The rule: carry what you can buy twice
A solo player has no one to pick up the bag or revive them. In the city a dead criminal loses everything; in the desert any death costs the whole inventory. Surrender keeps the equipped gear but not the bag. So the question is not “what is the best gun” but “what can I lose three times this evening”. The loss rules are in the loot-loss guide.
Research is paid once and stays until the wipe; the price is paid for every unit. A good solo item has a low price even if its research is expensive. Routes and totals are in the unlock order guide.
Loadout 1: no plot, first days
Everything here is sold without trader tier conditions. One full set costs less than a single legendary item brings.
| Item | Research | Price | Tier | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MC-10 Mk1 | 15,000 $ | 3,500 $ | none | A cheap submachine gun for close range |
| Light Body Armor | 5,000 $ | 4,000 $ | none | Basic protection |
| Backpack2 | 5,000 $ | 5,000 $ | none | More loot per run |
| Belt1 | 5,000 $ | 250 $ | none | Slots for medicine and ammo |
| Painkillers | 10,000 $ | 500 $ | none | Healing on the run |
| Lockpick | 5,000 $ | 99 $ | none | Doors without the alarm |
| Action Camera | 5,000 $ | 15,000 $ | none | Fills up from crimes; later traded for a Decoder |
Loadout 2: trader tier I–II, a plot
With a plot comes storage, so tools for locked rooms make sense: you have somewhere to bring what is behind the door.
| Item | Research | Price | Tier | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KL-545 Mk1 | 25,000 $ | 6,000 $ | I | An assault rifle for the street; still cheap |
| Medium Body Armor | 15,000 $ | 15,000 $ | I | Medium armor at a low price |
| Belt2 | 10,000 $ | 1,200 $ | I | A larger pouch |
| Backpack3 | 35,000 $ | 15,000 $ | II | A bigger bag |
| Code Tablet | 25,000 $ | 20,000 $ | II | Three full tablets make a Glass Cutter |
| USB Hacking Tool | 50,000 $ | 50,000 $ | II | Hacks computers in locked rooms |
| Mini Drill | 100,000 $ | 18,000 $ | II | One per large safe |
| Flash Grenade | 25,000 $ | 4,000 $ | I | To break contact and leave |
Loadout 3: trader tier II–III, for a planned job
This is not for every run. Take it when the target is known and worth it: a locked room with several large safes, or a trip to a district Sales Center.
| Item | Research | Price | Tier | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RC 5.56 Mk1 | 200,000 $ | 32,000 $ | II | A rifle with more damage per shot than the KL-545 |
| Assault Body Armor | 250,000 $ | 70,000 $ | II | Assault armor |
| Injector | 25,000 $ | 2,000 $ | II | Faster healing |
| Smoke Grenade | 50,000 $ | 5,040 $ | II | Cover on the way to the car |
| Master Key | 50,000 $ | 55,000 $ | II | Safes and cage shelves on other players’ bases |
Compare guns side by side in the weapon comparison; the full table with damage per second is in Best weapons.
What a solo player does not need
- Mk2 and Mk3 of the same gun in the first week: research doubles with each mark, and the gain is mostly magazine size.
- Heavy armor for small shops: it does not win a fight against police backup, and losing it hurts.
- A second gun “just in case”: it takes the space of loot.
- An expensive car before a garage: a car of your own needs a house, and upgrades cannot be put on a rental.
Armor values in numbers are not in the data we have, so the loadouts are ranked by price and trader tier, not by protection points.