Wiped. Raids 1-3. Level 2

Escape from Tarkov wiped a few days ago. I didn't have time to play until today.  Yesterday I got the update, and examined a bunch of items and achieved Level 2 just for that.  After todays raids I am wishing there were more items for me to examine.

Plan: I have the standard set of beginner quests (Debut, Shortage, Gunsmith 1, The Introduction) but I'm thinking to be crafty - I'll zig when everyone else zags. My plan is to go to Reserve, kill some raiders, and equip myself with their stuff.  I have played a bit offline before the wipe and was getting better at handling Raiders, especially down in the underground area.  I even played two offline raids to test this out, and I got 4800 and 5300 XP respectively and came away from one raid with a set of Class 5 and Class 4 armors.  Of course, telling you about offline raids is like someone belaboring you with their fantasy football league.  Boring and doesn't count for shit.

Raid 1

Loadout: the starter BEAR AK-74M with three 30 round mags. Modified to have a flashlight. One of 5.45x39 BP gs and two of PS.  PACA, meds, ears, backpack, rig. One grenade. Car med kit in alpha container.

I did not want a night raid, but I tried repeatedly to get into a Reserve raid, and waited 11 minutes each time. I don't have much time to play, I can't be spending it like this.  So I joined a night raid. After 8 minutes I finally spawned into one of the below ground bunkers. I realized, after some star gazing, that it was the one outside black pawn.  I made my way to the rear side of black pawn. Took me a second to find the stairs, I didn't want to use the flashlight for fear of tipping off Glukhars men, should they be nearby.  I went downstairs, flashlight on. With cover, leaned into the side room, took down a scav.  But my weapon was on single fire. I switched to auto. A raider came around the corner - I blasted him, but he fled.  I didn't chase him.  Instead I started to clear the area - but couldn't find anyone, including the raider.  Just then I heard crashing glass - that'd be a player in the control room. I went down the first side computer hallway, but the door at the end was closed.  I didn't want to open it - he might be set up on me. Plus, if I go in there, I could be easily flanked and trapped.

I went out back towards where I came - I may take the long way round and see if I can sneak from the other side. While I moved, I heard the PMC fight a scav/raider. Hmmm if he's down here, has he killed all the Raiders?  As I went down the hallway directly below black pawn I suddenly got blasted by autofire.  Fuck, that was fast. I fled around the corner, turning off the light so as to not give away my position. Two bleeds. Started medding. I threw a grenade to slow pursuit. I heard footsteps on wood. I realize the corner I'm in has a door in the back of it. I turned and faced the door. When I think he's behind it, maybe I can shoot him through the door. But, suddenly, the PMC was standing right in front of me, shooting. And I was dead.

Time In Raid: 8 minutes, 8 seconds
Exp: 177
Kills: Lyova Psih (scav)
Killed By: 2thyFan69  with several rounds of 9x19mm Pst gzh. GG 2thyFan69
Ammo Used: 30  Hits: 4  Accuracy: 0.1  Damage to Body: 180

Mistakes

• I did not handle the combat well. Should have moved instead of being stuck waiting for someone to come through the door. 
• Lag switch?
• Maybe this isn't a great plan

Successes

• Killed a scav.

Raid 2 - 

I decided to try my plan again. Maybe it'll go better.  It did not go better.

Loadout: Nearly identical, but this time I had a Vityaz PP-19 with a flashlight. Four 30 round mags of Pst gzh.  

Daytime. Spawned in a bunker across from the train station. Made my way to the garages and then into King.  Door to gym was open - someone is ahead of me. I thought I could hear him moving around. I quieted down and sloooowly made my way across the floor.  It still makes too much noise.  I reached the hall finally and entered the first computer room. Started scanning.  Heard a player somewhere deeper in the building. Stopped looking for loot and entered second computer room. Suddenly shotgun fire started being blasted my way. Boom boom boom. Fortunately the wall was between me and my assailant. I could see the pattern of the shots on the wall.  Is this a wall hacker? I don't need this. I left the building and went to white bishop and descended into the underground there. 

