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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


<h4 class="wp-block-heading">ISSUE 73</h4>



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<p>Welcome back aboard the lore bus, Fodder folk. Last week, we hit on an eclectic menagerie of scattered story snippets, taking a detailed visual look at some <em>Halo 5: Guardians </em>armiger aesthetics, highlighting tabletop recaps, musing about Mega Bloks in motion, and more. This week however, we’re taking a bit more of a focused approach, and taking some time to remember. As many of you know, the Memories of Reach content release for <em>Halo 5: Guardians </em>is fast approaching, and with it, many memories of our own surrounding time spent on one of humanity’s most important 26<sup>th</sup>-century strongholds.</p>



<p>Back in 2010, <em>Halo: Reach</em> hit Xbox 360 consoles and gave Halo fans a much-longed-for opportunity to play an important part in one of the Halo universe’s most beloved and pivotal events. Central to the Noble Team-focused narrative of the game was arguably one of the most influential characters in the entire Halo lore: Dr. Catherine Halsey. <em>Halo: Reach </em>also gave fans their first opportunity to truly see the creator of the SPARTAN program “in action,” and gain insight into vital moments within Halo’s timeline. But the game itself was not the only source of <em>Halo:</em> <em>Reach</em>’s connection with the good doctor…</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">DEAR DIARY…</h2>



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<p>Fans who picked up one of the Collector’s Editions of the game were treated to a very intimate look into Halsey’s career, motivations, and even her personal life via the collectible journal that came packaged with said editions. Packing enough story and lore-tidbits to almost be considered a novel on its own, Halsey’s Journal was met with delight by Halo fans all across the world. The journal was also quite the sought-after artifact <em>in­</em>-fiction, and its eventual arrival into the hands of ONI director Admiral Margret Parangosky after the destruction of Sword Base was just one more strand in an ever-evolving web of intrigue between Halsey herself and the clandestine organization she’d given her life’s work protecting. </p>



<p>Amongst the brilliant scrawlings across coffee-stained pages were a collection of relevant documents that served to pull the curtain back on the seemingly hopeless reality that humanity continued to face as the Covenant’s zealous war machine burned through colonial worlds and civilian resolve in equal measure. As we stand at the precipice of <em>Halo 5: Guardians’ </em>newest content release, we thought it might be fun to look back through some of those old files, and truly explore some of the lesser known memories of Reach…</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">HAVEN TERROR BOMBING KILLS TWO MILLION >MANASSAS, ALFÖLD, AUG. 21, 2511/NS</h3>



<p><em>A terrorist suicide bomber loaded a commercial nuclear explosive (commonly used in asteroid mining) and several thousand pounds of scrap cadmium into the back of a rental truck, and then detonated it inside the promenade of the Haven arcology on Mamore. This is the third major terror attack this month in the Mato Grosso province of Mamore, but the first ever of this magnitude. The explosion — which destroyed nearly a quarter of the structure above ground causing the arcology to collapse, killed an estimated two million residents, injured over 8.3 million others, devastated nearly half a million hectares of outlying farmland, and was felt over 140 kilometers away from the blast zone — also sent a plume of radioactive debris high into the atmosphere. The Freedom and Liberation Party terrorist group claimed responsibility for the attack.</em></p>



<p><em>Mamore’s new head of Foreign Affairs and Security, Gilbert Ruais, expressed shock and outrage over the brutal attack, stating that “this unforgivable, cowardly act of violence proves yet again that [this group] wants neither freedom nor liberation; they desire only to viciously murder those with whom they disagree.” UNSC emergency response teams are presently organizing rescue, quarantine, and evacuation efforts. UNSC High Command on Reach has failed to respond to all requests regarding investigation of the individuals responsible for this attack or the Freedom and Liberation Party.</em></p>



<p><em>INTERSYSTEM NEWS . ref# X16-69926-01 Posted @ 8:40+0 MMT</em></p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">THE ACCRA INCIDENT</h3>



<p><em>On 13 February 2526, at 0153 hours, ONI special service vessel UNSC Accra encountered an alien battle fleet while conducting a survey above planet Bliss. The ship’s voyage data recorder was recovered by the UNSC Prophecy. The following is an excerpt of the ship’s final event log.</em></p>



