Marathon-class heavy cruiser

The Marathon-class heavy cruiser (: CA) was the primary model of used by the before and during the . First commissioned in , the Marathon was introduced to combat the threat of the ever-worsening . While not the largest or strongest warship created by humanity at that point, the Marathon was widely believed to be the most balanced.
Immediately after beginning production, the Marathon quickly became a desirable position among UNSC captains. It quickly proved its worth, outgunning every ship smaller than itself with ease and became instrumental in nearly every major conflict during the Insurrection. When the attacked humanity, it just as quickly displayed its vulnerability to Covenant weaponry. This weakness led to production slowing down as alternative designs were tested, but the sheer number of cruisers constructed meant that they served at nearly every major engagement of the War. Even after being pulled back to command the defensive fleets of the , nearly every member of the class was lost to enemy fire, ensuring the could easily replace the Marathon as the UNSC's newest mainline cruiser.
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== Layout ==
== Roles and Tactics ==
In contrast to all previous cruisers the UNSC Navy had employed, the Marathon-class was envisioned as a great unifying design, one that could be called upon to perform every role that needed to be employed. The UNSC desperately needed a ship that had the firepower and armour to stand up to not replace their heavy cruisers in their battle line, but it was quick enough to take over from their light cruisers in order to form the back-stop to their frigate and destroyer screen. More importantly - a requirement that potentially could've crippled the ship - the Marathon needed to be a safe bet that was easily massable. Not only was it to replace their older, more reliable cruisers, but it also had to replace the newer, less capable vessels of the Halcyon- and Paladin-classes.
In practice, the Marathon-class didn't fail in this ambition. One of the reasons why they were so often configured as command ships of small task forces was because they synergised so well with the UNSC Navy. One of the problems was that older (and newer) cruisers often couldn't deter the coordinated fighter-corvette-frigate raids so preferred by Insurgents, forcing them to break off and deprive the UNSC's fleet screen an anvil to rally around, and carriers a decent escort. The Marathon's much larger, missile-dominated arsenal and modernised electronics effectively resolved this problem and as a result were routinely deployed to conduct counter-piracy and counter-insurgency operations in high-risk areas. They were even being designated the overall flagship of entire secondary theaters in lieu of larger, more vulnerable and expensive and . 
=== Weaknesses ===
== Specifications ==
=== Propulsion and Powerplant ===
=== Armament ===
=== Armour and Superstructure ===
=== Countermeasures ===
== Variants ==
=== Aegis-class cruiser-carrier ===
A light carrier conversion of the base Marathon, the Aegis-class cruiser-carrier was created in response to the perceived loss of carrier support that would result if the Covenant War dragged on for too long. To achieve this, most of the base cruiser's superstructure was redesigned to allow it to carry a larger complement, while smaller hangars capable of accommodating a single Longsword replaced many of the ship's armaments. This allowed the Aegis to carry four squadrons of F-41C Broadswords (48 spacecraft) or equivalent. The bridge was also expanded to better coordinate the strikecraft, with multiple stations for officers to coordinate multiple squadrons simultaneously. Unfortunately, the resulting ship only had twenty M58 Archer missile pods, no Longbow missile pods, and only four M66 Sentry autocannons.
The Aegis configuration saw the most use during the mid-war period when the UNSC's next-generation carriers had yet to come online while their Insurrection carrier power was almost depleted. The majority of conversions were carried out on badly damaged hull's, with a small minority of the conversions being performed on either operational ships, or on hulls still under construction due to a lack of carrier support in the region in question. In order to highlight the ships new roles within the Navy, the converted hulls would have their prefixes amended from CA to CVL and were assigned new prefix number's that had been intended for the planned Block-II of the .
