By Way Of Introduction ~/~ Gundam MSVs & Code Geass KFVs

[Dash the Ultimate Warrior]

Yay for mono-eye Windams!

I really like the Vandal a lot, btw. Did you design that?

[Mwulf]

Everything here... I designed. I used an F91 model for the "base" so that accounts for the basic shape... but most of it is all me. Same for most of the stuff here, unless specified otherwise (only the Lancelot recolors and SF recolors, ATM)

[Mwulf]

Wow, it's really been a while since I've posted here.

I'm currently working on a new design I'm calling the "Valkyrie" ...it'll take a while, I'm having a lot of trouble getting the posing AND the design right.

In the meanwhile, I thought I'd share some of my older designs... stuff I did BEFORE I had Photoshop... so that means... MSPaint! Because it was Paint, they're more blueprints... but I still rather like the designs.

Basically I set out to draw first generation mobile suits and the gradual change from industrial-type vehicles to combat-type vehicles.

For my interpretation I have "minovsky particles" (or what have you) as a natural byproduct of a power generator that is very small, has a very high output, has incredible longevity, is easy to repair, and is cheap to build and maintain. Mainly I did this so as to necessitate the use of ocular sensors rather than standard radar and thermal imaging.

First up is the MS-02r Super Ant.

With a height of around 15 meters, it's pretty small. The pilot is incased in a cockpit I modelled after the shape of the Lockheed P-38; the arms end with giant manipulator claws and have welders attached to the forarm, the idea being that the Super Ant would be able to cut into metal hulls, and also repair cuts and damage without having to manually manipulate tools. This is similar in concept to the various flare, foam and communication devices we see embedded in the hands of the Hyaku Shiki and Rick Dias.

The device mounted on a ball-jointed arm above the cockpit is a camera. It would record everything that happens, and be used to zoom in on faraway objects (necessary because of Minovsky) as well as very small particles, like if it were to inspect minor of small damage to a vessel's hull. Looking for fractures, etc. But primarily the pilot would fly by way of his own eyes, directly through the tinted cockpit. The camera would mainly be for secondary aid, distance viewing, or close-ups.

For weapons I have a simple double-clip light machine gun with a folding stock(?) and a flamethrower made out of a modified handheld welder.

Second is the MS-03d Heracles.

The Heracles would be the more evolved version of the Ant, with a sleeker design. The most important feature is the addition of humanoid hands, which would allow the Heracles to use a large variety of different tools, and the large mono-eye set in the middle of the torso; think of it as a far more powerful version of the exterior camera mounted on the Super Ant.

The Heracles would have roughly the same possible armaments as the Super-Ant since it, too, is designed with an emphasis on industrial work, but the extra armor and thrusters would make it far more useful in combat situations. It's also a good deal taller than the Super Ant, at nearly 18 meters.

The last finished design for the day is the MS-03s Humpback.

The Humpback is a variation of the Heracles that is pretty much the ideal synthesis between industrial mecha and combat mecha. It has the iconic mono-eye and shoulder spikes of Zeon mobile suits (though I designed these without a specific "universe" in mind), while still retaining almost all of the features of the Heracles.

The large compartments mounted in the shoulders could contain rocket or missile launchers, or even a kind of anti-missile system. The "hump" in the name comes from the giant blister covering up the cockpit. The cockpit is now completely armored and the pilot has to rely solely upon the image data fed to him (or her) from the mono-eye sensor.

In addition a pair of small machineguns have been embedded in the torso above the mono-eye, reminiscent of head-vulcans. They're pretty light,and so would mainy be used as a tertiary weapon system or as an anti-infantry weapon.

I have a few other designs, but these are the three I like the most. In addition, I have a design table of various elements for a fourth model that I haven't done anything with.

Design Table.

There's quite a bit I'm working with there; I'm trying to figure out a decent way to have a set of standard bipedal legs transform into tank treads, an arm-mounted cannon (again with dual clips, I guess I must have really liked that idea when I made these).

