MS-14A Gelgoog

The MS-14A Gelgoog (ゲルググ,Gerugugu) was the last mass production mobile suit produced by the Principality of Zeon during the One Year War.

Technology & Combat Characteristics
The high-performance A-Type Gelgoog was equipped with a twin-bladed beam sword (referred to as both a beam naginata due to the shape of the blades, though it was actually very different in function from the traditional Japanese weapon, as well as a "beam halberd") and a high-output beam rifle, a first for a Zeon mobile suit. The Gelgoog was a superior mobile suit in every aspect to the MS-06F Zaku II and even the new MS-09R Rick Dom.

Armaments

 * Twin Beam Sword
 * The twin beam sword, also known as a beam naginata, is the MS-14A Gelgoog's weapon in close-range melee combat. The beam sword operates by generating a beam of plasma contained and shaped by an I-field. Because of the heat of the plasma the beam sword can cut through any alloy. The Gelgoog's twin beam sword is unique in that it has a longer than average handle, about the length of two beam saber hilts, and has an emitter at both ends, allowing a single weapon to create two beam blades. This allows the pilot the advantage of incorporating different techniques into their fighting style than they would normally be capable of. When not in use it is stored in a back mounted recharge rack.


 * Beam Rifle
 * The MS-14A Gelgoog is the first mass produced Principality of Zeon mobile suit to be equipped with a beam rifle. The technology of the rifle allows the weapon to fire compressed mega particles in the form of a beam which has the power to penetrate all but the specially treated materials.


 * Trial Product Beam Rifle
 * A different model of the standard beam rifle used by the Gelgoog, has a longer shooting range and packs a heavier punch than the standard production beam rifle, but pays the price in more limited ammunition.


 * H&L-GB05R/360mm Giant Bazooka
 * A large bazooka originally used by the MS-09R Rick Dom, can also be equipped on the Gelgoog. The bazooka is magazine fed and holds 10 rounds per magazine, and a single round can blow the torso off of an enemy mobile suit.


 * 380mm Giant Bazooka
 * A large bazooka originally used by MS-09G Dwadge. The bazooka is magazine fed and holds 5 rounds per magazine, and a single round can blow the torso off of an enemy mobile suit. The barrel is fitted with a thermal covering in order to reduce distortion due to heat.


 * Beam Machine Gun
 * A handheld beam weapon originally used by the AMS-119 Geara Doga, it is powered by a replaceable e-pac. The beam machine gun was used by The Sleeves' Gelgoog.


 * Prototype Beam Rifle
 * An experimental beam rifle used by Anavel Gato. Its large size made it impossible to store inside a regular vessel.


 * Shield
 * The shield is a thick sheet of armor designed to take severe punishment that would normally destroy a mobile suit. Typically physical shields can only take so much damage before they succumb to the pressure and break. The Gelgoog carries a unique arm mounted shield styled after the shields used by the African Zulu tribe. When not in use the large shield can be mounted on the back to free up the arms.

History
By the middle of the One Year War, the Principality of Zeon was well aware that the Earth Federation Forces was researching and developing mobile suit projects to counter the Zeon's army of mobile suits. Despite Zeon's advanced mobile suit technology, the appearance of the RX-78-2 Gundam with its beam rifle technology followed by the mass production RGM-79 GMs equipped with the Beam Spray gun quickly negated Zeon's advantage.

The Zeonic company decided that its mobile suits needed to incorporate the vastly superior beam weapons into its mobile suit designs. So, when the plans for the new mobile suit (MS-11 Gelgoog) showed up, they redesigned the plans to be able to use beam weapons. The project implemented development data from the MS-06R-2 Zaku II High Mobility Type, which lost to Zimmad's MS-09R Rick Dom as Zeon's mainstay space combat MS. The plans for the original "MS-11 Gelgoog" only allowed it to use ballistic weapons like the machine gun, and its power output was unable to handle a Beam-based weapon. After redesigning the plans, the mobile suit was capable of using beam-based weapons. Removing the designation "MS-11" and shifting it to the Pezun Project's MS-11 Action Zaku, they redesignated the new mobile suit "MS-14", but retained the name. The initial production Gelgoog is known as the YMS-14 Gelgoog. The United Maintenance Plan was implemented during production of the Gelgoog. The Gelgoog was mainly produced at Granada and A Baoa Qu, with some documents describing the overall number of units being 738.

While the Gelgoog was the most powerful production-type MS of the One Year War by a considerable margin, matching or slightly exceeding the Earth Federation's RX-78-2 Gundam unit, it was never produced in the numbers required to counter the sheer numbers of RGM-79 GMs that walked off the production lines before the end of the war. Full deployment of the Gelgoog was delayed due to full-scale production of the new beam rifle, resulting in only 67 machines participating in the decisive battle of A Baoa Qu. It is possible that if the Gelgoog had been pushed into production even two weeks sooner, it may have been able to secure victory for Zeon.

The last major problem with the Gelgoog was that it had mainly rookie pilots inside the cockpits, as most of Zeon's more experienced pilots had been killed in earlier battles. These novice pilots had seen little or no combat before the Battle of A Baoa Qu, and could not use their Gelgoogs effectively enough to counter the Federation's less powerful GM models, piloted by skilled veterans of the Battle of Solomon. One customized unit would be operated by Erik Blanke, unfortunate for Erik he would have an encounter with the Federation's White Devil and his Gelgoog would be damaged, before he could be killed however the pilot would disengage the battle with him, to pursue the MSN-02 Zeong.

After the war, some units were taken by the Federation to serve as high-performance aggressor trainer units, while others escaped into deep space with various Zeon remnants; the majority had either died at A Baoa Qu or were marched off to the scrapper's torch. Some examples of old MS-14 Gelgoog units survived postwar in museums. During U.C. 0088 one unit would be used by the Blue Team of the African Liberation Front rebel group, and painted in their distinctive light blue-on-blue colors. In U.C. 0096, a number of these mobile suits survived and would be used by "The Sleeves" during the third of the major Neo Zeon Movements. These mobile suits would be repainted into a new color scheme and given the distinctive markings featured on many of the mobile suits used by The Sleeves.

Variants

 * MS-14A Gelgoog (Stutzer)
 * MS-14B Gelgoog High Mobility Type
 * MS-14C Gelgoog Cannon
 * MS-14D Desert Gelgoog
 * MS-14F Gelgoog Marine
 * MS-14G Gelgoog Ground Type
 * MS-14Jg Gelgoog Jäger
 * MS-14A Gelgoog Rainer Cziommer Custom
 * A customized Gelgoog unit built and operated by Rainer Cziommer, its painted in his personal colors and equipped with the MRC-F20 SUMO's flight booster.

Trivia

 * At one point during Mobile Suit Gundam's production, the Gelgoog was named the Gyan.