The ZGMF-515 CGUE is a high performance mobile suit featured in the anime series Mobile Suit Gundam SEED and its sidestories. It is piloted by Rau Le Creuset and Xist Elwes.
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Technology & Combat Characteristics
Developed during the early days of the First Alliance-PLANT War, the CGUE is a high performance mobile suit originally meant to replace the ZGMF-1017 GINN as ZAFT's mass production MS. It has improved combat performance in space, and due to the use of enhanced thrusters, it also has increased mobility and maneuverability. Like the GINN, the CGUE has a fin-shaped sensor array on its head, no built-in weapons and must rely on the Guul subflight lifter to stay airborne while on Earth.
The CGUE is typically armed with improved version of the GINN's heavy blade and machine gun, and has a Vulcan cannon mounted shield attached to its left arm. Although intended as a mass production suit, only a limited number of CGUEs are produced in the end due to ZAFT shifting its focus to the beam weapon equipped ZGMF-600 GuAIZ as the war progressed. The units produced are mainly assigned to team commanders like Rau Le Creuset, hence the CGUE is more well known as a command machine.
Armaments
- MA-M4A Heavy Blade
- An improved version of GINN's heavy blade and the standard close range armament of the GGUE. When not in use, it is typically mounted on the left wing's outer side.
- M7070 28mm Vulcan System Shield
- Mounted on the left arm, the shield has a built-in vulcan cannon to improve the CGUE's close combat capability and to allow it to switch between offense and defense quickly.
- MMI-M7S 76mm Heavy Assault Machine Gun
- An improved version of GINN's machine Gun. It fires a type of armor piercing round designated "APSV," this round is extraordinarily powerful, but is incapable of dealing significant damage to enemies protected by Phase Shift armor. This weapon is also used by AMF-101 DINN and its variants.
- M68 "Cattus" 500mm Recoilless Rifle
- An optional weapon also used by GINN, it is similar in design to a bazooka and can fire various types of rounds depending to the magazine used. The M68 "Cattus" 500mm recoilless rifle has greater range and firepower than the heavy assault machine gun but has less ammunition and a slower rate of fire.
- MA-M21G Beam Rifle
- The MA-M21G Beam Rifle was taken from Rau's ZGMF-600 GuAIZ after his GuAIZ was severely damaged by the Freedom Gundam. Rau has used his GuAIZ's beam rifle only once during the battle of Mendel Colony against Three Ships Alliance and Earth Alliance.
History
The ZGMF-515 CGUE is a high performance mobile suit used by ZAFT during the First Alliance-PLANT War and mainly assigned to commanders like Rau Le Creuset, who famously used it during the theft of the Earth Alliance's prototype Gundams. After studying the beam weapon technologies on the captured Gundams, ZAFT produced several YFX-200 CGUE DEEP Arms, an experimental mobile suit derived from the CGUE to test these technologies out. Later, Rau's CGUE was replaced by the newly developed ZGMF-600 GuAIZ. However, after his GuAIZ was severely damaged by the ZGMF-X10A Freedom Gundam during the battle of Mendel Colony, he used the CGUE once again and armed it with the beam rifle from his GuAIZ. After the battle of Mendel Colony, Rau switch over to a more advanced mobile suit, the ZGMF-X13A Providence Gundam. A custom colored CGUE is used by Xist Elwes in Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Frame Astrays.
Variants
- ZGMF-515AS CGUE Assault
- YFX-200 CGUE DEEP Arms
- CGUE Rau Le Creuset Use
- Appearing in the manga Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Re:, it is a modified CGUE with what seem to be prototype DRAGOON System on its back. Unlike the later DRAGOON System, the remote controlled pods used by this unit is wire-guided like the TS-MA2mod.00 Moebius Zero's Gunbarrels. Whether the pods can be operated wirelessly is unknown. Other changes to this CGUE includes the additional of a head antenna at the forehead, and the use of a new shield.
Gallery
Gunpla
Notes & Trivia
- In episode 46 Rau Le Creuset pilots his CGUE into battle and destroys one of the Dominion's Strike Daggers using a beam rifle, though this appears to be a spare left over from his GuAIZ. A CGUE is also seen using a beam rifle in the attack on JOSH-A - unlike with the previous example, the weapon visually appears to be the MMI-M7S machine gun, but fires a green energy beam. This error was fixed in the HD Remaster.
- In Mobile Suit Gundam SEED: Battle Assault for Gameboy Advance, CGUE is only playable MS that isn't Gundam-type.
References
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