Particle cannon: Difference between revisions

*[[Forerunner-Flood War]]<ref name="Silentium" />

|ammotype=Ionized particles<ref name="H4EVG" />

|rate=*Continuous beam<ref name="Hold the Line" />

|range=Long<ref name="Reclaimer" />

A '''particle cannon''' is a type of [[Forerunner]] [[Directed-energy weapon|directed energy]] [[particle beam weapon]] that fires a hyper-dense beam of negatively charged ions.<ref name="H4EVG" /> Ranging from a few meters<ref name="Osiris"/> to hundreds of meters long,<ref name="H4EVG" /> particle cannons were installed on a multitude of [[ecumene]] worlds and used in the defense of important Forerunner installations.<ref name="Hold the Line" /><ref name="Reclaimer" /><ref name="Osiris"/>

The [[Z-8060 particle cannon|Z-8060 High-Impact Particle Weapon]], as it is designated by the [[United Nations Space Command]], is a model of particle cannon almost five-hundred meters in length which consists of a spherical firing assembly surrounded by three curved "arms."<ref name="H4EVG" /> Several Z-8060s were used to defend the [[Gravity well|gravity well generator]] of the Forerunner [[shield world]], [[Requiem]].<ref name="Reclaimer" />

Smaller particle cannons identical in appearance to the Z-8060s were installed on the [[Didact]]'s vessel, ''[[Mantle's Approach]]'', and used for point-defense against other ships.<ref name="Midnight" /> In [[2557]], after being dormant for one-hundred millennia,<ref name="String 37">'''[[Halo: Silentium]]''', ''String 37''</ref> the weapons were reactivated for use against the [[UNSC Home Fleet]]. Four were destroyed by [[John-117]] with an [[F-41 Broadsword]] fighter to enable to {{UNSCShip|Infinity}} to get a clear shot on the ''Mantle's Approach'', blasting open a hole for John to enter the ship with a [[HAVOK tactical nuclear weapon]] to destroy the ship.<ref name="Midnight" />

Multiple several-meter-long particle cannons similar in appearance to Z-8060s were positioned around<ref name="Osiris"/> an access point to the [[Domain]] on an [[Astroengineering|artificial]] Forerunner world, known as [[Kamchatka]] to [[human]]ity.<ref name="Kamchatka">[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/universe/locations/kamchatka '''Halo Waypoint''': ''Kamchatka'']</ref> The cannons were reactivated during an [[Battle of Kamchatka|invasion]] by [[Jul 'Mdama]]'s [[Jul 'Mdama's Covenant|Covenant]] in [[2558#October|October 2558]] and fired bursts of particle energy at the attacking aircraft and spacecraft.<ref name="Osiris"/>

Particle cannons were also positioned across the surface of [[Installation 00]], also known as the Ark. The firing mechanisms of these cannons were embedded in the surface of the Ark and fired a blue particle beam upwards between three "prongs."<ref name="Hold the Line" /> In [[2559]],<ref name="A New Enemy">'''[[Halo Wars 2]]''', campaign level ''[[A New Enemy]]''</ref> Professor [[Ellen Anders]] of the {{UNSCShip|Spirit of Fire}} learned the location of one of these particle cannons from the Ark's [[Cartographer#Installation 00|Cartographer]].<ref>'''[[Halo Wars 2]]''', campaign level ''[[The Cartographer]]''</ref> As part of [[Isabel]]'s plan, Anders assumed control over the particle cannon in order to help destroy the [[Banished]] {{Class|CAS|assault carrier}} ''[[Enduring Conviction]]'' though the cannon by itself was not powerful enough to destroy the ship. Instead, the cannon was used to immobilize the ship and drain its [[energy shield]]s. However, even with Anders drawing as much power as she could into the cannon, it still took around half an hour to fully drain the carrier's shields during which time [[Douglas-042]] and UNSC forces were forced to fend off a massive Banished attack. Once the carrier's shield was down, the UNSC forces abandoned the cannon to the Banished.<ref name="Hold the Line" /> With the shields down, [[Jerome-092]] was able to board the ''Enduring Conviction'' where Isabel provoked the Ark's defending [[Sentinel]]s to destroy the ship.<ref>'''[[Halo Wars 2]]''', campaign level ''[[Under the Dark]]''</ref>