The Witches From Earth By Reoenl // Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury

The Witches from Earth by reoenl // Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury

Alright so I finally got around to rewatching Gundam Narrative about a week ago, and I’ll have a post about the movie itself forthcoming soon (EDIT: at some point, because hoo boy do aspects of narrative not stick in my head well). However, I thought I’d do a mechanics post now, since Narrative doesn’t add a whole lot of new suits so they’re easy to talk about.

First up, The RX-0 Gundam Unit 3 “Phenex”. I’d like to stress that this is just its appearance in the movie, the Phenex apparently shows up in a lot of other media that I haven’t seen. Anyway, Gold Unicorn. It’s pretty good. I like the Unicorn’s design anyway, and this just has a fancier V-fin and some Armed Armour DE’s to look like wings. I like the trailing parts added here, since it ties in with the bird theme. However I also get why it doesn’t have any weapons besides those though, since it can’t restock and it’s just overflowing with Newtype energy, so it doesn’t really need them. And it again ties in with a lot of what Michele says about gods, since the Phenex is very godlike in its mannerisms (gold, impossible to catch, otherworldly, makes things happen with a wave of the hand).

Next, the Narrative itself. Specifically the base form (top), A-Packs and C-Packs (I don’t really have much to say on the B-Packs). Again, I like it overall, it’s a Nu Gundam Prototype that was hastily pressed into service since they need a suit that can mount the psychoframe necessary to effectively fight the Phenex. That’s a good angle, especially for a Gundam (though I’ll admit it’s a bit weird about how every Gundam ties into another, there’s no real organic development, it’s just prototypes and variant units). The base unit is pleasingly skeletal (as one character calls it “a scarecrow”), and I like the plainness of it, really makes those smooth lines pop. The cockpit is exactly what you’d expect a prototype Nu to look like, and the head’s just nice and simple. Presumably this is to contrast it against the bling-covered Phenex and Embellished Sinanju Stein. Though I’m typically not a fan of overbuilt units with weapons and systems just bolted on, it works with the Narrative A-Packs since a) that’s its entire aesthetic, and b) it’s put together specifically to capture the Phenex in this one environment, so it’s cobbled-together nature and it essentially being a sled full of weapons and thrusters makes sense. I also love how plan A was essentially “okay, so get close and grab it with these special claws that will totally work”. The Narrative B-packs is just fine, no real opinions there. I absolutely applaud the Narrative C-Packs for just going “fuck it, we Unicorn now” by just strapping a bunch of psychoframe to the thing, and I think it’s utilised well in series.

The Silver Bullet Suppressor. The Silver Bullet has a fascinating lineage I might talk about at a later date, with the Suppressor just being the latest. I really like the bulk it brings to the table - it doesn’t even look that big until you see it next to something. The muted colours give it this…… I don’t know, phantasmal? vibe, like it’s the ghost of something, and the arm replacement mechanic is wonderfully silly. Unfortunately I don’t have an awful lot to say about beyond that- the shuffling around of silver bullet features is fine, and the new head further ties it into the pilot’s prior suit. I’d like to call out it retains most of the original Silver Bullet’s weaponry, so it’s not like it only has five beam magnum shots and then nothing (hey, remember when handheld beam cannons were a big deal back in the OYW? That was wild).

The Sinanju Stein is actually two mobile suits. In one of the few examples I know of an out-and-out retcon in Gundam, it was established that there were actually two Sinanju Stein units stolen by The Sleeves. Unit 1 (shown above, right) went on to become the Sinanju used by Full Frontal, while Unit 2 (above, left) was used by Zoltan Akkanekan, and thus appears in Narrative. I figured I’d discuss them both at once, since they’re largely identical.

Alright, to get this out of the way right now; The Sinanju is one of my favourite suits in the entire Gundam Universe. I don’t have an out-and-out favourite, but the Sinanju definitely makes it into my top 5 (maybe top 6). I’m also typically a sucker for prototype units, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that I really like the Sinanju Stein. I love how it moves, how it acts, how it’s armament is deceptively simple, how it’s agility makes it a match for literally anything in the right hands.

But let’s walk it back a little. What, exactly, is the Sinanju Stein? The Sinanju Stein line was built as part of the U.C. Project at around U.C. 94. It was intended as a material test unit to examine the use of psycho frame material in the suits inner frame, since the only units that had psycho frame prior to this were either Char’s Neo Zeon Forces (which were few and far between), or hurried integrations like the Nu Gundam, leaving little time for the Earth Federation Forces to actually study the technology. Lessons taken from the Sinanju Stein would eventually be applied in the development of the RX-0 Series, making the Sinanju Stein the precursor to the RX-0 series. I can’t quite find a reference for this next part (so take it with a grain of salt) but I’m sure I recall somewhere that the Sinanju was intended to be a fusion of recovered data from the Nu Gundam and Sazabi, making it a combination of the two suits (which makes sense for a psychoframe test unit, since psychoframe and the data therein was rather rare). I * might* do a post trying to make sense of the U.C. project at some point (if I can get through my backlog) because on paper it sounds fucking stupid (at least prior to it being hijacked, which is the whole plot of unicorn). Both Sinanju Stein units were “stolen” by Neo Zeon Forces on June 14th, U.C. 0094 (really secretly transferred to Neo Zeon under the guise of a robbery), with Unit 1 being converted to the Sinanju used by the Organisation’s leader, Full Frontal.

