Best Marius Companion Build Guide Avowed

Discover how to create the best Marius companion build for Avowed with this guide, including abilities, passives, training, and more!

In Avowed, the are four companions who will play a pivotal role in shaping your journey and success across the Living Lands. Among the diverse roster of characters, Marius is an adaptable and versatile companion, effective when paired with various playstyles. Whether you’re looking to maximize his combat effectiveness, unlock his unique abilities, or develop a support role that complements your character, crafting the perfect build for Marius is vital.

In this guide, we’ll dive into the best Marius companion build in Avowed, breaking down his strengths, optimal abilities, best passives, and tactics to ensure you get the most out of his skills.

Everything About Marius Companion Build in Avowed

The right companion build for Avowed can be a game-changer in tough battles, helping you shift the tide in your favor. Selecting the right active abilities and useful passives is key to ensuring Marius works well with your Envoy. Moreover, the process of optimizing Marius’s build is less complicated than fine-tuning the Envoy’s, since you can’t adjust his armor, weapons, or attributes. As a result, the effectiveness of your Marius build relies solely on how you allocate his skill points.

In Avowed, all companions have three active abilities to choose from, along with one possible passive. When a companion first joins, they will only have their first ability automatically unlocked.

Additionally, each ability and passive can be upgraded if you choose to spend another skill point on it. There are three optional buffs that you can unlock. Moreover, you can choose to unlock just one, two, or all three in any order depending on your needs.

Finally, you can respec all of the skill points for any companion for a reasonable gold fee. The cost will go up the more skill points your companion has, however.

Marius Build Pros	Marius Build Cons
Crowd control ability	Similar to Ranger gameplay
Passive inflicts debuffs	No healing or taunt
Stealth strikes	Low Defense

Features and Mechanics for the Marius Build in Avowed

Below are all the essential features and mechanics for a Marius Companion Build guide in Avowed:

• How to Unlock: automatically after events in Parais. The main quest will lead you to him.
• Skills and Upgrades
  • Binding Roots (Active)
    • Thorny Roots (Recommended Upgrade)
  • Heart Seeker (Active)
    • Quick Draw (Recommended Upgrade)
  • Shadow Step (Active)
    • Assassinate (Recommended Upgrade)
  • Wounding Shots (Passive)
    • Impeding Shots (Recommended Upgrade)

How to Unlock Marius in Avowed

Finding and unlocking Marius as a companion in Avowed will happen automatically as you follow the main quest and reach Paradis. After playing through the Message From Afar quest and locating the ambassador and claviger, you will be directed towards the embassy in the city. As you step inside, you’ll be shot by an arrow.

Next, after some divine intervention, a quest called An Untimely End will become available. This will direct you to go to Grinning Balarok bar in Paradis the meet Marius. He is a skilled tracker and you’ll need his help to find your would-be assassin.

Marius starts the game with the ability Binding Roots already unlocked. Additionally, he has a utility ability called Hunter’s Sense. When activated, it will highlight enemies, loot, and plants nearby. This has applications for both combat and exploration. In battle, you can use it to locate enemies and strategize stealth strikes. With exploration, this will make it easier to find crafting materials and treasure.

Best Abilities, Skills, and Passives for Marius

Binding Roots and Heart Seeker are the best active abilities for our Marius companion build guide in Avowed. First, Binding Roots is a nice crowd control ability that starts single-target but can be upgraded to AOE. Heart Seeker is his best damage-dealing ability. Moreover, it’s worth the points to get the Sharpshooter and Quick Draw upgrades. With these in place you can use the ability more often, and it can be a powerful finisher on a boss.

• Binding Roots (Active): Marius uses his wilderness lore to Root an enemy in place for 8 seconds.
• Heart Seeker (Active): Marius takes aim and fires a piercing shot that always hits its mark, passing through any obstacles in its path.
• Shadow Step (Active): Marius vanishes into a cloud of smoke, then reappears near and enemy and slashes them with his daggers. He repeats this up to 3 times.
• Wounding Shots (Passive): Marius’ attack deal Bleed Accumulation.

Binding Roots

Fire and Ire is an active ability that Marius can use as to root an enemy in place. This is a great crowd control ability for Marius, and when he first joins your party it will automatically be unlocked. Furthermore, the Binding Roots ability has a duration of 8 seconds (how long the root will last) and a 20-second cooldown before you can use it again.

The best way to use the Binding Roots ability is by triggering it against the strongest enemy monster. This can root a boss in place, allowing you to attack them safely from range for 8 seconds.

