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Human-Covenant War: Difference between revisions
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[[File:HW Trailer Battle.jpg|250px|thumb|left|The Human-Covenant war.]] | [[File:HW Trailer Battle.jpg|250px|thumb|left|The Human-Covenant war.]] | ||
From that point on, the Covenant continued to attack and destroy the humans wherever they were found, using their [[Luminary|Luminaries]] to find human worlds. Though the UNSC forces fought bravely, their inferior technology and numbers meant that even a ''close'' victory was far from guaranteed. The Covenant, fighting a war of extermination, did not need to commit to full ground invasions except in special circumstances; their ships simply needed to destroy space-borne defenses and any other threats around the planet. They would then reduce the planet's surface to glass with orbital plasma bombardment.<ref>''[[Halo Encyclopedia (2009 edition)]]'', Chapter 1, p. 33</ref> In general, human missiles and magnetic acceleration weapons were asymmetrically matched with Covenant energy shields and plasma weaponry. The few major victories achieved by the UNSC were usually due to tactical genius, extensive use of nuclear weapons, the rapid deployment of Spartan teams, or decisive ground engagements where UNSC technology and skill outmatched Covenant tactics. At the outset of the war, the UNSC employed a [[Wikipedia:defence in depth|defence in depth]] tactical doctrine, making extensive use of [[ | From that point on, the Covenant continued to attack and destroy the humans wherever they were found, using their [[Luminary|Luminaries]] to find human worlds. Though the UNSC forces fought bravely, their inferior technology and numbers meant that even a ''close'' victory was far from guaranteed. The Covenant, fighting a war of extermination, did not need to commit to full ground invasions except in special circumstances; their ships simply needed to destroy space-borne defenses and any other threats around the planet. They would then reduce the planet's surface to glass with orbital plasma bombardment.<ref>''[[Halo Encyclopedia (2009 edition)]]'', Chapter 1, p. 33</ref> In general, human missiles and magnetic acceleration weapons were asymmetrically matched with Covenant energy shields and plasma weaponry. The few major victories achieved by the UNSC were usually due to tactical genius, extensive use of nuclear weapons, the rapid deployment of Spartan teams, or decisive ground engagements where UNSC technology and skill outmatched Covenant tactics. At the outset of the war, the UNSC employed a [[Wikipedia:defence in depth|defence in depth]] tactical doctrine, making extensive use of [[M5 Talos|automated turrets]] to delay Covenant forces.<ref name="PL Turret">''Halo Wars 2'', [[Phoenix Logs]] - Turret</ref> They were eventually forced to abandon this doctrine as the war continued to grind down human armies and industrial centres{{Ref/Reuse|PL Turret}}, learning the dangers of relying on fixed installations when employed against enemies with orbital fire support.<ref name="PL Siege">''Halo Wars 2'', [[Phoenix Logs]] - Siege Turret</ref> The UNSC began to develop a modular [[firebase]] system (based on pre-existing [[colony starter unit]]s used for colonization of planets<ref>[http://www.halowars.com/GameInfo/UNSC.aspx ''Official Halo Wars Community Site'': UNSC] (defunct, [[Archive:Halowars.com/UNSC|Archived]])</ref>) in response to pinpoint Covenant targeting of large military command and control installations with orbital strikes, and the inability of standard counter battery systems to detect, deflect, or defeat plasma-based artillery bombardment.<ref name="PL Siege"/> | ||
After just six years of combat, space battles with the Covenant had depleted the UNSC's nuclear stockpile to almost nothing in some sectors of space.<ref>'''[[Halo: Ghosts of Onyx]]''', ''page 34''</ref> For twenty-seven years, the Covenant whittled down the UNSC planet by planet. Despite this, the UNSC kept the war secret to the public in the first few months of engagement. | After just six years of combat, space battles with the Covenant had depleted the UNSC's nuclear stockpile to almost nothing in some sectors of space.<ref>'''[[Halo: Ghosts of Onyx]]''', ''page 34''</ref> For twenty-seven years, the Covenant whittled down the UNSC planet by planet. Despite this, the UNSC kept the war secret to the public in the first few months of engagement. | ||