MARATHON BUILDS & LOADOUTSREFRESHED THROUGHOUT THE DAY12,608 RUNNERS ONLINE
BUILDS
& LOADOUTS
Best Marathon builds and loadouts for every Runner Shell. Live weapon stats, shell rankings, implant meta, mod analysis, and ranked-viable loadout guides — refreshed throughout the day.
32
WEAPONS IN DB
8
RUNNER SHELLS
28
ELITE GEAR
48
BUILDS GRADED
—
S-TIER WEAPON
THIEF
S-TIER SHELL
TOP RATED BUILDSALL BUILDS →
ELITE IMPLANTS14 SUPERIOR+
SUPERIORSHIELD
SUPERIORLEGS
Frenzy Matrix
SUPERIORLEGS
Stealth Servos
SUPERIORTORSO
Sleight of Hand
SUPERIORHEAD
Energy Reservoir
SUPERIORHEAD
SUPERIORLEGS
SUPERIORLEGS
SUPERIORTORSO
SUPERIORTORSO
Escape Artist
SUPERIORHEAD
Walk it Off
SUPERIORLEGS
Second Wind
SUPERIORHEAD
Fast Hands
SUPERIORTORSO
Snapshot Rifling
META MODS14 SUPERIOR+
SUPERIORMAGAZINE
SUPERIORMAGAZINE
SUPERIORBARREL
SUPERIORBARREL
SUPERIORBARREL
SUPERIOROPTIC
SUPERIORMAGAZINE
SUPERIORGRIP
SUPERIORGENERATOR
SUPERIORSHIELD
SUPERIORCHIP
SUPERIORCHIP
SUPERIORCHIP
SUPERIORMAGAZINE
RUNNER SHELLSLIVE STATS · ABILITIES · CORES · RANKED TIERS
ASSASSIN
STEALTH
Stealth players who want to disappear, reposition, and pick off isolated targets.
PRIME
Smoke Screen
TACTICAL
Active Camo
TRAIT
Shadow Dive
SHELL STATS
HEAT CAPACITY10
AGILITY20
LOOT SPEED15
MELEE DAMAGE10
PRIME RECOVER10
TACTICAL RECO5
SELF-REPAIR S10
HARDWARE10
FINISHER SIPH10
REVIVE SPEED15
FIREWALL20
FALL RESISTAN10
PING DURATION10
A
SOLO
B
SQUAD
"Sprint-visibility nerf raises execution cost. Shadow Dive cooldown 60s→45s compensates. A-tier holds."
TOP CORES
Cloak and Dagger
Smoke Cloud lasts longer and covers a larger area.
Guerrilla
PASSIVEYour Active Camo and Shadow Dive recharge more quickly while in smoke.
Silent Killer
Melee attacks from behind while cloaked deal massive bonus damage.
DESTROYER
COMBAT
Aggressive pushers who want to win every close-range fight and force rotations.
PRIME
Search & Destroy
TACTICAL
Riot Barricade
TRAIT
Thruster
SHELL STATS
HEAT CAPACITY15
AGILITY10
LOOT SPEED5
MELEE DAMAGE15
PRIME RECOVER5
TACTICAL RECO10
SELF-REPAIR S15
HARDWARE25
FINISHER SIPH10
REVIVE SPEED10
FIREWALL20
FALL RESISTAN5
PING DURATION5
B
SOLO
S
SQUAD
"Barricade+S&D squad anchor unchanged. S&D Biotoxic fix is a minor buff. Kit untouched."
TOP CORES
Bullrush
TACTICALYour Riot Barricade does not passively drain energy while you perform your Tacti...
Intake Vents
PASSIVEYour tactical sprint generates less heat.
Adaptive Barrier
While Riot Barricade is active, your shield regeneration is greatly increased.
RECON
INTEL
Information-first players who want to know enemy positions before committing.
PRIME
Echo Pulse
TACTICAL
Tracker Drone
TRAIT
Interrogation
SHELL STATS
HEAT CAPACITY20
AGILITY15
LOOT SPEED10
MELEE DAMAGE5
PRIME RECOVER5
TACTICAL RECO10
SELF-REPAIR S5
HARDWARE10
FINISHER SIPH25
REVIVE SPEED10
FIREWALL15
FALL RESISTAN5
PING DURATION25
B
SOLO
A
SQUAD
"Echo Pulse waves 7→5, interval 2.5s→3s, ping lifetime 10s→8s. Standoff tool meaningfully trimmed."
