Chronique:Canon Fodder - En Voyage
 |
Hawk (lui écrire) est en ce moment même en train de travailler en profondeur sur cet article ou cette section. Merci de ne pas le modifier pour limiter les risques de conflit de versions jusqu'à disparition de cet avertissement.
Enlevez ce modèle dès que la refonte est finie ; si la refonte doit être continuée, utilisez : {{Tocomplete}}. |
BY GRIMBROTHER ONE - 4/10/2017
ISSUE 98
Oh… hello! Don’t worry, it only feels like it’s been 100,000 years since our last Fodder foray. Today we’re taking an opportunity to look at a couple of new and upcoming additions to the Halo universe, and are glad you’ve come along for the ride. Shall we begin?
.jpg)
Back at our Emerald City Comic Con panel, we unveiled the cover art for the upcoming novel Halo: Envoy. This gorgeous new piece by 343 concept artist Chase Toole (who also is responsible for many of the Forerunner-era art pieces in Halo Mythos) evokes a range of connected themes and emotions that readers will become quite familiar with as they read through the new tale when it hits on April 25. In fact, there are actually several little details tucked into the cover art, with some perhaps not becoming as obvious until you guys all get your hands on the book yourselves. And speaking of the art, click the image here for a sans-mechanicals version of the art that will turn your phone lock screen or background into a dynamic desert tapestry.
Even as we worked through various editing iterations of the novel, I already found myself falling in love with some of the characters – human and alien alike. And as a lore fan, there are some scenes and interactions that are just… sublime. In case you haven’t seen it already, here is the official setup for Halo: Envoy:
- It has been six years since the end of the Covenant War...and yet on the planet Carrow, a world on the edge of the Joint Occupation Zone, a decisive new battle suddenly erupts. Human colonists and the alien Sangheili have already been living a tension-filled co-existence in this place, with Unified Earth Government envoy
- Melody Azikiwe attempting to broker a lasting peace between their two species. But as civil war now engulfs the Sangheili settlers, Melody must act on an additional covert assignment courtesy of the Office of Naval Intelligence: find a way to free the SPARTAN-IIs known as Gray Team, held in stasis since the end of the war by a cunning Elite fleetmaster consumed with vengeance. And none can anticipate the ongoing violence leading to the discovery of an even greater, unstoppable threat—one hidden for eons below the surface of the planet….
Halo: Envoy lands on April 25, and you can preorder your own copy right here (and in audio book form).
Carrow Cartographer
One of my personal favorite little additions to come alongside Halo: Envoy is the inclusion of an illustrated map that showcases the relevant regions and landmarks on Carrow that readers will encounter throughout the novel. Drawn and doted on by 343’s own Sarah Campbell, the map is a simple and awesome experience-enhancer that goes a long way in helping fans build an even more vivid mental picture of the events and escapades described in the book, and we thought it might be a fun tease to let you get an advanced lay of the land, so to speak – a little bit of reading-recon to helped get you hyped for Gray Team’s return.
.jpg)
Fleet Elite
We move from turbulence to tabletop with our next Halo: Fleet Battles update. Our friends and partners at Spartan Games has two new additions to the space-faring tabletop game, and as is standard fare, we’ve got some sweet new background details to go right along with it.
Autumn-class Heavy Cruiser
.jpg)
Next-generation UNSC warship.
- This Autumn-class Heavy Cruiser represents a considerable leap forwards in human warship design, and is a testament to the UNSCs post-Covenant War technological prowess. Using improvements and modifications made to the Halcyon-class light cruiser for Operation: RED FLAG as a starting point, the naval architects at SinoViet Heavy Machinery have added energy shield-reinforced armor, powerful fusion drives, long-range targeting matrixes, and a state-of-the art magnetic accelerator cannon. These new weapons and systems are continually being improved to give the UNSC a competitive edge in battles against Covenant remnants and other threats that may yet arise.
In Halo: Fleet Battles the Autumn-class is the first UNSC warship to incorporate post-war technologies, with System Loadouts previously only seen on Covenant vessels, such as Defense Arrays. It’s MAC also benefits from updated gunnery systems, represented by the new Advanced Targeting special rule. In boarding actions the Autumn-class can be upgraded with ODST Strike Teams: veteran fighters who can stand toe-to-toe with the Covenant’s best!
Carrack Merchant Cruiser
.jpg)
These ancient ships slumber no more.
- These ships of war are relics dating to the foundation of the Covenant, recovered from fleet ossuaries to fight once again after its dissolution. Though ancient in human terms, the Carracks’ reactors still burn with the fury of caged stars and their hulls shimmer with nigh-unbreakable shells of energy. In the modern era they have found a role as versatile cruisers and carriers, reinforcing naval battle groups and transporting armies under the flag of a dozen factions and would-be warlords.
In Halo: Fleet Battles the Carrack relies on its hull strength and short-range plasma beam rather than the array of ultra-tech countermeasures and lances normally expected from Covenant vessels. It can smash through resistance to deliver its Hunter assault cadres and deliver devastating Plasma Cannon Array broadsides. Once a Carrack closes in, the shipmaster can order the use of Plasma Overload, unleashing a devastating torrent of energy but causing significant stress on the hull.
.jpg)
Click the individual ship titles above to snag copies for your own tabletop tirades – or just to fill some Halo-sized spaces on your collection shelf!
That will do it for this issue. As many fans have already noted, we’re coming up on a pretty awesome milestone for your favorite fiction feature, and we’re excited about a few different ways we’d like to celebrate, so be sure to stay tuned and keep an eye out for more in the future.
And speaking staying tuned, make sure you listen out for first details on an awesome new addition coming to the Halo Wars 2 experience that will open up an entirely new can of worms – word has it there might be some new canonically-intriguing details later this week for us to bond over…
Until next time… Live well, play Halo, and watch your back while out in the desert.
<3
Grim