Our Marauders Guides will teach you what you need to know to survive in this challenging extraction shooter from Small Impact Games and Team17.
Quicklinks: Marauders Guides | Marauders Starter Guide | F.A.Q.
Marauders Guides
- Leveling and Unlocks Guide
- Crafting Guide
- Contracts Guide
- Locations Guide
- Money-Making Guide
- Weapons Guide
- Ships Guide
Marauders Starter Guide
While the in-game Guide tells you a fair amount of information, there are still some missing pieces of knowledge. This Marauders Starter Guide will give you the knowledge you need to survive -- and possibly excel.
The Health and Stamina Bars
First and foremost, we'll go over one of the more important things in the game: your Health and Stamina. Here's what the Health and Stamina Bars look like in-game and what the colors mean:
- Pain - You gain Pain when you take damage. This is a cap on your maximum Health. Only certain Pain-reducing items (such as Morphine) can remove it during a Raid.
- Depleted Health - Taking damage reduces your Health (and inflicts Pain). The only way to restore your Health in a Raid is to use Health-restoring items such as Biscuits or Bandages.
- Remaining Health - How much Health you have left. If this reaches zero, you die and lose everything you're carrying, your Ship, and everything in your Ship's inventory.
- Fatigue - You gain Fatigue when you expend Stamina. This is a cap on your maximum Stamina. Certain Food items (such as Water) can remove Fatigue during a Raid.
- Depleted Stamina - Your Stamina depletes when you run. It will recharge naturally over time, but you'll gain a little Fatigue every time you expend Stamina by running.
- Remaining Stamina - How much Stamina you have left. When you run out of Stamina, you can't run until it recharges.
Oxygen (a.k.a. the Raid Time Limit)
As with many other extraction shooters, there is a firm time limit on Raids. This is represented by your Oxygen supply. You have a total of 25 minutes before it runs out and there's no way we know of to recharge it and extend the time.
Your Oxygen begins depleting as soon as you enter the Raid area in your ship.
Your First Raid
Okay, those are the basics out of the way. Now it's time to go into your first Raid!
As an extraction shooter, Marauders is high risk, high reward. You can potentially gain some great items (especially from killing other players), but you can also lose absolutely everything when you die.
This is precisely why your first few runs should be "eco runs" (short for economy runs) -- we're going to go into a Raid risking absolutely nothing of value.
Go to the Gear screen and unequip absolutely everything you have equipped on your character. Then, click "Play" at the top left and click the "Launch - Enter Raid" button just below it. This will put you into Matchmaking for a Raid.
You will be dropped into a random Raid Location with no weapons or supplies and you'll be flying a Rustbucket, the default starter Ship. Fortunately, this Ship comes equipped with some basic supplies which you can find just behind the Cockpit:
This is a Luger P08, 30 rounds of 9mm ammunition, and a Pouch Rig. Pick up these items, then move forward to the Cockpit and start flying.
An important note: these three items were a bit buggy during the Technical Test. They've occasionally spawned on the ground or not spawned at all. If you're missing any of these three default items, fly to then nearest Escape Gate, leave the Raid, and try again.
Flying Your Ship to the Raid
You've entered the game world, but you're not in the actual Raid just yet -- first, you have to fly your Ship to the actual Raid Location.
Ship controls are fairly simple:
- W and D move you forward or backward.
- A and S strafes you left or right.
- Space and Ctrl slowly strafes you up or down vertically.
- The mouse controls the direction you're facing.
- Left-click fires your cannon.
If you have a second player with you, they can man the gun turrets and take over firing the weapons for you. (Keep in mind that only one set of starter items will spawn, so you or your buddy will have to bring some equipment for an eco Raid.)
Fly towards the Raid Location and aim for the yellow zones:
Along the way, you may encounter turrets on the space station itself or floating on satellites. You can destroy these with your Ship's gun.
Naturally, you'll also encounter other enemy Ships along the way. You can shoot at the mand they can shoot at you, and that means your Ship will take damage.
Repairing Damage to Your Ship
Your Ship can be damaged if it takes any hits. That means you'll have to repair it.
There are four Fire Extinguishers on the Rustbucket. One is located towards the rear of the Ship on the upper deck and the other three are near the Engine below.
Fire Extinguishers are equipped in your primary Weapon slots (accessed by pressing 1 or 2 on the keypad). Each Fire Extinguisher repairs around 25% of your Ship's health.
If your Ship's HP falls to zero, it won't explode. However, any additional damage you take will bleed through and injure anyone aboard the Ship. You can repair this damage with Fire Extinguishers, but if you've run out... it's time to evacuate.
Escaping your Ship
If your Ship's HP hits 0, you can still try to repair it as long as you have Fire Extinguishers. If they've all depleted, however, your only option is to escape through a Breaching Pod.
The Breaching Pods (also called Drop Pods) can be found on either side of the Engine in the Rustbucket Ship:
Interact with the door and you'll launch out into space.
Controlling the Breaching Pod
The Breaching Pod flies a lot like your Ship, though there are some differences. Critically, it has no weapons and it can only take three or so hits from enemy weapons before it explodes.
Breaching Pods cannot enter a Raid (except for the Merchant Ship and Damaged Capital Ship; these require you to board a Breaching Pod and ram into those Ships). These emergency vehicles are equipped with a rechargeable booster that can help you quickly exit the area.
