Mobile Suit range and Classifications

[toysdream]

Looks like Katoki factored that into his original design, but in the actual game, the beam sabers just go away when you mount anything else on the backpack.

As far as the original M-MSV designs are concerned, it seems like Okawara didn't bother to give any version of the RX-81 beam sabers. Perhaps you can put them on the "Standard Armor" version in place of those "gatling smashers" - that could be why it was classified as a "melee/bombardment type", depending on the weapons loaout.

The original RX-81 Light Armor, though, specifically didn't have beam sabers. Like the GM Light Armor and the Ez8 High Mobility Custom, it's basically a light, fast machine for hit-and-run attacks, which relies on a single powerful gun. Basically the same concept as the Dom and Rick Dom - these probably all fall under the "attack type" category.

-- Mark

[Brave Fencer Kirby]

A couple of mobile suits are classified as interceptor type (迎撃用 or 迎撃型). Basically the same thing, but more explicitly defensive.

MSA-003 Nemo
RGM-89 Jegan
F90 II Intercept Type

Hm, "defensive" as in, intended to counter enemy attack MS, rather than to go out and tangle with other fighter MS? Seems like a valid role, though I'm not sure what the actual difference in specs/equipment between a regular fighter and a specialized interceptor would be. Certainly the Nemo and the Jegan don't seem significantly different from the GM II or the GM III.

[E08]

I'm honestly not sure where the Blitz Gundam fits into the classification system, would it be similar to a suit like the Kampfer. I'm also unsure where the Forbidden Gundam also fits into this. It feels like a close combat type, but at the same time could be an interceptor type.

According to what i read from the Seed MS Encyclopedia and Blitz's MG manual (if i did not read wrongly that is..), Blitz should be classified as attack type. Both sources notes that the Mirage Colloid stealth system allows the suit to break though defense line or infiltrate enemy bases easily to destroys ships and/or facilities.

As for Forbidden, well, its transformed form actually give it away. MAHQ has it listed as 'Close Combat Mode', but the actual name is more like 'High Speed Assault Form'. Seed MS Encyclopedia also calls it an Assault type X200 series MS.

[Evex]

I've been looking over the profiles on MAHQ trying to understand the terminology of the classification and trying to relate it back to what is being discussed in this topic. I've also started to notice some other trends. At least I think they are trends. To make reading easier I'm just going to list these correlations instead of trying to describe things in paragraphs, although I'm not guaranteeing that won't happen.

Fighter

Close Combat
Hand to Hand Combat
Melee Combat

Interceptor

Attack Use
Assault
Strike

Bombardment Types

Artillery
Support
Long range/Long Distance
Sniper

Sub Classification

Terrain

Ground
Space
Amphibious /Underwater/ Submarine/Water Adapted
Variable Environment
Aerial / Airborne
Desert
Cold Climate
Underground

Miscellaneous

Newtype use
Limited custom
Heavy
High efficiency/ultra high efficiency
Multi Class
Test Use
Tactical
Combat
Commander
Reconnaissance
Offense/Defense Duel use
Experimental
Prototype
High Mobility
High Speed
Multi-Mode
High Performance

General Purpose/All Purpose - This seems to be the general too lazy to give a suit an actual designation. I write this due to the fact the GM Sniper II, GM Sniper Custom, Gelgoog Jager among other suits just receive this designation. It also appears to be the one that is used the most, which makes identifying an Mobile suits classification that much harder.

I've come across some suits that use multiple designations for instance the ZMT-S29 Zanneck is categorized as a Long Range attack use mobile suit. I'm guessing this would make it both a Interceptor and Bombardment type.

[toysdream]

Remember, "long range" isn't a category - it's just a modifier. So a "long-range bombardment type" is for bombardment, a "medium-range support type" is for support, and a "long-range attack type" would be for attack.