Here are the three passive upgrades available for Marius’ Binding Roots ability, which you can unlock with additional skill points:

• Constricting Roots: Binding Roots deals Stun to trapped enemies.
• Grasping Roots: Binding Roots traps multiple enemies in a small area of effect.
• Thorny Roots: Binding Roots deals Bleed Accumulation to trapped enemies.

We highly recommend spending a skill point to unlock Thorny Roots, which will cause the ability to deal Bleed Accumulation to rooted enemies. This affliction will stack very well with the Bleed Accumulation you get when unlocking Marius’ passive. Additionally, Grasping Roots can also be a good upgrade, turning the attack into an area-of-effect that can stop multiple enemies.

Heart Seeker

Heart Seeker is an active ability that Marius can use to deal good damage against any target from any location. His line of sight will not matter, and he can fire the arrow from anywhere. This ability will trigger immediately on cast, but the cooldown before you can use it again is 60 seconds long.

This is Marius’ best damage-based active ability and you’ll want to prioritize unlocking it early on.

Here are the three passive upgrades available for Marius’ Heart Seeker ability, which you can unlock with additional skill points:

• Twinned Shot: After hitting the original enemy, Heart Seeker also hits the next closest enemy.
• Sharpshooter: Increases the amount of damage dealt by Heart Seeker to enemies that are below 50% Health.
• Quick Draw: Reduces the cooldown for Heart Seeker by 33%.

The best upgrade for Heart Seeker is Quick Draw, because the reduction in cooldown means that you can fire this powerful shot off more frequently. Sharpshooter is also a good upgrade, turning this ability into a powerful finisher.

Shadow Step

Shadow Step is an active ability that Marius can use to execute a stealth strike against opponents. The best way to use this is by pausing the combat so you can point Marius at either an active healer or the strongest enemy. The attack will occur immediately, and there is a 60 second cooldown.

Unfortunately, the damage from this ability isn’t really impactful in regular combat. We recommend spending more points in Heart Seeker, rather than unlocking it.

Here are the three passive upgrades available for Marius’ Shadow step ability, which you can unlock with additional skill points:

• Assassinate: Shadow Step instantly kills most Stunned enemies.
• Devastating Blow: Increases the amount of damage done by Shadow Step in proportion to the enemy’s missing Health.
• Shadow Mastery: Marius vanishes and strikes enemies up to 6 times.

If you choose to unlock Shadow Step, then we recommend the Devastating Blow upgrade at the best option. This boosts the damage from this ability against enemies with low health, which can make it a good finishing move.

Wounding Shots

Wounding Shots is Marius’ passive, which will cause all of his attacks to inflict Bleed Accumulation when unlocked. This passive is really useful when paired with the Thorny Roots upgrade on the Binding Roots ability.

Here are the three upgrades available for Marius’ Wounding Shots passive, which you can unlock with additional skill points:

• Exposing Shots: Marius’ attacks reduce enemy Damage Reduction.
• Impeding Shots: Marius’ attacks slow any hit enemies.
• Maiming Shots: Marius’ attacks reduce enemy Damage.

We highly recommend spending a skill point to unlock Exposing Shots, which will debuff enemy’s damage reduction. Impeding Shots can be helpful, too, if you need some extra crowd control.

Level Progression for Marius in Avowed

Here’s a list of skills, passives, and upgrades to select with the Best Marius Build in Avowed:

• Skill Point 1: Heart Seeker
• Skill Point 2: Shadow Step
• Skill Point 3: Wounding Shots
• Skill Point 4: Quick Draw (Heart Seeker Upgrade)
• Skill Point 5: Thorny Roots (Binding Roots Upgrade)
• Skill Point 6: Exposing Shots (Wounding Shots Upgrade)
• Skill Point 7: Twinned Shot (Heart Seeker Upgrade)
• Skill Point 8: Sharpshooter (Heart Seeker Upgrade)

In Avowed, your companions will earn skill points as you level. However, they don’t always match up with your leveling progression. Therefore, expect to receive fewer skill points for Marius. For example, when your Envoy reaches Level 25 you will have a total of 24 skill points. Your companions, however, will only have 7 skill points.

Consequently, companions are only earning a skill point about once every 3-5 of your Envoy levels.

Best Companion Alongside Marius

Yatzli is the best Avowed companion to use alongside Marius in our companion build guide. They have a powerful ability combo that is a great way to open a battle with a new group of enemies. First, activate Binding Roots (with the Grasping Roots upgrade) to hold enemies in place. The duration on that ability is only 8 seconds. Therefore, you should trigger Yatzli’s Arduous Delay of Motion immediately after. This ability slows enemies for 10 seconds. When combined, this allows you to charge in and cause a great deal of damage before your enemies can easily return fire.

