Plasma cannon (starship)

This article is about the starship weapon. For other uses, see Plasma cannon.

The Ceudar-pattern heavy corvette Ardent Prayer firing its plasma cannons.

Plasma cannons are starship-mounted weapon systems used by the Covenant and its remnants. They serve aboard Covenant starships as a form of naval artillery, filling a role similar to the naval autocannons of humanity. They have rapid-fire capabilities, though in return fire their plasma bolts at at much slower velocities than other weapons as to conserve energy. In battle, they are fired in massed barrages to form suppressive screens, creating walls of fire. There is some overlap between the heavy and ultra-heavy classifications of ground plasma cannon, with the Hesduron Chwich-pattern Saker artillery piece retrieved from the hulls of aging Vestige warships to bolster the ground forces of Jul 'Mdama's Covenant.

Plasma lances serve as a form of ultra-heavy plasma cannon, firing tightly-focused streams of high-velocity plasma at targets. Unlike plasma torpedo turrets, plasma cannons appear to be able to fire only in a straight line and are less powerful than plasma torpedoes. The bolts fired by plasma cannons are typically blue or blue-purple.

Models

Heavy plasma cannons

Melusean-pattern heavy plasma cannon

The Melusean is a widely-used pattern of heavy plasma cannon used across the Covenant fleet.

• Ceudar-pattern heavy corvette - 6x Melusean-pattern heavy plasma cannons
• Makar-pattern light corvette - 4x Melusean-pattern heavy plasma cannons
• Mjern-pattern agricultural support ship - 12x Melusean-pattern heavy plasma cannon arrays
• Rasus-pattern interdictor - 24x Melusean-pattern heavy plasma cannons
• Sinaris-pattern heavy destroyer - 24x Melusean-pattern heavy plasma cannons
• Wik-pattern light destroyer - 24x Melusean-pattern heavy plasma cannons
• Varric-pattern heavy cruiser - 48x Melusean-pattern heavy plasma cannons

Plasma cannons

Gaff Naran-pattern plasma cannon

• Hekar Taa-pattern blockade runner - 24x Gaff Naran-pattern plasma cannons
• R'sikosh-pattern man o' war - 8x Gaff Naran-pattern plasma cannons

Morfen-pattern plasma cannon

• Ruma-pattern light carrier - 7x Morfen-pattern plasma cannons
• Maugen-pattern armored cruiser - 22x Morfen-pattern plasma cannons

Sey-pattern plasma cannon

• Ester-pattern armored frigate - 30x Sey-pattern plasma cannons

Sono-pattern plasma cannon

• Ket-pattern battlecruiser - 42x Sono-pattern plasma cannons

Gameplay

Halo: Fleet Battles

In Halo: Fleet Battles, plasma cannons can be used aboard several Covenant ships. They generally have a range of 10/20" and Forward/Port/Starboard firing arcs. Ships that use plasma cannons include:

• Blockade runner
• CCS-class battlecruiser
• DSC-class support ship
• ORS-class heavy cruiser
• RCS-class armored cruiser
• SDV-class heavy corvette

Gallery

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  Plasma bolts impacting the UNSC Pillar of Autumn in Halo: Combat Evolved.

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  An SDV-class heavy corvette's plasma bolt impacting an evacuating civilian transport during the Fall of Reach in Halo: Reach.

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  Render of the Ardent Prayer's plasma cannon.

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  Cropped render of the previous image.

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  The controls of the Ardent Prayer's plasma cannons.

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  A view of the plasma cannons on the Ardent Prayer.

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  Two of a corvette's plasma cannons firing.

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  The plasma fire from a Hekar Taa-pattern blockade runner in Halo 5: Guardians.

List of appearances

• Halo: Combat Evolved (First appearance)
• Halo: The Flood
• Halo 2
• Halo 3
• Halo Wars
• Halo: Reach
• Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary
• Halo: Escalation
• Halo 2: Anniversary
• Halo: Hunters in the Dark
• Halo: Fleet Battles
• Halo 5: Guardians
• Halo: Smoke and Shadow
• Halo: Silent Storm