December release: Entry Grade Strike Gundam (Lite Package Ver.) (Gunda

Details

Manufacturer: Bandai

Series: Entry Grade , EX4

Original: Mobile Suit Gundam

Release Date: Dec(Sep. 17, 2021 Pre-order start.)

List Price: 550yen about 4.83USD

Sales Price: 450yen about 3.95USD

Accessories

・ Instruction manual x 1

・ Armor Schneider x 2

Technology & Combat Characteristics

The Strike Gundam is the most versatile of the five Gundams in the Earth Alliance's G Project and can be easily configured for various types of combat. Using its Striker Packs, it can be outfitted for high mobility combat (Aile Strike), long-range assault (Launcher Strike), or melee combat (Sword Strike). In addition, the Striker packs are also equipped with backup batteries that can extend the Strike's operation time. Built on the X100 series frame first adopted by the GAT-X102 Duel Gundam, the Strike also has the Phase Shift armor system. In terms of armament, the Strike itself is equipped only with two head-mounted CIWS and a pair of combat knives stored in the side skirt armor, but it can also be armed with a bazooka, a shield, and a beam rifle. Later on, the Strike Gundam was equipped with a Natural-use OS to allow its new pilot, Mu La Flaga, to control the suit effectively.

Armaments

"Igelstellung" 75mm multi-barrel Anti Air CIWS

Anti-aircraft defense cannons mounted on both sides of the head. These light projectile weapons are used to intercept missiles, to destroy lightly armored vehicles, etc.

"Armor Schneider" Combat Knife

Stored in the Strike's side skirt armor are a pair of folding "Armor Schneider" combat knives. These knives do not need power from the suit, can be thrown, and their blades vibrate at high speed allowing them to pierce through most armor except PS armor.

57mm High-energy Beam Rifle

The Strike's primary ranged weapon, it can be stored on the side skirt armor, and can easily destroy a ZGMF-1017 GINN with one shot, but is mostly ineffective against suits with anti-beam coating. It has an additional handle that can shift to the side and is often used for extra stability when the Strike is firing its rifle rapidly.

Bazooka

An optional ranged weapon, the bazooka fires explosive shells and is loaded with four magazines. As it is a conventional weapon, it does not draw power from the Strike's battery and this results in extended combat endurance. Another advantage is that the bazooka can be used underwater, unlike a beam rifle. The disadvantage of the weapon is that its greater size and weight makes it somewhat less mobile than the beam rifle. In the manga Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Re:, the Bazooka had an alternate Shrapnel munition.

Shield

A piece of equipment designed to increase the Strike's defensive capability, it is mounted on the left forearm and/or handheld. The shield does not have phase shift armor, so it is not as durable as the Strike's armor, but it also does not drain energy each time it is hit. The shield's major advantage is that it is anti-beam coated and can block or deflect beam weapon attacks, against which phase shift armor is ineffective. The same shield is also used by GAT-X102 Duel Gundam and other mobile suits.

XM404 "Grand Slam" Anti-Ship Sword

A large sword developed by the ZAFT, but used by the Strike to take down enemy mobile suits.

MMI-M100 190mm Anti-aircraft Shotgun

A weapon picked up from a wrecked AMF-101 DINN and used to destroy the UMF-4A GOOhN.

Saber for Mock Battle

Equipment used in a mock battle with the ZGMF-X10A Freedom Gundam in [3].

Special Equipment & Features

Hardpoints for Striker Packs

The key feature of the Strike is its ability to equip additional equipment in the form of striker packs. Each striker pack is designed to outfit the Strike with the equipment needed to fulfill specific combat roles with maximum efficiency.

Phase Shift armor

As with all of the G Project mobile suits, the Strike is equipped with Phase Shift armor. When this armor is activated, the Strike's color changed from a light grey to a white scheme with a bit of blue and red mixed in. The Phase Shift armor renders the Strike immune to physical attacks such as bullets, sword slashes, missiles, etc. However, Phase Shift armor continually drains the battery of energy, shortening the mobile suit's combat endurance, and uses up additional energy when it is hit.

