Unlike other extraction shooters on the block, Marathon offers a unique class system in the form of Runner Shells. These biosynthetic shells are designed to help you survive the harsh environments of Tau Ceti, and there’s a ton of variety already on offer.
Marathon will launch with six unique Runner Shells, each with its own Primary and Tactical abilities, as well as a handful of Traits to make each one feel distinct. Whether you prefer to hang back and survey the battlefield or storm right in and lead the charge, there’s most certainly a Runner Shell for you.
All Destroyer Shell Abilities In Marathon
The Destroyer Shell is the most tank-like of the classes, offering a balance between manoeuvrability and dealing/soaking damage.
The abilities for the Destroyer Shell are:
| Runner Shell Ability Type | Runner Shell Ability Name | Runner Shell Ability Description |
|---|---|---|
| Primary | Search & Destroy | Activates shoulder-mounted missile pod. Dealing sustained damage to enemies fires heat-seeking missiles that damage and immobilise them. |
| Tactical | Riot Barricade | Activates a front-facing energy barricade that blocks incoming damage, draining tactical ability energy over time. |
| Trait | Thruster | Activate whilst airborne to fire boosters that thrust you in the direction you are moving. |
| Trait | Tactical Sprint | Double-press sprint to move faster, at the cost of generating additional heat. |
A Destroyer wants to get into combat as quickly as possible with its Thrusters and Tactical Sprint, and stay there with help from the Riot Barricade. Once you’ve got your enemies pinned, hit them with the Search & Destroy missiles to finish them off.
All Assassin Shell Abilities In Marathon
As the name might suggest, the Assassin Shell is a stealthy Runner class that utilises invisibility and smoke effectively to both evade detection and dominate combat.
The abilities for the Assassin Shell are:
| Runner Shell Ability Type | Runner Shell Ability Name | Runner Shell Ability Description |
|---|---|---|
| Primary | Smoke Screen | Throw a smoke disc that emits a line of smoke fields in front of you, disrupting the optics of those who step inside. |
| Tactical | Active Camo | Activate your shell’s camouflage systems, pulling a shroud of invisibility over yourself. Performing offensive actions, taking damage, and using abilities or consumables briefly disrupts your invisibility. |
| Trait | Shadow Dive | Activate while airborne to slam a smoke disc into the ground, deploying a smoke field. |
| Trait | Shroud | Your shell automatically activates its camouflage systems when entering any smoke field, making you invisible. Invisibility persists for a short time after leaving the smoke field. |
Think of the Assassin Shell as the perfect backline disrupter. Utilise your Active Camo and stalk your enemies until you see the perfect time to strike. It looks like it’ll be the perfect flanking Shell, especially in a coordinated team.
All Recon Shell Abilities In Marathon
The Recon Shell is perfect for those who prefer to assess things from afar, with abilities largely focusing on information gathering and hunting down enemies.
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The abilities for the Recon Shell are:
| Runner Shell Ability Type | Runner Shell Ability Name | Runner Shell Ability Description |
|---|---|---|
| Primary | Echo Pulse | Activate your shell’s advanced detection systems, releasing a series of sonar pulses that reveal the location of nearby hostiles. |
| Tactical | Tracker Drone | Deploy a mechanized microbot that tracks down nearby hostiles and explodes, Overheating any targets caught in the blast. |
| Trait | Interrogation | When pinged by a hostile Runner, you automatically receive a warning in your shell’s HUD. Performing a finisher on a Runner pings their crew. |
| Trait | Stalker Protocol | After breaking a target’s shield, they leave behind a lingering holographic trail for a short time. |
Nothing is getting by a Recon Shell, and they seem to be the perfect foil to the Assassin. If you’re looking to set up an ambush, use the Echo Pulse to find enemies and send out your Tracker Drone to blow them up and lock them in place.
All Vandal Shell Abilities In Marathon
By far the most dextrous of the line-up, the Vandal shell has abilities that revolve around improved mobility.
