Akton-pattern escort

The Akton-pattern escort, is a class of escort ship that was in service with the now-defunct fleet of the Covenant during the Human-Covenant War.

Design details
Considered to be a ship for protectors and shepherds, Akton-pattern escorts were rare and valued antiquities within the Covenant fleet, having gained prominence from the Fourth Age of Conversion in which the Covenant spread knowledge of their Great Journey to a new species. The Fourth Age of Conversion was also an age of conflict, leading to Akton-pattern escorts being commissioned to provide protection to Covenant merchants and pilgrims from pirates that lurked throughout the empire's space.

Armament
In their role as conservator escorts for merchants and pilgrims, Aktons are suitably outfitted with twelve Sintra-pattern plasma torpedo silos and six Phot-pattern pulse laser turrets.

Crew and complement
Despite their reputation, Akton-pattern ships were typically manned by shamed warriors who had fallen from grace. Such warriors donned the mantle of protectors and shepherds, in the hopes of restoring their honour.

Usage
The Akton was commissioned during the Fourth Age of Age of Abandonment, though truly appeared enter prominence in the Fourth Age of Conversion to assist in bringing a new race into the Covenant hegemony. During this Age, it also provided protection to Covenant merchants and pilgrims from the pirates which lurked imperial space and the greed of zealous ministers seeking to expand their influence and wealth. The Akton has continued to see service predominantly in the core Covenant space since, and was a less common sight in the crusading fleets which fought in the Human-Covenant War. In the post-war era, Akton-pattern ships continue to attend noble fleets and defend weaker pilgrims and merchants from opportunistic predators.

Halo: Fleet Battles
In Halo: Fleet Battles, escorts are more commonly used in the game as support ships escorting larger warships. As such, they only have one individual stand, consisting of three such vessels acting as a trio. Most of their deployment stats consist of one or two ADPs being deployed to support a larger warship. See the following pages for details:

Covenant ADP Escort Tri-Formation
The ADP Tri-Escort has the following special rule:
 * All ADP Escort Formations in a Battle Group can add their Point Defense to that of any Capital Formation in the same Battle Group, but only when the Capital Formation is attacked by weapons with the Missiles Loadout.

List of appearances

 * Halo: Fleet Battles