XXXG-01SR Gundam Sandrock

The XXXG-0SR Gundam Sandrock (aka Sandrock or Gundam Zero-Four) is a close quarters mobile suit, it is featured in the anime series Mobile Suit Gundam Wing. The unit is piloted by Quatre Raberba Winner.

Technology & Combat Characteristics
Instructor H's Gundam, it boasts the highest power output and strongest armor of the five original Gundams. Intended for desert combat, sporting tough anti-dust joints and armor, its primary weapons are a pair of heat shotels, normally stored on the back, which it wields with great skill. It can also combine its shield, backpack, and shotels into the cross crusher, a powerful claw weapon that can crush the opponent in a single attack. The Sandrock was constructed in the L4 colonies under the financial support of the Winner family.

Armaments

 * Heat Shotel
 * The primary weapons of the Sandrock, they are curved blades that are superheated to melt through enemies. Quatre often uses both the heat shotels together to fend off multiple enemies. When not in use, they are mounted on the backpack of the Sandrock. These can also be connected at their pommels to form a double-bladed weapon, as shown in the MG model kit.


 * Vulcan Guns
 * Weak shell firing weapons mounted within the head, primarily used to shoot down incoming missiles.


 * Beam Machine Gun
 * A weapon featured with the Katoki version, this is a low power beam weapon with high firing rate. When not in use can be stored back waist point.


 * Homing Missile
 * Mounted within the clavical section of the Sandrock, they are fired towards an enemy suit when locked-on. This weapon is omitted from the Katoki version.


 * Shield
 * Designed with a snake head motif, it features two claws as "fangs", and two shield flashers as "eyes". The shield has an anti beam coating, and the shield flashers are used to confuse enemies. The Katoki version also has a similar shield.


 * Cross Crusher
 * A powerful weapon formed by combining the shield, backpack, and heat shotels. Mounted on the left arm, it captures an enemy mobile suit in between the shotels, and then cuts them in half. In the Katoki version, the Cross Crusher can be formed with just the shield and heat Shotels in the MG model kit.


 * Diffusing Cloak
 * Featured only on the Katoki version, it is a piece of material with anti-beam coating that is able to take a few beam shots before disintegrating. The cloak was also featured on the original Gundam Sandrock in the manga version of Gundam W, although it was only considered an optional piece of equipment rather than an upgrade.


 * Armadillo Armor
 * A set of extra armor for the Katoki Version, making its debut in Gundam Wing - Endless Waltz: The Glory of Losers. An optional, dispersable armor that houses four large boosters underneath for flight and high jumps. It is also equipped with a pair of WMS-03 Maganac's shield at the shield.

Special Equipment & Features

 * Self-Destruct System


 * Hovercraft Propulsion System
 * A system of parts that attaches around the lower half of the Sandrock, this give the Sandrock the ability to skim across the ground at high speed similar to the WMS-04 Olifant.

History
When the five scientists who designed the XXXG-00W0 Wing Gundam Zero in AC 180 went their separate ways, each of them took copies of the plans for their original Gundam design. Instructor H, who went into hiding in the L4 colonies, then went on to design and build his own Gundam based on their original plans. His result was the XXXG-01SR Gundam Sandrock, built specifically for pilot Quatre Raberba Winner. Quatre had no intention of aiding in Operation Meteor's colony drop operation, and - against his pacifist father's wishes - took his Sandrock to Earth to meet up with the Maganac Corps in their direct fight against OZ and the oppressive Earth Alliance.

Of the five Gundams launched in the "new" Operation Meteor, "Gundam 04" (as the Sandrock was code-named by OZ) was the most heavily armored, further lending to its durability despite its almost indestructible gundanium alloy construction. The Sandrock was also the strongest - better built to handle its two very large and heavy "heat shotels," which worked as both an excellent pair of melee weapons and as throwing weapons. The heat shortels could also be coupled with the Sandrock's shield to form a "cross-crusher," a large pincer-like weapon capable of snapping mobile suits in two. Topped off by a pair of head vulcan guns and two large missiles, the Gundam Sandrock was nothing but tough through-and-through.

Sandrock met its end when in order to create a diversion to facilitate the escape of his allies, Quatre was forced to sacrifice Sandrock along with himself, a decision which he did not take lightly, as he had come to see his war machine almost as a friend. However, Sandrock's cockpit opened of its own accord, implying that the Gundam wanted its pilot to live. After Quatre exited the mobile suit, it walked off by itself into the enemy forces before self-destructing, decimating the enemy's numbers and allowing Duo and Wufei the to escape with their gundams in tow.

OZ recovered the Sandrock's remains, but made no effort to repair the machine. Eventually Sally Po lead a solo mission to destroy what was left of the gundam, sneaking into the hanger where the remains were being stored and covering them with explosive charges. As fate would have it, Sally discovered the Sandrock at the same time as the Maganac Corps had, briefly engaging them before detonating the charges. Surprisingly, even in its damaged state, the Sandrock survived the explosions. After escaping from OZ forces, Sally Po conceded the Sandrock's remains to the Maganac Corps, in hopes they would be able to re-unite the broken gundam with its pilot someday.

Quatre would eventually return to Earth, where he would later learn the Maganac Corps had found and restored the Sandrock. The young pilot journeyed alone through the desert in hopes of retrieving his Gundam, only to discover the Maganac Corps' headquarters under attack by OZ forces. Quatre managed to locate Sandrock in the nick of time, leading the Maganac Corps against the attacking OZ forces.

Realizing the battle had moved into space and joined by former Sanc Kingdom soldier Lucretia Noin, Quatre once again left the Earth, this time bringing Sandrock along with him. While the machine had been restored, the Sandrock had been constructed for land-based warfare, and was largely unsuitable for combat in outer space. Despite this, Quatre took the Sandrock into a number of battles, where despite its decreased effectiveness, it managed to hold out until they managed to make contact with the spaceship Peacemillion, where the former Gundam engineer Howard ordered the Sandrock to be refit for for outer space combat, resulting in the Gundam Sandrock Kai.

In other series
The Gundam Sandrock has brief cameo in Gundam EX A during After Colony chapter, it was destroyed by Ex's Extreme Gundam in his attemp to cause great disturbance that would destroy the AC world.

Variants

 * XXXG-01SR2 Gundam Sandrock Kai
 * XXXG-01SRL Gundam Sandleon
 * XXXG-01SRL2 Gundam Sandleon Custom
 * Earthquake Naga Gundam
 * Thunder Griffon Gundam