Conquest LabRoster-aware Kingshot research

Generation 2 hero guide

Marlin Guide: Conquest, Arena, Counters and Best Position

A data-backed Marlin guide covering Conquest value, preliminary Arena performance, best position, skills, teammates, counters, and evidence limits.

Intermediate HeroesConquestArenaCounters Updated July 16, 2026

Marlin quick verdict

Marlin profiles as a control carry with a current Conquest tier of A and a preliminary Arena tier of B. The best recorded or projected position is Back left.

EvidenceStrong
Highest trusted winStage 479
Best positionBack left
Conquest tierA
Arena projectionB
RoleControl Carry
Evidence status

Strong Conquest evidence, including a trusted win through stage 479.

How Marlin works

Marlin is a 2-generation mythic Archer built primarily as a control carry. The kit centers on stun control, area damage, burst damage, and on-hit trigger.

Conquest skill 1

marlin is a tidal force on the battlefield, literally and figuratively, when he unleashes a pulse dealing 280% Area of Effect damage and immobilizing the enemy for 1.5s.

Conquest skill 2

marlin’s deadly airborne concoction deals Attack * 70% Area of Effect damage.

Conquest skill 3

Good fortune inevitably follows bad. marlin stuns targets for 0.5s after every 5 strikes.

Gameplay-observed tags

area damageburst damageon-hit triggerbackline tendencystun control

Marlin in Conquest

The hero has successful evidence through stage 479, which supports later-generation specialist use.

The current composite ranking weighs stage ceiling, trustworthy lower-power performance, role utility, position versatility, raw stats, and generation ceiling. Marlin is not ranked from raw win rate alone because heroes enter the dataset at different stages and are tested with different frequency.

The pattern is supported strongly enough to guide formation choices, while exact powers and private rows remain hidden.

Marlin in Arena

Preliminary Arena projection

The Arena rating is preliminary. It combines Conquest evidence, raw stats, generation age, targeting value, and utility such as stun control, area damage, burst damage, and on-hit trigger. A very small amount of direct Arena evidence exists, but it is not large enough to publish as a firm result.

In Arena, Marlin should be judged by whether the formation can use stun control, area damage, burst damage, and on-hit trigger before the hero is removed or controlled. Newer-generation raw stats matter more in direct PvP, but specialized older heroes can remain useful three or four generations later when their development and utility still justify the slot.

Best position for Marlin

The strongest trusted position in the current dataset is Back left. Trusted wins also appear from Back middle.

  • Trusted winning positions: Back left and Back middle.

The starting target map still applies: front left and back left pressure enemy front left, while front right, back middle, and back right pressure enemy front right. Retargeting then follows the closest valid target.

Marlin strengths and limitations

Main strengths

  • Stun control.
  • Area damage.
  • Burst damage.
  • On-hit trigger.

Main limitations

  • Cleanse and control immunity reduce the value of the control package.
  • The strongest effect depends on a trigger, stack, mark, or timing condition.
  • The hero needs protection and can lose value if removed before the first important cast.
  • Newer generations gain a raw-stat advantage, so continued use depends on development and specialized utility.

Who Marlin counters—and who counters Marlin

Strong or useful into

Amadeus — Direct counter Moderate evidence. Marlin has an observed advantage into Amadeus. Most often observed with Marlin in back left, initially pressuring the enemy front left.
Howard — Direct counter Moderate evidence. Marlin has an observed advantage into Howard. Most often observed with Marlin in back middle, initially pressuring the enemy front right.
Helga — Conditional counter Limited evidence. Marlin has an observed advantage into Helga. Most often observed with Marlin in back left, initially pressuring the enemy front left.

Threats to watch

Helga — Conditional counter Moderate evidence. Helga has an observed advantage into Marlin. Most often observed with Helga in front right, initially pressuring the enemy front right.
Howard — Conditional counter Moderate evidence. Howard has an observed advantage into Marlin. Most often observed with Howard in front right, initially pressuring the enemy front right.
Amadeus — Conditional counter Limited evidence. Amadeus has an observed advantage into Marlin. Most often observed with Amadeus in front left, initially pressuring the enemy front left.

Named matchup conclusions remain position-dependent. A direct counter should be placed in the lane or slot that creates the observed interaction.

Best teammates for Marlin

RosaObserved partner in trusted Conquest wins.
ZoeObserved partner in trusted Conquest wins.
JabelObserved partner in trusted Conquest wins.
Long FeiObserved partner in trusted Conquest wins.

Observed partners show formations that have worked in the raw Conquest data; projected partners are role-complement suggestions and still need direct testing.

Marlin data facts

EvidenceStrong
Highest trusted winStage 479
Best positionBack left
Conquest tierA
Arena projectionB
RoleControl Carry
  • Trusted winning positions: Back left and Back middle.
  • The hero has successful evidence through stage 479, which supports later-generation specialist use.
  • Exact row counts, private powers, ratios, and full recorded lineups are intentionally not published.
  • Evidence labels are refreshed when the guide library is rebuilt from the raw Conquest tab.

Conquest conclusions use the current raw Conquest Lab dataset. Arena conclusions are preliminary projections unless a section explicitly says otherwise. Exact private rows, lineups, powers, and ratios are not published.