MS-14S Gelgoog Commander Type – MechaBay

The MS-14S Gelgoog Commander Type was a commander’s high efficiency mobile suit developed by the Principality of Zeon through its Zeonic division. It served as the prototype for the mass-produced MS-14A Gelgoog.

The “MS” in the type code indicated it was a mobile suit. The “14” model number denoted it was the fourteenth design for this type, and the “S” variant code identified it as a commander type.¹

It was intitially designated as YMS-14, with the “YMS” meaning it was a prototype mobile suit.

History

After the Earth Federation deployed the RX-78-2 Gundam during the One Year War, Zeon changed its mobile suit development plans. Work on the high-performance mobile suit MS-11 Gelgoog was cancelled in favor of developing mobile suits capable of using handheld beam weapons. The model number MS-11 was reassigned to the Act Zaku.

Zeonic rebooted the Gelgoog project as the fourteenth line of mobile suits, leading to the prototype YMS-14. In October UC 0079, thirty units entered production. Twenty-nine units were assigned to Zeon’s elite Ace Corps in the Corregidor Shoal Zone for field testing. The remaining unit went to ace pilot Char Aznable, who customised it with his signature red paint scheme.

After successful testing in Corregidor, the twenty-nine Gelgoog units received the designation MS-14S Gelgoog Commander Type and entered active combat service.

Design

The MS-14S Gelgoog Commander Type incorporated energy cap-based armaments to fulfill Zeon’s goal of equipping its new mobile suits with handheld beam weaponry.

The Gelgoog matched and in some ways exceeded the capabilities of the Federation’s RX-78-2 Gundam. It boasted superior speed, higher power plant output, and more beam weapons. These advantages became evident during the first clash between the two units in the One Year War.

However, that battle also revealed the Gelgoog’s weaknesses. Its super-hard steel alloy armor proved inferior to the Gundam’s Luna Titanium alloy armor. The lack of fixed armaments also left it vulnerable when disarmed.

Armaments

The Gelgoog Commander Type’s standard weapons were a beam rifle for ranged attacks and a twin beam sword for melee combat.

Twin beam sword

The twin beam sword, sometimes called a “beam naginata”, featured a handle approximately twice the length of standard beam saber hilts. It contained beam emitters at both ends that could generate beam blades using I-field technology to contain and shape plasma. The weapon could cut through most armor not treated with anti-beam coating.

The pilot could activate either one or both beam emitters, allowing the weapon to function as either a single-bladed halberd or double-bladed staff. When not in use, it was stored in a recharge rack on the Gelgoog’s back.

Beam rifle

The Gelgoog series marked Zeon’s first mass-produced mobile suits equipped with beam rifles. The weapon’s development incorporated Federation energy cap technology obtained through Side 6. The rifle fired compressed mega particles capable of penetrating all but specially treated materials.

Shield

The Gelgoog Commander Type could mount a large oval shield on its arm for enhanced protection. The shield featured anti-beam coating and could withstand significant physical damage. When not in use, it could be stored on the mobile suit’s back.

Known pilots

Char Aznable
Robert Gilliam
Hal Vizardt

Behind the scenes

Okawara Kunio was the original mechanical designer.

The twin beam sword’s blade color changed from blue in the TV series to yellow in Mobile Suit Gundam III: Encounters in Space. However, recycled footage from the TV series caused the blades to appear blue in one scene before changing to yellow in the next.

In the flashback scene in Char’s Counterattack, the twin beam sword had blue blades, despite the scene featuring the Core Booster from Encounters in Space.

Appearances

Mobile Suit Gundam
Mobile Suit Gundam: Char’s Counterattack
Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn
Mobile Suit Gundam Twilight Axis
Gundam Crisis

External links

MS-14S Gelgoog Commander Type on the Gundam Wiki
MS-14S Gelgoog Commander Type on MAHQ

Commander in Japanese is shirei-kan, hence the use of “S”. ↩