Destroyer (EXverse)

The destroyer is a highly maneuverable, long-endurance and fast warship capable of effectively escorting larger vessels in a battle fleet.
Smaller than a cruiser, in the Covenant Navy it was also larger than a frigate, however in the UNSC Navy this is not a hard rule. Nonetheless, in both navies destroyers are capable of high speeds and good firepower.
== Brief history ==
Differently to human destroyers, Covenant ones born to have a fast yet powerful escort for capital ships. However shipmasters disliked this type of ship, as they considered useless since cruisers and carriers didn't need an escort of the kind, and frigates were well suited to fill that role. And yet, Covenant doctrine foresaw destroyers as ships bigger than a frigate but more capable to escort capital ships than smaller cousins due to heavier armor and weapons, but at the same time retaining the agility and speeds of frigates.
On the other hand, human destroyers were initially conceived during the World War I to counter torpedo-boat; however, since the end of the Second World War it became the heaviest ships in a national navy, due to the disappearing of cruisers and needs for fast, enduring escort for aircraft carriers; furthermore, the development of carrier strike groups concept made large ship capable of independent operations, as they were cruisers, no longer useful. The born of long-range guided missiles, besides, allowed destroyers to became more effective than a battleship.
With the last frontier being explored - a.k.a. the space - cruisers were brushed again. So, while the latter would have been the smaller ship capable of independent operations, able to leading small task forces composed of lighter ships, destroyers retained their role as escort of capital ships; but differently from frigates, which had also an escort role, they would have been more heavily armed and armored, so being more combat-orientend instead of the general purpose-oriented approach belonging to frigates.
== Overview ==
Covenant doctrine divided destroyers in light and heavy type. While both were heavily armed, light one are more recon-oriented, while heavy type focuses on pure ship-to-ship combat and it is also capable to glassing worlds.
Covenant destroyers are typically bigger than frigate, although they can host less complement than their smaller cousins; but while they are also more heavily armed, they aren't suitable for lances due to their energy required: as such they rely on weaker weapons such as plasma torpedoes and cannons.
UNSC destroyers' size, instead, can match frigates' one. They pack a punch despite having a small size and being faster and highly maneuverable all the while. Due to inferior technology, however, during the war human destroyers couldn't match Covenant counterparts on a two-way fight, in fact they were used in specific formations in order to maximize their effectiveness against them or even larger ships; it was well-known that wolfpack tactics could threatened even a , if used properly. Typically, UNSC destroyers do not feature coilgun batteries, relying instead on lighter, yet powerful, missiles; this armament proved to be troublesome against energy shields, as such they were forced to use the MAC gun to disable shielding and missiles to hit the hull.
UNSC doctrine divided destroyer in escort and heavy type. During World War II it defined slow destroyers able to cover merchant convoys, but UNSC Navy defined it after lightly, yet very fast, ships capable of conducting hit-and-run tactics, but also able to escort larger ships if needed; besides, escort destroyers were the preferred type of destroyer until the Insurrection, due to the lack of proper targets for the more armed heavy type. This one, indeed, was a heavier version, still capable of achieving high speeds, but having a thicker armor and enhanced weapon systems, so being more suitable for escort role.
== Known models ==
=== Covenant ===
* : the backbone of scout task forces, while it is heavily armed it has a thin armor and a light shield;
* : a heavily armed and armored vessel capable to fulfill many roles, the primary one being ship-to-ship combat.
=== UNSC ===
* : the predecessor of Hillsborough-class, it was refitted by UNSC to serve against the Covenant;
* : the first ship to have a MAC gun;
* : the backbone of CMA's fleets, it was larger than a frigate and more heavily armed;
* : the next-generation destroyer at the time, it is distinguished by heavy armor, enhanced MAC system and high speed, all in a compact airframe;
* : the first next-generation class to have Covenant technologies, it was the pioneer of all ships came after it.