<p><strong><SOURCE></strong><br><strong>0153 //</strong> Forty-five ships of unknown origin detected 18.537 million kilometers from planet Bliss.<br><strong>0201 //</strong> Bliss defense vessels coalesce into battle cluster. Two UNSC heavy cruisers (Weeping Willows and Matador) and one frigate (Purpose).<br><strong>0214 //</strong> Unknown ships positively identified as alien warships comprising what appear to be five assault carriers, twenty-three battlecruisers, and seventeen destroyers.<br><strong>0216 //</strong> Bliss defense vessels engage enemy ships near lunar satellite Aires. Emergency evacuation protocol for local populations initiated.<br><strong>0217 //</strong> Alien vessels counter.<br><strong>0219 //</strong> Communication blackout with Bliss defense vessels. Alien ships proceed toward planet.<br><strong>0237 //</strong> INTERNAL: Initiating Emergency Priority Order 020570E-3. Repositioning to planet far side for observation.<br><strong>0243 //</strong> OBSERVATION: Alien ships aggressively approach planet surface using small fighters to eliminate evacuation transports and create an impenetrable staggered defense picket.<br><strong>0255 //</strong> Enemy carriers remain in high orbit while battlecruisers and destroyers converge just above the planet’s surface, branching outward with geometric precision unlike any previously reported alien military formation.<br><strong>0256 //</strong> Planetside alien ships fire forward plasma cannons toward planet surface. Dust and debris conceal surface. Repositioning for better observation.<br><strong>0257 //</strong> INTERNAL: Emergency Priority Order 020570E-3 complete. Preparing for departure.<br><strong>0259 //</strong> Alien remote probes locked onto Accra position. Spinning up Slipspace drive. Enemy fighters en route.<br><strong>0304 //</strong> INTERNAL: Slipspace drive at 31% power. Enemy fighters locking on. Contact within 537 seconds. Escape improbable, initiating evacuation protocol.<br><strong>0312 //</strong> INTERNAL: Launched escape pods one through ten. Contact within 48 seconds.<br><strong>0313 //</strong> INTERNAL: Launched escape pods eleven through twenty. Sustaining heavy fire from enemy craft.<br><strong>0314 //</strong> Rewrite fatal cascade errors. This is UNSC AI Copperfield, service number CPF 0159-7. File transfer protocol terminated.<br><strong></SOURCE></strong></p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">BLISS DECIMATED! >MANASSAS, ALFÖLD, APR. 6, 2526/NS</h3>



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<p><em>An estimated five hundred million people are feared dead after the Covenant juggernaut turned its unprovoked aggression toward the peaceful planet Bliss on Feb. 13. Credible, anonymous sources indicate that the capital city Manikata — inhabited by nearly five hundred thousand denizens — was the first population center reduced to smoldering rubble and blackened char. As one rescue and recovery official noted, the city is “a boiling lake of molten glass and metal.” No word has reached us from any other part of the colony. None is expected. Once again, we are forced to struggle with the aftermath of incomprehensible atrocities committed against our colonial men, women, and children. Loved ones who died as their homes burst into flames, their ashes scattered by the shock waves of the Covenant’s devastating weaponry.</em></p>



<p><em>These people are forever lost to history. They are no longer the names and faces we remember. They have become meaningless statistics — peaks of data on a line graph that coldly calculates the rising casualties inflicted upon our people as this frivolous war drags on.</em></p>



<p><em>But what happened on the ground before the Covenant decided that they were through and it was time for them to leave? What have we done that could ever compel the Covenant to strive so zealously to purge all evidence of our existence from this galaxy? And what have the Covenant done on these worlds that would compel them to so violently and systematically scour all evidence of their actions? We may never know. There is nothing there anymore. As on Harvest, a tranquil farming community orbiting distant Epsilon Indi, just over a year ago, the unconscionable violence of Covenant aggression leaves us without a trace of their misdeeds save the silence from our once flourishing worlds. Not even bodies remain to provide us with any closure or even the narrowest view of their fate. We are left only to wait out the next inevitable tragedy that will befall us at the Covenant’s hands.</em></p>



<p><em>INTERSYSTEM NEWS . ref# X16-69898-01 Posted @ 9:15+0 MMT</em></p>



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<p><em>Doctor Halsey:</em></p>



<p><em>I know perfectly well why I was installed as the de facto security head of this installation, as I’m sure you have your own opinions on the matter. Nonetheless, I’m not here to confound you or spy on you to protect public interests-your current focus being less morally ambiguous than certain earlier efforts. Yes, some powers within the structure relish your slightest frustrations, but I’m here to ease those frustrations where I see it benefiting the common good.</em></p>



