Gundam - Q & A

[AkatsukiYu]

I've been wondering about the GN particles produced by Tau Drives causing cell degradation in the human body.

Wouldn't Setsuna been affected by the cause of GN particles from the battle between Graham's Flag equipped with a Tau Drive, and a particle beam sword acquired from Johann's Throne unit. in season 1 in the final battle.

Exia was pierced severely close to the cockpit and Setsuna was injured (thus in close promixity), and yet Louise was perhaps 10-15meters away from Nena's 2nd shot causing wreckage of the building to topple over her thus injuring her. And Lasse got a few blasts from the Golden MA.

So can someone enlighten me on this? Despite those who were cured from the cell deterioration by the end of the anime series. I feel like this was overlooked.

[Rising Dragon]

For Setsuna... could be its because his piloting suit wasn't breached by the beam saber. Or, if the GN-Beam Sabers work in the same fashion as those in U.C., the field containing the particles making up the blade may have prevented the GN-Particles from reaching Setsuna, thus only leaving his suit burned and Setsuna unconscious.

Louise, on the other hand, had plenty of exposed skin showing, and the particle beam fired by the Throne Drei doesn't have the same containment field that the GN-Beam Saber most likely has. Plus, she had lots of open wounds from the explosion and rubble collapse. Same with Lasse; he had open wounds from the battle, and was likely infected due to the particle beam, and not a beam saber.

[AkatsukiYu]

Yeah I see your point is defined well.

I looked back to the first Lockon, and how he was injured. Same thing, except we got the visuals that the sabre did pierce his cockpit. Setsuna and Lockon's cockpits were both stabbed through the right side.

But... as you said. The exposure is through the exposing the blood at least to the particles. Setsuna did have blood coughed up, but his visor was intact, unlike Lockon's which was cracked.

So I guess his pilot suit did prove to be the thing that kept him from the exposure of the false GN particles.

[console65]

Here's a question: Why do they only apply ant-beam coating on just the shields and not the mobile suits themselves in the Cosmic Era? It would be more practical.

Also, how exactly does Phase Shift Armor work and can anti-beam coating be combined with it on a mobile suit to provide an absolute defense?

[Rising Dragon]

Originally Posted by console65

Here's a question: Why do they only apply ant-beam coating on just the shields and not the mobile suits themselves in the Cosmic Era? It would be more practical.

Also, how exactly does Phase Shift Armor work and can anti-beam coating be combined with it on a mobile suit to provide an absolute defense?

Well, for initial mobile suits in the CE timeline... there were little in the way of beam weaponry. Only battleships really had beam weapons, and at that point, anti-beam coating made little difference. Also, anti-beam coating didn't make something invincible to beams; the anti-beam shields equipped to mobile suits showed wear from beam weaponry at various points. For example, they were notoriously useless against beam blades and beam boomerangs, and a sufficiently powerful beam could melt the shield.

As for the mechanics of Phase Shift armor, we don't know; its never been explained. However, it likely doesn't work in tandem with anti-beam coating, just like it doesn't work with Mirage Colloid.

[4Tran]

Originally Posted by console65

Here's a question: Why do they only apply ant-beam coating on just the shields and not the mobile suits themselves in the Cosmic Era? It would be more practical.

We've seen that beam-coated shields can still be penetrated and destroyed by the more powerful beams, so there seems to be a definite limitation to this technology. This can explain why it's not used for an entire mobile suit, and why many of the more advanced models have moved to beam shields instead.

Originally Posted by console65

Also, how exactly does Phase Shift Armor work and can anti-beam coating be combined with it on a mobile suit to provide an absolute defense?

It's never been explicitly explained, but it's probably similar in principle to the "Electric Armor" technology that's currently being researched. The idea behind it is that an electric charge is applied to the armor, thereby temorarily hardening to a much greater degree. In the show, Phase Shift armor has its limitation, and sufficient force can still defeat it. For example, Raider's hammer is designed to specifically defeat Phase Shift armor, and it's just a very solid ball.

[Dan the Man]

Originally Posted by console65

Here's a question: Why do they only apply ant-beam coating on just the shields and not the mobile suits themselves in the Cosmic Era? It would be more practical.

Also, how exactly does Phase Shift Armor work and can anti-beam coating be combined with it on a mobile suit to provide an absolute defense?

It would make sense if anti-beam coating were too expensive to apply to an entire mobile suit. People could easily believe that since beams are slower than projectile rounds, they can more easily be seen and deflected with the shield, and so the shield is coated to protect it. OR, it could also be seen as a kind of reinforcement technique, perhaps a method to force pilots to resort to their shields instead of taking a hit?

I have no idea...

[brightman]

Originally Posted by Dan the Man

It would make sense if anti-beam coating were too expensive to apply to an entire mobile suit. People could easily believe that since beams are slower than projectile rounds, they can more easily be seen and deflected with the shield, and so the shield is coated to protect it. OR, it could also be seen as a kind of reinforcement technique, perhaps a method to force pilots to resort to their shields instead of taking a hit?

The official explanation, IIRC, was that anti-beam coating causes the MS armor to get extremely brittle, so they never used it to coat entire mobile suits.

[Dan the Man]

Originally Posted by brightman

The official explanation, IIRC, was that anti-beam coating causes the MS armor to get extremely brittle, so they never used it to coat entire mobile suits.

That makes a lot of sense. Granted, at the point where beam weapons are standard, I imagine it wouldn't matter too much, since armor really can't resist beams on it's own, though from a viewpoint of metal fatigue (if it's even relevant) it would be better to not coat the whole suit.

[RAVNEN]

One quick question.Is the Unicorn Banshee Gundam belong to the bad guys or the good guys...?

