RX-93-ν2 Hi-ν Gundam

The RX-93-ν2 Hi-ν Gundam (pronounced "High-New") is an alternate interpretation of the ν Gundam which appears in Mobile Suit Gundam: Beltorchika's Children. It is piloted by Amuro Ray.

Technology & Combat Characteristics
In addition to a more bulky design, the Hi-v sports an exclusively white and violet color scheme to distinguish it from the white and black paint job on the v Gundam. The Hi-v also features more efficient thrusters across its body along with a more powerful Minovsky reactor core, boosting its overall output.

The most prolific difference, however, is its distinct back boosters and revised fin funnel system. The fairly standard backpack design of the ν Gundam is replaced with a much more unique dual "long booster" system, with another long booster situated between them and two propellant tanks angled below the dual long boosters. These boosters were capable of great accelerations, and the propellant tanks extended the duration of time the boosters could remain active. The long boosters also served as the storage area for the unit's fin funnels. Also, unlike the ν Gundam, the Hi-v Gundam could recharge the fin funnel's power supply, extending their performance time.

Apart from the obvious visual differences, the Hi-ν also expands on the ν Gundam's rather limited armaments, with the addition of a powerful machine gun in its right forearm as well as the inclusion of an extra beam saber, bringing the number of beam sabers up to three. In addition to its powerful beam rifle, the unit can also be armed with a ν Hyper Bazooka - a refined, upgraded version of the ν's Hyper Bazooka - and a Hyper Mega Bazooka Launcher, an improved model of the weapon used by the MSN-00100 Hyaku Shiki during the Gryps Conflict.

Thanks to its psycoframe, a vast improvement over the psycommu system prevalent among mobile suits designed to be used by Newtype pilots, Amuro Ray had much greater control over the mobile suit, piloting it almost as if it were an extension of his own body and bringing out the suit's fullest performance.

Armaments

 * Vulcan Guns
 * A basic armament found on many Federation mobile suits. While essentially ineffectual against mobile suit armor, these head mounted shell firing weapons have a high-rate of fire and are useful in intercepting incoming missiles/rockets, destroying mobile suit sensors, and engaging lightly-armored vehicles.


 * Machine Gun
 * Located in the Hi-ν's right forearm is a high-caliber machine gun. It serves as a counter to the use of enemy I-fields (as most beam attack would be rendered useless), and is powerful enough to destroy other mobile suits with a concentrated stream of fire.


 * Beam Sabers
 * The Hi-ν Gundam carries three beam sabers for close combat, with one being stored in the left forearm for rapid deployment and the other two stored in the back-mounted binders. The beam sabers stored in the wing binders are capable of producing a second beam blade from the bottom of the hilt for surprise attacks or handling multiple opponents in combat; it is curious to note that the forearm-stored saber is incapable of such a feat. All three sabers' beams are tinted a royal blue to match the Hi-ν's paint job.


 * Fin Funnels
 * The Hi-ν Gundam carries 6 fin funnels, mounted on the mobile suit's back in a wing-like formation. These remote weapons are the Hi-ν's trump card in engaging enemies from a single opponent to multiple enemies. Compared to previous remote weapons, the fin funnels' power rating is increased, giving them firepower comparable to beam cannons. The Hi-ν is capable of refueling and recharging its fin funnels. The fin funnels can arrange themselves into geometric formations to deploy the fin funnel barrier like the ν Gundam, a defensive field that can repel any attacks with lower output than the fin funnel's.


 * Beam Rifle
 * The Hi-ν Gundam carries a beam rifle as its primary weapon; the beam rifle's output is variable and at maximum output can rival the mega particle cannons used by the warships at that time.


 * ν Hyper Bazooka
 * The Hi-ν is also armed with an improved hyper bazooka with longer firing range and firepower. It is capable of destroying enemy unit in a single shot and is mostly used to take out slow, heavily armored targets.


 * Hyper Mega Bazooka Launcher
 * The Hi-ν's most powerful armament. When in use, the hyper mega bazooka launcher would be directly connected to the Ra Cailum's reactor due to it immense power consumption. It is able destroy a fragment of the asteroid base Axis with a single shot.


 * Shield
 * Similar in appearance to the ν Gundam's, Hi-ν Gundam's shield is emblazoned with Amuro's emblem. It features a built-in 7.8 MW beam cannon and several missiles.

