MS-06J Zaku II Ground Type

Template:Infobox/Mobile Weapon Ver.2The MS-06J Zaku II Ground Type is one of several variants of the MS-06 Zaku II line of Mobile Suits.

Technology & Combat Characteristics

The J-Type Zaku II was built specifically for operations on Earth and lacked the proper equipment to operate in space, unlike the F-Type which could do both. The J-Type model had all its vernier thrusters apart from the two main thrusters on its backpack removed. It also featured a slightly more powerful reactor to assist in its mobility under the full-gravity conditions of Earth. Lastly, it was also better insulated against its environment, and could be used in brief underwater operations. However, the J-Type Zaku II was eventually replaced by the better designed MS-07B Gouf and MS-09B Dom mobile suits.

Armaments

• Shoulder Shield

Mounted on the right shoulder, it is a simple defense used to block most physical projectiles.

• Spiked Shoulder Shield

A shoulder shield with a set of spikes on it to enhance its melee combat abilities.

• Knuckle Shield

The knuckle shield is a modified Zaku II shoulder shield carried on the arm, with the curve of the armor fitting over the mobile suit's hand. One of the modifications is the additions of three spikes placed on the plate that rests in front of the hand. These spikes make the knuckle shield an effective bashing weapon.

• 120mm Machine Gun

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. It holds 100 rounds per drum with spare drums that can be stored on waist armor racks.

• MMP-80/90mm Ver.8 Machine Gun

An alternative to the 120mm Machine Gun. It used 90mm bullets instead of 120mm type, allowing for a greater firing speed and better penetration capabilities. The machine gun is magazine-fed with 32 rounds per mag.

• H&L-SB25K/280mmA-P Zaku Bazooka

The 280mm Zaku Bazooka was another standard weapon that could be equipped to a Zaku type mobile suit. The bazooka fired explosive rounds that were quite effective against the armor of Earth Federation mobile suits and battleships. Can be stored on the rear waist armor when not in use.

• 120mm Assault Rifle

A new model assault rifle that appears to be an upgrade of the MMP-78 machine gun.

• 880mmRB-T27 Raketen Bazooka

A new heavy bazooka which features powerful rocket-propelled rounds, and improved targeting sensor with protective cover for aiming. The bazooka is magazine-fed and can hold 5 rounds per magazine.

• ZIM/M·T-K175C 175mm Recoilless Rifle

The main gun of the HT-01B Magella Attack main battle tank, it is remodeled as an MS artillery weapon. It is mainly used for long distance attacks in ground combat, and can be loaded with HEAT or APFSDS rounds.

• Heat Hawk

An axe-shaped close combat weapon, it uses a super-heated blade to cut through the armor of enemy MS or vehicles. The thermal energy is generated by the power output of the Zaku II's thermonuclear reactor and relayed through the MS' hands.

• Sturm Faust

A simplified, disposable rocket launcher. As the warhead is not equipped with a guidance device, it is extremely hard to use the Sturm Faust to hit a moving target accurately. However, it is still a highly destructive portable weapon.

• MIP-B6 Cracker Grenade

Identical to those used by infantry, the cracker grenade is an explosive weapons designed to be thrown or launched by the MS and detonate after a set amount of time. The "cracker" breaks into several smaller munitions over a wide area. The Zaku II can optionally equip up to four cracker grenades, that are stored on the left and right waist armor racks, with two on each side.

• Hand Grenade

Throwing weapon used an alternative to the Cracker Grenade. These waist mounted grenades can be thrown like regular grenades and set to detonate upon impact with the target or timed to explode after a preset time. They come in multiple variants, allowing them to perform different roles in battle.

• S-Mine

Anti-personnel explosives fired from various locations on the Zaku's body. They then explode in the air, raining down small metal shrapnels, killing approaching enemy soldiers.

• 3-tube Missile Pod

A pair of optional 3-tube missile pods can be mounted on the legs for mid to long-range attacks.

• 3-tube Missile Launcher

An optional 3-tube missile launcher can be attached to the left forearm of Zaku II. It is similar to the model used by the MS-06D Zaku Desert Type and MS-14C Gelgoog Cannon.

