Marathon is all about loot, as not only do they keep you alive, but they help you progress with persistent upgrades that last until the next seasonal wipe. Some loot items can also be bartered with in the Armory to save up on Credits. To help you fast-track your progression in Tau Ceti, this guide will show you the items you should prioritize when looting.
Priority Item: Unstable Salvage
Despite being common items, Unstable Biomass, Unstable Diodes, Unstable Gunmetal, etc., are the most important items you have to loot in a run. Unstable materials are the first required materials to upgrade your faction perks. Each faction requires a specific Unstable material to upgrade, like CyberAcme with Unstable Diodes, NuCaloric with Unstable Biomass, and Traxus with Unstable Lead.
You can also barter for consumables, ammo, and even some weapons with Unstable Salvage, which will greatly ease your Credit wallet and save it for more important expenses or fully kitted runs.
Second Best Item Type: Consumables
The consumable economy in Marathon can be very expensive, and you can take a lot of damage in the early game. UESC bots can eat up your shields and health usage very quickly if you’re not careful. If you die and try to get kitted up, Shield Charges and Patch Kits can be expensive to buy in the Armory and should be the first items you take. If you ever down a Runner, always make sure to take their higher-quality healing items to save a ton of Credits for the next run.
Always go for the Enhanced version of Shield Charges and Patch Kits, as the Depleted versions are nearly useless, will take up precious inventory space, and sell for very little when you exfil.
Third Best Item Type: Weapon Attachments
Weapons in Marathon may seem like they come in different rarities, but their rarity is based on the attachments they spawn with.
This means you can take a Common gun, place 1 blue attachment (i.e., magazines, scopes, and muzzles), and turn it into a Deluxe gun.
Not only do they make a tangible change to your weapon’s performance, but they also help you save on inventory space.
Fourth Priority: Cybernetic Implants
Implants are the bedrock of your Runner stats, as equipping one will bump a set of stats, whether that’s your Heat Capacity, Consumable Use Speed, Ping Duration, Hardware, and Software stats. While they also have unique passive effects, implants are necessary to make your Runner strong in most situations.
Priority Weapons
As for weapons, some weapons have risen to the meta due to how strong they are. These weapons have the fastest TTK values for both body and headshots, under a second. Here are the weapons you should always chase for when looting:
Assault Rifles
- Impact H-AR
- M77 Assault Rifle
Shotguns
- WSTR Combat Shotgun
- Misriah 2442 Shotgun
Precision Rifles
- Twin Tap HBR
- Repeater HPR
- BR33 Volley Rifle
SMGs
- BRRT SMG
- Bully SMG
LMGs
- Demolition HMG
- Conquest LMG
Sniper Rifles
- Longshot
- Outland
- V99 Channel Rifle
Pistols
- V11 Punch
