Search and Destroy

Search and Destroy is the Destroyer Runner Shell's Prime ability in Marathon. When activated, shoulder-mounted pods deploy and fire homing missiles that lock onto and pursue previously damaged enemies. The missiles track their targets and deal area damage on impact, making them effective against grouped enemies or targets attempting to escape after taking initial hits. The homing behavior means the ability rewards an aggressive two-stage attack pattern: damage first to mark targets, then launch to confirm the follow-through.

Search and Destroy has a recovery time of approximately 5 seconds and functions best when the Destroyer has already applied pressure with primary weapons, ensuring targets are pre-damaged and within missile lock range. The area damage component is particularly useful for flushing enemies from cover or punishing tight clusters during a push. In squad play, the Destroyer can fire Search and Destroy into a group that a squadmate has softened, converting an ongoing engagement into a burst of area denial that accelerates the conclusion of a fight. The relatively short cooldown compared to other Prime abilities encourages treating it as a rotation tool rather than an ultimate-style hold.