MS-18E Kämpfer

MS-18 Kämpfer (ケンプファー) is a heavy assault mobile suit featured in the Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket OVA. It was used by the Principality of Zeon during the One Year War.

Technology & Combat Characteristics
The "E" in the MS-18E Kämpfer's model number was an abbreviation for the German word "einhauen," which translates to "one strike." "One strike" summed up the Kämpfers role in combat as a fast assault unit. It was meant to strike quickly, cause massive damage with its varied weapons loadout, and make a fast escape. The Kämpfer was a very focused design, never intended to work outside of its created role. Within this role it was an exceptional unit, rivaling the Federation RX series in firepower and speed. The unit was covered with thrusters and verniers to give it high maneuverability. Conversely, the large number of thrusters resulted in a high fuel consumption rate, limiting it to only being operable for short periods of time. Its designers chose only minimal armor plating, even removing the hip mounted skirt armor found on most mobile suits entirely from the design. The choice of conventional explosives and weapon systems in favor of beam weapons was made to reduce the drain on its powerplant and resultant drop in speed. Weapon racks were designed to be ejected from the unit as they were expended, minimizing dead weight. The unit was intended to be operated by special forces, built to be easily disassembled and reassembled in blocks. This was to aid in its insertion and activation behind enemy lines.

Armaments

 * 60mm Vulcan Gun
 * An uncommon feature on Zeon MS, the Kämpfer has 2 vulcans in the head similar to Federation Mobile Suits. These shell firing weapons have a high-rate of fire but have little power and can't damage the thick armor of a mobile suit, though it can damage lightly armored areas such as the sensors. The weapons are ideal for shooting down small, fast moving, lightly armored targets such as missiles, small land vehicles, and attack helicopters.


 * Beam Saber
 * The beam saber is a small cylindrical device held in the mobile suit's hands when operated and is powered by an energy capacitor that is recharged from special racks. The beam saber emits a blade of plasma contained by an I-Field and is capable of cutting through almost any metal that has not been treated with anti-beam coating. The Kämpfer is equipped with two beam sabers, that when not in use are stored in the recharge racks located on each thigh.


 * ZUX-197 Jagdgewehr 192mm Shotgun
 * A weapon which was specifically designed for assault-type MS, it is similar to the model used by the MS-08TX Efreet. ZUX-197 has a 9-round capacity with known ammunition include slugshot, luna titanium 00 buckshot, and MS-use birdshot (BB shot). It can be loaded via pump-action, or automatically by an electric mechanism. The Kämpfer is capable of carrying two of these shotguns, one can be stored on the rear waist armor, while the other is carried in the hands.


 * 360mm Giant Bazooka II
 * A redesigned version of Dom series' 360mm Giant Bazooka, with improved shape charges and firepower. The Giant Bazooka II is magazine-fed with 5-round capacity. A single round is particularly effective in anti-ship warfare, and can blow the torso off of an enemy mobile suit. The Kämpfer can equip two Bazookas, that when not in use can be stored on it's back.


 * Sturm Faust
 * An explosive weapon with a rocket propelled warhead, it was designed before the beginning of the One Year War as an anti-ship weapon. Useful both in space and under gravity, it was mainly deployed for anti-ship attacks during the early days of the war. The Sturm Faust likely made a good anti-mobile suit weapon during the latter days of the war, as Zeon mobile suits could be equipped with both a Sturm Faust and a more typical ranged weapon for greater versatility. As a non-guided weapon, it is difficult to hit targets with high mobility. Two Sturm Fausts could be stored on hardpoints on the legs of the Kämpfer.


 * Prototype Large Beam Rifle
 * A experimental beam weapon developed at Axis after the One Year War, it's effective firing range is 1.8 times that of a ordinary beam rifle, because it's powered by it's own built in generator it can be wielded by Zaku type MS. The generator however only has enough power for five shots. Appears in Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Deleted Affair: Portrait Of Young Comet.


 * Chain Mine
 * The chain mine was a number of disc-shaped mines connected to each other by flexible cable. Each mine had magnetic claws on its underside, allowing it to be attached to objects. The chain mine could be thrown out like grenades one by one, laid on the ground or fixed to a building as a mine, or (most destructively) attached to a single enemy and detonated - this attack method was used by Kämpfer against the prototype Gundam NT-1. It failed to destroy the NT-1, but did heavily damage its newly-tested chobham armor. The chain mine was later improved upon and enlarged, for use by RX-78GP03 Dendrobrium as the demolition chain.

Special Equipment & Features

 * Weapons Racks
 * Mounted on several points on the Kämpfer are weapon racks which are used to mount various weapons when not in use, and can be ejected when expended. These weapon racks can be used for its shotgun, bazookas and sturm fausts.

History
In the few remaining days and weeks before the end of the One Year War, the Principality of Zeon churned out several new prototype mobile suits. One of these new units was known only as the YMS-18 Kämpfer Prototype, which Zeon engineers quickly began producing different variations and redesigns to create custom units meant to excel in specific mission roles. One of the variations created was the MS-18E Kämpfer.

Despite the drawbacks of limited armor and high fuel-consumption, the Kämpfer was still an incredible mobile suit. Due to its late introduction to the war, only a few units were ever produced. A single Kämpfer was fielded by Zeon's Cyclops Team during their infiltration of the Libot Colony in the neutral Riah Republic of Side 6 on the 20th of December, Universal Century 0079. This unit, piloted by an inebriated Mikhail Kaminsky, destroyed the entire Scarlet Team mobile suit squadron of the assault carrier Gray Phantom single handedly. It then faced its primary objective, the Earth Federation's RX-78NT-1 Gundam "Alex". Despite completely destroying the NT-1 Alex's chobham armor and damaging the Gundam, the Kämpfer failed to disable it and fell prey to the Gundam's wrist-mounted 90mm gatling cannon, which proved effective against the Kämpfer's weak armor.

In Gundam Legacy, a single Kämpfer served as the control unit for the "Silver Lance" weapon for the Operation Silver Lance plot against the Republic of Zeon in U.C. 0084. It was piloted by former Zeon pilot Lilia Flaubert.

In the series Ecole du Ciel, from its ease of disassemble and reassembly, the Kämpfer has seen usage by post-war pirates and later with the Axis forces. A prototype Kämpfer is operated by Akira and later in the series, Asuna Elmarit. At the point of U.C. 0086, the unit's parts are difficult to locate, making maintenance of the unit extremely difficult. Later this unit is even seen fielded by AEUG, a testament to its high performance.

Variants

 * MS-18F Kämpfer Beam Weapon Type

Trivia

 * "Kämpfer" is the German word for "fighter".
 * The concept of an Assault Mobile Suit was reused in 0083, when Mika Akitaka designed the AGX-04 Gerbera Tetra as an Anaheim Electronics attempt to create an assault suit.