Editing Plasma cannon (starship)

{{Status|Canon}}
{{Disambig header|the starship weapon|other uses|Plasma cannon}}
[[File:Corvette plasma cannons.jpg|300px|thumb|The {{Pattern|Ceudar|heavy corvette}} ''[[Ardent Prayer]]'' firing its plasma cannons.]]
'''Plasma cannons''' are starship-mounted weapon systems used by the [[Covenant]] and its [[Covenant remnants|remnants]]. They serve aboard [[Covenant starship]]s as a form of naval artillery, filling a role similar to the [[naval autocannon]]s of [[human]]ity. They have rapid-fire capabilities, though in return fire their plasma bolts at at much slower velocities than other weapons as to conserve energy. In battle, they are fired in massed barrages to form suppressive screens, creating walls of fire.{{Ref/Book|Id=Enc22Naval|Enc22|Page=261}} There is some overlap between the [[Heavy plasma cannon|heavy]] and [[Ultra-heavy plasma cannon|ultra-heavy]] classifications of ground plasma cannon, with the Hesduron {{Pattern|Chwich|Saker}} artillery piece retrieved from the hulls of aging [[Vestige]] warships to bolster the ground forces of [[Jul 'Mdama's Covenant]].{{Ref/Book|Enc22|Page=305}}

[[Plasma lance]]s serve as a form of ultra-heavy plasma cannon, firing tightly-focused streams of high-velocity plasma at targets.{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22Naval}} Unlike [[plasma torpedo]] turrets, plasma cannons appear to be able to fire only in a straight line and are less powerful than plasma torpedoes. The bolts fired by plasma cannons are typically blue or blue-purple.{{Ref/Note|For an elaboration on the plasma cannons' relation to plasma torpedoes and the ambiguities in distinguishing between the two weapon systems, see [[Plasma torpedo#Terminology]].}}

==Models==
===Heavy plasma cannons===
;''Melusean''-pattern heavy plasma cannon
The ''Melusean'' is a widely-used pattern of heavy plasma cannon used across the Covenant fleet.
*{{Pattern|Ceudar|heavy corvette}} - 6x ''Melusean''-pattern heavy plasma cannons{{Ref/Book|Id=Enc22Corvettes|Enc22|Page=268-269}}{{Ref/Book|HWF|Page=64-65}}
*{{Pattern|Makar|light corvette}} - 4x ''Melusean''-pattern heavy plasma cannons{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22Corvettes}}
*{{Pattern|Mjern|agricultural support ship}} - 12x ''Melusean''-pattern heavy plasma cannon arrays{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22Corvettes}}{{Ref/Book|HWF|Page=68-69}}
*{{Pattern|Rasus|interdictor}} - 24x ''Melusean''-pattern heavy plasma cannons{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22Warships}}
*{{Pattern|Sinaris|heavy destroyer}} - 24x ''Melusean''-pattern heavy plasma cannons{{Ref/Book|Id=Enc22Warships|Enc22|Page=266-267}}{{Ref/Book|HWF|Page=60-61}}
*{{Pattern|Wik|light destroyer}} - 24x ''Melusean''-pattern heavy plasma cannons{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22Warships}}
*{{Pattern|Varric|heavy cruiser}} - 48x ''Melusean''-pattern heavy plasma cannons{{Ref/Book|Id=Enc22Cruisers|Enc22|Page=264-265}}{{Ref/Book|HWF|Page=76-77}}

===Plasma cannons===
;''Gaff Naran''-pattern plasma cannon
*{{Pattern|Hekar Taa|blockade runner}} - 24x ''Gaff Naran''-pattern plasma cannons{{Ref/Book|Id=Enc22Vestiges|Enc22|Page=270-271}}{{Ref/Book|HWF|Page=78-79}}
*{{Pattern|R'sikosh|man o' war}} - 8x ''Gaff Naran''-pattern plasma cannons{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22Vestiges}}