As far as Gundam Seed, the ZAFT machine helpfully have their combat role right there in the model number:

ZGMF = Zero-Gravity Maneuver Fighter
TFA = Terrestrial Fighter Artillery (i.e. fighter/bombardment)
TMF/A = Terrestrial Maneuver Fighter/Attacker
TMF/S = Terrestrial Maneuver Fighter/Support
AMF = Aerial Maneuver Fighter
UMF = Underwater Maneuver Fighter

The Earth Alliance ones aren't as obvious, but the old Official File books took a stab at it. Here's their classification:

Duel Gundam: medium and close range fighter type
Buster Gundam: heavy bombardment type
Strike Gundam: multipurpose type
Calamity Gundam: command and fire support type
Blitz Gundam: "blitzkrieg invasion" type
Forbidden Gundam: assault type
Aegis Gundam: high-speed assault type
Raider Gundam: high-mobility assault type

Justice Gundam: assault type
Freedom Gundam: anti-MS combat type
Providence Gundam: anti-MS combat type

-- Mark

[Evex]

Apologies for taking so long to get back to this topic, but I was just letting my brain mull over everything in this topic. There is a bit of information to process after all.

Z.A.F.Ts mobile suits seem to more or less be the easiest to recognize due to the model number, as you wrote toysdream. If we look at a suit that tried to combine all the classifications of mobile suits we get the GP-00 Gundam Blossom. Its the only example that comes to my mind. From that we get the other GP machines which are categorized more specifically.

GP01 Gundam "Zepherantes": What we would most likely call a standard fighter type.
GP01-FB Gunadam "Zepheranthes" Full Vernian: This is most likely either considered a high mobility fighter type, or interceptor/fighter type.
GP02 "Physalis": A mobile suit that from its equipment is meant for tactical bombardment with its nuclear bazooka, and regular support bombardment with its MLRS equipment.
GP03 Dendrobium Stamen: a suit designed to be an interceptor type with the orchis option the mobile suits gains mobile armor properties and is suited for area denial.
GP04 Gerbera: Most likely the original GP04 serves the same function as the GP-01FB in that its a high mobility fighter type. Upon becoming the Gerbera Tetra it becomes an anti-mobile suit type.

On the mention of the GP00 Gundam "Blossom" is it possible for a mobile suit to hold more then one classification. For instance could a suit exist as an assault bombardment type ? A suit essentially designed to use hit and run tactics while at medium to long range. On the same note could a mobile suit exist as a anti-mobile suit heavy bombardment type ?

[toysdream]

The Gerbera Tetra is an assault type. (Along with the Kaempfer, it's pretty much the assault type - these guys originated the category.) Blast through enemy lines with a high-speed booster, quickly taking out everything in your path.

The GP03 is, as per the anime, for defending a critical point in space. Ironically they use it for offense instead.

The GP02A is an attack type, as I noted on the other page. Rush in and take out major enemy targets with heavy weapons. A lot of these guys have established classifications, and I listed lots and lots of them for you!

Anyway, there's a limit to how you can mix and match classifications. "Bombardment" implies firing from a long distance, and it's never going to be terribly precise. This works for providing cover, or an artillery barrage, but it's not much use for taking out individual mobile suits. If you shoot down individual targets at long range, you'd be a sniper, and some bombardment types (like the Buster Gundam) do have the ability to play both these roles.

-- Mark

[SonicSP]

Yep, Katoki's "G-Line" version seems to have beam sabers, but the original RX-81 Light Armor from the M-MSV series didn't, and this was specifically mentioned in the profile text.

Scratches head* Hm... this is more complicated then I had thought. Okay so we can classify mobile suits into three basic types close combat, interception and bombardment. Using the GAT Series as an example of this classification.

Not quite! "Close combat," "interceptor," "fighter" etc are all just variations on the same thing - a mobile suit for fighting other mobile suits, like a modern fighter plane. The real third category is attack, which is a fast, heavily armed mobile suit designed to charge through enemy lines and take out important targets.

The Japanese sources have classified most of the U.C. mobile suits neatly into these categories. Here's a breakdown.


