All seven characters and what they're capable of.

User Image

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team.

You are now subscribed

Your newsletter sign-up was successful

Want to add more newsletters?

Every Friday

GamesRadar+

Your weekly update on everything you could ever want to know about the games you already love, games we know you're going to love in the near future, and tales from the communities that surround them.

Every Thursday

GTA 6 O'clock

Our special GTA 6 newsletter, with breaking news, insider info, and rumor analysis from the award-winning GTA 6 O'clock experts.

Every Friday

Knowledge

From the creators of Edge: A weekly videogame industry newsletter with analysis from expert writers, guidance from professionals, and insight into what's on the horizon.

Every Thursday

The Setup

Hardware nerds unite, sign up to our free tech newsletter for a weekly digest of the hottest new tech, the latest gadgets on the test bench, and much more.

Every Wednesday

Switch 2 Spotlight

Sign up to our new Switch 2 newsletter, where we bring you the latest talking points on Nintendo's new console each week, bring you up to date on the news, and recommend what games to play.

User Image

Every Saturday

The Watchlist

Subscribe for a weekly digest of the movie and TV news that matters, direct to your inbox. From first-look trailers, interviews, reviews and explainers, we've got you covered.

Once a month

SFX

Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month!

There are seven characters in Marathon, known as Runner Shells, and each one comes with unique abilities to set them apart. Even if you've played old playtests for the game, the classes have changed quite a bit at launch—for one, they're not characters in the 'hero shooter' sense anymore, they're more like classes.

Below, I'll explain each of the seven Marathon Runner Shells and which ones I'd recommend you use if you're serious about your survival on Tau Ceti. It's not known for being a forgiving, friendly place, whether you're met by robots, aliens, or other people.

There are seven classes you can choose from, known as Runner Shells. I'll immediately point out that there are no bad options here, as each one brings something unique to the table. However, some are more valuable or powerful than others.

Here's where I'd rank each Runner Shell, plus an explanation for each of my S-tier picks:

Rank

Runner Shell

S

Triage, Vandal, Assassin

A

Recon, Rook

B

Destroyer, Thief

It's hard to overstate just how valuable Triage's kit is. Medical supplies aren't easy to sustain, especially early on, and you don't want to waste any just to heal a smidgen of damage. Triage's Med Drone keeps you and your team topped up during and in between fights, which really is a lifesaver. Plus, these drones can also be used to prevent downed allies from bleeding out and share healing effects between teammates.

Triage's ultimate, Reboot+, can be used to revive allies from range or EMP enemies. I don't often recommend using it to zap an enemy, but instantly bringing an ally back from the realm of the dead from afar is very powerful in team fights. Given the team-focused nature of Triage in general, but especially their ultimate, this Shell isn't quite so strong in solo play.

Vandal's not only one of the coolest looking Runners, but they're also very mobile thanks to their double-jump, enhanced slide, and speed-boosting ultimate. It might sound basic, but enhanced mobility is a big deal in a game with Marathon's low default speed and limited sprint. At launch, Vandal is the pick if you aim to outmanoeuvre opponents on a dime.

User Image

Their Disrupt Cannon is similarly handy, effectively serving as a grenade on a cooldown. Cannon blasts deal decent explosive damage, but they also push anything (including yourself) a consider...Read more: Full article on www.pcgamer.com

What do you think about this?