Magnetic Accelerator Cannon: Difference between revisions
From Halopedia, the Halo wiki
Maccabeuse (talk | contribs) (correcting the mistake that a single mac from any ship will destroy a covenant ship.) |
No edit summary |
||
| Line 47: | Line 47: | ||
It is theorized that if a ship's armor or shields were to absorb all the kinetic energy of a super MAC round, the release of thermodynamic energy would still vaporize the ship. By receiving power from [[Orbital Defense Generator|ground-based power plants]], orbital platforms could achieve recharge and reload times as short as five seconds. | It is theorized that if a ship's armor or shields were to absorb all the kinetic energy of a super MAC round, the release of thermodynamic energy would still vaporize the ship. By receiving power from [[Orbital Defense Generator|ground-based power plants]], orbital platforms could achieve recharge and reload times as short as five seconds. | ||
==Related | ==Related technologies== | ||
===M68 Gauss Cannon=== | ===M68 Gauss Cannon=== | ||
{{Main|M68 Gauss Cannon}} | {{Main|M68 Gauss Cannon}} | ||
| Line 59: | Line 59: | ||
The M92 Principle Gauss Cannon is a Magnetic Accelerator Weapon that runs along the length of the [[Open Frame 92/Extra-Vehicular Activity]]. | The M92 Principle Gauss Cannon is a Magnetic Accelerator Weapon that runs along the length of the [[Open Frame 92/Extra-Vehicular Activity]]. | ||
===Mass | ===Mass drivers=== | ||
{{Main|Mass Driver}} | {{Main|Mass Driver}} | ||
The mass driver is a somewhat primitive United Nations Space Command orbital launch assembly designed to propel low-weight payloads into orbit, otherwise known as orbital lifting. The operating principle of the mass driver is essentially the same as that of the Magnetic Accelerator Cannon: it is a large coilgun that magnetically accelerates a package consisting of a magnetizable holder containing a payload. | The mass driver is a somewhat primitive United Nations Space Command orbital launch assembly designed to propel low-weight payloads into orbit, otherwise known as orbital lifting. The operating principle of the mass driver is essentially the same as that of the Magnetic Accelerator Cannon: it is a large coilgun that magnetically accelerates a package consisting of a magnetizable holder containing a payload. | ||
[[File:Onager.jpg|thumb|right|An Onager MAC on [[Reach]] in the [[Aszod ship breaking yards]]]] | [[File:Onager.jpg|thumb|right|An Onager MAC on [[Reach]] in the [[Aszod ship breaking yards]]]] | ||
While not a purpose-built weapon like the UNSC's Magnetic Accelerator Cannon, these platforms are still potent weapons of opportunity. While never formally incorporated as a weapon, mass drivers have been used at as defensive magnetic accelerator weapons at [[Harvest]], [[the Rubble]], and [[Reach]]. | While not a purpose-built weapon like the UNSC's Magnetic Accelerator Cannon, these platforms are still potent weapons of opportunity. While never formally incorporated as a weapon, mass drivers have been used at as defensive magnetic accelerator weapons at [[Harvest]], [[the Rubble]], and [[Reach]]. | ||
==Halo Wars== | |||
[[File:MAC Blast.JPG|thumb|right|The MAC Blast in use.]] | [[File:MAC Blast.JPG|thumb|right|The MAC Blast in use.]] | ||
===MAC | ===MAC blast=== | ||
{{Quote|Use the Spirit of Fire's awesome Mass Accelerator Cannon to incinerate enemy troops.|In-game description.}} | {{Quote|Use the Spirit of Fire's awesome Mass Accelerator Cannon to incinerate enemy troops.|In-game description.}} | ||
In ''[[Halo Wars]]'', the '''MAC Blast''' ability allows the player to use the {{UNSCShip|Spirit of Fire}}'s MAC for pinpoint [[orbital bombardment]]. It is mainly used as a support weapon to help the UNSC penetrate heavy Covenant defenses and Covenant bases, and is a potent weapon against [[Type-47 Ultra Heavy Assault Platform|Scarabs]]. | In ''[[Halo Wars]]'', the '''MAC Blast''' ability allows the player to use the {{UNSCShip|Spirit of Fire}}'s MAC for pinpoint [[orbital bombardment]]. It is mainly used as a support weapon to help the UNSC penetrate heavy Covenant defenses and Covenant bases, and is a potent weapon against [[Type-47 Ultra Heavy Assault Platform|Scarabs]]. | ||
| Line 76: | Line 78: | ||
==Speculation== | ==Speculation== | ||
{{Conjecturalization}} | {{Conjecturalization}} | ||
===Other MAC | ===Other MAC sizes=== | ||
Although never explicitly elaborated upon, there may be many more different sizes of MAC weaponry based on the size of possible mounts. For example, one might extrapolate that a [[UNSC | Although never explicitly elaborated upon, there may be many more different sizes of MAC weaponry based on the size of possible mounts. For example, one might extrapolate that a [[UNSC frigate|frigate]] would mount a smaller, less powerful cannon than a [[UNSC Supercarrier|supercarrier]] or a {{Class|Marathon|Cruiser}}, if only for power management issues. | ||
