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Disambiguation:

The RB-79 Ball (ボール Bōru?) is a fictional weapon from the anime series Mobile Suit Gundam.

Technology & Combat Characteristics[]

The Federation refitted about 1200 of the civilian-model worker space pods, known as SP-W03 Space Pods. The Federation reinforced it with heavier armor and mounted a 180mm low-recoil cannon on top. The Ball mobile pod also had vernier thrusters mounted all along the body.

A standard EFSF combat team would consist of 3 RGM-79 GMs and 2 Balls to counter Zeon's 3-MS tactical units, though other formations have been seen; Ball-only teams of 1 RB-79K and 2 RB-79 launched from a Salamis-class cruiser, and various large formations launched from Columbus-class ships.

The directional thrusters mounted on all Ball units were "directed" solid fuel explosives, the detonation giving an impulse through the thrusters to change the direction of the Ball. This configuration gave the Ball unit good reaction speed and reasonable maneuverability on each thrust but very limited use of the system compared to the liquid fueled directional thrusters on mobile suits.

The Ball units had an advantage when it came to refueling on board the Columbus-class support vessel due to the lack of beam weapons and low number of liquid fuel thrusters, making the refueling/rearming time extremely short compared to any Mobile Suit that runs on thermo-nuclear power. In fact, the thrusters and weapons were designed to be modular, allowing depleted thruster banks and empty gun magazines to literally be removed by the servicing crew to be reloaded at a later time, and fully-loaded ones to be quickly installed in their place. Because it does not have a thermonuclear reactor and is driven by a fuel cell, it can be operated even on ships that do not have MS cooling facilities.

At first, the Ball was seen as ill-suited for combat. It had limited ammo, relatively thin armor (though sloped to assist in projectile deflection), and lacked the AMBAC system or any sort of close-in weapon other than its manipulator claws. The most famous battle involving Balls was Operation Star-One, an operation undertaken to further pressure Zeon into retreating from Earth after the Federation took the upper hand following Odessa. Since the GM was not yet ready, over 1000 Balls were committed along with Salamis-class and Magellan-class warships. Their numbers overwhelmed the Zeon fleets and drove them away, but countless RB-79s were destroyed during what turned out to be one of the most brutal battles for the Federation. Soon after, the Ball earned the nickname "Mobile Coffin" among EFSF pilots. It is sometimes joked that (in Gundam 0079) the only time a Ball ever hit anything was when one is kicked into a GM by a Zaku II.

However, some statistics on the unit counters this view of the Ball unit being weak - in fact, it had a specification superior to many of their opponents. The Ball was smaller than the average mobile suits, which not only made it a more difficult target to hit than a GM but also made it lighter as well as gave it a higher acceleration rate than most contemporary mobile suits. All of the supposedly very powerful mobile armors, save for a few Newtype units, had lower mass-thrust ratios (i.e. acceleration) than the Ball unit. All the earlier model space-combat mobile suits, specifically the Zakus and Rick Dom, had inferior acceleration and less sensor range. This gave the Ball unit a very good advantage in hit-and-run tactics even when not supporting GMs. The Ball's real advantage came from both numbers and cost. The Ball cost about 1/4 of a RGM-79 (next to nothing to the EFSF) and was heavily mass-produced, becoming a support unit for warships and RGM-79 GM's during the One Year War.

Armaments[]

  • 180mm Low-Recoil Cannon

History[]

The concept for a combat mobile pod was initially devised as early as U.C. 0076 under the RX-76 project. However, development was put on hold until February 13, U.C. 0079, where the project was revived with renewed interest. The first RB-79 Ball was rolled-out in June of U.C. 0079. During the outbreak of the One Year War between the Earth Federation and the Principality of Zeon, the Federation lacked any sort of the mass-produced humanoid mecha, known as Mobile Suits. The Zeonic forces laid waste to the Federation with their mobile suits, the MS-05B Zaku I and the later MS-06F Zaku II.

To counteract this, the Federation scrambled to make some sort of mobile weapon that could counter the Zeon attack. However, their new prototype mobile suit, the RX-78-2 Gundam was too costly to mass-produce and their first mass-production mobile suit, the RGM-79 GM, just wasn't being fielded fast enough.

Thus, the RB-79 Ball Mobile Pod, was born. Easier to build and mass-produce, the RB-79 was soon on the front lines fighting the MS-06 Zaku II's and other Zeon Mobile Suits. Although lighter armed than its larger brothers, it was able to provide fire support and hold the line against the Zaku, until the GM's, Guntank, Guncannon, and Gundam came into the War.