TOP CORES
Pulse Amplifier
Echo Pulse reveals hostiles for a longer duration.
Cluster Payload
Your Tracker Drone detonates into shrapnel submunitions that explode on impact, ...
Echo Chamber
PRIMEYour Echo Pulse releases additional pulses. Defeating hostiles recently pinged b...
ROOK
SCAVENGER
Low-risk farming runs for gear, credits, and map knowledge.
PRIME
Recuperation
TACTICAL
Signal Mask
SHELL STATS
HEAT CAPACITY25
AGILITY12
LOOT SPEED55
MELEE DAMAGE15
PRIME RECOVER9
TACTICAL RECO8
SELF-REPAIR S5
HARDWARE8
FINISHER SIPH8
REVIVE SPEED8
FIREWALL8
FALL RESISTAN8
PING DURATION8
"Recuperation heal rate 2→3hp/s, duration 20s→30s. Healing more than doubled. Real scavenger sustain now."
SENTINEL
COMBAT
Squad anchors who want to control space, defend exfils, and shut down rushes.
PRIME
Defender System
TACTICAL
Snare Mine
TRAIT
Prey Tracker
SHELL STATS
HEAT CAPACITY5
AGILITY10
LOOT SPEED10
MELEE DAMAGE20
PRIME RECOVER10
TACTICAL RECO15
SELF-REPAIR S15
HARDWARE20
FINISHER SIPH15
REVIVE SPEED5
FIREWALL20
FALL RESISTAN5
PING DURATION5
"Defender System CD 180s→150s. Snare Mine damage up. Prey Tracker no longer countered by Signal Jammer."
TOP CORES
Eminent Domain
Runner grenades neutralized by your Defender System fall to the floor and become...
Reversal
Defeating an Immobilized target heals you over time.
Wellness Beacon
While standing near your Defender System, you and your allies use medical items ...
THIEF
STEALTH
Extraction specialists who prioritize loot speed, survival, and clean escapes.
PRIME
Pickpocket Drone
TACTICAL
Grapple Device
TRAIT
X-Ray Visor
SHELL STATS
HEAT CAPACITY15
AGILITY20
LOOT SPEED25
MELEE DAMAGE10
PRIME RECOVER10
TACTICAL RECO5
SELF-REPAIR S5
HARDWARE5
FINISHER SIPH15
REVIVE SPEED5
FIREWALL15
FALL RESISTAN20
PING DURATION5
S
SOLO
B
SQUAD
"Invisibility sprint nerf applies to Shroud plays. Grapple+Drone Holotag kit core remains intact."
TOP CORES
Extended Battery
Pickpocket Drone has extended battery life.
Hideout
PRIMEWhile piloting your Pickpocket Drone, you become invisible.
Case the Joint
PASSIVEYour X-Ray Visor has increased vision range.
TRIAGE
SUPPORT
Squad support players who keep teammates alive and turn losing fights around.
PRIME
Reboot+
TACTICAL
Med-Drone
TRAIT
Shareware.Exe
SHELL STATS
HEAT CAPACITY10
AGILITY10
LOOT SPEED10
MELEE DAMAGE5
PRIME RECOVER10
TACTICAL RECO5
SELF-REPAIR S25
HARDWARE15
FINISHER SIPH5
REVIVE SPEED20
FIREWALL15
FALL RESISTAN8
PING DURATION15
D
SOLO
S
SQUAD
"Triage Cloak now also triggers on Mercy Kit use. Electron Recapture Sinks loop unchanged."
TOP CORES
Extended Field
Restoration Field covers a larger area and lasts longer.
No Good Deed
TACTICALYou receive a burst of healing when your Med-Drone attaches to a crew member.
Samaritan
PASSIVESharing a consumable with your Shareware.exe reduces the cooldown of your next M...
VANDAL
COMBAT
Versatile players who want movement options and the ability to disrupt engagements.
