XM-001 Flint

The XM-001 Flint is a mobile suit from Mobile Suit Gundam Alpha. It is a limited production version of the three Crossbone Gundams, used exclusively by the Crossbone Vanguard.

Appearance
More or less the Alpha version of the XM-10 Flint, i.e. a "GM" version of the Crossbone Gundams. That being said, it takes more after the RGM-79C GM Type C than its Universal Century base, while stil retaining elements of its parent Gundams. Color is typical Babylonian light grey, though custom units, like Annamarie Bourget's yellow and red unit, exist.

Technology & Combat Characteristics
Essentially a simplified, limited production version of the three Crossbone Gundam units, the Flint was, like its originators, meant exclusively for the Crossbone Vanguard. As such it retained much of the high performance of its parents - namely through its own X-Binder - as well as a general emphasis on close-range combat. The weapons layout was also exactly the same as with the Gundams, though the reduced power of its Apollo Reactor meant it could not use more powerful weapons like the Muramasa Blaster or the Peacock Smasher. It did, however, include a Babylonian patented shot lancer within said arsenal, much to the appreciation of Vanguard pilots.

Because it was manufactured by Anaheim Electronics, the Flint shares many internal parts and systems with the Earth Federation's GM series of mobile suit. Alongside this, it shares a similar ease of operation and maintenance to the latter, allowing the Vanguard to field the Flint more easily than it had earlier models it had acquired from Cosmo Babylonia.

Armaments

 * Beam Vulcan
 * Standard weapons for Earth mobile suits, vulcans are miniature rapid-fire beam guns stored on the sides of the Flint  's head. Having the greatest rate of fire of all the Flint's 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 Flint's more powerful weapons.


 * Beam Gauntlet
 * Close-range weapons mounted within the Flint's palms. Essentially hand mounted beam emitters, the beam gauntlets release powerful energy discharges, which can either act as a beam shot or be directed across the Flint's hand manipulators to superheat them, giving them the destructive power and defensive measure of a beam saber. As such, they are either used as striking weapons or as back up melee weapons in case the beam sabers are otherwise unavailable.


 * Beam Shield
 * As with other latter day mobile suits, the Flint is equipped with two beam shields, one in either forearm. These weapons are self-explanatory as their main function is to generate a plane of energy over the Flint's arms, similar to the blade of a beam saber. They are powerful enough to deflect most types of attacks, though higher powered weapons, such as warship cannons, are more than capable of overwhelming and breaking through the shields.


 * Beam Saber
 * The Flint is equipped with two beam sabers, which are concealed in shoulder ports when not in use. The sabers are stored on the backpack. When activated, the hilts generate a focused blade of beam energy; this is revolutionary compared to standard melee weapons at that point, which can only generate a beam "edge" over a designated area. The blades can be shortened or lengthened at the pilot's command, allowing them to be utilized as daggers when necessary. Once activated, beam sabers do not rely on the mobile suit's reactor and can be thrown or discarded as decoys. The beam saber is most often used for close range combat or as an emergency weapon once all others have been depleted or lost.


 * Buster Gun
 * The buster gun is the primary ranged weapon of the Flint. Essentially a beam rifle in pistol form, the buster gun is modeled after an ornate Old Earth flintlock pistol. Its reduced size allows it to be used more efficiently by one hand, leaving the second hand free to use a melee weapon. As a secondary function, the buster gun can combine with the beam zanber to form a more powerful and longer ranged zanbuster.


 * Beam Zanber
 * A high power, greatly enhanced version of the traditional beam saber, the beam zanber is the primary weapon of the Flint. Modeled after a traditional cutlass, the zanber's generated beam blade is significantly larger and more powerful than that of ordinary beam sabers, thereby allowing the Flint to overpower an enemy in melee combat. So powerful is the zanber that it can even "cut" through an adversary unit's blade. As a secondary function, the zanber can combine with the buster gun to form the zanbuster rifle.


 * Shot Lancer
 * As the Flint was meant exclusively for the Crossbone Vanguard, the Babylonian patented shot lancer was included in its weapons layout. Designed for high speed medium-to-close range combat, the shot lancer comprises of a set of beam machine guns melded to a kinetic pile driver lance, which the Flint wields with a trigger grip. The lance is primarily driven through electromagnetic acceleration, through which it can pierce most forms of armor with little hindrance, and can likewise be launched off as a missile. The beam machine guns are of otherwise standard design, but remain very effective when complimented with the Flint's speed and mobility. As with later Babylonian units, the Flint's lancer holds four beam machine guns instead of the usual two.

System Features

 * X-Binder
 * The Flint's defining feature. Inspired from the variable Shelf Nozzle propulsion system, the X-Binder is meant to grant the Flint exceptional speed and mobility, as well as a similar degree of versatility. Used in tandem with the unit's AMBAC system, these thrusters generate exceedingly high mobility without increasing size or mass, and when combined into one huge thruster column, they are capable of dramatically increasing the unit's top speed.

History
As with its cousins in the GM line, the Flint would be produced in the latter days of the First Galactic War, specifically to replace the outdated BM-001 Denan Zon and BM-002 Denan Gei units that the Crossbone Vanguard had utilized since the beginning. Though there was some minor opposition at first, as Vanguard pilots were notoriously staunch in using suits that originated from Cosmo Babylonia, the Flint's superior performance and the increasing number of powerful opposition units like the Berga and Vigna series of mobile suit would convince even the most hardline of naysayers to adopt it. From this, enough would be produced to outfit the entirety of the Vanguard's mobile suit forces, such that Flint formations would go on to lead the charge in the Babylonian Front's final battles.