EB-AX2 Graze Ein

The EB-AX2 Graze Ein is a mobile suit featured in the Mobile Suit Gundam IRON-BLOODED ORPHANS television series. It is piloted by Ein Dalton.

Technology & Combat Characteristics
The Graze Ein is a mobile suit created by Gjallarhorn based on their research of the Alaya-Vijnana system. The premise of Graze Ein’s design was the integration of the pilot with the machine, and for that, it is necessary that the pilot is be able to recognize the MS’s body as his own. For this reason, the search for a form recognizable by the human brain began. In contrast to the Graze’s design, which is more focused on the mobile weapon aspect, the search led to a review on the form/shape of the suit’s limbs, and resulted in their current lengthened look. This also made the machine much bigger than other mobile suits, but thanks to the high sensitivity Alaya-Vijnana system installed in it, it is still very agile and capable of delicate movements. The Alaya-Vijnana system also helps the pilot to completely recognize the MS as his own body, and facilitates the control of the Graze Ein using thoughts alone. Weapon wise, the suit is armed with retractable shoulder machine guns, pile bunkers, and custom large axes. Its hand and feet can also serve as weapons: the feet can fold into drills and launch drill kick attacks, while the fist can rotate at a high speed for screw punch attacks. The Graze Ein's pilot, Ein Dalton, is conjoined into the suit's cockpit due to his grave injuries. The cockpit is also fitted with a life support system and filled with an unidentified fluid to keep Ein alive.

Armaments

 * Retractable Shoulder Machine Gun
 * A pair of retractable machine guns are hidden in the lower part of the shoulder armor. When in used, the lower shoulder armor flip opens, and the machine gun rotates forwards or backwards to hit enemy units in front or at the back respectively.


 * Custom Large Axe
 * Larger then the battle axe used by the standard Graze, a pair of these Custom Large Axes are stored on the storage rack attached to the suit's back. The increase in size was to fit the Graze Ein's presumably higher output and its longer arms.


 * Drill Kick
 * When kicking the enemy MS, the Graze Ein's claw-like feet can fold together and serve as drills that are capable of penetrating Nano Laminated Armor. This weapon/attack takes into consideration the melee combat capabilities of the Graze Ein's pilot-MS integration.


 * Screw Punch
 * Graze Ein's fist can rotate at a high speed when punching the opponent, dealing more damage than the standard punch. The suit's fingers are locked in place when performing the screw punch. Like the drill kick, the screw punch takes into consideration the melee combat capabilities of the Graze Ein's pilot-MS integration.


 * Pile Bunker
 * Mounted under each forearm, the pile bunkers launch a short spike rod into the enemy unit when used and can penetrate Nano Laminated Armor. They seem to be single-use weapons and are discarded after use.

Special Equipment & Features

 * Alaya-Vijnana System
 * An organic device system, it is an old type of man-machine interface. Apparently, the system was developed during the Calamity War to maximize the abilities of mobile suit, hence most mobile suits from that era, like the Gundams, are compatible with it. The system consisted of two parts, one part is installed in the mobile suit, and the other part (informally referred to as "Whiskers") is implanted into the pilot’s spine. Thanks to this system, the pilot can be connected to the mobile suit's computer and directly process mobile suit data. The implant in the pilot also enhances spatial awareness. While the whiskers are usually implanted at a young age, Gjallarhorn is able to implant three of them into Ein, a young adult. The Alaya-Vijnana System installed in Graze Ein has a high sensitivity, and because of it, Ein Dalton's body feels fine despite being reduced to a mere head and torso. The system also helps to maintain his mental state in a stable condition, and plays a role in allowing him to completely recognize the MS as his own body, thus allowing the control the Graze Ein using thoughts alone.


 * Head Sphere Sensor
 * A spherical sensor is mounted inside the head, it is revealed during optical long-distance viewing and precise measurement.

History
Despite the Alaya-Vijnana System being seen as one of the major causes of the gruesome ravages of Calamity War, Gjallarhorn secretly continued research into the technology, since they couldn't abandon its high performance. The Graze Ein was born as a result of that research, but it remains a research use unit because none of the Gjallarhorn's regular MS pilots were willing to have the implants required to use the Alaya-Vijnana System. The Alaya-Vijnana System research was later stopped at an unknown time point, and the incomplete Graze Ein was abandoned in the research facility.

In 323 PD., the Graze Ein obtained a pilot in Ein Dalton after Gaelio agreed to McGillis' proposal for the seriously injured Ein to be implanted with the Alaya-Vijnana system implants to save his life. Ein was then permanently placed in a life-support unit in its cockpit, and the Graze Ein was finally assembled into its completed form. The Graze Ein was deployed in the battle outside Edmonton, and with its powerful capabilities, Ein easily defeated both STH-05R Rouei units and the EB-06/tc2 Ryusei-Go. The Graze Ein then enters the city to find Kudelia Aina Bernstein, after Ein was reminded that Kudelia was the cause for his mentor's death. Upon finding Kudelia, Ein tried to kill her using the Graze Ein's large axe but the attack was stopped by Mikazuki and his ASW-G-08 Gundam Barbatos. The Graze Ein and Barbatos then engaged in a fierce duel at close-quarters, which ended with Ein's death when he was killed by the Barbatos' Long Sword, simultaneously shutting down the Graze Ein.

Unbeknownst to Ein, he and the Graze Ein were merely pawns in McGillis' plan to grab power within Gjallarhorn and reform it. McGillis had used them as an example of the disorder within Gjallarhorn, in this case, the organization's hypocrisy in denouncing bionic modification as evil, but still using it to create the Graze Ein. What happened to the unit after the Edmonton battle is a mystery.

Notes & Trivia

 * The "Ein" in Graze Ein is a reference to its pilot, Ein Dalton.
 * An alternate spelling for 'Axe' is Ax; thus there was fan speculation that the 'AX2' in its model number refers to its two axes.