The Pinwheel Base is a highly valued area in Marathon, but you’ll need to unlock access to get inside.
There are three different entries to the Pinwheel Base. It’s located directly in the middle of the Outpost map. Hence, you can approach it from any of the three directions you want. However, you’ll find that the roads to the center are locked.
This guide will help you to unlock the base so that you can gain access.
Table of contents
How to unlock the Pinwheel Base in Marathon
There are three major ways to unlock the Pinwheel Base in Marathon.
- You can use Clearance Codes to access the elevator.
- You can use a Conveyance Request and then use a drone crane (which allows you to access the Drone Wing).
- You can destroy generators on the Destroyed Wing.
Clearance Codes method
You’ll come across terminals that require Clearance Codes, which can be one of three types, and you’ll need either two or three of them. A terminal might ask for more than one of the same Clearance Code, and this will be random.
You can read this detailed guide to find out how to get Clearance Codes and then use them on the terminal. Once done, you’ll need to interact with nearby hackstations to unlock the elevator. This elevator will lead you on the path that takes you to the Pinwheel Base, but you’ll first need to clear a bunch of UESC enemies that will spawn at your location.
Using a drone crane
The Conveyance Request keycard can be used at the Drone Wing to call down a drone on an elevator. However, the keycard doesn’t have a fixed location. I managed to find it quite commonly on the Outpost map, and you can also bring one from an earlier run if it’s there in your inventory. Use the called-upon elevator to reach the Pinwheel Base.
Destroy generators on the Destroyed Wing
You can access the Pinwheel Base from the Destroyed Wing located above Orientation. However, the door will be initially sealed by a barrier, with four lights on top of it. To remove the barrier, you need to turn off the lights.
To turn the lights off, look for white boxes as shown in the image above. These boxes are randomly located on the Destroyed Wing, and most of them can be found outside (but they will always be attached to the Destroyed Wing). Shoot four of them, and the lights will be turned off. You can then head to Destroyed Wing and access the centre of the Pinwheel Base.