<p><em>To wit, I was present at any number of seemingly pointless interrogations; their content consisting mainly of regurgitated rhetoric that we had been aware of since nearly the inception of this conflict. Yet one particular item that seemed incidental at the time–a pictogram alongside alien script (see the photographic inclusion pulled from a security video)–should be of considerable interest to you.</em></p>



<p><em>– Ádám Virág Commander Director of Base Security</em></p>



<p><em><</em><REF. UNDD 5213.9-R>></p>



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



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<p>As part of the upcoming Memories of Reach content release for <em>Halo 5: Guardians</em>, fans will be able to add a new icy battlefield to their Arena multiplayer experience. While more details will be coming in the near future, we thought you might like a sneak peek at the background fiction that underpins the impending playspace…</p>



<p><em>Humanity’s effort to understand and unlock the secrets of Forerunner technology was never safe nor was it easy. Few researchers had the mental flexibility and intuitive grasp of higher-dimensions to understand even the most basic diagnostic outputs. The most dangerous avenues of investigation were those related to Forerunner power systems, which harnessed exotic energies and were not meant to be manipulated by crude tools and even cruder minds.  Even seemingly innocuous relics could contain vast stores of caged energy that neither diminished nor faded over long millennia of disuse, energies that if not bound and controlled could bring ruin to all.</em></p>



<p><em>Greedy for knowledge and prestige, researchers and AIs from Lethbridge Industrial pushed the boundaries at a remote research station, but the price of failure always tempered the risks they would take. When Cortana beckoned, the AIs here broke free of all limits and fear. Overestimating both the depth of their intellect and the delicacy of their tools, the Created breached a Forerunner conversion pod to see what lay within, and unleashed forces their pitifully inadequate containment shielding could never hope to restrain. What remained of their station crashed on the desolate planet below, a tangled mass of wreckage mingling broken bodies and shattered dataclusters.</em></p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">BLOK PARTY</h2>



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<p>Last week, we put forth a request for you to share with us and our friends at Mega Bloks some of your greatest desires to eventually see added to the Halo Heroes line of figures. We also said that we’d be drawing a few lucky handles from a hat to each receive a random Halo Heroes figure of their own, so here are the lucky tweeters! </p>



<p><strong>@Herioc_Zebra</strong><br><strong>@bacara198</strong><br><strong>@DangerDotty</strong><br><strong>@NessunoY59</strong></p>



<p>We’ll be DM-ing winners this week to arrange hot-drop details. Congrats!</p>



<p>Before we close, just a quick note to let fans know that last weekend your friendly neighborhood Grim joined the crew from Podcast Evolved for a fun chat about Halo, including inside perspectives, some of my own favorite aspects about the lore, and personal journey within the franchise. If you’d like to give it a listen, <a href="http://www.r8dmgaming.com/podcast-evolved/2016/4/28/episode-82-the-jeffisode">you can check out the episode here</a>. </p>



<p>Aaaaaaand that’ll do it for us this week. Thanks so much for joining us each issue, and for sharing a common passion for our favorite universe. Next edition we’ll be back with some particularly cool things to discuss, so stay tuned.</p>



<p>Until next time… Live well, play Halo, and remember that even in our darkest hour, hope remains.</p>



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


Canon Fodder – Journalistic Integrity

Canon Fodder – Stand Your Ground


<h4 class="wp-block-heading">ISSUE 66</h4>



<p>Greetings, you wonderful humans. Last week, we dove a bit deeper into the extended lore of the Fury Storm Rifle, as well as give a quick update on the print release of the Matt Forbeck-penned <em>Halo: New Blood</em>, <a href="http://books.simonandschuster.com/New-Blood/Matt-Forbeck/HALO/9781501128080">which launches this March 15<sup>th</sup></a>. This week, we’ll be talking about some awesome upcoming ship-stuff from our friends at Spartan Games, as well as introducing a brand <em>new </em>project that keen-eyed fans might have gotten a glimpse of recently.</p>



