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The GAT-X103 Buster Gundam is a prototype artillery mobile suit introduced in the anime series Mobile Suit Gundam SEED. It was piloted by Dearka Elsman.

Technology & Combat Characteristics[]

One of the five mobile suits developed as part of the Earth Alliance's G Project, the Buster Gundam is an artillery mobile suit and adopts the X100-series frame, similar to the one used by the GAT-X102 Duel Gundam. It has firepower rivaling that of a battleship's and is meant to provide rear support for the other units and to attack enemy ships or facilities from a distance. Due to its role, the main sensor camera on Buster's head is very important and is protected with additional armor.

Its primary armaments are the gun launcher and high-energy rifle, both are energy intensive and have their own sub-generators. They can also combine to form the more powerful anti-armor shotgun or the hyper impulse long-range sniper rifle, with the improved firepower seemingly caused by the linkage of the sub-generators. Although the suit has no close combat weapon, it has a pair of shoulder-mounted missile pods that can be used to discourage enemy units from closing in. Like other units in the G Project, Buster has Phase Shift armor, making it nearly impervious to physical weapons.

Armaments[]

  • 220mm 6-tube Missile Pod
Mounted on both shoulders, they compensate for the Buster's poor close combat capability, allowing it to fire a rain of missiles to destroy enemy units or to stop them from moving closer. They can also be used for bombing bases, anti-ship attacks, and missile interception.
  • 350mm Gun Launcher
Attached to the right side of the waist and carried in Buster's right hand when in use. It is a projectile weapon akin to a railgun or linear gun, which uses electromagnetic forces rather than gunpowder to launch its projectiles. In addition to ordinary solid shells, the gun-launcher can also fire specialized munitions such as armor-piercing and high explosive rounds.
  • Anti-Armor Shotgun
When the High-energy Rifle and Gun Launcher combine, with the Gun Launcher on the front, it forms a very powerful shell-firing Anti-Armor Shotgun. It fires a single stream containing multiple shells that later splits apart, resulting in a scatter shot that damages a wide area. It appears that about four or five shells fired from the Anti-Armor Shotgun is enough to destroy some battleships. Although the combined form has higher power, the rate of fire is decreased.
  • 94mm High-energy Rifle
Attached to the left side of the waist and carried in Buster's left hand when in use. It is a beam weapon similar to the beam rifle, and is the highest caliber energy rifle among those used by other units in the G Project. Its destructive power is above a battleship's beam cannon despite its smaller size.
  • Hyper Impulse Long-Range Sniper Rifle
When the High-energy Rifle and Gun Launcher combine, with the High-energy Rifle on the front, it can form a Long-Range Sniper Rifle. This beam cannon type weapon has a higher energy output, firing a larger beam capable of penetrating several targets, including battleships. As the name implies, it also features sniping capabilities due to the longer range of the beam. Although the combined form has higher power, the rate of fire is decreased.

Special Equipment & Features[]

As with all of the G Project mobile suits, the Buster Gundam is equipped with phase shift armor. When activated the Buster's color is changed from a light grey to a beige scheme with a bit of green and orange mixed in. Phase Shift armor, when activated, renders the Buster immune to physical attacks such as bullets, the GINN sword, or against missiles. However Phase Shift armor continually drains the battery of energy, shortening the mobile suit's combat endurance, and uses up additional energy when it is hit.
  • Operating System
The Buster uses the General Unilateral Neuro-Link Dispersive Autonomic Maneuver Synthesis System.

History[]

Battle of Heliopolis[]

The Buster Gundam was one of the prototype mobile suits created by the Earth Alliance under its G Project during the First Alliance-PLANT War. Together with four other machines, the GAT-X102 Duel Gundam, GAT-X105 Strike Gundam, GAT-X207 Blitz Gundam, and GAT-X303 Aegis Gundam, the Buster was secretly manufactured at the Orb Union's space colony Heliopolis. The Buster was later stolen by ZAFT's Le Creuset Team on January 25, CE 71, alongside the Duel, Blitz and Aegis.[1]

Following the Archangel to Earth[]

