The Official Gundam Iron-Blooded Orphans Mecha Thread Mk II

[Kuruni]

Well, being the most common is usual sign of grunt.

Aside from that, heavy armor mean durable, durability mean survive longer in combat. Remember that they were fighting Hashmal and co back then, ability to hold the line until Gundam appear is likely what's most important.

[SonicSP]

The HG Man Rodi manual stated that the Rodi Frame is very very versatile so that a lot of type of units came out of it isn't too surprising. The frame has no special characteristics but also no weaknesses which contributes to that trait. I presume a lot of different designs were made for it during the war if it's as versatile as they're claiming.

One thing to keep in mind about the Man Rodi in particular is that it's very very fuel inefficient, which is the price it pays for being a high offense, high defense and high speed unit. It was made that way to with Brewers quick hit tactics (Brewers' Gundam Gusion was also designed like that).

Considering most if not all the armor design stayed the same after the re-spec, I presume some of that fuel inefficiency aspect remains in the Landman Rodi. Some things were likely changed though because the Man Rodi manual noted that it would perform poorly under gravity, which is no longer the case for the modified Landman Rodi.

The main website profile for the Landman Rodi also mentions that they can remain agile even under gravity due to the Alayashiki System, so make of that what you will. This really shouldn't be the full explanation since they had that as Man Rodis too. So I guess that re-spec to an Earth type likely changed some internals that made them better for that.

[Wingnut]

I may have missed this being posted earlier, but where exactly are the Ahab reactors located on a mobile suit, and how big are they? GN drives had the tell-tale cones, but do Ahabs have anything similar to them?

[SonicSP]

Basically it's those circular shell like things. Here are some examples:


Gundam Frame's Twin Reactors
http://gundam.wikia.com/wiki/Post_Disas ... actors.jpg

Graze's Single Reactor
http://gundam.wikia.com/wiki/Post_Disas ... actor.jpeg

Gundam Vidar's Third Reactor (bottom right)
http://www.1999.co.jp/itbig42/10420313k2.jpg

Ships are confirmed to have larger Ahab Reactors with larger output.

[Deathzealot]

Huh. Thought those where the cockpit blocks....

[SonicSP]

For the Gundam Frames, the cockpit block is that small thing that is slightly above and in between the two Ahab Reactors you can see in the picture. It is placed there to maximize the Anti-G Force effect of the Ahab Reactors (HG Barbatos) due to Ahab Particles generating their own gravity.

I assume most other cockpits were designed to do something similar to maximize the effect though this has never been directly stated yet except for the Gundam Frames.

[Kuruni]

Hexa frame is notable for not include cockpit in the frame itself. Hugo has it in the large head while Gilda is in hood-like part of backpack.

[amagee2100]

The Barbatos Lupus Rex and Juietta's new Graze look incredible. In particular, it looks like they've re-tooled the Hashmal's tail weapon for the Barbatos as well as covered its nano-laminate claws in a new material that looks like the same yellow metal of the tail. I wonder if they'll say whether they've been able to repurpose the tail's technology perfectly.

Also Bael's color photos show we'll be seeing those special yellow blades again.

[Shinji_Shinigami]

I like the idea of adding weapons of the fallen enemies to Barbatos. I liked the red shoulder portion of the lupus, shame they got rid of them. I wonder what extra purpose the new arms have, since they look bulkier then before. Still a thing i wonder is, if the backlash from Barbatos on Mikasuki is unavoidable, and happend to the pilots of the gundams too, 300 years prior, or if they missed to set something up, for that kind of sync. What i mean is, that one of the special properties of a Gundam could be some sort of AI, that helps processing the information or something, yet it is not awakend in the current State of the Suit. I think the Idea of an AI assisst is not toooo far of, since Mikazuki seems to interface with the Suit on a different level, and, at least to me, there seems to be more going on in the background of the suit, then meets the eye.

