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Spotlight: January 14, 2021

Canon Fodder


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<h4 class="wp-block-heading">ISSUE 107</h4>



<p>*wipes dust off*</p>



<p>So uh, hey there! I feel like it’s been a little bit, no? If you’re new to these features, Canon Fodder is a long-standing look into lore-related elements of the Halo universe. <strong>Our last issue</strong> took a deep dive into the narrative elements of last summer’s Outpost Discovery tour.</p>



<p>While today’s return will be brief, it will hopefully still bring a smile to your lore-loving face—especially if you’re a fan of good books and intriguing storylines. Let’s get started!</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">HOMECOMING</h2>



<p>Our prime piece of real estate today is to announce the next adventure in Halo’s deep and enriching extended universe – <em>Halo: Shadows of Reach. </em>Penned by Troy Denning, <em>Shadows </em>takes place after the events of <em>Halo 5: Guardians</em>. For a bit more information, let’s take a gander at the official description:</p>



<p><strong><em>October 2559. It has been a year since the renegade artificial intelligence Cortana issued a galaxy-wide ultimatum, subjecting many worlds to martial law under the indomitable grip of her Forerunner weapons. Outside her view, the members of Blue Team—John-117, the Master Chief; Fred-104; Kelly-087; and Linda-058—are assigned from the UNSC </em>Infinity<em> to make a covert insertion onto the ravaged planet Reach.</em></strong></p>



<p><strong><em>Their former home and training ground—and the site of humanity’s most cataclysmic military defeat near the end of the Covenant War—Reach still hides myriad secrets after all these years. Blue Team’s mission is to penetrate the rubble-filled depths of CASTLE Base and recover top-secret assets locked away in Dr. Catherine Halsey’s abandoned laboratory—assets which may prove to be humanity’s last hope against Cortana.</em></strong></p>



<p><strong><em>But Reach has been invaded by a powerful and ruthless alien faction, who have their own reasons for being there. Establishing themselves as a vicious occupying force on the devastated planet, this enemy will soon transform Blue Team’s simple retrieval operation into a full-blown crisis. And with the fate of the galaxy hanging in the balance, mission failure is not an option….</em></strong></p>



<p>Yes please.</p>



<p>Of course, a return to Reach wouldn’t be complete without a ridiculously cool cover to adorn the adventure, and once more, talented artist Chris McGrath has delivered the goods. It’s honestly one of my absolute favorite Halo book covers, I must say. Make sure you click for the full wrap!</p>



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<p><em>Halo: Shadows of Reach </em>is published by our friends at Simon & Schuster and Gallery Books, and is slated to drop later this year on <strong>September 22</strong>, helping you pass the time while you eagerly await the arrival of that little Halo game we’re all looking forward to this holiday season.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">ARCHIVISTS ANONYMOUS</h2>



<p>Of course, there’s plenty of Halo to <em>play </em>in the meantime as well, more and more so if you’re playing on PC, as the Master Chief Collection continues to roll out on both the <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/p/halo-the-master-chief-collection/9ntm9hxnlszx?activetab=pivot:overviewtab"><strong>Microsoft Store</strong></a> and <a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/976730/Halo_The_Master_Chief_Collection/"><strong>Steam</strong></a>. Along side this rollout, you may have noticed some new video pieces accompanying each title. First up, and highlighting some gorgeous artwork by our friend at partner <a href="http://toroskose.com/"><strong>Toros Köse</strong></a>, two lore-laced video pieces showcased the MCC background menu changes for <strong><em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CWG6_BKEo0">Halo: Reach</a> </em></strong>and <strong><em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLHR61cjQAQ">Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary</a> </em></strong>respectively.</p>



<p>Next up is something that might be of particular interest to regular readers of this feature. That would be a new video series titled ONI Archive, which represent on the surface, a way to help introduce new fans to key events and elements of the universe via the loosely canonical framework of an ONI Section 2 propaganda initiative. For deeper-diving fans of course, there’s an additional bit behind the curtain that we hope you’ll find interesting…</p>



<p>Here’s the first video, released in conjunction with <em>Halo: Reach</em>.</p>



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<p> And hot off the presses, a <em>Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary-</em>related drop that released <strong>just today</strong>! </p>



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<p>It’s been awesome to see keen-eyed/eared fans already starting to pick up little details. Stay vigilant, folks… </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">BRINGING THE ARMOR TO LIFE</h2>