Piloted by Dearka Elsman, the Buster was deployed with the other stolen Gundams against the Strike Gundam and the Alliance's new battleship, the Archangel, several times in space. During these battles, the Buster was usually partnered with the Blitz to engage the enemy ship.[2] Despite their failure to destroy the Strike and the Archangel, the Le Creuset Team was able to heavily damage the previously impregnable Artemis during the Battle of Artemis,[3] and then decimate the Alliance's 8th Fleet in the Battle of Orbit. In this latter battle, Dearka overextended during his attempt to stop the Archangel's descent to Earth, causing the Buster to be caught in the Earth's gravity well.[4]

Battle of Talbadiya[]

The Buster survived the atmospheric entry with the Duel, and they were later assigned to Andrew Waltfeld's North Africa team for the battle against the Archangel and the Desert Dawn. The two Gundams were deployed atop the Lesseps in the battle against the Archangel, as they could not keep up with the TMF/A-802 BuCUEs. The Buster eventually left its position when the beams fired by the Archangel destroyed where it was standing atop the Lesseps. Landing on the desert, the Buster had difficulties walking as it was not properly adjusted to the sandy terrain.

Zala Team[]

Following the defeat of Andrew Waltfeld's forces, the Buster and Duel met up with the Blitz and Aegis that arrived on Earth, and they operated from a Vosgulov-class submarine.[5] The group made two separate failed attacks on the Archangel, with the former, ending due to the battle encroaching on Orb Union's waters,[6] and the latter resulting in the destruction of the Blitz and death of its pilot, Nicol Amalfi.[7] An angered Dearka then worked with his remaining teammates to avenge Nicol, attacking the Archangel once more at the Battle of the Marshall Islands. During the fight, the Buster fought the FX-550 Skygrasper piloted by Mu La Flaga, and they were evenly matched. While the Duel was later disabled by the GAT-X105+AQM/E-X01 Aile Strike Gundam and the Aegis took its place, the Buster got in close and attempted to sink the Archangel, but was stopped by Mu's Skygrasper. The Buster and Skygrasper then traded shots, with the mobile suit clipping the support craft's right wing, but losing its left arm to the support craft's attack, before crash landing. Damage from the fall immobilized the Buster, forcing Dearka to surrender when the Archangel aimed its weapons at his mobile suit.[8]

Capture and Defection[]

The Buster was later repaired by Archangel's mechanics while Dearka remained imprisoned within the ship.[9] After the Battle of JOSH-A, the Archangel returned to Orb for repair, and Dearka was released shortly after, though not before exposure to his enemies' true nature lead to him reconsidering his place in the war. However, his release coincided with the Alliance's attack on Orb to gain its Mass Driver. During the chaos, Dearka managed to retake the Buster and then used it to provide cover for the Archangel.[10] The Buster also worked with the repaired Strike (Aile Strike in the original, GAT-X105+AQM/E-YM1 Perfect Strike Gundam in the HD remaster), now piloted by Mu, in aiding Orb's ground forces. After several skirmishes, the numerical superiority of the Alliance proves too much for the defenders, and the Buster was brought aboard the Archangel when the ship went back to space.[11] In space, the Archangel teamed up with the Kusanagi and the Eternal to form the Three Ships Alliance. During the Battle of Mendel, the Buster worked with the GAT-X105+AQM/E-X03 Launcher Strike Gundam to ward off Yzak's Duel and Rau Le Creuset's ZGMF-600 GuAIZ.[12]

Second Battle of Jachin Due[]

During the final battle of the war, the Three Ships Alliance and its mobile suits, including the Buster, assisted the ZAFT forces in intercepting the nuclear missiles fired by the Earth Alliance at the PLANTs.[13][14] Dearka then used the Buster to protect Yzak's Duel from the Earth Alliance's GAT-X370 Raider Gundam. The pair later worked together to stop the Earth Alliance's GAT-X252 Forbidden Gundam from attacking the Three Ship Alliance's MBF-02+AQM/E-X01 Aile Strike Rouge, with Yzak's Duel delivering the fatal blow.[14] As the battle neared its end, the Buster was heavily damaged by Rau's ZGMF-X13A Providence Gundam when it protected the Archangel against the latter's attacks. The Duel soon arrived to assist the damaged Buster, and they came under attack from the Raider. After the Duel's beam rifle was destroyed by Raider, Yzak borrowed the Buster's Hyper Impulse Long-Range Sniper Rifle to take it down, and the pair safely returned to the Archangel.[15] Following the battle, both units were apparently decommissioned.