Variants[]

Gallery[]

Lineart[]

Anime[]

Illustrations & Artwork[]

Games[]

Gunpla[]

Action Figures[]

Gashapon[]

Notes & Trivia[]

  • A common joke of the Ball is that if it is painted red and a horn is attached to it, it will become a Char Aznable custom unit and be 3 times more powerful than an ordinary Ball. This gag has appeared in numerous doujin works. In a parody photonovel titled Why Char Assassinated Kycilia published in the modeling magazine Dengeki Hobby, in place of where in the story should be a MSN-02 Zeong, Kycilia actually provides Char with a red Ball, with features mimicking the Zeong: two horns, an enlarged bottom thruster, and a Zeong hand replacing the head cannon.
  • The Ball also appears in the SD Musha Gundam series as the "Bakuru", the primary foot soldiers siding with the Gundam Warriors and Generals.
  • One of the mechanical designers of Bandai, Katoki Hajime, stated in the MG model kit instruction manual, that the Ball unit is actually an attempt of the Earth Federation Forces trying to reproduce the Mobile Armors and is in fact quite powerful. This is also not the first time such a positive review was given on the unit; Gundam Officials (a Japanese magazine put out by Bandai) has made similar statements on the unit. The Ball, in those Gundam video games that feature it, can be a fearsome weapon - in the SD Gundam series of Tactical RPGs, the Ball's large movement range, low cost, and very powerful long-range main gun make it a devastating second-line unit, although lackluster in close combat. In the Versus series of arcade games, the Ball is similarly dangerous.
  • The Ball appears in the third episode of Gundam Build Fighters, piloted by Reiji who had chosen the weakest Gunpla to pit against the veteran Gunpla players. It is given a moniker, "Spherical Coffin".
  • Despite the designs being given status as slightly different units with their own model numbers, Hajime Katoki's more detailed design of the Ball, called the RB-79C Ball Type C is often interchanged with Kunio Okawara's more simplistic original design in many types of media and products, including video games, animated works, and model kits.
  • The Ball seems to have taken heavy inspiration from the EVA Pod that appears in the film 2001: A Space Odyssey. It matches the spherical pod shape, large front circular window, placement of vernier thruster mountings throughout the body, and movable arms at front just below the window.

References[]


See also[]

External links[]


Mobile Suit Gundam Mechanics
edit
Earth Federation Forces
Mobile Weapon
Mobile Suit
RGM-79 GM | RX-75-4 Guntank | RX-77-2 Guncannon | RX-78-2 Gundam | RX-78-2 Gundam + B-Parts
Mobile Pod
RB-79 Ball

Land Vehicle
Anti-Zaku Tank | Missile Buggy | Missile Car | Type 61 Tank | Vulcan Armored Car
Land Battleship
Big Tray-class
Ship
Himalaya-class
Aircraft / Spacecraft
Depp Rog | Dish | Don Escargot | Dragonfly | Fanfan | FF-4 Toriares | FF-X7 Core Fighter | FF-X7-Bst Core Booster | Flyarrow | Fly Manta | G-Armor | G-Bull | G-Bull Easy | G-Fighter | G-Sky | G-Sky Easy | Public-class | Space Launch
Transporter / Supply Ship
Columbus-class | Gunperry | Medea
Cruiser / Mother Ship
Magellan-class | Pegasus-class | Salamis-class | SCV-70 White Base | Trafalgar-class
Super Weapon
Solar System
Principality of Zeon
Mobile Weapon
Mobile Suit
MS-05B Zaku I | MS-06 Zaku II | MS-06F Zaku II | MS-06J Zaku II Ground Type | MS-06S Zaku II Commander Type | MS-07B Gouf | MS-09B Dom | MS-09R Rick Dom | MS-14A Gelgoog | MS-14S Gelgoog Commander Type | MSM-03 Gogg | MSM-04 Acguy | MSM-07 Z'Gok | MSM-07S Z'Gok Commander Type | MSM-10 Zock | MSN-02 Zeong | YMS-15 Gyan
Mobile Armor
MA-04X Zakrello | MA-05 Bigro | MA-08 Big Zam | MAM-07 Grublo | MAN-03 Braw Bro | MAN-08 Elmeth | MAX-03 Adzam

Land Vehicle
Cui | Magella Attack | Samson
Land Battleship
Dobday-class | Gallop-class
Ship / Submarine
Jukon-class | Mad Angler-class | Prober-class | Sealance
Aircraft / Spacecraft
Dodai YS | Dopp | Gattle | Jicco-class | Commu | Luggun | PVN.4/3 Wappa | Sodon | Zeon Space Launch
Transporter / Supply Ship
Fat Uncle | Komusai | Papua-class | Pazock-class
Cruiser / Mother Ship
Chivvay-class | Dolos-class | Gaw | Gwazine-class | Musai-class | Zanzibar-class
Super Weapon
Solar Ray
Civilians
Mobile Weapon
Mobile Suit
MS-06J Zaku II Ground Type