<p>Another recent video that might be of interest is an inside look into how we partnered with the folks from EVAkura Armor to create a real-life version of Master Chief’s GEN2 Mk.VI armor as seen in <em>Halo 5: Guardians</em>. Featuring Franchise family members Corrinne Robinson and Kenneth Peters to add in some fiction flavor, the video showcases what it takes to use creative modern-day techniques to recreate a set of 26<sup>th</sup> century power armor for us to use at events, promotions, and other memory-making moments.</p>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">COMMUNITY CALLOUTS</h2>



<p>We understand that sometimes there are dryer periods when it comes to the Halo information you might crave the most (like where is my Halo pinball machine already?!). That being said, there are always a host of incredible community outlets discussing and dissecting the Halo story and universe. Here are a couple of recent ones that come to mind:</p>



<ul><li><a href="https://twitter.com/BrendanLorLowry"><strong>Brendan “Lor” Lowry</strong></a> always does a bang-up job taking a deeper look at a variety of Halo topics on his blog, but I noticed one recently that had originally slipped past my motion tracker – one that I really enjoyed reading, especially with the recent addition of Noble Team’s efforts to the MCC. Make sure you check out his <a href="https://lortarkam.wordpress.com/2019/12/13/constructing-our-downfall-an-analysis-of-halo-reachs-exodus/"><strong>analysis of the <em>Halo: Reach </em>level “Exodus.”</strong></a> So good!</li><li>The awesome folks at Podcast Evolved released a great episode where they interview the long-time voice of Halo audio books, Scott Brick. Make sure you <a href="https://halopodcast.com/shows/podcast-evolved/episodes/episode-202"><strong>give it a listen</strong></a>!</li><li>We highlight a lot of great Halo fiction-focused YouTube channels around here, but here’s another one. Installation 00 always has cool videos coming out that take a closer look at different elements of the universe. One of their most recent videos is an audio reading of an excerpt from <em>Halsey’s Journal</em>, read by another very talented community member, Kat Peterson (<strong><a href="https://twitter.com/CxeeFoxx">@CxeeFoxx</a></strong>). The result is a really awesome enhancement of an already rad experience – give it a watch!</li></ul>



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<p>And with that, I must sneak off back to my other duties. Trust me, you’ll hear more about <em>those</em> eventually.</p>



<p>Thanks for joining us for another edition and hope to see you soon! Well, soonish.</p>



<p>Until next time… Live well, play Halo, and wash your hands.</p>



<p><strong><a href="https://twitter.com/grimbrotherone"><3 Grim</a></strong></p>


GrimBrother One

Shadows of the Former

Outpost Discoveries

That’s So Raven


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<p>When I first played <em>Halo: Combat Evolved</em>, one of the aspects of Halo that enthralled me the most was the feeling that I was jumping into a moment in time amidst a vast universe and set of stories yet to be experienced. I was compelled by that sense of scale and mystery and the promise of so much more to come. That same potential and promise is what has kept me with Halo, first as a player and a then as a developer, since the beginning. I love the Halo universe – its characters, stories, and stakes. I also love that it’s a place where we can invite other creative voices in to help us express it in different ways and to give our fans and players a chance to engage with our worlds differently. </p>



<p><a href="https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2018/06/28/showtime-amblin-television-and-343-industries-bring-halo-to-television/">Today we announced that we are working with some incredible talent to bring you an epic new story experience set in the Halo Universe</a>, the Halo TV series. SHOWTIME brings its powerful legacy of experience in building stories for premium cable and together with Amblin Television and legendary storyteller Steven Spielberg, have been gracious partners in helping put together the right creative team to bring Halo to television. We are thrilled to have experienced showrunner Kyle Killen (<em>Lone Star</em>) and blockbuster director Rupert Wyatt (<em>Rise of the Planet of the Apes</em>) on board, both of whom bring their own flavor of vision, intelligence, and voice to Halo. We couldn’t have asked for a stronger or more passionate team to collaborate with.</p>



<p>As we think about what it means to bring videogame franchises to movie or TV – the biggest challenge can often be finding the right balance between moments fans have already experienced and moments that have yet to be experienced through a different medium, perspective, or creative lens. We are excited to navigate these creative waters to bring you something that is both respectful of what you already know and love, but also new and surprising and enthralling.</p>



<p>It’s a journey that we’re excited to take with you, our fans, and this new creative team. We’re already in the pre-production phase and we plan to go into full production in 2019 so hang on… this is going to be an awesome ride!</p>