Fighter Type (戦闘型)
This is basically the default - most mobile suits are designed to fight other mobile suits, and most otherwise unclassified mobile suits fall into this category. These are among the few cases where it's specifically mentioned:

RX-78-4 Gundam (M-MSV)
RX-78-5 Gundam (M-MSV)
MS-14F Gelgoog Marine
MS-17 Galbaldy Alpha
AMX-006 Gaza D
RGM-109 Heavygun
XM-02 Den'an Gei
XM-05 Berga Giros

Some fighter-type mobile suits are specifically designed to engage other mobile suits at close range. You'll see these labeled as close combat type (白兵戦型) or melee type (格闘型). Examples:

RX-78 Gundam - by some accounts
RGM-79FP GM Striker (Harmony of Gundam)
YMS-15 Gyan
RX-81ST Standard Armor (M-MSV) - multiclassed as "bombardment/melee type"
F90 Gundam
XM-01 Den'an Zon
XM-04 Berga Dalas
F90D Destroid Type

A couple of mobile suits are classified as interceptor type (迎撃用 or 迎撃型). Basically the same thing, but more explicitly defensive.

MSA-003 Nemo
RGM-89 Jegan
F90 II Intercept Type


Attack Type (攻撃型)
Here's your second major food group. These are meant to break through enemy lines with minimal fuss and make high-speed hit-and-run attacks on major enemy targets - bases, ships, and so forth. Most high-end AEUG machines fall into this category, and since the Doms from Gundam 0083 are classified this way, the original Dom and Rick Dom probably qualify as well. (So the Rick Dias plays the same role as the Rick Dom.)

MS-09F/trop Dom Tropen
MS-09R-2 Rick Dom II
YMS-16M Xamel - also described as "long-range support type"
MA-06 Val Walo
RX-78GP02A Gundam
RX-78GP03S Gundam
RX-81 Light Armor (M-MSV)
RMS-099 Rick Dias
MSN-00100 Hyaku Shiki
MSA-004K Nemo III
MSA-005 Methuss
MSZ-006 Zeta Gundam
MSZ-006A1/C1 Zeta Plus
MSZ-008 Zeta II
MSK-008 Dijeh
RMS-108 Marasai
RMS-142 Xeku Zwei
PMX-000 Messala
PMX-001 Palace Athene
AMX-002 Neue Ziel
AMX-008 Ga-Zowmn - also described as a "fighter-bomber for anti-ship and anti-fortress attack"
AMX-107 Bawoo
RGM-89S Stark Jegan - classified as "anti-ship attack" (対艦攻撃用)
RGZ-91 Re-GZ
F71 G-Cannon
F91 Gundam

Whew! You can see that one's a popular category. A more extreme variant is the assault type (強襲用, 強襲型, or 突撃型). These often have drop tanks, disposable boosters, or disposable weapons for the sake of maximum speed, and they generally don't carry shields.

RTX-440 Assault Guntank
MS-10 Pezn Dwadge
MS-18E Kaempfer
MS-21C Dra-C
AGX-04 Gerbera Tetra
MSA-0011[Bst] S Gundam Booster Unit
RX-121 Gundam TR-1 Hazel Assault Form
AMX-011S Zaku III Custom
AMX-102 Zssa - multiclassed as bombardment type, but can play assault role with booster attached
NZ-333 Alpha Azieru
F90A Assault Type


Bombardment Type (砲撃戦用 or 砲撃戦型)
Third major group. These are meant to shoot at the enemy from a safe distance, and are often further classified as either medium- or long-range types. It's also common for these guys to be described as support type (支援型) since their main job is to back up their fellow mobile suits.

RX-75 Guntank - long range bombardment/support
RX-77 Guncannon - medium range bombardment/support
RX-78-6 Gundam (M-MSV)
RX-78SP Gunner Gundam (MSV-R) - medium range support
RX-81ST Standard Armor (M-MSV) - multiclassed as "bombardment/melee type"
RGC-80 GM Cannon
RGC-83 GM Cannon II - medium range bombardment/support
RB-79 Ball - medium range support
MS-06K Zaku Cannon - medium range bombardment/support
MS-12 Gigan - also described as "anti-air defense type"
MS-14C Gelgoog Cannon
YMS-16M Xamel - also described as "long range attack" and "medium/long range support"
MSA-005K Guncannon Detector
RGM-86R GM III - medium/long range support
AMX-102 Zssa - multiclassed as "assault/attack type"
AMS-119 Geara Doga Heavy Armed Type
F90S Support Type
RXR-44 Guntank R-44

A specialized offshoot would be the sniper type (狙撃型).