The new subtype was named after the first ship to be converted, UNSC Aegis (CA-956), which had been badly mauled during the Battle of Jericho VII. Despite the work taking two years to complete, the performance of the converted Aegis was considered satisfactory enough for approval to be given to begin the conversion of additional hulls. Due to the conversion being considered as only a stopgap until the introduction of wartime production carriers into service, only a handful of converted hulls would be produced prior to further conversions being curtailed in 2545, with the existing Aegis's becoming a rare sight during the final months of the war.
=== Perseus-class battlecruiser ===
Drawn up as a hypothetical concept shortly after the original class was introduced, but only entering service after , the Perseus-class was a dedicated anti-ship configuration of the Marathon. Bringing to bear much larger 33DAR3/MAC cannons and two Mark 15 "Breakwater" heavy naval coilguns, as well as a vastly expanded missile complement, the Perseus traded this for almost no ability to carry ground troops or fighters. Unlike other ship-to-ship combat-focused designs, these cruisers did not have upgraded armour to help them take heavier fire in combat. Instead, they were intended to fire from range, where its heavy weaponry could be used effectively whilst protecting them from return fire.
=== Command cruiser refit ===
Due to the lack of command cruisers and other fleet control flagships during the latter stages of the war, the UNSC began employing Marathon's to act as the flagships ranging from large battlegroups to commanding full UNSC fleets. In response to this the UNSC authorised the refitting of multiple Marathon's into Heavy Command Cruisers by incorporating dedicated command facilities requiring of the replacement of the ships troop and smaller craft capacity with specialized and command equipment such as slipspace communication probe launchers and umbilical docking ports to permit the unloading of couriers. In reflection of the ships status as command vessels, the hulls that underwent the Command cruiser refit had their prefix codes amended from CA to CAC.
One of the most famous Marathon's to undergo the Command cruiser refit was the UNSC Leviathan, flagship of Battle Group Leviathan under the command of Vice Admiral Michael Stanforth. Despite being considered a stop-gap solution, and the addition of an to his forces, Stanforth would retain his flag aboard the Leviathan until he fell in action during the fall of Reach alongside his beloved 'Levi', as he called his flagship.
== Operational History ==
=== Development ===
=== Insurrection ===
The first Marathons were deployed in the core worlds of and , taking over from the obsolete cruisers that previously filled the UNSC's ranks. On paper, the new cruisers were already making a difference - the speed of the Marathon brought about a decrease in pirate raids within it's operational area, forcing rogues to utilise more restraint in what they could attack to avoid attracting the attention of the new cruisers. 
The Marathon's first chance to prove itself in combat came during the Falkirian War for Independence. For almost nine years, the UNSC had struggled to pacify the well-developed colonies in the Gaelic System, as their sophisticated ground-based defences and sudden attacks from a rather large navy stunted the UNSC's efforts to reclaim the system. As a result, a new force had been created, led by Admiral Erik Magnus on the UNSC Jupiter, who replaced Rear Admiral Sebastien Bourke due to his incompetence during the earlier campaigns. 
In mid 2520 four of the new Marathon-class cruisers, including the original UNSC Marathon, were sent to join the fleet where they would prove instrumental to its future success: they had enough firepower to inflict severe damage before they jumped to slipspace, and had the agility to follow them even if they emerged hundreds of thousands of kilometres away. This put the pressure on the defenders, and would lead to their first major success when two Marathons assisted the Jupiter in hunting down and destroy the FCNS Blenheim, an Insurrectionist battleship.
With their prowess proven, the Marathon became a major part of the UNSC Navy and a highly desirable spot to command as the Navy's most modern capital ship. Their numbers increased significantly, not just because of their relatively-cheap construction and high crew requirements, but also because future support ships such as the were only designed to be compatible with the new cruiser. For these reasons, every cruiser-weight vessel starting with the lacklustre Halcyon-class were slowly replaced with a Marathon in their squadrons and fleets. They were first added to rapid-response and hunter-killer fleets, smacking down swarms of armed freighters and applying pressure to the limited resources the rebels had. So successful were they that they became the most common cruiser in history, with over nine hundred individual ships constructed across human space.