There's also an open-cockpit torso design for a heavy-artillery mobile suit, that essentially has a large gun-turret where the head would be, as well as a "Zeonic" mono-eye mounted on a large disc-shaped head with a spike (antennae) running through it, as though it were impaled.

Well, if ya' can muck through the very simplistic drawings, please lemme know what ya' think.

[Antares]

Simplicity is sometimes refreshing. The designs qualify as first generation mecha as you put it, although only in Gundam-sphere. There is no reason why they couldn't be prototypes for a completely different timeline, and especially the Humpback looked more refined that its predecessors. The technical data pretty much answered all of my questions. All of these mecha are probably ground-bound though..?

[Mwulf]

Yeah, pretty much. I even designed a mech designed for... I guess "surveying" ...basically with a bunch of tools to measure geography and map areas... cartography-gundam, anyone?

*ahem*

I still haven't found the time to mess around with any of the other ideas floating about in my head, but as a result of this messed up OYW Strategy Game I've got going, even though we're only NOW starting the Earth Invasion, I've messed around with some units for the later-part of the game. Aside from the "Primary Colors" and "Char's Zeong 80%" everything else is an original coloration by me. Basically, I just have those tossed in there for comparison.

They're just modified .gifs, so don't expect anything too fancy. (28^2 Pixels FTW!) but I quadrupled the size so you can see them better.

Galbaldy Primary
Galbaldy Secondary
Gelgoog Primary
Gelgoog Secondary
Kampfer Primary
Kampfer Secondary

Char's Zeong (80%)
Char's Zeong (100%)
Char's Kampfer
Kycillia Zabi's Galbaldy
Kusko Al's Gelgoog
Kusko Al's Elmeth

So, yeah, those are all basically for game-peices in the game. I rather like the bright Yellow for Kusko's units... I really think it fits in with her personality more than the standard pale-green and purple.

[Mwulf]

Well, the steady progress of my Fates fanfic has led me down the path of designing a new Gundam. Essentially, I desired two things. One, for it to transform, and two, for it to look really, really cool.

So, naturally, I chose to modify a Zeta. It's not complete yet (I'm taking a lot more care with this design than with some of the others) but I have finished the Mobile Armor form (waverider, whatever.)


XR-108 ???? Gundam (Mobile Armor Form - Extended)
(High-Resolution Version)

XR-108 ???? Gundam (Mobile Armor Form - Retracted)
(High-Resolution Version)


As you can see... it has no name. I'm really at a loss for what to call it. I want something cool, pretty short, without getting too cheesy, or without violating the naming themes I'm already using in Fates (no warrior/soldier types or barbarian tribes). I toyed with the name "Pegasus" but I think "P" is a bit too weak of a consonant.

I'll post a description and stats as soon as I finish the mobile suit mode and determine a name for it. Please, I'd welcome any suggestions for a name!

I will say that this Gundam has a kind of... beam-shield, but it's pretty different than the beam-shields we've seen elsewhere in Gundam, and it's pretty limited. Also, for everyone familiar with the absurd transformation of the Zeta Gundam, the mono-eye sensor in the "cockpit" actually has "eyelids" that fold over it, making it undetectable when closed... so you don't have to worry about any weird, glowing-green belly button when it's a mobile suit.

[Ryujin]

As you can see... it has no name. I'm really at a loss for what to call it. I want something cool, pretty short, without getting too cheesy, or without violating the naming themes I'm already using in Fates (no warrior/soldier types or barbarian tribes). I toyed with the name "Pegasus" but I think "P" is a bit too weak of a consonant.

I'll post a description and stats as soon as I finish the mobile suit mode and determine a name for it. Please, I'd welcome any suggestions for a name!

For some reason, 'Kingfisher' comes to mind.

Probably something to do with the coloration & the long 'beak'. There's also the heraldic/mythological aspects.

