BEAR or USEC - Starting Gear & Play Together FAQ

Last Updated on October 30, 2024 by Samuel Franklin

Your choice of BEAR or USEC faction primarily impacts your starting gear and is the first decision players need to make in Escape From Tarkov. This guide details the starting gear, gameplay impacts and answers common questions to help new players make their faction choice. As BEAR and USEC can play together and there are currently limited other impacts the choice is mostly up to your preferences.

Table of Contents:
– Bear vs USEC Differences Overview
– BEAR vs USEC Starting Gear
– Tarkov Faction Frequently Asked Questions

BEAR vs USEC Differences Overview

Both the BEAR and USEC factions have their place in Tarkov lore that may influence your decision for a roleplaying focused player. For BEAR (Battle Encounter Assault Regiment) this means playing as a private military force with the backing of the Russian government as they attempt to disrupt the Terra Group activities. For USEC (United Security) these represent forces hired by Terra Group to defend their illegal activities from prying eyes (such as BEAR) while serving as the private military arm of the Terra Group company.

Here are the current gameplay differences between factions in the main EFT game:

PMC customisation (character face options, voice lines (Russian vs English) and Ragman clothing purchases)
Starting items (also influenced by your Tarkov game edition)
Initial faction relationship with AI Rogues on Lighthouse (Rogues have increased aggression to BEARs)
Quest requirement differences (hunting PMCs of the opposing faction)

For your BEAR or USEC For Arena decision only the PMC customisation elements are currently applicable.

The USEC faces are (listed below from left to right): Foreman, Hudson, Taylor and Mullen with voices: Chris, Michael and Josh.

The BEAR faces are (listed below from left to right): Volkov, Vasilyev, Kulikov and Gavrilov with voices: Mikhail, Aleksandr and Sergei.

BEAR vs USEC Starting Gear

Starting gear for BEAR and USEC is balanced to ensure players receive similar weapons, rigs, backpacks, and other items. These differences are based on the East (BEAR) and West (USEC) themes and there is no notable advantage between the starting gear. While you might prefer certain weapon types offered by a faction’s starting gear I would recommend not placing much weight on this in your faction decision as your initial gear will not last long.

Standard Edition Tarkov Bear vs USEC starting gear:

Equipment/Items	BEAR Starting Gear	USEC Starting Gear
Melee Weapon	6h5 Bayonet	ER Fulcrum Bayonet
Rig	3x Triton M43-A chest harness	3x Blackhawk! Commando Chest Harness Black
Backpack	3x Wartech Eagle VV-102 backpack	3x LBT-8005A Day Pack backpack
Armour	3x BEAR baseball cap	3x USEC cap
Headset	2x GSSh-01 active headphones	2x Walker’s Razor Digital headset
Weapon	2x PP-19-01 “Vityaz-SN” 9×19 submachine gun 2x MP-443 “Grach” 9×19 pistol 2x AK-74M 5.45×39 assault rifle	2x HK MP5 2x M9A3 9×19 pistol 2x Colt M4A1 5.56×45 assault rifle
Magazine	6x 30-round 9×19 PP-19-01 magazine 9x 18-round 9×19 MP-443 magazine 7x 30-round 5.45×39 6L23 magazine for AK-74 and compatibles	8x 20-round 9×19 MP5 magazine 9x 17-round 9×19 M9A3 magazine 7x 30-round 5.56×45 Colt AR-15 STANAG magazine
Grenades	2x F-1 grenade	2x M67 Grenade
Ammunition	120x 5.45x39mm PS gs cartridges 90x 5.45x39mm BP gs cartridges	180x 5.56x45mm M855
Food	4x Iskra MRE Bottle of Tarkovskaya vodka	4x MRE Bottle of Dan Jackiel Whiskey

In addition, Left Behind Edition Tarkov Bear vs USEC starting gear:

Equipment/Items	BEAR Starting Gear	USEC Starting Gear
Weapon	1x MP-443 “Grach” 9×19 pistol	1x M9A3 9×19 pistol

In addition, Prepare For Escape Edition Tarkov Bear vs USEC starting gear:

Equipment/Items	BEAR Starting Gear	USEC Starting Gear
Armour	6B13 assault armour (Flora pattern) 2x 6B47 Ratnik-BSh helmet Tactical glasses TGlass	Highcom Trooper TFO armour 2x UNTAR helmet 2x Tactical glasses TGlass
Headset	1x GSSh-01 active headphones	1x Peltor Tactical Sport headset
Weapon	SV-98 bolt-action sniper rifle	Remington Model 700 Sniper rifle
Attachment	KMZ 1P69 Weaver mount KMZ 1P69 3-10x rifle scope	30mm ring-mount Remington integral for model 700 rifles March Tactical 3-24×42 FFP optical scope
Magazine	4x 10-round 7.62x54R polymer SV-98 magazine	4x M700 7.62×51 magazine for 10 rounds
Grenades	2x F-1 grenade	3x M67 Grenade
Ammunition	40x 7.62x54R LPS GZh cartridge	40x 7.62x51mm M80 cartridge

