Welcome again to Canon Fodder, your month-to-month feast for all issues fiction!
We’ve obtained some new Digsite lore, some Q&A, a brand new Armory Infinitum entry, a hefty round-up of community-created lore content material, and extra—let’s get proper to it…
SHIELDIN’ SHIPS
Final week, we dropped a brand new Digsite weblog (go try Digsite Deep-Dive!) which confirmed off what’s arrived with the modding group’s second launch. As has turn out to be one thing of a practice, there are particular elements of this outdated chopping room ground content material that works its means again into the Halo universe’s core canon.
Technically, this has been seen in a core canon supply (specifically, as an Easter egg in a single panel within the “Boot Camp” collection of the Fall of Attain comedian), however we wished to offer it a extra formal debut…
The UNSC “defend generator ship” was initially conceived for Halo 2, bearing the same profile to the Albatross troop service however on a bigger scale. Right here’s a take a look at just a few never-before-seen idea sketches from Halo 2.
ENTERED SERVICE: 2552
MANUFACTURER: Watershed Division (refit)
CREW: 10
LENGTH: 322.5ft (98.3m)
Antaeus was a heavy-lift dropfreighter modified with salvaged Covenant defend mills. It served as an R&D platform to reverse-engineer capital-scale defend mills and strategies of integrating alien expertise with human energy methods and ship structure. Probably the most vital adjustments to the ship had been the set up of an upgraded fusion energy plant and incorporation of 4 defend mills recovered from Covenant deployment spires.
The ship was prepared for service in late 2551, however remained docked on the Harmony shipyards positioned in Sol’s Oort cloud till the tip of the battle—although it was dropped at operational standby in the course of the Covenant siege of Earth. Varied simulations examined the ship’s utility in floor fight operations, however the UNSC prioritized completion of the UNSC Infinity over placing extra of those vessels into energetic service.
DISCORD DISCOURSE
Each month on the official Halo Discord, there’s a “Query of the Month” channel the place we give the group prompts to reply. This month, the query is:
Somebody who has little to no expertise with Halo approaches you and asks, “So what’s Halo about, precisely?”
How do you describe the story and the plot? Do you go for the overly easy “The Grasp Chief saves the day,” or do you get a bit extra in-depth about issues? What, to you, is crucial factor for somebody to know concerning the Halo story?
Naturally, people have lots of totally different ideas about subjects like this, gravitating in the direction of totally different elements of the video games and universe which primarily ensures a wide range of totally different solutions.
FLASHPOINT FOCUS
Constructed for 2 or extra gamers, Halo: Flashpoint brings the battle video games area to tabletop miniatures, together with a variety of traditional recreation modes, troop varieties, and weapons. Uncover an thrilling recreation that is straightforward to be taught, difficult to grasp, and rewards cool pondering below hearth.
Simply the opposite week, Mantic Video games streamed a portray problem between themselves and the Military Painter to showcase the sport and its miniatures. Take a look at the video under!
Select whether or not to struggle as Spartans or the Banished and put together for the last word tactical tabletop expertise.
COMMUNITY QUERIES
We heard that you simply like Q&As, and whereas doing them in bulk is extra of a rarity we felt that Canon Fodder can be a superb venue to reply the occasional question that comes up within the Halo group that pertains to the story and universe—simply as a number of the problems with outdated did.
Typically these is perhaps thought-about extra “fundamental” questions merely pointing to the place you could possibly discover sure solutions or parts of Halo’s story, different occasions they may pertain to deeper lore and be drawn from earlier Q&As, however we hope this can be a useful addition to our month-to-month function.
OkYam7295: Which books have a give attention to Elite characters?
The Sangheili are a number of the most compelling lenses via which to view the Halo universe, and there are many tales informed via their eyes. Listed here are just a few suggestions:
Set in the course of the early years of the Covenant and the Nice Schism that will shatter the alien empire hundreds of years later, a Sangheili insurgent group seeks to flee the rule of the Prophets in a Forerunner defend world.
The galaxy falls into peril below the looming shadow of Halo, forcing an uneasy alliance of people and Sangheili—together with Olympia Vale, Usze ‘Taham, and N’tho ‘Sraom—to journey again to the Ark.
The Covenant Battle is over, and Rtas ‘Vadum has grown weary of battle—however the vengeful designs of a San’Shyuum Prelate calls the shipmaster to motion as soon as extra as Sanghelios comes below risk.