(Like, the federation wanted to destroy all elements of the “Newtype Myth”, so in order to do that they built Four dedicated Newtype suits (The two Sinanju’s, the Unicorn and the Banshee, which was somehow extended to Five with the Phenex) and then supplied two of those to Neo Zeon Elements, in order to empower Neo Zeon, enabling them to be swept away along with the Newtype myth, even though Zeon officially relinquishes its independence in a few years, which’ll greatly reduce the amount of remnants anyway. Why would you arm them with technology equal to what you intend to deploy against them? What if they have better newtype pilots than you? I doubt that the Federation expected “The Second Coming of Char” but…… why would you arm them? I dunno, you “use the newtypes to destroy the newtypes who we just gave cutting edge tech to.” s’just weird to me.)

Anyway, the Sinanju Stein. It’s honestly just gorgeous, I like how it’s weaponry (mostly rifle and bazooka) is chunkier than the Sinanju proper, since it creates the sense of a) a prototype, since it requires a better cooling system and b) gives it a much different silhouette, making it feel balanced compared to the stripped-down regular Sinanju. I like how it can carry it all in its shield. I like how smooth and functional the original lines feel, before being embellished with the Sleeves markings. I like how close it feels to a Gundam, without being a Gundam. It’s just this delightful combination of traits that I like.

Notably, the name “Sinanju Stein” refers both to the suit being “a diamond in the rough” and also to it being “the stone from which Full Frontal’s Sinanju was hewn”, which is neat, since Stein is German for stone (Though it admittedly suffered from your main suit having a cool name and you having to give the prototype something adjacent).

Note: I talked about the Neo Zeong and Neo Zeong II in my post about the Great Zeong, so it’s not in this post. That and I ran out of pictures.

Right, that’s the main suits out of the way, what about the grunts? The Jesta (Shezarr type) just misses out having a picture here, since I just haven’t that much to say on it. I like the Jesta, and the units used by the Shezarr team just have some add-on equipment to make them look cooler. I think it’s another good example of “tacticool” done right, since it doesn’t go overboard (sight, net gun, beam launcher with tripod). The Dijeh’s used in the opening I’m of two minds about. On the one hand, I like the new colour scheme, and I think the new rifle’s rad, since it actually looks like it was designed for the Dijeh, as opposed to the AEUG being cash-strapped so only making one (very good) rifle design. The searchlights are also fun. On the other hand, I miss the original Dijeh’s aggressively 80’s colour scheme (it looks like it should be on a beach somewhere parked next to a surf van, and I like that vibe in a mobile suit) and in the novel it’s stated that “the mobile suits used by Luio&co had their serial numbers removed prior to sortieing, making them untraceable” which is stupid. Because yeah, that happens with rifles in the real world, but I feel like a 20-meter tall mobile suit being “untraceable” stretches credibility a bit, especially one prominently associated with a particular group (the AEUG). It just feels like it wasn’t thought through. I do kinda like how it seems everyone remembered about the Dijeh at the exact same time though - Amuro gets on in Moon Gundam, Char gets on in MSV-R (and it’s retconned into being one of the inspirations for the Geara Doga) and Luio&co use some in Narrative.

Anyway, on to the suits I actually have opinions on - The Jegan D type (Escort type) is one of a bunch of Jegan Variants in universal century, presumably because they’re an easy thing to make models of. However, the new chest and faceplate are pretty nice, and they actually make it feel up-armoured. I tend to look at Gundam in a case-by-case basis when it comes to it taking influence from real military hardware in its designs, but overall the Jegan Escort type gets a pass and the purple visor really makes the rest of the suit pop. Next we have the Geara Zulu Guards Type (Erika Yugo/Ellic Hugo custom). I know I complain about p-Bandai a lot, but I would’ve been genuinely tempted to buy this thing had they made a kit of it. I like the Geara Zulu anyway, but a blue commander custom with a fancy machine pistol and front skirt? Oh yes. Though I’ll admit this probably ties in to me wishing we saw more of its pilot. (And I’m totally not bitter about it constantly murdering me in GBO2 while I’m just trying to snipe in my Gelgoog Cannon 1A)

Newtype special supplement September 1986

You know when you mention something, and it just kind of sticks with you for a bit?

