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The Tarkov Handbook

AI & Enemies

Who you're actually fighting when it isn't another PMC — factions, SCAV tiers, named bosses, and the roaming Goons squad.

AI Factions

Black Division

Highest Threat

790 HP. The newest and most lethal AI faction in the game outside of SCAV bosses, guarding Icebreaker and Terminal under boss The Wedge (see below). Well-drilled, well-equipped guards that fight in tight, coordinated groups with top-tier gear and AP ammo — treat every encounter as more dangerous than Rogues or Raiders.

Rogues

High Threat

Ex-USEC PMC faction, among the toughest regular AI in the game. Only spawn on Lighthouse. 770 HP, tend toward assault rifles, always modified, mid-to-high grade ammo. Dead-accurate, can one-tap through some walls at long range. Shoot BEAR PMCs on sight but allow USEC PMCs within ~50m of their group — shooting one makes you hostile to the entire compound.

Raiders

High Threat

750 HP. Ex-PMC operators and locals per lore, with strong combat/tactical skill. Weapon presets: shotguns, AKs, pistols, M4s, SMGs, PDWs — almost always modified, mid-grade ammo. Far more accurate than normal SCAVs; can "Head, Eyes" from range without warning.

Cultists

High Threat

Operate in groups of 3–5, ambush via stealth with knives (Priests use a poisoned Cultist knife). Return fire with guns/grenades if shot at, and retreat into the woods to re-ambush. Some prone/hide in bushes while companions engage directly. The Cultist knife inflicts an Unknown toxin debuff (damage over time + pain), curable with an xTG-12 Antidote injector or Augmentin antibiotic pills — otherwise you must extract before it runs its course.

SCAVs

Low Threat

Player- or AI-controlled, lore-described as living by "dog-eat-dog rules." Roam/defend areas on every map, identifiable by voice lines. Generally bad gear, low threat individually — see tiers below for AI SCAV specifics.

SCAV Tiers

Tier Max HP Notes
Tier 1440~50% durability weapons; shotguns, AKs, pistols, SKS. Sniper SCAVs use DMRs/bolt-actions in inaccessible spots.
Tier 2540Same loadouts as Tier 1, just tankier.
Tier 3740Same loadouts as Tier 1, tankiest of the three.

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SCAV Bosses

Named bosses tied to a fixed map (or, for Cultist Priest, a fixed set of maps at night). The Goons and Partisan roam instead of spawning at one location — see their own sections below.

Shturman

Shturman

~75% Spawn 812 HP

Woods — at the sawmill (Lumber Mill)

Precise, defensive fighter who holds position among logs and workshops with an SVDS. Use smoke and hard cover crossing clearings, hold doorways, and pick off guards with scoped weapons.

Shturman's stash key Red Rebel ice pick

Followers: 2–3 heavily armed and armored guards

Reshala

Reshala

~75% Spawn 752 HP

Customs — Dorms, New Gas Station, Construction

Never wears armor and hides behind his guards — spot him before he spots you (brown sweater vs. guards' blue jackets). Guards cluster tightly, so grenades hit multiple at once; clear all of them before looting, since stragglers will punish you mid-loot.

Golden TT-33 pistol Reshala's bunkhouse key

Followers: 4 heavily armed and armored guards

Killa

Killa

High Spawn 890 HP

Interchange — escalators and tech stores (IDEA, OLI, Goshan)

Solo boss with high mobility and tracking accuracy in the mall's open lanes. Use pillar breaks, vertical rotations, and pre-aim his predictable patrol routes.

RPK-16 light machine gun Maska-1SCh helmet
Sanitar

Sanitar

~75% Spawn 1270 HP

Shoreline — the Resort, villas, and cottages

Carries heavy medical supplies and repeatedly breaks off to heal mid-fight — don't let him or his guards disengage, since a prolonged fight favors him. At the cottages he hides in bushes near the backyard ambulance; at the resort, watch the west wing's hole-in-the-wall entrance.