<p>– Kiki Wolfkill, Head of Transmedia, 343 Industries</p>



<p><em>For all the latest news and updates on the Halo television series, keep dialed into</em> <em>Halo Waypoint on the web, as well as <a href="https://twitter.com/halo">@Halo</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/showtime">@Showtime</a> on social.</em></p>


343 INDUSTRIES

Showtime Announces New Halo TV Series Details

Sweet Centennial

The Nightmare Has Awoken

Stay Frosty

Canon Fodder – Hog on the Horizon


<h4 class="wp-block-heading">ISSUE 78</h4>



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<p>Welcome back, canonballers, thanks for stopping by! Last issue, we knocked out some more Hog Wild REQ fiction, and sat down with new-to-Halo author John Jackson Miller, who is contributing stories for both <em>Halo: Fractures </em>and <em>Halo: Tales From Slipspace</em>. After a week break to gather our strength – and sanity – we’re back and in full E3-prep mode.</p>



<p>As it’s no real secret that we’ll be showcasing the long-anticipated sequel to a certain Halo real-time strategy title on the expo’s show floor, we thought it might be prudent to take a quick look back at the story of the original <em>Halo Wars</em>, and set the stage for what might be next for the UNSC <em>Spirit of Fire </em>and her crew. Feel up to a stroll down memory lane? I thought so…</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">PHOENIX RISING</h2>



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<p>Set nearly three decades before the events of <em>Halo 5: Guardians</em>, the original <em>Halo Wars</em> follows the exploits of the UNSC <em>Spirit of Fire</em> – a <em>Phoenix</em>-class colony vessel repurposed for war. Helmed by Captain James Cutter, the <em>Spirit of Fire </em>is sent to investigate Covenant activity on the embattled planet Harvest.</p>



<p>When Sergeant John Forge goes planetside to provide recon, he finds a Covenant relic-hunting contingent led by Arbiter Ripa ‘Moramee – a task force sent by the Prophet of Regret to glean secrets from an ancient Forerunner site buried in the Harvest tundra. After chasing the Covenant from the site, Dr. Ellen Anders discovers that the site had given the Covenant coordinates to another location – this time on the human colony of Arcadia.</p>



<p>When the <em>Spirit of Fire</em> arrives at Arcadia in pursuit, the UNSC finds itself in a furious fracas that sees them both protecting human colonists as well as valiantly breaching a Covenant energy shield and destroying a deadly prototype super Scarab – still under construction but fully operational. Unfortunately for the UNSC, Dr. Ellen Anders was abducted by Arbiter Ripa ‘Moramee in the aftermath, prompting the UNSC to chase the Covenant into uncharted space – and onto a mysterious undiscovered planet.</p>



<p>What Captain Cutter and his crew would soon learn was that this planet was no ordinary place, but instead was a massive Forerunner construct – an enigmatic artificial creation known as a Shield World, containing concave and inverted environment on its interior “surface.” Eventually the UNSC would learn the true nature of Regret’s zealous chase: the reactivation of a long-dormant Forerunner fleet that would almost certainly spell the Covenant’s final death knell against humanity.</p>



<p>Through fierce tenacity and incredible resolve, the crew of the <em>Spirit of Fire</em> would match the Covenant blow for blow across the surface of the ancient Shield World, an effort that would culminate in one final confrontation that saw Sergeant Forge and Spartan-II supersoldiers Alice-130, Douglas-042, and Jerome-092 lay waste to the malevolent Arbiter and his Sangheili guard. In the end, Sergeant Forge would sacrifice his own life to not only save his crewmembers, but also destroy the Shield World and the Forerunner weapons it contained – saving humanity as a whole in the process.</p>



<p>While the UNSC <em>Spirit of Fire </em>would escape the Shield World’s destruction, it did so at great cost – the ship’s own slipspace drive having been used to bring down the ancient construct. For nearly thirty years the <em>Spirit of Fire </em>would drift though deep space, cut off from the rest of humanity and eventually declared “lost with all hands” in February 2534.</p>



<p>But now, <em>something has happened</em>…</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">LOST WITH ALL HANDS</h2>



<p>Fans of our Halo 101 series on the Halo Channel will no doubt be pleased to know that “Lost With All Hands” – a five-part video series offering an overview of the original <em>Halo Wars</em> story – is now available to view in its entirety on the official <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7NCg0venpKJg3kuJojKlbQ">Halo YouTube</a> channel. Utilizing a combination of Blur Studio’s incredible game cinematics and informative narration, “Lost With All Hands” provides a closer look at the events that transpire over the course of the game and their place within the larger Halo universe. </p>



