Hope everyone’s having a great summer, it’s been a very busy one for us! For this month’s MechaStellar roster update we are featuring Gundam Sentinel, a sidestory set in the Zeta era. A fan favorite story, it features mass-produced Zeta and ZZ Gundams as well as the all new Superior (S) Gundam, it was also the launching point for legendary mecha designer Hajime Katoki (and you’ll see many concepts in Sentinel made their way into Katoki’s designs in 0083).
Gundam Sentinel features a splinter group of Titans and Earth Federation Officers that go by the name “New Desides” a portmanteau of New Decision and New Dissidents. After seeing the Federation Government disavow the Titans and support the AEUG, the New Desides staged a rebellion at Pezun (a strategic base for Zeon in the OYW) using the last designs Zeon produced, the Xeku series.
These bulky suits pack some incredible firepower, the Type III equipment includes a heavy duty machine gun and bazooka while the Type II features a beam smartgun. Beam Smartguns were introduced in Sentinel but the tech is based off of deflection mega particle cannons that were noted in the technical notes for the original Mobile Suit Gundam. The Beam Smartgun utilizes a deflecting field that allows it to change the trajectory of the beam without needing to change the barrel itself. In Mobile Suit Gundam, seeing where the enemy is aiming is rather crucial to dodging the very deadly megaparticle beams so the beam smartguns provide an advantage.
The Xeku’s aren’t the only ones sporting beam smartguns, the Zeta Plus C1 type also has them as well as the S Gundam and it’s upgraded form the Ex-S Gundam which has one of the strongest beam rifles in all of UC Gundam. It also sports a quasi-psycommu system and INCOMs, the oldtype version of Funnels. If you like heavy firepower both the S and the Ex-S Gundam will provide your Federation or AEUG forces powerful long range beam support and exceptional mobility.
The Ex-S is opposed by the Gundam MK-V delivered to the New Desides. The MK-V has INCOMs as well as powerful beam sabers and a powerful shield with built in thrusters. The extreme speed of the MK-V allows it to take on an entire team of the FA-010A FAZZ (a rushed mass produced variant of the FA-010S Full Armor ZZ Gundam).
Sentinel is a great series and recently received an updated English translation. Give it a read if you haven’t yet and have fun fielding these mobile suits on the tabletop!
Summary of Updates
- 8 Units for the Zeta era including the New Desides Xeku Eins as well as the Super Gundam and it’s Ex-S upgrade.
- 4 Warships for Neo Zeon, 2 for the AEUG and 1 for the Titans, the indefatigable Dogosse Giar.
MechaStellar 