The abilities for the Vandal Shell are:
| Runner Shell Ability Type | Runner Shell Ability Name | Runner Shell Ability Description |
|---|---|---|
| Primary | Amplify | Overcharge your movement systems, reducing the heat generated from your movement abilities while increasing your movement speed and weapon dexterity. |
| Tactical | Disrupt Cannon | Transform your arm into a cannon and fire a high-powered energy projectile that deals damage and pushes targets away. Overcharge it to increase damage and blast size. |
| Trait | Microjets | Activate while airborne to perform another jump at the cost of generating additional heat. |
| Trait | Power Slide | Grants a supercharged slide that generates more heat. |
If you like to be quick on your toes, then Vandal is the shell for you. Although you’ll have to manage your heat build-up, the chaos you can cause with the rapid movements and Disruptor blast is hard to ignore.
All Thief Shell Abilities In Marathon
Self-described as the ‘loot goblin’ by Bungie, the Thief Shell excels at finding the best gear that Marathon has to offer.
The abilities for the Thief Shell are:
| Runner Shell Ability Type | Runner Shell Ability Name | Runner Shell Ability Description |
|---|---|---|
| Primary | Pickpocket Drone | Deploy a remotely piloted flying drone with a limited lifespan. While piloting the drone, you can fire a hooked tether that can eject the highest-value item from target inventories, collect and store loose loot, and open doors. At any point while the drone is still active, activate the ability again to continue piloting the drone. |
| Tactical | Grapple Device | Launch a grapple device in your aim direction, propelling yourself toward it. |
| Trait | X-Ray Visor | Activate your visor, highlighting hostiles and containers in the color of the most valuable item they’re storing. Containers are revealed through walls, while hostiles require line of sight. While active, aiming at a hostile for a short time Hacks their optics, disrupting their vision until you look away. |
| Trait | The Finer Things | Gain increased weapon handling and accelerated Grapple Device recharge rate based on the number of items in your Backpack. |
The Thief is easily the best looter in Marathon, though it can also double slightly as a Recon player if the Drone is used correctly. Scout out your surroundings, find where the best gear is, and buff yourself once it’s all safe in your backpack.
All Triage Shell Abilities In Marathon
Every team needs a medic, and the Triage Shell is just that, offering multiple ways to support your team whilst holding down the front line.
The abilities for the Triage Shell are:
| Runner Shell Ability Type | Runner Shell Ability Name | Runner Shell Ability Description |
|---|---|---|
| Primary | Reboot+ | Activate to ready your shell’s emergency defibrillator systems. Lock on to downed crew members or hostile targets and fire your Reboot+ device at them, which revives crew members and EMPs hostiles. |
| Tactical | Med-Drone | Deploy a floating medical drone that attaches to crew members and restores health or recharges shields, and prevents them from bleeding out while downed. |
| Trait | Shareware.exe | Benefits from medical consumables are shared between crew members with Med-Drone attached to them. |
| Trait | Battery Overcharge | Divert energy from your cooling systems to boost the performance of your weapons at the cost of generating additional heat. While active, breaking a target’s shield with a volt weapon EMPs them. |
You’d be remiss to go on a run without a Triage in your team, as the numerous buffs and support they offer are second to none. Not only can they share their consumables with you, thanks to the Med-Drone, but on the off chance you go down, they can get you back into the fight quicker than anybody.
All Rook Frame Abilities In Marathon
Rook is a unique class in Marathon, as it doesn’t offer a large range of abilities like the Shells do; instead, it’s more focused on scavenging ongoing matches.
The Rook Frame puts some limitations on the matchmaking when it’s selected. Firstly, you can’t play as part of a team when choosing Rook, and secondly, you’ll be placed into ongoing matches, though other players won’t be notified of your arrival.
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With those restricitons in mind, here’s the Rook’s ability line-up:
| Runner Shell Ability Type | Runner Shell Ability Name | Runner Shell Ability Description |
|---|---|---|
| Primary | Recuperation | Activate your prototype frame’s emergency repair system to slowly repair health. Interrupted when you take damage. |
| Tactical | Signal Mask | Activate a temporary holodisplay mask to deceive UESC forces, making them unaware of your presence. Disrupted when you sprint or take damage. |
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Which Runner Shell will you be using on your next Marathon run? Share your thoughts in the official Insider Gaming Discord Server.
For more Marathon content, check out whether it has crossplay, as well as which platforms it’s available on.
