PAYDAY 3 – Loadout Tips

Loadout

Deployables

You get to bring one deployable per heist, which can restock you and your teammates on supplies like health, ammo, or armor, or provide defense via the sentry turret.

• Ammo Bag
  • Comes with 2 ammo packs by default, which can be increased up to 6 with skills.
  • Without skills, each ammo pack restores up to 2 throwables and 45% of the player’s base maximum reserve ammo for each weapon.
• Medic Bag
  • Comes with 2 first aid kits by default, which can be increased up to 6 with skills.
  • Without skills, each first aid kit restores up to ~20% of the player’s maximum health.
  • Contrary to the ingame description, medic bags and first aid kits do not restore any downs by default.
• Sentry Turret
  • Automatically targets and shoots any non-civ NPCs within 15m, in an arc of ~110 degrees in front of the sentry.
  • Deals 15 damage per shot.
  • The sentry is capable of aiming straight up or down, so long as the target is able to be spotted by the sentry and is within 15m.
  • The sentry will build up heat each time it shoots, takes damage, is electrocuted, or is hacked (?), until it eventually reaches max heat.
  • At max heat, the sentry will stop functioning.
  • Sentries can be picked back up and redeployed at any point, even after it overheats. Doing this will reset the heat back to 0.
  • Unlocks by researching the root skill of the Engineer skill line.
• Armor Bag
  • Comes with 2 armor plates by default, which can be increased up to 6 with skills.
  • Without skills, each armor plate fully recovers all of the player’s recovery armor, then restores up to 1 armor segment.
  • This is the most important deployable by a long shot, and it is considered mandatory that all players bring an armor bag and armor bag skills if playing loud on the highest difficulties.
  • Unlocks at infamy 2.

Armor

Your armor dictates how many armor segments you have, how many times you can go down before being put into custody, and how fast you move.

• Light Ballistic Lining
  • Provides 2 armor segments & 3 downs.
  • You run at ~6.15m/s (100% base movement speed).
• Medium Ballistic Lining
  • Provides 3 armor segments & 3 downs.
  • You run at ~5.67m/s (~92% base movement speed).
  • Unlocks at infamy 8.
• Standard Lining
  • Provides 1 armor segment & 4 downs.
  • You run at ~6.15m/s (100% base movement speed).
  • Contrary to popular belief, this armor lining does not make you any faster than normal.
  • Unlocks at infamy 18.
• Heavy Ballistic Lining
  • Provides 4 armor segments & 2 downs.
  • You run at ~5.2m/s (~85% base movement speed).
  • Unlocks at infamy 34.

Throwables

You get 3 of your selected throwable per heist, and can get more with certain skills or by interacting with ammo bags & ammo packs. All throwables except the throwing knife will cause an explosion loud enough to be heard by every NPC on the map.

• Frag Grenade
  • Explodes 3s after you press G, dealing 125 damage with 1.0(?) AP to you and NPCs in an 8m radius.
  • The explosion can be blocked by shields or walls.
• Flashbang
  • Explodes 3s after thrown, stunning non-civ NPCs in an 8m radius for 5s.
  • NPCs must have line of sight to the flashbang to be stunned.
  • The explosion can be blocked by shields.
  • Unlocks at infamy 7.
• Throwing Knife
  • Throws a silent knife that deals 150 damage with 2.0(?) AP to a single target.
  • Makes a noise upon impact with the environment, luring any guards that can hear it within a ~13m radius to come investigate.
  • Guards must investigate each noise, so throwing multiple knives will distract guards for longer.
  • If the knife survives the impact via the Retriever skill, the guard who investigates will see the knife and radio to put the heist into search mode.
  • Using knives as throwable lures is considered a stealth meta, and thus this is the reccomended throwable for stealth.
  • Unlocks at infamy 16.
• Smoke Grenade
  • Explodes 3s after thrown, creating a 5m-radius smoke cloud that lasts for 14s.
  • Allies standing in the gas cloud have a ??% chance for shots fired at them to miss.
  • Enemies standing in the gas cloud have a ??% chance to miss their shots.
  • Stepping out of the gas cloud gives residual effects for 2s after leaving.
  • Unlocks at infamy 27.

Tools

Tools are a separate type of deployable that are centered around stealth gameplay. You have a limited amount per heist, and cannot get more. They can be placed anywhere, and will stick to any surface.

• Microcam
  • You get 2 microcams per heist.
  • Once placed, you can tap E to access them through your phone to view their surroundings.
  • Viewing microcams on your phone is not a suspicious or illegal action, but placing a microcam is an illegal action.
  • Just like looking through CCTV, you can mark guards and ping locations through microcams.
  • Taking any damage will force you to stop looking through the microcams.
  • Can be used to track particularly annoying guards by placing a cam on their butt, then looking straight up/down and marking the guard through the microcam.
• Infrasonic Mine
  • You get 5 infrasonic mines per heist.
  • You can activate all of your placed mines simultaneously by tapping E.
  • When activated, silently stuns all NPCs in a 5m radius for 6s, even through walls.
  • If in stealth, stunned NPCs will act as though they just witnessed an illegal action when they become unstunned. Shut them up fast.
  • Best choice for loud gameplay, as they can be used like placeable flashbangs.
  • Unlocks at infamy 10.
• ECM Jammer
  • You get 1 ECM jammer per heist.
  • When activated, lasts for 15s, during which all cameras take 150% longer to detect things, and all guards take 66.6% longer to radio for the alarm.
  • Civs are unaffected by the ECM, and can still instantly sound the alarm by escaping or pressing a panic button.
  • These slowing effects stack with multiple active ECMs.
  • ECMs have unlimited range.
  • Unlocks at infamy 20.
• Motion Sensor
  • You get 2 motion sensors per heist.
  • When placed, automatically marks all NPCs in a 5m radius.
  • Can only mark 15 NPCs. Once all 15 have been marked, it stops functioning.
  • Can mark the same NPC multiple times if they leave the radius and re-enter. This counts multiple times toward the 15 mark limit.
  • NPCs that were marked by the motion sensor will stay marked as long as they are within its radius, even after the tool stops functioning.
  • Can be used to track particularly annoying guards by placing a sensor on their butt. This is less versatile than a microcam, but will make that guard always stay marked.
  • Unlocks at infamy 30.