=== Human-Covenant War ===
Unfortunately, the Marathon's best days were left behind with the beginning of the in . Few actual Marathon cruisers were actually located in the region at the beginning of the war, with most being part of the preciding Elysium class. These cruisers were among the only ships in the region that could reliably engage the , which made up the bulk of the alien attack fleets. However, whereas the CPV were deployed in groups of three or more, the UNSC could not afford to keep them together; standing orders forced battlegroups to flee upon detection of massing Covenant armadas and only fighting above human colonies. The Marathon's formal introduction into the war was with led by Vice Admiral , whose preference on cruiser-weight vessels with support from a relatively-small amount of and allowed him to score many crucial early victories.
Unfortunately, as the Covenant's invasion fleets pushed deeper into the , it became more and more apparent that the Marathon was woefully insufficient to fight the technologically-advanced warships. It was particularly easily countered by their , as not only were they guided and thus eliminated the Marathon's ability to evade them, but only certain types could be shot down. In addition, as the discovered during the , only two torpedoes were needed to completely disable a heavy cruiser if they impacted the right areas. To add further salt to the wound, only the twin MACs had any visible impact on the war; Archer missiles were easily stopped by and those that survive were rarely enough to overwhelm the shields. Because of these deficiencies, hundreds of Marathons were lost between and , compared to only a few dozen Covenant ships brought down by them during the same period. After this period, the UNSC High Command ordered all cruiser- and carrier-weight vessels to fall back behind the Mid-Rim Colonies for reassignment, which included the Marathon-class.
== Ships of the Line ==
=== Marathon-class heavy cruiser ===
Marathon-class heavy cruiser 	Marathon-class heavy cruiser	Marathon-class heavy cruiser	Marathon-class heavy cruiser	Marathon-class heavy cruiser 	Marathon-class heavy cruiser	Marathon-class heavy cruiser
Name 	Hull Classification Symbol 	Commissioned 	Destroyed 	Notes 	 	
Block I
The original prewar production batch of Marathon-class cruisers commissioned between 2520 and 2526. Assigned Hull code's CA-911/CA-960.	Block I
The original prewar production batch of Marathon-class cruisers commissioned between 2520 and 2526. Assigned Hull code's CA-911/CA-960.	Block I
The original prewar production batch of Marathon-class cruisers commissioned between 2520 and 2526. Assigned Hull code's CA-911/CA-960.	Block I
The original prewar production batch of Marathon-class cruisers commissioned between 2520 and 2526. Assigned Hull code's CA-911/CA-960.	Block I
The original prewar production batch of Marathon-class cruisers commissioned between 2520 and 2526. Assigned Hull code's CA-911/CA-960. 	Block I
The original prewar production batch of Marathon-class cruisers commissioned between 2520 and 2526. Assigned Hull code's CA-911/CA-960.	Block I
The original prewar production batch of Marathon-class cruisers commissioned between 2520 and 2526. Assigned Hull code's CA-911/CA-960.
 	CA-911 	2520 	Unknown 	Lead ship of the class. 	 	
 	CA-913 	2520 	February 13, 2526 	Destroyed during the . 	 	
UNSC Verdun Submitted by . 	CA-916 	2520 	Unknown 	Participated in the Battle of New Tyre. 	 	
 	CA-917 	2520 	 	Outfitted with a drive, destroyed during the . Later salvaged by . 	 	
UNSC Illustrious 	CA-918 	2520 	May 2526 	Captured by the United Independence Front on New Tyre and renamed the UIF Spartacus. Destroyed during the Battle of New Tyre by ramming the CAS-class assault carrier. 	 	
UNSC Spring Bloom Submitted by . 	CA-920 	2521 	2532 	Serving as the flagship for Battlegroup Morocco during the First Battle of Drawn, it self-destructed as per the Cole Protocol when the Covenant boarded it. 	 	