Or 'Kestrel,' perhaps, for something more predatory.

[Mwulf]

Kingfisher is a bit too long, and I'm using "Royalis" for the next design, so I want to avoid two references to Monarchies. I've got about 2 weeks or so to make up my mind, but for now I really like the name Kestrel (thanks, BTW) so I'm gonna go with that.

And, of course, I'm finished. I'm pretty happy with it, but I might go in and change the head later. I realize it's not all that different, but hell... I like it so much as-is I'd hardly know what to change. ~__~

XR-108 Kestrel Gundam - Mobile Armor Mode (Retracted)
>High Resolution Version<

XR-108 Kestrel Gundam - Mobile Armor Mode (Extended)
>High Resolution Version<

XR-108 Kestrel Gundam - Mobile Armor Mode (Beam Shield Active)
>High Resolution Version<

XR-108 Kestrel Gundam
>High Resolution Version<

XR-108 Kestrel Gundam - Beam Saber Active
>High Resolution Version<

XR-108 Kestrel Gundam - Beam Whip Active
>High Resolution Version<

XR-108 Kestrel Gundam - Beam Shield Close-Up

XR-108 Kestrel Gundam - "Eyelid" Close-Up

XR-108 Kestrel Gundam - Mobile Suit & Mobile Armor Comparison Title
>High Resolution Version<

And, as I mentioned earlier, I have the necessary statistics to go with it.

Model Number: XR-108
Unit Name: Kestrel
Unit Type: Experimental Movable-Frame Combat Mobile Suit
Manufacturer: Anaheim Technologies Corporation.
Operator: ZAFT, Independent Colonies
First Deployment: C.E. 79
Accommodation: Pilot only, in 360 degree cockpit in torso
Dimensions: Overall height 19.6 meters
Weight: Empty 28.7 metric tons; max gross 62.3 metric tons; mass ratio 1.70
Construction: R-type Tritonium alloy composite on movable frame
Powerplant: Ultracompact Mackenzie reactor, power output unknown
Propulsion: Flash thrusters x18, Enhanced Lift-System
Performance: Maximum thruster acceleration 4.18 G
Equipment and Design Features: Sensors, range unknown; transforms into aerospace-fighter mobile armor.
Fixed Armaments: Mobile suit mode: 4x heavy vulcans, fire-linked mounted in head; 2x Virtue beam cannons, mounted on hips. Mobile armor mode: 2x Virtue beam cannons; 1x precision cutting laser; 1x Fortressa-type beam shield*; 1x mega-particle beam cannon
Optional Hand Armaments: 1x beam rifle, hand carried in use; 1x mega-particle beam cannon, hand carried in use; 1x Fortressa-type beam shield, attached to mega-particle beam cannon; 2x machine pistols, hand carried in use; 4x Master-type beam sabers*, hand-carried in use; 1x heavy machinegun, hand carried in use.
Pilot(s): Shinn Asuka


*The "Fortressa-type beam shield" operates on the same principle as CE beam weaponry--it contains a small quantity of ignited plasma inside of a magnetic field. The Fortressa uses a total of 4 stabilizing devices to maintain the integrity of the beam-shield. A beam shield requires at least two stabilizers to maintain stability, but generally has three to allow the beam shield to expand to the greatest possible radius. The fourth stabilizer is generally used as a spare. In the illustration above, the beam shield is set at it's middle range. Active, the beam shield can expand to 150% of the illustrated size, or retract to only 50%. If a stabilizer is destroyed, the magnetic field will destabilize, and the uncontained plasma may damage the Kestrel itself before it dissipates.


*Essentially, they "Master-type beam sabers" have enhanced magnetic-field projection techniques, allowing the blade to extend to very long lengths, like a spear or a lance, or retract to very short lengths to form knives or shortswords. In addition, the magnetic field can be made to temporarily destabilize, resulting in a loss of rigidity in the blade. By rapidly stabilizing and destabilizing the field, the blade can become flexible, like a whip, without the plasma energy held inside dissipating.

