Marathon: All Runner Shells and Their Abilities

Discover everything you need to know about all Runner Shells in Marathon, including their Prime and Tactical abilities.

Marathon offers 7 distinct Runner Shells to all players to choose from based on their playstyle. When you drop into a match, you choose one of these shells. You can loot weapons, gear, Cores, and Implants during a run, and those items modify your playstyle.

Each Shell has a Prime (Ultimate) ability, a Tactical ability, and two Traits. Traits are situational bonus that supports the shell’s role, while Tactical ability is your utility skill. Choosing the best Runner Shell based on your approach and playstyle is crucial to dominating opponents.

What is Runner Shell in a Marathon?

Runner Shell in Marathon is a character archetype or class that comes with its own unique abilities, roles, and gameplay style. Each shell has Primary ability, Tactical ability, and Traits. You can modify and improve a shell’s base capabilities with core to make them more effective. They also have stats like agility and heat capacity, affecting overall performance.

Choosing the best runner shell based on your playstyle is essential in every aspect. The Prime ability is a main active power, while the Tactical ability is your secondary tool. The trait of each Runner Shell increases the movement and combat mechanics. The Destroyer Shell is the best one that is combat-focused, with missile attacks.

1. Destroyer

Destroyer is our first Runner Shell in Marathon and is a frontline combat specialist. This character focuses on aggressive engagements, controlling space, and applying pressure during combat. He’s the main guy who can dominate the opponents when used properly.

 Its Prime ability and Tactical ability are the reasons what makes Destroyer the best among everyone else. You can push forward first, create space, and absorb pressure while progressing towards the objective. It excels in direct engagements, but works best with Recon and Triage.

Below are the Prime ability, Tactical ability, and traits of the Destroyer in Marathon.

• Search and Destroy (Prime Ability): When activated, the Destroyer deploys shoulder-mounted missile pods to automatically fire homing missiles.
• Riot Barricade (Tactical Ability): Deploys a shield energy barrier that acts as a portable shield to block incoming damage. It drains tactical energy while deployed and allows you to hold contested space.
• Thruster (Trait): Deploys boosters while airborne to throw you in the moving direction.
• Tactical Sprint (Trait): Double-tap the sprint button to go into an enhanced sprint, allowing you to close gaps.

2. Assassin

This Runner Shell focuses on stealth, ambushes, and information denial in Marathon. Assassin excels at sneaking behind enemies and disrupting vision. However, they are less suitable for prolonged combat.

Assassin’s kit lets you control information and sightlines, allowing you to dominate enemies in battlefield. Agility and Firewall are the best stats to invest your points in for this Runner Shell. Use the abilities to dictate when and where fights happen.

Below are the Prime ability, Tactical ability, and traits of the Assassin in Marathon.

• Smoke Screen (Prime Ability): Allows you to throw a smoke disc that creates a line of smoke fields. Opponents who get inside the smoke have their vision disrupted.
• Active Camo (Tactical Ability): Activates your shell’s camouflage system to make you invisible for a short duration. This is ideal for flanking and repositioning during a tough encounter.
• Shadow Dive (Trait): While airborne, activate this trait to slam a smoke disc into the ground to create a smoke field. Use this ability to negate the fall damage for surprise drops.
• Shroud (Trait): Automatically activates your camouflage after entering the smoke field and creates your own Smoke Screen.

3. Recon

This is an intel and tracking specialist who focuses on detecting opponents and revealing their location. Recon’s abilities allow you to pressure or chase the enemies down, depending on the information you acquire. His kit lets you detect enemies, track movements, and gain combat awareness.

Its abilities give your squad crucial information for safe rotations or avoiding encountering the enemies. You can pair this runnel Shell with a Destroyer to find the enemies and kill them instantly. Heat Capacity and Agility are the best stats to focus on while playing Recon.

Below are the Prime ability, Tactical ability, and traits of the Recon in Marathon.

• Echo Pulse (Prime Ability): Sends out a series of sonar pulses to scan the area around you, revealing the enemies’ positions.
• Tracker Drone (Tactical Ability): Allows you to deploy a microbot that hunts nearby enemies. It automatically explodes when the drone gets closer to enemies.
• Interrogation (Trait): Gain a HUD alert if another enemy Runner pings you. This allows you to ping the location of other enemies if you perform a finisher on a single opponent.
• Stalker Protocol (Trait): Enemies leave a visible holographic trail of footprints for a brief moment once you break an enemy’s shield. Allows you to track down fleeing enemies.