UNSC Falkland 	CA-921 	2521 	May 2526 	Destroyed during the Battle of New Tyre. 	 	
 	CA-922 	2521 	February 13, 2526 	Destroyed during the Massacre of Bliss. 	 	
 	CA-924 	2521 	 	Recovered the black box from the , destroyed during the . 	 	
 	CA-925 	April 22, 2521 	January, 2526 	Captained by Meera Reddy, destroyed. 	 	
UNSC Marduk Submitted by . 	CA-928 	November 19, 2522 	Unknown 	Assisted in destroying the Unending Testament in 2547. 	 	
UNSC Neptune 	CA-930 	2522 	May 2526 	Destroyed during the Battle of New Tyre. 	 	
 	CA-931 	 	 	Former flagship of Rear Admiral Logan J. Borden, destroyed during the Battle for Earth. 	 	
UNSC Sedan 	CA-932 	2522 	May 2526 	Destroyed during the Battle of New Tyre. 	 	
 	CA-933 	December 12, 2522 	N/A 	Assigned to Battle Group Pride, participated in the and . Survived the . Currently under the command of Admiral Tausten Aida Parker. 	 	
 	CA-938 	2523 	November, 2552 	Captained by Edgar J. Wright, formerly apart of Preston Cole's Battle Group X-Ray and the UNSC Home Fleet. Destroyed by a joint Sangheili-human taskforce after the Moon was infected by the Flood. 	 	
 	CA-939 	2523 	 	Destroyed during the . 	 	
 	CA-942 	2524 	2552 	One of two ships still in service from the Harvest Campaign by the Battle of Earth, destroyed during the . 	 	
UNSC Sydney 	CA-943 	2524 	N/A 	Survived the Human-Covenant War, sold to the Commonwealth of New South Wales as the CNFS Sydney. 	 	
UNSC Argon 	CA-944 	August 9, 2524 	Unknown 	Assisted in destroying the ORA-class interdictor cruiser Unending Testament in 2547. 	 	
 	CA-948 	2525 	2552 	Commanded by Captain Richard Pellera, served as the garrison for Sapphire Team during the Human-Covenant War. 	 	
UNSC Royal Oak 	CA-950 	2525 	2537 	Part of Battlegroup Churchill, destroyed during the Battle of NX-583. 	 	
UNSC Determination Submitted by .	CA-951 	2525 	N/A 	Survived the Human-Covenant War, sold to the Commonwealth of New South Wales as CNFS Determination. 	 	
Block II
The first wartime production batch of Marathon-class cruisers commissioned between 2530 and 2538. Block-II Marathon's would be built using armour treated with a heat refractive coating to better resist Covenant plasma weaponry and were assigned Hull code's CA-21/CA-70.	Block II
The first wartime production batch of Marathon-class cruisers commissioned between 2530 and 2538. Block-II Marathon's would be built using armour treated with a heat refractive coating to better resist Covenant plasma weaponry and were assigned Hull code's CA-21/CA-70.	Block II
The first wartime production batch of Marathon-class cruisers commissioned between 2530 and 2538. Block-II Marathon's would be built using armour treated with a heat refractive coating to better resist Covenant plasma weaponry and were assigned Hull code's CA-21/CA-70.	Block II
The first wartime production batch of Marathon-class cruisers commissioned between 2530 and 2538. Block-II Marathon's would be built using armour treated with a heat refractive coating to better resist Covenant plasma weaponry and were assigned Hull code's CA-21/CA-70.	Block II
The first wartime production batch of Marathon-class cruisers commissioned between 2530 and 2538. Block-II Marathon's would be built using armour treated with a heat refractive coating to better resist Covenant plasma weaponry and were assigned Hull code's CA-21/CA-70.	Block II
The first wartime production batch of Marathon-class cruisers commissioned between 2530 and 2538. Block-II Marathon's would be built using armour treated with a heat refractive coating to better resist Covenant plasma weaponry and were assigned Hull code's CA-21/CA-70.	Block II
The first wartime production batch of Marathon-class cruisers commissioned between 2530 and 2538. Block-II Marathon's would be built using armour treated with a heat refractive coating to better resist Covenant plasma weaponry and were assigned Hull code's CA-21/CA-70.
