Tarkov is the Most Fun with Bad Guns; Here's Why

Occasionally, I like to take a break from using all the insanely good weapons and do something dumb in Tarkov. Whether that’s a silly challenge or handicap I place on myself, or just using a weapon that isn’t popular by any means. Little things like this are how I stay interested in Tarkov when we are this deep into a single wipe cycle. And one weapon I have been using for the last few days has been honestly super fun to use, even if it’s incredibly challenging sometimes. The MP-18; Tarkov’s break action rifle. Technically, it falls under the shotgun category of weapons (for some reason), but it really should be in its own class. Regardless, this weapon has been a blast to use the last few times I have logged onto Tarkov. When looking at its stats, it doesn’t do anything spectacular, below average ergonomics, higher than average recoil when fired, and you only get to shoot once before you need to reload. And the MOA on it isn’t that good either, at 3.16. Meaning, there’s a chance you will miss your shot even if you are dead accurate with your sights. There isn’t much that can be done to the weapon either. You can swap out the wood furniture for a polymer handguard and buttstock. And you can fit an optic onto the weapon. Now, your bad weapon of choice doesn’t have to be the MP-18; it can be any weapon that isn’t considered good in the eyes of most. But Tarkov’s bad weapons are sometimes the most fun way to engage with the game, especially this late into a wipe.

If you couldn’t put an optic on the MP-18, and you had to soley use the iron sights, this would truly be the worst weapon. Even the TOZ can be fitted with optics. But, since you can put ranged optics on this gun, and it fires a very powerful round, 7.62x54r, that means this gun, which is available at Jaeger level 1 for just over 16k rubles, can be extremely effective as a cheap backup weapon when paired with something like an SMG. And the variety of optics that can be fitted onto the weapon is no slouch either. Granted, there are some that can’t go on the gun like the 2.5x Prism scope, but it still has a solid selection of ranged options. There is no suppressor for the MP-18, but hey maybe one day. If the vepr hunter can get one, then so can this. It would be hilarious if this gun got one because then it would most likely just have 0 ergo as you try to use a ranged optic on the weapon.

The break action forces you to only shoot once before you must go through a lengthy procedure of reloading. And with that, comes adapting your playstyle to the weapon itself. If you can only shoot once, reposition after you fire each time. You will always be loud, and the map will become very aware of your presence, so you need to stay on your toes and hop to different locations across the map. And this mentality should be applied anytime you’re using a weapon that has obvious downsides and weaknesses.

There is something overtly satisfying about using bad weapons in shooters, and especially Tarkov. I find myself getting less frustrated with the current state of the game because I am so much more focused on myself, what I need to do to be successful. Even when I die, I always chalk it up to me making a mistake rather than Tarkov going out of its way to screw me over in some manner. And when things go right, you’re making good plays, your positioning is fantastic, and you can land a clean kill with a bad weapon, the rewards are even more gratifying because you had the cards stacked against you. Any gun can kill anyone, if you play correctly. It’s not easy adjusting to how you engage with the game when you’re maybe so used to one style, or you are very accustomed to running the best of the best. But when you take a step back and look at Tarkov from kind of a bird's eye view, it’s easier to kind of look at a given situation and figure out the best course of action. You won’t always get it right, and sometimes you will still lose even when you do everything in your power to be in an advantageous spot, but that happens even when you are running level 5 armors and modded out guns. So, at the very least, the sting of dying is reduced somewhat when you have a paca and MP-18 in your hands. You know there’s a huge likelihood of that gear coming back to you. So, you can just run it again and try to shoot for the stars once more.

It’s also fun to run bad guns and gear because you are fragile. You can’t take as much damage as you previously could with a level 4 or 5 amor. A paca can only stomach so much before it gives out and you die to a single thorax shot. But that’s just a gentle reminder to play like your life matters. Even 180+ days into a wipe, it’s good to remind yourself that your life is important. And dying recklessly might create some bad habits. So, playing where even a scav can two-tap you in the chest, means you are going to, in most situations, make better decisions about how you navigate the map and what fights you want to pick. You won’t be as reckless about just running around the map towards the sounds of gunfire, but instead, might lurk around and try to third party an already going firefight where you can clean up and then take all the loot for yourselves. And while you can certainly play this way with good gear, it makes more sense when you are using bad guns. Again, it only takes one bullet. And this goes both ways.

Bad guns are the cornerstone for early game Tarkov. But when utilized correctly late game, they can be just as if not, more enjoyable because you are at a disadvantage and can overcome the odds stacked against you. And that reward is always more exhilarating when it comes from some semblance of a struggle. Again, like early game. But, however you enjoy a late game Tarkov is up to you. But I encourage you to try and maybe add some layers of difficulty to spice up the gameplay loop. You’ll focus more on what you’re doing, the deaths hurt less, and you might just get a laugh out of it too. Thank you for taking the time out of your day to watch this video. Be sure to leave your thoughts down in the comments and subscribe for more videos about ways to cure Tarkov boredom. I hope to see you in future ones.