Best Marius Skill setup in Avowed

Avowed allows you to recruit different companions to join you on your mission to uncover the truth behind a mysterious plague. Marius is one of the many allies you can recruit, and he is a skilled archer with the perfect skill setup. This article will cover where you can find the mountain dwarf, his personality, and the best setup to maximize his skills.

Companions in this game do not just support extra NPCs that can give you an edge in a fight. Obsidian Entertainment designed each recruitable ally with unique personalities, fighting styles, and even personal storylines that can be explored in side quests.

Marius is a reliable ranger in Avowed

Marius is a reliable companion in the field and while exploring the Living Lands (Image via Sportskeeda || Xbox Game Studios)

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You can meet Marius in Avowed when you wake up after your envoy has been assassinated during the main quest called An Untimely End. The mountain dwarf can be found at Paradis, and he will lend his services to help you track down your killer. Marius is resourceful and an expert tracker, making him a great companion to find someone with a head start.

If you are exploring different locations, Marius can spot points of interest from a distance. Having him around will be convenient if you are looking for lost treasure and other valuable loot that you could potentially miss. While you are in combat, Marius is a dedicated ranger and can fire arrows, and he can be upgraded with companion skill points.

Also read: How to change armor appearance (transmog) in Avowed

This dwarf already has a few abilities at his disposal when you first meet him. Marius' starting ability is called binding roots, which can keep enemies from moving, similar to the Tanglefoot ability for your envoy's ranger class.

Unlike regular skill points that you can acquire as you level up, companion skill can be obtained at every three levels, meaning you must be cautious about which ally you are upgrading.

Best abilities for Marius

Marius is already a good companion from the start, but he can be much better with skills and upgrades (Image via Sportskeeda || Xbox Game Studios)

As mentioned earlier, binding roots are Marius' starting ability, and it can be upgraded. Here are all of Marius' abilities and our recommended order for upgrades:

Binding Roots

Grasping Roots: Instead of catching one enemy, this upgrade increases the number of enemies that can be captured at once.
Constricting Roots: This upgrade can stun captured enemies.
Thorny Roots: As the name implies, any enemy caught by the roots will be poked with sharp thorns. As a bonus, Marius can build bleed accumulation on trapped enemies.

Marius' starting ability is impressive, and succeeding skills have different benefits. Grasping Roots should be acquired first to control the battlefield and give your allies enough time to strike or recover.

Heart Seeker

Sharpshooter: Marius is an expert marksman, and this ability will increase any damage on injured enemies below 50% health.
Quick Draw: It would be best to draw arrows much faster than usual, and this ability can decrease Marius' reload time.
Twinned Shot: After hitting your original target, this ability can technically ricochet the same effects on nearby enemies.

The heart seeker ability tree focuses on dealing the most damage in lethal areas. This can be useful against massive hordes or powerful enemy types. As a ranger, Marius should deal more damage from a distance and this is where the Sharpshooter upgrade comes in handy.

Also read: Avowed Escape Plan quest guide: All choices explained

Wounding Shot

Maiming Shots: All of Marius' attacks can decrease the effects of incoming enemy attacks.
Exposing Shots: Similar to the first upgrade, this ability can reduce the effects of enemy attacks.
Impending Shots: Any enemy hit by Marius' attacks will move much slower.

The wounding shot is the only passive ability in Marius' tree. With this ability tree, your companion can build bleed damage on their targets. Maiming shots should be unlocked first to decrease the effects of enemy strikes.

Shadow Step

Shadow Mastery: This upgrade allows Marius to turn invisible and strike enemies up to 6 times.
Devastating Blow: Marius' strikes are much more effective, and the damage he can deliver greatly depends on the enemy's missing health.
Assassinate: Last but not least, this upgrade can instantly kill stunned enemies.

The shadow step is an active ability that allows Marius to kill enemies in stealth. Being a ranger lets Marius get creative and use smaller melee weapons without enemies noticing. Shadow Mastery can be effective in battle, especially against larger numbers.

Conclusion

Marius can get the best of both worlds as a stealthy assassin and marksman (Image via Sportskeeda || Xbox Game Studios

The best skill setup for Marius is to prioritize his offensive abilities. While your character is the most flexible party member, considering you can mix and match different classes, you can count on Marius to keep you and your allies covered in a fight.

You should prioritize the full Shadow Step package by purchasing all the abilities under that tree. Alternatively, you can go for the quick draw and twinned shot upgrades under the Heart Seeker tree.

Avowed is now available on Xbox Series X and S, Game Pass, and PC. For more related articles, check these out:

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Edited by Aatreyee Aich