• Flamethrower

A handheld incendiary device which can project a long, controllable stream of fire to incinerate targets such as mobile suits, infrastructures, infantry units and combat vehicles.

• YHI YF-MG100 100mm Machine Gun

A handheld firearm captured from the Federation's ground forces. Equipped with a box magazine and folding stock, it has excellent rate of fire and is easy to wield. It utilized a smoothbore type barrel that lacked rifling and has to be replaced after firing 3000 rounds. The weapon could utilize three different types of ammunitions: HEAT (High Explosive Anti Tank), APFSDS (Armor-Piercing Fin-Stabilized Discarding-Sabot), and HESH (High Explosive Squash Head).

History

After the Antarctic Treaty banned the use of nuclear weapons, the Principality of Zeon designed several new models of Zaku II mobile suits to efficiently continue the war. The two designs that proved the most useful and were produced in the greatest number were the MS-06F Zaku II, a model that excelled when performing in space, and the MS-06J Zaku II Ground Type which was designed to excel when performing on the Earth's surface. During the events of Mobile Suit Gundam MS IGLOO: The Hidden One Year War, Zaku II Ground Types had been known to be captured by Earth Federation's Ground Force and were utilized for false flags on North American front lines. Production of the J-type Zaku would continue until the latter part of the One Year War when Zeon rolled out the better designed MS-07B Gouf, MS-09B Dom, and MS-06F2 Zaku II F2 Type mobile suits.

Variants

• MS-06J Zaku II Cold Climate Type
• MS-06JC Zaku II
• MS-06D Zaku Desert Type
• MS-06G Zaku II High Mobility Ground Type
• MS-06K Zaku Cannon

Gallery

MS-06J line art

Zaku II Ground Type (Type A) illustrated by Kunio Okawara

Zaku II Ground Type (Semovente Team's colors) as featured in Mobile Suit Gundam MS IGLOO: The Hidden One Year War

Standard version (MS IGLOO)

MS-06J (MS IGLOO 2 version)

Zaku II Ground Type (Elmer Snell Custom) as featured in Mobile Suit Gundam MS IGLOO 2: The Gravity Front

120mm Machine Gun

MMP-80/90mm Ver.8 Machine Gun

H&L-SB25K/280mmA-P Zaku Bazooka

880mmRB-T27 Raketen Bazooka

ZIM/M·T-K175C 175mm Recoilless Rifle (Magella Top Cannon)

3-tube Missile Pod

MIP-B6 Cracker

Sturm Faust

Heat Hawk Type5

Knuckle Shield

100mm Machine Gun

Zaku II Ground Type (Cucuruz Doan's Unit) as featured in Gundam War card game

Zaku II Ground Type (with Knuckle Shield) as featured on Gundam Card Builder

Zaku II Ground Type (with Magella Top cannon) as featured on Gundam War card game

Zaku II Ground Type (Cold Climate Type) as featured on Gundam Card Builder

Zaku II Ground Type (Midnight Fenrir Corps) as featured on Gundam Card Builder

Zaku II Ground Type (Semovente Corps) as featured on Gundam Card Builder

Zaku II Ground Type (Ken Bederstadt's unit) as featured on Gundam War card game

Zaku II Ground Type (Norris Packard's unit) as featured on Gundam Duel Company

1/100 MG MS-06J Zaku II Ground Type: artwork by Naochika Morishita

Zaku II Ground Type (center) as seen on Mobile Suit Gundam: Zeonic Front

MS-06J Zaku II (Cold Climate Type) as featured in Gihren's Greed

Zaku II Ground Type (Midnight Fenrir Corps) armed with Raketen Bazooka as featured in Bandai Namco's Gundam Online

Midnight Fenrir Corps ambushes Mudrock Gundam

Cucuruz Doan's Zaku (Super Mode) from SD Gundam G-Generation Advance

Zaku II Ground Type firing missile from Leg Missile Pods (from Mobile Suit Gundam TV series)

Zaku II Ground Type fires the ZIM/M·T-K175C 175mm Recoiless Rifle (MSG)

Cucuruz Doan's Zaku II Ground Type (left) using "Mobile Suit Martial Arts"

The Gundam tosses Doan's Zaku II Ground Type as portrayed in Gundam Build Divers episode "Festival!"

