Looking for a Marathon Runner Shell tier list? It might be early days, but some are looking like must-pick runners and others, well, let's just say Bungie's balancing didn't favor them.
One of Marathon's biggest appeals is having different characters with unique abilities to explore. Whether you're playing Solos or with a team, knowing the perfect shell to utilize in every situation could set you up for a nice time as opposed to getting constantly one-upped by players who maximize their ability usage.
All that being said, let's take a look at our Marathon Runner Shell tier list.
Marathon Runner Shell Tier List
I'll break down the Marathon shells into two separate tier lists: one for Solo players and one for how I think they perform in trios. It's important to note these are still very early days, with all my experience coming from extensively grinding the Server Slam and the first day of launch, having reached level 12.
First, a few ground rules: Rook will not be taken into consideration. He's a special kind of Shell Runner that only works for Solo players and doesn't have the same liberties as your general runner. You can't complete contracts while playing as him, for example.
I'm also referring to each Shell at a basic level. Leveling up your faction might open the opportunity for unique builds; however, this tier list is aimed at players looking to pick up a Runner during their early hours of play.
The list will be broken down into the following categories:
- S-Tier: Absolute top-tier, the best Shell you can pick.
- A-Tier: Really good options, small issues, but still some of the best in the game.
- B-Tier: Not particularly bad, but they don't excel at anything
- C-Tier: Have some redeeming qualities, but you're better off choosing something else.
- D-Tier: The worst of the bunch, consider choosing any other Runner Shell.
Finally, remember that tier lists are, for the most part, subjective and just a fun experiment!
This list has been updated on March 7, 2026.
Best Marathon Runner Shell For Solo Players
For Solo players, these are my picks:
- S-Tier: Assassin
- A-Tier: Recon, Vandal
- B-Tier: Destroyer
- C-Tier: Thief
- D-Tier: Triage
Solos differ a ton from trios in the sense that you need to fend off entirely by yourself, so the tier lists reflect that, giving high priority to Runner Shells with high mobility, utility tools, and overall enhancements that will help you out as an individual rather than worrying about your crew.
S-Tier
Assassin's undoubtedly the best Runner for lone wolves.
It's got all the tools you need to make a swift escape or prepare a nice ambush with its Smoke Screen and Active Camo. His trait, Shroud, allows Assassin to go invisible when in contact with any smoke field, so load up on smoke grenades, and you'll be a nuisance for everyone in your lobby.
A-Tier
Recon and Vandal are wonderful alternatives if you don't want to run Assassin.
Recon's abilities will let you scout nearby for enemies, letting you plan a safer route in case you don't want to engage. When you're ready, the Tracker Drones are perfect to create chaos and maybe flush out lurkers waiting to third-party you, something extremely common in Solos. The Stalker Protocol trait, which adds a holographic trail to enemies after you've cracked their shields, is a nice bonus as well.
Vandal is very much an offensive-based Runner. Her Amplify essentially gives you extra movement speed and weapon dexterity while decreasing Heat generation. So you basically want to be on the move at all times. Pair your Amplify with her Microjets, which gives Vandal a double jump at the cost of generating extra heat, and enemies will have a hard time trying to fend you off.
B-Tier
Destroyer is a solid pick, but it's a Runner Shell that's not quite up to par with the best.
Similar to Vandal, the Destroyer is a very offensive-minded Runner, albeit with far simpler tools. Its got a Riot Barricade, which shields Destroyer from incoming damage, a Thruster that acts as a Titan shoulder charge if you've ever played Destiny, and a Tactical Sprint at the cost of generating extra heat. His Prime Ability, Search and Destroy, shoots missiles that immobilize targets. Overall, very easy to pick up and play, but nothing extraordinary about it.
C-Tier
Thief sounds so fun on paper, and it is... with a squad. The Thief's main objective is to become a loot goblin; however, trying to exfil in Solos is something akin to a survival horror game, with your chances severely increasing if you're with a full squad, allowing you to gobble up all the loot.
The Thief's pickpocket drone is a great ability if you want to rob some precious loot without engaging, making this the Runner's best asset for Solo players, remembering that you'll get increased weapon handling and accelerated Grapple Device recharge rate the more items you have stored in your backpack.
D-Tier
Triage is a support character; as such, his abilities are tailored for Trios. You can still use its Med-Drone, which allows you to restore health or recharge shields continuously.
Triage's Battery Overcharge is also great if you're in a scenario where you need to shoot your way out of. That said, his Reboot+ (revived downed players) and Shareware.exe (healing benefits are shared among teammates) are very much designed with having a squad in mind.
Best Marathon Runner Shell For Trios
The Trios Marathon Runner Shell tier list looks a little different:
- S-Tier: Recon, Triage
- A-Tier: Assassin, Thief
- B-Tier: Vandal, Destroyer
- C-Tier: N/A
- D-Tier: N/A
Marathon is very much a team-focused extraction shooter, and you can tell by how each Runner complements the others in Trios, which is why I think every single one is viable.
S-Tier
In my opinion, Recon and Triage are the best Marathon Runners for Trios.
Recon's cooldowns are lengthy, but when looting densely populated POIs, it can help clear out lurking teams and give you an extra edge when paired with other Shells like Assassin to go in for swift eliminations.
As for Triage, the Med-Drone is a lifesaver. Not only will you rely less on carrying expensive Medkits, but other abilities, such as being able to instantly revive a downed teammate, can quickly turn the tide of an engagement, as you usually don't have time to bring them back amid a firefight.
A-Tier
Assassin and Thief also work great in Trios. Assassin's abilities can be shared with your crew, as you'll provide amazing cover with a massive smoke screen that covers a relatively big area. If you coordinate with your squad to carry extra smoke grenades, you'll shine as the team's main executioner.
All that being said, Thief is a solid anti-Assassin counter. Its X-Ray visor actually lets you see the rarity of loot enemies have in their backpack, basically nullifying Assassin's stealth. Besides that, being able to provide intel about rare loot to friendlies will make your time gathering resources much more effective.
B-Tier
Vandal and Destroyer are good to have in team compositions, but far from necessary.
As mentioned, they're both really good at going aggro, but don't really bring much value to a whole squad, as most of their abilities make them self-sufficient Runners.
Destroyer's Search and Destroy can at least make targets easier to find due to the Immobilizing debuff it applies.
And that's it. Stick with us at Gfinityesports.com: your go-to source for all things Marathon.