Influences[]

During the war, the Earth Alliance developed a mass-produced variant of the Buster Gundam, the GAT/A-01E2 Buster Dagger. The artillery support paradigm of the Buster was also used in developing another heavily-armed, long-range mobile suit, the GAT-X131 Calamity Gundam. After the war, as part of the "Actaeon Project" MS development plan, another Buster Gundam was manufactured and piloted by Phantom Pain pilot, Shams Couza. This unit was later upgraded into the GAT-X103AP Verde Buster.

Variants[]

Appearing in the manga Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Re:, it is the Buster Gundam equipped with new parts on the chest, back, leg and feet, as well as a large METEOR-like underwater-use attachment. The attachment is built with parts from the UMF-4A GOOhN and UMF-5 ZnO, and can change into an underwater cruising mode when traveling in water. In MS mode, parts of the attachment are held in hand like the METEOR. A weakness of the underwater equipment is that it only has a shallow diving depth.

Gallery[]

Linearts[]

Anime[]

Mobile Suit Gundam SEED[]

NOTE: Most of the screencaps below are from the original 4:3 aspect ratio versions of the TV Anime, while other screencaps from the Special Edition/HD Remastered Version will feature some additionally drawn details.

Gundam Build Divers[]

Manga[]

Illustrations & Artwork[]

Games[]

Fan-Art[]

Gunpla[]

Action Figures[]

Notes & Trivia[]

  • The reason for Buster Gundam and its pilot, Dearka, joining the Archangel was to boost their popularity, in hopes of better sales of the associated model kits and action figures.
  • Of the four stolen Gundams, the Buster is the only one that never engaged the Strike Gundam in one-on-one combat.
  • In Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Battle Destiny, the combinations of the Gun Launcher and High-energy Rifle can only be used under special conditions:
    • Anti-Armor Shotgun: SP Charge Attack (L+O when SP gauge is at 15%)
    • Hyper Impulse Long-Range Sniper Rifle: SP Special Attack (Triangle + O when SP gauge is at 50%)
  • The Buster appears in the Extreme Vs. series as a 1500 cost unit. While it can use its Hyper Impulse Long-Range Sniper Rifle, Shotgun, and Missile launchers, the Buster was also given an evasive maneuver that allows it to roll sideways or buck backwards to evade attacks before firing its weapons. As it has no melee attacks, the melee button will instead cause the Buster to cycle between its subweapons: the beam rifle, a smaller spread shotgun, an armor piercing round, and a small field of incendiary mines. In XBoost, Dearka can also summon Yzak's Duel for support and can also use its Guul to fly.
  • In Gundam Breaker Mobile, the Buster Gundam can only be obtained at the regular and/or Premium Event Capsule banners, with a drop rate of 0.043% for the former and 0.217% for the latter.
    • The Gunpla's Collection Number is mistakenly marked as "21-99" before later updates amended it.

Appearances[]

Television Series
Games

References[]

External links[]

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This article is part of Project: SEED

Please read the linked project page before editing this article.

Project Leader: User:CD298


Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Mechanics
edit
Earth Alliance
Mobile Weapon
Mobile Suit
GAT-01 Strike Dagger | GAT-X102 Duel Gundam | GAT-X103 Buster Gundam | GAT-X105 Strike Gundam | GAT-X105+AQM/E-X01 Aile Strike Gundam | GAT-X105+AQM/E-X02 Sword Strike Gundam | GAT-X105+AQM/E-X03 Launcher Strike Gundam | GAT-X131 Calamity Gundam | GAT-X207 Blitz Gundam | GAT-X252 Forbidden Gundam | GAT-X303 Aegis Gundam | GAT-X370 Raider Gundam
Mobile Armor
MAW-01 Mistral | TS-MA2 Moebius | TS-MA2mod.00 Moebius Zero
Other
Power Loader

