XXXG-01SR2 Gundam Sandrock Custom

The XXXG-01SR2 Gundam Sandrock Kai (aka Sandrock Kai or Gundam Zero-Four), is the upgraded version of XXXG-01SR Gundam Sandrock in Mobile Suit Gundam Wing and in Mobile Suit Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz. It is piloted by Quatre Raberba Winner.

TV Version
An upgrade over the original Sandrock to make it capable of combat in space. Extra verniers were added to the shoulder armor, back skirt, backpack, and legs to increase mobility, and a beam machine gun was added in case the Sandrock Kai needed to engage in ranged combat.

EW Version
Minor cosmetic changes were made for the EW redesign, however, Sandrock Kai's weapons remain the same, although the size of the heat shotels increased dramatically. In addition, a diffusing cloak is added to the Gundam, which can take a few beam shots before disintegrating.

Armaments

 * Vulcan Gun
 * 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.


 * Heat Shotel
 * These heat-radiating curved blades are the Gundam Sandrock Kai's main weapons, and with them this mighty mobile suit can cut an enemy in half with each hand simultaneously. When not in use, they are mounted on the backpack of the Sandrock Kai.


 * Homing Missile
 * Equipped on the shoulders. These powerful two missiles can reliably seek and destroy the enemy under any conditions. They're the only long-range weapons in the Gundam Sandrock Kai's standard arsenal. This weapon is omitted from the Katoki version.


 * Shield
 * A shield with anti beam coating. It is modeled after the head of a snake, with the two claws representing the fangs, and the shield flashers (designed to confuse enemies), disguised as the "eyes". It is unknown if the Katoki version had a shield as it was not shown in the OVA. Interestingly, while a shield is included in the 1/144 model kit, the 1/100 kit does not include this item. This shield is quite different from the original and does not resemble a snake's head. Instead, the shield had an emblem that resembles a caduceus with a single snake.


 * Beam Machine Gun
 * A handheld beam weapon used for ranged combat. While its shots are weaker than those of standard beam rifles, its rate of fire is much greater.


 * Diffusing Cloak
 * Featured only on the Katoki version, it is a piece of material with anti-beam coating that is able to take a few beam shots before disintegrating. The cloak was also featured on the original Gundam Sandrock in the manga version of Gundam W, although it was only considered an optional piece of equipment rather than an upgrade.

Special Equipment & Features

 * ZERO System


 * Self-Destruct System
 * The Gundam Sandrock Kai 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.

History
Although pilot Quatre Raberba Winner had activated the self-destruct system on his Gundam Sandrock during his escape into space, the ensuing explosion had rendered the mobile suit useless - but its gundanium alloy body was still more or less intact. The Sandrock's remains were confiscated by OZ, but later would be retrieved by members of his Maganac Corps allies and taken to their underground base in the Middle East, where it would be rebuilt and fully restored. After Quatre's return to Earth, he returned to the Maganacs to pilot his Gundam once again. But the military and political strife plaguing the Earth Sphere in AC 195 would reach a decisive conclusion in space, and Quatre returned to space with his Sandrock to join the battle. Aboard the independent battleship Peacemillion, Gundam supporter Howard would upgrade the mobile suit, giving it minor improvements for space combat.

Though the changes made to the Gundam Sandrock Kai were cosmetically minor, they would give the mobile suit the edge it needed to use its abilities against the space-bound forces of White Fang's Virgo II mobile dolls and the mobile suits of the World Nation military. The addition of several vernier thrusters made the Sandrock stable to operate in a zero-gee environment. Also, over Quatre's protests, Gundam pilot Heero Yuy also temporarily outfitted the Sandrock with a component of the XXXG-00W0 Wing Gundam Zero's infamous Zero System, allowing Quatre to coordinate the Peacemillion's mobile suit forces in an assault against White Fang's mobile dolls.

Two years later, Quatre and the other three Gundam pilots, save for Wufei, decided to send their Gundams into the sun through the mobile asteroid Vulkanus. However, in AC 197 the Barton Foundation upsurped the pacifist Earth Sphere Unified Nation and abducted its leader, Representative Relena Darlian. To combat this new threat, Quatre, after dispatching Wing Zero to Heero, redirected the course of Vulkanus so that it would not collide with the sun. Later, Quatre, Trowa, and Duo retrieved their respective Gundams from the asteroid and traveled to Earth to assist Zechs Marquise and Lucrezia Noin who were fighting an army of Serpent mobile suits in Brussels, Belgium. After the Marimeia Conflict was over, Sandrock was self-detonated alongside Deathscythe and Heavyarms.