OZ-12SMS Taurus

OZ-12SMS Taurus is a mass produced space-combat mobile suit in the After Colony time-line. It is featured in Mobile Suit Gundam Wing, Mobile Suit Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz OVA/movie, and several related mangas. The mobile suit was designed by Hajime Katoki.

Technology & Combat Characteristics
The Taurus mobile suit is still in development at the start of the anime, although training prototypes are available for the events of episode 4, and the deployment of the first complete batch of Tauruses is central to the plot of episode 10. It can transform into a fighter spacecraft. The Taurus design was used as a basis for the Mercurius and Vayeate suits, significantly improving on the overall design. Although originally designed for human pilots, the Mobile Doll artificial intelligence system is installed in the mobile suits before episode 19, making them the first AI-controlled mobile suits. Although the Taurus would be replaced by the pilot-less Virgo suits over the course of the anime, Tauruses found use up until the end of the series, with the Sanc Kingdom and the White Fang both using acquired Taurus suits. Sanc Kingdom Tauruses were modified for atmospheric combat, as shown in episode 31.

After the White Fang organization began the WF-02MD Virgo II mobile dolls to eradicate the OZ forces in space. To counter the mobile dolls' planet defensers the Tauruses were armed with laser rifles, which had a tendency to overheat after prolonged use but could easily pierce the electromagnetic barrier.

Like most mass production mobile suits employed by the Organization of the Zodiac and the Earth Sphere Alliance the OZ-12SMS Taurus is not equipped with any sort of close-range combat weapons, neither small caliber vulcan guns or beam sabers. When in combat the Taurus relies on its speed and maneuverability to keep it at a distance from the enemy mobile suits while only attacking with its beam rifle.

When used by factions other than OZ, the Tauruses are given slightly altered designations and color schemes; SK-12SMS for the Sanc Kingdom painted in mostly white and WF-12SMS for the White Fang organization painted in red. The Tauruses used by the Mariemeia Army in Endless Waltz retain the default OZ color scheme and designation.

Armaments
The standard armament of the OZ-12SMS Taurus is a custom model beam rifle exclusive to the Taurus mobile suit. Because the Taurus is a highly modern and advanced mass production mobile suit it can be argued that its beam rifle is more advanced than any previous mass production models'. The Taurus's beam rifle mounted on the units back when in fighter mode, a mode that the beam rifle can still be used in.
 * Beam Rifle

An optional armament that the OZ-12SMS Taurus can be equipped with in place of the beam rifle is the beam cannon. The beam cannon is a large energy cannon that requires the use of both of the Taurus's hand to wield. The beam cannon is a weapon with a high output, as shown by Trowa Barton who used a beam cannon to destroy the remains of the XXXG-01D Gundam Deathscythe when he said that the beam rifle wouldn't have an effect.
 * Beam Cannon

An old weapon that was no longer in use with regular the military by AC 195 because of power and overheating issue, it was put back into service and used by the Taurus mobile suits defending Barge from White Fang when it was discovered that the laser rifle could penetrate the electromagnetic barrier of the WF-02MD Virgo II.
 * Laser Rifle


 * Beam Saber
 * Mentioned in the Gundam Wing Encyclopedia, this is an optional weapon used by the Taurus.

System Features
The OZ-12SMS Taurus is the first mobile suit to be mass produced with an internal mobile doll AI control system, though several Leos were used an external system to test the mobile doll system. With the mobile doll AI control system the Taurus can operate itself independently, negating the need for a human pilot to function. Because it is a computer controlling the Taurus, its reactions are lightening fast and it can fly at speeds where the G force would normally crush a human pilot. However as mobile dolls the Taurus's movements lack innovation, relying on pre-programmed data to determine how it reacts in a given situation.
 * Mobile Doll AI Control System

History
The OZ-12SMS Taurus is first seen when OZ's Victoria training base comes under attack by Chang Wufei and the XXXG-01S Shenlong Gundam. The Taurus mobile suits were not used to defend the base as they were not capable of atmospheric flight at the time. Instead base instructor Lucrezia Noin ordered all machines to be evacuated.

As OZ was making its move to take control of space, the Taurus, both mobile suit and mobile doll, played a prominent role as it replaced the aged Space Leo as their front-line unit. In battle the Taurus easily defeated the older mobile suits that were their only opposition, until the arrival of the Gundams. However the Gundams had been designed to operate on Earth, and were not very fast or maneuverable in space thus several of them, such as the XXXG-01D Gundam Deathscythe.

When the White Fang organization made its move to destroy OZ, it made use of every mobile suit they could get their hands on, including a number of Taurus mobile suits that were redesignated as the WF-12SMS Taurus. When White Fang captured and began using the powerful WF-02MD Virgo II mobile doll, OZ forces countered with both Taurus and Space Leo mobile suits, however both machines were outmatched by the mobile doll.

Mobile Doll Tauruses were also used in the year AC 196 (Endless Waltz), first to protect the captured colony of L3 X18999, then to distract the Preventers for a time from the real events.

The pilot most associated with the Taurus is Lucrezia Noin, who pilots a white Taurus for the second half of the anime and in the OVA. Lady Une, Quatre Raberba Winner, Trowa Barton, and Hilde Schbeiker also pilot the Taurus on occasion, although in most appearances the mobile suits are either piloted by minor or unnamed characters, or controlled by the Mobile Doll AI.