Given time and resources, a Punic can theoretically produce an entire fleet of frigates. Note that those numbers are just for each use of their deployment ability: the only limits on how many they can deploy is resources and fleet capacity, in the case of the Punic, and the frigates despawning after a while, in the case of the Infinity. Thd Punic-class can deploy four Paris-class heavy frigates, while the Infinity, depending on the upgrades, can deploy up to ten Strident-class frigates. Special mention goes to the UNSC's Punic-class supercarrier and Infinity-class titan, who not only have the ability to deploy large numbers of fighters and bombers, but can also deploy frigates.UNSC Orbital Hangers also do the same, and their starbases can be upgraded with hangers as well. While some of them are capable fighters in their own right, the primary purpose of most carriers, especially UNSC ones, is to build and launch Space Fighters and Bombers.

The Covenant's Patrol Stations don't directly defend systems, but instead act as beacons to summon reinforcements.

By late game, the gap closes, such that the Artemis Battlecruiser or Punic Supercarrier only needs two-to-one odds to beat a Covenant capital ship, while a Thanatos Battleship can defeat some Covenant capital ships one-on-one.

Magikarp Power: The UNSC initially have to outnumber the Covenant many times in order to win.

In contrast to the original Halcyon-class, the Halcyon refits are this, sacrificing some of the armour of the original class but gaining firepower, making it somewhat like an even cheaper, non-capital ship version of the Marathon-class.

With the UNSC needing a significant numerical advantage to win battles against the Covenant, the Marathon-class excels at providing said advantage. Possessing moderate armour and moderate firepower, it is the cheapest capital ship in the game in terms of both resource cost and fleet capacity, is quick to build, and it has a passive ability that increases the agility and decreases the damage taken of all other Marathon-class ships nearby, further encouraging you to use them in large numbers.

The Marathon-class heavy cruiser is this, with the trope name even being used in game to describe it.

It's Raining Men: The UNSC's Phoenix Assault Ship and the Covenant's DDS-class Carrier have the ability to drop ODST or Elites respectively to aid the sacking of a planet.Drop Ship: Instead of bombarding the planet, the UNSC deploys Pelicans to invade and capture enemy worlds.Boarding Party: The Razor-class prowler can perform these to capture Covenant ships, and it actually has two different variations: Razors built in the shipyard deploy ODST boarding teams, while Razors deployed using the Point Blank class' special ability get Spartan boarding teams.

Sins of a solar prophet