SD Gundam G Design Series - Tumblr Posts

The AMX-017 Gigantic was a planned nuclear-capable mobile suit designed by Axis Zeon for use in their Invasion of Earth, being one of multiple competing plans designed to tip the balance in Axis’ favour. The Gigantic was based on data recovered from the stolen Gundam Gp02 “Physalis” during Operation Stardust memory by the Axis Technical Fleet, and was designed for much the same purpose: the deployment of Tactical Nuclear Weapons. To this end it was armed with an Atomic Bazooka, for deployment of the nuke itself, and a beam saber, for the suit’s own protection. Presumably, it was intended to be deployed with an escort to cover for its lack of armaments (either that or the Axis engineers took the Gp02’s limited armament to be a feature, not a bug). The Gigantic was ultimately passed over in favour of the Dublin Colony Drop, which was ultimately successful for the Axis Forces, inflicting heavy casualties on Karaba and the AEUG, while resulting in the Earth Federation Government ceding Side 3 to Axis, returning the Republic of Zeon to their forces. Though the Delaz Fleets’ attack at Konpei Island (/Confeito/Solomon) demonstrated the power of nuclear weapons, the Axis forces lacked any nukes which could be utilised by the Gigantic. Following their failure to seize the federation asteroid base Luna II and the nuclear arsenal held there, the Gigantic was then mothballed, as it was unable to carry out its assigned task.

I do like the Gigantic’s design, you see the GP02 Influence, and yet there’s an obvious Zeon flair to the design. I like the white and purple colour scheme, it converts the same sense of danger as Haman’s Qubeley, and the art’s lovely of course. The large thrusters on the design also imply a speed, again analogous to those on the Gp02. The cockpit’s reinforced, suitable to survive a nuclear blast, and I love how beefy the head is. Sleek, yet armoured, designed to funnel blast waves around the body. The feet remind me of the Don, another Zeonic influence. It’s just rather nice. That said, I’m just now noticing that the elbows can’t bend, which is a choice.

Interestingly, in SD Gundam G Generation FIF, there’s a non-canon scenario where the Gigantic is Piloted by Karius, a surviving wingmate of Anavel Gato, the pilot of the Gp02, which is neat.

The MAK-005S Gaplant Kai was a mobile armour used by the Earth Branch of the AEUG, Karaba, during the latter half of the Gryps Conflict and throughout the subsequent Neo Zeon War. Unlike its predecessor, the ORX-005 Gaplant, it was a non-transformable suit conceived as an atmospheric interceptor - an excellent means to challenge invading Axis forces. However, Karaba already possessed the excellent Zeta Plus series with which to establish aerial superiority, and as such only 20 units were produced. These twenty units would be deployed in rapid strike operations against (formerly) spaceborne Axis forces entering the atmosphere.

The regular Gaplant is one of those titans suits that I just see everywhere. We know that a lot of old Titans Stock was sold off by the Earth Federation (though to who exactly is a little unclear), and a transformable suit capable of long periods of atmospheric flight was always going to be a hot item. It makes sense that it’d have some further development with the fall of the Titans - though materials associated with them are politically inconvenient to Earth Federation itself, Karaba really isn’t in a position to be picky. The Gaplant’s just rather nice and straightforward. I will call out that I absolutely adore the wing binders, and just wing binders in general; they’re just a design feature I really like - a wing, a thruster, a gun all-in-one. It’s just a great economy of design and yet so stylish.

Armament-wise, the Gaplant Kai eschews the integrated beam rifles and beam sabers of the original Gaplant and replaces them with weaponry more suited to a mobile armour, namely Vulcan Cannons in the wings and some optional 12-tube missile launchers near the rear of the craft (not shown in the above picture). It also has some Diffuse Beam Cannons built into the wings. If it wasn’t for the fact that they can also function as regular Beam Cannons, I’d find fitting your interceptor with what are essentially beam shotguns an extremely ballsy move.

