ZMS-006 Zaku

The ZMS-006 Zaku is a mobile suit from Mobile Suit Gundam Alpha. The Zeon Empire's mainline mobile suit, it serves as both a symbol of the Empire's advance into the galaxy as well as a great bane to Star Force pilots.

Appearance
Pretty much looks like the MS-06Fz Zaku II Kai with the B-type helmet, but with certain "futuristic" elements added.

Technology & Combat Characteristics
Being the first of Zeon's mobile suit line, the Zaku presented a radical departure from the mobile suit design standards of the time (which had been emphasized by the Federation). Rather than act as a mobile gun battery meant for combating warships, armored vehicles and other "conventional" targets at a distance, the Zaku was designed for one explicit purpose: to fight other mobile suits. For this, a design emphasis was placed on mobility and close combat capability over durability (though they were armored in high grade Zeon Steel) and firepower; this resulted in the Zaku being laden with powerful thrusters, giving it speed and maneuverability that far surpassed the Guncannon and preceding units. This design focus ended up being highly successful in battle, as Zakus could literally dance around enemy weapons fire while closing the distance and attacking unprotected flanks. In fact, this design ethic was so successful it would later become the new standard for mobile suits, as later units like the RGX-780 Gundam would also be built primarily around mobility.

The Zaku's offensive capabilities were also made specifically to fight mobile suits; as opposed to then traditional "heavy" weapons like beam cannons and/or single shot beam rifles, the Zakus' weapons were designed to be light, precise and overwhelming, such that they could function with the Zaku's high mobility. Its main weapon is a beam machine gun, which could literally rain beams upon its target while the Zaku is performing high speed maneuvers, thereby saving its pilots the time of lining up singular shots. Supplementary armaments include a beam axe for melee combat (which the Guncannon had no counter against outside its beam shield), a right shoulder mounted beam shield projector for defense, and six hip mounted missile tubes for back up weapons. As well, the Zaku could be equipped with an optional beam bazooka for anti-ship combat, as well as a whole line of additional weapon types.

Perhaps more noteworthy than its mobility and weapons however, the Zaku would be the first mobile suit to use the Mono-Eye camera system, which (as the name suggested) placed a single "main" camera on an extended track in the Zaku's head, while secondary cameras were mounted around the mobile suit's body. Altogether, they gave the pilot excellent scope and visibility, which again ended up surpassing most other visual systems. Outside of that purpose however, the Mono-Eye also functioned as a psychological weapon, giving the Zaku the visage of a giant cyclopean monster; many a soldier had quivered under the gaze of a Mono-Eye, especially when it turns to focus in on a specific target. This secondary effect was considered just as lethal as the Zakus' performance and weaponry, such that Zeon engineers were quick to refit the Mono-Eye to emit a "flash" to further emphasize it.

As another departure from standard design ethics, which is to create specialized units from a single base design, Zeonic (Zeon's primary weapons manufacturer and the Zaku's producer) made the Zaku to be a pure general purpose type that could be used in just about any assignment; as such there are no secondary production models of the Zaku. That being said however, a number of specialty custom units exist, as one of the priviliges of Zeon commanders and ace pilots is virtual free reign in mobile suit customization, both personal (for aces) and unit wide (for commanders).

Armaments

 * ZMP80 Beam Machine Gun
 * The Zaku's primary weapon, nicknamed the "Monster" by Zaku pilots for its large, almost intimidating size and power. Essentially a huge expansion of the Federation's beam vulcan concept, the beam machine gun, as its name suggests, fires multiple "small" beams in controlled bursts as opposed to the single "large" beam of a standard beam rifle. As such, while each individual beam is less powerful than a full rifle shot, they are fired at such great rate that they can literally rain across targets. Combined with the built-in targeting system's great accuracy, Zakus can fire these machine guns while executing high speed maneuvers and still make precise hits.


 * ZBB25K Beam Bazooka
 * Though Zakus were primarily designed to fight other MS, the beam bazooka allows them to still function as "heavy" combatants. With power comparable to that of a Guncannons' shoulder beam cannons, the beam bazooka lacks the high firing rate of the Zaku's machine gun, but gives far greater power per shot, making it an effective weapon against heavily armored targets such as warships and fortresses. The tradeoff, however, is that the bazooka can expend its power in only a few shots, and the resulting recharge period can last up to several minutes.


