RGC-608 Guncannon Buster

The RGC-608 Guncannon Buster is a mobile suit from Mobile Suit Gundam Alpha. One of the later Guncannon variants to be produced, the Buster was specifically designed to mount a capital ship level weapon, in this case the ubiquitous mega beam cannon on its right shoulder, on a mobile suit frame.

Appearance
Looks like a RX-77D Guncannon Mass Production Type from Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket, but redesigned to fit the futuristic setting of GC while possessing a singular, giant sized beam cannon over its right shoulder and a radome assembly (not unlike that of the MVF-M12A Ootsukigata from SEED DESTINY-MSV) over its left shoulder, a la RX-77-4 Guncannon II from Mobile Suit Variations. Colors vary, but the standard type are the Federation's trademark gunmetal grey with navy blue highlights.

Technology & Combat Characteristics
As the First Galactic War became more intense, the engineers of Anaheim Corporation began looking toward adapting warship based weaponry for mobile suit use. By far the most powerful, but at the same time unstable, weapon type in existence, mega beam weapons were normally used on capital ships, as their power regulation demanded more than most mobile suits could supply. This all changed with the production of the Guncannon Buster, the first mobile suit dedicated to using a warship grade beam weapon.

While it was barely different from the standard Guncannon, it was equipped with a large mega beam cannon over its right shoulder, which at the same time made it entirely different. The cannon was directly powered from the Buster's Apollo Reactor, which in turn had been greatly enhanced for this purpose, while its firepower could be regulated from short volleys to massive bursts capable of wiping out an entire force of mobile suits and/or ships in a single shot. And so that each shot would be pin point accurate, the opposite shoulder held a special weapons targeting radome (SWTR) sensor that was linked to the cannon, thus making it all the more devastating. Beyond those features, the Buster held the standard allotment of weapons as the rest of its line.

Armaments

 * M600E Gatling Beam Cannon
 * The Guncannon Buster 's primary weapon. One of the single most powerful weapons to ever be mounted on a mobile suit, the MBC is essentially the equivalent of an Actium-class battlecruiser's main gun mounted on a Guncannon frame. Such is its power that a single shot is enough to cripple if not outright destroy a capital ship or wipe out a whole formation of mobile weapons with ease. That being said, while the mega beam cannon was a highly effective weapon, the cost of its power was quite high. Namely, the cannon is quite unstable and is prone to breaking down from power surges, or worse case scenario exploding entirely and destroying the rest of the mobile suit.


 * M239 Beam Vulcan
 * Standard weapons for Federation mobile suits. Vulcans are miniature rapid-fire beam guns stored on the sides of the Guncannon's head. Having the greatest rate of fire of all the Guncannons weapons, they are primarily used to ward off advancing enemies, shoot down missiles or hit other fast moving targets. They are also useful as anti-spacecraft and anti-personnel weapons. The vulcans however have a difficult time piercing heavier armor (though they are capable of destroying mobile suits when fired at close range) and thus are not often used against larger, more heavily armored foes. Still, the vulcans are useful in preserving energy for the Guncannons more powerful weapons.


 * MSD89 Beam Shield
 * The Guncannon Buster is equipped with a beam shield generator on its left arm. As its name suggests, the beam shield generates a miniaturized energy field over an area of the Guncannons left arm, allowing it block and deflect enemy attacks quite effectively. With its emphasis on durability, a Guncannons beam shield is more powerful than most other mobile suits of its generation, though it still offers only limited protection against enemies of superior mobility.


 * M490BR Beam Rifle
 * A revolutionary weapon for its time, the beam rifle is the primary handheld weapon of the Guncannon. A further scaled down version of the beam cannon, the beam rifle exchanges overt firepower for rate of fire and ease of usage, granting the Guncannon an ideal weapon to utilize against smaller, faster targets, namely other mobile suits and other small craft. Such is the power of this weapon that it can destroy an enemy mobile suit in a single shot, even with a glancing blow. That being said, its primary weakness is that it can only fire single or limited numbered bursts at once, which enemy units may evade or deflect with their beam shields.

Special Equipment & Features

 * Special Weapons Targeting Radome (SWTR)
 * Mounted over the left shoulder. This is a special sensor system that is directly linked to the mega beam cannon, granting it near-pinpoint accuracy. So effective would it be in its function that the SWTR would serve as forerunner for other such mounted targeting sensor systems on future Federation mobile suit, namely those of the GM series.

History
Though the Buster proved to be an effective design that more than lived up to its intended functions, the mega beam cannon proved to be a highly caustic weapon during trials, one that would cause more than its fair share of accidents. In spite of this, as well as following calls to drop the design, EF upper command was so impressed with the power presented by the Buster that they ordered the line into production (albeit greatly limited production) regardless, while measures to sort out the flaws were made during. Even so, the Guncannon Buster would become the least produced unit of the Guncannon line and had a mixed reputation among Star Force pilots, with some willing to use it despite the risks while others consider it too much of a wild card to even think about piloting. One such unit is utilized by Lieutenant Terry Sanders of the 105th Mobile Suit Squadron "Shrikes", who in turn held a great love and appreciation for the Buster, such that he would hold onto it for a fair portion of the war (and surprisingly never suffering any accidents with the unit's mega beam cannon