How to Deal With Cultists in Escape From Tarkov

Cultists are a rare type of Scav that appear on various maps in Escape From Tarkov. Cultists hunt players in groups and are heavily armored and armed with guns and knives. Cultists also use a special type of poisoned knife which deals damage over time which requires xTG-12 injector or Augmentin pills to recover from. They usually spawn at night so if you’re venturing out when the sun goes down, keep an eye out for them. Here is how to deal with Cultists in Escape From Tarkov.

When and where do cultists spawn? 

Cultists usually spawn in the following maps:

• Night Factory

• Customs

• Woods

• Shoreline

They only spawn in these locations between the hours of 22:00 and 6:00. Cultist groups usually consist of 2-4 warriors led by a Cultist priest. On Shoreline they spawn northeast of the swamp village, at the health resort, and in the river area between the power station and the gas station. On Woods they spawn in the dilapidated village or around ritual sights located west of the sawmill. On Customs they will spawn in the area between Warehouse 17 and the repair shop. 

They are stealthy fighters, lying prone in the grass waiting for the player to get near enough to attack them. They are not easy to spot even with thermals and you have to fish them out of their hiding places by going through it. They tend to sneak up on players and stab them with a poisoned knife. Note that their footsteps don’t make any noise so expect surprise attacks. They tend to stab the player with a poisoned knife and run off and hide before trying to attack you again. They also use diversionary tactics by trying to stab you when you’re engaged in combat with others in their group. If you’re playing as a scav, they may ignore you, run for cover or shoot you on sight if aggravated.

If you’re near their spawn locations, a good rule of thumb is to check if there are any scavs dead or alive in the area around their ritual sites. If you don’t find any scavs there is a high chance there are cultists around. Cultists are heavily armed, using high penetration ammo and can even spawn with class 6 armor. 

How to deal with Cultists in Escape From Tarkov?

While they may wear heavy body armor, Cultists usually do not use headgear for protection,  except the occasional shattered mask. Try to get as many headshots as you can to take them down quickly. A good way to deal with cultists is after one of them engages with you, run at least a hundred meters away and crouch in a nearby bush to lose their aggro. After that scan the surrounding bushes for the cultists. Once you lose their aggro, they will no longer shoot at you unless you engage them or go very close to them. The main advantage of this is, after the first time you aggro them, they no longer remain prone. They will crouch in bushes, looking around for the player and you can pick them off with headshots. Once you pick off one of them, the others will aggro towards you regardless of how far you are from them. Repeat the process till you can no longer spot any more Cultists in the area.

If stabbed by the Cultist knife, players will get the Unknown toxin debuff, which deals damage over time and causes pain. The toxin can be cured by the xTG-12 antidote injector or Augmentin antibiotic pills. So if you’re venturing into a known spawn, make sure you carry the necessary meds.