 * ZSS07 Beam Shield
 * One of the few fields that Zeon is lagging behind in, the Zaku's mounted beam shield is noticeably larger and more cumbersome than other models; in fact, it might as well be an entirely separate device from the Zaku, as it takes up all of the right shoulder and covers most of the right arm. This is due to certain materials that the Federation and other nations used in the size marginalization of their beam shields not existing in Zeon, therefore causing Zeonic engineers to compensate with more rudimentary parts. Even so, the Zaku's beam shield power is roughly equal to its competitors', and Zeon pilots are capable of using the "solid shield" projector as both a secondary defense and as an impromptu offensive weapon by ramming other MS with it.


 * ZA05 Beam Axe
 * As the Zaku's maneuverability allowed it to close in on its target rather quickly, the designers of Zeonic felt that the Zaku should also be equipped with a melee weapon for such occasions (inadvertently opening up a whole new field of mobile suit warfare). Since their main opposition (the Guncannon) was heavily armored, the designers chose to make this weapon a battleaxe, a weapon ideal for breaking through heavy armor and defenses. By generating a small field of beam energy across its "edge", the resultant beam axe possessed great cutting power that was not only efficient against mobile suits, but warships as well. However, when the Federation and other nations started fielding mobile suits equipped with melee weapons of their own, Zaku pilots suddenly found themselves robbed of a key close combat advantage.


 * ZIM09 Missile Launcher
 * The Zaku's secondary weapon, nicknamed "Crackers" for their multi-explosive effect. Not unlike the beam vulcan for Federation mobile suits, the Zaku's hip mounted missile launchers were designed to give pilots back up measures against enemies, namely when their other weapons were either lost or recharging. Each missile is a guided high explosive device, which contain enough power to destroy a single mobile suit with a glancing blow (assuming the enemy unit can't raise its beam shield in time).

System Features

 * ZCC55 Cloaking Device
 * The Zaku is the first mobile weapon to use Zeon's patented cloaking technology. The stealth system functions by generating an electromagnetic field around its host Zaku, which in turn reflects light and sensor waves, effectively making the unit invisible to both sensors and the naked eye. However, the tradeoff is that the cloaking device takes a massive amount of energy to utilize; once activated, the Zaku is unable to utilizes its tactical systems, and its mobility is extremely hampered. As such, the Zaku is highly vulnerable when cloaked, thus pilots must take care to utilize the cloak sparingly, and well outside combat.

History
Rolled out in January GC 372, the Zaku would become the Zeon Empire's mainstay mobile suit not long after, serving for at least five years before the coming of the First Galactic War. Immediately after the war's beginning the Zaku's superiority would become established; no other mobile suit could match its performance, while warships were equally vulnerable to its power. Entire fleets would end up being wiped away by Zakus alone, causing the Federation and other star nations to take heavy losses from the onset of the war. From this, leading galactic media groups would come to refer to the period as the Zaku Scourge.

However, in spite of the Zaku's superiority, its adversaries, particularly the Federation, were not entirely outmatched. Star Force, as well as the other nations' guard forces, still had several ace pilots and commanders who were both capable of fighting Zakus with inferior machines and coordinating their forces against Zaku formations, while one particular ship type, the Federation's Midway-class fleetcarrier, was capable of command and controlling an entire fleet's worth of mobile suit forces, thereby all but nullifying the Zaku's performance advantage. On the other hand, Zeon also possessed several gifted mobile suit pilots, each capable of wiping out entire squadrons singlehandedly, as well as equally gifted tacticians and commanders that could make the most of the Zaku's power en mass. As a result, Zeon would make great headway from the beginning of the war, but at the same time would be unable to decisively defeat its stronger enemies early on.

Eventually however, the Zaku's battlefield dominance would come to an end when its adversaries began fielding more powerful mobile suits. The first of which, the Earth Federation's Gundam, would even make its first mark in history by singlehandedly destroying three Zakus at once.

