Tarkov Scav Karma Chart - How To Check & Increase Fence Reputation - Games Finder (2024)

Last Updated on April 24, 2024 by Samuel Franklin

The Tarkov Scav Karma (Scav Rep) system is designed to encourage co-operation between players when playing as Scavs with reduced Scav cooldown, better Scav gear and exclusive Fence items for those that increase it to high levels. Also known as Fence Reputation (or Fence Rep) this is another obscure and complicated Tarkov mechanic to learn with many new players being completely unaware of how to check Scav Karma on the trader Fence.

Given the Scav mechanic allows players to obtain free loadouts understanding this mechanic can give players a critical edge in the harsh world of Tarkov with this guide unlocking the secrets to Scav success. It describes how to increase Scav Karma with a Scav Karma chart of the all actions that impact your reputation and useful tips based on my thousands of EFT hours to dominate your Scav runs.

Table of Contents:
– What is Scav Karma? How To Check Scav Karma
– How to increase Scav Karma (Chart)
– Scav Karma Benefits
– Tips To Raise Scav Karma

What Is Scav Karma? How To Check Scav Karma

Note the Scav Karma system is also referred to as Scav Rep, Fence Karma, Fence Reputation and Fence Rep by the community, for simplicity this page will use the term ‘Scav Karma’ throughout. Scav Karma was introduced in patch 12.11 (June 2021) and was a long awaited feature by the community to help prevent Scav on Scav violence which goes against the game lore and intention of playing as a Scav. The Scav mechanic allows players to enter a Tarkov raid with a randomised set of equipment on a cooldown and be neutral with other AI Scavs that allows you to freely roam the map. This is referred to as a “player Scav” while AI controlled are “AI Scavs”.

To encourage player Scavs to work together to fight PMCs and scavenge any remaining loot the system rewards good behaviours and penalises bad behaviours. When players complete these good behaviours their karma number will increase while it will decrease for bad behaviours with different changes in this value based on the action. The majority of these changes occur when players take actions as a Scav although a small number of PMC actions can influence your karma value. This karma system is closely tied with the trader Fence who is presented as someone who has a vast network of connections across Tarkov and notably close ties to the Scav faction.

If you are wondering how to see Scav Karma simply open your trader window with Fence as you would for other Tarkov traders (0.25 in the image below).

Note that in the raid ended (raid statistics) screen under the standing section players also have a list of actions you completed during the raid along with the overall standing change for the amount gained or lost.

How To Increase Scav Karma (Chart)

Your reputation changes (increases and decreases) are based on the following Scav Karma chart. These changes from actions only apply when playing as a Scav unless noted as a PMC action:

In addition to the above BattleStateGames has occasionally run specific events that allow players to gain karma quickly although these were primarily after the mechanic was added so I believe it is unlikely they will occur in the future.

Scav Karma Benefits

Increasing your karma provides a number of benefits with the goal for most players to reach 6.0 as this unlocks all bonuses and importantly allows players to increase your Fence loyalty level from the starting level 1 to his maximum (level 2). While it is possible to go above 6.0 and will naturally continue to increase as you play your Scavs this is the most important checkpoint to reach.

Scav Karma provide players the following benefits which increase in strength as your karma score climbs. Similarly players are penalised in these areas as your karma falls towards 0 or into negative where you will also be attacked by AI Scavs on sight when playing as a Scav. This is a significant penalty as fighting back means further karma reductions and why there are PMC quests to restore karma at these low levels.

• Reduced Scav cooldown timer
• Scav case return time in the hideout is reduced
• Fees for car extractions are reduced
• Increases the size of BTR taxi stash (Streets of Tarkov)
• Increases the amount of Roubles gained for selling items to Fence
• Increases the number of extractions available when playing as a Scav
• Improves the quality of the gear that your Scav spawns with
• Improves the chances that AI Scavs will follow your commands when playing as a Scav

At 6.0 karma and above players will also:

• Unlock Fence trader level 2 that adds a new sales tab and a 30% discount
• Receive support from AI Scavs when attacking
• Scav bosses will count as allies and no longer attack you when playing as a Scav

Ultimately all of these benefits allow players to use Scavs more often for free loadouts, acquire better equipment from those Scavs, easily escape from Scav raids and other account benefits that save or earn you more Roubles.

Tips To Raise Scav Karma

Based on achieving the maximum effective rating (6.0) in multiple Tarkov wipes here are my recommended methods to optimise your efficiency and manage risk from beginner to advanced strategies.

• Car Extracts: The best option for your initial Scav Karma gains as this can be completed while doing PMC quests and the first few extracts per map provide a massive boost although some aren’t always available each raid. The best way to capitalise on this is to always bring Roubles ($5k base cost) as a PMC as this allows them to be used if an opportunity presents itself based on your spawn location or raid goals. For the first two car extracts per map it can even be worthwhile to run straight to these extracts if you spawn close to them given the low risk and quick time for a high Scav Karma reward. These are located on Interchange (Power Station V-Ex), Woods (Bridge V-Ex), Lighthouse (Road to Military Base V-Ex), Shoreline (Road to North V-Ex), Customs (Dorms V-Ex), Streets of Tarkov (Primorsky Ave Taxi V-Ex) and Ground Zero (Police Cordon V-Ex).
• Shared Extracts: The second best option for Scav Karma which is significantly easier since the implementation of in game voice communication. These are located on Interchange (Scav Camp), Woods (Factory Gate), Reserve (Scav Lands) or Lighthouse (Side Tunnel). Camping nearby these locations and using voice lines or VOIP to indicate you are not a threat is your best option here but you can expect some failures along the way so this method is not without risk. Some players will also fire weapons in short single shot sequences near these shared extracts to serve as a signal to other players. Note that successful use of a shared extract also gives players a small care package from Fence through the in game message system (shown below).

• Factory Runs: For players that don’t want to be playing their Scav for a significant amount of time a quick Factory run as a Scav is a popular efficient method due to the time it takes to load into the map and low risk Scav extraction through the underground Camera Bunker Door. Players can complete this in around 5 minutes for an easy 0.01 karma which can dramatically add up over the course of a Tarkov wipe. This also serves as a great money farming tactic as even without looting anything a reasonable Scav loadout can be worth 100k Roubles or more as your karma climbs.
• PMC Hunting: While PMC hunting sounds perfectly on theme the reward for this success is small (0.02) in comparison to other sources and higher risk that makes it inefficient. The time invested to find a PMC and your odds of winning a fight with better equipment in most cases means this is not an efficient source of karma. I recommend not solely focusing on PMC or traitor Scav kills and instead they should be used opportunistically when you stumble into a fight. If you’re a player that wants to play your Scav aggressively though I recommend you fire gunshots into the air, preferably with different weapons to make it sound like a fight to attract players and then ambush them. To help your odds players can also do this near the boss spawn locations if they are in the current raid as the bosses are tempting PMC prizes and can distract a player for your attack.
• Completing Tasks From Fence: Just like your PMC daily quests these can range from easy to impossible so players will need to judge for themselves if it is worthwhile to complete these but you should always remember to check what your current available task is. These tasks are only available when the Intelligence Centre is constructed and provide item or money rewards alongside the karma gain.