XXXG-01H2 Gundam Heavyarms Custom
Trowa's space-optimised Heavyarms with twin beam gatling.
The XXXG-01H2 Gundam Heavyarms Custom was the upgraded form of the XXXG-01H Gundam Heavyarms introduced in Mobile Suit Gundam Wing. Piloted by Trowa Barton, it was upgraded by Mike Howard aboard the battleship Peacemillion in AC 195. Modified for space combat, it featured enhanced verniers for zero-gravity mobility and an upgraded twin beam gatling with superior firepower to the original’s beam gatling.
Overview
An upgrade of the Heavyarms to make it suitable for space combat, the Heavyarms Custom featured minor changes to its armor and added verniers on the front and rear skirt armor as well as on top of the backpack to enhance its mobility in zero-gravity environments. Its armaments were unchanged with the exception of the beam gatling, which was upgraded into the more powerful twin beam gatling.
The twin beam gatling, consisting of two beam gatlings integrated with a shield, possessed better rapid-fire capability, attack range, and destructive power compared to the original Heavyarms’ beam gatling. However, the added barrel increased the weapon’s overall weight, making it more difficult to wield. Despite this, Trowa Barton’s exceptional piloting skills allowed him to utilize the weapon effectively.
Like its predecessor, the Heavyarms Custom possessed firepower comparable to multiple battleships, enabling it to devastate enemy mobile doll squadrons and suppress enemy forces through overwhelming firepower.
Design
Concept and development
When Trowa Barton left Earth with the other Gundam pilots, he left his Gundam Heavyarms hidden away on Earth, both to avoid detection and due to the fact it was not built to operate in outer space. Trowa infiltrated OZ and became one of their top soldiers, taking the Vayeate as his mobile suit. Later, during the battle with Quatre Raberba Winner, Trowa seemingly sacrificed himself in hope of bringing Quatre back from insanity caused by the ZERO System. Trowa was presumed deceased but later resurfaced suffering from memory loss, thus forgetting where he had hidden the Heavyarms.
Sally Po eventually located the Heavyarms and gave it to Heero Yuy to take up to space. It was brought to the battleship Peacemillion where Gundam supporter Mike Howard upgraded the Heavyarms for space combat. Whilst the Heavyarms was undergoing modification into the Heavyarms Custom, Trowa took the Wing Gundam Zero to save a colony where Catherine Bloom and the rest of his adopted circus family were. During the battle, the effects of the ZERO System triggered Trowa’s lost memories, restoring them.
The upgrade focused on enhancing mobility in space through additional verniers whilst significantly increasing firepower with the twin beam gatling system. The mobile suit retained its Gundanium alloy construction.
Technical features
The Gundam Heavyarms Custom’s primary modifications centered on space combat capability. Additional verniers were added to the front and rear skirt armor and on top of the backpack, significantly enhancing the mobile suit’s mobility in zero-gravity environments. These thruster improvements addressed the original Heavyarms’ limitations in space combat.
The armor received minor modifications to accommodate the enhanced propulsion systems whilst maintaining the mobile suit’s robust defensive capabilities. The extensive weapons systems remained intact, with all internal firearms, missiles, and the army knife carried over from the original design.
The cockpit configuration remained unchanged from the original Heavyarms, with a spherical capsule located in the torso featuring shock mitigation functions.
Armament
Twin Beam Gatling
The main armament of the Heavyarms Custom, consisting of two beam gatlings integrated with a shield. Compared to the original Heavyarms’ beam gatling, the twin beam gatling possessed better rapid-fire capability, attack range, and destructive power. However, the added barrel increased the weapon’s overall weight, making it more difficult to wield. Unlike the original beam gatling, the twin beam gatling did not have an optional foldable foregrip. The weapon’s devastating firepower enabled the Heavyarms Custom to suppress multiple enemies simultaneously.
Chest Gatling Guns
A pair of gatling guns mounted in the left and right chest, hidden by openable armor covers. They could be fired together with the machine cannons and vulcan guns to restrict enemy units from closing in, creating an impenetrable wall of fire at close range.
Homing Missiles
Six homing missiles stored within the shoulders, fired towards enemies with lock-on capability. These missiles provided guided anti-mobile suit capability.