Variations

 * Char Aznable Unit
 * Arguably the most famous unit of the series, the Zaku belonging to Captain Char Aznable (aka Casval von Daikun) would become something of a trend setter for other mobile suit units. Besides its blood red color scheme, which would become Char's main trademark as the "Red Comet", its main feature is its enhanced thrusters, which are powerful enough to increase the unit's maximum speed over thirty percent. As such, this Zaku would, for a time, be the fastest mobile suit in existance, until other Zeon pilots began mimicking Char's example by boosting their own Zakus' thrusters and mobility systems.


 * Anavel Gato Unit
 * Once establishing himself as an ace, Commander Anavel Gato would customize his own Zaku by painting it deep blue with a green torso, marginally enhancing its thrusters, and adding a second beam axe to its arsenal. It was in this unit that Gato earned his epithet "Nightmare of Solomon" through his participation in the First Battle of Solomon.


 * Ranba Ral Unit
 * Commander Ranba Ral, otherwise known as the "Blue Giant", would customize his Zaku by painting it in a straight blue scheme. Beyond that, Ral also increased the power output of its Apollo Reactor in order for the unit to utilize a special weapon: a hand-held beam gatling gun, designed by Ral himself. Eventually, Ral would take the combat data and experiences he gained in this unit and utilize them to create a new, more powerful MS design: the ZMS-007 Gouf.


 * Black Trinary Units
 * Painted in their signature colors of black, purple and grey, the three Zakus belonging to the Black Trinary possess enhanced mobility and offensive power. Since the units are designed to function as a team, they are each equipped with syncronized computer systems that can pass data between units more readily than standard models as well as aid in executing general maneuvers. Besides that, the unit belonging to team leader Lieutenant Commander Gaia Harken is equipped with an enhanced communication system, which she can use to issue commands to her subordinates even when under heavy interference.


 * Johnny Ridden Unit
 * Following the example set by Char Aznable, Commander Johnny Ridden, better known as the "Crimson Lightning", would customize his Zaku for increased speed and mobility, as well as paint it in a crimson tone (while adding black highlights and gold shoulder spikes to seperate it from Char's unit). Alongside, Ridden would have Zeonic design a more powerful beam bazooka for it, a design that would serve as the basis for the ZMS-009 Dom's primary weapon. Much to Ridden's detriment however, most Federation pilots would be incapable of differentiating his Zaku from Char's, and as such often mistake him for the more famous Red Comet.


 * Shin Matsunaga Unit
 * Renowned for his predatory habit of stalking potential targets, Lieutenant Commander Shin Matsunaga, better known as the "White Wolf of Solomon", would naturally paint his Zaku in a pure white and black scheme. Beyond that, he would set himself alongside fellow "speed aces" Char Aznable and Johnny Ridden by enhancing his unit's thruster power, giving it a massive boost in speed and mobility.


 * Gabby Hazard Unit
 * The Zaku belonging to Captain Gabby Hazard, better known as the "Brown Fox", is is well known for its dark brown and black colors, and its heightened speed and mobility. With this unit, Captain Gabby has long made a name for himself in the Babylonian Front, where besides having shot down a large number of Babylonian mobile suits, has also battled Crossbone Vanguard's top aces, Commander Kincaido Nau and Commander Zabine Chareaux, on several occasions.


 * Robert Gilliam Unit
 * The Zaku belonging to Captain Robert Gilliam, better known as the "Pale Horseman", is a very distinctive machine. Painted in a brilliant blue and yellow combination, it holds the speed and mobility enhancements that are standard with Zeon aces. With this unit, Robert has become the leading ace on the Zanscare Front, having shot down over a hundred Zanscare Royal Guard MS and an additional number of ships since the war began. As well, he has fought against Zanscare's leading pilot, Captain Chronicle Asher, on numerous occasions.


 * Norris Packard Unit
 * The unit belonging to Captain Norris Packard, also known as the "Black Bull of Kergeren", is unique even among Zeon. As opposed to valuing mobility, Norris has instead focused on durability with his machine, which possesses enhanced armor and a more powerful beam shield; such is the armor's durability that this Zaku can even shrug off shots from a beam rifle, while the beam shield is powerful enough to deflect blasts from a mega beam cannon. Alongside, Norris has enhanced the Zaku's basic drive systems enough that, while it cannot hope to outpace traditional speed oriented Zakus like those belonging to Char Aznable and Johnny Ridden, it can at least match the speed and maneuverability of a standard Zaku in spite of its increased weight. Beyond that, Norris' unit is painted in a black and yellow scheme, and uses standard weapons and equipment.


