I remember the first time I lost a Prestige Core on exfil: the map shrank into a single blinking waypoint and my fingers went cold. You can feel the risk in the air—one wrong choice and an hour of planning disappears. If you want to make better bets, read this the way you would a teammate’s whispered tip in a hot zone.
I’ve spent hours testing Cores in Marathon’s Server Slam and talking to players on Reddit, Twitch streamers, and Bungie forums. I’ll walk you through what Cores actually do, how they change the feel of a Runner, where to find them, and which ones are worth hoarding or selling to the Armory.
What are Cores in Marathon?
In a hardware shop, every shelf is labeled by purpose—screws for furniture, bolts for engines. Cores are the same idea: physical modification units that alter how your Runner Shell behaves.
You equip a Core into a Shell to change or amplify its Prime and Tactical abilities. Unlike Implants (which give steady stat bonuses such as health regen or larger heat capacity), Cores are often shell-specific and rework ability mechanics. That’s why they matter: a single Core can turn a scouting tool into a killing machine or a support Shell into a mobile medic.
Rarity tiers: Standard (Grey), Enhanced (Green), Deluxe (Blue), Superior (Purple), Prestige (Gold). Rarity maps to complexity and power—Prestige Cores are rare and game-changing.
What are Cores in Marathon?
Short answer: gear mods that reshape abilities. Long answer: they sit in two Core slots on each Shell and let you mix recharge speed, damage, utility, or entirely new behavior for Prime and Tactical skills.
How Do Cores Work in Marathon?
On a camera rig you often stack filters and lenses to get the shot you want. Marathon’s Core slots are the same stacking playground.
Every Runner Shell has two Core slots. That means you can pair complementary effects—one Core to speed ability recharge, another to increase impact or change behavior. Some Cores are Shared and fit multiple Shells; the most potent are locked to a single Shell.
Equip Cores on the Loadout screen before a match. If you extract with a rare Core, it’s yours to keep; die with it and it becomes looted gear for the opposing Runner who finishes you off.
How do Cores change abilities?
They rewrite how Prime and Tactical skills perform. Examples: a Core that converts Riot Barricade absorption into personal shields, or a Core that adds shrapnel to a Tracker Drone’s explosion.
How to Get Cores in Marathon
At a flea market the best finds are half-hidden; you have to rummage. In Marathon the same is true for Cores.
Where to look:
- Core Storage containers mounted on UESC facility walls around maps.
- Loot from defeated Runners—if you survive exfil with it.
- Buy from the Armory using in-game Credits.
And a practical note from streamers and Reddit guides: treat rare Cores like valuables on a chessboard—moving them out at the right time matters more than hoarding them in-station.
How do I get Cores in Marathon?
Find containers, loot corpses, or purchase from the Armory. If you want to pocket higher-tier Cores, prioritize safe exfil routes and teamplay—Twitch creators often show clutch escapes worth copying.
All Cores in Marathon
Open a trading-card binder and you’ll see rarity edges that tell the story at a glance. Marathon’s Cores follow the same visible hierarchy.
Server Slam is still live, so this list covers Cores confirmed so far, grouped by Runner Shell.
All Destroyer Cores
- Heavy Ordnance (Enhanced): Shortens Search and Destroy cooldown when you secure a kill with explosives.
- Bombardier (Enhanced): Kills while Search and Destroy is active extend the ability’s duration.
- Bombing Run (Deluxe): Each successive missile from Search and Destroy deals increased damage.
- Ankle Breaker (Deluxe): Reduces Thruster heat when you’re close to an enemy.
- Bullrush (Superior): Riot Barricade stops draining energy while Tactical Sprint is active.
- Impact Siphons (Prestige): Damage absorbed by Riot Barricade converts into personal shield energy.
All Vandal Cores
- Tag! (Enhanced): Increases Disruptor Cannon direct damage and pings targets in the blast radius.
- Cut to the Chase (Deluxe): (Shell-specific modifier—experimental in Server Slam).
- Mechanized Holsters (Deluxe): Power Slide reloads ballistic weapons from reserves and restores volt battery.
- Blast Off (Deluxe): Removes self-damage from Disruptor Cannon and lets you use knockback for mobility.
- Adrenal Core (Superior): Amplify reduces Heat from movement; Cardio Kick consumables extend the buff.
- Microjet Efficiency Package (Prestige): Grants an extra Microjet charge and lowers Heat per use.
All Assassin Cores
- Breathing Space (Enhanced): Big reload bonus while standing in Shroud or smoke fields.
- Ghost Protocol (Enhanced): Smoke fields persist longer before dissipating.
- Patience (Deluxe): Standing still pauses invisibility countdown at the cost of Heat accumulation.
- Guerilla (Superior): Faster cooldown recovery for Active Camo and Shadow Dive while in smoke.
- Shadow Strike (Prestige): Massive melee and knife damage when attacking from invisibility.
All Recon Cores
- Hot Pursuit (Enhanced): Tracker Drone travels faster and farther before auto-detonation.
- Bad Cop (Enhanced): Finishers grant tactical and prime ability energy.
- On The Trail (Deluxe): Extends footprint trail duration and reduces Heat when killing tracked targets.
- Cluster Payload (Superior): Tracker Drone releases explosive shrapnel on detonation.
- Intuition (Prestige): Awareness pulse triggers immediately on downing a target—no physical finisher required.
- Early Warning System (Prestige): Tactical HUD ping when a rival Runner enters nearby space.
All Thief Cores
- Greed Is Good (Enhanced): Bonus sprint speed and slide distance while your backpack is full.
- Hit And Run (Deluxe): Melee after a grapple “Hacks” a target, forcing a random loot drop.
- Case The Joint (Superior): Greatly extends X-Ray Visor scan distance and clarity.
- Partner In Crime (Prestige): Pickpocket Drone emits periodic radar pings when idle.
All Triage Cores
- High Voltage (Enhanced): Shortens next Battery Overcharge cooldown after killing an EMP-afflicted enemy.
- Electron Recapture Sinks (Deluxe): While Battery Overcharge is active, kills with volt weapons restore battery segments.
- No Good Deed (Superior): Grants an immediate health burst when your Med-Drone links to an ally.
- Samaritan (Prestige): Using Shareware on a teammate speeds your next Med-Drone cooldown.
All Universal Cores
- Loot Tracker (Standard): Activating Prime or Tactical emits a pulse that pings the nearest loot container.
- Communal Cleanse (Standard): Removing a negative effect with a consumable also removes it from nearby crew.
- Cash Flow (Standard): Opening an unlooted container pings a nearby data card.
- Trophy Hunter (Standard): Killing a UESC Commander restores a small amount of Tactical and Prime energy.
- Worth The Wait (Enhanced): Activating Shield Charge or Patch Kit triggers passive regeneration of shield or health.
Useful places to follow meta and patch notes: Bungie.net, Marathon subreddits, YouTube creators who stream Server Slam runs, and tool creators on GitHub who catalog Core behavior.
I want to hear what you’ve found—what Core made your last run feel unfair?