It is always nice to have a leader in any shooter game team composition, and in Bungie’s Marathon, Locus plays that role. Whether you want to charge in and be your team’s initiator or you want to become the shield, this is the ideal Runner. If you love playing that role in Marathon, here is everything you need to know about Locus and his abilities, traits, and playstyle.
Marathon Locus Abilities and Traits
Locus is one of the best initiating Runners in Marathon, especially when facing multiple enemies at once. Despite being more impactful in fights than many other characters, he also has some solid advanced movement tech. Like others, he comes with one primary ability, one tactical, and two passive traits—but his kit can be crucial for solid team compositions. Here’s a full breakdown of Locus’s abilities and traits in Marathon.
Search and Destroy
The primary ability in Locus’s kit is Search and Destroy, and it literally does that. Pressing the Q button on PC, the LB+RB button on Xbox, and the L1+R1 button on PS5 will bring the ability up. Use it to activate your shoulder-mounted missile pods. Once it is activated, Locus will launch homing missiles.
These missiles not only help you track enemies, but also deal sustained damage to the enemy they hit. Moreover, the missiles also immobilize the target. This can be an ideal ability to start a fight, especially if you are playing with a Blackbird on your team; take advantage of their scouting to launch the missiles in the right direction.
Riot Barricade
There aren’t many defensive tactics in Marathon. Well, that is where Locus comes into the game. His tactical ability, Riot Barricade, activates an energy barricade that blocks incoming damage. While you have the shield up, your ability bar will drain. So, make sure you aren’t burning it down.
Moreover, if you are blocking damage, the bar will consume even more energy. So, be mindful of using the tactical ability button (F on PC, LB on Xbox, or L1 on PS5). You should also remember that you are the only defensive character on your team. This means you cannot burn energy on unnecessary targets.
Thruster
While his abilities mean all defense and charge, the traits give him a massive movement boost. His first trait, Thruster, is like an air slide. Once you are mid-air, using this trait will let you boost yourself toward a desired direction. It’s perfect for dodging chaos, repositioning, or simply reaching locations that other Marathon runners can’t.
Tactical Sprint
Locus’s second trait is all about high risk but higher reward. Pressing the sprint button two times puts you in overdrive. This will significantly increase your movement, but at the cost of increased heat. So, if you are mindful of your heat bar, Tactical Sprint will make you the second-best movement Runner, of course, after Glitch.
Bungie’s Marathon Locus Playstyle
For the most part, Locus is a defense and charge character in Marathon. Using the Search and Destroy to dish out damage to enemies or even executing them is highly effective. You can easily displace enemies from a fight or loot using the primary ability. But that is not the only charge.
You can also push fights by using the Thruster and Tactical Sprint combo. If you can utilize them correctly, you can make enemies’ lives a living hell by becoming an impossible target to shoot. And of course, if the charge side of the action does not work, just use the Riot Barricade and get your defenses up before a second run.
For my first impressions, I think Locus will be the perfect brute of a Marathon team composition. If you are familiar with Newcastle from Apex Legends, Locus resembles him a lot in his playstyle. In case you are not, consider yourself the leader with all kits in Marathon.
Will you be the leader of your team? Share your thoughts about Locus in Marathon in the comments below.
