AMS-129 Geara Zulu

The AMS-129 Geara Zulu (aka Geara Zulu) is a Neo Zeon mass-production general purpose mobile suit, it is featured in the photo-novel/OVA Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn.

Technology and Combat Characteristics
A Neo Zeon mass-production mobile suit, it is the successor to the earlier AMS-119 Geara Doga. Like the Geara Doga, and its Zaku predecessors, the Geara Zulu was not a "high performance" mobile suit. Meaning that although the Geara Zulu's specs gives it a superior performance to the Geara Doga, its technology does not "push the envelope" as the mobile suits of the First Neo Zeon War did. Like the Geara Doga, the Geara Zulu's design was based on using simple and conventional mobile suit technology. This made the Geara Zulu fairly easy and cheap to mass produce as well as simple to pilot since it does not have any difficult to use features such as a transformation system. In order to increase overall versatility the Sleeves have produced a wide variety of hand armaments that can be used by the Geara Zulu.

Generally the standard armaments the Geara Zulu mobile suits are equipped with include a beam rifle and beam tomahawk, although there is a wide range of weapons that the mobile suits can be equipped with depending on the mission profile. The Geara Zulu can have a weapon's mount placed on the back of its waist that is designed to carry several hand grenades and a beam tomahawk.

There are two basic models of the Geara Zulu, the normal type which features a shoulder shield on the right arm and a Royal Guard version that has modified shoulder and leg armor, a larger backpack possessing larger fuel tanks, and has more detailed markings. It is usually equipped with a beam rifle that has an underslung grenade launcher, and carries extra beam rifle magazines on the front skirt armor. Commander versions of these two models include a horn mounted on the units forehead.

The Geara Zulu piloted by Royal Guard leader Angelo Sauper is a royal guard unit painted in a flashy magenta and comes equipped with a lange bruno gun kai, extra fuel pods, and a shield.

Armaments

 * Beam Rifle
 * The standard armament of most mobile suits is a beam rifle powered by a rechargeable energy cap. If the energy cap runs out of energy it can be replaced with a fresh one stored on the front skirt armor. The rifle design seems to be derived from the German StG-44 but it is odd that it has a small, underslung grenade launcher. The rifle fires in fully-automatic with a moderate rate of fire with the color of the beams being yellow. Technical specifications indicate that the beam rifle possesses a modular design that allows equipment to be added and removed, thus altering the beam rifles overall abilities.


 * Grenade Launcher
 * One grenade launcher is attached below the barrel of beam rifle


 * Sturmfaust
 * One of the most common weapons used by Zeon/Neo Zeon's Mobile Suit. It is weaker then then bazooka but trades off firepower for cost.


 * Hand Grenade
 * This weapon used by both Earth Federation and Zeon. It is not very powerful and accuarate. However, it is capable to performing different roles in the battle


 * Beam Tomahawk
 * The only close combat weapon of the Geara Zulu is a single beam tomahawk, which, when not in use is mounted on an unknown location on the suit's body. The head of the beam tomahawk has two beam emitters, one on the side that emits the axe-blade, and the second on top that emits a beam spike that can be used for stabbing attacks.


 * Shield
 * The AMS-129 Geara Zulu can be equipped with two styles of shields. The first is a shoulder shield, similar to the model used on the MS-06 Zaku II, mounted on the right shoulder. The second is the shield used by the AMS-119 Geara Doga. Apart from being used for their standard purpose both shields can mount four Sturmfaust weapons.


 * Lange Bruno Gun Kai
 * The same weapon found on the AMS-119 Geara Doga Heavy Weapons Type. While the previous Range Bruno Gun was able to fire only solid rounds, the improved version can fire beams.


 * Beam Shotrifle
 * Based off of the same weapon used by the MSN-04 Sazabi, seen on Angelo Sauper's Geara Zulu. It has two barrels, one for the diffusing beam, and one that fires a normal beam. The shotrifle can also form a beam saber from the diffusion beam barrel for close combat.


 * Submachine Gun
 * A low damage beam weapon with a higher rate of fire than other beam rifles.


 * Beam Gatling Gun
 * Seen on Gilboa Sant's custom Geara Zulu, the 4-barrel beam gatling gun can fire volleys of particle beams and usually come in a pair. The two can be used as separate guns or can be combined together on the forearm of a MS. The gatling gun itself seems to have less firepower as separate guns than a beam rifle.

History
From the Zeon Zaku II, to the Federation's Hizack, to the Geara Doga of Neo Zeon, and finally to the Neo Zeon remnants' (otherwise "Sleeves") Geara Zulu. Based off of a general concept that has been tried and true, the Geara Zulu is the latest and most humanoid of the progression. Although its raw specifications are overall better than its predecessor, the Geara Doga, the Geara Zulu has a notably smaller load out. This may be because the Sleeves may not have a complete and legitimate army.

Although an efficient mobile suit, it is obviously outperformed by the ReZEL mobile suits due to both their mobility and firepower.

Variants

 * AMS-129 Geara Zulu (Guards Type)
 * This version of the Geara Zulu, the Sleeves' main mobile suit, is used by Full Frontal's elite guards. Its thrust is dramatically enhanced through a special Geara Doga backpack so that it can operate alongside the Sinanju, and its shoulders are equipped with large spike armor that gives it a more aggressive silhouette. The chest and wrist markings, from which the Sleeves get their nickname, are more elaborate than those of an ordinary machine to show that it belongs to the royal guards.


 * AMS-129 Geara Zulu (Angelo Sauper Unit)
 * This Geara Zulu belongs to Angelo Sauper, the chief of Full Frontal's elite guards, and is painted in his violet personal colors. The heavy armament backpack attached to its back has two large propellant tanks, and provides increased thrust and a longer operating time. It uses a Range Bruno Gun Kai, a long-range beam weapon, to support the Sinanju in battle. Angelo's Geara Zulu was severely damaged by Banagher Links in RX-0 Unicorn Gundam Destroy Mode.


 * AMS-129 Geara Zulu (Gilboa Sant Unit)
 * This Geara Zulu belongs to Gilboa Sant, a member of the Garencieres crew. The Geara Zulu is a commander type. The heavy armament backpack attached to its back has two large propellant tanks, and provides increased thrust and a longer operating time. Just like Angelo Sauper's Geara Zulu it uses a Range Bruno Gun Kai as well as a beam gatling gun. Gilboa's Geara Zulu is destroyed by a sray shot from the Unicorn's beam magnum shot meant for Full Frontal whilst entering the atmosphere.