[Antares]

Awesome design. Also incorporated interesting tech, I especially like the multi-purpose beam saber. Although I do have to ask where does that whooping big cannon go when it transforms?

[Mwulf]

Er... when it's transformed, the whopping big cannon is the whole front-half of the fighter. The whole nose, ya' know.

When it's a mobile suit, the big cannon is essentially a giant rifle, which requires to hands to hold. It's a bit too big to be mounted on a hardpoint... just think of it as analogous to Zeta's Mega Beam Launcher.

[Antares]

Okay, right. I was more interested on the mobile suit form, since, as you say, I thought it was too big for a hardpoint. A separate weapon, then, that's fine. I am satisfied... for now.

[Mwulf]

EDIT: This is post no. 111! That's one gross! Wheee~!

All righty... it took a bit of time to get the colors right, not to mention the actual design, but I've finally "finished" another MS that I'm pretty happy with.

But first, the boring stuff.

Beam Shields 1
Beam Shields 2
Beam Shields 3

These are basically just conceptual images I was playing around with in paint of the same type of beam-shield as seen on the Kestrel. Different shapes, appearances, configurations, etc.

Now, for the "new" and exciting stuff!

One of the first designs I posted here, way back at the beginning of this thread, was the NTX-12 Angelwing. Well, time passed and I slowly got slightly better at this gig, and I started to really dislike how the Angelwing looked. It just didn't have that special "zing" I wanted for a villain suit. Since I've been making some decent progress with Fates of late, I've set out to re-design the Angelwing... and I'm quite pleased with the results.

I wanted to make it look as menacing as possible, while still retaining the basic design theme prevalent in other designs of the same manufacturer--notably the Janissary and Janissary-Kai. In addition, I wanted each aspect of the design to feel like it belonged, especially since I was slapping on elements of a half-dozen other mobile suits into some bizzare chimera of a design.

So, without further procrastination, I present the re-made JAS-NTX-12 Angelwing, in its Loussier-Custom colors.

NTX-12 Angelwing Loussier Colors (Armor) Bare
NTX-12 Angelwing Loussier Colors (Armor) Wings Folded
NTX-12 Angelwing Loussier Colors (Armor) Wings Half-Open
NTX-12 Angelwing Loussier Colors (Armor) Wings Open
NTX-12 Angelwing Loussier Colors Bare
NTX-12 Angelwing Loussier Colors Wings Folded
NTX-12 Angelwing Loussier Colors Wings Half-Open
NTX-12 Angelwing Loussier Colors Wings Open

Of those, I'd say the 2nd pic (Angeling Armor, Wings Folded) is my personal favourite... there's something about it that feels very intimidating to me.

Basically, the "Armor" version is just a standard Angelwing with a bit of extra armor around the head, torso, shoulders and hips. Not enough to make it look all that different at a glance, but enough to give it a slightly different feel from the "normal" Angelwing.

Insofar as the Angelwing is concerned, I still have at least two different color schemes to figure out, and possibly 1-2 variants, if time and patience allows. Next on my list, still, is the Elmeth, followed by a more recent idea for an fighter-craft utilizing AMBAC. And, of course, I'll likely touch up the Kestrel's MS mode to make it look a bit better sometime later, too.

[Mwulf]

Looks like no one likes the new Angelwing.

Again, the "Armor" version is just a standard Angelwing with a bit of extra armor around the head, torso, shoulders and hips. Not enough to make it look all that different at a glance, but enough to give it a slightly different feel from the "normal" Angelwing. Well, that and the mono-eye. I tried to make it look similar to the Janissary-Kai, from a while back.

