NZ-666 Kshatriya

The NZ-666 Kshatriya (クシャトリヤ, Kushatoriya aka "Quad-wing") is a mobile suit featured in the novel and OVA series Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn. The unit was piloted by Marida Cruz.

Technology & Combat Characteristics
The Kshatriya is a mobile suit based on the NZ-000 Queen Mansa used by the first Neo Zeon. The Kshatriya is much smaller than the Queen Mansa but has similar, if not equal, firepower. This is accomplished by the four large shoulder binders, in which each of them stores a pair of mega particle cannons, beam saber holding sub-arms and six funnels. The main body of the Kshatriya also has four mega particle cannons, two machine cannons and two beam sabers. It can also be fitted with up to six optional Beam Gatling Guns. Although the Kshatriya lacks the "mega particle deflection system" seen on the NZ-000, an I-field barrier generator was installed instead. Its original psycommu system was also replaced with a more effective psychoframe. Although the Kshatriya is a massive mobile suit, it has fairly good mobility thanks to the thruster-mounting wing binders.

Armaments

 * Beam Saber
 * The Kshatriya is armed with a total of six beam sabers for melee combat. Two are located in the forearms to allow for quick responses to close combat threats and can be used as beam gun when stored, while the remaining four are hidden — together with four sub-arms — in the Kshatriya's binders. These four sabers are likely fall-backs to allow the Kshatriya to fight off multiple enemies, or as a trump card to allow it to catch unsuspecting foes off-guard. The generated beam blade is strong enough to cut through standard mobile suit armor with ease.


 * Machine Cannon
 * Weapons that fire live ammunition, they are mounted in the chest, between the Mega Particle Cannons. These are used mostly to intercept small missiles.


 * Funnels
 * The Kshatriya is armed with a grand total of twenty-four funnels for all-range attacks. Each funnel possesses a powerful beam gun that is capable of melting an enemy mobile suit's armor. Six are stored within each of the Kshatriya's four binders, and are remotely controlled primarily through use of the psychoframe-equipped cockpit. These funnels are used primarily to allow the Kshatriya to engage large numbers of enemies at the same time, or to allow it to overwhelm a powerful foe. However, they are shown to be vulnerable to the RX-0 Unicorn Gundam's NT-D System.


 * Mega Particle Cannon
 * The Kshatriya is armed with an incredible twelve mega particle cannons. Four are mounted on the chest, giving the Kshatriya great firepower in its forward arc. They can be fired together to create a single and very powerful linked beam, or to fire a scattering beam in a manner similar to a shotgun. Two more of these cannons are mounted on each binder, allowing the Kshatriya to fight off enemies from virtually any direction.


 * Beam Gatling Gun
 * To further increase its firepower, the Kyshatriya can equip up to six beam gatling guns.

Special Equipment & Features

 * Psycoframe Cockpit
 * The Psychoframe cockpit helps its pilot control the funnels and the suit itself.


 * Sub-arms
 * Hidden in the binders, the sub-arms can be used to destroy an opposing mobile suit's arm simply by latching on to it, or used to capture a mobile suit, as shown by its capture of the Unicorn.


 * I-Field generator
 * A device that produces a Minovsky particle barrier around the mobile suit, capable of deflecting incoming enemy beam weapons fire.

History
The Kshatriya is used by remnants of Neo Zeon called "The Sleeves" and is Marida Cruz's personal unit. It is first seen in combat against three Jegans during its trip to the Industrial 7 colony. After being alerted to Londo Bell forces near around the colony, Marida Cruz uses the Kshatriya to attack the enemy mobile suits consisting of RGM-89D Jegans, RGZ-95 ReZeLs, and RGZ-95C ReZeL Commander Types in order to give Suberoa Zinnerman and their ship Garancieres to escape. The resulting battle ends up reaching the colony interior and results in severe civilian casualties. Despite being significantly outnumbered, the Kshatriya manages to destroy a majority of the mobile suits.

Battle at Industrial 7
Marida later manages to locate Mineva Lao Zabi, but is ambushed by a D-50C Loto and ends up losing her and destroying the Loto. Upon recovering however, she was unable to search for Mineva, as the RX-0 Unicorn Gundam, piloted by Banagher Links, attacked the Kshatriya and forced Marida outside of the colony. There, the Unicorn Gundam's Destroyer Mode activated, and the Kshatriya lost two of its shoulder binders and several funnels in the resulting battle. Upon the recovery of Suberoa, Marida broke off from the battle and retreated.

Ambush on Unicorn Gundam
The Kshatriya is seen again during the battle between the RX-0 Unicorn Gundam and the MSN-06S Sinanju, ambushing the Unicorn Gundam after it entered Destroy mode. Together with the Sinanju the Kshatriya was able to overwhelm the Gundam and capture it as it returned to Unicorn mode.

Battle of Palau
The Kshatriya reappeared during the Londo Bell/ECOAS offensive to take back the Unicorn Gundam. Marida faces off against Banagher, but Unicorn's NT-D System activates, taking control of Kshatriya's funnels. Banagher manages to severely damage the Kshatriya and is about to make the finishing blow when the psychoframes resonate, giving Banagher a glimpse of Marida's past as Ple Twelve. Banagher takes the heavily damaged Kshatriya and Marida on board the Nahel Argama.

Aftermath
After the Battle of Palau, the crew of the Nahel Argama began repairing the Kshatriya, thus becoming the NZ-666 Kshatriya Besserung.

Variants

 * NZ-666 Kshatriya Besserung

Notes & Trivia

 * Kshatriya is the military and ruling order of Hinduism [1].
 * The model number of the Kshatriya (NZ-666) is a reference to the Mark of the Beast, or the Devil's number..
 * In Gundam Vs Gundam Next plus Kshatriya also Unlockable as a PSP exclusive unit.
 * In Gundam Extreme Vs, the Kshatriya is also an unlockable unit in the arcade version.
 * In Dynasty Warriors Gundam: 3 the Kshatriya is a paid downloadable content through PlayStation Network and Xbox Live.