[SonicSP]

Profile text of Gundam Barbatos Lupus Rex taken from the expo:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C2lSdOLUkAEq8rF.jpg

Cross posting a translation from Suki:

https://forums.animesuki.com/showthread ... ost6016954

It simply says that like Mika, Barbatos was heavily damaged in the battle against the MA to protect Chryse and was sent to Saisei's MS workshop for maintenance, resulting in heavy modifications. Mika is well on his way to becoming one with his machine, and the Teiwaz mechanics succeeded in boosting the response speed of the machine up to the theoretical limit value to match Mika's battle data. Operation of every joint of the frame was fine-tuned to match the pilot's sensations. Parts of the MA were used for the armor. The new Barbatos received the name "Rex", the name of the king, which is fateful as Mikazuki Augus walks by the side of Orga Itsuka who strives to become the king of Mars.

======================

Still a thing i wonder is, if the backlash from Barbatos on Mikasuki is unavoidable, and happend to the pilots of the gundams too, 300 years prior, or if they missed to set something up, for that kind of sync. What i mean is, that one of the special properties of a Gundam could be some sort of AI, that helps processing the information or something, yet it is not awakend in the current State of the Suit. I think the Idea of an AI assisst is not toooo far of, since Mikazuki seems to interface with the Suit on a different level, and, at least to me, there seems to be more going on in the background of the suit, then meets the eye.

My theory is that it's an unavoidable cost of achieving the high synch levels with the Gundam. The Alayashiki System works by having the mobile suit be an extension of yourself. So the idea that further integration means losing control of your body seems to make sense for me as a natural cost.

This also makes sense when you connect this to McGillis' speech late in Season 1 where he said that the Gundam pilots "gave up being human" in order to save humanity with the newly developed Gundam and Alayashiki System. That term of course is pretty vague and broad but it really wouldn't surprise me if they had to sacrifice their mobility or ability to live normally outside their Gundams like Mikazuki is going through, as he made it sound like it was a big sacrifice.

Plus he made the speech to console Gaelio about Ein's becoming a machine in sacrifice to Gjallahorn's cause. Perhaps the connection is closer than just a general soldier sacrifice thingy, it may even close to mirroring it.

Some have speculated that Mikazuki's Alayashiki implants are pretty poor given that they may likely third rate cheap versions acquired and used by CGS compared to good ones that Gjallahorn used back during the war, which may lead to the current problems. I don't subscribe to this theory personally but it remains a possibility.

I think it's extremely unlikely that there is some sort of hidden advanced AI that helps synch with the machine, not more than we have already seen anyways (you still need some basis AI). Advanced AI is how they got into the Calamity War mess in the first place and the reliance back on human pilots and human-centered systems seems to imply to me that they really really moved away from that.

[E08]

Official profile:Gundam Barbatos Lupus Rex, Reginlaze Julia

Barbatos Lupus Rex specalizes in close combat and backpack weapon identified as tail blade. The Reginlaze Julia is a prototype high mobility unit and requires highly skilled pilot.

*Gundam Bael's color
*Additional Reginlaze Julias' pics and specs (Armament: Julian Sword)
*Additional Barbatos Lupus Rex Pic 1, 2

[zetatype]

Damn, those arms on the Rex are huge, I wonder if it has weapons stored inside them. I like that they incorporated the tail blade from the MA, but at the same time it takes up the space where the Barbatos' main thruster used to be. What are they gonna do about its propulsion?

Overall it's certainly an...interesting design.

[E08]

Leaked images of Helmwige Reincar: 1, 2

The translation seems to be ok. Nice to know that the head horns can rotate and be used as a weapon. Also, the centre upper chest armor can be used as a face guard.

Added info about Helmwige Reincar from the japanese wiki (source listed as feb 2017 issue of Gundam Ace):
-Gjallarhorn's database contain records of the Helmwige, and that was used as a reference to modify the Grimgerde into Helmwige Reincar
-Reincar originates from 'Reincarnation', and is a reference to how the machine reappear 300 years later in the current time.

