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# | {{Status|Canon}} | ||
[[File:Covenant Destroyers Glass Harvest.jpg|300px|thumb|''Sinaris''-pattern heavy destroyers glassing [[Harvest]] in [[2525]] with their ''Infernus''-pattern excavation beams.]] | |||
{{Quote|If I were [[UNSC Fleet Command|Fleet]], I'd be asking [[Huragok|them]] to add a ventral beam or three to [[UNSC Infinity|Infinity]].|[[Evan Phillips]]{{Ref/Novel|MorDi|Chapter=3}}}} | |||
'''Excavation beams''',{{Ref/Book|Id=Enc22|Enc22|Page=261}} sometimes referred to as '''cleansing beams''',{{Ref/Game|HW|Cleansing Beam in-game leader power}}{{Ref/Book|Id=EVG|EVG|Page=28}}{{Ref/Book|HM|Page=151}} are a sub-classification of [[energy projector]] developed and employed by the [[Covenant]] aboard the empire's [[Covenant starship|starships]].{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}} Excavation beams are often referred to colloquially as '''ventral beams''' due to their placement aboard spacecraft; their primary function is that of [[glassing]] and excavation work, meaning that they are fitted on the ships' ventral surfaces to point downward at a [[planet]]ary target on the ground.{{Ref/Reuse|EVG}} | |||
Excavation beams are broadly similar to [[plasma lance]]s (and their smaller counterpart [[plasma beam emitter]]s) in operation, though are very different in use. Where the latter examples are used as anti-[[warship]] weapons for use in [[space warfare]], excavation beams serve more as a utility tool for unearthing hidden [[Forerunner]] artefacts buried below the ground or for performing [[orbital bombardment]] on hostile positions.{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}} | |||
==Overview== | |||
[[File:Portal_odst.png|thumb|250px|A fleet of Covenant ships using their excavation beams to unearth the [[Portal at Voi]].]] | |||
Excavation beams consist of massive [[plasma]] generators combined with focusing arrays that are capable of channelling the entire output of a ship's [[pinch fusion reactor]] into a single fount of energy.{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}} | |||
The operators of excavation beams treat their work as an art, carefully manipulating the magnetic fields and plasma output to their needs.{{Ref/Reuse|WFCPV}} This can allow the beams to be used to delicately unearth buried Forerunner artefacts, burn sigils into a planet's crust, or completely sterilise the ground by bombarding the surface with such heat and intensity that the ground is melted into glass. This process is termed "[[glassing]]", and was one of the foremost symbols of Covenant destruction during the [[Human-Covenant War]]. Despite appearing to be an act of senseless destruction, the Covenant treat this as a statement of [[Covenant religion|religious conviction]] and of military expediency.{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}} | |||
===Usage=== | |||
[[File:Kholo_14.png|thumb|250px|A Covenant fleet using their excavation beams to carve the glyph for "Faith" into the surface of [[Kholo]].]] | |||
Excavation beams are predominantly fitted aboard the Covenant's [[capital ship]]s, with all but the absolute-largest [[Covenant carrier#Supercarriers|supercarriers]] equipping only one such weapon due to their size and scope. They are a standard fitting on [[Covenant cruiser]]s, [[Covenant carrier]]s and [[Covenant destroyer]]s, with the destroyers serving in effect as dedicated platforms to host excavation beams and initiate the Covenant's scorched earth policy against consecrated worlds.{{Ref/Site|Id=WPDestroyers|URL=https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/universe/vehicles/covenant-destroyer|Site=Halo Waypoint|Page=Covenant Destroyer|D=30|M=06|Y=2022}} Despite being much smaller, they mount excavation beam models identical to the larger assault carriers, with the front third of the ''Sinaris''-pattern dominated by the excavation beam and the enormous reactor needed to support it.{{Ref/Reuse|WFCPV}} Due to their near-sole focus on destructive energy (both with their excavation beams and their other regular anti-ship weapons), destroyers are classed as part of the [[Executioner (ship type)|executioner]] category of vessels - considered a dishonourable assignment and kept at arm's length by [[High Charity]].{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22Warships}}{{Ref/Reuse|WFCPV}} | |||
==Models== | |||
===Superheavy excavation beams=== | |||
;''Elseon''-pattern superheavy excavation beam | |||
*{{Pattern|Lursu|brigantine}} - 1x ''Elseon''-pattern superheavy excavation beam{{Ref/Book|Id=Enc22Vestiges|Enc22|Page=270-271}} | |||
;''Infernus''-pattern superheavy excavation beam | |||
*{{Pattern|Kerel|assault carrier}} - 1x ''Infernus''-pattern superheavy excavation beam{{Ref/Book|Id=Enc22Carriers|Enc22|Page=262-263}}{{Ref/Book|Id=WF|HWF|Page=70-71}} | |||
*{{Pattern|Syfon|assault carrier}} - 1x ''Infernus''-pattern superheavy excavation beam{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22Carriers}} | |||
*{{Pattern|Sinaris|heavy destroyer}} - 1x ''Infernus''-pattern superheavy excavation beam{{Ref/Book|Id=Enc22Warships|Enc22|Page=266-267}}{{Ref/Book|Id=WFCPV|HWF|Page=60-61}} | |||
*{{Pattern|Wik|light destroyer}} - 1x ''Infernus''-pattern superheavy excavation beam{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22Warships}} | |||
;''Lux''-pattern superheavy excavation beam | |||
*{{Pattern|Sh'wada|supercarrier}} - 1x ''Lux''-pattern superheavy excavation beam array{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22Carriers}} | |||
===Excavation beams=== | |||
;''Excellen''-pattern excavation beam | |||
*{{Pattern|Maugen|armored cruiser}} - 1x ''Excellen''-pattern excavation beam{{Ref/Book|Id=Enc22Cruisers|Enc22|Page=264-265}} | |||
;''Phar''-pattern excavation beam | |||
*{{Pattern|Varric|heavy cruiser}} - 1x ''Phar''-pattern excavation beam{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22Cruisers}}{{Ref/Book|HWF|Page=76-77}} | |||
;''Pherex''-pattern excavation beam | |||
*{{Pattern|Hekar Taa|blockade runner}} - 1x ''Pherex''-pattern excavation beam{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22Vestiges}}{{Ref/Book|HWF|Page=78-79}} | |||
;''Profero''-pattern excavation beam | |||
*{{Pattern|Ket|battlecruiser}} - 1x ''Profero''-pattern excavation beam{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22Cruisers}}{{Ref/Book|HWF|Page=62-63}} | |||
==Sources== | |||
{{Ref/Sources}} | |||
{{Covenant heavy weapons}} | |||
[[Category:Covenant naval weapons]] | |||
[[Category:Starship weapons]] | |||
[[Category:Directed-energy weapons]] | |||