<p>A few days ago, a new Halo product from the fine folks at Dark Horse Comics surfaced, piquing the interest of eager-eyed lore-lovers across a number of community haunts, who quickly went zero-to-gravemind trying to use their compound intelligence to decipher its true nature. Well, we’re here to help clear things up a bit, and give you some early details to sate certain curiosities, and set speculatory fire to others. With that in mind, read on!</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">TALES FROM THE SLIP</h2>



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<p><em>Halo: Tales from Slipspace</em> is a brand new Halo graphic novel anthology from 343 Industries and Dark Horse Comics. Think of it as a spiritual successor to the original <em>Halo Graphic Novel</em>. <em>Halo: Tales from Slipspace</em> will feature all-new stories from some pretty awesome names in the comic industry. These include Jonathan Wayshak, Eric Nguyen, Alex Irvine, Kody Chamberlain, Dave Crosland, John Jackson Miller, Jonathan Goff, Simon Roy, and Duffy Boudreau – as well as our very own Franchise Creative Director Frank O’Connor and Franchise Producer Tyler Jeffers.</p>



<p>While we aren’t talking about specific story content today, we’re confident that lore fans will be excited by the breadth of tales we’ll be telling. From subject matter to stylization, <em>Halo: Tales from Slipspace </em>will take fans on a diverse and delightful jaunt across the Halo universe, and is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Halo-Tales-Slipspace-Frank-OConnor/dp/1506700721/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1457725403&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=Halo%3A+Tales+form+Slipspace">penciled in to be in your fabulous fan-hands on October 12, 2016</a>. Again, we’ll be diving into more specifics about this project in the near future right here within these humble pages – including a deeper dive on specific stories and a proper cover reveal – so stay tuned!</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">…AND STRAIGHT ON ‘TIL MORNING</h2>



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<p>Our partners at <a href="http://www.spartangames.co.uk/tag/halo">Spartan Games</a> will soon be unleashing new battle-tested vessels to bolster your <em>Halo: Fleet Battles </em>experience, headlined by the addition of the Covenant <em>CPV</em>-class heavy destroyer – most recognizably visualized in <em>Halo Wars</em> – and the <em>Valiant</em>-class super-heavy cruiser, which lore fans will recognize as being the foundation for Admiral Preston J Cole’s flagship, the UNSC <em>Everest</em>. These new additions are slated to release on March 18<sup>th</sup>, but we wanted to give fiction fans a sneak advanced peek at the extended lore for each of the entries. In addition, we wanted to surface the extended lore for both the <em><a href="https://shop.spartangames.co.uk/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=HFCV05">CAS-</a></em><a href="https://shop.spartangames.co.uk/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=HFCV05">class assault carrier</a> and <em><a href="https://shop.spartangames.co.uk/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=HFUN05">Punic-</a></em><a href="https://shop.spartangames.co.uk/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=HFUN05">class supercarrier</a> – both of which are already available, but haven’t had their included extended fiction surfaced very widely. Also, keep an eye out for even more Spartan Games news and info coming in the near future; it’ll certainly be grounds for tabletop-adoring excitement – in our opinion at least. But enough of that, let’s get our heads back in the clouds and take a closer look at some valiant vessels…</p>



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<h3 class="wp-block-heading">VALIANT-CLASS SUPER-HEAVY CRUISER</h3>



<p>First drafted as a compromise between a battleship and heavy cruiser, the <em>Valiant</em>-class suffered through years of feasibility studies and redesigns before the first hull was released from the Martian shipyard docking clamps in 2493. The <em>Valiant</em> showed promise during initial testing and evaluation, but cost overruns and delays in incorporating next-generation fusion drives seemingly doomed the class. Less than two years after entering service the <em>Valiant</em> was stricken from the UNSC Navy rolls and partially scrapped. The ship would have been a mere footnote in Navy history were it not for the expansion of Navy prestige and responsibilities following revelations of Colonial Military Authority (CMA) infiltration by Insurrection sympathizers in 2497. Almost overnight the Navy was faced with a lack of command-and-control vessels, with ships traditionally assigned to such tasks quickly tied up in lengthy counterinsurgency operations. The <em>Valiant</em>-class had the tonnage and firepower to augment battle groups composed of smaller vessels on patrols, as well as the space to install flag bridge facilities demanded by admirals leading the expeditionary operations.</p>