PRIME
Amplify
TACTICAL
Disrupt Cannon
TRAIT
Microjets
SHELL STATS
HEAT CAPACITY25
AGILITY30
LOOT SPEED5
MELEE DAMAGE5
PRIME RECOVER10
TACTICAL RECO5
SELF-REPAIR S5
HARDWARE10
FINISHER SIPH10
REVIVE SPEED5
FIREWALL5
FALL RESISTAN10
PING DURATION5
A
SOLO
A
SQUAD
"Amplify heat-clear strong. Low Profile core still grants Signal Jammer on slide — Prey Tracker now counters it. Minor ranked implication."
TOP CORES
High-Octane Propellant
PASSIVEYour Microjets propel you further upward.
Adrenal Core
While amplified, your moment abilities generate even less heat. Using a Cardio K...
Microjet Efficiency Package
PASSIVEGain an additional charge for your Microjets that generates less heat.
WEAPON ARSENAL32 WEAPONS
LIGHT ROUNDSHEAVY ROUNDSVOLT CELLSVOLT BATTERYMIPSHYPHATIC GEL
SHOTGUN3
RAILGUN2
SNIPER RIFLE3
PRECISION RIFLE6
PISTOL4
LMG3
AR4
SMG5
HYBRID1
MELEE1
ASSASSIN BUILDS
STEALTH · 3 BUILD GUIDES
DESTROYER BUILDS
COMBAT · 3 BUILD GUIDES
RECON BUILDS
INTEL · 3 BUILD GUIDES
ROOK BUILDS
SCAVENGER · 3 BUILD GUIDES
THIEF BUILDS
STEALTH · 3 BUILD GUIDES
TRIAGE BUILDS
SUPPORT · 3 BUILD GUIDES
VANDAL BUILDS
COMBAT · 3 BUILD GUIDES
Frequently Asked About Marathon Builds6 QUESTIONS
What's the best Marathon build right now?+
The strongest Marathon builds shift with each patch and meta cycle. Currently, Vandal with high-mobility mid-range loadouts dominates solo ranked, while Triage support builds anchor squads. The Build Advisor at /advisor generates a complete loadout in seconds based on your shell, playstyle, and rank goal — weapons, mods, cores, and implants tuned to the current meta.
Which Marathon shell should I main?+
The right shell depends on your playstyle. For beginners, Triage is the forgiving pick — self-repair and revive abilities cover mistakes. Rook is a different thing entirely: a free-loadout scavenger for farming gear and map knowledge with nothing at risk, and it cannot be selected in ranked. For movement-based play, choose Vandal. For extraction-focused runs, choose Thief. The /shells page has dedicated guides for all seven shells with stats, abilities, builds, and matchup data.
What's the best weapon in Marathon?+
There's no single best weapon — it depends on your shell, range preference, and ammo type. The WSTR Combat Shotgun is strong for close range, the M77 Assault Rifle offers forgiving mid-range gunplay, and the KKV-9SD SMG added in Season 2 is rising fast. Our live tier list at /meta ranks every weapon by current meta viability and shows trend movement.
How do Marathon cores work?+
Cores are powerful shell-specific upgrades that modify or enhance abilities. Each shell has a pool of cores it can equip, plus universal cores that work on any shell. Rarity ranges from Standard up to Contraband, with higher-rarity cores providing stronger effects. The best cores per shell are shown in the Runner Shells section on this page.
What are Marathon implants and how do they affect builds?+
Implants are passive upgrades slotted into your Runner — each provides a unique passive ability plus two stat bonuses. Some implants are shell-exclusive, while others are universal. Superior and Prestige implants represent the meta picks — see the Elite Implants section above for the current top-tier options across all shells.
How often does the Marathon build meta change?+
Significantly with every Bungie patch (roughly every 2-4 weeks), and continuously between patches as the community discovers new builds and counters. Our build data, weapon stats, and tier list refresh throughout the day to capture both major shifts after balance updates and incremental movement during patch cycles.
⬢ BUILD AI
Want a personalized build?
Tell our build AI your shell and playstyle — get a complete loadout with weapons, mods, cores, and implants in seconds. Faction-aware. Ranked-viability flagged.
LAUNCH BUILD ADVISOR →