UNSC Scharnhorst 	CA-22 	2530 	Unknown 	Part of Battlegroup Churchill. 	 	
 	CA/CAC-31 	2532 	 	Flagship of , destroyed during the engagement. 	 	
 	CA-34 	2532 	 	Participated in and , later destroyed during the Battle for Earth. 	 	
 	CA-70 	2538 	N/A 	Flagship of the , participated in the . 	 	
Block III
The second wartime production batch of Marathon-class cruisers commissioned between 2539 and 2548. Block-III Marathon's would incorporate strengthened internal bulkheads in an effort to dissipate the impacts of plasma weaponry and were assigned Hull code's CA-191/CA-250.	Block III
The second wartime production batch of Marathon-class cruisers commissioned between 2539 and 2548. Block-III Marathon's would incorporate strengthened internal bulkheads in an effort to dissipate the impacts of plasma weaponry and were assigned Hull code's CA-191/CA-250.	Block III
The second wartime production batch of Marathon-class cruisers commissioned between 2539 and 2548. Block-III Marathon's would incorporate strengthened internal bulkheads in an effort to dissipate the impacts of plasma weaponry and were assigned Hull code's CA-191/CA-250.	Block III
The second wartime production batch of Marathon-class cruisers commissioned between 2539 and 2548. Block-III Marathon's would incorporate strengthened internal bulkheads in an effort to dissipate the impacts of plasma weaponry and were assigned Hull code's CA-191/CA-250.	Block III
The second wartime production batch of Marathon-class cruisers commissioned between 2539 and 2548. Block-III Marathon's would incorporate strengthened internal bulkheads in an effort to dissipate the impacts of plasma weaponry and were assigned Hull code's CA-191/CA-250.	Block III
The second wartime production batch of Marathon-class cruisers commissioned between 2539 and 2548. Block-III Marathon's would incorporate strengthened internal bulkheads in an effort to dissipate the impacts of plasma weaponry and were assigned Hull code's CA-191/CA-250.	Block III
The second wartime production batch of Marathon-class cruisers commissioned between 2539 and 2548. Block-III Marathon's would incorporate strengthened internal bulkheads in an effort to dissipate the impacts of plasma weaponry and were assigned Hull code's CA-191/CA-250.
 	CA-192 	2539 	2543 	Led the during the , later destroyed during the . 	 	
UNSC Vulture Street 	CA-195 	2539 	2561 	Survived the Human-Covenant War, sold to the Commonwealth of New South Wales as the CNFS Vulture Street. 	 	
 	CA-218 	2543 	 	Destroyed by the during the Battle for Earth. 	 	
 	CA-219 	2543 	August, 2552 	Commanded by Vice Admiral , participated in the , later destroyed during the . 	 	
UNSC Roma 	CA-225 	2544 	Unknown 	 	 	
UNSC Head Start Submitted by . 	CA-231 	2545 	Unknown 	Engaged the Resplendent Prayer over in . 	 	
UNSC Don't Be Clever 	CA-245 	2548 	2552 	Refitted for Operation: BLUE SPIRIT, destroyed during the invasion of Crest. 	 	
UNSC Damocles 	CA-247 	2548 	Unknown 	Survived three encounters with the High Harbinger. 	 	
 	CA-248 	2548 	August 30, 2552 	Commanded by Vice Admiral Arjun Krishnan, briefly served as the garrison for the ONI Edge of Life and by extension Gauntlet, Echo and teams. Participated in the First Battle of Deston before being disabled during the .	 	
 	CA-249 	2542 	Unknown 	Commanded by Maxwell Hendricks and Martin Long, became the flagship of the Spartan Joint Operations Units in 2561. Served as the garrison for Orange Team. 	 	