Zaku II Ground Types prepare to fire 280mm Zaku Bazooka (from Mobile Suit Gundam: Zeonic Front)

Zaku II Ground Type (center) moves with Zaku I and Armored Vehicles (Zeonic Front)

E.F.F. Semovente Squad's Zaku II Ground Types move in formation (from MS IGLOO: The Hidden One Year War OVA)

Zaku II Ground Type of E.F.F.'s Semovente Squad, armed with Sturm Faust (MS IGLOO: HOYW)

E.F.F.'s Zaku II Ground Type (right) being shot by Hildolfr's Type-3 Shot (Pellet) round (MS IGLOO: HOYW)

Zaku II Ground Type: head close up (from MS IGLOO 2: The Gravity Front OVA)

Zaku II Ground Type (Elmer Snell Custom) as seen on The Gravity Front OVA

Elmer Snell's Zaku II Ground Type: head close-up

Elmer Snell's Zaku II Ground Type aims the 120mm Zaku Machine Gun

Elmer Snell's Zaku II Ground Type prepares to fire 280mm Zaku Bazooka

Marchosias regiment's MS-06J Zaku II and its pilot, Silvestre Oswald

From SD Gundam Ultimate Encyclopedia

Manga

Zaku II Ground Type on Dodai II as seen on Mobile Suit Gundam: Lost War Chronicles

Zaku II Ground Types (left armed w/100mm Machine Gun and right) as seen on Zeon MS Boys: The War of Independence

Gunpla

1/144 HGUC "MS-06 Zaku II (Semovente Corps Ver.)" (Bandai Museum exclusive; 2004): box art

Zaku II as part of 1/144 U.C. Hard Graph "MS-06 Zaku The Ground War Set" (2009): box art

1/100 MG MS-06F/J Zaku II (1995): box art

1/100 MG "MS-06F/J Zaku II (One Year War 0079 Color Version)" (Special release; 2005): box art

1/100 MG "MS-06J Zaku II (Ver. 2.0)" (2007): box art

1/100 MG "MS-06J Zaku II (Ver. 2.0) (Katsumi Kawaguchi Produce Version)" (Bandai Hobby Pro-Shop exclusive; 2008)

1/100 MG MS-06J Zaku II (Ver. 2.0) ["White Ogre" MS Igloo 2 Image Color Ver.] (2009): box art

Limited edition 1/100 MG MS-06J Zaku II (Ver. 2.0) [MS Igloo 2 Image Color Ver.] (2009): box art

Action Figures

Mobile Suit in Action (MSiA / MIA) "MS-06J Zaku II (Camouflage Ver.)" (Asian release; 2000): package front view.

MSiA / MIA "MS-06J Zaku II" (North American release; 2001): package front view.

MSiA / MIA "Zaku & Magella Attack Tank" figure set (North American release; 2001: package front view features Zaku II Ground Type, Magella Attack, Dopp and Luggun action figures.

MSiA / MIA "Zaku & Magella Attack Tank" figure set (North American release; 2001): package rear view.

MSiA / MIA "Zeon Earth Invasion" figure set (Asian limited edition; 2005): package front view features Zaku II Ground Type, Magella Attack, Dopp and Luggun action figures.

MSiA / MIA "Zeon Earth Invasion" figure set (Asian limited edition; 2005): package rear view.

Notes & Trivia

• When the original series aired, there was no distinction between the Zakus seen in space and those seen on the ground. The book Gundam Century, which was released after the series ended, was the first source that used the "MS-06J" model number to refer to ground type Zakus. This distinction was later made official in Mobile Suit Variations.
• The S-Mines is likely a reference to a similar anti-personnel mine used by the German in the second World War.

References

Zaku II Ground Type as featured in Mobile Suit Gundam: Battle Operation

Zaku II Ground Type: design and specification for MS IGLOO: The Hidden One Year War

Zaku II Ground Type (center) from Gundam: Lost War Chronicles

External Links

• MS-06J Zaku II on MAHQ.net

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