|
RX-274R Gundam Mark IV "Siren"
Model number: RX-274R
The Gundam Mark IV, nicknamed "Siren" by its developers, is an eccentric design developed near the end of the Second Space War era by the famous mobile suit research and manufacturing conglomerate Anaheim Electronics. Though antiquated by modern standards, the Mark IV was one of the highest-performing units of its time, and in spite of a handful of idiosyncratic limitations is still easily an effective and capable combatant in the UC 240s. Although classified as a Gundam by the U.N.T. Spacy, other than the signature "V-fin" antenna the mobile suit has more in common with certain contemporary mobile weapons designed and used by space rebels. The transformation system was borrowed almost verbatim from the mobile armor PMX-000 Messala, while the handheld and fixed weaponry were aggregated from several designs belonging to both space rebel forces and the United Nations' military. When in the transformed mobile armor mode, the Mark IV features exceptional speed and acceleration thanks to the massive thrusters that make up most of its backpack area, while its mobile suit form is endowed with great mobility and the ability to use a variety of handheld weapons while being significantly smaller in overall dimensions than the ponderously-sized mobile weapons it was developed from. The "Siren" is extremely well equipped for short to medium-range combat. Two giant scattering beam cannons are mounted in the tops of its boost binders, which can be fired in both transformation modes. Although limited in overall range, the enormous diffusion effect creates a huge shotgun-like blast that can easily destroy multiple enemy units that are in a close formation or grouped together. Beam sabers are stored on the interior of the Mark IV's shoulder maneuvering surfaces, and a pair of standard vulcan guns are mounted in the head for local defense. Optionally, the "Siren" may also arm a large-capacity grenade launcher on one or both arms, giving it excellent suppression capability at closer distances, while a shield mounting a potent beam cannon can be attached to one or both shoulders, although this option replaces the beam saber's mount on that side. Finally, the Mark IV may pick from two different types of handheld beam rifles. The long-barreled cavalier rifle exhibits great firepower and a long effective range thanks to minimum beam diffusion, making it the "Siren"'s only weapon for extended range engagements. Closer in, the Mark IV may use the eccentric "knuckle buster", a fast-firing beam machine gun that can be used as a melee weapon by deploying a large beam sword instead, allowing for a very nasty change-up by the mobile suit's pilot. Because it was developed primarily as a testbed unit, the "Siren" exhibits several extraneous features that likely would not be found on a combat production mobile suit. There are several cockpit data and voice recorders, intended to bring back maneuvering and system information to the reseach staff, as well as a number of left-over macro programs designed to test various features of the mobile suit that would serve no purpose in a battle situation. Finally, the Mark IV's ejection system separates the entire elongated portion of the mobile suit's torso, rather than just the internal "cockpit ball", in order to preserve recorded data and allow for increased rescue durations - a private company, even one as large as Anaheim was, likely wouldn't be able to pick up a downed pilot as quickly as a military space force could.
Cavalier rifle Grenade launcher Knuckle buster Rear view (mobile armor mode) Shield Typical full equipment |