[Double_Edge]

I've always wondered this, but what is the point of an ASS in series like Gundam seed? I don;t see the benefit of using one over a beam saber. In fact, it seems more like a liability since it is so heavy and you are limited to only striking with the edge.

I'm thinking its just to look cool, but is there a legit reason out there?

[Rising Dragon]

Originally Posted by Double_Edge

I've always wondered this, but what is the point of an ASS in series like Gundam seed? I don;t see the benefit of using one over a beam saber. In fact, it seems more like a liability since it is so heavy and you are limited to only striking with the edge.

I'm thinking its just to look cool, but is there a legit reason out there?

Actually, if you think about it, its an attempt at combining the benefits of a solid-state melee weapon with an energy-state melee weapon. You have the cutting power of the beam saber, combined with the kinetic force of a solid-state sword, so you can put some actual force behind the swing.

Plus, Kira found a bit of a good use for it, as by deactivating the beam blade, he had a semi-effective weapon for underwater use.

Admittedly, they could've found a better name for the weapon. Its an anti-ship sword, yet the only one to use that kind of weapon against an actual ship is Shinn. All other uses of it were against mobile suits.

[4Tran]

Originally Posted by Double_Edge

I've always wondered this, but what is the point of an ASS in series like Gundam seed? I don;t see the benefit of using one over a beam saber. In fact, it seems more like a liability since it is so heavy and you are limited to only striking with the edge.

I'm thinking its just to look cool, but is there a legit reason out there?

The reason is right there in its name: an Anti-Ship Sword has a much larger and presumably better blade for cutting large structures like ships. As for practicality, it is a bit silly for a ship to be killed with melee weapons, but apparently this is deemed possible by EA and Plant designers alike. A case can also be made for a special weapon to deal with beam-resistant ships like Archangel.

[brightman]

Originally Posted by RAVNEN

One quick question.Is the Unicorn Banshee Gundam belong to the bad guys or the good guys...?

Depends on your definition of good or bad guys, but it does happen to be a main rival of the Unicorn Gundam, so take that as you will...

Originally Posted by Double_Edge

I've always wondered this, but what is the point of an ASS in series like Gundam seed? I don;t see the benefit of using one over a beam saber. In fact, it seems more like a liability since it is so heavy and you are limited to only striking with the edge.

I'm thinking its just to look cool, but is there a legit reason out there?

Basically because it combines physical material with beam, it can theoretically cut through anything, as opposed to, say, a physical sword that cannot cut through Phase Shift, and a beam saber that cannot cut though anti-beam shields. The only thing it can't do, IIRC, is cut through actual beam shields, but that comes way after the ASS sword was introduced anyway.

[RAVNEN]

Originally Posted by brightman

Depends on your definition of good or bad guys, but it does happen to be a main rival of the Unicorn Gundam, so take that as you will...
.

Err...okay,thanks for answering my question(been wondering since first saw the Banshee).
Usually the black color MS always been on the "bad guys" team.

[Rising Dragon]

Originally Posted by RAVNEN

Err...okay,thanks for answering my question(been wondering since first saw the Banshee).
Usually the black color MS always been on the "bad guys" team.

More like the wildcard of the series. Typically, in the Gundam shows, red is the color you need to look out for. Black can go either way. Sure, you have black Gundams like Psyco and Ashatron... but then there's black Gundams like Nu (black AND white) and Speigel, both of which are good-guy machines.

[RAVNEN]

Originally Posted by Rising Dragon

More like the wildcard of the series. Typically, in the Gundam shows, red is the color you need to look out for. Black can go either way. Sure, you have black Gundams like Psyco and Ashatron... but then there's black Gundams like Nu (black AND white) and Speigel, both of which are good-guy machines.

Ooo...i see,thanks for explaining.I do hope for Unicorn & Banshee tag team.

Err...i been wondering is that V shape thing on waist of many of Earth Federation MS in UC act as indentification of Feds MS or is it purely a cosmetic feature??

Because there was so many Earth Feds MS in UC has it.

[Rising Dragon]

Originally Posted by RAVNEN

Ooo...i see,thanks for explaining.I do hope for Unicorn & Banshee tag team.

Err...i been wondering is that V shape thing on waist of many of Earth Federation MS in UC act as indentification of Feds MS or is it purely a cosmetic feature??

Because there was so many Earth Feds MS in UC has it.

Probably just a cosmetic feature.

[Dan the Man]

Originally Posted by Double_Edge

I've always wondered this, but what is the point of an ASS in series like Gundam seed? I don;t see the benefit of using one over a beam saber. In fact, it seems more like a liability since it is so heavy and you are limited to only striking with the edge.

I'm thinking its just to look cool, but is there a legit reason out there?

Well, putting an ASS on a sword doesn't seem very...

Originally Posted by 4Tran

The reason is right there in its name: an Anti-Ship Sword has a much larger and presumably better blade for cutting large structures like ships. As for practicality, it is a bit silly for a ship to be killed with melee weapons, but apparently this is deemed possible by EA and Plant designers alike. A case can also be made for a special weapon to deal with beam-resistant ships like Archangel.

Oh, wait, anti-ship... oh... I thought... nevermind...

[Patriot's Blade]

Originally Posted by RAVNEN

One quick question.Is the Unicorn Banshee Gundam belong to the bad guys or the good guys...?

what?, i think in Gundam, there is NO "Good & Evil" as it is about the reality of the world, don't know whats inside Tomino's head.

also the Mobile Suits themselves are nothing more like vehicles, so they really don't represent anything,
its like your saying "those American soldiers are using a captured Iraqi tank & that makes them Iraqi soldiers themselves?" lol.