AMS-129 Geara Zulu

The AMS-129 Geara Zulu (aka Geara Zulu) is a Neo Zeon mass-production general purpose mobile suit, it is featured in the photo-novel/OVA Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn.

Technology and Combat Characteristics
A Neo Zeon mass-production mobile suit produced at the Granada factory of Anaheim Electronics, it is the successor to the earlier AMS-119 Geara Doga. Like the Geara Doga, and its Zaku predecessors, the Geara Zulu was not a "high performance" mobile suit. Meaning that although the Geara Zulu's specs gives it a superior performance to the Geara Doga, its technology does not "push the envelope" as the mobile suits of the First Neo Zeon War did. Like the Geara Doga, the Geara Zulu's design was based on using simple and conventional mobile suit technology. This made the Geara Zulu fairly easy and cheap to mass-produce as well as simple to pilot since it does not have any difficult to use features such as a transformation system. In order to increase overall versatility the Sleeves have produced a wide variety of hand armaments that can be used by the Geara Zulu.

Generally the standard armaments the Geara Zulu mobile suits are equipped with include a beam machine gun and beam tomahawk, although there is a wide range of weapons that the mobile suits can be equipped with depending on the mission profile. The Geara Zulu can have a weapon's mount placed on the back of its waist that is designed to carry several hand grenades and the beam tomahawk.

There are two basic models of the Geara Zulu, the normal type which features a shoulder shield on the right arm and a Royal Guard version that has modified shoulder and leg armor, a larger backpack possessing larger fuel tanks, and has more detailed markings. It is usually equipped with a beam machine gun that has an underslung grenade launcher, and carries extra magazines on the front skirt armor. Commander versions of these two models include a blade antenna mounted on the units forehead.

Armaments

 * Beam Machine Gun
 * The beam machine gun's design is (aesthetically) similar to that of the WWII German Sturmgewehr-44, it can shoot yellow beams and can be fired fully-automatic. The gun is powered by a replaceable energy pac, if the energy pac runs out of energy it can be replaced with a fresh one stored on the front skirt armor. It can attached with an optional grenade launcher.


 * Grenade Launcher
 * A grenade launcher is attached below the barrel of beam machine gun. These grenades are not very effective against large ships, but are ideal mid-range anti-mobile suit weapons.


 * Sturm Faust
 * One of the most common weapons used by Zeon/Neo Zeon's Mobile Suit. It is weaker than the bazooka but trades off firepower for cost. This weapon was designed before the beginning of the One Year War as an anti-ship weapon, and can be used both in space and under gravity. Because it is a non-guided weapon, it is difficult to hit targets with high mobility.


 * Hand Grenade
 * This weapon is used by both the Earth Federation and Zeon. It is not very powerful or accurate. However, it is capable of performing different roles in the battle.


 * Beam Tomahawk
 * The only close combat weapon of the Geara Zulu is a single beam tomahawk, which, when not in use is mounted on the rear skirt of the suit. The head of the beam tomahawk has two beam emitters, one on the side that emits the axe-blade, and the second on top that emits a beam spike that can be used for stabbing attacks.


 * Shield
 * The AMS-129 Geara Zulu can be equipped with two styles of shields. The first is a shoulder shield, similar to the model used on the MS-06 Zaku II, mounted on the right shoulder. The second is the shield used by the AMS-119 Geara Doga. Apart from being used for their standard purpose both shields can mount four Sturm Faust weapons.


 * Lange Bruno Gun Kai
 * The similar to the weapon used by the AMS-119 Geara Doga Heavy Armed Type, the Geara Zulu uses an improved version that can fire beams.


 * Beam Shot Rifle
 * Based off of the same weapon used by the MSN-04 Sazabi, seen on Angelo Sauper's Geara Zulu. It has two barrels, one for the diffusing beam, and one that fires a normal beam. The shot rifle can also form a beam saber from the diffusion beam barrel for close combat.


 * Submachine Gun
 * A low damage weapon with a high rate of fire.


 * Beam Gatling Gun
 * Seen on Gilboa Sant's custom Geara Zulu, the 4-barrel beam gatling gun can fire volleys of particle beams and usually come in a pair. The two can be used as separate guns or can be combined together on the forearm of a MS. The gatling gun itself seems to have less firepower as separate guns than a beam rifle.


 * Gatling Shield
 * A weapon from the MS-07B-3 Gouf Custom, it is a shield with a powerful, drum-and-belt fed, 75mm Gatling Gun attached to it. The Gatling Gun can detach from the shield itself when it runs out of ammunition.


 * Clay Bazooka
 * A projectile-firing bazooka, as its name indicates, the clay bazooka was originally designed to fire adhesive rounds which immobilize enemy machines rather than destroying them outright. However, this weapon can fire several different types of ammunition, and it's normally used with conventional explosive shells. This weapon was first used by the RMS-099 Rick Dias.


 * Bazooka
 * A weapon from the Jegan series. Obtained from the Nahel Argama.


