Marathon Runner Shell Tier List: Triage and Recon Still Run the Squad Meta
Marathon’s extraction loop lives or dies on squad composition, and months into the game’s run some Runner Shells have settled firmly above others for trio play. This tier list breaks down every Shell’s role, strengths, and weaknesses for squad mode, so you know what to bring into your next drop.
S-Tier: Triage and Recon
S-Tier: Triage and Recon. Triage is the only Shell that can undo a squad’s mistakes outright, healing and reviving teammates so your team can reset between fights instead of limping into the next one. It’s weak on mobility and raw combat power on its own, but its EMP and shield-breaking tactical utility means it’s never purely passive. Recon is the squad’s eyes: its signature ability, Echo Pulse, reveals nearby hostiles, including Shells that are actively using stealth like the Assassin. Like Triage, Recon isn’t built to win fights alone and depends on allies to capitalize on the information it provides.
A-Tier: Destroyer, Assassin, and Thief
A-Tier: Destroyer, Assassin, and Thief. Destroyer is the closest thing to a frontline tank in Marathon’s kit, with a Riot Barricade that blocks incoming damage for the whole squad while its energy holds, plus Tactical Sprint mobility and Search-and-Destroy homing missiles for picking off targets at range. It’s weak once that energy runs out, so it pairs best with Triage or Recon covering it from behind. Assassin is built entirely around Active Camo; against a squad with no Recon and no thermal sights, it can feel S-tier, but the moment its position is known it falls off hard since it lacks the raw power to win a head-on fight. Thief rounds out this tier as the best Shell for looting runs, combining an X-ray scan for finding the most valuable items with a Pickpocket Drone (the second-best intel tool in the game after Echo Pulse) and a Grapple Device for repositioning, though it’s a clear liability in a straight firefight.
B-Tier: Vandal
B-Tier: Vandal. Vandal has the highest raw offensive ceiling of any Runner Shell, but its kit is loud and linear, telegraphing exactly where it’s coming from. When its shots land, it can carry a fight single-handedly; when they miss, it offers nothing for the rest of the squad to lean on, which is why it sits a tier below the more flexible picks above it.
Building a Balanced Squad
For a balanced trio, a common and reliable structure is one information Shell (Recon or Thief), one support Shell (Triage), and one Shell that can actually close out a fight (Destroyer or Vandal). Running two pure-damage Shells without any healing or intel tends to fall apart the moment a fight goes long, since Marathon’s extraction maps punish squads that can’t disengage and recover.
Where to Get It
Marathon is available now on Steam, PlayStation, and Xbox. Top up a Steam Wallet Code (Global) for the PC version, or check our PlayStation Network and Xbox gift card lineups if you’re dropping in on console.