 * Thomas Kurtz Unit
 * Due to its pilot's status as a Federation defector and initially unaugmented human, the Zaku belonging to Lieutenant Commander Thomas Kurtz, otherwise known as the "Grey Phantom", is a bit of an oddity. As per standard procedure with "lowborn" piloted units, Kurtz's Zaku was equipped with enhanced inertial dampeners, allowing Kurtz to pilot the craft without having to endure the excessive g-forces most Zeon pilots take for granted; through this he is able to fight while still going through genetic reconditioning. As Kurtz's enhancements take more and more effect, the inertial dampeners' are reduced in power to accomodate his emerging growth as a "highborn". Complimenting this procedure, Kurtz has his Zaku's speed and mobility increased alongside, such that by the time he becomes a "true" Zeon, his machine will already possess ace level performance. Beyond those details, Kurtz's Zaku is painted in gunmetal grey and navy blue, the traditional colors of the Earth Federation Star Force. Most Zeon pilots assume this to be Kurtz honoring his Star Force roots; in reality, this is an indirect insult on Kurtz's part to the Federation, who he blames for the deaths of his wife and children.


 * Dozle von Zabi Unit
 * The Zaku belonging Grand Admiral Dozle von Zabi, Supreme Commander of the Zeon Imperial Guard, is a unique unit, even amongst the various custom Zakus in existence. Due to Dozle's large height (2.5 meters), the unit had to be built from the ground up with an extra large cockpit; as such, much of the inner mechanics have been rearranged or altered from the standard model. As well, by the Grand Admiral's request, the beam shield assembly was removed and replaced with a second spiked shoulder pauldron; while this arrangement removed the Zaku's main form of protection, the less bulky pauldron gave the Zaku's right arm freer reach, as well as allowed Dozle to execute a spiked shoulder tackle from either side. And finally, besides standard armament, the Zaku was equipped with an enlarged beam axe designed by Dozle himself, giving the machine even greater close combat capabilities than other units. Its custom colors are emerald green with ornate gold engravings and trim, the latter being signature markings for members of Zeon's fifteen High Families.


 * Kishiria von Zabi Unit
 * Not to be outdone by her younger brothers, Admiral Kishiria von Zabi, commander of the Zeon Imperial Guard's First Fleet, also piloted her own custom Zaku. As far as custom units went, Kishiria's unit was only extensively modified on the aesthetics level, having been painted in deep maroon color with the gold engravings and trim of the fifteen High Families and possessing more stylized armor. As well, following her brother (and superior) Dozle's example, Kishiria equipped her Zaku with a prototype beam lance, which she often utilized in full out charging attacks against Star Force mobile suits and ships. Though initially dismissed as a product of Kishiria's fascination with antiquity (particularly the Middle Ages), it would not be long before the lance's effectiveness and practical implications were established. The data collected from this weapon's utilization would eventually be used to create a more advanced model (one that formed an actual beam lance instead of simply generating energy around a solid lance tip), which would then become the primary weapon of a mobile suit designed by Kishiria herself: the ZMS-015 Gyan.


 * Sasro von Zabi Unit
 * As the initial commander of Zeon's Second Fleet and fourth scion of the House of Zabi, Admiral Sasro von Zabi naturally had a customized Zaku of his own. Colored in a striking orange and green color scheme with the ornate gold engravings of the High Families, Sasro's unit was notable for possessing enhanced speed and mobility as per most ace units, as well as a set of Guncannon-style beam vulcans in its head (in which it had four rather than the usual two). Despite the aforementioned capabilities however, Sasro's Zaku would be destroyed during the Battle of Riah through a pitched duel with then Ensign Sayla Mass (marking her twenty-fourth kill of the battle), with Sasro himself being killed by a finishing beam rifle shot to the cockpit. This battle would mark the first demise of a Zabi family member since Chancellor Degwin's not too long ago, as well as one of the few recorded fights in which a standard, unmodified Guncannon Trooper defeated a customized Zaku.


