Marathon is finally here, allowing us to experience Bungie’s new graphic realism extraction shooter for ourselves, dropping us into these visually striking areas filled with nothing but tense encounters and lots of loot and lore. While it’s best to go in with a dedicated squad of Runners, going at it solo is also an option, so long as you go in with a proper and well-measured strategy.
Solo-play won’t be easy, as every decision you make could be your last, with no chance of being picked up or bailed out by your teammates. It’s all on you. But to balance things out, solo-play lets you take things at your own pace and claim all the loot you come across for yourself, which is always a positive. That is, if you can get over how downright terrifying it is to skulk around these beautiful environments all alone!
How To Join Solo And Trio Lobbies
Kicking things off, we must lay the groundwork for how solo lobbies work in Marathon, as it can be a bit convoluted at first glance. If you want to join a true solo lobby where all other human players are also solo queuing, then you must press ‘R’ (Triangle/Y on controller) while at the Ready Up screen after you select the zone you want to drop into. Doing this will turn off the ‘Auto-Fill’ feature, placing you into a true solo queue.
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While there are pros and cons to solo queuing in Marathon, it’s crucial to note that these lobbies tend to be a bit more ‘sweaty,’ as everyone is either gunning for specific challenges or loot and will shoot on sight. It’s quite a bit more challenging than running with a squad of friends or randoms, but it makes up for it in other ways we will cover a bit later!
The Rook Runner Shell
However, if you want to join an already-in-progress match and don’t mind potentially running into squads of three players, then selecting the Rook will be your choice of Runner Shell. See, the Rook will always join an in-progress match that is at least ten minutes in, meaning you will miss the first wave of extractions. Not only that, but you will also be placed into standard lobbies, meaning everyone is part of a trio squad.
If you think this sounds terrible, let us try to convince you otherwise, as this Runner Shell is actually quite useful. While lots of the map will be looted, leaving you with almost nothing of value to find, you will pretty much be alone once loading in, as most squads will dip when the first extraction point shows up, allowing you to explore and carryout objectives with no real pushback from human players.
Not only that, but the Rook also has a pre-made build that they take into each run with them, which can be upgraded and enhanced the more you play them, meaning you won’t ever be sacrificing your actual loot when playing as this Shell. If you’re trying to focus on gathering specific resources, leveling your primary rank, or want to try and find decent loot that the other players overlooked, then the Rook is a low-risk as it gets, even if it sounds a tad daunting on the surface!
Best Runner Shells For Solo Lobbies
Speaking of Runner Shells in Marathon, some thrive much better than others when solo queuing, and we strongly recommend prioritizing them over the others if you plan on surviving these brutal lobbies long enough to get valuable loot and reach the extraction zone in one piece. And, since you’re running solo, you will have access to all seven unique shells, which is nice to have!
Best Solo Runner Shells
|
Runner Shell |
Reason |
|---|---|
|
Assassin |
Their Smoke Screen and Active Camo abilities make them escape artists, while also allowing them to get the jump on the opposition by sticking to the shadows and striking when the time is just right. If you like to skulk around the map while keeping a low profile and don’t mind bailing when things get heated, this is the Shell for you! |
|
Destroyer |
Tanky and hard-hitting, allowing you to intercept all incoming damage with the Riot Barricade, while unleashing a volley of missiles via the Search and Destroy ability. While this class is very strong, it’s also a bit more cumbersome than most others, and you will be heard walking around from a mile away. While not nearly as stealthy as the Assassin, the Destroyer makes up for it with its tenacity. |
|
Recon |
For the more cautious player, the Recon will fit you like a glove, as you can snuff out the opposition via your Echo Pulse and Tracker Drone abilities, allowing you to mark all nearby targets before making your move. If you see too many hostiles in the area, you can dip and attempt to find loot elsewhere, or you can get the jump on another player caught up in the moment! |
|
Rook |
As covered above, the Rook is one of the most risk-free solo Shells in the game, as they come fitted with a pre-made build that can be upgraded and enhanced, making it very solid for solo runs. While you will join squad matches already ten plus minutes in session, you likely won’t encounter many human players, giving you free rein to explore, gather resources, and more! |
|
Vandal |
Sometimes, movement is the name of the game, and the Vandal Runner Shell delivers this aspect in spades, offering the most versatile mobility that can help you get the upper hand on your opposition. Double-jumps, power slides, and the ability to Amplify your movements even further make this class remarkably swift, which is a godsend in solo queue. Not only is it an excellent get out of jail free card, but it can be used to break your opponent’s ankles as you run circles around them, weaving in strategic slides and double-jumps! |
Play Smart And Strategically When Solo Queuing
Okay, playing smart and strategically is crucial even when playing with a squad, but it’s even more so the case when solo queuing, as you will want to go in with an objective, stick to it, and bail the moment you complete said objective. Again, solo lobbies will almost always be the most sweaty of the bunch, and you will need to be on high alert the entire time. One wrong move could spell the end of your run, and there’s no saving it unless you have a Self-Revive consumable.