Special Equipment & Features

 * External propellant tank
 * Mounted on the back, the external propellant tanks substantially increase the amount of fuel the Hi-ν Gundam can carry, thus increasing its operational flight time. When the fuel is depleted, the tanks can be ejected to decrease mass. The propellant tanks also mount thrusters near the bottom to improve the suit's mobility.


 * Psycoframe Cockpit
 * The Hi-ν's cockpit is lined with nanoscopic psycommu receptors, allowing a Newtype pilot to operate both the mobile suit and psycommu weaponry with ease. Amuro Ray would make great use of this feature, controlling the Hi-ν and maneuvering its fin funnels like extensions of his own body.

History
Like the ν Gundam, the Hi-ν Gundam is not able to push Axis by itself, resulting in the same end result that the movie has previously given us. Although, in the novel, we have more details about the technology and how the psycommu work. One of the biggest examples is the spiritual manifestation of Amuro's son, protecting the Gundam in a similar fashion to the MSZ-006 Zeta Gundam.

Variants

 * Hi-ν Gundam Heavy Weapons System Type
 * Like the original Nu Gundam, the Hi-Nu is able to equip the F.S.W.S (Full-armor System and Weapon System) of the FA-93HWS v Gundam Heavy Weapons System Type.

Notes & Trivia

 * The Hi-ν received a new design for the release of its Master Grade model in February 2007.
 * However, the Ver. Ka release will stick to the original, bulkier design.
 * The most common and referenced view of the Hi-ν Gundam is its SD (Super Deformed) form, thanks to the Super Robot Wars and SD Gundam G Generation series. Only through official sketches, information, drawings and fanarts based on these do we have a notion of its true proportions.
 * The RX-93-ν2 is highly admired by fans of the series and the directors themselves. Examples can be seen in both the games (where the Hi-ν appears directly) and shout outs within the series themselves (Strike Freedom Gundam, Reborns Gundam Gundam AGE-FX).
 * The OVA Model Suit Gunpla Builders Beginning G (2010) features the first animated appearance of the Hi-ν outside of its SD form, where it served as an antagonist and sported a black/yellow/white variant of its paint job reminiscent of the RX-93 ν Gundam's. It was piloted by Koji Matsumoto. It's worth to note that the GPB color version of the Hi-ν was built using parts from three separate 1/144 HGUC Hi-ν Gundams in order to use all six fin funnels, since each kit only has a pair of fin funnels that fully function.
 * The Hi-ν Gundam is an unlockable unit in the mecha action video game Another Century's Episode: R for the Playstation 3, and is obtained by playing through the game's story mode five times.
 * In the PSP game Gundam Assault Survive, the Hi-ν Gundam is the most expensive Gundam unit to be bought in the entire game, costing up to 12,100,600 G, and is with the highest tuning point possible for a unit, summing up to 37,178 pts. It also appears as one of the Hyper Bosses within the game, and is argued to be the most powerful Gundam in the game.
 * Earlier source material, such as video game profiles, often interpret the Hi-ν as the "completed" design of the ν Gundam.
 * The Hi-ν Gundam has appeared in a few Super Robot Wars games. In most cases, its stats are an upgrade over the normal ν (though in its initial Alpha and Alpha Gaiden appearances it was weaker than the ν HWS attack wise), though it does not replace the ν (so you can put another Newtype pilot in the older suit). In comparison, its rival, the Nightingale, has only appeared in three games (Alpha 2, D, and Compact 2), and has only been playable one time. The Hi-ν is usually considered the ultimate form of Real Robot, alongside Mazinkaiser (Super Robot) and Shin Getter Robo (Combining Robot)
 * In Super Robot Wars Destiny, there is a combo attack between the ν/ν HWS, and Mass Produced ν with Hi-ν involving the two using their Fin Funnels together.
 * Hi-ν Gundam is a 3000 unit in the PS3 game Mobile Suit Gundam: Extreme Vs . Originally released as a first edition DLC, Hi-ν Gundam is now available via free on both the Japanese PSN and HK PSN. Hi-ν Gundam's EX Burst Attack is the Hyper Mega Bazooka Launcher, marking the first time in franchise history an official depiction of what is considered to be Hi-ν Gundam's ultimate weapon.