Editing Archer missile

{{Status|Canon}}

{{Weapon infobox

| type=[[Missile delivery system|Anti-ship missile]]

| ammotype=Varies{{Ref/Reuse|WF36}}

| range=Long{{Ref/Reuse|WF26}}

The '''Archer missile''' is an anti-ship [[missile delivery system]] used by the [[CMA Navy]] and [[UNSC Navy]].

 

Warships usually carry large numbers of Archer missiles to complement their [[Magnetic Accelerator Cannon]]s. While individual Archers are vulnerable to point-defense weapons and have limited destructive potential, their sheer numbers make up for their lack of individual effectiveness. [[Covenant]] [[Energy shielding|shield technology]] can withstand large numbers of Archers, though unprotected ships can be destroyed by Archer missile strikes to the hull and superstructure.

The M42 Archer was employed as early as the mid-25th century, and was employed on vessels of the [[CMA Navy]] alongside the [[Ares missile]]s. Several CMA warships of the era including the gargantuan {{Class|Punic|supercarrier}}, {{Class|Mako|corvette}} and the UNSC's [[S-14 Baselard]] strike fighter equipped the M42 Archer, with the CMA predominantly stocking them alongside the [[Ares missile]] series for its warships.

 

The dawn of the 26th century brought more usage for the M42, with the {{Class|Point Blank|prowler}} employing it. Following the [[Post-Covenant War conflicts|end of]] the [[Human-Covenant War]], the M42 gained prominence in the fleets of the rebuilding [[UNSC Navy]]. The {{Class|Strident|heavy frigate}} and {{Class|Poseidon|light carrier}} are both armed with two M42 pods each. However, its most notable postwar usage would come in the form of a mass stocking on the ''Punic''{{'}}s spiritual successor, the {{Class|Infinity|supercarrier}}.

 

*{{Class|Infinity|supercarrier}} - 350x M42 Archer pods (24 missiles per-pod; 8400 Archers total){{Ref/Book|Id=Enc22Carriers|Enc22|Page=126-127}}{{Ref/Site|URL=http://blogs.halowaypoint.com/Headlines/post/2012/10/10/The-Halo-Bulletin-101012-.aspx|Site=Halo Waypoint|Page=The Halo Bulletin: 10.10.12|D=10|M=10|Y=2012}}

 

 

 

 

*[[S-14 Baselard]] - Two M42 Archer missiles{{Ref/Book|Enc22|Page=159}}

*{{Class|Vindication|light battleship}} - 50x M58 Archer pods{{Ref/Book|Enc22|Page=125}}

 

 

*{{Class|Autumn|heavy cruiser}} - 32x M58 Archer pods{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22Cruisers}}

**{{UNSCShip|Pillar of Autumn}} refit - 32x M58 Archer pods{{Ref/Book|HWF|Page=25}}

*{{Class|Able|heavy destroyer}} (2525 refit) - 20x M58 Archer pods{{Ref/Site|Id=CFDigsite|URL=https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/canon-fodder-digsite-dissection|Site=Halo Waypoint|Page=Canon Fodder - Digsite Dissection|D=28|M=07|Y=2023}}

*{{Class|Halberd|light destroyer}} - 26x M58 Archer pods{{Ref/Book|Enc22|Page=124}}

 

*{{Class|Paris|heavy frigate}} - 26x M58 Archer pods{{Ref/Book|Id=Enc22Frigates|Enc22|Page=120-123}}

*{{Class|Mulsanne|light frigate}} - 20x M58 Archer pods{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22Frigates}}

*{{Class|Charon|light frigate}} - 10x M58 Archer pods{{Ref/Note|While ''[[Halo 4: The Essential Visual Guide]]'' and the ''[[Halo Encyclopedia (2022 edition)]]'' both use the ''[[Halo 4]]''-derived stats for the ''Charon''-class frigate of having 50 M58 Archer missile pods, the canon model for the ship as seen in ''[[Halo 3]]'' only has 10. See [[Charon-class light frigate#Production notes]] for further details.}}

 

*{{Class|Gladius|heavy corvette}} - 2x M58 Archer pods{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22Corvettes}}

*{{Class|Scholte|missile corvette}} - 2x M58 Archer pods{{Ref/Site|Id=CFFoundations|URL=https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/canon-fodder-foundations|Site=Halo Waypoint|Page=Canon Fodder - Foundations|D=12|M=01|Y=2022}}

 

The number of individual devices per pod varies: the refit ''Halcyon''-class light cruiser ''Pillar of Autumn'' was armed with twenty-four M58 Archers per each of its thirty-two pods as part of its refit for [[Operation: RED FLAG]], a notable increase from the standard ''Halcyon'' loadout of twenty.{{Ref/Site|URL=http://halo.xbox.com/Content/assets/en-us/ONI/577839090903298928/DDR-A340024-1115-08-27-52.pdf|Site=Halo Waypoint|Page=Data Drop 5|LocalArchive=Data Drop|D=27|M=10|Y=2011}} while the ''Paris''-class heavy frigate {{UNSCShip|Commonwealth}}, mounted thirty missiles in each pod instead.{{Ref/Reuse|TFoR}}

Prior to the [[Human-Covenant War]], the UNSC found the missiles to be effective against [[Insurrectionist]] combatant ships. with a single Archer missile considered capable of crippling all but the largest of UNSC ships.<ref>'''Halo: Contact Harvest'''</ref> Against the Covenant, however, they realized that the defensive measures employed by the enemy ships such as energy shields and [[pulse laser turret|point defense lasers]] suddenly rendered Archer missiles near-obsolete - lasers were able to pick off up to half of the missiles launched, and those that hit were rarely enough to penetrate the shields.<ref name="TFoR">'''Halo: The Fall of Reach'''</ref><ref>'''Halo Wars: Genesis'''</ref> At least one Covenant ship class, the {{Pattern|Makar|light corvette}}, possesses [[Electronic countermeasures|jamming measures]] that interfere with the guidance systems. Tactics were developed to counter this, using the more devastating but slower-firing Magnetic Accelerator Cannons to break through the shields, rendering the hulls vulnerable, but on the whole Archers proved to be ineffective weapons against the Covenant.{{Ref/Reuse|TFoR}} Archers may be used in support of ground forces, launched from orbit to strike a ground-based target.<ref>'''[[Halo Wars 2]]''', ''level ???''</ref>

File:FoR - Archer missiles.jpg|The {{UNSCShip|Commonwealth}} firing Archer missiles during the [[Battle of Chi Ceti]].

File:H3 Archer pods.jpg|Archer missile pods on a {{Class|Charon|light frigate}}.

{{Ref/Sources}}

{{UNSC ordnance}}