RX-78-3 G-3 Gundam

Template:Infobox/Mobile Weapon Ver.2 The RX-78-3 Gundam "G-3" is a variation of the RX-78-2 Gundam. It first appeared as part of Mobile Suit Variations model kit series and later appeared in the game Gundam Battle Universe and Gundam the Ride: A Baoa Qu.

Technology & Combat Characteristics

The G-3 was a testbed for the magnetic coating technology later applied to Amuro Ray's RX-78-2 Gundam and future RX-78 series units. It was equipped with the NICN system, the newest version of learning computer that was also used in the RX-78NT-1 Gundam "Alex". In addition, the laser accelerator for its thermonuclear reactor was also replaced with a new one, which gave the G-3 twice the maneuverability of the RX-78-2. Visually, the G-3 is very similar to the Gundam, except for its gray and light purple paint scheme.

Armaments

• 60mm Vulcan Gun

A basic armament of many Federation mobile suits, a pair are mounted on the G-3's head. The Vulcan Guns are mainly for intercepting incoming missiles/rockets, destroying mobile suit sensors, and engaging lightly-armored vehicles.

• Beam Saber

The beam saber emits a blade of plasma contained by an I-Field and can cut through most armor not treated with anti-beam coating. This small device is held in the mobile suit's hands when operated and is powered by a rechargeable energy capacitor. Two beam sabers are stored in the G-3's backpack. One can be used as a reserve weapon, or both can be used simultaneously in a twin sword fashion. The beam saber can also transform into the beam javelin.

• Beam Javelin

The beam javelin is an alternate form of the beam saber, with an extended handle and a three-pronged beam at the end. The long reach of the weapon gives the RX-78-3 an advantage in close quarters combat. It was also used as a throwing weapon.

• Beam Rifle

A revolutionary weapon for its time, the Beam Rifle is the primary weapon used by the Gundam. Making use of the Federations E-cap (or "energy capacitor") technology, the rifle uses charged concentrations of mega-particles as ammunition. This gives the beam rifle firepower equivalent to that of a battleship's main cannon. Features include a large, movable offset sensor that interfaces with the RX-78’s Fire Control System (FCS) to achieve a high degree of accuracy, and a stabilizing foregrip for firing support. A weakness of the beam rifle is that it could only be fired 16 times before depleting its energy and becoming useless.

• Hyper Bazooka

A general purpose fire support rocket launcher platform for Mobile Suits. With considerable destructive power owing to the explosive yield in each warhead, the weapon was primarily used to destroy less-maneuverable battlefield targets such as warships, satellites, land battleships, bunkers, and buildings. When required, the Gundam can use another Hyper Bazooka for increased firepower.

• Shield

Hand-carried, forearm-mounted or stored on the G-3's backpack, the shield is a simple defense used to block most physical and beam attacks. Also used to great effect in close quarters battle with enemy mobile suits and can also be used as a throwing weapon. Weighing 10 tons, its armor structure is a simplified version of that on the G-3's body and is designed for the diffusion and absorption of impact rather than robustness. The outermost layer is a triple honeycomb structure using luna titanium alloy-based material.

• Gundam Hammer

Essentially a large spiked ball attached to a chain, it serve as a ranged melee weapon. The gundam hammer could either be thrown or swung around the mobile suit itself to damage the enemy units.

• Hyper Hammer

An enhanced version of the gundam hammer. Like its predecessor, it is a large spiked ball attached to a chain. However, it also has several rockets mounted into the ball to allow it to maneuver more effectively as well as the ability to change its direction before impact, and to increase the damage it could cause.

Special Equipment & Features

• Core Block System

The prototype mobile suits produced by the Earth Federation Forces' Operation V, are equipped with a central block which houses the mobile suit's cockpit, control systems and main power source. This core block can eject in case of emergency and unfold into a small Core Fighter.

• Hardpoints

An attachment point for weapons, shields, spare ammunition, or optional mission-specific equipment. Hardpoints can also be used to store carried weapons when a mobile suit needs its manipulators free for other purposes.

• Magnetic Coating

A special membrane treatment applied to mobile suit joints to improve their response speed. The mobile suits developed by the Earth Federation Forces use special actuators called field motors, whose efficiency is increased by the magnet coating process. The treatment also reduces friction resistance in the mobile suit's joints. First tested on the RX-78-3 Gundam, this process is then applied to the RX-78-2 used by Amuro Ray, reducing the time required for changes of direction by roughly 27%.