RGM-79SC GM Sniper Custom
RGM-79SP GM Sniper II
MS-05L Zaku I Sniper Type (Harmony of Gundam)
MS-14Jg Gelgoog Jaeger
RMS-106CS Hizack Custom
F90 II L Long Range Type


Reconnaissance Type (偵察用 or 偵察型)
Last but not least, let's remember the rare but charismatic recon type. Like the "fighter" and "attack" types, these play the same role as modern aircraft. Many of them are designed for reconnaissance in force (強行偵察, often mistranslated as "forced reconnaissance"), which is a tactic where you send a fairly obvious scout team into enemy territory to probe their defenses and assess their fighting strength.

MS-06E Zaku Recon Type
RMS-119 EWAC-Zack
XM-03 Ebirhu-S
XM-06 Dahgi-Iris


So that's the classic Universal Century breakdown. Based on this, you can classify stuff from the other series pretty easily. The "lead" Gundams - the Strike, the Duel, the Exia, the AGE-1 Normal, etc - are all fighter types specialized for various ranges, and we see plenty of attack, bombardment, sniper, and recon types as well. Maybe we'll leave that for followup posts though.

-- Mark

So, with this essentially all general purpose suits are really "fighter types" with medium or multi ranges right? Does the term general purpose even pop up? I've seen it in translations a few times.

[Evex]

Took me way longer to formulate my thoughts, and digest all that information then I thought it would. If I'm understanding this right then we can classify most suit that are high mobility types as either attack types or interceptor types. For instance the High Mobility Zaku might be a fighter type but it can also serve as an interceptor, or attacker type. We can also just assume that the term High Mobility just means its literal meaning. This being that the mobile suit has a higher mobility then a standard type. For instance the Ginn is a fighter type, but a High mobility ginn can be considered to be a high mobility fighter type.

This means Units like the Strike Gundam, and Impulse Gundam can change there type by changing out equipment. While the base machine is a fighter type with the respective packs the suits can become an interceptor type, melee type or bombardment type respectfully. In order to see if I understood these concepts I decided to test myself with a little list, by trying to classify various mobile suits with the information from this topic.

Duel Gundam - Fighter Type/ Attack Type [assault shroud]
Blu Duel - Fighter type
Jegan - Intercept Type
Stark Jegan - Attack Type
Serpent - Fighter Type
GM Cannon II - Bombardment/Support Type
Zaku III late type - Attack Type
Zaku II Kai - Fighter Type
Buster Dagger - Bombardment Type
Guiaz R - Fighter Type
Bawoo - Attack Type
Gaza D - Fighter Type
Zaku II type F2 - Fighter Type
Powered GM - Fighter Type
Enact - Interceptor Type
Ginn - Fighter Type
GM Custom - Fighter Type
Xeku Eins - Fighter type[type 1]/ Sniper Type[Type 2]/ Attack Type[Type 3]
Geara Zulu - Fighter Type
Hizack - Fighter Type
Gelgoog Marine Commander - Fighter Type
Daughtress Cannon - Bombardment Type
Gundam Ez08 - Fighter Type
Blitz Gundam - Attack type
Saviour Gundam - Attack Type
Blue Destiny Unit 2 - Fighter Type
Gundam MK-II - Fighter Type
Gelgoog - Fighter type
GM Ground Type - Fighter Type
Gelgoog Jager - Sniper Type
Gerbera Tetra - Assault type
Hyperion Gundam - Fighter Type
Full Armor Gundam - Bombardment
Zaku Cannon - Bombardment
Gelgoog Cannon - Bombardment
Nemo - Intercept Type
Galbady B - Fighter Type
Jamesgun - Fighter Type
FAZZ - Bombardment type
Mass production ZZ - Fighter Type
Gundam Murdock - Bombardment Type
Freedom Gundam - Fighter Type
Dooben Wolf - Attack Type
Rezel - Attack Type
Gundam MK V - Attack Type
Gerbera Tetra Kai - Assault type
Verde Buster - Bombardment Type
Buster Gundam - Bombardment Type
Abyss Gundam - Attack Type
Chaos Gundam - Attack Type
Akatsuki Gundam Oowakashi/Shinriu - Intercept Type
Gustav Carl - Fighter Type

[AmuroNT1]

Looking over at Mark's rather nice classification list, I decided to see how these unit types apply to the Wing Team (since that show's kind of my area of expertise. ). I know people tend to poohpooh GW's tactics, but do recall that, as revealed in Endless Waltz, the five were INTENDED (by Dekim if not the mad scientists) to operate as an Alliance-steamrolling team. That said, the tactical roles are pretty obvious when you look at them all together and use those funky stats that everyone forgets about.

