Last Updated on by Samuel Franklin
Knowing the best Scav map for loot provides an easy source of Roubles to overcome the dreaded “gear fear” as new equipment is only a Scav run away. With a high concentration of valuable loot and easy Scav extracts my recommended maps are Interchange, Reserve, Lighthouse and Streets of Tarkov as even after PMCs there is plenty of loot to scavenge.
These personal recommendations for the best map to Scav on for loot will be your foundation of Rouble generation and based on over 1,000 Tarkov raids where I’ve reached a peak stash value of over 85 million, Kappa container and a fully upgraded hideout using these Scav run methods. On this page I’ve also included Scav run tips, map specific guidance and community resources for further optimisation.
Table of Contents:
– Tarkov Best Scav Maps
– Interchange Tips and Locations
– Reserve Tips and Locations
– Lighthouse Tips and Locations
– Streets of Tarkov Tips and Locations
Tarkov Best Scav Maps
Scav runs are different experience to PMC raids as you are loading into the map after the bulk of loot has been taken to scavenge the leftovers. For loot runs I recommend you focus on grabbing everything you find and quickly extract for efficiency or use Factory for extremely quick raids where you earn money by selling your starting kit. Increasing your Fence reputation level also reduces your Scav timer to use this money making method more often. The best map for Scav runs are:
- Interchange: A medium size map with a high focus of technical loot, computers and hidden stashes. Players should also be able to find dead Scavs easily to grab additional loot given the map size and your pathway through the map.
- Reserve: Another medium sized map that has easy Scav extractions that allows players to grab loose weapon loot and any items on dead Scavs before leaving. With some of the loot hidden behind keys and the high PvP here there is usually plenty of loot available.
- Lighthouse: With high amounts of diverse loot this large map simply has loot spread across the various settlements and the Rogue base as an option. Given the size of the map this will be a longer overall Scav run.
- Streets of Tarkov: The abundance of loot here means there is always something to grab as a Scav and despite it being larger players are generally not far from a Scav extraction point given the high number of them.
Based on your map experience, game knowledge and time to invest into Scav runs different maps will cater to different playstyles with further detail on each of these maps and Scav specific tips included below.
Interchange Tips and Locations
A community favourite loot map Interchange is a large shopping centre full of hideout upgrade items, food, general tech loot and hidden stashes that are spread across the map. If players spawn without a bag as a Scav you also have a reasonable chance of finding one during your travels given the AI Scav spawns are concentrated around the loot locations you’ll be visiting. The notable locations are:
- Goshan: The back of Goshan has toolbox spawns and a wealth of food items in the store itself that allow players to easily pick up a full bag and is located near one of the possible extractions as well.
- OLI: The OLI location has plenty of loose loot that can often be missed by PMCs who are concerned about threats in the area but even if it has been picked clean there are many computer spawns in and nearby as an alternative.
- Centre First Floor (The National, Mantis, ADIK): With this being a high risk area most PMCs will leave these stores untouched which allows player Scavs to have some guaranteed loot with filing cabinets, jackets, weapon boxes and other loose loot the highlight of this area.
Reserve Tips and Locations
The army themed Reserve map has easy to reach Scav extracts for quick and profitable runs. With Raiders, a Scav Boss, Reserve keys and high PvP action there is plenty of distractions for PMCs which leaves loot for the Scav player. With attractive spawns for medical items, folder with intelligence, ammunition, tank items, grenades and a wealth of attachments Reserve is a gold mine for loot waiting to be farmed. When playing as a Scav the best locations on Reserve for loot are:
- White Knight/Black Knight: One of the best Scav locations these buildings are generally not looted by PMCs due to the risk in this area for them. In both of these locations you will find filing cabinets, computers, weapon boxes and various loose loot to fill a bag quickly.
- Black Pawn/White Pawn: With an abundance of loose ammunition and weapon ammunition these large story buildings and particularly the roofs provide another source of loot that PMCs will generally not spend a significant amount of time near as they balance threats from many different angles.
- Queen: A popular sniping spot for PMCs and most don’t go to the effort of looting the building itself. It is a little out of the way for the Scav extracts but if you need to move from one side of the map to the other this can be a quick stop.
Lighthouse Tips and Locations
Lighthouse is a larger map that will increase your total raid time although offsets this with plenty of high value loot locations that mean there is always something left behind. Players also have the Rogue base in the water treatment plant that results in particularly higher risk and high reward outcomes. Learning these routes and the map will be a little harder then the smaller maps and I recommend only adventuring here if your Scav is spawning with a bag as locating one can be difficult. The notable loot locations for players are:
- Rogue Base: The main area for Scav looting as the water treatment plant Rogues will not attack Scavs unless you get to close and players can even kill them if necessary without a loss to your reputation although beyond one or two this will be difficult with a Scav loadout. The loot from here can come directly from all the loose loot, dead Rogues and dead PMCs which is abundant.
- Village: The village area of Lighthouse located between the towering Chalet in the mountains and the rogue base has many buildings that are rarely touched by PMCs and have multiple containers or loose loot. This includes duffle bags, food items and even technical pieces that are the staple of Tarkov money making.
- Chalet: Featuring some of the highest tiers of Tarkov loot the Chalet is a popular PMC fighting location and generally I would avoid this as a Scav as it is likely picked clean unless you actually spawn here. If you are a master of the Chalet spawn locations it is not uncommon to find one or two missed high value items but it is not worth adventuring solely to this location.
Streets of Tarkov Tips and Locations
The concentration and abundance of high tier loot here makes it worthwhile adventuring onto this larger map although I recommend players focus on looting areas near the Scav extracts to keep your overall raid times down. Similar to Lighthouse if your Scav has no backpack a different map is a better option as it can be difficult to upgrade your bag within raid. The notable locations on Streets of Tarkov should be tailored to your specific Scav spawn and extracts:
- Lexos: With a potential boss spawn (Kaban) this location has plenty of high value loot which ensures some is always left behind. Players may also potentially find dead PMCs or a dead Scav Boss to pick any leftover equipment.
- Concordia: Located near the Sewer Manhole extract these buildings have loose loot in the form of medical, technical and rare. Players can also quickly determine where to loot here given the number of open doors can be an obvious sign of where a PMC may have been.
- Pinewood Hotel: Located near the Klimov Shopping Mall Exfil extraction the number of hotel rooms, desks and floors means there will always be something left behind and many PMCs don’t spend the time to go through every room as they often have other raid priorities. Like Concordia above the number of open and closed doors can tip players off if it was worthwhile looting or not.