Companion 2: Yatzli

• Active Abilities
  • Ability 1: Essence Explosion
    • Upgrade: Scrappy Casting
  • Ability 2: Minoletta’s Missile Battery
    • Upgrade: Speedy Salvo
  • Ability 3: Arduous Delay of Motion
    • Upgrade: Frost Aspect
• Passives
  • Passive 1: Blast
    • Upgrade: Affliction Blast

How to Play Marius Companion With All Main Classes

Marius is a mix of DPS and Support, with abilities that can deal damage as well as provide crowd control. Binding Roots is his first available ability and can root any enemy in place. With the proper upgrades, it can even turn into an area-of-effect ability and cause a stun. Heart Seeker is his best damage-dealing ability, and can be a powerful finisher with proper timing and the Sharpshooter upgrade.

Furthermore, his passive Wounding Shot can offer all kinds of enemy debuffs if you invest some points into it. Impeding Shots is especially useful because it causes enemies hit by Marius’ attacks to slow.

The best way to use Marius is by first triggering his Binding Roots ability at the start of the fight. No matter if the ability is single-target or AOE, fire it at the strongest enemy available. Secondly, fire off the Heart Seeker ability at the same target. It has a 60 second cool-down, so hopefully by the time you can fire it again, the enemy will have health below 50%. With the Sharpshooter upgrade, a second shot of this ability will be more powerful.

Marius Companion With Envoy Fighter Class

A sword and shield Fighter is a good class to pair with Marius because you can provide defensive protection for yourself, while keeping aggro off of Marius. This will allow him to fire off attacks more easily, and hopefully keep enemies from ganging up and draining his health.

Here is a list of skills and abilities that you should activate for the Fighter class with Marius:

• Active Abilities & Passives
  • Ability 1: Barbaric Shout
  • Ability 2: Clear Out
  • Passive 1: Constant Recovery
  • Passive 2: Retribution

With a Fighter set up, you’ll want to fire off Marius’ Binding Roots ability, followed by Yatzli’s Arduous Delay of Motion as you charge in. Attack any healers in the area first, before focusing on other enemies. Active healers will quickly restore enemy health, even as you attack, making you waste stamina. Consequently, you always want to prioritize them first.

Marius Companion With Envoy Ranger Class

Combat can get complicated if both you and Marius are attacking primarily from range, and you may want to consider switching out Yatzli for Kai as your second companion. However, even as a Ranger you can wield a sword and shield as your second weapon set.

Additionally, at Level 18 and higher you can use the Bear Ally ability with the taunt upgrade to substitute as a tank.

Here is a list of skills and abilities that you should activate for Ranger class with Marius:

• Active Abilities & Passives
  • Ability 1: Shadowing Beyond
  • Ability 2: Tanglefoot
  • Passive 1: Survivalist
  • Passive 2: Evasive

With a Ranger set up, you’ll want to start combat by using your godlike stealth attack ability. Sneaking, or use the Shadowing Beyond ability to get in behind a powerful boss enemy. Combat will engage immediately after this hit, and then you’ll want to trigger Marius’ Binding Roots ability and Yatzli’s Arduous Delay of Motion in order.

Marius Companion With Envoy Wizard Class

Given that a Wizard Envoy will also be attacking mostly from range, this is another situation where you may want to considering switching out Yatzli. You’ll likely be pairing up with Kai for awhile, anyway, because you won’t recruit Yatzli until the third region of Shatterscarp.

Here is a list of skills and abilities that you should activate for the Wizard class with Marius:

• Active Abilities & Passives
  • Ability 1: Arcane Veil
  • Ability 2: Fireball
  • Passive 1: Blood Magic
  • Passive 2: Armored Essence

In the early game with a Wizard Envoy, Marius, and Kai, you’ll want to have Kai go in first with his Leap of Daring ability. Follow up with Marius’ Binding Roots and then cast Heart Seeker on a healer or other priority enemy.

Build Summary – Marius Companion

FAQs About Marius Companion Build in Avowed

Does Marius’ race matter in Avowed?

Race in Avowed only matters for character roleplay, it does not grant you any additional trait bonuses. This is true for your Envoy character and also hold true for Marius and any of the other companions.

What abilities should I pick for Marius Companion build?

The best active abilities for a Marius Companion build in Avowed are Binding Roots and Heart Seeker. One offers good crowd control, while the other is a strong damage ability.

Can companion Marius’ skill points be changed in Avowed?

Yes, you can refund and redistribute all of Marius’ skill points whenever you like during your Avowed gameplay. However, it will cost you some gold to do so, and the cost will increase based on the number of skill points he has.

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