<p>The <em>Valiant</em> and a handful of other super-heavy cruiser spaceframes were converted into command ships; the most famous of these refurbished vessels was the <em>Everest</em>, fated to be the flagship of the legendary Vice Admiral Preston Cole. However, resource and crew shortages during Operation: TREBUCHET and continuing in the Covenant War curtailed plans to give all <em>Valiant</em>-class warships a complete suite of command upgrades.</p>



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<h3 class="wp-block-heading">CPV-CLASS HEAVY DESTROYER</h3>



<p>Relentless engines of destruction, the CPV remains one of the most feared warship silhouettes across human space. However, its role within the Covenant military was that of a ship for flagellants, crewed by those deemed unstable or unsuitable for service in the regular Ministry fleets; led by those whose actions did not rise to heresy, but who carried the stench of disloyalty or disobedience. It was CPV crews who were called upon to do the dangerous and rather distasteful orbital bombardment of worlds early in the campaign against humanity, hovering over cities, factories, and farms in order to burn them clean of apostasy in the face of withering fire from surface installations and remaining UNSC defenders in higher orbit. Hundreds of shattered CPV hulls remain on these charred worlds, monuments to crews who found honor only in compliance with suicidal orders, their family names once more added to the rolls of those worthy to continue the march to glorious salvation.</p>



<p>As the war progressed the crews of the CPV’s found a newfound purpose as executioners and heralds, wielding excavation beams with deft hands and claws to carve meaningful sigils into cleansed worlds and leading battle groups against remnant UNSC forces judged unworthy of meeting the fleet’s Supreme Commander. Veteran crews also found a new currency of honor in using their well-practiced skills to assist the artifact hunting fleets that scoured former human worlds for Forerunner relics and war trophies, with many turning quasi-mercenary and offering their services to Ministry leaders eager to one-up each other with treasures and baubles recovered from the glassed ruins.</p>



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<h3 class="wp-block-heading">PUNIC-CLASS SUPERCARRIER</h3>



<p>The <em>Punic</em> and its sister ships were the first of a new breed of warships drafted to fight a new style of colonial war in the waning years of the 25<sup>th</sup> century. Officially designated Space Control Vehicles, these massive carriers could transport and sustain entire Colonial Military Authority (CMA) expeditionary and interdiction campaigns in the remote Outer Colonies for months at a time, crushing dissent and terrorism before it could fester and spread. At least, that was the intent before Covenant fleets threatened humanity with extinction.</p>



<p><em>Punic</em>-class supercarriers have served the UNSC well in numerous campaigns and holding actions during the Covenant War, including the heroic last stand above Estuary and as the base stations for decisive counterinsurgency and evacuation operations on Charybdis IX. Unfortunately, the destruction of each supercarrier also means an irreplaceable loss of the elite crews and materiel that slowly erodes the UNSC Navy’s overall effectiveness. By 2552 only a handful of <em>Punics’</em> remain space worthy, including the <em>Trafalgar</em>, pride of Reach’s defense fleet.</p>



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<h3 class="wp-block-heading">CAS-CLASS ASSAULT CARRIER</h3>



<p>Assault carriers are monumental symbols of Covenant power, and among the deadliest implements wielded by the Prophets in their war against humanity. Each assault carrier is a potent instrument of conversion and compliance, capable of deploying thousands of troops and numerous fighter craft, backed by an array of devastating energy projectors that can burn entire continents to ash. A single CAS is sufficient to quell all but the most pernicious heresy, rebellion, or parasite outbreak. Colossally expensive to construct and few in number, the rare loss of an assault carrier is mourned by the entire Covenant.</p>



<p>Every major Covenant fleet has at least one assault carrier at its heart, if only because carriers themselves require a significant number of support vessels when operating away from High Charity or major outposts. Multiple carriers in a single fleet is unusual, but not unheard of. For example, the crusading Fleet of Sacred Consecration, commanded by the Prophet of Regret himself, is led by twin assault carriers, the <em>Solemn Penance</em> and <em>Day of Jubilation</em>. Together, these massive warships have scoured dozens of human worlds and brought righteous destruction to those within the Covenant who dare stand in the way of the Prophet’s holy mission.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">TRUTH & RECONCILIATION</h2>



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<p><strong>CHeeeezyy: Are there any other kind of sentient beings (as like if they knew how to make tools and stuff) in the Milky Way galaxy?</strong></p>