NTX-12 Angelwing Red Custom Colors (Armor) Bare
NTX-12 Angelwing Red Custom Colors (Armor) Wings Folded
NTX-12 Angelwing Red Custom Colors (Armor) Wings Half-Open
NTX-12 Angelwing Red Custom Colors (Armor) Wings Open
NTX-12 Angelwing Red Custom Colors Bare
NTX-12 Angelwing Red Custom Colors Wings Folded
NTX-12 Angelwing Red Custom Colors Wings Half-Open
NTX-12 Angelwing Red Custom Colors Wings Open

Then, just for kicks, I made an image of the Angelwing with all of the different layers combined--I have a seperate layer for each of the different components, to make it easy to move back and forth. Basically, that means Angelwing+Armor+Folded Wings+Half-Open Wings+Open Wings. All those funnels start to look like feathers.... ~__~

Angelwing All-Layer Concept (Red)
Angelwing All-Layer Concept (White)

And finally, a simple comparison between the old design and the new one (quite a bit is different).

Old and New Angelwing Comparison

[OddlucK]

Looks like no one likes the new Angelwing.

Actually, I like it quite a bit. Sorry I didn't comment when you first posted it. I remember wanting to say more than just "Nice!" but was short on time.

Anyway, nice job. I particularly like the new legs (not sure what it is, but they look really cool).

[Antares]

Actually I also agree; it is pretty good. The newer version seems more solid and the darker color-scheme isn't quite as glaring as the first one. So don't feel bad, have cocoa!

[Mwulf]

Hehe... thanks.

Once again I have something... different to share. This time it's not a mobile suit... or a mobile armor... or a warship.

I'll go into the history of it later, but for the moment let me say that I tried to design the "perfect" weapon for a mobile suit, looking primarily and MS combat as it exists in the Universal Century between ZZ Gundam and Crossbone/Victory Gundam.

As I see it, there are three main points.

1. Remote Weaponry plays a VERY big role in combat, at both long and medium/short ranges.

2. Compact. Weapons become increasingly compact, while at the same time becoming more powerful.

3. Versatility. This is especially evident in Crossbone, where you find beam sabers that double as beam pistols and beam rifles, but it is also present in Zeta and (IIRC) ZZ.

The device I imagine has no exact name at the moment, but I have been calling it a "Psycommu Sword". The basic principle is a funnel (remote weapon) that can be utilised as both a sword and a beam rifle, though to be perfectly honest, the latter was a bit of an afterthought.

Psycommu Sword Funnel

This is the simplest, smallest version. Just a funnel. Doesn't look like much, does it? Basically, there are three visible components here. The two "blades" on either side (that would contain thrusters, heat sinks, etc.) that brace a central column, which would contain the power source and fuel storage. At the top end of the column is a small beam rifle, at the bottom is a small movable thruster. Again, at this point there's not much to look at. You may want to take note of the very slight asymmetry.

Pyscommu Sword Sword

Now things are getting a bit more complex. This is the Psycommu Sword... as an actual sword. A very long handle extends out from the central column (its extra length designed to give the blade more leverage) while the large thruster that was at the rear of the the funnel swivels to the side, where it can be used to increase the velocity of the blade mid-swing. Additionally, the dozens of smaller thrusters that undoubtedly cover the surface of the "blade" can be activated, making for incredibly agile displays of swordsmanship. The hilt of the blade is actually made of two components. The middle part extends outward from the blade, while the tip simply rotates outward.

So far as the blade is concerned, with both the funnel and sword variations, the beam-rifle can only be fired when the central column is exposed. Closed, an energy blade can easily form, which is the main property of the sword, but can also be used for the funnel to pierce through targets rather than shooting them.

Psycommu Sword Beam Rifle

This is the beam rifle. I realize the butt/handle looks a bit bare, so I may add a separate component later, that exists only for the BR mode. It's essentially the same transformation as the sword, save that the Handle and thruster rotate 45 degrees to the side, and the hilts are different. The lower hilt extends straight down, while the tip of the upper hilt simply slides back, and a small targeting camera pops up.

