G1 Saviour

The G1 Saviour is a mobile suit from Mobile Suit Gundam Alpha. It is the mainline suit of the Gaea Republic's military forces, as well as the first of the famous Saviour line.

Appearance
As one can gather from its name, the G1 Saviour is essentially a "GM" version of the original G-Saviour unit (namely the Space Mode version). As such, it has a head design based on the RGM-196 Freedom from the same movie, as well as shortened shoulder pauldrons and thruster binders. Painted in the Gaea Republic's standardized viridian color, it has a passing resemblance to the LM111E02 Gun-EZ from Mobile Suit Victory Gundam.

Technology & Combat Characteristics
Developed somewhat later than some its contemporaries, the G1 Saviour is the first combat mobile suit fielded by the Gaea Republic. Meant to serve as the basis for future units, the Saviour was designed as a multirole unit with an emphasis on mobility and adaptability. For that, it is very lightweight, as well as possessing powerful Apollo Thruster binders on its back and hips, with the former being noteworthy for its "bellows" design. This naturally means the Saviour has lower durability compared to its opposition, but its sheer speed, maneuverability and ease of movement more than make up for this. Alongside, it is equipped with a beam shield projector on its left arm, granting some measure of defense.

For armaments, the Saviour retains "basic" weapons, initially just a pair of beam vulcans and a beam rifle. Though forwardly limited in its arsenal, this layout is more than enough for the Saviour 's mode of operation, with the rifle in particular having been purposed for the G1's superior mobility. Further into the war, those surviving units that have yet to fall in battle are refitted with beam sabers to grant close combat capability.

Though not the most cutting edge of mobile suit types, the Saviour proves to be a relatively successful combatant, enough for Gaea to continue its progenation even as newer unit types, such as the Earth Federation's GM series or the Sanc Kingdom's SK-012 Taurus, are produced. In fact, much like the former, many variants of the original G1 would be produced before the war's end, and some time after. 

Armaments

 * VC-1 Beam Vulcan
 * Inspired by the Earth Federation's practices, the Saviour features two beam vulcans mounted in its head. Possessing an exceptional rate of fire, the vulcans 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 tradeoff however is that these weapons 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 Saviour 's more powerful weapons.


 * SH-6 Beam Shield
 * The Saviour 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 Saviour 's left arm, allowing it block and deflect enemy attacks quite effectively. As the Saviour is meant more for speed and mobility than durability, the beam shield is an essential armament, as well as the Saviour 's only real means of defense.


 * SA-1 Beam Saber
 * Following the debut of Project V, the Federation shares some the associated technology with its allies, allowing them to adapt their mobile suit forces accordingly. One of the more coveted developments is the beam saber, which is eagerly retrofitted on any mobile suit that can support it. The Saviour is one such unit, retrofitted with a single saber on its back. When activated, the hilt generates a focused blade of beam energy; this is revolutionary compared to standard melee weapons at that point (namely the ZMS-006 Zaku's beam axe), which can only generate a beam "edge" over a designated area. The blade can be shortened or lengthened at the pilot's command, allowing it to be utilized as a dagger when necessary. Once activated, the beam saber does not rely on the mobile suit's reactor and can be thrown or discarded as a decoy. The beam saber is most often used for close range combat or as an emergency weapon once all others have been depleted or lost.


 * BAR-5 Beam Rifle
 * The beam rifle is the primary handheld weapon of the Saviour. Designed to be utilized with at higher velocities, the BAR-5 is renowned for both power and precision, such that the Saviour can fire the weapon and strike its target while maneuvering. 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.

History
The brainchild of renowned engineer John Saviour, the titular G1 Saviour is the first combat mobile suit produced by the Gaea Republic - before its introduction, mobile suits were strictly used in civilian capacities, primarily in the farming of Gaea's extensive agricultural system. As a consequence, the Saviour is developed later than other contemporary units, with only a few G1s having been produced at the onset of the Galactic War.

Because of this lackluster start, Gaean forces take heavy losses from Outer Power mobile suits at the start, more so than the other defenders. Fortunately however, the Republic is fast enough to step up the Saviour 's production, ensuring that it may take further part in the fighting. Ironically the Saviour proves to be one of the few Inner Power suits capable of matching the Zaku 's own legendary mobility (though its lacking durability proves to be a particular weakness), resulting in Gaea effectively turning the tide against its opposition.

After cataloguing the G1's strengths and weaknesses on the battlefield, John Saviour and his team would go onto develop additional variations, meant to address the G1's shortcomings as well as adapt even further to specific mission profiles. As a result, the Saviour would be Gaea's sole mobile suit line throughout the war, even as the other participants develop entirely new designs to supplant earlier models.