Conceivably, a 'large' ship could mount many 'small' MACs. However, the lack of such occurrences might suggest that the power of a MAC, once the mass and volume of all attendant components (i.e. capacitors) are accounted for, does not scale linearly. However destroyers and ''Marathon''-class Cruisers are outfitted with two MAC cannons. The [[UNSC Pillar of Autumn|Pillar of Autumn]] had one large MAC cannon which could fire three 144 ton "shredder" rounds in succession on a single charge | Conceivably, a 'large' ship could mount many 'small' MACs. However, the lack of such occurrences might suggest that the power of a MAC, once the mass and volume of all attendant components (i.e. capacitors) are accounted for, does not scale linearly. However destroyers and ''Marathon''-class Cruisers are outfitted with two MAC cannons. The [[UNSC Pillar of Autumn|Pillar of Autumn]] had one large MAC cannon which could fire three 144 ton "shredder" rounds in succession on a single charge. | ||
{{Conjecturalization End}} | {{Conjecturalization End}} | ||
| Line 86: | Line 88: | ||
==Trivia== | ==Trivia== | ||
*The Magnetic Accelerator Cannon | *The Magnetic Accelerator Cannon has been wrongly addressed twice in the ''Halo'' series It is called the "''Mass ''Accelerator Cannon" in ''[[Halo: Contact Harvest]]'', and the "''Mass Accelerated'' Cannon" in ''[[Halo Wars]]''. The first reference may be a confusion between the MAC and the mass driver, which is a non-military application of similar technologies. The second reference may be a grammatical error also referring to the mass driver. | ||
*The | *The {{UNSCship|Spirit of Fire}}'s MAC is unable to penetrate a Covenant [[Citadel (Covenant)|citadel]]'s [[Shield Generator (Covenant)|shield]] in ''[[Halo Wars]]'' with one round. This could be because of the use of a less-powerful-than-normal rounds or lower-than-normal charge, or because of the high resistance of the shield. It may also be because the round loses kinetic energy and mass as it enters atmosphere from orbit. Another possibility is that the ''Spirit of Fire'''s MAC was designed for ground support and not ship-to-ship engagements, thus firing weaker rounds to avoid friendly casualties. The last theory might explain why the MAC cannon could fire multiple shots in quick succession. However, its weak power in ''Halo Wars'' may only be for gameplay purposes. | ||
*The total energy released from the impact of a MAC round fired from a UNSC Orbital Defense Platform releases a colossal 216.7 exajoules of energy. To put this in perspective, this is about 3,423,829 times the energy released from the atomic bomb detonated over Hiroshima in World War II, which released a comparatively small 63 terajoules of energy. | *The total energy released from the impact of a MAC round fired from a UNSC Orbital Defense Platform releases a colossal 216.7 exajoules of energy. To put this in perspective, this is about 3,423,829 times the energy released from the atomic bomb detonated over Hiroshima in World War II, which released a comparatively small 63 terajoules of energy. | ||
| Line 93: | Line 95: | ||
<gallery widths="150" captionalign="left"> | <gallery widths="150" captionalign="left"> | ||
File:Coilgun animation.gif|The basic design of a coilgun. | File:Coilgun animation.gif|The basic design of a coilgun. | ||
File:Mac.jpg|Three UNSC Frigates unleashing their MAC on the Forerunner Dreadnought over the [[ | File:Mac.jpg|Three UNSC Frigates unleashing their MAC on the Forerunner Dreadnought over the [[the Artifact]]. | ||
File:Halo3 - FrigateAssault.png|MAC charges impacting the Dreadnought, to little effect. | File:Halo3 - FrigateAssault.png|MAC charges impacting the Dreadnought, to little effect. | ||
File:Navesota.jpg|The front view of a UNSC | File:Navesota.jpg|The front view of a UNSC frigate's MAC cannon. | ||
File:Halo3 - MAC muzzle.jpg|A close view of the MAC muzzle of a UNSC | File:Halo3 - MAC muzzle.jpg|A close view of the MAC muzzle of a UNSC frigate. | ||
File:POA-MAC Schematic.jpg|An overlay of the ''Pillar of Autumn'' and its | File:POA-MAC Schematic.jpg|An overlay of the ''Pillar of Autumn'' and its MAC position. | ||
File:Cairo Mac firing.jpg|An example of an Orbital Defense Platform firing its "Super" Magnetic Accelerator Cannon. | File:Cairo Mac firing.jpg|An example of an Orbital Defense Platform firing its "Super" Magnetic Accelerator Cannon. | ||
File:Nassau.png|[[Nassau Station]] firing its MAC. | File:Nassau.png|[[Nassau Station]] firing its MAC. | ||
File:MAC - Bombardment.jpg|A MAC round impacting a planetary surface. | File:MAC - Bombardment.jpg|A MAC round impacting a planetary surface. | ||
File:PoAMAC.jpg|The UNSC Pillar of Autumn's MAC | File:PoAMAC.jpg|The muzzle of the UNSC ''Pillar of Autumn'''s MAC. | ||
</gallery> | </gallery> | ||