History

To counter ZAFT's advanced mobile suits during the First Alliance-PLANT War, the Earth Alliance's Atlantic Federation secretly collaborated with Morgenroete to develop their own series of mobile suits under the G Project. In January CE 71, five prototype suits were secretly rolled out at the space colony Heliopolis. ZAFT however became aware of these machines, infiltrated the colony on January 25, and stole four of the suits. The only machine to remain out of ZAFT's hands was the Strike, which was first piloted by Murrue Ramius, an EA lieutenant, and then by a civilian Coordinator named Kira Yamato. Kira used the suit to fight against the invading ZAFT forces although he could not prevent the destruction of the colony. Following this battle, the Strike was entrusted to Kira. Thus, Kira joined the crew of the Archangel and fought against the pursuing ZAFT forces both in space and later on Earth.

During the ship's journey to the EA's JOSH-A base in Alaska, Kira battled and defeated several ZAFT ace pilots, including Andrew Waltfeld and the ZAFT Reds who piloted the four stolen Gundams. On April 17, Kira fought an intense battle against his former friend Athrun Zala in his GAT-X303 Aegis. In this battle, the Strike was severely damaged, although its remains were salvaged by the Orb Union. Kira himself was rescued by Junk Guild member Lowe Guele and brought to PLANT, where he stole the ZGMF-X10A Freedom Gundam with the help of Lacus Clyne.

The Orb Union eventually rebuilt the Strike from the damaged remains and loaded it with the newly developed Natural-use OS. Following the defection of the Archangel crew who sought refuge at Orb in early June, the Strike became the personal mobile suit of ace pilot Mu La Flaga. Mu's Strike sparred with Kira's Freedom (at the end of Gundam SEED Phase 37) and was also involved in the battle to protect Orb against the Alliance's invasion. Sometime later, Mu used the Launcher Strike in the battle against his long-time rival Rau Le Creuset, who was piloting the new ZAFT MS, ZGMF-600 GuAIZ. During the final battle of the war, the Strike was heavily damaged by the superior ZGMF-X13A Providence Gundam piloted by Rau, forcing Mu to retreat Archangel. Before he could enter the ship, he protected the ship from a positron blast from the EA ship Dominion. The positron blast destroyed the Strike but Mu managed to survive the blast.

During the Second Battle of Jachin Due, another Strike, called the MBF-02 Strike Rouge, was built by Orb and piloted by Cagalli Yula Athha. After the war, as part of the "Actaeon Project" MS development plan, at least one other Strike was re-manufactured. This unit was piloted by Phantom Pain pilot, Sven Cal Bayang, and had darker phase-shifted colors to better balance energy consumption and armor strength. Sven's Strike Gundam is usually in the form of the Strike Gundam IWSP, which is later upgraded to the more powerful GAT-X105E Strike E, and subsequently, the GAT-X105E+AQM/E-X09S Strike Noir Gundam.

Due to the Strike's successful design, it became the archetype for the majority of the Earth Alliance's mass-produced mobile suits from the GAT-01 Strike Dagger to the GAT-04 Windam. ZAFT would also take the principles of the Strike's Striker Pack feature and use it as the basis for their Wizard packs for their new ZAKU mobile suits.

Note: the body text above is of the Strike Gundam.

Entry Grade (EG) (エントリーグレード Entorī Gurēdo?) is a line of 1/144 scale Gunpla kits of the Mobile Suits from the Gundam meta series. Introduced in 2011 and made in China, the line was marketed to emerging markets in Asia. EG kits are similar to First Grade or No Grade 1/144 series Gunpla kits, wherein they contain no polycaps and are molded in only three colors. Each kit comes with a parts separator, which eliminates the need for a pair of nippers. Articulation is limited to the neck, shoulders, hips and ankles; limbs are molded in 1-3 pieces each and are hollow on one side. These kits sold at under US$5.00 at toy stores, and only four models were released. In parts of Asia, these kits are given for free to customers who register with the local Bandai mailing list during special Gunpla promotional events.

In 2020, Bandai Spirits rebooted the Entry Grade line with kits for the Kamen Rider, Dragon Ball, Doraemon, Ultraman, Pac-Man, My Hero Academia, Detective Conan, and Kirby franchises. The new Entry Grade line features advanced color separation, articulation and proportions equivalent to most High Grade kits. Similar to the 2011 releases, nipper is not needed. However, instead of using a parts separator, gates of plate runners have been redesigned such that parts can be removed by hand.

Credits

Details - 1999.co.jp

Images - Hobby link japan

Body text - Gundam Fandom