Editing R'sisho-pattern Tick

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{{Era|H1|H2|TF}}
{{Ship
|image=[[Image:Boardingcraft.jpg|300px]]
|name=Covenant Boarding Craft
|manufacturer=[[Covenant]]
|line=
|model=
|class=Boarding Craft
|length=62.2 meters (204 feet)
|width=35.4 meters (116 feet)
|height=28.1 meters (92.2 feet)
|mass=
|max accel=
|max speed space=
|max speed air=
|engine=
|slipspace drive=None
|slipspace speed=N/A
|poweroutput=
|power=
|shield gen=
|hull=
|sensor=
|target=
|navigation=
|avionics=
|countermeasures=
|armament=[[Shade|Plasma Turret]] (1)
|complement=Up to 75 Infantry
|crew=2 Pilots
|skeleton=2 Pilots
|passengers=Up to 75 Infantry
|capacity=
|consumables=
|othersystems=
|firstuse=
|role=Boarding Craft
|era=[[Human-Covenant War]] 
|affiliation=[[Covenant]]
}}

==Overview==
The [[Covenant]], although fully capable of reducing most [[UNSC]] vessels to heaps of molten slag in a matter of minutes, have also shown a desire to board and hopefully capture a [[Human]] vessel. Thus far they have done so by using (Apparition) Boarding Craft. Infantry are deployed into the heart of a vessel for purposes the [[UNSC]] can only speculate. Suggestions and evidence collated so far for motivations have been.

*To collect information/specifications of [[UNSC]] military equipment, vehicles, weapons, etc.
*To capture key members of the vessels crew and thus unlock classified [[UNSC]] intelligence including the location of [[Earth]].
*To destroy or capture shipboard [[AI]].
*To destroy the vessel from within. (Such as the ''[[Athens Station]]'' and ''[[Malta Station]]'' [[Orbital Defense Platform]]s during the [[First Battle of Earth]]).

In ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]'', they contained two [[Overshield]] power ups in the far corners of the pods, probably put there for the use of any [[Sangheili]] in need of assistance that were onboard. They are known in many circles as Apparitions, another term for supernatural spirits like most covenant vehicles.

==Operation==
When a [[UNSC]] ship is being attacked by [[Covenant]] forces, rather than destroy it, the [[Covenant]] may attempt a boarding. In such a situation the Boarding Craft is used. So far the [[Covenant]] have proved highly intelligent in their entry points, having burnt holes through hanger bay windows or used the empty [[Bumblebee|UNSC escape pod]] docking rings to board a vessel. 

The Boarding Craft is a reusable vessel and are able to leave the [[UNSC]] ship and return to a nearby cruiser should the need to retreat occur. When the craft boards via windows it seems to use the outer edge of the boarding tube to super heat the glass, thus the glass does not shatter. It must be done quickly and carefully because the vacuum of space will instantly cool the glass down and destroy it.

==Types of Boarding Craft==
So far two variations of the [[Covenant]] Boarding Craft have been observed. They are first encountered in ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]''. To avoid damaging the [[Halo|ring world]], the [[Covenant]] resorted to boarding the ''[[UNSC Pillar of Autumn|Pillar of Autumn]]'' as it attempted to flee towards [[Installation 04|Halo]]. These craft were only viewed internally and appeared to be rather cramped (of comparable size to the Bumblebee) with a rectangular interior and carried a compliment of up to 8-10 [[Covenant]] warriors, usually [[Unggoy]]s and [[Sangheili]]s. Each craft contained two [[overshield]]s. The [[human]] would launch their escape pods, while the [[Covenant]] would use the same areas to land their craft.

The second was the Apparition, a much larger type of boarding craft that were responsible for the destruction of the ''[[Athens Station]]'' and ''[[Malta Station]]'' [[ODP]]s. These possessed the large bodied structure with an attached boarding tube. The entrance/exit to the boarding tube was covered with an impenetrable [[shield]] that only allowed their considerable complement of [[Covenant]] soldiers out. The boarding tube seemed to function on a similar basis to the gravity-bridges found in the [[Covenant]] Holy City ''[[High Charity]]''. The tube, once deployed, had a superheated rim to melt glass instead of shattering it, therefore cooling down so air cannot escape.

The ''[[Halo 2]]'' Apparitions on [[Cairo Station]] at the chapter Authorized Personnel Only, from the rear it slightly resembles a [[Spirit]] Dropship. This is only spoken of in ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]'' because only the inside is only seen. In ''[[Halo 2]]'', the whole craft is clearly visible numerous times.

== Trivia ==

*There are no boarding crafts in [[Halo 3]], most likely because there are no levels in which the player is in a UNSC ship or station.

*Some people believe that [[Covenant]] Boarding Craft are one of the few things that use Anti-matter.

*The term Apparition is a nickname given to the Halo 2 boarding craft as they were never given a real name. It follows the tradition of the Covenant who name their vehicles after synonyms for spirits: ghost, wraith, banshee, phantom, etc...

{{CovenantShips}}