Outpost

Outpost is Marathon's advanced map: a fully operational UESC military facility that punishes underprepared Runners with overwhelming security systems, elite robot patrols, and the most vertical combat environment in the game. Unlock it by reaching Runner Level 12. The payoff for mastering Outpost is access to some of the best loot in Season 1.

Quick Facts

• Difficulty: Advanced
• Max Teams: 3–4 squads of 3
• Unlock: Runner Level 12 required
• Dynamic Events: Heat Cascade weather, Security Lockdowns

The Pinwheel

The Pinwheel is Outpost's central corkscrew vertical structure and the most complex single combat zone in Marathon. Multiple entry points, 360-degree engagement angles, and tight corridors across multiple floors make it a guaranteed meatgrinder. Squads that control The Pinwheel control access to the densest loot concentration on the map, and the Vandal's Microjets and Power Slide make it a natural home for high-mobility Shells.

Security Systems

Outpost is the most security-dense map in Marathon. Unlike the abandoned zones of Perimeter and Dire Marsh, this facility is actively operated:

• Scan Drones: patrol overhead and alert nearby UESC units when they detect Runners. Destroy them quickly or memorize their patrol routes.
• Tripwires: trigger reinforcement spawns when broken. Learn their positions: they're placed near high-value room entrances.
• Supply Clearance Codes: dropped by UESC Commanders, required to access the Command Wing and its endgame loot.
• Conveyance Request paths: secondary access routes unlocked with specific keycodes, bypassing main security.

Dynamic Events

Heat Cascade weather events periodically sweep across Outpost, creating environmental hazards that restrict traversal options and reduce heat capacity for affected Runners. Security Lockdowns are triggered by sustained player activity in restricted zones, deploying additional elite UESC forces and sealing certain pathways.

Tips for Outpost

• Clear Scan Drones immediately upon entering a zone, one alert can chain into a UESC swarm.
• Kill UESC Commanders specifically to get Supply Clearance Codes, the Command Wing is not accessible without them.
• Vandal and Thief (grapple) excel on Outpost, vertical mobility is the most valuable asset here.
• During Heat Cascade, move to covered interior zones and manage heat conservatively.