MSF-69A Wildcat

"The WildCat may not truly have the grace of a wild cat, but that doesn't make its fangs any less dangerous. Don't underestimate them just because they are smaller than a GINN. Deadly things can come in small packages."

- Commander Rau Le Creuset, of ZAFT

The MSF-69A Wildcat is the third of the First Generation Combat Mobile Suits and is produced by Buch SpaceWorks a notable Work Pod developer after the success of their Labor Series Worker Mobile Suit. The Wildcat is truly a third party mobile suit and numerous groups operate these mobile suits including larger groups like the Earth Alliance.

Technical and Historical Notes
After the Mandlebrot Incident where a trio of combat equipped MWF-67A Labors tried to defend the convoy from an attack by forces of the Alliance of Sponsor Nation along with several other related incidents would see Buch SpaceWorks looking to produce their own First Generation Combat Mobile Suit. They would soon come up with the MSF-69A Wildcat Compact Mobile Suit which is loosely based on the civilian-use MWF-67 Labor Mobile Suit. While it wouldn’t as good as the larger GINN Mobile Suit produced by ZAFT or the Guardian produced by the Republic of Altair the Wildcat would still have its strengths over these two mobile suits.

The main strength of the Wildcat would be its shorter stature combined with its lightweight frame giving the machine superior maneuverability. It would also be one of the only produced mobile suit that is able to be used by Naturals thanks to the perfected simple control system of the machine which allows this machine to be used by everyone. This control system is a new system that sports a fully enclosed helmet and a holographic visor that combined with the new cockpit layout which has the pilot standing up in a Exo-Frame like harness that allows the pilot to control the mobile suit with small movements of their body or the simple hand controls. While this layout does take some training to be used it does provide a simple layout that allows anyone to pilot the mobile suit. This is an improvement over the simple layout used in the civilian Labor mobile suits which does away with the clunky movements of the mobile suit something that isn’t acceptable in a combat mobile suit.

Buch SpaceWorks would go a bit further with the design making it different from other current designs. This would be the wired scout drone that could be used during combat in cramped colonies and urban combat giving a Wildcat the advantage. This shoulder mount points could not just sport a drone but any different types of weapons including the common three-tube grenade launchers, and a 75mm gatling cannon. These modular mount points allow the Wildcat to equip a variety of different weapons and equipment which is something unique to the mobile suit. The machine could also carry a larger weapon mounted onto the back its left arm. This is typically a lance like weapon which suited the somewhat knight-like pride of the Buch SpaceWorks company leadership who see mobile suits as modern-knights. Their a few different lance weapons from a regular metal lance with a treated edge, to a integrated lance and rifle weapon which is usually the main weapon of choice for many Wildcat Pilots.

The so-called ‘Cat would sport a four-finger claw hand with four built in machine guns which is something inherited from the original Labor design just militarized. While it could carry a couple different weapons in its regular mobile suit hand from a small machine pistol to larger rifle carbine to even a one-shot missile weapon. The mobile suit could store three of these one-shot weapons in place of its lance weapon on the left arm storage rack which is usual weapon compliment when going against a force of enemy mobile suits due to these missiles easily able to one-shot a mobile suit easily, with only the optional fixed Recoilless Cannon being also able to destroy a mobile suit in one hit.

Like any other mobile suit design the Wildcat would sport several notable variant designs including a commander type, high maneuverable type, a heavy assault unit, a specialized sniper unit and a few other notable variant designs. It would be these variants and the modular weapon points that make the Wildcat a popular design with many like the Copernicus City Guard, the L2 Colony Cluster, Mercenary Groups and other notable operators with even a few operated by the Earth Alliance. A good amount would fall onto the Black Market where they would be bought by Pirates which love the little mobile suits due to it being piloted by everybody and its quick blitz-like attacks it can be used in.

All told the Wildcat would be a light compact mobile suit that while not as good as a full-scaled mobile suit still would be useful in large numbers. They would mainly used in colony defense, skirmish units, and harassment attacks while others would use them as mainline units thanks to no other notable design to use. All in all the Wildcat is great lightweight rugged design that is ahead of its time and a great addition to many defense forces.

Mobile Suit Armaments
The Wildcat like its GINN and Guardian contemporaries is very modular in its weapon armaments with a variety of different weapons that are able to be equipped to the mobile suit from a basic machine pistol to anti-mobile suit recoilless rifle. The following is a list of the mobile suits different weapons that can be equipped.

Optional Fixed Armaments
BCW/M1 Three-Tube Grenade Launcher This small grenade launcher is one of the few weapons that is able to destroy an enemy mobile suit in one shot. The Wildcat can mounted two of these weapons on either shoulder, one replacing the Wired Recon Drone. BCW/G5 75mm CIWS Gatling Gun A six-barrel gatling cannon that is similar to head-mounted CIWS guns on several other mobile suits and is basically the main CIWS weapon of the Wildcat. It can be mounted onto one of the shoulder hardpoints either replacing the Wired Recon Drone or the BCW/M1 Launcher. BCW/R9 90mm Recoilless Cannon A medium sized cannon that is able to one-shot most enemy mobile suits, and is one of the few weapons of the Wildcat that is able to do this. Like the majority of the other optional fixed armaments it can be equipped onto the shoulder hardpoints. BCW/C2 Lance Weapon One of the main melee weapons of the Wildcat which is thanks to the Knight-like tendencies of the Buch SpaceWorks higher ups. It sports a treated forward blade that allows it pierce mobile suit armor. BCW/C5 “Lancer” Lance Weapon A more advanced version of the BCW/C2 Lance which sports three built-in machine guns. Still has the treated blade but is reinforced slightly to better pierce armor. BCW/C7 "Lancer-II" Lance Weapon Another of the advanced lance weapons that has a small BCW/R5 60mm Recoilless Cannon built into the lance for anti-mobile suit combat. The blade of the weapon has been treated with anti-beam coating which allows it to parry beam blades if needed. BCW/C4 Anti-Mobile Suit Knifes These small knifes are a cheap lightweight alternative to the normal lance weapon of the mobile suit. Not to mention the mobile suit is able to equip several of these blades. BCW/C2 Mobile Suit Sword A new mobile suit that can replace the Lance weapon allowing the mounting of alternative weapons like the BCW/M2 Rocket Launcher. It is stored at the waist of the mobile suit like the similar MA-M3 Sword of the GINN.

