MS-07B Gouf

MS-07B Gouf is a mass production ground close-quarters combat mobile suit and is the successor to the MS-06 Zaku II. It was first featured in the anime series Mobile Suit Gundam.

Technology & Combat Characteristics
Shortly after its initial introduction, the MS-07A Gouf was replaced by the completed MS-07B Gouf model. This full model had the 75 mm machine gun left hand and "heat rod", which could be used as a superheated slicing weapon or as a grappling weapon with a powerful electric shock effect. It also had a powerful heat sword, an improved heat-based weapon from the Zaku's heat hawk. The Gouf could also use the standard Zaku II weapons, such as 120 mm machine gun or 280 mm bazooka.

The Gouf easily outstripped the MS-06F Zaku II in terms of speed, power output, and melee combat ability. But the mobile suit's overall improvement was not great enough to be justified by its increased cost. The Gouf's production was cut short by the development of a more cost efficient unit, the more powerful and nimble MS-09 Dom. Despite its very short production run, it was still deployed across the world alongside Zakus and Doms, and in the anime gundam metaseries this showed multiple Goufs armed with a MS-06F Zaku II Heat Hawk instead of a Heat Sword.

Armaments

 * 5-barrel 75mm Machine Gun
 * The MS-07B Gouf's left hand is replaced by a 75mm machine gun. The gun has five barrels which are shaped to look like fingers.


 * Heat Rod
 * Stored in the Gouf's right arm is a tentacle-like heat rod weapon. The heat rod could be superheated to give it cutting properties. If the heat rod is not used as a slicing weapon it can be used to grapple enemy units and is capable of delivering an electric shock upon contact.


 * 120mm Machine Gun
 * Like the MS-07A Gouf, the MS-07B can use weapons from the Zaku such as the drum-fed 120mm machine gun with 100 rounds per drum.


 * Heat Sword Type-βIV
 * The MS-07B Gouf features an improved heat sword that can be superheated to increase its cutting ability. The heat sword is stored in the Gouf's shield.


 * H&L-SB25K/280mmA-P Zaku Bazooka
 * Another Zaku weapon that the Gouf can use is the H&L-SB25K/280mmA-P bazooka. The bazooka has a four round magazine.


 * Heat Hawk Type5

History
The Zeon pilot, Lieutenant Ramba Ral, played havoc with the crew of the Pegasus-Class Assault Carrier White Base and the young pilot of the RX-78-2 Gundam with his YMS-07B Gouf, a prototype of the standard B-Type Gouf.

Shortly after the Gouf's introduction its production was halted in favor of the MS-09 Dom. However research into the Gouf's basic design would continue which would lead to the development of several improved models that would see limited production. Despite the research none of the Gouf's models would see development in the United Maintenance Plan that the Principality of Zeon initiated to improve existing mobile suit designs.

During the One Year War, it was very common for high ranking Principality of Zeon officers and ace pilots to receive personally customized mobile suits. One such unit was the personal MS-07B Gouf of Colonel M'Quve, commander of the Zeon mining facilities at Odessa, Ukraine. M'Quve's Gouf was functionally equivalent to a standard Gouf, but it was decorated with many ornate gold markings and engravings, and a custom spearhead-like command antenna that would eventually be carried over to the YMS-15 Gyan, which M'Quve personally designed.