a detailed illustration of the location and its areas. It’s an excellent resource for learning exfil locations, key card areas, and more. For keys and where to find them, Reddit user u/blindenvy made a thread on the EFT subreddit. There’s also info available on the Wiki. To get a better feel of how to play the Labs, check out some videos on YouTube or Twitch.
The Tarkov Labs map is designed as end-game content, and it does live up to that label. With its challenging layout, AI, and gameplay, it is something players would go back to and play over and over. As long as you plan out your runs, nothing is stopping you from beating this map and making decent money out of it!
Credit: Escape From Tarkov Labs Map Guide | Essential Info
Your escapades in the city of Tarkov have likely been plagued by swarms of Scavs shouting at you while pumping you full of lead.
After a while, you’ve probably gotten used to getting into fights with them, and used to how poor the loot they drop is. If you’re tired of just grabbing loot from boxes and running to locations with good loot drops, then maybe you should try hunting down some raiders instead.
Raiders are heavily geared and more tactical than your everyday scav. If you manage to take a few down, you’ll end up with a decent amount of good equipment. They’ll fight better and tend to stay in groups, so make sure that the area is clear before jumping for loot.
Finding Raiders
Tarkov Laboratory Map
With the exception of the Pre-Wipe events that happen occasionally, Raiders will spawn on the maps Lab and Reserve.
Lab
Due to the requirement of an access card in order to enter the map, Labs is a high risk high reward map to raid. Instead of scavs, all enemies will be raiders.
In two sections of the map, there are locations where you can press a button to activate an extraction. Finding and pressing the button will sound an alarm, spawn raiders, and open a gate for you to use to get to an extraction point. These gates are not always available to be opened however.
The two locations are the Parking Gate, and the Hangar Gate.
In the Parking Gate area, you’ll have to head through a door and up a flight of stairs to get to the room that contains the button to open the gate itself. Finding your way up there should be simple enough.
In the Hangar Gate area, there is a flight of stairs leading up to a catwalk, on top of which lies a small metal cabin. Inside the cabin is the button to open the gate.
Factory
As soon as you press either of these buttons, you may want to vacate the room and find a defensible position, as Raiders will be spawned and will head towards the gate. Occasionally, raiders will enter from behind the previously closed gate, so be careful of standing in front of it, and if you intend to use the gate as an extraction as well.
Reserve
Unlike the Lab, Reserve doesn’t only spawn raiders as normal enemies, but you can perform certain actions to open extraction points and spawn raiders.
Near the western side of the map, next to the building marked with a White Pawn, is a small breaker room. Flipping the switch on the inside will cause an alarm to sound, and a timer for the Bunker Hermetic Door extraction to begin.
When the switch is flipped, Raiders have a chance to spawn a number of Raiders near the extraction point itself, in the vicinity of the Train Station on the eastern side of the map. The alarm is loud enough to hear from almost every area on the map, so you’ll know if someone has flipped the switch, and to then be cautious in the Train Station area.
In the underground area beneath the Pawn, Bishop, and King buildings, is another switch in a breaker room. Flipping the switch won’t unlock the D-2 extraction point until you press a separate button, but may spawn raiders in that underground area.
Raider Tactics
Unlike normal scavs, Raiders may be more aggressive, and fight smarter. They may attempt to flank, or simply rush you when you’re unprepared. They also come equipped with generally strong ammunition, so if you’re extremely unlucky you might just get dropped without a chance to fire back.
Raiders will also be well protected, so don’t expect to take one down just by spraying 9mm down a hallway, unless you get some lucky headshots. They’ll have up to Level 4 Helmets and Level 6 body armor.
To take down a group of raiders, you might prefer to stay at a distance and pick them off one by one, or hold an angle that you know they will push through in order to bottleneck them. When you do manage to take one down, make sure that his squad is also dead, otherwise you might get an unlucky shot to the back of the head.
Raider Loot
Raiders will come equipped with larger and more modern weaponry than other scavs. Here are a few of the possible weapons they’ll have at their disposal.
- Several AK Variants
- SKS
- AS VAL
- SA-58
- SR-25
- M4A1
- HK416
- DT MDR
- TX-15
- MP5
- MP7
As mentioned before, Raiders can spawn with Helmets up to armor tier 4, and body armor up to armor tier 6.
If you manage to take one down quickly or using a grenade, you might end up with some armor that has a decent durability remaining. Here are some of the pieces you can get.
- ULACH Helmet – Level 4
- ZSh-1-2M Helmet – Level 4 – Faceshield 3
- TC800 Helmet – Level 4 – Visor 2
- Slick Plate Carrier – Level 6
- Gen4 Armor (High Mobility and Assault) – Level 5
- FORT Redut-M/Defender-2 – Level 5
- Trooper Armor – Level 4
If a raider doesn’t have any body armor, they may instead have an armored carrier rig. Otherwise, they might have a decently sized rig, so here are a few of the possible pieces.
- 5.11 Tactec Plate Carrier – Level 5
- TV-110 Plate Carrier – Level 4
- M2 Armored Rig – Level 4
- AVS Platecarrier – Level 4
- Triton Chest Harness
- MPPV
- Commando Chest Harness
As for loose loot, they can have a few notable items from the Provisions and Ammunition loot tables, along with some IFAK medical kits and Labs Access Cards.
While Raiders may be somewhat more threatening than Scavs, they are definitely a more lucrative source for loot. If you’re going hunting for raiders, make sure you’re well equipped, or go with some friends.
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