Escape from Tarkov: The Ultimate Reserve Map Guide

Introduction

Escape from Tarkov's Reserve map is a lucrative yet dangerous battlefield filled with valuable loot. In this comprehensive guide, you'll learn all the tips and tricks for surviving and thriving on Reserve.

Background on Reserve

12 PMC player map with Scav boss (Gluhar) and raiders
Known for action-packed PVP at hotspots like Domes and Knights buildings
Some of the best loot in EFT like intelligence, GPUs, Tetriz, etc.

What You'll Learn

In this guide, we'll cover:

In-depth layout overview with key areas
Must-have keys and marked room guides
Loot guides for high tier items
Extraction tips, including Train and Sewer extracts
Scav boss and raider spawn info
Combat tactics and tips for beginners through advanced

And much more! Whether you just bought EFT or have 500 hours played, you'll find helpful info here.

Map Overview

Before we get into strategies, let's overview the layout so you can navigate confidently on your PMC and Scav runs.

eft-reserve

Size and Player Count

12 PMC players maximum per map
Scavs and scav boss + guards also spawn in

Buildings and Key Areas

Here are some key buildings and areas to know:

The Dome

Overlooks center area
Multiple weapon crates
Intelligence spawns scattered throughout interior rooms

King Building

Central 3-story building with valuable tech spawns
Marked room and intel spawns inside

Black & White Bishop Buildings

Black Bishop - tech stores (GPUs, Tetriz) and meds
White Bishop - medical building with loads of meds and some tech spawns

Black & White Knight Buildings

Multiple locked rooms with intel spawns and weapon parts

Black & White Rook/Pawn Buildings

Weapon parts and ammunition spawns

Bunker System

Connects many buildings underground
High value item spawns - hoses, military cables, etc.
New D2 bunker extract

Train Station

Armored train arrives periodically as extraction
Also spawns raiders

Plus more areas to loot!

Must-Have Keys

Prioritize grabbing these keys early wipe:

Marked Room Keys - RB-BK, RB-VO, RB-SMP, RB-PSP1, RB-PSP2
High Value Rooms - RB-ST, RB AM, RB-PS81, RB-MP21

I'll break down the marked rooms and best keys in the next section...

Marked Rooms and Key Guides

Marked Rooms

Here is what you can expect to find in each marked room:

RB-BK (Black Bishop)

Weapons cases, key tools, and other rare loot

RB-VO (Black Pawn)

Grenade cases, weapons

RB-SMP (White Bishop)

Key tools and rare medical items

RB-PSP1

Great attachments and modded weapon spawns

Top 5 Keys

Here are my top 5 "git gud" keys to help you dominate Reserve:

RB-ST - Multiple tank batteries, attachment spawns
RB-AM - Great room for firesteel, military cables
RB-PS81 - Key with 6 intelligence folder spawns
RB-MP21 - Several attachment spawns, can find heavily modded AK
RB-TB - Tech loot like GPUs and tetriz

Loot Guides

Let's overview places to find the best loot on Reserve!

Intelligence Folders

With over 40 intel spawns, I highly recommend an empty Docs case to load these up each raid.

Some rooms have 3-6 intel folder spawns clumped together. The ones you should repeatedly hit each spawn are:

King Building 2nd floor
White Knight Building
Black Knight Building

Graphics Cards, Tetriz, and Tech Loot

The best tech loot spawns are scattered throughout the map:

King Building has a couple spawns on the first floor
Black Bishop third floor has a GPU spawn
Marked rooms of course

Weapons and Attachments

You can find spare weapons and attachments in the following areas:

Rook buildings
Marked rooms
Weapon crates scattered in different buildings like King

Now let's get into extracts...

Extractions

Getting out with your fat loot is key! Here are some key extracts and strategies:

Train

The train arrives periodically and leaves about 7-8 minutes after. You'll hear an announcement when it arrives and when it is departing soon.

Be ready to extract quickly once the train starts moving! Also beware of campers during this extract.

Sewer Manhole

This extract has no backpack requirements, making it great for heavier loadouts. Be cautious of snipers!

Red Rebel

The iconic ice pick lets you use manhole extracts around the map. You just need this equipped in your melee slot and optionally a paracord as well.

D2 Bunker

Turn on the power near the Black Bishop to unlock D2 as an extract! It offers an escape from the dangerous central area.

Scav Boss and Raiders

Gluhar and his goon squad spawn in several areas, so here are tips for taking them on or avoiding them.

Spawns

Gluhar's gang can spawn in these areas:

Bunker southeast of White Bishop
Black Bishop building
Black Pawn building
King Building

Fighting Gluhar

Gluhar and his guards will bum rush you aggressively making them dangerous to fight head on. Instead, catch them at long range if possible and don't let them swarm you up close!

Final Tips

Abuse grenade launcher sightlines
Always insure your kit!
Learn all extraction points before running thicc loot
Study player spawns to get the drop on enemies