;''Morfen''-pattern plasma cannon
*{{Pattern|Ruma|light carrier}} - 7x ''Morfen''-pattern plasma cannons{{Ref/Book|Id=Enc22Carriers|Enc22|Page=262-263}}
*{{Pattern|Maugen|armored cruiser}} - 22x ''Morfen''-pattern plasma cannons{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22Cruisers}}

;''Sey''-pattern plasma cannon
*{{Pattern|Ester|armored frigate}} - 30x ''Sey''-pattern plasma cannons{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22Warships}}

;''Sono''-pattern plasma cannon
*{{Pattern|Ket|battlecruiser}} - 42x ''Sono''-pattern plasma cannons{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22Cruisers}}{{Ref/Book|HWF|Page=62-63}}

==Gameplay==
===''Halo: Fleet Battles''===
In ''[[Halo: Fleet Battles]]'', plasma cannons can be used aboard several Covenant ships. They generally have a range of 10/20" and Forward/Port/Starboard firing arcs. Ships that use plasma cannons include:
*[[Hekar Taa-pattern blockade runner|Blockade runner]]
*[[Ket-pattern battlecruiser|CCS-class battlecruiser]]
*[[Mjern-pattern agricultural support ship|DSC-class support ship]]
*[[Varric-pattern heavy cruiser|ORS-class heavy cruiser]]
*[[Maugen-pattern armored cruiser|RCS-class armored cruiser]]
*[[Ceudar-pattern heavy corvette|SDV-class heavy corvette]]

==Gallery==
<!--For the sake of categorization, this article assumes that the blue, unguided plasma bolts seen in the games are plasma cannon projectiles rather than plasma torpedoes. For more, see the "Terminology" section on the "Plasma torpedo" page.-->
<gallery>
File:HaloCE-PoA-Damaged.jpg|Plasma bolts impacting the {{UNSCShip|Pillar of Autumn}} in ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]''.
File:HaloReach - civiliantransport.jpg|An ''SDV''-class heavy corvette's plasma bolt impacting an evacuating [[Egret Spaceliner|civilian transport]] during the [[Fall of Reach]] in ''[[Halo: Reach]]''.
File:HR-CovenantCorvetteCannon.jpg|Render of the ''Ardent Prayer''{{'}}s plasma cannon.
File:HR-CovenantCorvetteCannon-crop.png|Cropped render of the previous image.
File:Corvette plasma cannons interior.jpg|The controls of the ''Ardent Prayer''{{'}}s plasma cannons.
File:Reach 468930 Full.jpg|A view of the plasma cannons on the ''Ardent Prayer''.
File:HR PlasmaCannon FuelCell Concept.png|Concept art for a plasma cannon's [[Plasma battery|fuel cell]] in ''Halo: Reach''.
File:HR PlasmaTank Concept.jpg|Concept art depicting an orthographic view of the plasma cannon fuel cell, alongside other kinds of plasma battery.
File:HReach - SDV plasma cannon fire.jpg|Two of a corvette's plasma cannons firing.
File:H5G-Blockaderunnerplasma.png|The plasma fire from a {{Pattern|Hekar Taa|blockade runner}} in ''[[Halo 5: Guardians]]''.
</gallery>

==List of appearances==
*''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]'' {{1st}}
*''[[Halo: The Flood]]''
*''[[Halo 2]]''
*''[[Halo 3]]''
*''[[Halo Wars]]''
*''[[Halo: Reach]]''
*''[[Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary]]''
*''[[Halo: Escalation]]''
*''[[Halo 2: Anniversary]]''
*''[[Halo: Hunters in the Dark]]''
*''[[Halo: Fleet Battles]]''
*''[[Halo 5: Guardians]]''
*''[[Halo: Smoke and Shadow]]''
*''[[Halo: Silent Storm]]''

==Notes==
{{Ref/Notes}}

==Sources==
{{Ref/Sources}}

{{Covenant heavy weapons}}
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[[Category:Covenant naval weapons]]
[[Category:Starship plasma weapons]]
[[Category:Directed-energy weapons]]