Marathon Weapon Tier List: The Best Guns For Surviving Tau Ceti IV
Extraction shooters are unforgiving. If you bring the wrong gun to a fight you are losing hours of hard-earned progression.
The time-to-kill in Marathon is wildly fast. When a rival squad pushes your extraction zone, you do not have time to realize your submachine gun hits like a wet paper towel at mid-range. You need weapons that consistently drop targets under pressure. I spent the entire Server Slam testing all 28 weapons currently available in the game. I ignored the raw spreadsheet data and focused entirely on how these guns actually feel in live, chaotic PvP environments.
Before we get into the rankings, I need to clarify a massive misconception about the loot system. Weapon rarity in Marathon does not change the base damage of the gun. A gray WSTR Combat Shotgun hits just as hard as a gold one. Rarity dictates your access to mod slots and passive perks, like faster reloads or tighter recoil control. Do not drop a perfectly good blue gun for a gold weapon if the gold weapon is in a terrible tier.
If you are struggling to afford the ammo to even run these high-tier weapons, take a step back and read my Marathon ammo economy guide.
The S-Tier: Meta Dominators
These are the weapons that consistently win fights. If you find one of these in a crate or pry it from the cold hands of a dead runner, you make room in your inventory for it immediately.
WSTR Combat Shotgun: This is the undisputed king of tight corridors. If you are playing a highly mobile shell like the Vandal or the Assassin, this gun is mandatory. It boasts absurd DPS and can drop fully shielded runners in two point-blank hits. Its only weakness is open ground.
Overrun AR: This is the most balanced, reliable assault rifle in the game. The recoil pattern is incredibly smooth, and it applies massive pressure at mid-range. The more attachments you feed it, the more terrifying it becomes.
Bully SMG: The ultimate aggressive push weapon. It fires Heavy Rounds, meaning it hits significantly harder than most other weapons in its class. It melts targets in close-quarters duels and surprisingly holds its own at the edge of mid-range if you manage the recoil.
Longshot: The definitive sniper rifle. It heavily punishes players caught out of position and can secure instant eliminations with a clean headshot. It struggles indoors, but it completely locks down extraction zones.
V00 Zeus RG: A high-risk, high-reward railgun. It operates on a charge mechanic, but if you pre-aim an angle and land the shot, the burst damage is staggering. Two body shots will drop anyone. It eats expensive Volt Cells, so make every shot count.
The A-Tier: Highly Reliable Workhorses
These weapons are fantastic choices that will rarely let you down. They might lack the absolute raw TTK of the S-Tier, but they are incredibly consistent in the right hands.
M77 Assault Rifle: This is the ultimate beginner weapon, but it scales brilliantly for veterans. It features a built-in flip scope for extreme versatility and a highly predictable recoil pattern. It is the safest bet in the game.
Twin Tap HBR: A hyper-accurate, two-round burst precision rifle. It completely dominates the 20 to 40-meter range. If your aim is clean, you will consistently win mid-range trades against fully automatic weapons.
Impact HAR: A highly stable assault rifle that behaves beautifully but just slightly lacks the raw DPS edge of the Overrun AR.
Hardline PR: A classic three-round burst precision rifle. It demands accuracy, but it is a highly consistent two-to-three burst elimination machine at mid-range.
Copperhead RF: The fastest firing SMG in the game. It handles like a laser beam up close, but the damage drop-off is severe. It relies heavily on high-tier magazine mods to be truly effective.
V99 Channel Rifle: A solid alternative to the Longshot. It provides sustained precision damage rather than extreme burst, making it slightly more forgiving if you miss your opening shot.
Demolition HMG: A fantastic heavy machine gun that fires Heavy Rounds. It boasts a great TTK, but the handling is naturally sluggish.
The B-Tier: Situational And Niche
These guns are entirely usable, but you have to force them to work. You will likely lose fair 1v1 trades against players wielding higher-tier weapons unless you outplay them positionally.
BRRT SMG: A highly entertaining five-round burst SMG. It fires fast, but the damage profile feels slightly inconsistent compared to the Bully.
Repeater HPR: A lever-action rifle that feels incredible to use but ultimately suffers from lower overall DPS compared to the modern precision rifles.
Conquest LMG: This weapon features a ramping fire rate mechanic. It is phenomenal for locking down an area if you are already set up, but if you get caught sprinting, the spin-up time will get you killed.
Magnum MC: A heavy-hitting pistol that requires absolute precision. At higher rarities with good mods, it can function as a primary, but missing a single shot in a duel is usually fatal.
V22 Volt Thrower: This energy SMG melts targets when it works, but the overheating mechanic makes it incredibly finicky in sustained firefights.
Retaliator LMG: It holds a massive amount of ammo for suppressive fire, but the actual damage output is depressingly low. You are better off with an AR.
Misriah 2442: A viable shotgun, but the slow time-to-kill makes it vastly inferior to the WSTR in a panic situation.
The C-Tier: Absolute Garbage
If you are carrying these weapons, you are either broke, desperate, or completely out of ammo for your primary. Drop them the second you find literally anything else.
CE Tactical Sidearm: Your basic starter pistol. It functions at point-blank range, but the damage drop-off makes it useless anywhere else.
V11 Punch: An energy pistol that allows for a charged burst shot. The projectile speed is slow, the damage is poor, and it is strictly a utility weapon of last resort.
BR33 Volley Rifle: A precision rifle that severely underperforms compared to the Hardline or the Twin Tap. It requires extensive modding just to feel adequate.
If your stash is completely full of low-tier trash weapons you are afraid to sell, go read my Marathon inventory management guide to clear out the junk and make room for the S-Tier guns.
