Ultimate Destroyer Loadout in Marathon: Strategies for Completing and Solving

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If you’re struggling in Marathon and want to choose a relatively easy class, the Destroyer might be a good option. This Runner Shell combines abilities that improve your movement across all maps while allowing you to take down enemies, whether they’re UESC units or other Runners.

Being approachable doesn’t mean it’s simple to master. This isn’t a straightforward extraction shooter. Let’s review the best builds for the Destroyer, explain what each ability does, and discuss how best to play with this Runner Shell in Marathon.

Destroyer Overview

Destroyer is a well-balanced class that offers both strong defenses and attack options. For instance, their Tactical Ability, Riot Barricade, lets you block incoming damage. To maximize its effectiveness, you should combo this with your ability to thrust while in the air. Here’s how:

Run toward an enemy while activating Riot Barricade.
Wait for them to use their charger and start reloading.
Then jump and use your Thruster to move to the side, throwing off their aim.

This tactic is effective in 1v1 encounters. Make good use of the Destroyer’s speed to either escape enemies or chase after them. Just keep an eye on your Heat level, as overheating can leave you vulnerable in combat.

Destroyer’s Prime Ability

The Prime ability, Search and Destroy, is excellent for dealing heavy damage. With skill and good positioning, you can take out one or two enemies at a time.

Destroyer Abilities

Ability	Type	What It Does	Cooldown/Duration
Search and Destroy	Prime	Deploys shoulder-mounted missile pods that damage and immobilize targets hit by your weapons.	Cooldown: 286 seconds; Duration: 30 seconds
Riot Barricade	Tactical	Activates an energy shield that blocks all incoming damage. Consumes energy and more if damaged.	Cooldown: 12 sec; Duration: 30 sec
Thruster	Trait	Uses boosters to thrust in a direction while airborne. Increases heat each use.	No cooldown; available after touching ground
Tactical Sprint	Trait	Double-tap Sprint to move faster, building Heat gauge.	Same as Thruster

Best Destroyer Loadouts

We’ve prepared two main builds:

Early-Game Build: For when you’ve played a few hours and have basic weapons.
Late-Game Build: When you have advanced gear and a substantial vault.

Your abilities let you equip any weapon type you prefer—mixing close-quarters and mid-range weapons like shotguns and assault rifles is recommended. Play aggressively, especially when your Prime is ready, and use Riot Barricade wisely.

Early-Game Build

Cores

Slot 1: Bombardier (Extends Search and Destroy with enemy kills)
Slot 2: Heavy Ordnance (Reduces cooldown when defeating enemies with explosive damage)

Implants

Head: Regen V2 (Improves healing but slightly reduces weapon handling)
Torso: Survival Kit V2 (Boosts Firewall, hardware, ping duration, revives, self-repair)
Legs: Solid Stance V2 (Faster after shield charge)

Late-Game Build

Cores

Slot 1: Counter Attack (Retaliates missile fire when Riot Barricade is hit)
Slot 2: Bullrush (Keeps energy drain minimal during Tactical Sprint)

Implants

Head: Regen V4 (Significantly improved healing)
Torso: Helping Hands V4 (Better rifle handling and quick Firewall recovery)
Legs: Graceful Landings V4 (Better defense and sprinting after kills)

With this endgame setup, go full offense, push enemies hard, and make Riot Barricade both a shield and a weapon. Your aggressive tactics and strong defenses will make the Destroyer a boss on the battlefield.