Editing Zanar-pattern light cruiser

|ew              =  

|armaments      =  

*Four ''Pok''-pattern [[plasma beam laser]]s{{Ref/Reuse|Warfleet72}}{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}}

*Six ''Sintra''-pattern [[plasma torpedo]] silos{{Ref/Reuse|Warfleet72}}{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}}

|aircraft        =

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The '''''Zanar''-pattern light cruiser'''{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}} {{3Letter|CRS|light cruiser}}{{Ref/Reuse|EVG}}{{Ref/Reuse|WPCruiser}} is a [[Covenant]] light [[attack ship]] classification.{{Ref/Reuse|Warfleet72}}{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}}

Described by UNSC personnel as resembling a "luminous manta ray",{{Ref/Novel|HFS|Chapter=22}}{{Ref/Reuse|Enc09}}{{Ref/Reuse|Enc11}}{{Ref/Reuse|WPCruiser}} the ''Zanar'' is essentially a smaller, weaker version of the {{Pattern|Ket|battlecruiser}}.{{Ref/Reuse|EVG}} The design originated as a mutation (albeit a stable one) in the [[design pattern]] of the larger {{Pattern|Elefen|battlecruiser|}} and {{Pattern|Ket|battlecruiser}}s used in a more general role by the Covenant military—resulting in a vessel several times smaller than its forebears though retaining similar proportions and silhouette.{{Ref/Reuse|Warfleet72}}

Unlike the blue-purple lighting used on Covenant military vessels, the light cruisers used in [[Jul 'Mdama's Covenant]] fleet exhibited green lighting—though whether this was an intentional design choice or a facet of the ''Zanar''-pattern as a whole is unknown.{{Ref/Reuse|H4Zanar}}

==Ships of the line==

*''[[Panom's Canticle]]''

*''[[Spear of Light]]''

==Operational history==

[[File:HLC battle for earth.png|250px|thumb|A ''Zanar''-pattern light cruiser overseeing the ground conflict on Earth in 2552.{{Ref/Reuse|Crate}}]]

The ''Zanar''-pattern emerged during the [[Ages of Conflict|Sixth Age of Conflict]] as a stable mutation of the larger battlecruisers of Covenant usage.{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}}{{Ref/Reuse|Warfleet72}} It continued to see use internally throughout the Covenant's imperial fiefdoms until the emergence of the [[Human-Covenant War]], during which they saw action in some of the war's first engagements such as the [[Battle of Chi Ceti]]{{Ref/Film|Id=AS|TFoRAS}}—though were ultimately rarely seen by human forces.{{Ref/Reuse|WPCruiser}} Their nonetheless successful combat record against humanity during the war did mean that some officers began to consider adding them to their own fleets, if for no other reason than serving as internal policing roles—freeing up other ships for more important assignments.{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}} As such for the majority of the war, ''Zanar''-pattern ships were assigned in rear echelon assignments to ensure Covenant supply lines were well protected. This made them a prime target for opportunistic warlords during and after the Great Schism to expand their fleets, using them in more combat focused roles than they were intended for.{{Ref/Reuse|Warfleet72}} Light cruisers were later employed during the [[Battle of Psi Serpentis]] in [[2543]]{{Ref/Anthology|Evo|The Impossible Life and Possible Death of Preston J. Cole}} and the [[Fall of Reach]].{{Ref/Novel|HFS|Chapter=18|Quote=Two exceptions to this patrol pattern were a pair of light cruisers hovering over Menachite Mountain}} Simultaneously with the Fall of Reach, multiple ''Zanar''-pattern ships participated in the [[Battle for Tribute]], besieging [[Casbah City]] alongside a number of {{Pattern|Ceudar|heavy corvette}}s{{Ref/Map|Id=Landfall|H4|Landfall}} Later during the [[2552|same year]], they were deployed during the [[Battle for Earth|occupation]] of [[Earth]].{{Ref/Generic|Id=Crate|[[Halo Legendary Crate]]|Series 1, Crate 2 artwork ([[:File:HLC battle for earth.png|File link]])}}

===Post-war===

At the onset of the [[Great Schism]] at the war's end, ''Zanar''-pattern cruisers were widely seized by warlords across the former-empire.{{Ref/Reuse|Warfleet72}} The heavily-modified light cruiser ''[[Spear of Light]]'' acted as the vessel for [[Prelate]] [[Tem'Bhetek]] who used it to rescue the [[Boru'a'Neem|Minister of Preparation]] during the [[Fall of High Charity]] and personally destroyed a number of Sangheili-controlled vessels such as the {{Class|CAS|assault carrier}} ''[[Eternal Reward]]''. Convinced that [[Rtas 'Vadum]] was responsible for the death of his family, the Prelate formed [[Tem'Bhetek's faction|a faction]] to get revenge upon the [[Sangheili]]. The cruiser attacked two [[Sangheili colonies]] and ambushed the ''[[Shadow of Intent]]'' at the second one with the crew abandoning the ''Spear of Light'' to board the ''Shadow of Intent''. After the boarders were repelled, the cruiser was captured and its navigation database led the Sangheili to the [[prototype Halo installation]].{{Ref/Novel|HSoI}}

In [[2558#July|July 2558]], multiple light cruisers were present on [[Aktis IV]] when Jul 'Mdama and Doctor [[Catherine Halsey]] set a trap to get the UNSC's half of the [[Janus Key]]. Hidden undetected under the planet's ocean, the ships rose to [[Battle of Aktis IV|attack]] the ''Infinity'' and her sub-vessels, blocking the UNSC [[flagship]] off in low orbit for over seven hours.{{Ref/Comic|Id=HE15|HEsc|Issue=15}} They were later part of the large force sent to the [[Absolute Record]].{{Ref/Comic|HEsc|Issue=19}}

==Production notes==

File:HE19_Fleet_jump.jpg|''Zanar''-pattern light cruisers accompanying the Covenant fleet dispatched to the Absolute Record.

File:HM-CRS.png|''Zanar''-pattern light cruisers attacking the ''Infinity'' during the Battle of Aktis IV in ''[[Halo Mythos]]''.

File:H5G_FireteamShadow_Compilation.jpg|Fireteam Shadow inside the light cruiser ''Panom's Canticle'' during Operation: VERTICAL UMBRAGE.

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*''[[Halo: Shadow of Intent]]''

*''[[Halo Mythos]]''

*''[[Halo Infinite]]''

**''[[Season 05: Reckoning]]'' <!--the cruisers on the skybox of Prism reuse the render of the Zanar H4 asset -->