4. Triage

This is a support class Runner Shell who can heal, revive, and buff allies during firefights. Triage excels at keeping the teammates alive and turning the tide of fights by keeping the squad alive. He can combine supportive tools with combat buffs to dominate the enemies while helping his teammates.

However, this Runner Shell is not as effective as Destroyer, but using it correctly makes a huge difference. Make sure to pair Triage with Destroyer to heal and destroy enemies in combat. Triage is generally less effective when solo, leaving you vulnerable in more cases.

Below are the Prime ability, Tactical ability, and traits of the Triage in Marathon.

• Reboot+ (Prime Ability): Allows you to charge up and fire electric tendrils at a target. Use it to revive downed allies at range.
• Med-Drone (Tactical Ability): Deploys a floating medical drone to provide continuous health and shield regeneration to teammates.
• Shareware.EXE (Trait): Any consumables or healing buffs you use are also shared with allies by the drones.
• Battery Overcharge (Trait): Increase the performance of your weapon by adding energy into them. Battery weapons can EMP enemies when their shields are broken.

5. Thief

This Runner Shell in Marathon focuses on gathering high-value items, scouting, and escaping quickly. He is great for vertical movement, flanking, and reaching loot containers without getting caught while navigating.

Thief becomes more capable and efficient the more loot you are carrying with The Finer Things. The Grapple Device is one of the best movement tools, allowing you to reposition and evade fights. The thief can disrupt enemies’ vision by targeting them with the visor active for a short time.

Below are the Prime ability, Tactical ability, and traits of the Thief in Marathon.

• Pickpocket Drone (Prime Ability): Deploys a remote-controlled flying drone, forcing the highest-value item out of an enemy’s inventory. You can also use it to collect dropped loot and store it.
• Grapple Device (Tactical Ability): Fires a grapple dart in the direction you’re aiming to create an anchor point in mid-air.
• X-Ray Visor (Trait): Activates a visor that highlights loot containers through walls. It can highlight the enemies within your line of sight.
• The Finer Things (Trait): Your weapon handling and Grapple Device recharge rate improve based on your backpack. This allows you to become more capable and efficient.

6. Vandal

This is a highly mobile and disruptive Runner Shell in Marathon who focuses on flanking and aggressively engages and disengages. Vandal uses knock-back effects to displace enemies. This Runner Shell is best suited for players who prefer aggressive mobility and hit-and-run combat. It works with other Shells like Triage or Recon due to its engaging and disengaging abilities. Use the tactical to fire an explosive projectile to damage and knock back enemies.

Below are the Prime ability, Tactical ability, and traits of the Vandal in Marathon.

• Amplify (Prime Ability): Allows you to mitigate heat buildup from movement abilities. Use it to chain jumps, slides, and other movements without overheating quickly.
• Disrupt Cannon (Tactical Ability): Your arm transforms into a powerful energy cannon to fire a high-powered projectile that damages enemies.
• Microjets (Trait): Allows the Vandal to perform a second jump while airborne by consuming more heat.
• Power Slide (Trait): Grants you a supercharged slide that travels faster and farther. This makes it best for dodging, changing direction quickly, and avoiding enemy fire.

7. Rook

This is a scavenger-style Runner Shell in Marathon who enters a match already in progress and only in solo queue. You can’t bring gear from your vault or choose your loadout. Rook starts with a minimal kit, so you don’t need to worry about losing items when you die.

He can scavenge loot and extract safely during a match. All loot you find and successfully extract is yours to keep. Make sure to use this Runnel Shell to learn maps, grab loot, and build resources. Rook lacks strong offensive or mobility abilities, but you can fight with whatever you find.

• Recuperation (Prime Ability): Helps Rook survive longer while scavenging and slowly restores health over time.
• Signal Mask (Tactical Ability): activate a mask or blending system that makes UESC AI forces treat you like an ally. This allows you to move through areas with enemies without getting attacked.