RMS-179 GM II Semi Striker – MechaBay | Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn

The RMS-179 GM II Semi Striker was a custom close combat mobile suit created at Torrington Base by reusing spare parts from existing machines.

The “R” in the model code meant it was a Federation model¹ and the “MS” indicated that it was a mobile suit. The “179” in the model number denoted it was developed from the RMS-179 GM II. The model number remained unchanged from the original GM II as it was a field modification rather than a new design.

History

The RMS-179 GM II Semi Striker was a field modification of the standard RMS-179 GM II created by the Earth Federation Forces’ Torrington Base. The unit was created by reusing spare parts from existing machines, thus its model number remained unchanged from the original GM II.

Its name “Semi Striker” came about due to its appearance, which shared visual similarities with the RGM-79FP GM Striker due to the modified shoulder armour and twin beam spear. The unit featured extra armour on its shoulders and was equipped with the twin beam spear from the GM Striker, which gave the suit its Semi Striker nickname.

The GM II Semi Striker participated in the defence of Torrington Base when Zeon Remnants attacked in UC 0096. During the assault, a GM II Semi Striker was deployed and seen battling against the MS-08TX/S Efreet Schneid in close quarters combat. However, it was quickly dispatched by the superior Efreet Schneid, demonstrating the limitations of the hastily modified machine against more advanced enemy units.

Design

The RMS-179 GM II Semi Striker was created as a custom RMS-179 GM II by reusing spare parts from existing machines at Torrington Base. It shared the same performance, power output, acceleration, and sensor range as the standard GM II, but its OS was rewritten to specialise in close-combat.

The GM II Semi Striker’s shoulder armour was refitted with armour plates that resembled those of the RGM-79FP GM Striker, though they did not have the same functionality. Its left arm was equipped with a gauntlet-like shield similar to the FA-78-1 Full Armor Gundam. These modifications were intended to improve the mobile suit’s close-combat capabilities.

The mobile suit retained the GM II’s ultracompact Minovsky fusion reactor that generated an output of 1,518 kW. It had an array of rocket thrusters that generated 62,000 kg of total thrust. The mobile suit’s sensors had a detection range of 8,800 metres.

The GM II Semi Striker featured the panoramic monitor/linear seat cockpit standard to the GM II series, providing the pilot with enhanced situational awareness through 360-degree visibility.

Armaments

The GM II Semi Striker’s armaments were specialised for close combat, featuring enhanced melee weapons while retaining some ranged capability.

60 mm vulcan guns

A pair of shell-firing armament built into the head. While having low offensive power, they were used to restrict enemy movement and lay down a wall of suppressive fire due to their rapid fire capability. They were ideal for shooting down small, lightly armoured targets such as missiles, attack vehicles, and aircraft.

Beam saber

The standard close range armament for most Federation mobile suits, the GM II Semi Striker had one beam saber stored on its backpack. The beam saber was a small device held in the mobile suit’s hands when operated and was powered by a rechargeable energy capacitor. The beam saber emitted a blade of plasma contained by an I-Field and could cut through most armour not treated with anti-beam coating.

Twin beam spear

A pole-arm weapon derived from the RX-78-2 Gundam’s beam javelin, it was an extendable rod with a pair of movable beam sabers at its tip. When the two beam sabers were pointing straight ahead, the weapon was in ‘Rod Mode’ and ‘Scythe Mode’ was when the beam sabers were pointing sideways. The long reach of the weapon gave the GM II Semi Striker an advantage in melee combat, allowing it to engage enemies at greater distances than conventional beam sabers.

The twin beam spear featured a built-in variable gimmick at the beam base, making it possible to fix the beam blades vertically and horizontally for different combat situations.

Small shield

A shield mounted on the left forearm, it was made of Gundarium alloy. Due to its small size, the shield was extremely manoeuvrable and effective in close combat. The compact design allowed for quick defensive movements without compromising the mobile suit’s agility in close-quarters combat.

Beam rifle

The GM II Semi Striker could be equipped with a beam rifle for ranged combat. This provided the mobile suit with some mid-range capability when the tactical situation required it, though its primary role remained close combat.

Bazooka

The mobile suit could also carry a bazooka as an optional armament. The bazooka was stored on the underside of the shield when not in use and could be mounted on the beam rifle for operation. This weapon provided the Semi Striker with heavy firepower capabilities when needed.

Known pilots

Records of specific pilots who operated the GM II Semi Striker during the defence of Torrington Base remain classified or lost in the aftermath of the Laplace Incident.

Behind the scenes

The GM II Semi Striker was designed for Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn. The original mechanical designer is not specifically credited, though it was derived from the existing GM II design.

The mobile suit’s design incorporated elements from the RGM-79FP GM Striker, including the twin beam spear and shoulder armour styling, creating a visual connection between the earlier One Year War unit and the later UC 0096 modification.

Appearances

Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn

External links

RMS-179 GM II Semi-Striker on the Gundam Wiki
RMS-179 GM II Semi Striker on MAHQ

Federation in Japanese is renpou, hence the use of “R”. ↩