Keycard with a blue marking Sanitar's bag Medical supplies

Followers: 2 well-armed guards

Tagilla

Tagilla

High Spawn 1220 HP

Factory and Interchange (parking garage below Goshan)

Melee rusher with sudden charges and devastating close-range hammer swings, switching to a shotgun secondary if he can't path to you. Maintain distance, use doors for stuns, target legs to disrupt his pathing, then finish with concentrated fire.

Superfors DB 2020 dead blow hammer Tagilla's welding mask
Glukhar

Glukhar

~50% Spawn 1010+ HP

Reserve — courtyards and hangars

Squad creates deadly overlapping fields of fire and repositions dynamically toward the train extract. Avoid open pushes; funnel through chokepoints and use pre-aimed fire.

ASh-12 assault rifle

Followers: up to 6 heavily armored guards

Kaban

Kaban

High Spawn ~1300 HP

Streets of Tarkov — the LexOs car dealership

Highest HP of the single-location bosses. Snipers cover the LexOs rooftops and guards man AGS-30/NSV emplacements at every entrance — approach from the north near Chek 15 and avoid the Claymore-laced grass by the entrance. Clear guards before challenging Kaban; watch for Gus/Basmach breaking off to push your position.

PKM/PKP machine gun Stash keys Elite kits

Followers: bodyguards Gus & Basmach, plus additional guards and snipers

Kollontay

Kollontay

High Spawn ~1055 HP

Streets of Tarkov — the Klimov shopping mall, the ministry of the interior academy

His baton jams your currently-held weapon (Panic attack effect) if he closes distance — always keep an escape route when peeking or pushing. Bait his attention from one angle and engage from another; in the mall, watch for him shooting through the glass floor above the main entrance.

PR-Taran police baton Strong guard equipment

Followers: 4 heavily armed guards

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Zryachiy

Near 100% Spawn 1655 HP

Lighthouse — the peninsula territory

Highest HP of any named boss. Blind sniper style leveraging extreme sightlines. Use the Digital secure DSP radio transmitter to pacify the area, and break sightlines with natural cover before committing.

.50 BMG anti-materiel rifle Zryachiy's balaclava Azimut SS "Khamelion" chest rig

Followers: 2 Cultist guards

Cultist Priest

Cultist Priest

~25–30% Spawn 850 HP

Night spawns only — Factory, Customs, Woods, Shoreline, Ground Zero (level 21+)

Leads knife-wielding warriors in stealth, poison, and ambush encounters; footsteps are quieter and they resist thermals. Use high caution in dark approaches, avoid blind corners, and prioritize eliminating followers to isolate the leader.

Cultist knife Injectors

Followers: 2–4 Cultist Warriors

The Wedge

The Wedge

100% Spawn 880 HP

Icebreaker — in the gym

Newer Black Division faction leader. Follower count scales with squad size (3 with 1 player, 4 with 2, 6 with 3) — expect a bigger fight in a full group. Exploit chokepoints and manage the guard group methodically rather than pushing his position directly.

Spiritus Systems LV-119 Plate Carrier (MultiCam Black) Peltor ComTac VI headset (Black) HK MP7 (SureFire SF3P flash hider)

Followers: 3–6 Black Division guards (scales with raid squad size)

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The Goons

Roaming Squad

A roaming squad of 3 Rogue bosses that can spawn on Lighthouse, Customs, Woods, or Shoreline instead of that map's usual boss — not a fixed, single-location spawn like other named bosses.

Knight, leader of the Goons

Knight

1120 HP

Assault · Squad Leader

MDR (7.62x51), FN SCAR-H, or CMMG Mk47 Mutant. Fortified perk.

Big Pipe of the Goons

Big Pipe

910 HP

Heavy

M32A1 MSGL, FN40GL Mk2, SIG MCX, or Remington 870. Explosives-focused.

Birdeye of the Goons

Birdeye

795 HP

Sniper

Remington 700, R11 RSASS, SR-25, or M4 (well-modded). Eagle Eye, Silent Footsteps.

Partisan

Partisan

Roaming Solo Boss

Unlike every other named boss, Partisan isn't tied to any fixed spawn point — he has to be expected everywhere on the maps he appears on: Customs, Woods, Shoreline, and Lighthouse. No followers.

AK skeletonized stock (Customized) Red Rebel ice pick