[yazi88]

Hmm... so then the Helmwige Reincar is actually another Valkyria suit like the Grimgarde but was modified to look another suit called the Helmwige? That is a interesting way to disguise a unit...

This new ep shows some new equipment for the Gusion Full City, and they brought back the Kutan type III, but was modifed for the Gusion which used a new backpack to transform/merge into a BWS type of form with the Kutan Type III. Gusion has a new rifle too, it also uses the same bayonet rifle as the Hekija. Raiden-Go also used the Kutan type III in a normal way while the Flauros in its transformed mode rode it with its artillery grip.

[E08]

Hmm... so then the Helmwige Reincar is actually another Valkyria suit like the Grimgarde but was modified to look another suit called the Helmwige? That is a interesting way to disguise a unit...

More like the Grimgerde was converted into a sister Valkyrja Frame MS known as Helmwige, with the word "Reincar" tagged at the back to reference the Helmwige's reappearance 300 years after the calamity war. The official site did note that Helmwige is a refurbished Grimgerde.

[yazi88]

More like the Grimgerde was converted into a sister Valkyrja Frame MS known as Helmwige, with the word "Reincar" tagged at the back to reference the Helmwige's reappearance 300 years after the calamity war. The official site did note that Helmwige is a refurbished Grimgerde.

Oh, I get it now.... there were multiple Valkyrias but different series each, like there were multiple Grimgardes, at which the Reincar was a modified one made to look like the Helmwige.

But here is what I'm a bit confused with... if all the Valkyrias used the same frame... how could the Grimgarde's be made for lightweight and the Helmwige for heavyweight? Weren't they all made for the same type of performance? What would set a Helmwige frame apart from a Grimgarde aside from the opposing equipment? Weren't all the Valkyrias made for lightweight based on what we know from the Grimgarde's info? Or was Grimgarde made specifically for that?

[Kuruni]

Well, if Gundam can be greatly different from one another, I see no problem.

[E08]

Oh, I get it now.... there were multiple Valkyrias but different series each, like there were multiple Grimgardes, at which the Reincar was a modified one made to look like the Helmwige.

But here is what I'm a bit confused with... if all the Valkyrias used the same frame... how could the Grimgarde's be made for lightweight and the Helmwige for heavyweight? Weren't they all made for the same type of performance? What would set a Helmwige frame apart from a Grimgarde aside from the opposing equipment? Weren't all the Valkyrias made for lightweight based on what we know from the Grimgarde's info? Or was Grimgarde made specifically for that?

Not really different series, it is simply the same basic Valkyria Frame frame with different armor and equipment for different purpose. There is also likely to be some internal changes to the frame like the one concerning reactor output mentioned in the Helmwige Reincar's manual.

Sure, the developers may have a certain concept/idea in mind when they develop the frame. However, that doesn't really restrict the resulting mobile suit from only being good at that particular area. With the appropriate modifications and parts it could also function in different area.
Remember the Rodi Frame? It is a versatile frame with no weakness and no speciality. However, with different armor/equipment, it ends up having a speciality and even a weakness. Such as the Man Rodi with heavy armor, and trouble with prolonged operation due to the higher consumption of fuel/propellant.

Edit: just watched the new ep. The booster pack used by Full CIty is not a Kutan Type III, but it does use similar booster units. Also Full City only used the new rifle, did not use the bayonet rifle. The Flauros did use the assault knife that is part of the option set 7 (i think).

[yazi88]

If you look closely when the Gusion Full City detaches from the booster, you can see the Bayonet rifle as one of the weapons ejected from the booster aside from the new long rifle. It was below the new rifle in the booster mode.

[Deathzealot]

Also, interesting Shidens in a new darker color scheme. Teiwaz's Colors perhaps. Or just Turbines. Since we did see a pair of similar colored units back a few episodes holding down one of that mini-MA Tekkadan brought back. Not to mention the brief reappearance of Amida's Hyakuren with the woman herself back at its controls once more.

Also, interesting modification to those Railgun Grazes. Was that a new sensor unit in the head or something?