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<p>So whether you’ve played through the <em>Halo Wars </em>campaign a hundred times over, or have yet to lay the disc in your tray, sit back and enjoy a vital and epic romp across the galaxy with some of the UNSC’s finest heroes. We’ve provided you with just a taste of the story of <em>Halo Wars </em>above, now you can get the details.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBFBaCyvNZM">EPISODE 1: THE SECRET BELOW HARVEST</a></h4>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBpnVngCeu8">EPISODE 2: BATTLE FOR ARCADIA</a></h4>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BURjcCMMWrc">EPISODE 3: THE SHIELD WORLD</a></h4>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sabikoL0pS8">EPISODE 4: THE FORERUNNER FLEET</a></h4>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J37lUnCYjvw">EPISODE 5: LOST WITH ALL HANDS</a></h4>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">BATTLE FOR ARCADE-IA</h2>



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<p>When it comes to game modes, it’s likely safe to assume that a large portion of the Fodder faithful are fans of the campaign portions of Halo titles. It’s also reasonably safe to assume that fans of the campaign are also likely to enjoy anything that might help prolong and refresh their experience in fun ways.</p>



<p>With that in mind, we’re excited to reveal that the upcoming Warzone Firefight content release for <em>Halo 5: Guardians</em> will also bring with it an exciting new Score Attack mode, giving fans a fast-paced and fun new arcade-style wrapping to the Halo 5 campaign.</p>



<p>For more info, make sure you check out our deeper reveal in this week’s Halo Community Update from Bravo and yours truly. I don’t know about you, but between Score Attack and Warzone Firefight, I’m seeing some fun and furious Fodder-fied community playdates in the near future…</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">DEEP LINKS</h2>



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<h4 class="wp-block-heading">AV-22 SPARROWHAWK</h4>



<p><strong>Summary</strong></p>



<p>Deployed toward the end of the Harvest campaign, the AV-22 Sparrowhawk shares a number of similarities with its aerodyne siblings – the AV-14 Hornet, AV-19 SkyHawk, AV-30 Kestrel, and AV-49 [DATA CORRUPTION! REBUILD IN PROGRESS . . .] – among others. Common elements include an integrated VTOL propulsion system that combines a turbojet with dual lift fans, autocannon armament, and cyberlink-compatible fly-by-light avionics.</p>



<p>The Sparrowhawk met with great success in the war against the Covenant, serving as a gunship escort for troop transports, providing aerial security, and operating in hunter-killer squadrons that harassed Covenant landing zones and troop columns. Combat losses were always high, though pilots accumulated enviable kill ratios.</p>



<p><strong>Armament</strong></p>



<p>The Sparrowhawk primary weapon systems are a pair of brutally effective GAU-23/AW long-barreled rotary autocannons installed on weapon armatures below the aircraft. These cannons can fire the full range of aircraft 20mm ammunition, though the standard loadout is either M718 SAPHEI or PGU-42/B API (with a depleted-uranium core). Though considered a secondary weapon, the Sparrowhawk also features a chin-mounted variant of the UNSC’s GUNGNIR M6 directed energy system, allowing the gunner to conduct devastatingly effective long-range strikes with pinpoint accuracy. The Sparrowhawk’s M6 nonlinear cannon uses components that were later miniaturized and installed on infantry-portable M6/E variants after the Covenant War.</p>



<p>And with that, we close for now, and wait patiently for the LA lights to shine bright. We’ll see you next week, where I imagine we might have a few cool new things to talk about.</p>



<p>Until next time… Live well, play Halo, and hold A to paint.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">–<a href="https://twitter.com/grimbrotherone">GRIM</a></h4>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">FEATURED UNIVERSE ARTICLES THIS WEEK!</h2>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">ALICE-130</h4>



<p>Alice-130 was part of the legendary SPARTAN-II project and member of the Red Team detachment associated with UNSC <em>Spirit of Fire</em>.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">DOUGLAS-042</h4>



<p>Douglas-042 was part of the legendary SPARTAN-II project and member of the Red Team detachment associated with UNSC <em>Spirit of Fire</em>.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">JEROME-092</h4>



<p>Jerome-092 was part of the legendary SPARTAN-II project and leader of the Red Team detachment associated with UNSC <em>Spirit of Fire</em>.</p>


Canon Fodder – Local Units