Marathon-class heavy cruiser

The Marathon-class Cruiser is a class of UNSC Navy warships. At 1,190 meters, they are some of the largest and most powerful warships ever utilized by humanity, built as a replacement for their aging s. Their numbers were limited, and they were usually commanded by the highest ranking officers.

Description
These warships replaced the s. These behemoths, at 1,190 meters, are slightly under three times the length of a UNSC Frigate. They are also known for their heavy armor; they can survive multiple plasma impacts and are able to sustain far greater damage than any UNSC Frigate or UNSC Destroyer can. Due to their size, durability and firepower (2 MACs as well as dozens of oversized Archer missile pods), these massive vessels are commanded by UNSC Admirals and primarily serve as command/capital ships for UNSC fleets.

Use
Due to their diminishing numbers, and the onslaught of the genocidal Covenant, further numbers of these great cruisers have been reassigned to the defense of the Inner Colonies. They were considered extremely valuable in terms of firepower and armor, and it was seen to by the UNSC admiralty that they were only used in the most dire and occasional of circumstances. Marathons were present at the Battle of Sigma Octanus IV and the Fall of Reach. Twelve saw action at the Battle of Earth under Fleet Admiral Harper and another was part of Battle Group Stalingrad during the Battle of Onyx. It's likely that some were also engaged in later battles.

Ships of the Line

 * - Flagship of Admiral Stanforth. Likely lost during the events of Halo: The Fall of Reach.
 * - Destroyed in 2552.
 * - Destroyed in 2531.
 * - The ship on which Halo 3: ODST begins.
 * - Destroyed over Biko. Carried a saddle box drive.

Trivia

 * In Halo: The Fall of Reach, the Marathon classification is erroneously labeled as a Carrier.
 * The name Marathon could possibly be a reference to the Battle of Marathon, fought in 490 BC where heavily outnumbered Athenians and Plataeans defeated an army of Persians who were trying to conquer Greece. This battle was also simulated by Wellsley, Antonio Silva's AI, while he was unoccupied in Halo: The Flood. This battle also gave its name to Bungie's previous Marathon game series, and the name of this classification of ships may be a reference to the said series.
 * In Halo: The Fall of Reach, it is mentioned that the Leviathan was one of twenty UNSC cruisers left in the Fleet, which were being slowly pulled back to protect the Inner Colonies. It should be noted however, that well over twenty cruisers can be seen orbiting Earth in Halo 2. It is also possible that Fleet numbers and locations were highly classified secrets, and the UNSC purposefully lied about its remaining numbers of cruisers to gain any potential advantage they could. It is also possible that the UNSC pulled every warship it could find back to Earth and significantly increased ship production, although this is unlikely due to the loss of the shipyards at Reach.
 * In Halo 2 on Cairo Station, it shows Marathon-class cruisers continuously coming by, and a tactical display on the bridge showed eight cruisers, along with 67 frigates in the battle group near the Cairo's battle cluster. This may lead to the assumption that there may be dozens of Marathon-class cruisers in the UNSC Home Fleet, due to the Marathon's effectiveness and Earth's high-priority nature.

List of appearances

 * Halo 2
 * Halo Wars
 * Halo 3: ODST
 * Halo: The Fall of Reach
 * Halo: First Strike
 * Tug o' War
 * Halo: Ghosts of Onyx
 * Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe
 * The Impossible Life and the Possible Death of Preston J. Cole
 * Halo Graphic Novel
 * Second Sunrise Over New Mombasa
 * Halo Wars: Genesis
 * Halo: Fall of Reach - Boot Camp