Escape From Tarkov Stray Dogs Quest complete Guide 2023

Welcome to our complete guide for the Stray Dogs quest in Escape From Tarkov! In this post, we’ll cover everything you need to know to complete this challenging quest and earn your rewards.

For those unfamiliar with Escape From Tarkov, it is a hardcore and realistic online first-person action RPG/Simulator with MMO features and a story-driven walkthrough. Set in the fictional Norvinsk region located on the front between Russia and Europe, the game features Russian, NATO, and player-created mercenaries fighting for survival in Tarkov, a city sealed off by UN and Russian military forces after a political conflict.

The Stray Dogs quest is just one of many exciting and challenging missions available in Escape From Tarkov, and we can’t wait to help you tackle it. So without further ado, let’s get started!

Escape From Tarkov Stray Dogs Quest Details

The new USEC “Goon Squad” members must be tracked down and killed to complete the Escape From Tarkov Stray Dogs quest. What follows is a brief description of the three individuals and the areas in which they excel:

Death Knight (Assault)
Big Pipe (Grenade Launcher)

Birdeye (Sniper)

The main challenge of this quest, beyond the difficulty of the quest itself, is finding them. The Goon Squad, unlike the game’s other bosses, are not confined to a single map or location but instead move freely between four of them:

Lighthouse (Water Treatment Plant/Chalet)

Escape From Tarkov Customs (Fortress/Crack House)
Escape From Tarkov Woods (Scav Bunker/Village)
Shoreline (Weather Station)

There is a 5–15% chance that they will spawn on any of these maps, though they are most common on Lighthouse. Even if you’re actively looking for them, you might go twenty or more raids without ever encountering them, and then, when you do, they might wipe you out instantly.

One bright spot is that they always travel in packs, so once you spot one, you’ve got a good shot at locating the rest. The obvious downside is that you’ll probably have to fight all three at once unless you incorporate some clever planning into your strategy to split them up, which we will thankfully detail later in this guide.

You can also read: Escape From Tarkov “Scout” Quest Guide

Escape From Tarkov Stray Dogs Quest Rewards

Jaeger has prepared the following for you as a reward for defeating the Goon Squad:

131,625 Roubles
12,000 EXP

One SV-98 7.62x54R bolt-action sniper rifle (variant OV)
Two SV-98 7.62x54R 10-round magazines
One Recknagel Era-Tac 30mm ring scope mount

One Schmidt & Bender PM II 1-8×24 scope
30 7.62x54mm R PS gzh rounds

And, of course, anything you brought back from your mission to eliminate the Goon Squad, as they leave behind some extremely delectable loot, you will want to try.

How To Complete The Escape From Tarkov Stray Dogs Quest

If you’re trying to complete the Escape From Tarkov Stray Dogs quest, you’ll want to select a map to hunt them down on first. Lighthouse seems obvious with its 15% spawn chance, but the answer is more nuanced than that.

What Map To Fight The Goon Squad On

Even though Lighthouse appears most frequently on the map, players still need to watch out for the other threats it conceals. Aside from the PMC operatives, the USEC rogues that roam the Water Treatment Plant are well-documented in our Escape from Tarkov: The Energy Crisis guide.

Lighthouse is home to many PvP action and well-equipped players because it is a popular raiding destination thanks to its excellent loot. When searching for and eliminating the Goon Squad, the last thing you want to do is deal with any other PMCs.

The spawn rate for Woods is next at 15%, but you don’t want to face the Goon Squad here. The primary cause is Birdeye’s advanced artificial intelligence, which allows him to detect your location and fire at you from distances greater than 100 meters. This is a surefire way to fail, especially on the Woods map, where it’s easy to get killed by shots you couldn’t have avoided.

The shoreline is a decent choice with a 15% spawn chance that is on par with any other option. The Weather Station is the only place the Squad can spawn outside the Health Resort’s chaos. There’s less reason to fret about interference from without, but they’re still out in the open, making suppression more of an uphill battle.

Lastly, Customs has the lowest spawn chance of any map at 12%, but it’s also the most advantageous for engaging them. They spawn in the area around the Fortress, which provides them with a safe place to hide and several buildings to duck into if things get too intense. If you run into them here, this is probably the best spot on the map to battle with them.

What Gear To Bring

The equipment you intend to bring is the next factor to think about. If you can help it, bring the best gear you can access, increasing your chances of defeating them should you encounter them. However, you should consider the likelihood of dying in raids where you can’t find them and settle on an acceptable price based on your likelihood of survival.

However, a few considerations can guide your equipment selections, allowing you to strike the best possible balance in your entire setup. As a starting point, both Big Pipe and Death Knight are equipped with the S&S Precision PlateFrame plate carrier, a class five armored rig, so you’ll need to consider that if you’re planning on shooting at them. Ammo that can penetrate class five is a must if you aren’t willing to go for headshots, but it’s not always easy to come by, especially at the beginning of the wipe.

Gathering 7.62×39 BP ammunition from the outlaws is a viable choice if you can do it. The alternative is to go for headshots confidently; any ammunition with flesh damage over 40 will suffice for a two-shot headshot.

Choosing the right gun for your ammo and map is crucial. Start with our Escape From Tarkov best guns list, but choose a fully-automatic weapon for maximum flexibility. The Mutant or RD-704 are good choices because they can use the 7.62×39 BP ammo you should have bought.

Go for that if you’re more comfortable with another automatic with good ammo. If you plan on finding them on a longer-range map like Lighthouse or Woods, a sniper rifle may be a good choice, but you will need at least two shots to kill each member, so you must be precise.

Finally, take the best armor you can find. The Goon Squad uses 7.62×51 M61 and.300 AP, which can penetrate class six armor. You could choose class four armor because they’ll penetrate it, but you want to maximize your chances. Wearing a helmet with a face shield could save your life.

You don’t want to kill them only to leave their high-tier gear in the raid, so take the biggest backpack you can find.