The ZGMF-515 CGUE is a mobile suit introduced in the anime Mobile Suit Gundam SEED. Known pilots included Rau Le Creuset and Xist Elwes.
Technology & Combat Characteristics[]
Developed by the Heinlein Design Bureau, which had earlier created the ZGMF-1017 GINN, the ZGMF-515 CGUE was intended to be a successor to the GINN that specialized in space combat while retaining the ability to function on Earth.[1][2] As such, while much of its structure was similar to the GINN, its thrusters and weapons all received a major overhaul.[1] The CGUE not only featured more thrusters than its predecessor, but also had its thruster nozzles and heat vents enlarged, resulting in improved mobility and maneuverability.[1][3] Its weapons consisted of improved models of the assault machine gun and heavy blade used by the GINN, as well as a new shield with a built-in Vulcan cannon, which was mounted on the left arm hardpoint.[1][4]
Despite having performance that surpassed the GINN's, the CGUE never reached the mass production stage.[1][4] This was because the CGUE was deemed insufficient to be ZAFT's new mainstay mobile suit following the capture of the Earth Alliance's G Weapons, prototype mobile suits equipped with Phase Shift armor and beam weaponry.[3] This led to ZAFT's decision to prioritize the development and mass production of the newer, beam weaponry equipped ZGMF-600 GuAIZ over the CGUE.[1] The few CGUEs that were produced were assigned to commanders like Rau Le Creuset.[1][4]
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 28mm 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 on 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 ZGMF-X10A Freedom Gundam. Rau has used his GuAIZ's beam rifle only once during the battle in Mendel Colony against the Three Ships Alliance and Earth Alliance.
History[]
The ZGMF-515 CGUE was one of the many mobile suits developed by ZAFT during the First Alliance-PLANT War, and it was first deployed on March 15, C.E. 70. Following the discovery of Earth Alliance's powerful G Project mobile suits, ZAFT dropped its plan to mass produce the CGUE in favor of developing newer mobile suits. The CGUEs produced were mainly assigned to commanders.
One notable CGUE was used by Commander Rau Le Creuset, who most prominently used his CGUE during the Battle of Heliopolis against his rival Mu La Flaga and his TS-MA2mod.00 Moebius Zero mobile armor.[5] Rau and Mu's battle continued inside the colony, where Rau's machine was damaged by a shot from the GAT-X105+AQM/E-X03 Launcher Strike Gundam's "Agni" 320mm Hyper Impulse Cannon, forcing him to retreat to his ship.[6] Rau continued to use his CGUE until he arrived on Earth and switched to a AMF-101 DINN.[7] After returning to space, Rau was assigned a ZGMF-600 GuAIZ. During the Battle of Mendel, his GuAIZ was damaged by the ZGMF-X10A Freedom Gundam[8], and after returning to his ship, Rau re-entered the battle in his CGUE, armed with his GuAIZ's beam rifle.[9] This was the last time Rau used his CGUE as he subsequently switched to the ZGMF-X13A Providence Gundam.
The Earth Alliance also utilized captured CGUEs in its battles with ZAFT forces. One such example was the red-colored CGUE piloted by Xist Elwes.[10] The eye-catching color was not Xist's choice, instead it was meant to distinguish his machine from those of ZAFT and also to facilitate monitoring of Xist's actions, since he was a Half-Coordinator and the Alliance did not fully trust him.
During the war, the CGUE was used as the basis for two other ZAFT mass production mobile suits, the aforementioned GuAIZ and the DINN. ZAFT also developed a set of armor to improve the CGUE's combat performance, leading to the variant known as the ZGMF-515AS CGUE Assault. Another CGUE variant was the YFX-200 CGUE DEEP Arms, which was used to test the beam weapon technology that ZAFT obtained from the four captured G Project mobile suits.
Following the end of the First Alliance-PLANT War, production of the CGUE ceased in favor of more advanced mobile suits. However, many units remained in service,[11] with several participating in the Second Alliance-PLANT War defense of the PLANT Colonies during the Battle of Aprilius One[12] and in attacking the Earth Alliance's Daedalus lunar base during the Battle of Daedalus.[13]
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 which seems to have a prototype DRAGOON System on its back. Unlike the later DRAGOON System, the remote-controlled pods used by this unit are wire-guided like the TS-MA2mod.00 Moebius Zero's Wired Gunbarrel. Whether the pods can be operated wirelessly is unknown. Other changes to this CGUE include the addition of a head antenna at the forehead and the use of a new shield.