Heavyarms: Probably don't even need to say it, but this one is clearly a Bombardment type. It's also definitely a Support unit since, as we see several times in the show, Trowa's...let's call it "saturation fire" tactic tends to make HA run dry quickly, leaving him with little more than vulcans and a knife. As for range, I'd probably put HA at mid- to long-range, since the Gatlings lack the ranged striking power of something like a cannon or sniper rifle.

Shenlong/Altron: Most definitely a Close Combat type, since it possesses the highest Fighting ability of the team. However, its armor is overall the weakest, meaning it probably couldn't stand up to a long-term slugfest against an equal opponent. Altron is actually a bit more of a Fighter since it gains ranged firepower (in the form of the doubled flamethrowers and the "stinger" tail cannon), but at the expense of speed.

Sandrock: In the context of Mark's system, I'd have to put SR as an Interceptor, since while it's obviously melee- to close-range, it also has the heaviest armor of the quintet. In fact, aside from armor (and power, a ranking which remains nebulous to me), SR is actually the weakest of the "Meteor Gundams"; this makes sense when you consider the commander role usually assigned to it and adopted by Quatre late in the series.

Deathscythe: After a lot of consideration, I ended up sorting DS into the Attack type, leaning heavily towards Assault. While it doesn't quite line up with the trends established by the likes of the Kämpfer and Gerbera Tetra, it is hands-down the fastest of the five, the second-best melee fighter, and its stealth capabilities make it perfectly suited to the Assault role of breaking through enemy lines to hit HVTs - though in this context, DS plays the role of the assassin rather than the commando.

Wing: Ironically, the show's title Gundam is probably the hardest to classify. As Mark said, most hero Gundams are Fighters (because of course you want to see the hero lock sabers with his rival), but the buster rifle also lets it play a Bombardment role, heavily limited by its low ammunition count. Wing Zero is much more of a "multi-class" Fighter/Bomber thanks to the twin buster rifle's nigh-on infinite ammunition. As an amusing aside, the video game Another Century's Episode 2 has Preventer referring to Wing Zero with the codename "Lancaster"...quite appropriate.

Epyon, of course, doesn't fit into this tactical analysis; Treize designed it as a duelist, not a soldier. But if you tried to force-fit it into one of the categories it'd probably be a Close Combat type that could easily play the Assault role thanks to its exceptional speed - we get a perfect demonstration of this in the episode "Crossfire at Barge" where Zechs charges through both OZ and Gundam Team forces and takes out his target with a minimum of fuss.

Comments and analysis welcome, of course.

[Evex]

Well Amuro I can see why you came to some conclusions on that list, but I have some variance in opinion on some of the suits listed mostly with the wing gundam. If we look at the tallgesse the origin of most mobile suits in the After Colony era. We can see the talgesse is a fighter type, or we can even say its an assault type due to its rather large amount of speed.

The Wing Gundam Zero is more of a fighter type in my opinion . It has speed due to its twin thruster design in its binders, and the twin buster rifle gives it medium to long range punch in either a beam rifle, or beam cannon setting. While like I mentioned it has its speed its armaments are balanced enough that it can fight at any range.

The Wing Gundam can in most cases be considered to be Doctor J trying to simplify the Wing Zero design. In this case the Wing Gundam shares some aspects of its parent suit in being an attack type. Unfortunately due to its buster rifle only having a beam cannon setting it can also be considered a bombardment type. This makes the Wing Gundam very difficult to classify, since it essentially has two combat ranges long range and close range. You could in theory say its a bombardment type until it uses the three shots in the buster rifle, and then it becomes a close combat type.

