Marathon Launch Day: Essential Starter Guide for New Runners

— Bungie's latest extraction shooter is live with 88k peak players and ranked mode coming soon. Here's your essential starter guide.

— Start with Vandal - Combat shell for your first matches. Double Jump lets you escape bad situations vertically, Combat Flow boosts speed after kills, and 150/35 HP/Shield is forgiving. Vandal ranks A-tier in both solo and squad ranked play.

— M77 Assault Rifle - AR with Barrel Mod extends range to Long — this is the highest-impact ranked mod combination. Pair with CE Tactical Sidearm - Pistol for backup. Light Rounds are common, making ammo management easier.

— Barrel Mod on M77 creates the top ranked configuration. Magazine Mod increases capacity on SMGs and shotguns for ranked firefights. Chip Mod provides core performance boosts — always prioritize higher rarity in ranked for stronger baseline stats.

— Holotags set your extraction score target. Death means losing both gear AND rank points. Practice extraction routes now before ranked launches. Vandal's mobility helps hit Holotag targets and escape safely.

— Don't use Rook - Flex Pistol in ranked — it's underpowered. Triage - Support ranks D-tier solo but S-tier squad, so avoid solo queue with support shells. Learn map sightlines early — Optics become crucial at Platinum+ for long-range engagement.

— Once comfortable with Vandal, consider Thief - Stealth for S-tier solo ranked extraction or Destroyer - Combat for S-tier squad objective control. Both require more game knowledge but offer specialist advantages in ranked play.