History

During the attack on Side 7 in September UC 0079, the RX-78-1 Prototype Gundam was destroyed, but the RX-78-3 was only lightly damaged. It was loaded onto the Pegasus-Class assault cruiser White Base as spare parts for the intact RX-78-2 Gundam. After that, there is two different accounts of what happened. In the first version, the RX-78-3 was recovered around the time of Operation Odessa and transferred to Augusta Lab, where it become the testbed for the magnetic coating treatment. It exchanged data with the RX-78NT-1 Gundam "Alex", which was being developed in parallel, before being transferred into space. In the second version, the RX-78-3 was transferred to Luna II after the events in Side 7 and subsequently become the testbed for the magnetic coating treatment. In both accounts, the RX-78-3's ultimate fate is unclear.

In the novel version of Mobile Suit Gundam, the G-3 became Amuro Ray's mobile suit in the later half of the war after his Gundam was destroyed in battle with Zeon Newtype Lalah Sune. It had the magnetic coating added to the joints to increase response time for its pilot. Other than the gray color scheme, it is identical to RX-78-2. The G-3 Gundam was later destroyed in battle by Leroy Gilliam, a member of Char's Rick-Dom Squad, which proved fatal for its pilot.

In the manga series Char's Deleted Affair: Portrait Of Young Comet, the G-3 is stationed aboard the White Base II and piloted in combat against Zeon remnants by Giorgio Miguel, a Zeon double agent.

In the manga Mobile Suit Gundam Side Story: Hidden Shadow of G, the G-3 falls into the hand of a ninja clan and is modified into the Hidden Shadow of G.

Gallery

G-3 Gundam (Kunio Okawara version): front view

G-3 Gundam re-illustration for 1/100 Master Grade model release: front view

RX-78-3 Gundam "G-3" by Hajime Katoki

G-3 Gundam: re-illustrated by Kyoshi Takigawa as featured in "Master Archive Mobile Suit RX-78 Gundam" (GA Graphic; 2011)

G-3 Gundam destroyed by Vayeate (from Gundam Build Fighters Try TV series)

G-3 Gundam and its pilot Giorgio Miguel as seen on Char's Deleted Affair: Portrait Of Young Comet

Games

G-3 Gundam "Magnetic Coating" promotion campaign as seen on Mobile Suit Gundam: Battle Operation

G-3 Gundam as featured in Gundam War card game

SD G-3 Gundam as featured in SD Gundam G Generation Wars

As seen in Gundam Battle Operation 2

As seen on the game Gundam Diorama Front 3rd.

Gunpla

1/144 HGUC G-3 Gundam & Zeong double pack (Gundam World 2002 in C3 exclusive; 2002): box art

1/144 HGUC G-3 Gundam & Char's Rick Dom double pack (Limited release; 2008): box art

1/144 HGUC RX-78-3 Gundam (Gunpla Expo 2015 exclusive; 2015): box art

1/144 HG Ver.G30th RX-78-3 Gundam Ver.G30th (Gundam Super Expo 2010 exclusive; 2010): box art

1/144 RG RX-78-3 G-3 Gundam (P-Bandai exclusive; 2015): box art

1/100 MG Gundam RX-78-3 (1996): box art

1/100 MG RX-78-3 Gundam Ver.2.0 (2009): box art

1/100 MG RX-78-3 G-3 Gundam Ver.One Year War 0079 (Chara Hobby 2008 C3×HOBBY exclusive; 2008): box art

1/60 PG RX-78-3 Gundam G-3 [Extra Finish] (The Gundam Base Tokyo exclusive; 2018): box art

SD Gundam BB Senshi RX-78-3 Gundam "G-3" Ver.GFT (Gundam Front Tokyo exclusive; 2014): box art

SDCS RX-78-3 G-3 Gundam [Cross Silhouette Frame Ver.] (The Gundam Base Tokyo exclusive; 2019): box art

1/100 "RX-78-3 G-3 Gundam" model conversion based on 1/100 MG "RX-78-2 Gundam (Ver. Ka)" (2002): modeled by Naoki Kimura (Hobby Japan)