UNSC Ides of March 	CA-250 	2548 	2552 	Refitted for Operation: BLUE SPIRIT, destroyed by the Spirit of Endurance. 	 	
Block IV
The final wartime production batch of Marathon-class cruisers commissioned between 2549 and 2556. Block-IV Marathon's would be the built to accept, but were not fitted with shielding systems until after the Human-Covenant war. Assigned Hull code's CA-311/CA-350.	Block IV
The final wartime production batch of Marathon-class cruisers commissioned between 2549 and 2556. Block-IV Marathon's would be the built to accept, but were not fitted with shielding systems until after the Human-Covenant war. Assigned Hull code's CA-311/CA-350.	Block IV
The final wartime production batch of Marathon-class cruisers commissioned between 2549 and 2556. Block-IV Marathon's would be the built to accept, but were not fitted with shielding systems until after the Human-Covenant war. Assigned Hull code's CA-311/CA-350.	Block IV
The final wartime production batch of Marathon-class cruisers commissioned between 2549 and 2556. Block-IV Marathon's would be the built to accept, but were not fitted with shielding systems until after the Human-Covenant war. Assigned Hull code's CA-311/CA-350.	Block IV
The final wartime production batch of Marathon-class cruisers commissioned between 2549 and 2556. Block-IV Marathon's would be the built to accept, but were not fitted with shielding systems until after the Human-Covenant war. Assigned Hull code's CA-311/CA-350.	Block IV
The final wartime production batch of Marathon-class cruisers commissioned between 2549 and 2556. Block-IV Marathon's would be the built to accept, but were not fitted with shielding systems until after the Human-Covenant war. Assigned Hull code's CA-311/CA-350.	Block IV
The final wartime production batch of Marathon-class cruisers commissioned between 2549 and 2556. Block-IV Marathon's would be the built to accept, but were not fitted with shielding systems until after the Human-Covenant war. Assigned Hull code's CA-311/CA-350.
UNSC Snow Angel Submitted by . 	CA-317 	2550 	2552 	Refitted for Operation: BLUE SPIRIT, destroyed during the invasion of Crest. 	 	
UNSC ??? 	CA-322 	2551 	Unknown 	Participated in the in . 	 	
UNSC Keyes Submitted by . 	CA-328 	2552 	N/A 	Fought and destroyed the URF Origami II in 2553. 	 	
===Aegis-class cruiser-carrier===
Aegis-class cruiser-carrier
A cruiser-carrier hybrid subvariant of the Marathon-class hull commissioned between 2539 and 2547. Assigned Hull code's CVL-243/CVL-268.	Aegis-class cruiser-carrier
A cruiser-carrier hybrid subvariant of the Marathon-class hull commissioned between 2539 and 2547. Assigned Hull code's CVL-243/CVL-268.	Aegis-class cruiser-carrier
A cruiser-carrier hybrid subvariant of the Marathon-class hull commissioned between 2539 and 2547. Assigned Hull code's CVL-243/CVL-268.	Aegis-class cruiser-carrier
A cruiser-carrier hybrid subvariant of the Marathon-class hull commissioned between 2539 and 2547. Assigned Hull code's CVL-243/CVL-268.	Aegis-class cruiser-carrier
A cruiser-carrier hybrid subvariant of the Marathon-class hull commissioned between 2539 and 2547. Assigned Hull code's CVL-243/CVL-268.	Aegis-class cruiser-carrier
A cruiser-carrier hybrid subvariant of the Marathon-class hull commissioned between 2539 and 2547. Assigned Hull code's CVL-243/CVL-268.	Aegis-class cruiser-carrier
A cruiser-carrier hybrid subvariant of the Marathon-class hull commissioned between 2539 and 2547. Assigned Hull code's CVL-243/CVL-268.
