Shields

[Scorchijs]

In that case, wouldn't the mobile Suit be pelted by tiny, extremely hot pieces of metal?
If so, wouldn't those pieces burn themselves trough the PS armor? I agree, that their tiny size doesn't do much damage, but what if the MS is under constant bombardment from such tiny, molten metal particles? That should cause some serious damage sooner or later.

P.S. I assume that PS armor's weakness against the lasers is from their intense heat. IMO near molten metal should have a similar effect of a laser against the PS armor.

[Wingnut]

Sorry, but you are wrong on that. The fragments (if any at all) would also be moving so slow by then that they could hit a bare spot on the suit and do no damage.
Beam shields, dispite your doubts, are the best defensive equipment you can get on a non- newtype mobile suit.

[Oruma]

While yes, the beam shield is much better defensively than a conventional ABC-metal shield, it has huge energy consumption. I would've thought that a beam shield is possible in early UC----just impractical.

Thus, probably the best compromise: a conventional shield (something like Gyan's shield's size) which has a beam shield generator on top. That way, anything that is deemed less dangerous can be blocked by the conventional ABCshield, while if the incoming fire is a high-powered beam attack then the beam shield can be activated.
(of course this also depends on the skill of the pilot)

The best of both worlds, methinks.

[flamingtroll]

If we are talking about UC beam shields, I have always thought that the reason why beam shield work against solid weapon is that its I-field can stop/slow down the solid,charged material enough for the beam to fully destroy it with its heat. So a large enough projectile impacting the beam shield with enough force could potentially go through it, or just destroy the joint to the beam shield emitter due to the high momentum.

If we are talking about CE ones, I don't know then since it can even block a ship cannon's shot with ease. It seems to be powered mostly by the popularity/coolness engine.

[Wingnut]

If we are talking about UC beam shields, I have always thought that the reason why beam shield work against solid weapon is that its I-field can stop/slow down the solid,charged material enough for the beam to fully destroy it with its heat. So a large enough projectile impacting the beam shield with enough force could potentially go through it, or just destroy the joint to the beam shield emitter due to the high momentum.

That is not true. In F91 we see Seabook use the F91's beam shield to swat away an incoming lance fired from a CB shot lancer like it was nothing.
Emmiter durability is another topic altogether really.

[Mwulf]

...I don't see how that disproves flamingtroll's statement.

[Wingnut]

...I don't see how that disproves flamingtroll's statement.

It shows that large projectiles are just as ineffective against a beam shield as a small one.

[Mwulf]

But that's pretty much what he was saying. I believe the point was that the ONLY way for a projectile to penetrate a beam-shield would be for it to be traveling at a very, very high speed. Like a gauss rifle or railgun.

[Dunpeal]

I wonder how effective an ABC coated projectile would be against a beam shield?

[mcred23]

It's basically be useless, since Anti-Beam Coating did very little against direct beam hits (And by the time beam shields became common, the beams themselves became far more powerful, and that would make Anti-Beam Coating even less effective).

[Wingnut]

But that's pretty much what he was saying. I believe the point was that the ONLY way for a projectile to penetrate a beam-shield would be for it to be traveling at a very, very high speed. Like a gauss rifle or railgun.

Even then it would not be enough to penetrate the shield.

In short, unless it is a battleship weapon, no single projectile will get through a beam shield.

[Toxicity]

If you were a police officer, and had the option of wearing a kevlar vest, would you? I sure as heck would. I want to have everything that could possibly keep bullets from ripping through my chest.

As far as mobile suits go, I think shields are extremely useful. The Rx-78/RGM-79 sheild probably saved a ton of lives when the Feddies launched operation star one.

[Mwulf]

If you were a police officer, and had the option of wearing a kevlar vest, would you? I sure as heck would. I want to have everything that could possibly keep bullets from ripping through my chest.

For that analogy to work, you ought to replace "kevlar vest" with "medieval plate-mail armor". There is a point where mobility becomes a higher priority than armor.

[Homeless]

I am sorta surprised that VSBRs didn't become more popular armaments, after F91, since they punch through Beam Shields with relative ease.

[RGM-79G GM Command]

I am sorta surprised that VSBRs didn't become more popular armaments, after F91, since they punch through Beam Shields with relative ease.

They are probably really expensive though, when compared to everything else anyway.

Also another reason to have a shield (Other than beam shields.) is that even if you don't plan on using it for defence, you could place extra magazines for your weapons on the large shields used by most of the GMs and most of the Gundams, if you had a magazine fed weapon anyway.

[Wingnut]

I am sorta surprised that VSBRs didn't become more popular armaments, after F91, since they punch through Beam Shields with relative ease.

Thing is they tend to overheat quickly. Seabook got off about a dozen shots with the thing in its higher power "penetrating" mode before he had to wait for it to cool down. You can fire off as many as you like in the lower power mode, but the ones that can punch through a beam shield in one shot cause more heat to build up than the suit can disperse and thus will not fire until that heat is bled off.

[Homeless]

I realize that they overheat quickly and are likely very expensive; I just find it odd they all but vanish after the Formula Project-related units.

[Metal Legend]

I realize that they overheat quickly and are likely very expensive; I just find it odd they all but vanish after the Formula Project-related units.

Bit odd, the only suit you only really see with them was one of the V2 mods.

EDIT: LOL my first ninja Damn Yes!!!

[J-Lead]

I realize that they overheat quickly and are likely very expensive; I just find it odd they all but vanish after the Formula Project-related units.

They didn't. The V2 Gundam is capable of equipping them with the Assault Package, and we see a few mass produced F91s equipped with them in Crossbone Gundam. That said, I think that RGM-79G GM and Wingnut put it best; VSBR's are extremely expensive to mount on an MS, they overheat quickly, and they put a good amount of stress on the reactor. Because of this, they are only equipped on High performance/Prototype Mobile suits. Then again, I'm actually surprised that the GBRD wasn't implemented a little more generously in the Federation's armament.

Edit: Ninja'd again...

[Homeless]

The MP F91s fall under "Formula Project related suits" and "all but vanish" leaves space to include the one or two other examples of it being used, you know. >_>

That thing the Rig Contio had was practically a VSBR in all but name too, wans't it?