Psycommu Sword Sheath

This is the second big part of the Psycommu Sword--the Sheath. It's designed to be attached to a mobile suit pretty much anywhere by way of a hardpoint--waist, leg, shoulders, back... wherever. The first three images show the sheath with the Psycommu Sword contained, the other two show it empty. Basically, the Sheath can either open at the top to allow the Pycommu Sword to be drawn out like a conventional sword, or the bottom part of the sheath can open up allowing the Psycommu Sword to be jettisoned like a funnel.

With only 4 moving parts, it's pretty simple.

So far as I can see, the combat potential of this type of weapon is virtually unlimited. From shotting funnel-blades through warships to engaging in duels with multiple MS simultaneously... I think it's pretty fun. While doing the design, I thought it'd look too out-of-place to pepper the necessary multitude of thrusters on the blade to get the kind of agility I want, so I made do with panel-lines.

I went a bit overboard, and soon enough I found the image looking surprisingly reminiscent of the animation in Turn-A. This led to the recoloring of the device into more CC colors. To be precise, I guess you'd say that in my mind, the ideal setting for this weapon is in the Correct Century, around the time the Turn A Gundam was first built.

~__~

Now, as for the history of the design... actually, all I set out to do was refine the funnel launch-mechanism of the Angelwing, in preperation for a custom-version with melee-focused funnels.

This is what I came up with:

Old PS Sword Shooting
Old PS Sword Closed
Old PS Sheath Closed
Old PS Sheath Open
Old PS Wings Half-Open

I wasn't really satisfied with how the design turned out, so I kept changning it, and a few hours later I finished the final concept you see now. At first glance, it may not seem like much... but it took a LOT of time to do. For an idea of just how much time, here's a quick pic. of all the different components that make up the sword:

Psycommu Sword Components

Each different item was a different layer. Constantly being swapped, modified, rotated and redesigned. o__O

...

My next big thing is, again, nothing "ordinary." --But it does have more of a purpose. Think architecture. Of the really, really big variety.

[Yuusha Tokkyu Might Gaine]

I am totally digging that sword.

If you take requests, think you can make a suit mounted up with one of those?

[Mwulf]

All right... I'm tired, so I'm gonna keep it brief.

I am totally digging that sword.

If you take requests, think you can make a suit mounted up with one of those?

I have an idea I'll draw up later. While determining this idea, I basically created in my head designs for a light, medium and heavy type of mobile suit. The Psycommu sword would be the primary weapon of the light mobile suit.

That said, I set out to take my idea of the heavy mobile-suit and put it to paper. Uh... ones and zeros.

Here it is:

Valk Quadarm "Eaglin" Concept
(low-resolution version)

Valk Quadarm "Eaglin" Concept with Assault Cannon Active
(low-resolution version)

Basically I tried to design a mobile suit that I would HATE to have to fight against. It's big, it's got armor--and it's got an extra set of hands!

A few notes:

-2 Pilot concept. Primary pilot controls secondary (interior) set of arms and movement. Secondary pilot controls primary (outer) set of arms, and the main weapon and targetting systems.

-Fixed armaments include a heavy-assault cannon, w/ a built in Beampulse Emitter, as well as 2 beampulse emitters embedded in the left section of the torso.

-4 hardpoints on the legs (@knee and thighs) hold small variable pistols. Similar to the Psycommu Sword, these variable pistols can quickly change into short beam-scimitars. (I'll draw 'em up later).

-A heavy machine-gun mounted on a hardpoint on the Eaglin's rear back, hand-carried in use. The outer (primary) set of arms and legs have enough mass and armor to be considered potent weapons in their own right.

-Kind of a mono-eye/visor sensor in the head... kind of odd.



Lemme know what ya' think.

[Destroy Gundam]

Just how tall is that thing? It looks like it could squash the Psyco Gundam or a Destroy Gundam. I like the way it looks, though. Definately something that would take one heck of a fight to take down.

[Draco Starcloud]

I'm with DG here. The pattern on the armor makes it look like Unicron or the Death Star.