So, what do we mean by being smart and strategic? Always have a backup plan and an escape route that leverage the strengths of your preferred Runner Shell. For example, if you’re the Assassin, never go into the more populated areas without your Smoke Screen active, as you can pop it the moment things go south, allowing you to make a swift exit. Furthermore, if you see another player, pop Active Camo before engaging to close the gap unseen and get a better vantage point!
Don’t Be Afraid To Exfil Early
Extracting early can seem like a bad idea most of the time, as you would assume most other players in the lobby will also want to try getting out of there as soon as possible, too. However, at least in our experience, that’s not quite the case: We successfully extracted every time we attempted it in solo lobbies (in the Server Slam) and were shot at by another player only once. And, each time, we used the first available Exfil Station.
Now, that’s not to say you will never encounter another player attempting the same, but it appears most players in solo queue are in it for blood and are head-hunting other players in attempts to get their hands on valuable loot. At least, that’s what it feels like if you linger a bit too long and run into another player just itching to gun you down. But, grudges aside, if you do the things you set out to do early enough, by all means, leave the moment that option is presented to you!
Solo Play Is Excellent For Completing Contracts
We touched on this a bit earlier in this guide, but solo lobbies are excellent for completing Faction Contracts, as you more or less can hone in on your very specific objectives and check them off at your own pace. And, since most of the earlier ones involve you looting certain crates, dealing a set amount of damage, or using distinct item types, you can more or less turn in a bunch of them as you naturally play the game.
Again, this is where the Rook Runner Shell comes in clutch, as you will almost always load into matches with very few human players in them, allowing you to damage bots and loot everything missed with a strong chance of never getting into a gunfight with another Runner, allowing you to gather resources that can then be used to level up your Faction Skills. While you cannot complete Contracts with the Rook, they can still serve a large role in leveling your Factions up and unlocking very potent skills!
Builds Are Crucial For Survival In Solo Lobbies
Lastly, let’s talk about builds, as they are another crucial aspect of Marathon across all game types, but maybe a bit more so when playing solo. Not only are you solely responsible for your own health and shield, but no one can reclaim your most precious loot for you before Exfilling, meaning your most prized possessions are at a much greater risk here than ever before.
Bring lots of ammunition, shield charges, and healing kits, as you will want to be able to patch yourself up since you can’t rely on your teammates to save your hide. We also recommend maybe bringing along Anti-Virus packs in the more challenging zones, as you will run into many traps, hacks, and more that can completely derail your run if you aren’t prepared!
As such, we strongly recommend not bringing everything and the kitchen sink into your solo runs, as they will likely end in nothing but pain and suffering. This doesn’t mean you can’t or shouldn’t bring in strong items, weapons, or other Equipment, but we suggest limiting the amount of high-rarity things you bring into each run. Not only that, but be mindful of your Runner Shell’s strengths and weaknesses, and try building around that to maximize your chances of survival.
For example, if you’re rocking the Vandal and love to get up close and personal while utilizing the Shell’s exceptional speed and mobility, bringing an SMG and Shotgun along with you will help highlight your gameplay style, giving you the best possible chance of surviving an intense gunfight with other Runners. A Green Shield and Backpack will also suffice for the earlier zones, allowing you to bring more rare Equipment, Cores, and Implants to help keep you afloat if things go off the rails!
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