Aircraft / Spacecraft
Space Boat "Hulke" | Towing Ship | TV Space Boat


MS IGLOO Mechanics
edit
Principality of Zeon
Mobile Weapon
Mobile Suit
EMS-10 Zudah | GM Camouf | MS-05B Zaku I | MS-06F Zaku II (Propellant Unit) | MS-06C Zaku II Early Production Type | MS-06F Zaku II | MS-06J Zaku II Ground Type | MS-06JC Zaku II | MS-06M Zaku Marine Type | MS-06S Zaku II Patrol Type | MS-09R Rick Dom | MS-14 Gelgoog | MSM-07Di Ze'Gok
Mobile Armor
MA-05Ad Big Rang
Mobile Tank
YMT-05 Hildolfr
Mobile Pod
MP-02A Oggo

Aircraft / Spacecraft
Observation Shuttle | OP-02c Observation Pod | YOP-04 Balor
Support Weapon
QEX-04M Aegir
Transporter / Supply Ship
H.L.V. | HOTOL | Jotunheim | Komusai | Muspelheim | Papua-class
Cruiser / Mother Ship
Chivvay-class | Dolos-class | Gaw | Gwazine-class | Musai-class
Super Weapon
QCX-76A Jormungand
Earth Federation
Mobile Weapon
Mobile Suit
MS-06J Zaku II Ground Type | MS-06JC Zaku II | RGM-79 GM | RGM-79C GM Type C
Mobile Pod
RB-79 Ball | RB-79K Ball Type K | RB-79N Fisheye

Land Vehicle
Type 61 Tank
Submarine
Jukon-class
Aircraft / Spacecraft
FF-X7-Bst-II Core Booster II Intercept Type
Transporter / Supply Ship
Columbus-class
Cruiser / Mother Ship
Magellan-class | Salamis-class


Mobile Suit Gundam 0083 Mechanics
edit
Earth Federation Forces/Titans
Mobile Weapon
Mobile Suit
MS-06F-2 Zaku II F2 Type | MS-14F Gelgoog Marine | RGC-83 GM Cannon II | RGM-79 GM | RGM-79C GM Type C | RGM-79 Powered GM | RGM-79N GM Custom | RGM-79Q GM Quel | RX-78GP01 Gundam "Zephyranthes" | RX-78GP01-Fb Gundam "Zephyranthes" Full Burnern | RX-78GP02A Gundam "Physalis" | RX-78GP03S Gundam "Stamen" | RX-81FC G-Line Full Custom
Mobile Pod
RB-79 Ball | RB-79C Ball Type C
Other
RX-78GP03 Gundam "Dendrobium"

Land Vehicle
Command Vehicle
Aircraft / Spacecraft
FF-XII Core Fighter II | FF-XII-Fb Core Fighter II Full Burnern | FF-XII-Sp Core Fighter II-Sp | Patrol Vessel
Transporter / Supply Ship
C-88 Medea | Columbus Kai-class
Cruiser / Mother Ship
Alexandria-class | Birmingham-class | LMSD-76 Gray Phantom | Magellan Kai-class | MSC-07 Albion | Pegasus-class | Salamis Kai-class
Super Weapon
Solar System II
Principality of Zeon/Delaz Fleet/Zeon Remnants/Axis Zeon
Mobile Weapon
Mobile Suit
AGX-04 Gerbera Tetra | MS-06F Zaku II | MS-06F-2 Zaku II F2 Type | MS-09F/trop Dom Tropen | MS-09R Rick Dom | MS-09R-2 Rick Dom II | MS-14A Gelgoog | MS-14F Gelgoog Marine | MS-14Fs Gelgoog Marine Commander Type | MS-21C Dra-C | MS-21D1 Dra-C Custom | RX-78GP02A Gundam "Physalis" | YMS-09R-2 Prototype Rick-Dom Zwei | YMS-16M Xamel
Mobile Armour
AMX-002 Neue Ziel | MA-06 Val Walo

Ship / Submarine
Jukon-class
Aircraft / Spacecraft
Hohsenka
Transporter / Supply Ship
H.L.V. | Komusai II | Papua-class | Pazock-class
Cruiser / Mother Ship
Gwanban-class | Gwazine-class | Musai-class Late Production Type | Zanzibar II-class
Anaheim Electronics
Supply Ship
La Vie en Rose
Civilians
Aircraft / Spacecraft
Colony Corporation Ship


