The MSM-08 Zogok is a prototype amphibious mobile suit introduced in the original design series MSV and made its animated debut in Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ. It later appeared in the OVA Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn.
Technology & Combat Characteristics[]
The MSM-08 Zogok is a prototype amphibious mobile suit with improved melee capabilities that was developed during the One Year War. A variant of the MSM-07 Z'Gok, the Zogok was one of the special operations "Ag series" mobile suits created by Zeon engineers at California Base for Zeon's invasion of the Earth Federation Forces' underground military headquarters of Jaburo. It was meant to work alongside the other mobile suits of the series, such as the MSM-04G Juaggu, and its role was that of the vanguard.
Unlike Z'Gok, Zogok is not equipped with any firearms like mega particle cannons; instead, it has unique melee weaponry such as arm punches using its extendable arms, launchable boomerang cutters from the top of its head, etc. These weapons were also selected to minimize the emission of light and heat, lowering the chances of being detected during the infiltration into the heavily guarded Jaburo. Although an amphibious unit, the Zogok's combat capabilities are primarily meant for ground battles.
The Zogok's aquatic ability is limited to travelling underwater using the propulsion units in the sole of its feet. Its backpack has no function underwater and was designed with maximum ground performance in mind. Like many other of Zeon's amphibious mobile suits, the Zogok has no independent head unit to reduce underwater resistance. The functions of such a head unit were integrated into the chest. The large mono-eye camera in the center of the chest has a wide range of motion, and the transparent cover protecting it has fairly high durability.
Armaments[]
- Boomerang Cutter
- Ten boomerang-shaped blades are mounted in the top of Zogok's head. The blades are launched at high-velocity to serve as a mid-range weapon. The power of these weapons is sufficient to moderately damage the armor of mobile suits that are 10 years newer. In addition, it could also be held in hand and used as a fighting or throwing weapon.
- Arm Punch
- The Zogok's characteristic extendable arms can serve as a close combat weapon, delivering a punch that could crush through most armor with its sheer power. The manipulators are designed to be perfect for punching, but they can also carry weapons like normal manipulators.
- Wide Cutter
- The Zogok is equipped with ten wide cutters on the abdomen. The Zogok deployed by the Zeon remnants in U.C. 0096 has omitted this equipment, installing a large exhaust duct in its place to improve the Zogok's cooling functions.
- Heat Sword Type-βIV
- A melee weapon originally developed for the MS-07B Gouf. The heat sword has a blade that is heated to high temperatures to increase its cutting capacity.
- A simplified, disposable rocket launcher. It is commonly used by Zeon mobile suits in the late stages of the One Year War. 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. The Zogok deployed by the Zeon remnants in U.C. 0096 has an added mount latch on the back of its waist for carrying up to two Sturm Fausts.
- BR-87A Beam Rifle
- The same firearm as used by the RMS-106 Hizack and RMS-108 Marasai. It has a power rating of 2.2 MW.
History[]
One Year War[]
With one known exception, the few Zogoks that were constructed at California Base did not participate in the Battle of Jaburo on November 30, U.C. 0079, because Char Aznable discovered a secret entrance to the subterranean base and launched the attack much earlier than originally planned. The single Zogok deployed during the battle was piloted by Captain Maximilian Shell of Zeon's Griffon Corps as part of Operation Stork, a secondary plan to destroy Jaburo. Following a map obtained by Zeon infiltrators, Maximilian breached a weakly-defended gateway and attempted to self-destruct his Zogok inside Jaburo. This suicide attack would have caused a thermonuclear blast that would have severely damaged the base and the Federation's docked space fleet. Maximilian was stopped by Sergeant Heinz Highway of Aggressor Squadron, who used a RX-75 Guntank to push the Zogok into a nearby river, where the water dampened the explosion. Alarmed at how close Operation Stork had come to achieving its objective, EFF leadership had the incident covered up.
First Neo Zeon War[]
In U.C. 0088, one unit was on display as part of Stampa Halloi's MS collection in the Side 3 space colony Tigerbaum. On Stampa's orders, it sets off with Stampa's MSM-04 Acguy in pursuit of Judau Ashta, but soon after, it was kicked in the mono-eye by the MSZ-006 Zeta Gundam, piloted by Beecha Oleg, destroying it and causing the machine to fall down.
Laplace Incident[]
During U.C. 0096, one Zogok was used by the Zeon Remnants during the assault of Torrington Base. This unit was heavily damaged in battle by the RX-160S Byarlant Custom, and retreated after a AMS-129M Zee Zulu took its heat sword to combat the Byarlant Custom.
In the manga Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn: The Noble Shroud, it was depicted that the Zeon Remnant's Zogok withdrew from the Torrington Base and returned to the remnant forces' cave hideout. It later battled against pirates who attacked the hideout. At this point, its boomerang cutters have not been reloaded, but its left arm has been repaired and continues to use a heat sword, while the right hand is replaced with one from a normal MS so as to use the same beam rifle as the Marasai's. It intercepted pirate forces attempting to land with its beam rifle and destroyed the pirates' custom MSM-03C Hygogg, before escaping safely with the other submersible MS.
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Illustration & Artwork[]
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Gunpla[]
![1/144 HGUC MSM-08 Zogok [Operation Capture of Jaburo Ver.] (P-Bandai Exclusive; 2014): box art](/wiki/File:Gunpla_HGUC_Zogok_JaburoCapture_box.jpg "Gunpla HGUC Zogok JaburoCapture box.jpg (111 KB)")
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