However, Breaching Pods can be used to board enemy Ships. You could, in theory, board your attacker's Ship, kill them, and take their Ship for your own. You can then fly into the Raid or immediately exit through an Escape Gate.
You can even use a Breaching Pod to board your own Ship again to repair it after the enemy has given up. In the worst-case scenario, you can take a Breaching Pod out an Escape Gate and abandon the Raid.
That's the bad scenarios out of the way -- from here, let's assume that you've successfully made it into the magical yellow gate and entered the Raid.
Into the Raid
Once you've docked, head down the stairs and towards the Airlock at the front of your Ship. Interact with the Airlock and it will open. Step inside, and you'll begin transitioning into the actual Raid.
Do not stand around in the open like an easy target. Many Raid Locations have the airlocks placed close to one another, and some enterprising players may attempt to ambush you as soon as the doors open. Take cover and be prepared to close the Airlock again if you don't think you can win the firefight.
If all is clear, you can step out of the Airlock. Once you're sure the immediate area is clear, turn around and take note of the Airlock you've just stepped out of:
There are multiple Airlocks in each Raid Location and you can only return to your Ship by exiting from the same Airlock you've entered. If you can't find it, you'll have to use one of the Breaching Pods located in the level.
Once you're sure you'll remember your Airlock number, it's time to step into the fray.
Loot, Kill, Escape
The words "Loot, Kill, Escape" prompt the beginning of every Raid, and that's as good a plan as any for success.
Move carefully through the map, looking for any containers that might have items. You'll have to click on an item to reveal what it is before you can pick it up.
You will almost certainly encounter NPCs as you explore further in (and you have a good chance of finding enemy players, too). Listen carefully for footsteps and gunfire. It's up to you to decide whether you'll head towards the fighting or avoid it.
Even if you only have a basic Luger P08 pistol, you can still take down quite a few NPCs and maybe even a player or two. Odds are, they'll have some useful equipment such as a better Weapon, better Armor, or a bag. Try to grab whatever you think is most valuable. If you survive, it's time to get to that last part of the intro message: Escape.
Escaping the Raid
Let's suppose you've killed a few NPCs (and maybe a player or two) and you think it's high time to leave. What now?
First, you should ideally return to the Airlock where you entered. If you can't find it (or can't make it to it), your next best option is to try to find a Breaching Pod.
Either way, you'll have to make it to an Escape Gate (seen above) in order to leave the Raid. Once you do, you'll return to the menu with all of your sweet loot. You can now stash it away and do what you will with it.
Continuing Your Raiding Adventures
That's the end of our Marauders Starter Guide!
You should spend the next few Raids repeating the same process -- go in with nothing and try to come out with something. Get comfortable with the game. Learn the maps. Experience combat.
Remember, when you die in Marauders, you lose everything you're carrying. You don't want to risk Weapons, Armor, and Bags that you might not be able to replace. Build up a decent supply of items and learn the game, then slowly start taking more and more risks to increase your gains. In the meantime, check out some of our other guides to learn more!
Marauders F.A.Q.
What is Marauders?
Marauders is a PvPvE extraction shooter (also called a looter shooter or a Tarkovlike) developed by Small Impact Games and developed by Team17. Players take on the role of space pirates, invading space stations, fighting other players, and gathering valuable loot.
Is There a Separate Solo Queue and Squad Queue in Marauders?
No. Solo players and Squads play in the same queue in Marauders.
Is There a Map in Marauders?
No, there is no map in Marauders.
How Can You Increase Your Storage in Marauders?
You can permanently increase your storage in Marauders by spending Prestige Points to expand it. You can also Craft Storage Crates or store items in Bags within your Stash.
Can You Choose Your Raid Location in Marauders?
No, you can't choose your Raid Location in Marauders. Raids send you to a random location.
Is There PVE in Marauders?
Yes, there is PVE in Marauders, but all gameplay also has PVP. You will fight both hostile NPCs and enemy players in Raids. There is no non-PVP mode.
Can You Revive Teammates in Marauders?
No, you cannot revive teammates in Marauders. Once someone dies, they're dead -- all you can do is take as much of their equipment as you can and escape with it.
What Does Food and Water Do in Marauders?
Food and Water typically heal Fatigue, a cap on your Stamina meter that accumulates as you expend Stamina by running in Marauders.
How Do I Escape a Map Without a Captain's Card in Marauders?
You can escape a Map in Marauders without a Captain's Card by finding a Breaching Pod. Every Raid Location has several Breaching Pods (also called Drop Pods or Escape Pods) placed throughout the map. The Breaching Pod can then be flown out through an Escape Gate. Take note, you won't be able to re-enter the Raid unless you use the Breaching Pod to steal another Ship.
How Do I Open Crates in Marauders?
You may find items in crates in Marauders (such as a Ration Crate or a Biscuit Tin) in a Raid; these can only be opened after you return home and examine them in the Gear screen.
How Do I Fix 'Airlock Busy' in Marauders?
The "Airlock Busy" message in Marauders typically means that something is interfering with allowing you to travel through the Airlock. Go back to your Cockpit, exit the Raid Location, and fly into a different entrance point.