PART V: THE BEAM RIFLE
In order to work
around the mega particle cannon's energy demands, the Earth Federal Forces
develop the E-cap (a contraction of "energy capacitor"). This device stores
Minovsky particles in a high-energy compressed state, so that only a small
amount of additional energy is required to trigger their fusion into mega
particles. The E-cap is charged by energy condensers at the mobile suit's
home base or carrier ship, and then functions like a battery until its
supply of particles is exhausted, at which point the weapon becomes useless.
During the One Year War the Federal Forces perfect the E-cap and use it
to create a miniaturized mega particle cannon called a beam rifle, with
which their first prototype mobile suits are equipped.
The limited capacity of the E-cap proves to
be a significant shortcoming. The RX-78 Gundam, for example, can only fire
about 15 shots from its beam rifle before exhausting the E-cap's supply.
Shortly after the end of the war, the beam rifle is further refined to
use a removable E-cap module called an E-pack. A mobile suit equipped with
spare E-packs can thus swap them in during a battle to replenish its beam
rifle's particle supply.
Mega Particle Cannon
Variants
The basic principles of the mega particle
cannon and beam rifle are employed by a long list of spinoffs. Here are
a few variations on this weapon design...
----The self-sufficient mega bazooka launcher used by the MSN-00100 Type 100 combines a powerful mega particle cannon with a dedicated reactor. The mega bazooka launcher even has its own thruster system, making it independently mobile - the only thing it needs the mobile suuit for is aiming.
----The FXA-08R Mega Rider, a development of the mega bazooka launcher which also serves as a support craft for transporting mobile suits, has its own cockpit so that it can be operated independently. Meanwhile, the MSZ-006 Z Gundam's hyper mega launcher is a scaled-down version of the mega bazooka launcher. Lacking its own propulsion system, the mega launcher must be carried by the mobile suit.
----The MSA-010 ZZ Gundam's hyper mega particle cannon is a powerful built-in mega particle cannon, powered by the mobile suit's own reactors. Its mega particles are produced by a highly compact mega condenser. However, firing the weapon depletes the ZZ Gundam's energy reserves, rendering it powerless and immobile.
----The beam smartgun used by the MSA-0011 S Gundam and MSZ-006C1 Z Plus is likewise powered by the mobile suit's reactor. The frame structure that connects the beam smartgun to the mobile suit serves as a conduit for both energy and sensor data, making the weapon highly accurate.
----The Variable Speed Beam Rifle or VSBR, a new type of beam weapon introduced around UC 0120 and first installed in the F90-V and F91 Gundams, lets the pilot change the velocity of the emitted mega particles. A slow beam produces increased raw damage over a wider area, while a fast beam yields higher penetration - in this mode, it's capable of piercing a beam shield! Despite the "beam rifle" nomenclature, the VSBR is actually connected directly to the mobile suit's reactor. It's typically integrated into the mobile suit's movable frame structure, and is equipped with apogee motors to increase the mobile suit's manueverability.
----The beam launcher is another application of this speed-control technology. This bazooka-like weapon, powered by an ordinary E-pack rather than by the mobile suit's reactor, fires slow-moving mega particles for increased damage. It's introduced simultaneously as an optional weapon for the F90III-Y Cluster Gundam, F91 Gundam and XM-07 Vigna Ghina, and later becomes a fairly common weapon.
----At the same time, the RX-99 Nu Gundam and its Generative Beam Rifle Device, or G-BRD, are introduced. This VSBR-like weapon is powered by its own built-in reactor and includes supplemental thrusters, enabling it to serve as a booster for the Nu Gundam's core fighter.
----The mega beam rifle
used by the LM312V04 V Gundam and LM314V21 V2 Gundam, and the mega beam
cannon wielded by the ZMT-S29 Zanneck, are later applications of the VSBR's
mega particle acceleration technology. The Zanneck's cannon, capable of
firing on ground targets from the stratosphere, is likely the most powerful
weapon ever wielded by a mobile suit.
[contents]
PART VI: THE BEAM SABER
Unlike the beam weapons discussed above, the beam saber doesn't use mega
particles. Instead, it emits high-energy Minovsky particles to form a blade-shaped
I-field, and then fills this I-field shell with superheated plasma to produce
a lethally effective cutting blade. The Minovsky particles are stored by
E-cap in the beam saber's hilt, which is recharged by the mobile suit's
reactor when the saber is returned to its socket. Thus, once activated,
beam sabers don't rely on the mobile suit's reactor and can be thrown or
discarded as decoys (as demonstrated in Gundam 0083).
As the beam saber's I-field enclosure repels
plasma, it not only keeps the blade's contents in but also keeps other
blades' contents out, allowing one beam saber to block another. And, since
the I-field can be formed into a variety of simple shapes, it's pretty
trivial to create exotic variants like the beam tomahawk, beam sword, beam
sword/axe, beam fan, beam mace, beam cutter and beam tonfa etc.
[contents]
PART VII: THE BEAM SHEILD
The first defensive
application of beam saber technology is the beam barrier projected by the
RX-93 Nu Gundam's fin funnels. This barrier creates a geometric shell around
the mobile suit, with a fin funnel at each vertex and planes of energy
akin to beam saber blades forming the surfaces of the shell. Unlike the
classic I-field barrier, this beam barrier deflects physical attacks and
missiles as well as beam weapons. It can, however, be collapsed by a sufficiently
powerful attack.
