Escape From Tarkov's incredibly immersive gameplay centers around gritty, high-stakes raids in search of loot and gear. But away from the frontlines, players can construct an expansive hideout HQ to bolster their efforts. This complex hideout system features many upgradeable modules that provide bonuses, allow crafting, and even generate passive income.
However, getting the most out of your investment requires dedicated focus on leveling up two key hideout skills: Crafting and Hideout Management. In this in-depth guide, we’ll break down how to power level these skills to maximize your hideout potential.
The Crafting skill should be top priority for any Tarkov player serious about their hideout. Each level reduces the time required to craft items across all installed modules by 0.75%, compounding up to a whopping 37.5% reduction at the maximum level of 51! This adds up to huge time savings, especially when crafting lucrative cases or high value items in modules like the Intelligence Center.
But the benefits don’t stop there. Upon hitting level 51, you’ll also unlock the ability to simultaneously craft 2 items at once in the Workbench, Lavatory, Nutrition Unit, Medical Station, and Intelligence Center modules. This effectively doubles your crafting productivity and money-making potential.
So how can you level up Crafting as fast as possible to reap these rewards? Here’s what you need to know:
You earn 1 Crafting skill point for every 8 hours of combined crafting time across all installed modules. This cumulative crafting duration is key, so keeping queues filled will optimize progress.
Importantly, you also get bonus skill points each time you complete a crafting cycle in a module if it was a unique item. For example, alternating between circuit boards and magnets in the Workbench module.
The meta strategy that emerges is to repeatedly cycle the fastest crafts you have available that are still profitable. Losing money slows overall progress. Balancing craft speed and profitability is ideal.
Here are effective crafting options to level up fast in each module:
Workbench: Printed circuit boards and power cords are quick and profitable.
Lavatory: Cycle army bandages, gas masks, and ripstop/scav vests for speed.
Long Offline: Ammo, cases, and bitcoins are slower but earn more over time.
Nutrition Unit: Sugars and slickers bars are fast and make steady money.
Med Station: AI-2 medkits and piles of meds strike the right balance.
Intelligence Center: Focused on intel folders and USB drives for profit.
Mixing in longer and shorter crafts based on your play schedule is advised. And don’t forget to reset before leaving for a raid so progress ticks even while looting!
The Hideout Management skill tree reduces the fuel and filter consumption of your various modules. Each level decreases usage by 0.5%, up to a maximum of 25% reduction at level 50. This directly translates into saving buckets of roubles on fuel.
It also provides across-the-board bonuses to all modules by increasing their effects by 1% per skill level, up to 50% stronger at the maximum. Everything from Intelligence Center quest rewards to healing bonuses from the Rest Space become more powerful.
Progressing Hideout Management requires:
Upgrading modules (8 points each)
Completing crafting cycles (0.4 points per)
Expending fuel and filter durability (0.1 points per 10 used)
Thus, you should be religious about keeping your generators fueled, filters replaced, and crafting modules active at all times. Letting anything sit idle will drastically slow skill progress. Installing the maximum number of modules your hideout supports will also help.
And as mentioned for Crafting, always double check your crafting queue before leaving for a raid to capitalize on every skill point. Patience and persistence will be rewarded.
Find money-making crafts you enjoy and stick with them. Consistency compounds progress.
Use raids not only for loot but also to train complementary skills like Perception by searching everything.
Monitor the prices of crafted items, fuel, and filters so you’re always operating at peak profitability.
With meticulous care and optimization, you’ll have your Tarkov hideout’s Crafting and Management skills maxed out before you know it. Become a hideout master and get the most from one of Escape from Tarkov’s most interesting and dynamic features. Just don’t spend so much time crafting that you forget to raid!