I think its safe to classify the heavy arms as a medium range support/bombardment type. This is mostly due to the heavy arms gatling guns, which have a lousy accuracy at long range.

[toysdream]

As far as the Gundam Wing machines, I think it's important to remember that they do all end up fighting solo. The Heavyarms, for example, couldn't be a "support" type because there's nobody else for it to support.

Otherwise, the fighter/attack/assault distinction tends to hinge on what kinds of targets the mobile suit is supposed to destroy. I don't know if any of the Wing machines are really specialized for one type of prey over another, although the Sandrock in particular seems like it's best suited for destroying other mobile suits.

-- Mark

[MythSearcher]

As far as the Gundam Wing machines, I think it's important to remember that they do all end up fighting solo. The Heavyarms, for example, couldn't be a "support" type because there's nobody else for it to support.

Otherwise, the fighter/attack/assault distinction tends to hinge on what kinds of targets the mobile suit is supposed to destroy. I don't know if any of the Wing machines are really specialized for one type of prey over another, although the Sandrock in particular seems like it's best suited for destroying other mobile suits.

-- Mark

I remember the Sandrock was designed to be a commander unit, thus it got all the Maganac units under its command.
It does end up fighting solo, but I doubt that is its original intended design concept.
It got little to none ranged weapons(until the space use minor upgrade where it got a puny little machine gun if you don't count the not very long range vulcans, the 2 missiles are the only long range weapon it gets, and uses up really fast in combat.) Its major weapons is a pair of heat shotels, which seems to be the only melee weapon of a Gundam that it uses as its major weapon that breaks on screen. I can hardly imagine what its designer visioned it to be, even in a close range heavy universe, the Shenlong and later Epyon close range weapons seems to be much better designed.
On the other hand, it seems like giving the Sandrock Wing's buster rifle would be the best option, a commander with limited but powerful decisive attack to make tactically or even strategically advantageous move.

[toysdream]

Even if the Sandrock is intended to act as a commander, it seems like it would be a kind of frontline commander, leading the charge ahead of its troops. Hence the heavy armor and lack of long-range weapons...

-- Mark

[Wingnut]

Which is usually what it did when Quatre was fighting with the Maganac units. He was right up there with them hacking away while they tended to provide mainly support fire with the occasional melee kill (that one guy with the claw arm in particular).

[AmuroNT1]

As far as the Gundam Wing machines, I think it's important to remember that they do all end up fighting solo. The Heavyarms, for example, couldn't be a "support" type because there's nobody else for it to support.

Yeah, the boys did spend the vast majority of the series fighting solo, but my analysis was meant to be in the context of the original Operation Meteor where they'd be operating as a team to steamroll the Alliance.

[Freighttrain]

Hello, this is my first post on the Mecha Talk forums and I figured that this discussion would be an appropriate place to mention that I have made two blog posts on the Gundam wiki where I have categorised most of the mobile weapons from the After Colony and Anno Domini timelines in accordance with contemporary military classification using adjusted and/or improvised terminology, as no nation or other military force has such vehicles in their arsenal… yet.

A primary focal point of these classification systems is on how contemporary militaries would classify a vehicle such as a mobile suit, I propose the term SHMV (Super-heavy Humanoid Military Vehicle) or ‘shumvee’ as when using a size/chassis/battlespace format, that is the most succinct, comprehensive and appropriately ambiguous designation that I have been able to derive from contemporary military classification thus far and I am particularly interested in comments regarding that.

I have listed all of the mobile weapons from Anno Domini and most of those featured in media from After Colony with the exception of some obscurities that either lack sufficient information and/or have designs or capabilities that are exotic beyond what I would call hard science fiction. Though it is possible I may add such examples later.

I am particularly interested in comments regarding the comprehensiveness, accuracy or terminology of my classification system as well as the battlespace viability and distinctive equipment of any vehicles and please also feel free to also leave a comment on the actual blog post page if you have a profile on the Gundam wiki.




PS: I read something in the Forum Rules about posting links to other websites so my Gundam wiki blog is accessible by clicking the 'Visit website' button on my Mecha Talk profile page.

[Chris]

You dug up a 5-year-old thread, which is against the rules. Locked.