Mark 2488 Onager: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 23:38, November 5, 2013

Template:Weapon Infobox The Mark 2488 Magnetic Accelerator Cannon, formally designated 15cm Mark/2488 1.1GJ MAC, also known as the Onager and often referred to as a "mass driver", is a stationary Magnetic Accelerator Cannon used by the United Nations Space Command during the Human-Covenant War.^[1]

After the war, an upgraded variant - the Mark 2551/25cm Portable - was designed.

Design details

The Onager is capable of firing a 15 cm round with up to 1.1 gigajoules of kinetic energy.^[1] It has five linearly arranged magnetic coils, each of which needs to charge individually before each shot. The weapon needs to cool off after every shot, and does so by opening a radial vent on the upper portion of the barrel. The weapon is operated from a small booth on the left side of the cannon.^[2]

Operational history

During the Fall of Reach, a group of UNSC Marines installed an Onager on top of one of the planet's ship-breaking facilities in Aszod to protect the drydocked UNSC Pillar of Autumn. Emile-A239 manned the mass driver to fend off incoming Covenant Banshees and Phantoms before the Autumn could take off.^[2] However, the SPARTAN was killed by a Sangheili Zealot, prompting SPARTAN-B312 to commandeer the cannon and successfully delay the Covenant assault on the Autumn by crippling an incoming CCS-class battlecruiser with a shot to its ventral energy projector.^[2]

Trivia

The Onager named after a medieval siege weapon, which in turn takes its name from a horse species.
On the Bungie.net weapons statistics page, the description for the Onager is simply "I need a weapon", a reference to a line by John-117 in the opening cinematic of the level Cairo Station in Halo 2.
"S-239" is painted on the Onager's frame. This is a reference to Emile-A239, who was killed while operating the weapon.
The "using Onager early" glitch can be exploited so that a player can reach the driver before the scripted cutscene. This glitch can provide a player with an easy killing spree by shooting down Banshees, or avoiding enemy lances by shooting the Phantoms carrying them.

Gallery

A first-person view of the Onager.
The Onager installed in the Aszod ship breaking yards.
The Onager, manned by SPARTAN-B312, firing a round at the incoming Covenant CCS-class battlecruiser.
The Onager discharging a ferric-tungsten slug at the Covenant CCS-class battlecruiser.
An Onager's electromagnetic coils charging before it fires.
The control booth of an Onager cannon.
IH Onager.jpg

An early concept for the Onager by Isaac Hannaford.
RD Onager.jpg

The cannon's final design.
A blueprint for the Onager.

List of appearances

Halo: Reach (First appearance)

Sources

^ ^a ^b Bungie.net Halo: Reach game stats
^ ^a ^b ^c Halo: Reach, campaign level The Pillar of Autumn

[stats-1] Bungie.net Halo: Reach game stats

[reach-2] Halo: Reach, campaign level The Pillar of Autumn

[1]

[2]