By about UC 0120, the decreased size and increased power output of modern mobile suits make it possible to use a simplified version of this barrier on all mobile suits. This beam shield is composed of a simple plane of energy, radiating from a central generator unit, which can be used like a physical shield to deflect enemy attacks. Since the edges of the beam shield are as deadly as a beam saber blade, the mobile suit's computer automatically deactivates sections of the shield that would otherwise lop off the mobile suit's own limbs.
Though it's limited to a single direction - and, like its beam barrier ancestor, can be collapsed by a powerful attack - the beam shield's lower energy requirrements and effectiveness against every type of weapon make it a perfectly satisfactory alternative to the I-field barrier. By about UC 0150, even some warships are equipped with beam shields.
The mega beam shield wielded by the LM314V24
V2 Assault Gundam is a throwback of sorts to the Nu Gundam's beam barrier.
In addition to a central generator unit, it uses three remote-controlled
barrier bits to form the vertices of an oversized beam shield.
[contents]
PART VIII: THE NEWTYPES
The idea
of Newtypes is central to the Gundam series. The term "Newtypes" refer
to those humans who have advanced to the next step of human evolution.
Jion Daikun, the famous scientist in the Gundam world believes that it
was man's living in space, away from the stress of Earth, that allowed
Newtypes to appear.
The Newtypes have supremely high mental abilities.
Their minds allow them to cope and process more information faster and
be more responsive than the average human. They have a sense of awareness
for each other as they can sense another Newtype's movements over a vast
distance. Newtypes have superior mind and body coordination, quicker reflexes
and a sisth sense that warns them of potential danger (similar to the JEDI's
in Star Wars if you want a Western parallel). Newtypes are often prejudiced
against yet feared. "Normal" humans, referred to as "Oldtypes", which compose
the majority of humanity often ridicule Newtypes, yet fear their superior
abilities. As the wars continual to occure betweem Earth and the space
colonies, Newtypes begin to play a crucial role. One Newtype pilot in an
MS is more than a match for 40 Oldtypes. Hamman herself claimed that only
those who can fully the abilities of the Newtypes will be able to succeed.
As scientists learn more and more about the powers
of Newtypes, they begin developing advance weapons specifically designed
for Newtypes, such as the Fin Funnels and the Psychommu Systems. Newtypes
are rare, and they don't often realize that they are a Newtype until they
faced personal dangers or traumas.
Some of the more famous and powerful Newtypes includes
Amuro Ray (Nu-Gundam pilot), Char Anzable (Sazabi Pilot), Judo Ashita (ZZ-Gundam
pilot), Seabrook Arno (Gundam-F91 pilot), Lalah Sun (Elmeth pilot) and
the most powerful of them all..... CARMILLE VIDAN (Z-Gundam) ......
(sorry about the bias, but you should know by now that I am an obsessed
Carmille fan. There's a picture of him on the right - Swordheart)
Enhanced Humans
In pursuit of creating an "Army of Newtypes", scientist
attempted to artificially enhance an normal human (Oldtype) with various
drugs and mental tests to rival the fearsome Newtypes. These "people" are
called Enhanced Humans, the most famous Enhanced Human to appear in the
Gundam series will undoubtedly be Four Murasame from Zeta-Gundam (Carmille's
girl). The suffering that Four faced during the "Enhancement Process" was
torturing to say the least.
PART IX: FIN FUNNELS PSYCHOMMU SYSTEMS
Fin Funnels are small pod-like devices that consist of a small propulsion
device and a weapon. The movement and attacks made by these devices are
controlled by Newtypes through a mobile suit's psychommu system. Due to
its small size, Fin Funnles are hardly noticable, but only Newtypes are
able to control and use these advance weapons.
These funnels are vast, agile and devastatingly
powerful, able to destroy enemy targets before they notice that they are
under attack. One of the most well known MS with funnels is undoubtedly
Amuro Ray's Nu-Gundam, with the 6 Fin-Funnels streched across the MS's
back. (see picture on left ... notice the funnels stretched across the
MS's back!)
Psychommu systems
In 0079, Kishiria Zabi picked
psychologist Dr. Anton Flanagan to form what would later be known as the
Newtype Research Institute (NTRI) on the neutral colony of Side 6. Within
six months, the Flanagan group, in conjunction with Jion researchers, developed
the first psychommu (short for psychic communication) system. The psychommu
system allows a Newtype pilot to control their mobilesuit with the speed
and power of thought.
The first unit equipped with a psychommu system
was the Mobilearmor Elmeth. Piloted by Lalah Sun, a very powerful Newtype,
she was able to dispatch four Union cruisers using remote units, also controlled
through the psychommu, called funnels. The Earth cruisers were destroyed
while still trying to discover who was attacking them.
The Biosensor is another type of psychommu system,
so far only seen in two units: the Zeta Gundam, and The O. Instead of reading
a mental command from the pilot, the Biosensor gets its instructions directly
from the pilot's impulses. This direct connection makes the Biosensor even
deadlier, and the Newtype factor comes into play even more. The Zeta Gundam,
piloted
by Camille Vidan (Swordheart personally thinks
he's the coolest and most powerful Newtype ever!), is still considered
one of the most powerful mobilesuits in the Gundam world. Of course, everything
has a side effect, and using the Biosensor can have dangerous consequences.
Since the system directly intergrates the pilot's mind with the mobile
suit, the pilot can easily suffer from information overload during prolonged
sessions of combat. This places a colossal mental burden on the pilot and
those that can not cope will simply collapse. Even the most powerful Newtype,
Carmille Vidan, can not handle the pressure... as seen at the conclusion
of the tragic ZETA-Gundam, where he sank into a coma due to information
overload.