- OrderedComa
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- Noble Member
Posted by: anton1792
Well...
They did not change their security protocols after the Ascendant Justice was taken. One month later the Bloodied Spirit was taken.
They did not use ancient radio signals from Earth's past to triangulate Earth's position.
It did not occur to them early on in the war, before the Cole Protocol came out (The actual thing, not the book) to take navigation data.
The Forerunner Fleet is an interesting example, because I think it suggests nothing but linear thinking. Take powerful warships and smash, smash, smash. They were uncomfortable with their own assets and ability to perform in a war like this, so went for bigger guns, not better tactics.
I would perhaps say that a competent commander would take care with the numbers, try to minimise loses.
Before Humanity, they had not fought a massive war since the founding of the Covenant. Since then, they had just fought species that were confined to their own solar system. For 3000 years they have fought nothing but that, and grunt rebellions and small heretic groups. There is nothing to justify them keeping their tactics honed over the millennia. The behaviour in Reach is quite "wut?" I think.
What examples are there for their innovative war tactics?
I can't remember off the top of my head, and Halopedia is so horribly vague about it, how did Blue Team get on the Bloodied Spirit again? The only real similarity that I remember between the commandeering of the Ascendant Justice and the Bloodied Spirit is that the atmosphere was vented from the ship to kill off the crew.
Could they even pick them up? The universe is a pretty big place, there is a chance they could receive Human radio signals, but it's a very slim one due to the whole size of the universe. And I can't remember, but don't they get more garbled and "decay" the longer the signal is out there?
I'm sure that the UNSC would have done the same if they could have, it's only natural to use the bigger stick in war if you can.
Perhaps so, usually whoever has a numerical advantage though is not usually as careful as they should be, as long as they can afford the losses at least.
That is all true, and I think certainly plays a part in their overconfidence and lack of tactics other Zurg rushing the enemy. But that doesn't mean they are incapable of coming up with tactics.
Well I would point out Halo: Reach but that's what we're disputing so that's not really good evidence :P So I'll just point out Sigma Octanus, they had that stealthed ship hiding out there and receiving information from the surface of Sigma Octanus IV. And then again in TFoR at the Battle of Reach sending ships in to distract the UNSC forces from them releasing dropships to the surface of the planet.
Well that is fine. It is very ad hoc, but I could accept that. Or changing Supercarrier in First Strike to Assault Carriers, or just carriers.
The only thing is if it so powerful, why is there a need for stealth?
Thank you. You're probably one of the most reasonable people I've debated the issue of Reach with, and for that I thank you :) You're at least willing to hear me out.
In order to maintain the element of surprise, I'd assume they sent the LNoS because of the amount of resources it would be able to carry. It seemed to me that the Covenant forces encountered up until the 14th were there to set up shop and prepare for the arrival of more ships and to sniff out the UNSC's defenses around Reach as well as sabotage work like that at Visegrad Relay.
Well, in order to stay in geosynchronous orbit they must have manoeuvring thrusters, and something to counteract the firing forces. They will have to be pretty powerful. I don't see how it can't be moved quick enough.
Reach is not all that bigger than Earth, about 3000km greater diameter. SMAC's fire at "point four tenths" c, going by TFoR. That means that if just one SMAC has a line of sight on tLNoS, then in under 2 seconds the round will cross the entirety of Reach's diameter. It travels at 12'000km/s. The Supercarrier is going nowhere. I can't see how it can hide anywhere near Reach.
I more meant that it'd be more difficult to move them at a moments notice, or if it'd be all that wise to bring them within firing range of the LNoS. The thruster may be powerful enough to move it to a new place, but part of me doesn't really think so, the thrusters would be more for keeping it on track and they would thus be positioned at multiple different angles, not sure if it'd able to move around through space on their own very well.
Well if the SMACs are all in one area they'd have a harder time covering all or most of Reach, and I don't think the LNoS would have parked itself within line of sight with the SMACs, or out of their range at least.