Peeked the underground - quiet.  Here is the tricky part.  I ran, jumped, splashed in the water, and then quickly finished crossing it. Best to jump so as to not get stuck in the water. But the noise was not unnoticed, footsteps came running. A player.  I started forward, ducking side to side to use the storeroom wall as cover. Shotgun blast rang out - I was hit, but only scratched. I caught sight of him and fired as I stepped into cover.  I don't like this. He knows pretty well where I am - there are few options. But between the door frames, stairs, air unit, he has a lot of cover behind which to lurk. I did a quick check, and then made up my mind to go through the storeroom. But before I could, autofire tore into me - he had entered the hall and was advancing. I went deeper back toward the water, to get cover from the fire and toggled a grenade. But nothing seemed to happen - I just went backwards and backwards and there was no grenade and then I collapsed to more autofire.  

Time In Raid: 5 minutes, 17 seconds

Exp: 20
Killed By: Huahua  ( in Chinese 'hua' means 'fire' or 'flower' depending the tone. )

Ammo Used: 14, Hits: 2: Accuracy: 0.14  Damage to Body: 11, Damage to Armor: 96

Mistakes

• This plan is maybe not the best one for a player of my limited abilities
• The shotgun blasts hitting the wall put a bad taste in my mouth. I do not know if that is the same player who killed me. 

Successes

• I felt like I was moving better in this combat. 

Raid 3 - Return to Customs

Plan: This Reserve thing isn't going so well. I'm down a bunch of cash, somehow. I'm down two full kits. Maybe I should just try to do the task on Customs like is expected of me. Go kill some scavs.

Loadout: VPO-209 with suppressor. Three 30-round magazines of TKM FMJ. PACA, meds, ears, backpack rig.

Spawned behind Old Gas.  Hit the stash, got stuff. Hit the med bag, got toiletries. Found a Cabin Key under the giving tree - put it in my secure container.  Peeked Old Gas. No sign or sound of scavs.  My exfil is at Crossroads or Trailer Park, so let's go that way.  Looted the PMC body. As I did, I heard the sound of fighting back at Old Gas.  Hmm - did the scavs spawn in now? Maybe I should have waited.

I considered hiding in the bush next to the body - maybe I could set up on whoever would be coming this way.  That might have been a good plan. But I need scav kills - hopefully there are some at RUAF or construction - I want to get there before they all get killed.

So I crossed over to crack house. As I went behind it I heard footsteps inside. And whoever was inside must have heard me, because they came out. I ran to one corner, aimed down sight, leaned out. Nothing. Ran to other corner - footsteps running somewhere outside.  Aimed down site, leaned out of cover - and there's a PMC! But I no sooner recognized them, than they cut loose with autofire and I was dead.

Time In Raid: 3 minutes, 46 seconds

Exp: 105
Killed By: Eren_Yeager__    with a single round of 5.45x39mm BP to the head (the other shots missed) Congratulations Eren_Yeager__  good luck on your raid. Please don't loot me, I'm getting low on gear. 

Mistakes

• Maybe if I had placed sound better I could have known they'd be there. 
• Maybe peeking the corner wasn't the play.  Should I have chosen some other covered position and ran there instead?

Successes

• I put the cabin key in my container.  My only loot for the three raids.

Postscript

I waited 11 minutes twice for Reserve PMC raids before giving up.  And 12 minutes once for a Reserve Scav raid before giving up. This game has lots of arcane rigmarole that I resent as I am pressed for time. But this thing of waiting and waiting and waiting to join raids, this I especially hate. 

Also, this is not an auspicious beginning. I knew the Reserve raids were risky, but I can't help getting discouraged with the setbacks. And then to die on Customs without firing a shot. Bleah.