Halcyon-class light cruiser

UNSC Halcyon-class light cruiser Cost: 700 | 110 | 10 Build Time: 19 seconds. Uses: 12 supply.   Hull: 8000 Armor: 8   MAC Damage: 22 MAC Cooldown:   Missile Damage: 5 Missile Cooldown:   AA Autocannon Damage: 15 AA Autocannon Cooldown:       Damage Sponge Achilles Warheads Engine Refit   Sturdy light cruiser - Lacking in combat abilities and speed, but fairs well as a damage sponge and enemy debuff platform for your fleet.

 

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We WILL get there... eventually. A Halcyon captain exercising patience

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The Halcyon-class light cruiser is a mainline ship in service to the United Nations Space Command.

It excels in absorbing damage in support of the fleet in direct combat.

Overview

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Halcyon cruisers are older, underpowered vessels in the UNSC fleet that, while poorly-armed, have a very durable hull that allows the vessels to serve as damage sponges for the fleet. As such, they carry bountiful boarding assault groups to slow and harass nearby ships while the cruiser absorbs enemy attention. The Halcyon's shipyard description

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History

First designed by Dr. Robert Mclees in 2510 the Halcyon-Class light cruiser; at 1,170 meters long, it was the smallest ship to be classified as a 'cruiser' and has a notable history with the UNSC. Carrying only one MAC, a mere 180 Archer Missiles in six pods, and inefficient reactors, the Halcyon was quickly taken out of service due to concerns about its tactical usability and poor speed. Its only redeeming feature was the five hexagonal and octagonal sections that made up the ship's super-structure. Along with thick plating and ample interior bracing, this gave the ship a very high tolerance for pain. However, even with the unique and durable design, the Halcyon was outclassed in almost every way by the Marathon-class heavy cruiser, its successor.

When the war with the Covenant started the UNSC needed as many ships as they could get, and as a result, many Halcyons were put back into service. Most of the returning ships received major refits, like the Pillar of Autumn, which turned a ineffective ship into one of the most effective, and likely expensive ships, the UNSC had to offer. These refitted ships (the UNSC Pillar of Autumn in particular) led to the creation of the Autumn-class Heavy Cruiser.

Weapons and Tactical Usage

This is the wall and defender of the UNSC fleet. While it does not possess immense amounts of firepower, its hull capabilities allow it to sustain fire that would have destroyed other UNSC ships; something which is essential when fighting an enemy like the Covenant, which can easily swarm the field with dozens of capital warships. The Halcyon is a sturdy one, exceeding the Marathon-class heavy cruiser in terms of tankiness despite being cheaper to produce and using no capital slots. In contrast, its weapons are insignificant, so they should be used as the wall of your fleet instead of a main damage dealer. Armor upgrades can be prioritized to even further bolster its toughness, along with the following upgrades:

• Damage Sponge: The Halcyon moves in front of more valuable ships in the fleet, soaking up damage with their incredibly sturdy hulls. As a result, the enemy will have to chew through the durable wall of titanium before attacking higher target vessels.
  • Forces nearby enemy ships to engage only the Halcyon, as well as greatly reducing damage taken for a brief duration. Can be set to autocast.

• Achilles Warheads: An experimental warhead type produced in small numbers, the Achilles is designed to impair the main drive units of enemy ships by releasing a disruptive, oscillating magnetic field upon detonation.
  • Slightly reduces the speed of enemy ships.

• Engine Refit
  • Permanently improves the max speed of the Halcyon.

The Halcyon is quite a cumbersome ship, and may struggle to keep up with a fleet composed of faster vessels. This should be taken note of and may be compensated by ordering them to move in advance of your main fleet. Its long build time and low damage makes it a bad choice when a large number of fresh replacements are needed in a short time, and should always be used as escorts to maximize their potential.

Trivia

• Its missiles being armed with Achilles warheads that slow movement is a reference to "Achilles' heel"
  • This references the story of Achilles, a seemingly-invincible Greek hero who was killed by an arrow to his heel (his only weak spot) as well as referencing the real Achilles tendon which, if damaged, greatly hampers a person's ability to walk.

Gallery

Render of the original classic model of the Halcyon.

Comparison between the original classic model and the revised model.

Credits

Original model

• Model - Annihilater102
• Texture - Annihilater102

v0.88.8 model

• Model - Malcontent1692
• Texture - Malcontent1692

External links

• Halcyon-class (halo.wikia)