I recently ran into an image of a MS-17R and later find out that it was part of this series. Doing so more digging around found some more volumes of it:
http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/gun ... 0302042553
https://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/gu ... 0302042628
https://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/gu ... 0302042628
Deacon has already gone ahead and posted some info of these units on his site (thank you very much!):
http://www.zeonic-republic.net/?page_id=4014
I found particularly interesting the information about the Dowas Custom, which if I understood correctly is supposed to be the infamous Gundarium Gamma sample given to AE (I wonder if Char's own unit might have been the particular unit given?). The beam bazooka seems like the result of incorporating some features from the Skiure beam cannon, which incidentally is the same kind of weapon that in recent years has served as the Physalis own optional Beam Bazooka. The detail about the optional propellant tanks was also a neat detail, and again makes me wonder if other late units like the MS-06FZ or MS-18E couldn't have also been given the same feature.
Moving on, the MS-17R seems to be the result of modifying a MS-17 with MS-14BR components, and a hybrid backpack, which seems to have be a combination of a MS-14B's and one taken from either a MS-10 or MS-11, which had that particular 3 thruster arrangement. Also, it's color scheme, as well as it's choice of shield and beam sword, make me think that the pilot of this unit was related to M'Quve himself.
Not much to say about the MS-21D1, other than ask why weren't more units given more extra firepower like this from the start instead of a puny fixed arm vulcan. On the other hand, I liked confirmation about the MS-14J using the MS-14F's backpack as base for it's own design. I also feel thankful for a different name for that Gelgoog's shortened 360mm giant bazooka: the bullpup type 360mm rocket cannon, which randomly shows up every now and then, but usually just seems to be sweep under the rug under the 360mm bazooka classification without further differentiation. In fact, I can certainly agree that this weapon reminds me of the shoulder mounted rocket cannons used by some EF MS (ex: RGC-80).
All being said, I do have one concerns after checking Deacon's site profiles on the MS-09SS, MS-14J and MS-21D1: the armor material. The MS-21D1 unsurprisingly is still listed with super hard steel alloy as armor material (SHSA), which makes sense as despite being newer, it's essentially and elf recycled components. On the other hand, the MS-14J seems to stick to the idea of being a sore thumb as one of the few (if not the only) Zeon MS with a titanium alloy armor, but more on that in a moment. The Dowas on the other hand was a bit unexpected: essentially its armor seems to take a similar approach to some post-Gryps MS, which for one of another reason no longer have full a Gundairum Gamma armor, and instead switch back to older titanium ceramic composite (TCC), and only use Gundarium Gamma alloy to protect some key areas, such as the cockpit. This again makes me question if some units such as the updated MS-09G units (with linear seat,panormaic cockpit and also partial gundarium armor) and particularly the MS-09H may actually be the result of Axis being in contact with Zeon remnants on Earth and perhaps even provided them with supplies and equipment. If the Dowas custom is essentially a further improvement over the Rick Dom II, I could certainly imagine the MS-09H being a similar redesign of the MS-09G, plus both units have a similar loadout: beam bazooka, heat saber and head vulcans.
Back to the MS-14J, I still can't make much sense of its armor material: it's supposedly an upgraded Gelgoog, which more often than not is said to also use SHSA armor, but we are to believe that it was upgraded to somewhat better titanium armor instead of TCC armor, which at least by the end of the was Zeon had already began to widely adopt for units such as the MS-06FZ, MS-09R2, MS-14Jg, etc. It's particularly puzzling when we also consider the MS-06FZ, which by some sources is the resulting upgrade of an old MS-06F, indeed making the jump from SHSA to TCC as part of the improvements. Any thoughts on this?