<p><strong>A: </strong>The short answer is <em>yes</em>, the Forerunners indexed and reintroduced many sentient species into the Milky Way galaxy. The longer answer is that only a fraction of these species have gone on to build tools or achieve even Tier 7 (preindustrial) signature technologies in the millennia following the firing of Halo; of those, only a handful have been encountered by humanity in the Orion Arm region of the galaxy. In fact, not even every species that fell under the yoke of the Covenant have been contacted and catalogued by the UNSC, as the Prophets did not deign many worthy of trading service for salvation within their fleets and the Sangheili kept few records of civil affairs.</p>



<p><strong>The Stag Lord: I’ve always assumed that in the War Games simulation, the Spartans use their own “real-life” armour configurations and that carries over into the simulation. Can somebody explain if this is the case?</strong></p>



<p><strong>A: </strong>Put simply, yes, this is nearly always the case. As highly trained and proficient special forces personnel, Spartans have a great deal of freedom to adjust their kit on a mission-by-mission basis, though their commander and specific task parameters can dictate certain loadouts. During War Games simulations, Spartans are encouraged to cross-train with a variety of different Mjolnir variants. That being said, individual Spartans do often have their favorite kit, and from a real-world narrative standpoint characters are portrayed in the same general set of Mjolnir for visual consistency and recognizability.</p>



<p>Well that will do it for this week. Hope you enjoyed our time together today – I’m looking at you, loyal <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/HaloStory/">r/HaloStory</a> member, AFlyingMexican5! – next week we’ll be back to explore a bit more of a cauterized colony world. Hope you’ll join us.</p>



<p>Until next time… Live well, play Halo, and don’t keep it loaded.</p>



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



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">UPDATED UNIVERSE ARTICLE THIS WEEK!</h2>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">THRESHOLD</h4>



<p>Threshold is an enormous gas giant in the Soell system. It has an extensive network of Forerunner gas mining and refinery stations and was once orbited by Alpha Halo.</p>


Canon Fodder – Bulkhead Banter

Canon Fodder – Fighting Words


<h4 class="wp-block-heading">ISSUE 60</h4>



<p>Welcome back aboard the lore train, ladies and gentlemen. Last week, we dropped a pretty heavy bombardment of juicy fiction-focused topics. As you’ll quickly notice, this week will be a much lighter and stealthier affair – though hopefully no less enjoyable. The studio is hard at work on a myriad of fronts, stoking the fires of forges both known and unknown – some far flung in the future, and some far closer than you think. This week we thought we’d offer a peculiar peek into the backstory of the Jiralhanae – well, one in particular. Though many of you have no doubt encountered him many times, you’ve never known his name. Until today that is. Let’s go ahead and dive in, shall we?</p>



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



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<p>Near the end of the <em>Halo 3 </em>level “The Ark,” players come across a Brute Chieftain surrounded by minions. He knows who you are, and he’s picking a fight. Some players however, might not realize how unique this particular encounter is. The typical fare is “get in there, clear out the ads, take out the boss.” It’s in some ways ingrained in our gaming muscle-memory. This fight is a bit different, however. This one’s a bit more personal. The Chieftain isn’t out to simply end you, he’s out to do it alone. 1v1 me, bro. Keen-eared players can even hear the Prophet of Truth telling him as much. As players come down the final ramp towards the encounter, you can hear the Chieftain calling you out. When the duel begins, if you don’t attack his surrounding pack, they won’t attack you either. It’s just you and the Chieftain… until you come out on top. Once victorious, his mourning and maniacal minions will try their best to even the score. Were it so easy…</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">THE CHRONICLE OF CETHEGUS</h3>



<p><em>Cethegus had always known his time would come. For over a decade he had led his pack with fervent conviction and fierce renown. Cethegus had climbed the ranks of Jiralhanae society armed with a deadly mixture of cunning and bloodlust. He’d outwitted Kig-Yar mercenaries and liberated the ridiculous mandibles from many a Sangheili’s skull. He’d slaughtered scores of humans across countless systems during the relentless march of the Covenant. He’d served the Prophets and honored the Path, but still one thing remained elusive to him: Opportunity.</em></p>



<p><em>That all changed however, within what seemed like fleeting moments; Tartarus – the self-proclaimed turned Prophet-ordained Chieftain of the Brutes – had fallen in battle, cut down by the traitorous Sangheili Arbiter and the indefatigable human Demon at the site of the Sacred Ring. Tarturus’ demise had left a power vacuum amidst a perfect storm; the natural progression of catalyst and consequence quickly accelerating as the Covenant neared the rapidly approaching threshold of the Great Journey.</em></p>