Optional Hand Armament
BCW/G7 90mm Carbine The basic hand weapon of the Wildcat and while its smaller then a regular mobile suit rifle it is perfect for the small Wildcat especially with its claw hand now allowing full-scale rifles. BCW/G9 45mm Machine Pistol A smaller lightweight alternative to the Carbine which can't really damage a mobile suit all that much but when in close is able to do some light damage when needed. BCW/M2 One-Shot Rocket Launcher An anti-mobile suit rocket launcher that is one-shot and sports a dedicated charge to destroy mobile suits with one shot. Basically a larger version of the rocket from the BCW/M1 launcher. The Wildcat is able to carry three of these weapons in place of its Lance Weapon.

Variants
The Wildcat sports over a dozen different variants of the main design thanks to its rugged design and the variety of uses it can be used for. Several variants would just be Group-specific variants where it only sports a new paint job and some minor differences.

MSF-69E ScoutCat
A pure recon version of the mobile suit that is equipped with a pair of drone units and several sensors.

MSF-69ES SnipeCat
A modified form of the ScoutCat that gives the machine a special Recoilless Sniper Rifle and gives the machine two hands instead of a claw. Also sports an advanced sensor-visor for the ‘Cat’s head which lowers to allow the machine to use its rifle for long-distance sniping.

MSF-69M ArtyCat
A variant that sports a pair of six-tube rocket pods on either shoulder for support fire against enemy mobile suits.

MSF-69H AssaultCat
A heavily armored variant of the Wildcat that sports a pair of recoilless cannons on either shoulder and carrying six BCW/M2 Missile Launchers in two trios behind either arm.

MSF-69C CommandCat
A variant for the use of commanders that possesses a slightly different head design and advanced communication system allowing a commander to better command their mobile suits.

MSF-69HM GreasyCat/Wildcat Hi-Mo
Known as GreasyCat to many pilots due to how fast and maneuverable this variant can be over the regular ‘Cat. It does this with a several high-input thrusters along its body.

MSF-69K BlackCat
A modified GreasyCat utilized only by the Black Knights that has the standard Black Knight paint job. These are modified from the standard GreasyCat by having two hands that allows for greater versatility in the weapons carried, while the shield is replaced with a combination shield that is equipped with a pair of BCW/G3 Guns with a single prong rocket anchor similar to the four prong claw shot that the Wildcat normally has between the two guns. As these units are always operated by skilled pilots, the shoulder and backpack weapons vary according to the taste of the operator.

MSF-69F Wildcat Alliance Type
A handful of Wildcats would be purchased by the Earth Alliance for mainly data-gathering and other purposes. Besides a new paintjob and duel-hands nothing else is different about this variant besides being owned by the Earth Alliance. A notable Alliance unit that uses Wildcats is the Black Busshi Team of the Republic of East Asia. These Alliance Types wouldn’t use the Drones and often been equipped with a BCW/M1 Three-Tube Grenade Launcher and BCW/G5 75mm CIWS Gatling Gun.

MSF-69B Wildcat (Dual Hand Type)
A variant that sports two hands that allows the use of larger hand weapons. Therefore this one of the more common variants of the main design and is usually seen alongside the regular variant during battle.

MSF-69D HellCat (aka Duel Claw Type)
One of the more rare variants of the Wildcat mobile suit that sports a pair of claw hands while also sporting additional thrusters and propellant on its backpack and legs to enhance the units speed, agility, and endurance at the cost of not having any weapons able to be stored behind either shoulder. This variant still can utilize the full selection of optional shoulder equipment.

MSF-69S SwordCat
Another of the Rare Variants that is equipped with a single Anti-Mobile Suit Sword stored behind the left shoulder. This variant is developed in response to the variety of close-combat machines.

MSF-69R Wildcat Kai
A new variant of the design introduced by Buch SpaceWorks during the course of the Bloody Valentine War and introduces several improvements to the design including an updated cockpit system as well as some minor improvements. Many of the deployed Wildcats are refitted to this standard including the different variants. It will along with the rest of the Wildcats be all out replaced by the superior MSF-71 Puma.

MSF-69Z Zerocat
An Alliance developed variant to test out mobile suit scale gunbarrel systems. Only a handful where produced and would be assigned to several notable pilots including former Zero Corps pilots Mu La Flagga and Sarah Gibbs. La Flagg would use his Zerocat to help defend the Alliance’s new mobile assault ship Archangel during its operations in space in early CE71.

Miscellaneous Information
Notes: Based on the XM-03 Ebirhu-S Mobile Suit from the F-91 Movie and the later Crossbone Gundam Mangas. I do not in any way own the image used here and am only using it as a base.