I've been deep in the Living Lands of Eora in Avowed for months now, and let me tell you, the companion system has evolved into something truly special since the game's initial release. After that intense stretch with only Kai by my side during the early Claviger's Landing missions—which really hammered home how crucial these allies are on higher difficulties—finally meeting Marius in Paradis felt like a game-changer. Not only did he help me piece together who tried to take me out, but he quickly proved to be an absolute MVP in my party. Building him right? That's the key to unlocking his full potential, and I'm here to break down exactly how to do that in the current 2026 meta.
Marius' Abilities, Explained
Whenever you recruit a new companion in Avowed, the first thing I do is hit the companion screen in the upgrade section. That's where you'll find their toolkit: three active abilities and one passive. Pro tip: the first active ability is always unlocked automatically, so you can jump right into the action. But what really sets Marius apart, in my experience, is his exploration skill. While other companions might help with locks or lore, Marius's special ability is, hands down, the most useful for exploration. With a simple activation, it marks all enemies, collectibles, and treasures in a decent radius. It's like having a built-in treasure radar and threat detector—utterly invaluable for completionists and survivalists alike.
Now, let's talk combat. This is where Marius shines with a versatile hybrid style.
| Ability Name | What It Does | Key Upgrades & Synergies |
|---|---|---|
| Binding Roots 🪴 | Summons roots from the ground at a target location, immobilizing an enemy for 8 seconds. A fantastic crowd-control opener. | Upgrades can make it trap multiple enemies and inflict Stun or Bleed. Perfect for setting up big damage combos. |
| Heart Seeker 🏹 | Marius fires one powerful, guaranteed-hit arrow that deals massive damage. His bread-and-butter single-target nuke. | Upgrades boost damage against low-health foes and reduce cooldown. The Twinned Shot upgrade lets it damage a second enemy after the first hit. |
| Shadow Step ⚔️ | Marius teleports next to three random enemies, slashes them with his dagger, and returns. Great for applying pressure and his passive effects. | Upgrades can double the number of attacks and increase damage. The Assassinate upgrade lets him instantly defeat heavily stunned enemies—so satisfying! |
| Wounding Shots (Passive) 💉 | Marius's basic attacks apply the Bleed status effect to enemies. This is the engine that drives his sustained damage. | Upgrades can slow enemies, reduce their damage output, and increase all damage they take, making your whole party hit harder. |
Marius Upgrade Priority for 2026
Alright, so you know what he does. The real challenge is deciding what to upgrade when you get those precious companion ability points. These points are scarce, especially early on, so you've gotta spend them wisely. Based on my playthroughs and the current community consensus, here's the optimal upgrade path:
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Priority #1: Crowd Control & Debuffs First
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Binding Roots Upgrades: Start here. Unlock Grasping Roots (multi-target), then Constricting Roots (Stun application), and finally Thorny Roots (Bleed application). This turns his opener into a massive area-denial and setup tool.
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Wounding Shots Upgrades: Next, invest in his passive. Go for Exposing Shots (increases damage enemies take) and Maiming Shots (slows enemies). This makes every enemy he touches easier for your whole team to handle.
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Priority #2: Unleash the Assassin
- Shadow Step Upgrades: Now, make his flashy skill deadly. Assassinate (execute stunned targets) is a must-have, followed by Shadow Mastery (more attacks) and Devastating Blow (more damage). This turns him into a clean-up crew.
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Priority #3: Sharpen the Arrow
- Heart Seeker Upgrades: Save these for last. Quick Draw (cooldown reduction) is useful, but the star is Twinned Shot for multi-target potential. Sharpshooter (bonus vs. low health) is the cherry on top.
TL;DR Upgrade Order: Binding Roots → Wounding Shots → Shadow Step → Heart Seeker. This build maximizes his utility and team damage amplification before focusing on raw personal DPS.
When Should You Use Marius? Party Synergy in 2026
Marius isn't just a one-trick pony. His real strength lies in his flexibility. He brings a killer combo of high damage and support utility, which means he fits into almost any party composition you're running. Seriously, he's rarely a bad choice.
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If You're Playing a Tank/Fighter: Focus on building Marius for pure DPS. Let your character hold the line while he uses Heart Seeker and Shadow Step to shred priority targets from range and flank. He's your main damage dealer.
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If You're Playing a Ranger or Wizard: Shift Marius into a more supportive role. Prioritize Binding Roots and Wounding Shots upgrades to crowd control and debuff enemies, creating safe spaces and damage windows for your spellcasting or ranged attacks. He sets 'em up, you knock 'em down.
Party Synergy Examples:
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Marius + Kai: This is a classic duo. Use Marius's roots to immobilize threats, giving Kai the perfect opening to unleash his abilities without being overwhelmed. It's all about control and burst.
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Marius + Giatta: The sustain combo. Giatta's healing and support can keep Marius alive in the thick of it, allowing him to use Shadow Step aggressively and apply his debilitating Bleeds without fear. He becomes an unstoppable debuff machine.
In my opinion, Marius provides insane value from the moment you recruit him all the way until you unlock your full roster. His exploration ability alone saves hours of backtracking, and his adaptable combat kit ensures he's never dead weight. Whether you're exploring ancient ruins or facing down a boss, having Marius in your party is almost always a good call. He's the Swiss Army knife of Avowed companions—always useful, always effective. Now get out there and put those upgrade points to work!