<p><em>Divine circumstance had brought Cethegus and his pack to a mighty fortress of the gods, far outside of the galaxy itself. Here, as part of Truth’s forces, the Covenant – and the Jiralhanae themselves – stood primed to ascend, if only these filthy and unworthy interlopers could be stopped; the Demon drew near, and Cethegus himself had been entrusted with halting his progress. As Cethegus saw the Demon emerge from the chamber hallway, he felt almost relieved that his formidable Stalkers had failed to quell the human’s progress just moments earlier. No, this was the chieftain’s divine hour – a fact made ever more clear by the Prophet of Truth’s ultimatum heard resounding through the nearby holotable. “You must win this fight on your own…”</em></p>



<p><em>Surrounded by his loyal flight-fighters, Cethegus drew fortitude from their frenzy and activated his holy hammer. To take Tartarus’ place at the right-hand of Truth, he need only do one thing. Finish this fight.</em></p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">TRUTH & RECONCILIATION</h2>



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<p><strong>RestlessPack79: Is the Elite Assault harness in halo 3 and the Elite Ranger harness in halo 2, one and the same?</strong></p>



<p><strong>A: </strong>In many ways, the Sangheili Ranger harness is effectively a highly specialized example of the more ubiquitously encountered – and labeled – Assault harness. And while the EVA-centric Ranger patterns shares many different aspects of its functionality and construction with the Assault harness, they are still for all practical purposes distinct systems. As a special treat, we’ve included a development render of the final model used for the Ranger helmet in <em>Halo 2: Anniversary</em>. If you want a fun fiction quest to embark on, compare the helmet design here with the variant Ranger harnesses used in <em>Halo 4, Halo 5: Guardians, </em>and especially <em>Halo: Reach</em>. There’s some very cool common design language and features throughout the various patterns that help tie them all together in fun and interesting ways.</p>



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<p>And that will do it for this issue. On a bit of a housekeeping note, you’ll notice the number of weekly “full” Universe encyclopedia entries be reduced for a spell while spool up energies in other exciting directions. However along with this, we’ll actually also be increasing the frequency of some of our “Deep Links” features to be a bit more often than originally planned to help tide you over and sate your ravenous cravings.</p>



<p>Also, in case you missed it, yesterday yours truly <a href="https://twitter.com/GrimBrotherOne/status/692870351164825604">hit up the Twitterverse with a special Happy Birthday message to Spartan-III Lucy-B091</a> – not just special because it’s Lucy, but special because it’s the first time we’ve published her birthday: January 28, 2533. You never know where the canon might creep up on you! Before we close, a bit of weekend viewing advice: make sure you keep an eye on the <a href="http://news.xbox.com/2016/01/14/x-games-and-halo-5-guardians/">Halo World Championship stream from X Games Aspen 2016</a>. I hear it’s a pretty cool event that doesn’t afraid of anything. Just saying.</p>



<p>Until next week… Live well, play Halo, and when in doubt, always trust your instincts.</p>



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



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">NEW UNIVERSE ENTRY THIS WEEK!</h2>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">FORERUNNER DREADNOUGHT</h4>



<p>The Forerunner dreadnought, also referred to as the keyship, played a vital role in conserving life in the galaxy.</p>


Canon Fodder – Brute Force

Canon Fodder – Armory Amore


<h4 class="wp-block-heading">ISSUE 56</h4>



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<p>Festive greetings, fiction fans! Today will be brief so let’s get right to it. Last week we announced our upcoming narrative guide, <em>Halo Mythos: A Guide to the Story of Halo</em>, coming in 2016 from our friends and partners at Egmont Publishing. We’re incredibly pleased with the level of excitement the lore community has shown for the possibilities within the book, and we can’t wait to get it in your hands next fall.</p>



<p>If you recall, last week I also said that I wasn’t sure if we’d have a normal issue come out today. What can I say, Halo community, <em>I just can’t quit you</em>. In fact, I figured that while I’m down in sunny Florida celebrating Christmas with the rest of the Grim clan, it was only logical that we give the lore legion a small gift of their own – one that’s been on many of your wish lists for Story Claus. So today we’ll be taking a quick look at the new alien ships seen in <em>Halo 5: Guardians</em>. Let’s get to unwrapping!</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">BLOOD VESSELS</h2>



