Marathon takes players on a journey through the harsh yet beautiful environments of Tau Ceti IV, with Runners testing their skills against not just the UESC enemies but also rival Runners out to get them.
In such a tense situation, tied together by Bungie’s tight gunplay and movement, you could use some tips and tricks that make your Marathon Season 1 runs easier and more efficient to get through.
Best Marathon Tips and Tricks for Better Runs
Learn to Manage Heat
Heat in Marathon is essentially your stamina, and it serves as the lifeblood of your Runner. Sprinting, jumping, and using abilities build Heat, and if it redlines, your Shell will lock up and limit your movement. In order not to become prey for other Runners, you need to make sure that you are doing everything to manage Heat. This includes something as simple as crouching and finding a water body, which can help you dissipate Heat quicker.
In addition to learning how to dissipate Heat quicker, also remember that you can use things like Marathon Cores and Implants to increase your maximum Heat capacity.
Choose Your Loot Sources Carefully
Nothing beats the satisfaction of coming across a patrol of AI-controlled Marathon enemies and wiping the floor with them. However, while eliminating UESC enemies is an important part of Marathon, always remember that these bots should not be your primary source of loot during a run. This is because they rarely have anything valuable, like weapons or ammo, for you. Instead, try searching every possible container around the map, as they hold a better chance of granting you something you can either use for crafting or trading.
Try the Scavenger Playstyle
You won’t always have a Vault filled with the best Marathon weapons before heading out on a run. In a situation like this, you can try heading into a match with an empty loadout or with the Rook Runner Shell. While heading into a run without anything equipped might seem like a bad idea, it allows you to be more carefree when scavenging Tau Cati IV while also leaving a ton of extra room in your backpack for any valuable materials you find.
Focus on the Sound
Much like any other extraction shooter, you have to use all your senses when heading out on a run in Marathon. You have enemies all around you, whether it be UESC assets or rival Runners, and they always have unique audio cues when in close proximity to you. Listen for things like footsteps and use of healing items, as these can help you recognise when a Runner is vulnerable. Additionally, if you hear a loud buzzer sound, get ready to fight, as it signifies that a UESC robot has spotted you.
Don’t Hesitate to Use Your Knife
The phrase “bring a knife to a gunfight” gets flipped on its head when you’re on Tau Ceti IV. While taking the fight to UESC robots with nothing but a knife might seem unwise at first, melee attacks are actually incredibly powerful in Marathon, and can easily take down low-tier UESC enemies and rival Runners running low on health in 1-2 swings.
Customize Cores and Implants
In Marathon, your Runner Shell is like a vehicle, with multiple spots available for customization with Marathon Cores and Implants. Cores allow players to modify their Runner Shell’s abilities, making them more powerful or adding stat buffs to them. Implants, on the other hand, provide overall stat boosts for your Runner Shell, allowing for buffs like quicker heat dissipation and health regen.
Stock Up On Heals
To no one’s surprise, good healing items are hard to come by in Marathon, with every other container you search having a measly Depleted Shield Charge or Depleted Patch Kit. This makes it important to purchase items like Patch Kits and Shield Charges in the Marathon Armory before you even deploy. While you can find good heals in Medical Cabinets, you will probably have to take on a few enemies before you get to one, so carrying extra heals doesn’t hurt.
Learn to Manage Your Ammo
One of the biggest concerns for Marathon players right now is the lack of ammo resources, so learning to manage your ammo is paramount to having a successful run. You don’t automatically scavenge bullets from defeated UESC enemies. To avoid clicking on an empty chamber mid-fight, it is important to diversify your loadout with weapons of two different ammo types to make sure you aren’t draining a single ammo reserve every fight.
Avoid Boss Extracts
In Marathon, there are two ways to extract once you have finished looting: Crew Extracts and Boss Extracts. The Crew Extracts are the safer option, giving you a standard 30-second timer to exfil once activated. Boss Extracts, on the other hand, trigger a massive wave of hostile AI enemies once activated. If you have had a good looting session or are low on ammo, never attempt a Boss Extract.
Stop Worrying About Losing Your Loot
Marathon is an extraction shooter, and extraction shooters have losing your loot at their core. While being careful with your hard-earned loot is good, don’t overdo it, and let that Superior Hardline PR go to waste, rotting away in your Vault. Use your best gear to win more fights, while still being mindful of your loadout.
And that’s our list of tips and tricks for having overall better runs in Marathon. Do you have any useful tips that could help? Tell us in the comments below!
Ishan Adhikary