Anyway, the YMS-18 Kämpfer Prototype was one of many new units designed and build by Zeon during the closing weeks of the One Year War, first appearing in the original model kit manual of the Kämpfer (below left, Green), then the design was updated for use in Zeonography (below right, Blue), which then went on to appear in Ecole Du Ciel.

The Kämpfer prototype was quickly developed into numerous different variations for different roles, of which we know of two at time of writing - the MS-18E Kämpfer, as seen in War in the Pocket (more on that later) and the MS-18F type, which has a whole sentence dedicated to its existence, from which we know it was armed mostly with Beam Weaponry.

Design-wise, I prefer the original design to Zeonography, mostly because I just find the green to be really nice, it’s an excellent distinguishing factor when compared to the original and it’s just a lovely colour in general. I like the more angular head and chest, since they help distinguish it from the streamlined regular Kämpfer (and also imply heavier armour to the critical areas, which the Cyclops team unit lacked). I also like how we’re not given a loadout for it - the original Kämpfer had a bunch of hardpoints and was designed to shed its armament to reduce dead weight, the only inbuilt weaponry being the beam sabers. The prototype Kämpfer being a unit that was built to be developed into other mission-focused designs means that this open-endedness is a benefit to the design team, since weaponry would be swapped out as needed. Zeonography just giving it a Light Machine Gun that was specifically developed for it feels like a step back from that elegance of design. (Note; prior to Zeonography it was typically depicted with the Kampfer/Efreet’s shotgun and/or the Rick Dom II bazooka’s. I’m more forgiving of that since they’re both used by a variety of suits, as opposed to being for the Kämpfer exclusively (plus the shotgun doesn’t look nearly as unwieldy as the LMG)).

The MS-18E Kämpfer was developed from the Prototype Kämpfer and was famously used by the Cyclops Team during Operation Rubicon (the attempt to capture or destroy the Federation’s new Gundam-type mobile suit, the NT-1 “Alex”, as shown in Gundam 0080). Notably, the E in its model number stands for “Einhauen”, meaning one strike in German, signifying its intended purpose - a high-speed assault mobile suit. Its role was to get in, destroy as much of the enemy materials as possible, then get out. To this end, it had numerous hardpoints for the mounting of weaponry which it would shed as each ran out of ammunition, minimising dead weight and allowing it to use its thrusters to their fullest - the reason that it incorporates so much projectile weaponry is so that the generator can be devoted almost entirely to the thrusters - the beam sabers being the one exception (and even then, there’s an illustration of a Kämpfer with a heat hawk). It was even designed to be easily assembled and disassembled in blocks, aiding its use by command teams behind enemy lines. It’s a very, very specialised suit and this is perhaps why I like it so much. However, this persistent focus on speed and offense came at a cost - it had very limited armour even in critical areas and it suffered from a short operational time due to how propellant-hungry its thrusters were, and due to its ammo-based fighting style. Perhaps appropriate for something built for speed, the Kämpfer’s pilot would need to use its arsenal to the fullest in order to destroy enemy targets before a counterattack could be mounted, lest the Kämpfer itself be overwhelmed.

Design-wise, gorgeous. Obviously. I don’t even really feel the need to explain why I like this one honestly, just look at it. Honestly 0080 in general is chock-full of winning designs, but the Kämpfer’s just emblematic. It’s blue, it’s smooth, it’s focused. It’s just an absolute stellar design from an already stellar design series.

The MS-18F Kämpfer High Mobility type is boring. It’s the Kämpfer with the shoulders and backpack of the Gerbera Tetra. I’ll admit this is boring fully because I dislike pretty much every officialised “kitbash” design that isn’t “we cobbled it together with what we had”. They’re just extremely dull to me, because they’re just parts from one suit slapped on another, with barely any effort made to actually integrate the two. Because two mobile suits made in different time periods by different companies would have absolutely no problems working together with near-zero modification. I see what they were going for, since both the Kämpfer and Gerbera Tetra are assault suits designed to get in, do damage, and get out, but the execution’s just so unappealing.

Right, enough grousing. The Kämpfer high mobility type is a customised variant of the aforementioned MS-18F, which was used by a Zeon remnant group (I don’t have a name here) based on the moon, and was piloted by Michelle Kano. It incorporates experimental cutting edge parts slated for the Gp04 Gerbera, part of the Gundam Development Project, and was deployed against the Engage Zero, the other super-secret prototype unit of the Gundam Development Project (or competing design, or extra unit. Honestly its precise relation to the project is unclear). The High Mobility Kämpfer is armed similarly to the Gelgoog Marine Commander Type, the only real exceptions being an optional long barrel for the beam rifle, and a unique set of chain mines with a long rectangular design, for more efficient storage.