 * Garma von Zabi Unit
 * Compared to the more eccentric designs of his elder siblings, the Zaku belonging to Admiral Garma von Zabi, commander of the Zeon Imperial Guard's Second Fleet (following his brother Sasro's death), is more baseline. Painted in violet with the traditional gold trimmings of the High Families, Garma chose to forgo any unique armor and weaponry, instead simply enhancing the unit's performance. For this purpose, he used his friend Char Aznable's Zaku as a basis, which resulted in the unit's thrusters being significantly enhanced in power, and alongside them its speed and mobility. However, as opposed to Char's unit being over thirty percent faster than average, Garma's unit is "just" over twenty percent. Even so, that performance level is enough for Garma, who has used his Zaku with great effectiveness since the war's beginning.


 * Aina von Stauffenberg Unit
 * Painted in light blue with ornate gold trim (a signature of the Zeon High Families), the Zaku belonging to Lieutenant Commander Aina von Stauffenberg, better known as the "Azure Witch" by Star Force pilots, is said to possess a prototype cloaking device designed by Aina's brother, Admiral Ginias von Stauffenberg. Though the capabilities of this device are classified, rumor has it that the cloak not only functions in its standard capacity, but can also actively "phase" the matter and energy of its host Zaku, thereby allowing it to pass through normal matter (including beam attacks) with zero hinderance.


 * Nimbus von Schwarzen Unit
 * As head of Zeon's House of Schwarzen, Commander Nimbus von Schwarzen, also known as the "Paladin of Zeon", pilots a distinct Zaku of his own. Possessing a dark blue color scheme with crimson red shoulders and the gold lines of the High Families, Nimbus' Zaku is a mysterious machine; aside from omitting the original beam axe for a pair of beam rapiers (thin single bladed beam swords designed by Nimbus himself), having both the beam shield assembly and original left pauldron removed for custom shoulder armor (Zaku pauldrons with the spikes grouped together and pointed outward at forty-five degree angles) and adding a pair of smaller spiked shields on the forearms, the unit's capabilities are unknown. Rumor has it that this Zaku possesses a prototype support system of some kind, one designed by Professor Karl Moses, one of Zeon's most renowned scientists and researchers. Beyond that, the data collected from this machine would lead to Zimmad developing an entirely new design: the ZMS-008 Efreet.


 * Mallet Sanguine Unit
 * The unit belonging Lieutenant Commander Mallet Sanguine, the fanatical and potentially insane commander of the special forces unit Argus Team, is a noteworthy unit in its own right. Painted in a dark blue and greyish tone, the Zaku is distinguished by its somewhat slimmer profile, redesigned head, the removal of both the spiked shoulder paundron and beam shield projector for a pair of fin shaped armor pauldrons and a uniquely designed backpack (which possesses three thruster veins instead of two and two sensor fins extending from the top). This Zaku, nicknamed the "Action Zaku", was designed to facilitate magnetic coating on its joints, allowing for greater speed from the Zaku's limbs and therefore greater mobility. In order to accomodate this feature, the rest of the Zaku's mechanics and internals have also been enhanced, granting Mallet's unit nearly twice the reaction time of a standard Zaku. Other than that, the rest of the unit's features are standard.


 * Paptimus Scirocco Unit
 * Perhaps the oddest rendition of the Zaku overall, the unit belonging Captain Paptimus Scirocco of the Imperial Guard's Tenth Fleet is a pure reflection of its owner's eccentric design philosophies. As opposed to being a single base design, Scirocco's personal mobile suit has taken on multiple forms since its rollout; this is a result of Scirocco's love of experimenting and field testing abstract design concepts. Among its various forms, the Zaku has been fitted with dispensible armor, skirt mounted "sub arms", "shield booster" assemblies (solid shields equipped with additional thrusters), a compound mono-eye camera, multi-jointed arms and legs, highly specialized sensor systems and (at least rumored) a prototype transformation system that allowed the Zaku to assume a "mobile armor" form. Needless to say, many Zeon look upon Scirocco and his Zaku with certain peculiarity. That being said however, Zeonic has at least taken interest in Scirocco's experiments and innovations, though they have yet to adapt any of them to their own projects.