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Description
At just over 1.17 kilometers in length and one-third the tonnage of the succeeding Marathon class, the Halcyons were the smallest of vessels to be designated and structured as cruisers. Compared to later ships, the original Halcyons were sorely underpowered and undergunned: their Mark II fusion engines provided but a tenth of the output of modern reactors and their armament consisted of a mere six Archer missile pods and a single MAC gun. According to the AI Cortana, these ships were considered laughable within the UNSC fleet.

When the Human-Covenant War erupted in 2525 a number of Halcyon cruisers were reactivated from storage and refitted. With the right upgrades, a Halcyon-class cruiser could be a formidable foe. During the Fall of Reach, the upgraded UNSC Pillar of Autumn was able to inflict damage far beyond its tonnage, engaging and destroying Covenant frigates, a DDS-class carrier and a powerful warship of unspecified class. Later, in orbit above the Forerunner construct known as Halo, the Autumn destroyed four additional CCS-class cruisers under the guidance of the AI Cortana. While much of this success was due to the tactical genius of Captain Jacob Keyes and his crew, the upgraded Autumn was highly resilient and capable of unleashing tremendous artillery barrages.

The ship's main Magnetic Accelerator Cannon was enhanced to fire in three-round bursts. While each individual round was weakened, this firing pattern typically ensured at least one projectile would penetrate a Covenant vessel's shields. Damaged, the targeted ship could then be overwhelmed with Archer missiles, nuclear weaponry, or further bombardment once the Autumn recharged its main batteries. Unfortunately, the ship and nearly all of its original crew were destroyed in an attempt to prevent the firing of the Halo ring, and to prevent the release of the parasitic life-form known as the Flood. The detonation of the Autumn's fusion reactors destroyed not only the ring, but the majority of the Covenant flotilla which had pursued it from Reach.

The Autumn-class heavy cruiser, commissioned into service following the end of the Human-Covenant War, is based upon the Halcyon-class cruiser Pillar of Autumn in both superficial design and name.

Description
At just over 1.17 kilometers in length and one-third the tonnage of the succeeding Marathon class, the Halcyons were the smallest of vessels to be designated and structured as cruisers. Compared to later ships, the original Halcyons were sorely underpowered and undergunned: their Mark II fusion engines provided but a tenth of the output of modern reactors and their armament consisted of a mere six Archer missile pods and a single MAC gun. According to the AI Cortana, these ships were considered laughable within the UNSC fleet.

When the Human-Covenant War erupted in 2525 a number of Halcyon cruisers were reactivated from storage and refitted. With the right upgrades, a Halcyon-class cruiser could be a formidable foe. During the Fall of Reach, the upgraded UNSC Pillar of Autumn was able to inflict damage far beyond its tonnage, engaging and destroying Covenant frigates, a DDS-class carrier and a powerful warship of unspecified class. Later, in orbit above the Forerunner construct known as Halo, the Autumn destroyed four additional CCS-class cruisers under the guidance of the AI Cortana. While much of this success was due to the tactical genius of Captain Jacob Keyes and his crew, the upgraded Autumn was highly resilient and capable of unleashing tremendous artillery barrages.

The ship's main Magnetic Accelerator Cannon was enhanced to fire in three-round bursts. While each individual round was weakened, this firing pattern typically ensured at least one projectile would penetrate a Covenant vessel's shields. Damaged, the targeted ship could then be overwhelmed with Archer missiles, nuclear weaponry, or further bombardment once the Autumn recharged its main batteries. Unfortunately, the ship and nearly all of its original crew were destroyed in an attempt to prevent the firing of the Halo ring, and to prevent the release of the parasitic life-form known as the Flood. The detonation of the Autumn's fusion reactors destroyed not only the ring, but the majority of the Covenant flotilla which had pursued it from Reach.

The Autumn-class heavy cruiser, commissioned into service following the end of the Human-Covenant War, is based upon the Halcyon-class cruiser Pillar of Autumn in both superficial design and name.