Action Figures

Mobile Suit in Action (MSiA / MIA) "RX-78-3 G-3 Gundam" action figure (Asian release; 2001): package front view

MSiA / MIA "Gunperry & RX-78-3 G-3 Gundam" double pack (North American release; 2001): package front view

MSiA / MIA "Gunperry & RX-78-3 G-3 Gundam" double pack (North American release; 2001): package rear view

MSiA / MIA "RX-78-3 G-3 Gundam (Second Version)" (Limited edition Fujikyu Highland "Gundam the Ride: A Baoa Qu" exclusive; 2003): package front view

Extended Mobile Suit in Action (ExMSiA / EMIA) "RX-78-3 G3 Gundam" (2008): package front view

Robot Damashii "RX-78-3 G-3 Gundam [Metallic Coat Specification]" (Tamashii Festival 2011/Tamashii Web exclusive; 2011): package front view

Robot Damashii RX-78-3 G-3 Gundam Ver. A.N.I.M.E. (Tamashii Web exclusive; 2016): package front view

1/200 High Complete Model Progressive (HCM Pro) "RX-78-3 Gundam "G-3" & RX-78/C.A. Casval's Gundam" double pack (Limited edition release; 2004): package front view

Kado Senshi "RX-78-3 G-3 Gundam" (Limited edition 20th Century Toy Expo - Osaka exclusive; 2002): box art

Gundam Fix Figuration (GFF) #0007 "G-3 G-Armor (RX-78-3 G-3 Gundam + G-Fighter) figure set (2002): package front view

GFF #0007 "G-3 G-Armor (RX-78-3 G-3 Gundam + G-Fighter) figure set (2002): package front view

Gundam Fix Figuration Metal Composite (GFFMC) "G-3 Limited [RX-78-3 G-3 Gundam "Ver. Ka" + G-Fighter (G-3 version)]" figure set (Limited release; 2007): package front view.

GFFMC "G-3 Limited [RX-78-3 G-3 Gundam "Ver. Ka" + G-Fighter (G-3 version)]" figure set (Limited release; 2007): package rear view.

GFF #0007 "G-3 G-Armor (RX-78-3 G-3 Gundam + G-Fighter) figure set (2002): product samples - G-3 Gundam & G-3 G-Fighter

GFF #0007 "G3 G-Armor" (2002): product sample - G-3 G-Armor

GFFMC "G-3 Limited [RX-78-3 G-3 Gundam "Ver. Ka" + G-Fighter (G-3 version)]" figure set (Limited release; 2007): product sample - G-3 Gundam "Ver. Ka"

Notes and Trivia

• The RX-78-3 Gundam is the closest to Yoshiyuki Tomino's conception of the Gundam. As he wanted to stress that it was a true military machine, a weapon of war a "real robot", he originally wanted it's entire color scheme to be dull and grayish, however the sponsor had concerns that this would limit it's appeal to children and marketability as a toy, hence the final version in series follows the color scheme of the RX-78-2 rather than the RX-78-3.
• In most of SD Gundam G Generation games, the Gundam Hammer is omitted from the G3's move list and has a double Hyper Bazooka attack as opposed to a single one. The Hammer's omission may be a reference to Tomino's original concept and the fact the movies also omitted this weapon.
• In the first Super Robot Wars Alpha game, it was a hidden unit that was superior to the RX-78-2 in various ways, particularly higher mobility and limit (limit on how much of the Pilot+Suit's mobility will be counted) and more post movement weapons. Properly upgraded, Amuro could use it for a longer time before hitting its limit. This allowed most players to give the Re-GZ to another pilot and wait until the Nu Gundam becomes available.
• In SD Gundam Capsule Fighter Online, the G-3 Gundam is considered an A-Rank unit, given its increased stats compared to the B-Rank Gundam and even the A-Rank Gundam (Magnetic Coating). It is also one of the first units you can obtain via missions by completing a certain mission on Normal.
• In Mobile Suit Gundam Gihren's Greed "The Menace of Axis", if the player wins the One Year War as the Principality of Zeon, they will steal several Federation units, and acquire the plans for the Gundam G-3, as opposed to the RX-78-Z1 Zeon's Gundam featured in earlier installments.

Reference

G-3 Gundam (bottom): information from 1/144 HGUC "G-3 Gundam & Char's Rick Dom modeling manual

External links

• "G-3" Gundam on MAHQ

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