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.[1] 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.[2]
Plasma lances serve as a form of ultra-heavy plasma cannon, firing tightly-focused streams of high-velocity plasma at targets.[1] 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.[Note 1]
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[3][4]
- Makar-pattern light corvette - 4x Melusean-pattern heavy plasma cannons[3]
- Mjern-pattern agricultural support ship - 12x Melusean-pattern heavy plasma cannon arrays[3][5]
- Rasus-pattern interdictor - 24x Melusean-pattern heavy plasma cannons[6]
- Sinaris-pattern heavy destroyer - 24x Melusean-pattern heavy plasma cannons[6][7]
- Wik-pattern light destroyer - 24x Melusean-pattern heavy plasma cannons[6]
- Varric-pattern heavy cruiser - 48x Melusean-pattern heavy plasma cannons[8][9]
Plasma cannons
- Gaff Naran-pattern plasma cannon
- Hekar Taa-pattern blockade runner - 24x Gaff Naran-pattern plasma cannons[10]
- R'sikosh-pattern man o' war - 8x Gaff Naran-pattern plasma cannons[10]
- Morfen-pattern plasma cannon
- Ruma-pattern light carrier - 7x Morfen-pattern plasma cannons[11]
- Maugen-pattern armored cruiser - 22x Morfen-pattern plasma cannons[8]
- Sey-pattern plasma cannon
- Ester-pattern armored frigate - 30x Sey-pattern plasma cannons[6]
- Sono-pattern plasma cannon
- Ket-pattern battlecruiser - 42x Sono-pattern plasma cannons[8][12]
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:
Gallery
Plasma bolts impacting the UNSC Pillar of Autumn in Halo: Combat Evolved.
An SDV-class heavy corvette's plasma bolt impacting an evacuating civilian transport during the Fall of Reach in Halo: Reach.
Render of the Ardent Prayer's plasma cannon.
Cropped render of the previous image.
The controls of the Ardent Prayer's plasma cannons.
A view of the plasma cannons on the Ardent Prayer.
Two of a corvette's plasma cannons firing.
The plasma fire from a Hekar Taa-pattern blockade runner in Halo 5: Guardians.
List of appearances
Notes
- ^ For an elaboration on the plasma cannons' relation to plasma torpedoes and the ambiguities in distinguishing between the two weapon systems, see Plasma torpedo#Terminology.
Sources
- ^ Halo Encyclopedia (2022 edition), page 305
- ^ a b c Halo Encyclopedia (2022 edition), page 268-269
- ^ Halo: Warfleet, page 64-65
- ^ Halo: Warfleet, page 68-69
- ^ a b c d Halo Encyclopedia (2022 edition), page 266-267
- ^ Halo: Warfleet, page 60-61
- ^ a b c Halo Encyclopedia (2022 edition), page 264-265
- ^ Halo: Warfleet, page 76-77
- ^ a b Halo Encyclopedia (2022 edition), page 270-271
- ^ Halo Encyclopedia (2022 edition), page 262-263
- ^ Halo: Warfleet, page 62-63