Marathon-class heavy cruiser

UNSC Marathon-class heavy cruiser Cost: 950 | 250 | 90 Build Time: 35 seconds. Uses: 1 command, 25 supply.   Hull: 8000 Armor: 8 Provisions: 24 Squadrons: 1   MAC Damage: 45 MAC Cooldown:   Missile Damage: 36 Missile Cooldown:   AA Autocannon Damage: 30 AA Autocannon Cooldown:   Naval Coilgun Damage: 20 Naval Coilgun Cooldown:   Nuclear Missile Damage: 21 Nuclear Missile Cooldown:   AI Synchronization Fusion Rocket Falchion AP Missiles   Jack of all Trades - The Marathon-class is quite possibly the most well rounded ship in the UNSC navy. Armed with twin MACs, numerous Archer pods, and the ability to overdrive its engines, Marathon cruisers can fill almost any role imaginable.

 

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Peace is no longer a viable option. A vengeful Marathon captain

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The Marathon-class heavy cruiser is a capital ship in service to the United Nations Space Command.

It excels in direct ship combat and minor flagship roles.

Overview

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The Marathon-class is essentially a buffed up cruiser that takes up a capital ship slot. Cheap and quick to build for a capital ship, they are powerful units to have within your fleet. Their powerful engines allow them to operate in fast-moving harassment fleets or return quickly to assist in defending a planet. The Marathon's shipyard description

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History

Replacing the Halcyon-class as the navy's general-purpose cruiser, the 1,192-meter-long Marathon-class quickly grew in popularity among the fleets. During the Insurrection, their speed, heavy weapons, and jack-of-all-trades design allowed them to take on even fleets of inferior rebel ships. As they were often tasked leading battlegroups, very few missions led to the destruction of these cruisers, and they continued to serve the UNSC well for many years.

When the Covenant arrived, however, the Marathon-class' success took a steep fall. Unlike the cruisers they were built to replace, the Marathon's inferior structural support and armor made them susceptible to the advanced Covenant weaponry, resulting in huge amounts of these cruisers being destroyed in the early years of the war. When it became clear that their foe's advance was not slowing down, all remaining cruisers were recalled to defend the most important Inner Colony worlds. While a small number of these cruisers survived the war, their ineffectiveness against the Covenant led to themselves being replaced by the Autumn-class Heavy Cruiser - ironically a modification of the ships they were supposed to replace.

Weapons and Tactical Usage

The Marathon-class is one of the earliest capital ships the player has access to aside from the Orion-class assault carrier, and can be built without research. It is the cheapest capital ship to build and consumes the least fleet supply, portraying it as an all-round cost-effective capital ship best used in large numbers.

Overall, the Marathon's abilities are well-rounded but not very outstanding compared to other capital ships that serve a specific purpose in a fleet, so these ships are meant to be versatile backbones in your fleet composition:

• AI Synchronization: as the most numerous of UNSC warships to receive smart AI, Marathon captains have developed unique methods of improving performance when near other Marathons. By allowing the AI to synchronize the movements and attacks of all nearby Marathons with this ability, they will all be strengthened, forming lethal hunting packs.
  • Slightly decreases damage taken from the front and increases agility for all Marathons in a small area.

• Fusion Rocket: An older weapon used primarily for siege purposes, these rockets use a fusion torch drive for propulsion. Though long-lasting and fast, the rocket is not maneuverable and so cannot be fired at targets smaller than a capital ship. When used against structures, it deals significant bonus damage.
  • Fires a powerful, long-ranged missile that deals heavy damage to big targets. Can be set to autocast.

• Falchion AP Missiles: Resulting from lessons learned early in the Covenant War, Falchions are specialized missiles that soften up targets by degrading the armor and shield emitters, affecting shield regeneration. This effect can stack up to eight times on a single vessel.
  • Fires a salvo of missiles that reduce the target's armor and shield recharge. Can be set to autocast.

The Marathon is moderately tough and deals moderate damage on its own. Its already-respectable DPS and speed can be improved by researching upgrades. The cruiser sports one squadron too, but it has only a few provisions to replenish lost squadrons so the player should not over-rely on it. Despite being available early game, it is not capable of bombing enemy planets, so this task should be left to the Orion or Charon-class light frigates. Other than that, it is generally an all-rounder and is best used in groups.

Gallery

Render of the old model.

Credits

Old model

• Model - Annihilater102
• Texture  - Annihilater102

New model

• Model - Malcontent1692
• Texture - Malcontent1692

Trivia

• One of the captain's voice lines states "the halcyon days are over." This is a double entendre; referencing both how the Marathon-class was designed specifically to replace the Halcyon-class, as well as "halcyon days" being a phrase meaning a golden era. This references how the Human-Covenant War brought an end to the UNSC's era of relative pre-war prosperity.
  • The captain has a noticeable Cockney accent.

External links

• Marathon-class - Halopedia