Forerunner starship



Forerunner starships are ships used by the Forerunner species as a whole, including their Ecumene.

Organization
Ship designs were dynamic for the Forerunners. As such, classifications weren't based on incorporated systems or role, but rather on its formative nature within the era it was constructed. The Forerunners grouped warships into orders of battle based on defensive and offensive capabilities. This manifested as numbered orders for ships.

The Builders, Miners, and Lifeworkers all operated ships. Builder Security and the Warrior-Servants also operated numerous warships.

Design and specifications
A special type of design seed is used to construct Forerunner ships, known as ship-seeds.

Human-Forerunner wars
During the Human-Forerunner wars, Forerunner starships and Human starships fought one another. An example of this was during the Battle of Charum Hakkor.

High Ecumene
In the millennia preceding the outbreak of the Flood War, during the High Ecumene period, the Skirr-class battlecruisers and the Second-order fast frigates were put into service. Only decades before the war, Raptors were also put into service.

Forerunner-Flood war
Forerunner ships participated in the Forerunner-Flood war. Some of which became infected by the Flood.

Legacy
After the Great Purification of 97,445 BCE, Keyships played a role in the Reintroduction of species to their homeworld. One Keyship, the Anodyne Spirit, was hijacked by Mendicant Bias and would end up crash landing on the San'Shyuum homeworld of Janjur Qom. This ship would be later seen as a religious artifact to the species and would later become part of the Covenant's holy city of High Charity along with a from Tuluk'katho.

Numerous other Forerunner ships ended up being buried, like one under the Babd Catha Ice Shelf on Reach or one buried on Installation 05.

Production notes
A pitched map for Halo 4, Genessis, was to feature a Keyship in its scenery.