Crossbone Gundam: Skull Heart Mechanics
edit
Crossbone Vanguard
Mobile Weapon
Mobile Suit
EMS-06 Batalla | EMS-10 Pez Batalla | XM-10 Flint | XM-X1 Crossbone Gundam X-1 Kai | XM-X1 Crossbone Gundam X-1 Kai Kai "Skull Heart"

Cruiser / Mother Ship
Little Grey | Mother Vanguard
Jupiter Empire
Mobile Weapon
Mobile Suit
Amakusa | EMS-06 Batalla | EMS-06-P Arana Batalla | EMS-10 Pez Batalla | EMS-12 Arana
Mobile Armour
Nautilus Kai
Earth Federation Forces
Mobile Weapon
Mobile Suit
F91 Gundam F91 | RGM-79 GM | RGM-122 Javelin | RX-78-2 Gundam
Mobile Pod
B Gundam | RB-79 Ball

Cruiser / Mother Ship
Salamis-class
Principality of Zeon
Mobile Weapon
Mobile Suit
MS-06F Zaku II | MS-06MS Barbus | MS-09R Rick Dom
Jupiter Energy Fleet
Mobile Weapon
Mobile Suit
Gump


Gundam Evolve Mechanics
edit
Earth Federation Forces/Titans/Londo Bell
Mobile Weapon
Mobile Suit
RGM-79 GM | RGM-89 Jegan | RMS-179 GM II | RMS-108 Marasai | RMS-117 Galbaldy β | RX-77-2 Guncannon | RX-78-2 Gundam | RX-78-3 G-3 Gundam | RX-93 ν Gundam
Mobile Pod
RB-79 Ball
Mobile Ship
QRX-006 Geminus

Aircraft / Spacecraft
FF-X7 Core Fighter | FF-X7-Bst Core Booster | G-Armor | G-Bull
Transporter / Supply Ship
Medea
Cruiser / Mother Ship
Magellan-class | Salamis-class | SCV-70 White Base
AEUG
Mobile Weapon
Mobile Suit
MSA-003 Nemo | MSN-00100 Hyaku Shiki | MSZ-006-3A Zeta Gundam 3A Type | MSZ-006-3B Zeta Gundam 3B Type | MSZ-006-P2/3C Zeta Gundam P2/3C Type | RMS-099 Rick Dias | RMS-179 GM II | RX-178 Gundam Mk-II

Aircraft / Spacecraft
Flying Armor
Cruiser / Mother Ship
Argama-class
Principality of Zeon/Neo Zeon
Mobile Weapon
Mobile Suit
AMX-004 Qubeley Mk-II | AMX-014 Döven Wolf | MS-06F Zaku II | MS-06F-2 Zaku II F2 Type | MS-06S Zaku II Commander Type | MS-07B Gouf | MS-09B Dom | MS-09R Rick Dom | MS-14A Gelgoog | MS-14F Gelgoog Marine | MS-14S Gelgoog Commander Type | MSM-03 Gogg | MSM-07S Z'Gok Commander Type | MSN-02 Zeong | YMS-15 Gyan
Mobile Armor
MA-05 Bigro | MA-08 Big Zam | MAN-03 Braw Bro | MAN-08 Elmeth | NZ-333 α Azieru

Land Vehicle
Magella Attack
Aircraft
Gattle
Cruiser / Mother Ship
Chivvay-class | Dolos-class | Musai-class
Anaheim Electronics
Mobile Weapon
Mobile Suit
RX-78GP03S Gundam "Stamen"
Other
RX-78GP03 Gundam "Dendrobium"

Supply Ship
La Vie en Rose
Neo Japan
Mobile Weapon
Mobile Fighter
GF13-017NJII God Gundam | JMF1336R Rising Gundam
G Team
Mobile Weapon
Mobile Suit
XXXG-00W0 Wing Gundam Zero EW
White Fang
Mobile Weapon
Mobile Doll
WF-02MD Virgo II
Earth Alliance
Mobile Weapon
Mobile Suit
CAT1-X1/3 Hyperion Gundam Unit 1 | GAT-X105 Strike Gundam | GAT-X105+AQM/E-X01 Aile Strike Gundam
ZAFT
Mobile Weapon
Mobile Suit
TMF/S-3 GINN OCHER Type | ZGMF-600 GuAIZ

Aircraft
Agile
Junk Guild
Mobile Weapon
Mobile Suit
YMF-X000A Dreadnought Gundam
Civilans
Mobile Weapon
Mobile Suit
MSZ-010S Enhanced ZZ Gundam | MSZ-010S ZZ-GR

Supply Ship
Jupitris-class
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