Micro Missiles
Twenty-four micro missiles stored in two pods on the legs, providing saturation attack capability against multiple targets or to overwhelm point-defense systems.
Vulcan Guns
A pair of shell-firing armaments built into the head. Whilst possessing low offensive power, they were used to restrict enemy movement and lay down suppressive fire due to their rapid-fire capability.
Machine Cannons
Mounted on the clavicle section of the Heavyarms Custom, the pair of machine cannons possessed stronger firepower than the vulcan guns and could deal significant damage to lightly armored targets.
Army Knife
A Gundanium alloy knife fixed to the right arm. Despite its small size limiting its attack range, it had no problem slicing apart enemy mobile suits, providing close-combat capability when firearms were depleted.
Special equipment
Self-destruct system
The Gundam Heavyarms Custom was built with a self-destruct system that the pilot could activate via a remote detonator in the cockpit. The system was designed to overload the mobile suit’s power systems and had sufficient explosive power to destroy several city blocks.
Operational history
Eve Wars
Trowa Barton used the Heavyarms Custom during the battles against White Fang during the Eve Wars, the final conflict of AC 195. The mobile suit’s enhanced space combat capabilities and superior firepower proved highly effective against enemy mobile doll squadrons.
The Heavyarms Custom participated in the final battles to prevent White Fang’s Libra space fortress from dropping on Earth, utilizing its overwhelming firepower to clear paths through enemy forces. The twin beam gatling’s enhanced destructive power enabled the mobile suit to devastate large numbers of enemies in rapid succession.
Following the war’s conclusion, the Heavyarms Custom was presumably decommissioned along with the other Operation Meteor Gundams as symbols of the conflict’s end.
Production
Design and development
The Gundam Heavyarms Custom was designed by Okawara Kunio for the 1995 anime series Mobile Suit Gundam Wing. The design retained the overall silhouette and weapons placement of the original Heavyarms whilst adding visible thruster enhancements.
The twin beam gatling’s dual-barrel configuration emphasized the mobile suit’s enhanced firepower, with the integrated shield maintaining the weapon’s defensive utility. The “Custom” (or “Kai”, meaning “modified” in Japanese) designation indicated the mobile suit’s upgraded status.
Reception
The Gundam Heavyarms Custom became popular amongst fans for its enhanced firepower and space combat capabilities. The mobile suit has been featured in model kit releases and various video games, including Dynasty Warriors Gundam 3 and Mobile Suit Gundam Extreme Vs. 2 OverBoost.
In Dynasty Warriors Gundam 3, the Heavyarms Custom features the concealed beam saber briefly installed in the original Heavyarms as an attack, providing an additional weapon option not seen in the anime.
Specifications
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Model Number | XXXG-01H2 |
| Code Name | Gundam Heavyarms Custom |
| Unit Type | Custom heavy-firepower long-range attack mobile suit |
| Manufacturer | Mike Howard |
| Operator | G Team |
| Pilot | Trowa Barton |
| Overall Height | 16.7 metres |
| Weight | 8.2 tonnes |
| Armor Material | Gundanium alloy |
| Power Plant | Ultracompact fusion reactor |
| Accommodation | Pilot only, in spherical cockpit in torso |
| Fixed Armament | 2 × vulcan gun; 2 × machine cannon; 2 × chest gatling gun; 6 × homing missile; 24 × micro missile; army knife |
| Hand-carried Armament | Twin beam gatling with integrated shield |
| Special Equipment | Self-destruct system |
Appearances
The XXXG-01H2 Gundam Heavyarms Custom appeared in the following works:
- Mobile Suit Gundam Wing (anime series, episodes 44-49)
- Mobile Suit Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz (replaced by EW version)
- Mobile Suit Gundam Wing: Glory of the Losers (manga)
- Dynasty Warriors Gundam 3
- Dynasty Warriors Gundam Reborn
- Various video games including Mobile Suit Gundam Extreme Vs. 2 OverBoost and SD Gundam G Generation Cross Rays
External links
- XXXG-01H2 Gundam Heavyarms Custom at The Gundam Wiki
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