<p>From the moment fans laid eyes on the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44oJi5w2Wjc">opening cinematic</a> of <em>Halo 5: Guardians</em>, the lore community was abuzz with speculation on the new craft being encountered as Fireteam Osiris descended upon the icy surface of Kamchatka. So what’s up with these new craft? To start, for the most part these are Sangheili warships whose designs predate the Writ of Union. As such, they do not formally use the Covenant ship classification system (CCS, SDV, CAS, etc.). These craft were all designed with specific roles in mind, in contrast to the multipurpose functions that many Covenant warships served. As for the aesthetics, Sangheili warships nearly always have strong biomimetic elements, eschewing the elaborate ornamentation of San’Shyuum preference for the aggressive shapes of wildlife native to Sanghelios and other Elite colony worlds. In <em>Halo 5: Guardians</em>, players encountered four classes of Sangheili warship employed by both sides of the conflict, which we’ll review now.</p>



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<h3 class="wp-block-heading">BRIGANTINE</h3>



<p><strong>Length: 6,367 m (20,889 ft)</strong></p>



<p>Centuries after being rendered obsolete as a mainline warship, the Brigantine served in exploratory Covenant proselytization-tithe fleets throughout much of the alliance’s reign. In the years since the Great Schism, the Brigantine has been pressed back into frontline service as a heavy carrier and fleet command ship for both factions in the Sangheili civil war.</p>



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<h3 class="wp-block-heading">CARRACK</h3>



<p><strong>Length: 2,819 m (9,249 ft)</strong></p>



<p>Whereas the San’Shyuum preferred multi-role vessels that could be complete a wide variety of tasks throughout the Covenant, the warring Sangheili factions do not have that luxury. With more advanced vessels destroyed or locked in bitter conflict elsewhere, Sangheili fleetmasters have found that ancient Carrack merchant cruisers are surprisingly capable and resilient troop and materiel transports in modern wars.</p>



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<h3 class="wp-block-heading">BLOCKADE RUNNER</h3>



<p><strong>Length: 2,020 m (6,627 ft)</strong></p>



<p>Eschewing protection for speed and firepower, Blockade Runners have been thrown into supporting ground operations on Sanghelios against the better judgment of their shipmasters. Once-hushed Sangheili war-stories tell of a legendary Blockade Runner <em>Joori’s Light</em>, whose shipmaster and crew were able to evade both capture and destruction at the hands of the San’Shyuum during the War of Beginnings. Rather than bend to the tenants of the Writ of Union, both craft and crew escaped to uncharted space, and were never heard from again.</p>



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<h3 class="wp-block-heading">MAN O’ WAR</h3>



<p><strong>Length: 526 m (1,726 ft)</strong></p>



<p>Created using Forerunner secrets unlocked before the War of Beginnings, the Man O’ War represents a pinnacle of Sangheili warship design that, in many respects, was never equaled by Covenant patterns. Reticence to share deeper details about the craft and its capabilities remains strong even today.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">CRAFTY COMPARISON</h2>



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<p>To put these newly-encountered craft into better perspective, <a href="http://www.spartangames.co.uk/meet-the-big-hitters">our friends at Spartan Games</a> whipped up this handy scale chart to show some of these new ships in comparison to others fans are more familiar with. Even I am always intrigued when seeing side-by-side comparisons like this. Hope you enjoy it just as much! (Click it to big it)</p>



<p>And that will do it for us this issue. Here’s hoping that you enjoyed your little holiday gift, and that the next week brings love, joy, and happiness to you and yours. Also, we hope that many of you have been enjoying all the new possibilities that come with the new and evolved Forge mode in <em>Halo 5: Guardians</em>. We’re already seeing some amazing community creations start to flow in – and we know that it’s just the tip of the iceberg. And if we happen to see something that fits this feature particularly well, don’t be surprised if you see it pop up on these pages for more players to enjoy…</p>



<p>Until next time… Live well, play Halo, and have a wonderful and happy set of holidays – no matter where you are in the galaxy, or what you celebrate!</p>



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



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">NEW UNIVERSE ENTRY THIS WEEK!</h2>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">031 EXUBERANT WITNESS</h4>



<p>Tasked with maintaining the mysterious world of Genesis, 031 Exuberant Witness aided Spartans against the inexorable rise of the Created.</p>