In addition, Edge of Darkness (EoD) Tarkov Bear vs USEC starting gear (note that Edge of Darkness is no longer available for sale):

Equipment/Items	BEAR Starting Gear	USEC Starting Gear
Armour	ANA Tactical M1 armored rig LZSh light helmet	Crye Precision AVS plate carrier MSA ACH TC-2002 MICH Series helmet
Weapon	RPK-16 5.45×39 light machine gun	DT MDR 5.56×45 assault rifle
Attachments	Valday 1P87 holographic sight	Eotech 553 holographic sight
Magazines	4x 30-round 5.45×39 6L23 magazine for AK-74 and compatibles	4x 30-round 5.56×45 Colt AR-15 STANAG magazine
Grenades	2x F-1 grenade	1x M67 Grenade 3x RGD-5 grenade
Ammunition	120x 5.45x39mm PS gs cartridges	120x 5.56x45mm M855

In addition, The Unheard Edition Tarkov Bear vs USEC starting gear:

Equipment/Items	BEAR Starting Gear	USEC Starting Gear
Armour	NPP KlASS Bagariy plate carrier (Digital Flora) WARTECH TV-115 plate carrier (Olive Drab)	ECLiPSE RBAV-AF plate carrier (Ranger Green) Eagle Allied Industries MBSS plate carrier (Coyote Brown)
Weapon	SR-2M “Veresk” 9×21 submachine gun Kalashnikov AK-105 5.45×39 assault rifle SVDS 7.62x54R sniper rifle	HK MP7A1 4.6×30 submachine gun; FN SCAR-L 5.56×45 assault rifle (FDE); Knight’s Armament Company SR-25 7.62×51 marksman rifle
Magazines	3x SR-2M 9×21 30-round magazine 3x AK-74 5.45×39 6L23 “Plum” 30-round magazine 3x SVD 7.62x54R 20-round magazine	3x HK MP7 4.6×30 30-round magazine 3x FN SCAR-L 5.56×45 30-round magazine 3x AR-10 7.62×51 Magpul PMAG 20 SR-LR GEN M3 20-round magazine
Ammunition	60x 7.62x54mm R PS gzh 90x 5.45x39mm BT gs 90x 9x21mm BT gzh	60x 7.62x51mm M80 90x 5.56x45mm M856A1 90x 4.6x30mm JSP SX
Other	Weapon case Lucky Scav Junk Box Ammunition Case	Weapon case Lucky Scav Junk Box Ammunition Case

Tarkov Faction Frequently Asked Questions

Is BEAR or USEC Better? Which Faction Is Better?

Most players in the Tarkov community opt to play as a USEC and this is also my recommendation due to the slight advantage on the Lighthouse map currently as the AI Rogues faction only shoot at the player when they get close to their base while they will fire at BEAR players from hundreds of metres away.

If you attack the Rogues as a USEC you will be treated similar to a BEAR for several raids though so this advantage is primarily to help you move around the map and complete Lighthouse quests. BattleState Games intends to introduce other factions that have different reactions to BEAR and USEC in time to provide better balance to faction choice although these are yet to be implemented. As a result the AI Rogues behaviour is currently the only notable long term impact of the choice between BEAR or USEC given starting gear is quickly used and only changes your first few raids.

Some players opt to go BEAR for the extra challenge on Lighthouse or because it makes the small number of quests to hunt the opposing faction easier as there are more USECs than BEARs.

Can USEC and BEAR Play Together?

Yes players of different Tarkov factions can play together in a squad so you do not need to choose the same faction as your friends.

Can You Change Faction?

Yes, players can change factions, but it requires a reset of your account progression through the BSG website. Given this erases any progress you have made you should treat your initial choice of faction as a permanent decision. After each wipe players have the opportunity to reselect their faction.

Written by

Samuel Franklin

Samuel Franklin is the founder and lead editor of the Games Finder team and enjoys video games across all genres and platforms.

Sam (Seelyon) is a seasoned Escape From Tarkov player with over 1,000 raids across multiple Tarkov patches while accumulating thousands of player kills and maintaining a 50% survival rate who favours a calculated playstyle. During these wipes he has earned the coveted Kappa secure container, proving his determination in the unforgiving world of Tarkov. His passion for the punishing game goes beyond personal accomplishment and he is driven by a desire to guide new players on their own Escape From Tarkov journey one raid at a time.

Through countless firefights, strategic flanks and exhilarating boss encounters, he has accumulated a deep understanding of the game’s mechanics and nuances that allows him to offer valuable insights and strategies to those seeking to navigate the complexities of Tarkov.