FA-78 Full Armor Gundam (Thunderbolt Ver.)

Template:Infobox/Mobile Weapon Ver.2 The FA-78 Full Armor Gundam (Thunderbolt Ver.) is a mobile suit from the Mobile Suit Gundam Thunderbolt series. It is piloted by Io Fleming.

Technology & Combat Characteristics

A heavily armored and highly maneuverable Gundam-type mobile suit deployed by the Moore Brotherhood. There was another type of Full Armor Gundam with similar model number, the FA-78-1, but it had different details and equipment. Both mobile suits were developed under the ‘Full Armor Operation’, and their differences were a result of experimenting with various systems and equipment.

The Full Armor Gundam was fitted with numerous pieces of body armor, a large backpack and had much more weaponry than other mobile suits of its time. Like other mobile suits of the Moore Brotherhood, the Full Armor Gundam had special seals on its joints and large backpack to protect them from the debris drifting in the Thunderbolt Sector. Besides the standard beam sabers, it was also armed with a twin beam rifle, five rocket launchers, a large beam cannon, a 6-tube missile pod and numerous missiles stored in various body armor.

Using the two sub arms on the large backpack, the machine could wield up to four shields, greatly increasing its defensive capabilities. To prevent the weight of the added equipment from reducing the mobile suit's mobility, thrusters and apogee motors were installed on the shoulders, legs and large backpack. The large backpack was also fitted with two two rocket boosters, and the Full Armor Gundam's total thrust was considered to be comparable to a high mobility-type mobile suit.

The Full Armor Gundam's added body armor, the large backpack and most of the weaponry could be purged when they are damaged or not required, reducing dead weight. After witnessing the power of the Moore Brotherhood's Full Armor Gundam, the Zeon's Living Dead Division, which was operating in the same area, decided to deploy the MS-06R Zaku II High Mobility Type (Reuse "P" Device).

Armaments

• Beam Saber

A close combat weapon that emits a blade-shaped beam from the hilt when drawn. Two beam sabers are stored vertically on the sides of the large backpack, and can be removed by the sub arms then pass to the main hands. A third beam saber is stored horizontally on the bottom of the normal backpack which is concealed by the large backpack, and is usable only after the large backpack is ejected.

• Twin Beam Rifle

A large double-barrel beam rifle held by the right arm, it is very powerful and has a wide shooting range due to how it is carried. It is powered by a removable energy pack at the back. Six spare energy packs are stored on the large backpack in a 3 x 2 arrangement; the replacement of the twin beam rifle's energy pack can be carried out by the sub arms. A small shield is attached to the side, and a full-sized shield can be mounted on top of the small shield to better protect the twin beam rifle.

• Large Beam Cannon

A movable, large beam weaponry mounted on the top right of the large backpack. Its fired beam has sufficient firepower to penetrate the large debris drifting in the Thunderbolt Sector.

• Missile

52 missiles are stored in various sections of the added armor body. Eight are stored on each side of the upper torso, four are stored on each front, side and rear skirt armor, and six are stored on each knee. All these missiles are concealed behind panels that open before firing.

• Rocket Launcher

A large, powerful projectile weaponry, a set of five is carried on the left forearm and a full-sized shield can be attached on their sides. Individual launcher can be removed and attached onto a debris, even ship-sized one, and the rocket's thruster can then be fired up to move it.

• 6-tube Missile Pod

A movable, 6-tube missile pod is mounted on the top left of the large backpack and it can carry a variety of missiles. One such missile is capable of launching numerous wired micro-missiles, creating a dense barrage that is also effective for group battle.

• Shield

The full-sized shield used by the Full Armor Gundam (Thunderbolt Ver.) has a different shape from that of the RX-78 and is also larger in size. It is made of multiple laminate layers, but can still be penetrated. Up to four full-sized shield can be equipped - two held by the sub arms, one mounted on the twin beam rifle and one mounted on the set of five rocket launchers. The shield also has a grip on the back for holding by the normal hands and an attachment point for mounting directly onto the forearm.

Special Equipment & Features

• Sub Arm

A pair of sub arms are mounted on the front of the large backpack. They are articulated and can be used for various purposes, such as exchanging energy packs or weapons, removing the rocket boosters, holding shields, etc.

• Rocket Booster

A pair of rocket boosters are fitted on the large backpack and they also serve as propellant tanks. Thrusters and apogee motors are installed in the tips of the boosters, contributing to the Full Armor Gundam (Thunderbolt Ver.)'s high mobility. The rocket boosters can be ejected when emptied or to serve as decoy.

• Core Block System

The cockpit of the Full Armor Gundam (Thunderbolt Ver.) is located in a core block within the machine's torso. During an emergency, the core block can be ejected and will transform into an emergency pod to allow a speedy escape from the battlefield.

History

Late in the war, the Full Armor Gundam is assigned to Io Fleming, a pilot in the Moore Brotherhood force that is fighting the Zeon in the ruins of Side 4, known as the Thunderbolt Sector. This was only due to the fact that Io was the closest thing to an ace pilot the Brotherhood had due to him surviving the destruction of his RGM-79 GM (Thunderbolt Ver.) and capturing a MS-09R Rick Dom (Thunderbolt Ver.). One of the Full Armor Gundam's first sorties was viewed by the Living Dead Division as the Full Armor Gundam brutally tore apart a helpless MS-06 Zaku II (Thunderbolt Ver.) and cementing his threat of being around when Jazz music was heard.

Io would sortie to confront the snipers that made short work of the GM team earlier, using the Gundam's superior firepower to destroy all of the Zeon Mobile Suits save for the MS-05 Zaku I (Thunderbolt Ver.) piloted by Daryl Lorenz, who drove off Io with a cracker grenade at the cost of his left forearm. Frightened by the power of the Full Armor Gundam, the Living Dead Division modified Daryl to pilot the MS-06R Zaku II High Mobility Type (Reuse "P" Device) to combat the Gundam.

The two Mobile Suits clashed in the ruins of Moore, ending with Daryl victorious with the Full Armor Gundam disabled and the Brotherhood captured. The final fate of the Gundam following the Battle of A Baoa Qu is currently unknown.

Gallery

Close-up in the ONA

VS Psycho Zaku

1/100 MG Full Armor Gundam [Thunderbolt] Ver.Ka line art

Full Armor Gundam (Battle Operation 2)

Gunpla

HGGT 1/144 FA-78 Full Armor Gundam (2013): box art

HGGT 1/144 FA-78 Full Armor Gundam [Gundam Thunderbolt Ver.] (2016): box art

MG 1/100 FA-78 Full Armor Gundam [Gundam Thunderbolt Ver.] Ver.Ka (2016): box art

MG 1/100 Weapon & Armor Hanger for Full Armor Gundam [Gundam Thunderbolt] "Ver.Ka" (P-Bandai exclusive; 2016): box art

MG 1/100 FA-78 Full Armor Gundam [Gundam Thunderbolt] Last Session Ver. (P-Bandai exclusive; 2017): box art

MG 1/100 FA-78 Full Armor Gundam [Gundam Thunderbolt] "Ver.Ka" [Half Mechanical Clear] (2017 events and The Gundam Base Tokyo exclusive; 2017): box art

External links

• MAHQ