Factions are the cornerstone of progression in Marathon. Every faction has a dedicated tree with powerful upgrades that unlock access to new items in the Armory.
While you might want to lean into a specific faction as you play the game, there are a few general upgrades in every tree that you must pick up to improve your early game. So here’s how to unlock faction upgrades and the best upgrades to focus on in the early game of Marathon.
How to unlock faction upgrades in Marathon
Every faction upgrade is locked behind a certain faction level. Complete contracts for that faction to increase its reputation and level it up. Certain actions also grant additional reputation for the faction. For example, harvesting plants grants NuCaloric rep, and looting Runners grants Arachne rep.
Unlocking an upgrade usually requires Credits and Salvage. Salvage appears in every POI on every map. But certain items only spawn in certain locations, so make sure to press Track Salvage after selecting an upgrade and head to the highlighted locations if you want to unlock them quickly.
Best early faction upgrades in Marathon
CyberAcme
CyberAcme is the starting faction in Marathon with the most accessible upgrades. Most of them require only Credits and basic Salvage. They give you a strong foundation and are useful regardless of your preferred playstyle.
Here are the CyberAcme upgrades you should prioritize getting early:
- Expansion
- Carrier
- Informant.exe
Even though Bungie expanded the vault, the space is still quite limited, especially if you’re a hoarder. Expansion is a good upgrade to have, especially once you purchase Carrier and unlock backpacks of different rarities.
Informant.exe increases gains from data cards, which is a great way to earn some Credits, as you get them even if you fail to exfil. This means you can build up enough resources and get back fully kitted out a little bit faster.
NuCaloric
Healing items in Marathon are scarce. Luckily, NuCaloric (or NuCal) specializes in healing gear and consumables. Tau Ceti IV is a dangerous place, so you need all the help you can get to stay alive for longer.
Here are the NuCal upgrades you should prioritize getting early:
- Safeguard
- Restore
- Shielded Barter
Safeguard and Restore grants free daily Shield Charges and Patch Kits in the Armory, respectively. It may not feel like much, but in the early game, you may quickly find yourself without any supplies, especially after a few unsuccessful runs.
Shields are also pretty rare drops, so pick up Shielded as soon as you can to be able to exchange Salvage for a Protector V1 for every run. It gives an extra shield slot, and while there are other options in the wild, it’s much better than using no shield at all.
After unlocking these, you can aim to unlock buildcrafting upgrades, like Escape Artist and Counterintel. These improve your survivability in a fight, regardless of the Runner Shell or loadout.
Traxus
Traxus sells weapons and weapon mods. There are no immediate must-haves in this faction’s upgrade tree that you need in the early game. Instead, focus on getting easier access to your preferred weapons and their corresponding mods.
MIDA
Similar to Traxus, MIDA unlocks a wide range of offensive items, like grenades, in the Armory, and which ones to unlock depend on your playstyle. However, there are a few upgrades and items that are good for any situation you might find yourself in.
Here are the MIDA upgrades you should prioritize getting early:
- Equipment
- Explosive Resistance
- Volt Resistance
- Ballistic Resistance
Equipment unlocks Enhanced equipment in the Armory, allowing you to buy whatever gadgets and grenades for Credits. The three Resistance Implants are great against fighting UESC, depending on who you plan to go up against.
Arachne
Arachne is a PvP-focused faction, and a lot of its contracts revolve around dealing damage to Runners and downing them. Much like with Traxus, there are no immediate must-haves. Pick up upgrades with weapons and Implants that suit your playstyle. Arachne offers weapons like Twin Tap HBR and plenty of Implants to build around melee damage.
Sekiguchi
Sekiguchi Genetics is primarily about buildcrafting and your Runner Shell’s abilities. The upgrades you can go for largely depend on your favorite Runner Shell, but there’s one you should pick up regardless.
Here are the Sekiguchi upgrades you should prioritize getting early:
- Cradle Efficiency
Cradle Efficiency increases the Cradle XP gains from converting gear into matter, up to 15 percent. This allows you to increase the Runner Shell stats and unlock breakpoint perks, like TCIV Resist, which reduces damage from Ticks, lightning, and Heat Cascade.
