Cheru-pattern Tyrant

This article is about the Covenant anti-aircraft gun. For the Halo 5: Guardians multiplayer map, see Tyrant.

Cheru-pattern Sky Striker
Production overview
Manufacturer:	Assembly Forges
Type:	Anti-aircraft weapon
Specifications
Length:	42.6 meters (139 ft 9 in)
Height:	45.6 meters (149 ft 7 in)
Weight:	408.2 metric tons (401.8 LT; 450.0 ST)
Feed system:	Unlimited
Service history
In service:	Human-Covenant War Post-Covenant War conflicts Battle of Draetheus V Battle of Installation 03 Attack on Ealen IV

The Cheru-pattern Sky Striker (UNSC Type classification: Type-38 Anti-Aircraft Cannon, T-38 AAC), nicknamed the Tyrant, is a large anti-aircraft artillery emplacement firing devastating bolts of superheated plasma at high velocities. The Tyrant can engage atmospheric craft in the air defense role and may also target starships in-orbit for planetary defense. Manufactured at the Assembly Forges, the Type-38 has been employed in the military forces of the former Covenant, its remnants, and even in the service of the human Venezian Militia.

Overview

Design details

The Tyrant differs considerably from the more sleek Skar'wa-pattern Mantis. It is significantly heavier in construction, and as such is more difficult to transport and deploy, though its firepower is generally considered to make up for these disadvantages. The weapon is able to fire three bolts in a rapid succession before cooling down. Unlike the unprotected observation balconies of the Mantis cannon, the Tyrant's heavy base structure effectively doubles as a covered defensible fortification. The base structure has two levels, with a small command center on the first level, with sloped ramps leading to the second level which serves as an observation platform.

Atop the base structure is a single ultra-heavy plasma cannon. Each time the cannon fires, a bolt of plasma is generated in the core and fired up into the gun. The gun's vulnerable pinch fusion reactor is encased in a shielded power core in the center of the base structure. Destroying this will cause the gun to explode. Alternatively, the back of the cannon is fatally vulnerable to heavy weapons fire, such as the M808 Scorpion's 90mm main gun or the plasma mortar system commonly mounted on the Wraith tank. To prevent this, the Covenant will assign a detachment of infantry and armored vehicles around the battery.

Although usually deployed alongside a considerable defensive crew, the Tyrant requires no manual crew to operate the gun itself. The weapon is serviced by local command forces, over a remote link.

Usage

As with the Mantis AA, the Tyrant is predominantly deployed on worlds in which the Covenant has an interest in occupying for extended periods of time - usually due to the presence of Forerunner artifact sites on the surface. The Tyrant is deployed as a semi-permament installation designed for use primarily in an anti-warship role - in contrast to the similarly-used Skar'wa-pattern Mantis cannon which features a modular construction for easy deployment and in-field construction. Its gun is capable of firing from the surface of a planet into space, and can be used to clear planetary orbit of hostile spacecraft.

Operational history

Several Tyrants defending the skyline of a city on Venezia.

Human-Covenant War

Several Type-38's were used by Covenant forces during the Fall of Reach. At least two guns were deployed at Szurdok Ridge on August 12, 2552. Both emplacements were dispatched quickly by NOBLE Team. Two more were seen defending SWORD Base overlooking Airview Base after the Covenant had secured the area; both of these guns were similarly destroyed by NOBLE team member SPARTAN-B312.

Post-war conflicts

By early 2553, Insurrectionists on Venezia had acquired a number of these cannons, likely from a group of Kig-Yar operating in the Venezia sector. In January 2553, one of the cannons was fired on the ship UNSC Monte Cassino. The ship was able to evade, however, and used missiles to destroy the cannon.

During the Battle of Draetheus V in 2554, Covenant commander Merg Vol surrounded his base on X50 with Tyrants. Having learned of Spartan Sarah Palmer's theft of Parg Vol's personal transport, Vol ordered all but the officers' ships shot down by the Tyrants. However, Palmer's Trojan Horse succeeded and she was able to fly past the Covenant fleet in orbit and landing in Vol's camp Upon her later return to the moon to investigate a strange signal from a Forerunner structure, Palmer destroyed two heavily-guarded Tyrants in order to clear a landing zone for other UNSC forces.

In 2557, Jul 'Mdama's Covenant made use of several Tyrants during the conflict on Installation 03.

During the Battle of Ealen IV, Paul DeMarco and his fellow Spartans of Fireteam Bailey captured a Tyrant to cover the escape of a delegation of human, Jiralhanae, and Sangheili leaders.

Gameplay

Halo: Reach

During the first encounter with the emplacements during the Battle at Szurdok Ridge, the player has to eliminate the Covenant forces around the cannon and get inside. Once inside the emplacement, the player must take down the shield around the reactor core, which can be done with a simple melee attack. Once the shield is down, they must then throw a grenade into the core or, if they still have it, use the M319 grenade launcher. This causes the cannon to overload and be destroyed. Alternatively, if the Rocket Warthog is still available, barraging it relentlessly will cause it to overload and explode.

During the encounter with the Tyrants at Airview Base, the player is driving a Scorpion tank and so can destroy the emplacements by firing multiple shots into the rear of the cannon itself, ultimately causing it to overload and explode.

Halo: Spartan Assault

During the first encounter in the game with a Tyrant, the player only has to worry about the forces emerging from it. Later in the game, when they must actively destroy two the player needs to destroy the door blocking the entrance into the cannon which has a health gauge similar to the turrets and vehicles found in the game. Once the door is destroyed, the player only has to approach the door for Spartan Sarah Palmer to automatically enter and destroy the Tyrant without any further command input from the player.

Gallery

Browse more images in this article's gallery page.

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  Halo: Reach concept art for a light AA gun utilising the Type-27 Mantis' design as a basis - in contrast to the Tyrant's depiction as a heavy AA gun.

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  Halo: Reach concept art for a heavy AA gun utilising the bunker structure shown in the previous image, as the basis for the Tyrant.

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  The Tyrant, with infantry guards around its base.

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  Alternate in-game preview of the Tyrant in Halo: Reach.

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  A Tyrant on the surface of Reach.

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  A Tyrant at Szurdok Ridge in Halo: Reach.

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  A Tyrant destroying an oncoming fighter.

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  A Tyrant firing.

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  The inner core of a Tyrant.

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  A Tyrant being destroyed in Halo: Reach.

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  A Tyrant firing at fighters in Halo: Reach.

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  Sarah Palmer fighting members of Merg Vol's Covenant inside a Tyrant.

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  A Tyrant encountered in Halo Escalation.

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  A battery of Tyrant cannons deployed during the Battle of Draetheus V.

List of appearances

• Halo: Reach (First appearance)
• Halo: Glasslands
• Halo: Spartan Assault
• Halo: Escalation
• Halo: Spartan Strike