(As an aside, I wonder why Zeon Remnant Groups and The Sleeves are considered Terrorists, but Axis Zeon and Char’s Rebellion aren’t.)

The MS-18NF Titania I already covered in my Code: Fairy Zeon MS post, which I’ll link to below. But in a nutshell; Standout Good Design, really good addition to the Kämpfer series, love the form and armour design. Nitpicks are that the in-universe rationale behind its creation is dumb, and I’m not sure where it’s getting the extra thrust from.

EDIT: I didn’t include the Titania in the aforementioned Kämpfer variants, since it’s a custom job by Noisy Fairy, who only received the base frame. (This js emphasised by its model number MS-18NF -> MS-18 Noisy Fairy)

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And now we come to my feelings on Zeon’s mobile suit designs in Mobile suit Gundam Code:Fairy. After my feelings on the Federation’s MS were

Lastly, The Kämpfer Amazing is a Gunpla from Gundam Build Fighters, built by Allan Adams and PPSE for Meijin Kawaguchi (aka Tatsuya Yuuki), based on the original Kämpfer from 0080. Design-wise it’s an ever-so-slightly sleeker redesign of the original, with brand new weaponry, also designed by PPSE. A general theme with the Kämpfer Amazing is trading out ballistic weaponry for beam weapons, since it replaces basically all of the Kämpfer’s original weaponry with beam equivalents. It retains the beam sabers, but gains a set of beam pistols, which can mount into other parts to become beam rifles and it also gains a set of throwing knives. The small, fin-like protrusions on the main body are actually small heat blades. Finally, the Kämpfer Amazing mounts a set of Amazing Weapon Binders on its back (shown above), which both function as beam cannons and provide a place for two other weapons, which are decided prior to battle. Weaponry such as beam machine guns, a minigun, a rocket launcher or parts for the aforementioned beam rifles (Yeah, I know they’re all called “Amazing X”, but that’s not really as descriptive as I’d like).

I love the Kämpfer Amazing’s design. It’s ever so slightly behind the regular Kämpfer for me, but it’s still just amazing. I like how it’s only slightly sleeker, and the focus on rifles and exchanging weapons for the situation is nice. It really plays into how it moves, and I like how the beam weaponry’s effective but not excessively so. It’s built to have options, but the pilot’s what matters, the Kämpfer just lets them reach their fullest potential. It’s not just reliant on a superweapon or fancy system. But it’s just one of those designs that feels well constructed, and it’s kind of rad that it has all that weaponry but doesn’t feel like it’s too much. That said, it feels very much like how I imagine a MS-18F would be, which is a bit odd. I would also like to call out that I like how the Amazing Weapon Binders have additional thrusters - it provides an explanation for the weight offset, and is a neat way of adding additional thrusters to the design.

Hey, does anyone have any opinions on Gundam Ecole Du Ciel? I’m kind of toying with getting back into it after having bounced off the first time.

(I know the prototype Kämpfer’s in it, but that’s really the only thing of note I remember).

I’ve had a draft clear-out, most’ve them being “hey, talk about this topic” or the first in a five-part series I don’t feel like following up on, but I figured I’d shove this one from about 6-8 months ago out the door while I’m here:

I think I realised something about the popularity of Zeon while watching Char’s Counterattack. It’s not just that they have really cool looking mobile suits, or that they have an absolutely baller aesthetic, but it’s also that they’re interesting to root for. Or rather, it’s that the Earth Federation is uninteresting to root for.

Protagonists in UC works tend to get drawn into the fighting due to personal reasons, indeed the only one who I can think of off the top of my head who doesn’t is Kou Uraki (at least at first). They are not motivated by greater loyalty to the Earth Federation. Zeon as a force, whatever permutation they may take, are fighting to change the status quo, of the Colonies being ruled from Earth. Thus, members of Zeon display fire, passion and zeal, because they are fighting to upend a (from their perspective) unfair system. To bring real change to the Earth sphere. The Earth federation, in contrast, are fighting to preserve the (arguably unfair) status quo. And it’s a lot harder to bring up that same passion when talking about a fairly faceless, ponderous political regime. Hence, the protagonist’s usual personal stake in the conflict.

Zeon are also a complete mess of backstabbing and power plays. Gihren and Kycillia jockey for power during the One Year War, and Glemy straight-up forms a coup against Haman during the first Neo Zeon War. They’re interesting to watch as they compete against one another. The Earth Federation government certainly engages in its own infighting and secret negotiations (such as with Char in Sweetwater, and the Titans), but we don’t see much of a face to it. (Jerid’s really just seeking power, and unconcerned with the actual morals behind the Titans, and Jamitov doesn’t really have a lot going for him on the compelling front). But Zeon has that charisma, has that passion, so it’s little wonder that they enjoy great popularity.