In case it isn’t obvious, I do very much like the Gaplant Kai conceptually - taking a Titans design and pressing it into Karaba’s service in the Neo Zeon War is just kinda rad, recognising the enemy was on to something and deploying it in the next war out of desperation. I like the Gaplant, so a variant on its design emphasising the mobile armour element is just lovely and I appreciate how much more specialised it feels - no longer a test unit, it’s Aerodynamic and suited to quick strikes. I’m of two minds about the colour scheme. One one hand, it’d be difficult to pick out against the clouds, so I can visualise it coming out of nowhere and attacking a surprised enemy. On the other, it’s just a little bit plain.

Alright, so I’m gonna be taking a break from Gundam G Generation Posts for a little bit, since I’ve got other stuff I want to talk about. So, to temporarily cap this off, I’m going to be talking about one of the two suits that directly inspired this series of posts;

The GB-9700 Gundam Belphagor, originating in SD Gundam G Generation F was an anti-Newtype mobile suit constructed by United Nations Earth for Use in the 7th Space War. Newtypes were commonly employed by both the United Nations Earth and Space Revolutionary Army during the war, with their loss in combat greatly effecting the momentum of both sides, since they were typically well equipped, piloting either Gundam’s (for the UNE) or Febral’s/Bertigo’s (for the SRA). As such, the United Nations Earth constructed a suit specifically designed to combat newtypes. Ironically, the best pilot for such a suit was a Newtype themself. Like the preceding Gundam’s Airmaster, Leopard and X; the Belphagor was fitted with a Flash System, essentially a catch-all term for Newtype weaponry, typically used by UNE forces to control G-bits, simplified versions of the “mother” mobile suit, shown below:

However, the Gundam Belphagor’s flash system instead allowed a finer degree of control over the mobile suit, allowing the pilot to more effectively counter remote weaponry. To this end, it was equipped with heat wires in the arms to destroy any funnels or bits the enemy might employ. Additionally it was armed with beam sabers (stored in the hips), a sonic smasher cannon (which would eventually become the mega sonic cannon mounted on the Virsago), a set of atomic scissors on the knees and the arms could fold out into what are termed “strike claws”, which each mounted a beam gun and high-output beam saber.

I like the design, since it still has a lot of the Gundam X-style features, but pushes them in different directions - the X has the long-range Satellite Cannon, the Belphagor has a bunch of CQC grappling equipment. I like how thruster-heavy it is, really sells that it’s supposed to close in and wreck things. The colours are (at least for a Gundam) quite neutral, so you pay more attention to its armament. I like how sleek the chest is (and as an aside, I like how all of After War Gundam’s have a sorta gem on their design). The pointed feet feel like they’re evoking something but I’m not sure what. I really love how built-up the arms are - you can tell that they’re gonna do *something*. The head’s apparently based on Devilman, by Go Nagai, which is pretty rad, and ties into the suit’s purpose as a Newtype-killer.

Alrighty, so a little more on that Gundam Belphagor. Part of the reason that I wanted to talk about all the G Generation designs is that they all occupy this weird canon state. All their bio’s say “built, deployment unknown” or “designed, maybe built” or “limited deployment to obscure front”, so they’re all basically “you can’t prove it didn’t happen” which is a nice angle.

(There are a few that are explicitly non-canon, like the monoeye gundams and things original to the games, like the Halphas, above)

But nonetheless it’s interesting seeing what’s been worked in, whether it’s an Axis Prototype that didn’t make the cut, an evil knockoff of the Victory Gundam or a whole new Gundam.

A whole new Gundam, oh my. Wouldn’t it be grand if there was a series that had “gaps” if you will, units we know existed, but don’t know anything about. Units that a brand new Gundam would fit right alongside.

I mean, there might even be a series that already fits with the gundams being named after demons from the Ars Goetia, like the Halphas and Barbatos, that’d be cool.

So yeah, I’m kinda looking forward to seeing what weird thing the next game to get original designs adds.