 * 360mm Giant Bazooka
 * An armament used by the MS-09R-2 Rick Dom II, it fires explosive rounds that deal heavy damage upon impact. The bazooka is magazine fed and holds 5 rounds per magazine. A single round can blow the torso off of an enemy mobile suit.


 * Skiure
 * The Skiure is a massive auxiliary weapons platform developed for the express purpose of compensating for the lack of range and firepower of mobile suits during the One Year War. It consists of a large beam cannon mounted on a movable platform. The crew of the Garencieres had one in their possession which they used as a makeshift weapon for the Garencieres itself.


 * 120mm Machine Gun
 * The 120mm machine gun is a standard weapon for Zaku type mobile suits. It is a shell firing gun that does not require energy to be used, however its effectiveness against heavy armor is very limited. This model used a 100-round drum magazine.


 * Twin 280mm Zaku Bazooka
 * A weapon where two 280mm Bazookas have been combined into a single weapon, allowing for higher offensive power. The twin bazookas fired explosive rounds that were quite effective against the armor of Earth Federation mobile suits and battleships.


 * H&L-GB05R/360mm Giant Bazooka
 * A large bazooka originally designed for use by the Dom series of mobile suits. The 360mm bazooka is magazine fed and holds 10 rounds per magazine, and a single round is powerful enough to blow the torso off of an enemy mobile suit.


 * 3-tube Missile Pod
 * A weapon from the Zaku II series, the Geara Zulu could mount a total of eight pods, two on each leg and four on the shoulder shield.


 * 6-tube Missile Launcher
 * The missile launcher consists of the base receiver that has all the targeting equipment and the trigger group. Up to three two-tube missile packs may be loaded onto the receiver. Each tube contains one missile, which after being fired, is wire-guided to the target.


 * Beam Machine Gun
 * A weapon from the MS-14Jg Gelgoog Jäger, a handheld ranged weaponry that fires beams at a rapid rate.


 * BR-87A Beam Rifle
 * The same beam rifle used by the Marasai and Hizack. The beam rifle is powered by a rechargeable energy cap and capable of firing concentrated mega particles, a shot can damage any ordinary armor that has not been specially treated to resist beam attacks.


 * Beam Rifle
 * The same beam rifle used by the Jegan series of Mobile Suits. The beam rifle is powered by a rechargeable energy cap and capable of firing concentrated mega particles, a shot can damage any ordinary armor that has not been specially treated to resist beam attacks. Obtained from the Nahel Argama.


 * 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. Obtained from the Nahel Argama.


 * Jegan Shield
 * A basic optional arm-mounted defense armament obtained from the Nahel Argama. The shield is a thick sheet of armor designed to take severe punishment that would normally destroy a mobile suit. Since the introduction of beam weaponry, shields have been treated with an anti-beam coating allowing it to withstand several beam shots before the coating wears off. Typically physical shields can only take so much damage before they succumb to the pressure and break. A shield can be equipped to either arm of the MS in order to increase defense against both beam and physical attacks.


 * 2-tube Small Missile Launcher
 * The Jegan's shield also possesses minor offensive capabilities as it is built with two 2-tube small missile launchers. These small missiles are not very effective against large ships, but are ideal mid-range anti-mobile suit weapons.

History
The Geara Zulu's raw specifications are overall better than its predecessor, the AMS-119 Geara Doga. The Geara Zulu appears to have a notably smaller load out compared to the Geara Doga. In U.C. 0096, the Geara Zulu is the front line mobile suit of "The Sleeves", being their most advanced mass production mobile suit. Like most of the mobile suits operated by The Sleeves the Geara Zulu featured distinctive markings, most notably on the chest and wrists. The Geara Zulu also appeared to be more similar to the Zaku II than the Geara Doga. The Geara Zulu also featured many variations.

Although an efficient mobile suit, the Geara Zulu is outperformed by the RGZ-95 ReZEL mobile suits used by Londo Bell in U.C. 0096.

Variants

 * AMS-129 Geara Zulu (Guards Type)
 * AMS-129 Geara Zulu (Angelo Sauper Use)
 * AMS-129 Geara Zulu Garencieres Use
 * AMS-129 Geara Zulu (Gilboa Sant Use)
 * This Geara Zulu belongs to Gilboa Sant, a member of the Garencieres crew. The Geara Zulu is a commander type. The heavy armament backpack attached to its back has two large propellant tanks, and provides increased thrust and a longer operating time. Just like Angelo Sauper's Geara Zulu it uses a Lange Bruno Gun Kai as well as a beam gatling gun. Gilboa's Geara Zulu is destroyed by a stray shot from the Unicorn's beam magnum shot meant for Full Frontal whilst entering the atmosphere.


 * AMS-129M Zee Zulu
 * YAMS-132 Rozen Zulu
 * YAMS-130 Krake Zulu

Notes & Trivia

 * The Geara Zulu's head resembles a German gas mask soldier in 1915.