TarkovHead

There are few reliable details about his past, but it's known that he once served in Afghanistan, where his radical methods of warfare took root. Referred to by some as 'Partizan', he became notorious for his expertise in setting traps and mines. His reputation for eliminating enemies often came down to catching them off guard, using their overconfidence against them. Partizan's knowledge of guerrilla tactics made him a dangerous adversary, able to turn any location—whether forest or building—into a deadly trap. Those who survive long enough to learn his ways may just find themselves in his good graces, but only if they're careful enough to see the traps before it's too late.

In Tarkov, the Partisan is most commonly found in forested locations: Shoreline, Woods (especially often), Customs, and occasionally Lighthouse. He doesn’t appear right at the start of a raid — usually, he spawns after some time, once the boss decides who to hunt.

The main feature of the Partisan is that he targets players with low “karma.” Karma represents your PMC’s reputation, and the exact values are unknown in patch 0.15. It is known, however, that reputation decreases if you stay in the bushes for too long — a special sound plays, signaling that your karma is dropping. Once a certain threshold is reached, the player attracts the boss’s attention.

When the boss locates his target, he moves silently toward them but will attack any encountered scavengers or PMCs who are not the main target. Reputation with the Fence won’t help here. During combat, the Partisan becomes loud: he shouts various phrases, and his behavior is similar to other bosses — precise shooting through bushes and a large health pool. However, a single headshot from a bullet dealing over 65 damage will kill him instantly.

During a fight or near his target, the boss may set up tripwires — a new mechanic introduced in patch 0.15. Although the Partisan was added to “punish” players who stay in one spot for too long, anyone can encounter him, since he also frequently hides in bushes. He is often encountered in PVE, as boss spawn chances are higher and other players are absent.

Overall, the boss is simple in design, but thanks to his stealth and accuracy, he makes raids more dangerous and unpredictable.