GAT/A-01E1 Buster Dagger

"Boom. Your dead."

- Buster Dagger Pilot destroying an enemy MS

The GAT/A-01E1 Buster Dagger is the first of the Earth Alliance's Buster Dagger Series of Mobile Suits and is only limited produced mainly for ace pilots or commanders of Earth Alliance Support Mobile Suit Teams.

Technical and Historical Notes
With the Long Dagger proving itself and the newer GAT-01 Strike Daggers getting ready to be rolled out, Alliance Command gave the order to produce a Mass Produced counter-part to the Buster G-Weapon. At first it was to be a Strike Pack for the new A1 Daggers now in production, but it soon became its own mobile suit. The new GAT/A-01E1 Buster Dagger would then be rolled out alongside the Strike Daggers and where to support the Alliance’s new mobile suit force. The new Buster Dagger looked remarkable similar to its G-Weapon counterpart, just with a more Dagger like head and beam sabers. It would also have no Phase-Shift Armor; instead it had the option of either new Trans-Phase Shift Armor or Anti-Beam Laminated Armor. It would be up to the pilot which armor type they wanted. Also another addition was the ability to carry a pair of long range cannons if needed similar to the optional shoulder guns of the Buster Gundam that were never deployed. Later a newer and cheaper E2 Model Buster Dagger would be rolled out which had lighter weapons along with standard armor. These would make up the bulk of the Alliance Support Mobile Suit Formations. While E1 Models would become a sort of command or ace level machine, in fact Alliance Ace Rena Imelia would pilot a custom E1 Model Buster Dagger for the rest of the war and afterwards. When the Second Bloody Valentine War started the Alliance would begin to roll out the far newer E3 Model Buster Daggers which had equipment from the new Verde Buster G-Weapon as well as other ideas added. By wars end the E4 would replace the E3s and aging E2s that would still be in the Alliance inventory.

Mobile Suit Armaments
The Buster Dagger E1 sports the same armaments to the GAT-X103 Buster G-Weapon wit the addition of Beam Sabers. Like its G-Weapon Counterpart the Buster Dagger is able to combine its main weapons into either an Anti-Armor Shot Gun, or Long-Range Sniper Rifle. The mobile suit also sports a pair of shoulder-mounted missile launchers similar to those on the Buster. Unlike the Buster though these launchers can be removed and replaced with a pair of Anti-Ship Assault Cannons. These cannons allow a Buster Dagger to be able to do anti-ship combat missions when needed.

Miscellaneous Information
Notes: Rena’s Custom E1 Buster Dagger would have Laminated Armor but an inner layer of Trans-Phase Shift Armor around the cockpit block as well as a GAU-8M2 Machine Gun attached to the rear skirt armor with a single spare clip. Sometimes her shield would carry another spare clip if needed.