RB-79 Ball Capital Ship Point Defense Spacecraft General Data and Attributes

Manufacturer: Earth Federal Forces, Black Market Dimensions: Overall Height 8.8 meters Weight: max gross 25.0 metric tons Armor Materials: Titanium alloy Powerplant: Battery & solar powered Propulsion: 2x 12000kg thrusters   • 11x maneuvering thrusters Attributes   • Theatres: Space   • Speed: Very Poor   • Maneuverability: Average   • Armor: Terrible +

Design Features   • Mass Produced   • Note that Balls are Spacecraft, but can be placed in specialized Ball hangar slots. Fixed Armaments   • None

Optional Armaments

Turret Options (1) • 150mm Cannon Turret • 60mm AA Machinegun Turret • Minelayer Attachment Body Options (1) • High Powered Winch • 3-tube Grenade Launcher • Welding Torch

Optional Equipment (1)   using reduces speed • Metal Debris

Technical and Historical Data One of the chief machines utilized in colony construction is the SP-04W construction pod. The spherical hull is equipped with two arms and various assembly and repair gear, and is frequently seen at work along a colony's exterior. Given the Federation's penchant for finding unusual weapons platforms, it wasn't long before they took the humble worker pod up for a design of their own. The RB-79 "Ball" as it is affectionately called is exactly that: an armed ball. The two manipulator arms were kept from the original construction pod design. A thin armor plating has been added across the hull, designed to give the Ball at least some rudimentary protection from enemy fire. Since the release of the Ball, many black market designers quickly copied the design. Old colony construction pods can easily be converted into Balls. Balls tend to only have a single primary weapon, either a modified tank cannon for fighting mobile suits or a 60mm vulcan battery for hitting incoming spacecraft. However, veteran Ball pilots are known to be somewhat inventive with their pods, carrying spare sheet metal as shields and using construction equipment like winches and welding torches as improvised weaponry. On rare occasions Balls are used as minelaying platforms. Though originally intended to be their own attack units, the Ball's terrible speed and maneuverability had them quickly pulled back to act as point-defense units for Federation warships, freeing up otherwise engaged Saberfish fighters or GM mobile suits to fight the enemy. Image Gallery

Vulcan equipped "Ball K" Minelayer "Ball M"

Ball Cockpit High Powered Winch