OZ-00MS Tallgeese

The OZ-00MS Tallgeese (aka Tallgeese) is the first in a line of three mobile suits depicted in the Mobile Suit Gundam Wing series. In the anime, it is stated that the first Tallgeese was the original armed mobile suit, and is the common ancestor of both the Gundams and the mass-produced military mobile suits (most notably the OZ-06MS Leo and its variants) depicted. It was first test piloted after its restoration by an OZ soldier named Otto, and later by its most prominent pilot, Zechs Merquise.

Technology & Combat Characteristics
Designed by the Gundam Scientists, the Tallgeese was a well rounded unit featuring both long range and melee weapons, and also heavy armor coupled with high power boosters. However, the suit's powerful "Super Vernier" boosters put a lot of strain on the pilot, producing acceleration of about 15 Gs. To solve this problem and reduce production costs, the Tallgeese design was simplified to create the Leo. In the EW version, a "Tempest" Heat Lance and Halberd were added to its arsenal.

Armaments

 * Dober Gun
 * This high-powered cartridge gun is the most powerful weapon in OZ's arsenal, easily capable of destroying a Leo. It's fitted with an old-fashioned muzzle brake to improve its accuracy. Though the dober gun can be used by a standard Leo, the recoil from firing it can be uncontrollably severe for any mobile suit other than the Tallgeese.


 * Shield
 * The Tallgeese carries a round shield to increase defense against both beam and physical attacks. It hangs off the Tallgeese's shoulder, granting the suit a free hand to hold other weapons if required. The shield also stores a pair of beam sabers.


 * 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 is capable of cutting through any metal that has not been treated with anti-beam coating. The Tallgeese is equipped with a pair of beam saber stored in a recharge rack located in the shield.


 * Missile Pod
 * A handheld missile pod can be used for anti-mobile suit and anti-ship combat. While effective against heavy-armored enemies, the missile pod carries fairly little ammunition.


 * "Tempest" Heat Lance
 * As its name implies, the "Tempest" Heat Lance uses thermal energy to heat the lance to super-high temperatures which allows the lance to penetrate the armor of other mobile weapons. This weapon was built as an anti-Gundam measure based on the late Walker's data. Can be fixed on the arm or be handheld using another grip. This weapon is only used by the EW Version of the Tallgeese.


 * Halberd
 * The Mobile Suit sized counterpart to the human weapon, the Halberd consists of an axe blade topped with a spike mounted on a long staff. It can be used for slicing and stabbing attacks. It also can be broken down into parts allowing it to be assembled on the battlefield. This weapon is only used by the EW Version of the Tallgeese.

Special Equipment & Features

 * Self-Destruct System
 * The Tallgeese was built to self-destruct should the pilot choose to. A remote detonator is placed within the cockpit and if a dire situation arrives, the pilot can destroy the Mobile Suit. The system was designed to overload its power systems and has enough explosive power to destroy several city blocks. It's a last option tactic if the pilot is incapable of protecting the Mobile Suit, while not allowing it to fall into enemy hands. It also can be used as one large explosive device to eradicate large targets.


 * Booster Unit
 * At nearly twice the size of the Tallgeese, this optional equipment is fitted onto the Tallgeese for space operations. Has many different modes to suit the situation. Parts of the unit can only be attached to reduce weight for short term space travel. The entire unit is fitted on for long term space travel, and the entire unit can be jettisoned during combat to avoid the additional weight.

History
The Tallgeese was designed in After Colony 170 by the Romefeller Foundation, to provide an armed unit based on mobile suit technology. The resulting design was extremely powerful, but expensive to mass-produce and rough on its pilots. The design was simplified, resulting in the Leo mobile suit.

Only two original Tallgeese units existed. The first was owned by the Long Clan (of which Chang Wufei was a member), and was destroyed while defending the Long Clan's colony in After Colony 194. This Tallgeese appeared in the Episode Zero manga, and lacked a mask over its camera, making it more visually similar to a Leo.

The other Tallgeese was put in storage and under the control of OZ, but was rebuilt in After Colony 195 by Zechs Merquise to combat the Gundams. Between episodes 18 and 22, Zechs' Tallgeese is modified for space travel, allowing Zechs (as Milliardo Peacecraft) to visit the colonies. In episode 34, Zech's Tallgeese is destroyed, via self destruction, allowing Zechs to claim the Wing Zero. The remaining spare parts of Zech's Tallgeese was later used to build Treize Khushrenada's Tallgeese II.

Variants

 * OZ-00MS Tallgeese Flugel
 * OZ-00MS2 Tallgeese II
 * OZ-00MS2B Tallgeese III
 * OZ-00MSVa Tallgeese Valkyrie

Notes & Trivia

 * Otto's comment about the Tallgeese being "three times faster than the Aries" is a nod to Char Aznable's MS-06S Zaku II Commander Type, which is described as being three times faster than a standard MS-06F Zaku II.
 * In some scenes in the anime the Dober Gun is seen destroying multiple enemy mobile suits in a single shot, as though the weapon were firing a large-scale beam. However, source material consistently refers to the Dober Gun as a shell-firing weapon, so these cases should be considered animation errors.
 * In Gundam Vs Gundam Next, the Tallgeese's Dober Gun is treated as a beam weapon, complete with a "gerobi" beam as an alternate attack.
 * The Tallgeese' shield is depicted with different forms of decoration between the anime series, model kits, toys, manga, and other media. The most common depictions are either as a blank white shield, or white with black outer trim and an eagle emblem in its center.
 * The Tallgeese's head is actually a standard Leo head with a large yellow camera, though equipped with a mask mounted over it. Unlike the Mercurius and Vayeate, which feature a similar face setup, the mask cannot retract to reveal the camera.