Land Vehicle
Bulldog | Cargo Truck | EA Elecar | Linear Gun Tank | Mobile Suit Hauler | Power Car | Radar Truck | Self-Propelled Linear Howitzer
Naval Ship / Submarine
Arkansas-class | Attack Submarine | Danilov-class | Des Moines-class | Fraser-class | Spengler-class | Transport Submarine
Aircraft / Spacecraft
Escape Shuttle | F-7D Spearhead | FX-550 Skygrasper | FX-550+AQM/E-X01 Aile Grasper | FX-550+AQM/E-X02 Sword Grasper | FX-550+AQM/E-X03 Launcher Grasper | Launch | Patrol Aircraft | Sturgeon-class | VTOL Fighter
Transporter / Supply Ship
Cornelius-class | Marseille III-class | Large Transport Aircraft | VTOL Transport
Cruiser / Mother Ship
Agamemnon-class | Archangel-class | Drake-class | Nelson-class
Super Weapon
Cyclops System
ZAFT
Mobile Weapon
Mobile Suit
AMF-101 DINN | GAT-X102 Duel Gundam | GAT-X103 Buster Gundam | GAT-X207 Blitz Gundam | GAT-X303 Aegis Gundam | TFA-2 ZuOOT | TMF/A-802 BuCUE | TMF/A-803 LaGOWE | TMF/S-3 GINN OCHER Type | UMF-4A GOOhN | UMF-5 ZnO | UWMF/S-1 GINN WASP Type | YFX-200 CGUE DEEP Arms | YFX-600R GuAIZ Experimental Firearms Type | YMF-01B Proto GINN | ZGMF-515 CGUE | ZGMF-600 GuAIZ | ZGMF-1017 GINN | ZGMF-1017M GINN High Maneuver Type | ZGMF-LRR704B GINN Long Range Reconnaissance Type | ZGMF-X09A Justice Gundam | ZGMF-X10A Freedom Gundam | ZGMF-X13A Providence Gundam | ZGMF/TAR-X1 GINN Tactical Air Reconnaissance Type
Mobile Pod
Work Pod
Support Weapon
METEOR

Land Vehicle
Cargo Truck | Command Vehicle | Connected Armored Vehicle | PLANT Elecar | Supply Truck | ZAFT Convoy
Land Battleship
Lesseps-class | Petrie-class
Naval Ship / Submarine
Supply Submarine | Vosgulov-class
Aircraft / Spacecraft
Agile | Command Shuttle | Contact Shuttle | Guul | Infestus | Launch | Life Pod | Small Shuttle | Space Shuttle | Stealth Launch | Transport Helicopter
Transporter / Supply Ship
Descent Capsule | Descent Capsule Carrier | Medium Transport Aircraft | VoLPHAU
Cruiser / Mother Ship
FFMH-Y101 Eternal | Laurasia-class | Nazca-class
Super Weapon
GENESIS | Gungnir | Neutron Jammer
Orb Union / Three Ships Alliance
Mobile Weapon
Mobile Suit
GAT-X103 Buster Gundam | GAT-X105 Strike Gundam | GAT-X105+AQM/E-X01 Aile Strike Gundam | GAT-X105+AQM/E-X03 Launcher Strike Gundam | GAT-X105+AQM/E-YM1 Perfect Strike Gundam | MBF-02 Strike Rouge | MBF-02+AQM/E-X01 Aile Strike Rouge | MBF-M1 M1 Astray | ZGMF-X09A Justice Gundam | ZGMF-X10A Freedom Gundam
Mobile Armor
MAW-01 Mistral
Support Weapon
METEOR

Land Vehicle
Cargo Truck | Orb Elecar | Linear Gun Tank | Orb Military Humvee | Self-Propelled Linear Howitzer | Transport Truck
Naval Ship
Aegis-class | Kuraomikami-class
Aircraft / Spacecraft
Heli | Small Communication Shuttle | Small Shuttle
Transporter / Supply Ship
Albatross | Life Boat
Cruiser / Mother Ship
Archangel-class | FFMH-Y101 Eternal | Izumo-class
Junk Guild / Desert Dawn / Civilians
Land Vehicle
Jeep | Gatling Truck | Half Truck
Aircraft
Press VTOL
Transporter / Supply Ship
Re.H.O.M.E. | Silverwind | Tsiolkovsky


Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Astray Mechanics
edit
Junk Guild
Mobile Weapon
Mobile Suit
MBF-P02 Gundam Astray Red Frame | TMF/A-802 P-Mod.W BuCUE Waltfeld Custom Type | ZGMF-1017 Works GINN
Mobile Armor
Kimera

Land Battleship
Lesseps-class
Transporter / Supply Ship
Marseille III-class | Re.H.O.M.E.
Serpent Tail
Mobile Weapon
Mobile Suit
MBF-P03 Gundam Astray Blue Frame | MBF-P03secondL Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second L | ZGMF-1017 Elijah's GINN | ZGMF-1017 Gai's GINN
Mobile Armor
TS-MA2 Moebius

Cruiser / Mother Ship
Laurasia-class
Orb Union
Mobile Weapon
Mobile Suit
GAT-X133 Sword Calamity | MBF-01 Gundam Astray Gold Frame Amatsu Perfect Form | MBF-M1 M1 Astray | MBF-P01 Gundam Astray Gold Frame | MBF-P01-ReAMATU Gundam Astray Gold Frame Amatsu | MBF-P02 Gundam Astray Red Frame | MBF-P03 Gundam Astray Blue Frame

Ship
Aegis-class
Aircraft / Spacecraft
Heli
Cruiser / Mother Ship
Izumo-class
Earth Alliance
Mobile Weapon
Mobile Suit
GAT-01 Strike Dagger | GAT-X105 Strike Gundam | GAT-X105+AQM/E-X01 Aile Strike Gundam | GAT-X105+AQM/E-X02 Sword Strike Gundam | GAT-X133 Sword Calamity
Mobile Armor
TS-MA2 Moebius

Cruiser / Mother Ship
Archangel-class
ZAFT
Mobile Weapon
Mobile Suit
AMF-101 DINN | GAT-X102 Duel Gundam | GAT-X103 Buster Gundam | GAT-X207 Blitz Gundam | GAT-X303 Aegis Gundam | TFA-2 ZuOOT | TMF/A-802 BuCUE | TMF/S-3 GINN OCHER Type | UMF-4A GOOhN | UMF-5 ZnO | UWMF/S-1 GINN WASP Type | YFX-200 CGUE DEEP Arms | YMF-01B Proto GINN | ZGMF-515 CGUE | ZGMF-600 GuAIZ | ZGMF-1017 GINN | ZGMF-1017 Miguel's GINN | ZGMF-1017M GINN High Maneuver Type

Aircraft / Spacecraft
Guul
Cruiser / Mother Ship
Laurasia-class | Nazca-class
Actaeon Industries
Land Vehicle
Self-Propelled Linear Howitzer | Bulldog
Pirates / Civilians
Mobile Weapon
Mobile Suit
TFA-2 ZuOOT | TMF/A-802 BuCUE | UMF-4A GOOhN | UTA/TE-6 GOOhN Underground Mobility Test Type | YMF-01B Proto GINN

Transporter / Supply Ship
Courier Ship | Liteiria | Pirate Transport | Tsiolkovsky
Cruiser / Mother Ship
Agamemnon-class | Nelson-class


Phantom Pain Report Mechanics
edit
Earth Alliance
Mobile Weapon
Mobile Suit
GAT-X102 Duel Gundam | GAT-X103 Buster Gundam | GAT-X105E+AQM/E-M1 Strike Gundam E IWSP | GAT-X105E+AQM/E-X02 Sword Strike Gundam E | GAT-X105E+AQM/E-X03 Launcher Strike Gundam E | GAT-X105E Strike Noir Gundam | GAT-X207 Blitz Gundam | GAT-X207SR Nero Blitz Gundam | GAT-X303 Aegis Gundam | GAT-X303AA Rosso Aegis Gundam
ZAFT
Mobile Weapon
Mobile Suit
TMF/A-802W2 Kerberos BuCUE Hound | ZGMF-1017M2 GINN High Maneuver Type II
Orb Union
Mobile Weapon
Mobile Suit
GAT-01A2R 105 Slaughter Dagger
Mars
Mobile Weapon
Mobile Suit
GSF-YAM01 Δ Astray | MBF-JG73MJ Mars Jacket | MMF-JG73L ∇
Civilians
Mobile Weapon
Mobile Suit
ZGMF-X12D Gundam Astray Out Frame D
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