Name 	Hull Classification Symbol	Commissioned	Destroyed	Notes 		
UNSC Aegis	CVL-243 	2539 	Unknown 	Lead ship of the class. Converted from UNSC Aegis CA-956 between 2537-2539.		
===Perseus-class battlecruiser===
Perseus-class battlecruiser
A battlecruiser subvariant of the Marathon-class hull commissioned between 2541 and 2556. Assigned Hull code's CB-115/CB-178.	Perseus-class battlecruiser
A battlecruiser subvariant of the Marathon-class hull commissioned between 2541 and 2556. Assigned Hull code's CB-115/CB-178.	Perseus-class battlecruiser
A battlecruiser subvariant of the Marathon-class hull commissioned between 2541 and 2556. Assigned Hull code's CB-115/CB-178.	Perseus-class battlecruiser
A battlecruiser subvariant of the Marathon-class hull commissioned between 2541 and 2556. Assigned Hull code's CB-115/CB-178.	Perseus-class battlecruiser
A battlecruiser subvariant of the Marathon-class hull commissioned between 2541 and 2556. Assigned Hull code's CB-115/CB-178.	Perseus-class battlecruiser
A battlecruiser subvariant of the Marathon-class hull commissioned between 2541 and 2556. Assigned Hull code's CB-115/CB-178.	Perseus-class battlecruiser
A battlecruiser subvariant of the Marathon-class hull commissioned between 2541 and 2556. Assigned Hull code's CB-115/CB-178.
Name 	Hull Classification Symbol	Commissioned	Destroyed	Notes 		
UNSC Perseus 	CB-115 	2541 	Unknown 	Lead ship of the class. 		
UNSC Spear of Triam	CB-117 	2541 	Unknown 	Destroyed CCS-class battlecruiser designated Falling Star during the battle of Saint-Denis, 2545.		
==UNSC Remarks==
==Gallery==
===Ship pictures===
Marathon_Construction.jpg|The UNSC Prophecy under construction at Mars.
Marathon-class.jpg|The UNSC Admiralty evaluating the performance of the Marathon during testing.
Halo Marathon.jpg|A trio of Marathons at Reach.
Marathon-fleet.jpg|A Marathon fighting during the Fall of New Harmony.
Possibly_Modified_Marathon_Class_Cruiser.png|An unidentified Marathon variant.
HM-Marathon.png|Although its profile is as tall and wide as its predecessors, the Marathon deviated in its stripped-down design.
H2A-MarathonHeavyCruiser.png|A late-war Block III model of the Marathon-class. Notice its heavily-angled hull.
DYys3hHWkAAcW5_.jpg|The aft of the Marathon-class.
Invasion;_Leviathan.png|A pelican on an approach vector with a Marathon.
Master_Chief_Collection_-_Cruiser_destroyed.png|A Marathon destroyed by the Day of Jubilation during the Battle of Earth.
FallofReachAscl.png|A couple of Marathons being resupplied above Reach.
N.png|A Stalwart-class frigate stumbling onto the wreckage of two Marathon-class cruisers.
===Ship Badges===
CA-917 UNSC Dresden.png|Badge for the UNSC Dresden.|link=https://www.halopedia.org/UNSC_Dresden
CA-921 UNSC Falkland.png|Badge for the UNSC Falkland.
CA-950 UNSC Royal Oak.png|Badge for the UNSC Royal Oak.
CA-22 UNSC Scharnhorst.png|Badge for the UNSC Scharnhorst.
CAC-31 UNSC Leviathan.png|Badge for the UNSC Leviathan.|link=https://www.halopedia.org/UNSC_Leviathan
CA-70 UNSC Canberra.png|Badge for the UNSC Canberra.
CA-192 UNSC Io.png|Badge for the UNSC Io.
CA-219 UNSC Swiftsure.png|Badge for the UNSC Swiftsure.
CA-225 UNSC Roma.png|Badge for the UNSC Roma.
==Credits==
Category:Cruiser classes