OUTCASTS
Writer: Troy Denning
Launch: 2022
Arbiter Thel ‘Vadam and Spartan Olympia Vale try to get better an alleged weapon from the hostile world of Netherop that might flip the tide in opposition to Cortana’s tyrannical rule.
Gamestrider09: How did the Flood get aboard the UNSC In Amber Clad?
Upon arrival at Delta Halo across the mid-point of Halo 2, the Grasp Chief was deployed to take out the Prophet of Remorse whereas Commander Miranda Keyes headed to the set up’s Library to safe the Index—the machine that will enable the Covenant to energetic the ring.
Delta Halo’s Library, nonetheless, additionally occurred to be the place a quarantine zone had been established to include a serious Flood outbreak. Certainly, the UNSC In Amber Clad may be seen within the skybox in the course of the mission Quarantine Zone in relative proximity to the gondolas that result in the Library.
Upon securing the Index, Keyes is incapacitated by Tartarus and dropped at Excessive Charity—together with Sergeant Avery Johnson. From there, we are able to flip to what the 2022 version of the Halo Encyclopedia tells us to fill in the remaining.
“What remained of the ship’s crew valiantly defended it in opposition to the rising risk of the Flood, however they in the end failed. Through the bitter engagement, the Clad was captured by the parasite and finally used to infiltrate Excessive Charity, in the end proving to be a big but expensive issue within the Covenant’s demise.”
Halo Encyclopedia (2022), p. 122
ARMORY INFINITUM
The Elutuzem-pattern lengthy shooter—extra generally often known as the stalker rifle—was a brand new weapon added to the sandbox of Halo Infinite. You’ve little doubt turn out to be fairly proficient at utilizing it over the previous couple of years with aiming expertise to match a Kig-Yar on Legendary problem.
Upon encountering the excessive worth goal often known as Barroth, a Kig-Yar marksman, you’ll be able to purchase the Stalker Rifle Extremely particular weapon variant.
From his vantage level atop a clustered stack of alloyed pillars, Arch Khordat Barroth had an entire view of the encircling terrain.
Barroth had been stationed within the neighborhood of Riven Gate, an outpost that had been constructed to function a key management level for this native space of Oth Koronn, successfully locking within the remaining human troops that had scattered after the autumn of their frigate that had turn out to be Outpost Tremonius.
Subsequent to Riven Gate lay an awesome fissure, a trench that seemed to be a connection level for a collection of struts which served as a “backbone” for the ring’s reforming landmasses. And past, on the opposite aspect of the ditch, lay a small island the place one of many UNSC’s ahead working bases—designated “FOB November”—was now occupied by Banished forces. It was surrounded by a small lake which led as much as a Forerunner beacon tower which continued to emit pulses of power at common intervals.
However as Barroth sighted via the scope of his stalker rifle, enhancing the magnification together with his linked ocular headgear, he seen one thing new…
The filth monitor “street” was kicking up sand and dirt within the wake of a human automobile, inside which he noticed a complement of 5 human troops and, within the driver’s seat, the unmistakable sight of a Spartan.
Although Barroth boasted a formidable kill document as a marksman, his ability and proficiency having granted him an initiation into the ranks of the Bloodstars, his sights had been firmly set on a coveted place throughout the Hand of Atriox, straight serving Battle Chief Escharum himself. For that, he wanted to kill a Spartan.
“Put together ambush!” He squawked via his native-link communications. “New prey, best human prize of all in neighborhood!”
The Spartan would undoubtedly retake the UNSC base and Barroth wouldn’t intrude. This was a chance to watch the human warrior in motion and hopefully see the accompanying lesser troopers reduce down within the firefight that was about to ensue. After that, there was little doubt that it will head again this manner. He may alert Riven Gate… however why danger shedding the glory of the kill?
Barroth as soon as extra sighted down his modified stalker rifle and waited for his second to return.
COMMUNITY LORE CORNER
We’ve obtained a plethora of fantastic group lore-centirc content material so that you can try this month!
That’s a wrap on this month’s difficulty! Make sure you try all of the superior group content material linked above, have your say on the Halo Discord’s query of the month, and get the newest Digsite launch downloaded in MCC to check out all of the restored content material.
We’ll catch you once more subsequent month!