AMBAC is useful, but not magic. It's function is limited.yazi88 wrote: ↑Tue Jul 11, 2017 6:48 pm Top speed might be a factor in a one on one dogfight or possibly hit and run tactics in skirmishes as shown in Thunderbolt, but in a wide battlefield like Solomon and ABQ it is not a reliable factor. You can use real life fighters as examples, but they really don't mean much comparing to MS combat where AMBAC and maneuverability are a factor in close combat while also dodging enemy fire in a chaotic battlefield especially in space combat. Space combat and aerial combat use completely different factors.
The Ball has shown to be slightly effective in numbers and even then it loses miserably to the Zaku before the GMs debuted. It was utilzed a little better with GMs in Solomon and ABQ battles as support fire but when a Zaku or any other MS comes to mid or close range, it lives up to its name as a mobile coffin. Long range units, especially with the Ball's cannon are not particularly useful especially in Space during the OYW, considering the fact that MS are far more mobile in space compared to Earth where Gravity limits movement. Close and mid range are the deciding factor in battles, as shown when the Zaku debuted in Operation British where the Federation's reliance on the Big Gun strategy was obliterated from close and mid range combat of the Zeon mobile suits. The Ball not show anything to rectify this.
As for the Gelgoog and GM specs, the only thing the GM has over it is a little better acceleration, lighter armor and vulcans. Gelgoog A has higher generator, actual beam rifle, longer sensor range and a bit faster turn speed compared to the base GM.
One last point about the Rick Dom II, its heat saber is compatible with the extra tanks. The model kits show it as well as the Gundam War card link below. The Delaz version has less performance because of lack of parts compared to the OWY version, its a downgraded version.
http://gundam.wikia.com/wiki/File:Ms09r2_GWar.jpg
In space, you still need to thrust to get away from your current velocity, changing the direction you face helps very little in dodgin. AMBAC can get your CoM out of your mecha, but that isn't completely reliable and your mecha only moved away from the point for like 2 metres. Without acceleartion, your movement path is going to be much more predictable.
The Ball's Iron Coffin naming is just a misnomer, it is clearly that in a world full of MS, pilots from both factions will see the Ball as an inferior unit purely due to its appearance. The advantage of it being resupplied faster is also contributing to the hate of the EFF pilots, with a longer on field time, you simply get more chance of being killed (An example will be 1 hr on a plane has a higher death rate than 1 hr on a car, but car accident rates are much higher because cars are on the road for a much longer time than planes) Its spec, combat history and records show otherwise.
And the 180 degree turning speed includes the AMBAC functions, thus the little better acceleration you are talking about shows very well that the AMBAC function on Dom and Gelgoog isn't giving it a large advantage over Ball and GM, both has a single digit percentage (5% and 6%) as opposed to the 40%, 12%. If 40% and 12% are little, then the 5 and 6% are neglible. IRL, a speed difference of 12% is huge, is doesn't matter if you are talking about planes or tanks, this is likely at least half a model's spec difference.
The higher generator output of Gelgoog is offset by it heavier weight and larger form. I have listed above, the output increase against the GM isn't going to give it a much better output for weaponry, at least likely less than 15% since more power will be needed for the increased thrust(thermonuclear thrusters require power from the generator) and increased mass and moment of inertia for its larger, bulkier form. The GM also enjoys Beam Rifles in limited numbers, by limited we can be sure that it is more than 200(counting all those variants including L, LA, G, GL, SC, SP) while you only have around 200 Gelgoogs. Gundam Officials and Encyclopedia Ver. 1.5 even listed Gundam's Beam Rifle as the standard GM optional equipment.(Yes, it specifically written as Gundam's) and another beam rifle developed basing on Gundam's rifle. The Beam Spraygun is issued as standard equipment because it is cheaper and produced in numbers, but likely the commanders still have the option to equip the GMs with Beam rifles when needed, it is just that the sprayguns are enough in normal situations. Gundam Officials even listed the Beam Rifle being bulkier and less convenient as one of the reasons GM carries the spraygun. The "Beam rifle cannot be produced in great numbers even with the capability of the EF" is simply a statement showing Zeon also didn't have that capability, and the "Produced in small numbers" by EF standard is simply well over Zeon's production which is within hundreds. The Beam Rifle argument really isn't that solid.
When you simply cannot catch up, your combat style is limited and passive. You have to react to the enemy's movements.
Not to mention the Ball has little trouble firing backwards, while all MS have trouble doing so with full thrust.
Fight or flight, the Ball is one of the limited choices you have in all of Gundam's history where you can fight when using full thrust running away. (The other is the Gaza series MA mode, which is designed to have its main thrusters pointing forward)
The Guntank cannon(which in turn, is the Ball Cannon, at least the 120mm one is.) has a longer range and higher muzzle velocity than the Guncannon 240mm guns, if the Ball's cannon is useless, the Guncannon and GM Cannons will be pretty much useless by the same deduction, since the Guncannon only has a 2.0s turning speed and harder to aim.
The incompatiblity of the Rick Dom II's heat sabre is specifically mentioned in Gundam Officials. Maybe the pilot can hand carry it at launch or somehow create other on-the-field mountings to carry it, but on official records, it is not compatible.