Gallery[]
Lineart[]
Anime[]
Gundam SEED[]
.png "CGUE Head Close-Up 01 (SEED HD Ep2).png (2.43 MB)")
.png "CGUE Rear 01 (SEED HD Ep02).png (3.24 MB)")
.png "CGUE Charging 01 (SEED HD Ep02).png (4.36 MB)")
.png "CGUE Heavy Assault Machine Gun Firing 02 (SEED HD Ep2).png (3.5 MB)")
.png "CGUE Vulcan System Shield 01 (SEED HD Ep3).png (4.82 MB)")
.png "CGUE in Hangar 01 (SEED HD Ep3).png (4.93 MB)")
.png "CGUE Launching 01 (SEED HD Ep10).png (5.1 MB)")
.png "CGUE Heavy Assault Machine Gun Firing 01 (SEED HD Ep35).png (3.15 MB)")
.png "CGUE Full Body (Seed HD Ep46).png (6.89 MB)")
.png "CGUE with GuAIZ's Beam Rifle 01 (SEED HD Ep46).png (2.56 MB)")
-OP3-CGUE-VS-Perfect-Strike.png "MSGS-(HDR)-OP3-CGUE-VS-Perfect-Strike.png (3.2 MB)")
Gundam SEED Destiny[]
.png "CGUE & GINN in Hangar 01 (SEED Destiny HD Ep2).png (3.86 MB)")
.png "CGUE Heavy Assault Machine Gun 02 (SEED Destiny HD Ep2).png (3.82 MB)")
Manga[]
Games[]
Gunpla[]
Notes & Trivia[]
MMI-M7S 76mm Heavy Assault Machine Gun depicted as firing beam (The Descending Sword, Original)
- In episode 35, a CGUE was seen firing a green beam from a MMI-M7S 76mm Heavy Assault Machine Gun during the attack on JOSH-A. This error was fixed in the HD Remaster.
- In Mobile Suit Gundam SEED: Battle Assault for Gameboy Advance, CGUE is the only playable MS that isn't a Gundam-type.
Appearances[]
- Television Series
- Mobile Suit Gundam SEED
- PHASE-02, Its Name: Gundam
- First Appearance
- PHASE-03, Collapsing Land
- PHASE-10, Crossroads
- PHASE-15, The Respective Solitudes
- PHASE-23, Fateful Encounter
- PHASE-32, In the Promised Land
- PHASE-33, Gathering Darkness
- Flashback(s) Only
- PHASE-34, Seen and Unseen
- PHASE-35, The Descending Sword
- PHASE-42, Lacus Strikes
- PHASE-45, The Opening Door
- Flashback(s) Only
- PHASE-45, The Opening Door
- Mentioned only
- PHASE-46, A Place for the Soul
- PHASE-47, The Nightmare Reborn
- PHASE-48, Day of Wrath
- PHASE-50, To a Future that Never Ends
- PHASE-02, Its Name: Gundam
- Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny
- PHASE-01, Angry Eyes
- PHASE-02, Those Who Call For War
- PHASE-09, Bared Fangs
- PHASE-10, A Father's Spell
- PHASE-11, The Chosen Path
- PHASE-45, Prelude to Revolution
- OVAs and ONAs
- Mobile Suit Gundam SEED After-Phase Between the Stars
- Wreckage Only
- Mobile Suit Gundam SEED MSV Astray
- Episode 1, Red Frame
- Gundam Build Metaverse
- Episode 2, Rerise
- Games
References[]
.jpg "CGUE File 01 (Official Gundam Fact File 073-30).jpg (1.11 MB)")
.jpg "GuAIZ and CGUE File 01 (Gundam Perfect Files 018-05).jpg (3.49 MB)")
.jpg "GuAIZ and CGUE File 02 (Gundam Perfect Files 018-06).jpg (3.57 MB)")
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Mobile Suit Gundam Seed - MS Encyclopedia (2008), p.26-27
- ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam SEED PHASE-35, The Descending Sword
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Mobile Suit Gundam Seed C.E. Mechanics & the World (2012), p98
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Profile on the archived Gundam Official.com website
- ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam SEED PHASE-02, Its Name: Gundam
- ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam SEED PHASE-03, Collapsing Land
- ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam SEED PHASE-34, Seen and Unseen
- ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam SEED PHASE-44, Spiral of Encounters
- ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam SEED PHASE-46, A Place for the Soul
- ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Frame Astrays Chapter 3
- ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny PHASE-02, Those Who Call For War
- ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny PHASE-09, Bared Fangs
- ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny PHASE-45, Prelude to Revolution
External links[]