Marathon has eight playable Runner shells: Triage, Assassin, Recon, Sentinel, Thief, Vandal, Destroyer and Rook, with Bishop arriving on December 8, 2026. Each shell has a prime ability, a tactical ability and passive traits. Use this page to compare abilities, tiers and the playstyle each shell suits.
How do I choose a Runner shell?
Start with how you play. Solo players usually want stealth or mobility, such as Assassin or Thief. Squads benefit most from Triage for revives and healing, Recon for intel or Sentinel for holding ground. Vandal is the fastest shell but its Heat cost makes it hard to master. Select Compare on up to three shells to see them side by side, then build a loadout around your pick.
How are the shell tiers decided?
The RankSurge team summarizes the current public tier lists and notes the date they were checked. Tiers move with every balance patch, so treat them as a starting point and check how each shell feels in your own runs.
More Marathon tools: Marathon hub, Runner shells, weapons database and the loadout planner. Playing Destiny 2 too? Try the Destiny 2 build planner.
Frequently asked questions
How many Runner shells are in Marathon?
Marathon launched with seven Runner shells: Assassin, Destroyer, Recon, Rook, Thief, Triage and Vandal. Season 2 added Sentinel, and Bungie has named Bishop as the next shell, arriving with the Symbiosis update on December 8, 2026.
Which Runner shell is best for solo players?
Assassin is the usual solo pick because smoke and active camo let you choose your fights and escape bad ones. Thief is strong for solo looting thanks to its X-Ray Visor and grapple. Rook is a low-risk way to drop in without using vault gear.
Which Runner shell is best for squads?
Triage is the core squad pick because it can revive downed teammates from range and heal everyone with drones. Recon gives the whole squad information by revealing enemies, and Sentinel locks down rooms and chokepoints with snare mines.
What is the difference between prime and tactical abilities?
Each shell has a prime ability, its big signature power such as Triage's Reboot+ revive, and a tactical ability on a shorter cooldown, such as Assassin's Active Camo. Traits are always-on passives that shape how the shell plays.
What can Rook not do?
Rook is solo only and drops into matches already in progress. It cannot progress faction contracts or bring vault gear; it starts with random basic equipment that improves through faction upgrades. That makes it a safe way to loot without risking your vault.
What do we know about Bishop?
Bungie has revealed Bishop as a robot samurai Runner shell coming with Symbiosis on December 8, 2026, but has not shared its abilities. RankSurge will add Bishop's prime ability, tactical ability and traits on launch day.
RankSurge is not affiliated with or endorsed by Bungie. Marathon is a trademark of Bungie, Inc. Shell and weapon details are gathered by the RankSurge team from Bungie's announcements and public guides.