RMS-099 Rick Dias

The RMS-099 Rick Dias is a second-generation mass production attack-use mobile suit, it was featured in the anime series Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam.

Technology & Combat Characteristics
Developed by Anaheim Electronics the RMS-099 (MSA-099, MSA-009) Rick Dias (codename: "γ Gundam" (Gamma Gundam)) became one of the first mass-produced mobile suits of the AEUG's Zeta Project for their fight against the corrupt Titans. Because many engineers who worked on the Rick Dias were former Principality of Zeon members, the Rick Dias featured many similarities to Zeon mobile suits. It not only features a mono-eye sensor but its name is also derived from the MS-09R Rick Dom ("Rick" comes from the word Remake). The Rick Dias ("Dias" is derived from Bartolomeu Dias, the Portuguese explorer who first rounded the Cape of Good Hope) was originally to be called Gundam γ which was due to the fact that the Rick Dias is built out of the new Gundarium γ. This material was developed by Axis and has strength similar to standard Gundarium yet is structurally lighter, making the suit lighter and thus allowing it to accommodate a greater fuel capacity. The Rick Dias was also armed with a great number of weapons and thus became a strong enemy for most of the Titan's suits.

The Rick Dias is one of the earlier models of mobile suits to use the 360-degree panoramic cockpit, and the first original design to be constructed by the AEUG. One notable feature is that unlike other mobile suits in use at the time, the cockpit of the Rick Dias is built into the head and not the chest of the mobile suit. Built into its hands are specialized launchers that can be used to launch fire-suppressing gas or a binding adhesive.

For combat the Rick Dias is equipped with a large variety of weapons, making it a versatile mobile suit. Among its built-in weapons include a 2-barrel 55mm vulcan phalanx anti-missile gun system built into the head and a beam naginata stored in recharge racks in the backpack. For ranged combat the Rick Dias is equipped with a pair of beam pistols stored in backpack storage racks. It can also be optionally equipped with a clay bazooka, a bazooka that fires a specialized round that breaks into smaller pellets, and a standard beam rifle.

Armaments

 * 2-barrel 55mm Vulcan Phalanx Anti-missile Gun System
 * A standard armament of the mobile suits in this era. These head mounted shell firing weapons have a high-rate of fire, but have little power and are generally ineffective against mobile suits; however, the vulcan gun can damage lightly armored areas such as the sensors. These weapons are ideal for shooting down small, fast moving, lightly armored targets such as missiles or small vehicles.


 * Beam Naginata
 * Just like Zeon's MS-14A Gelgoog, the RMS-099 Rick Dias carries a twin beam sword, sometimes referred to as a "Beam Naginata". The weapon features a longer than normal handle and a beam emitter at both ends allowing the weapon to create two beam blades simultaneously. This allows the Rick Dias to perform attacks that mobile suits equipped with standard beam sabers cannot, on the other hand the weapon is more dangerous as the pilot must make sure not to accidentally strike his own mobile suit when attacking as the blades face opposite directions. When not in use the twin beam sword is stored in a recharge rack on the back of the waist.


 * Beam Pistols
 * While most mobile suits feature a single large beam rifle, the Rick Dias instead is equipped with two small beam pistol, which look like the Nazi's pistol. Despite their small size, the pistols are powerful enough to destroy an enemy unit with a single shot. If not in use, the pistols are mounted on the backpack of the unit.


 * AE/ZIM.C-BAZ-531 Clay Bazooka
 * Unlike normal bazookas, the Clay Bazooka is a large rocket launcher it could fire several missiles that that breaks into smaller pellets to attack targets at long range. While not powerful as other models, it can takes a mobile suit with one shot. Most oftenly used to take out slow, heavily armored targets.


 * Beam Rifle
 * A standard hand carried ranged beam weapon is the beam rifle. Capable of firing concentrated mega particles, attacks from a beam rifle are can damage any ordinary armor that has not be specially treated to resist it. Like all beam rifle of this era, Rick Dias's model is powered by a replaceable E-cap.

Special Equipment & Features

 * "Random Binder" Ejectable External Propellant Tank
 * To increase the Rick Dias's combat time, the AEUG created a propellant that carries extra fuel. This kind of propellant was modified after MSN-00100 Hyaku Shiki's wing binders, in order to further Rick Dias's agility.


 * Arm-equipped Flare Launchers
 * A gun mounts on the Rick Dias's arm. It used to distract enemies, or as a signalling tool.

History
The Rick Dias was used during many major AEUG missions as the AEUG's first original and most powerful mass-production mobile suit, making its first known major use during the AEUG's mission to infiltrate Gryps and steal the new RX-178 Gundam Mk-II. Three Rick Dias mobile suits would be used to infiltrate the colony, led by AEUG ace Quattro Bajeena in his custom painted red Rick Dias. The mission was successful and proved the value of the Rick Dias. For all following missions Rick Dias mobile suits were assigned to the AEUG's top pilots who did not possess their own custom unit such as the Gundam Mk-II or the MSN-00100 Hyaku Shiki.

Initially the standard color scheme for the Rick Dias is black and dark gray, with one unit given a custom red on dark red paint job. However; at some point, while the AEUG was on Earth, the standard color scheme was switched over to the same red coloring scheme used on the unit Quattro Bajeena and later Emma Sheen piloted.

Despite being technologically advanced and state of the art at the start of the Gryps Conflict (to the point that the Titans tried to steal some of the Argama's compliment), the Rick Dias was soon overshadowed by the increasingly more advanced designs in the AEUG and the Titans. By the start of the First Neo Zeon War, there weren't any operational units left, having been abandoned for more Gundam-like suits.

Variants

 * RMS-099S Rick Dias S
 * RMS-099B Schuzrum Dias
 * RMS-099NT Röten Dias
 * RMS-99 Kanone Dias
 * RX-098 Prototype Rick Dias
 * MSA-099 Rick Dias [Delphi Squad]
 * MSA-099 Rick Dias [Stutzer]
 * MSA-099-2 Rick Dias II
 * MAN-104 (MSae-39) Nahatgall
 * MSK-008 Dijeh

Notes & Trivia

 * In the Zeta Gundam novelization, the Rick Dias is named after Bartolomeu Dias, a Portuguese explorer who discovered the Cape of Good Hope.