@@ Line 2: / Line 2: @@
 {{Weapon Infobox
 |image=[[File:HReach-OnagerMDC.png|300px]]
-|name=Onager
+|name=Mark 2488 Magnetic Accelerator Cannon
-|manufacturer=
+|manufacturer=[[Misriah Armory]]
 |model=Mk/2488
 |type=Magnetic Accelerator Cannon
 |cost=
-|size=32.6 m (106.9 ft)
+|length=32.6 m (106.9 ft)
-|damage per hit=1.1 gigajoules
+|damage per hit=
 |magazine=
 |maxammo=
 |fire=
-|ammotype=15 cm ferric-tungsten slug<ref name="vis">'''[[Halo: The Essential Visual Guide]]''', ''page 114''</ref>
+|ammotype=15 cm ferric-tungsten slug (1.1 gigajoules per hit)<ref name="vis">'''[[Halo: The Essential Visual Guide]]''', ''page 114''</ref>
 |operation=[[Wikipedia:Coilgun|Electromagnetic linear motor]]
-|rate of fire=20 rounds a minute
+|rate=20 rounds a minute
 |velocity=High
-|accuracy=High
+|range=Long
-|range=
+|service=[[Human-Covenant War]]
-|era=[[Human-Covenant War]]
-|counterpart=
-|counterwep=
 |affiliation=United Nations Space Command
-|mpguide=
 }}
 The '''Mark 2488 Magnetic Accelerator Cannon''', formally designated '''15cm Mark/2488 1.1GJ MAC''', also known as the '''Onager''' and often referred to as a "'''[[mass driver]]'''", is a stationary [[Magnetic Accelerator Cannon]] used by the [[United Nations Space Command]] during the [[Human-Covenant War]].<ref name="stats">'''[[Bungie.net]]''' ''Halo: Reach'' game stats</ref>
+After the war, an upgraded variant - the [[Mark 2551 Magnetic Accelerator Cannon|Mark 2551/25cm Portable]] - was designed.
 ==Design details==
 The Onager is capable of firing a 15 cm round with up to 1.1 gigajoules of kinetic energy.<ref name="stats"/> It has five linearly arranged magnetic coils, each of which needs to charge individually before each shot. The weapon needs to cool off after every shot, and does so by opening a radial vent on the upper portion of the barrel. The weapon is operated from a small booth on the left side of the cannon.<ref name="reach"/>
-==Variants==
-[[File:H4-OnagerMDC-ScanRender.png|left|200px|thumb|The Mark 2551 Onager.]]
-===Mark 2551===
-The [[Mark 2551 Magnetic Accelerator Cannon|Mark 2551/25cm Portable]] uses a 25cm M6792 HV/FTHPP-AS round and developed by [[Misriah Armory]]. The {{UNSCShip|Infinity}} had a hull-mounted Onager in support of its larger shipboard MACs. [[Office of Naval Intelligence|ONI]]'s [[Ivanoff Station]] near [[Installation 03]] made use of several automated Mk. 2551 Onagers to protect it from space debris and later against several [[Covenant remnant|Covenant]] [[CRS-class light cruiser]]s when the station was [[Raid on Ivanoff Station|attacked]].<ref>'''[[Halo 4: The Essential Visual Guide]]''', ''page 75''</ref>
-{{Clear}}
 ==Operational history==
 During the [[Fall of Reach]], a group of [[UNSC Marine Corps|UNSC Marines]] installed an Onager on top of one of the planet's [[Aszod ship breaking yards|ship-breaking facilities]] in [[Aszod]] to protect the drydocked {{UNSCShip|Pillar of Autumn}}. [[Emile-A239]] manned the mass driver to fend off incoming Covenant [[Type-26 Ground Support Aircraft|Banshees]] and [[Type-52 Troop Carrier|Phantoms]] before the ''Autumn'' could take off.<ref name="reach">'''Halo: Reach''', campaign level ''[[The Pillar of Autumn (Halo: Reach level)|The Pillar of Autumn]]''</ref> However, the SPARTAN was killed by a [[Sangheili Zealot]], prompting [[SPARTAN-B312]] to commandeer the cannon and successfully delay the Covenant assault on the ''Autumn'' by crippling an incoming [[CCS-class battlecruiser]] with a shot to its ventral [[energy projector]].<ref name="reach"/>
-The UNSC's postwar prototype flagship, {{UNSCShip|Infinity}}, is equipped with a number of dorsal turrets quite similar to the Mark 2488. During the initial skirmishes on the [[Forerunner]] [[shield world]] [[Requiem]] in [[2557]], these turrets were used to fend off the [[Ur-Didact|Didact]]'s [[Cryptum]], forcing the Didact to retreat.<ref>'''Halo 4''', campaign level ''[[Infinity (level)|Infinity]]''</ref> Several automated Onagers were mounted across [[Ivanoff Station]] and were used by the UNSC forces to defend the [[Composer]] from invading [[Covenant remnant]] forces under the command of the Didact himself.<ref>'''Halo 4''', campaign level ''[[Composer (level)|Composer]]''</ref>
 ==Trivia==
@@ Line 54: / Line 44: @@
 File:Onager_charging.jpg|An Onager's electromagnetic coils charging before it fires.
 File:Onager_controls.jpg|The control booth of an Onager cannon.
-File:H4-OnagerMDC-ScanScreen.jpg|Screenshots of the Mark 2551 Onager on the UNSC ''Infinity'' and Ivanoff Station.
 File:IH_Onager.jpg|An early concept for the Onager by [[Isaac Hannaford]].
 File:RD_Onager.jpg|The cannon's final design.
@@ Line 62: / Line 51: @@
 ==List of appearances==
 *''[[Halo: Reach]]'' {{1st}}
-*''[[Halo 4]]'' {{C|2551 variant}}
 ==Sources==