One of my favorite pasttimes with my fellow geeks is postulating the question that all of us had asked at some point;
Who would win in a knock-down drag out? A Zoid or a Gundam?
In the interest of fairness, I've taken two machines who are...well, eerily similar. And in the style of Deadliest Warrior, I've put them head to head.
My thanks, by the way, to the boys here on the Zoids Wiki as well as the fine folks at the Gundam Wiki for all the data they've collated on the contenders. This info is from them, but some of the names and designations are my own creation.
First off, the challenger.
GAT-X105 Strike Gundam[]
Overall Height: 17.72 meters (roughly 54 feet tall)
Weight: 64.8 metric tons
Power Source: Ultracompact Energy Battery
Crew Size: 1 Pilot, cockpit in chest
Designation: CINQUE X-105 General Unilateral Neuro-Link Dispersive Autonomic Maneuver synthesis system
Equipment -
2x "Igelstellung" 75mm multi-barrel Anti-Air CIWS:
Mounted in the head of the unit, the "Igelstellung" is an anti-air countermeasure, designed to shoot down oncoming projectiles such as missiles. The guns are not designed to penetrate armor, but rather to keep enemy weapons at arm's length.
"Armor Schnieder" Combat Knife(s):
Holstered in the hips of the Strike, the "Armor Schnieder" knives do not require power from the unit itself. They can be thrown, and are designed to penetrate armor and the main joints of Mobile Suits as a close-combat solution.
57mm High-Energy Beam Rifle:
Another add-on to the default Strike configuration, the weapon can be optionally stored in a "holster" on the back of the units' waist. This is the primary mid-to-long range weapon for the Strike; it offers fair to good armor penetration, capable of destroying the rank-and-file Mobile Suits with one shot, but it is ineffective against anti-beam coating.
Bazooka:
An optional heavy assault weapon, the weapon fires high-velocity explosive shells that fragment on impact, causing concussive damage was well as shrapnel damage. The bazooka is a conventional weapon, appearing both in Gundam and Zoids; it doesn't draw on the Strike's battery, which grants it additional combat endurance. The weapon can also be used underwater, giving it an advantage against the beam rifle. It even loads four cartridges of ammunition. However, the weapon is tremendously unwieldy, and the kick from the weapon has the potential to take the Strike off its feet. This generally means that the Strike pilot would favor the beam rifle over the bazooka.
Shield:
Designed to bolster the Strike's defenses, the shield is a piece of non phase-shifted lunar titanium used to deflect attacks that the pilot cannot, or chooses not to, evade. The shield absorbs energy attacks with an impressive degree of success, but is vulnerable to shelling and repeated battering.
The Strike Gundam, hailing from Gundam Seed, Seed: Destiny, and Seed: Astray is a multi-role Mobile Suit designed with flexibility in mind. The suit comes with three armor packages that increase its potential on the battlefield.
- AQM/E - X01 Aile Striker:
Designed to grant the Gundam flight and high-speed capability, the Aile is the most-used armor package within the Gundam Seed canon. The Aile Striker allows the Strike to operate within the stratosphere and deep space. The pack is equipped with a pair of high-powered thrusters and a pair of beam sabers for close combat.
- AQM/E - X02 Sword Striker:
This pack was designed as a close combat module, complete with a "Schwert Gewehr" 105mm anti-ship sword, a "Panzer Eisen" rocket tether and a "Midas Messer" beam boomerang. The "Panzer Eisen" is beam-coated and can be used as a small shield in the worst-case scenario.
- AQM/E - X03 Launcher Striker:
The Launcher Striker was designed with long-range assault and ground superiority in mind. The Striker pack comes equipped with an "Agni" 380mm Super-High Impulse Cannon, as well as a 120mm Anti-Ship Vulcan and a pair of 350mm gun launchers. The "Agni" itself carries enough potential to punch through a colony wall. The Launcher Pack has tremendous potential, but carries no defense against beam weapons. Therefore, the Launcher would ideally be relegated to ground warfare and bombardment tactics.
And now, the defending champion.
RZ-041 Liger Zero[]
Overall Height: 8.3 meters (roughly 28 feet tall)
Overall Length: 24 meters (roughly 79 feet long)
Weight: 85 tons
Top Speed: (unarmored) 307km/hr
Crew Size: 1, cockpit in head of unit
Designation: Helic Republic Strike Module, Liger ZERO Multirole Lion-Type Zoid
Equipment -
4 x "Gotterdammerung" Laser Claw System:
Known colloquially as the "Strike Laser Claw", the attack forces a high-powered pulse of laser energy into the claws of the unit. The diffusion of particles gives the claws enough potential to cleave through even the thickest of armors. The Liger Zero gathers the energy it needs to collect through "fins" located along the sides of its head, which are redirected through the frame and flowed through the claws.
Laser Fangs:
A typical armament for Lion-type Zoids, it is essential reinforcing of the Liger Zero's bite power. It has enough power to crush the armor of lesser Zoids and keep more powerful Zoids at bay.
AZ 208mm Shock Cannon:
First utilized by Bit Cloud within the Zoids: New Century Zero anime, the lightweight gun is deceptively installed in the undercarriage of the Liger Zero. Not simply cosmetic, the gun has enough stopping power to punch through medium-thickness armor. However, the is the Liger Zero's ONLY default means of mid range combat; the unit is "finicky" and will not allow larger-caliber weapons to be installed on its back, favoring high-speed offense over guns.
CAS:
The Changing Armor System is the key component of the Zero, providing the Zoid with the opportunity to operate in a multi-role assault capacity. By in large, the armor kits are efficient, high-defense and easily interchanged.
- CP-17 Liger ZERO "Schnieder"
The Liger's close-combat module, the Schnieder comes equipped with seven Laser Blades, installed on the head and the sides (five on the head and two on the "mane") which can cut near-effortlessly through any Zoid's armor. The Zero Schnieder features improved speed and acceleration through the use of high-output thrusters, as well as a high-density Energy Shield.
The five blades flip over onto the head of the Liger, forming the "Five Blade Storm" (or "Buster Slash" in the English anime), a powerful thrusting strike. The two rear-mounted blades extend laterally in a similar fashion to the Blade Liger. The two blades also point forward to form the Seven Swords Formation, or "Seven-Blade Strike", a high-powered thrusting attack. The unit, however, loses its Strike Laser Claw option as well as its Shock Cannon, relegating it solely to short-range skirmishes. This makes it vulnerable to opponents who prefer to hang back and shell or snipe (Naomi Fluegel being the best example)
- CP-20 Liger ZERO "Jaeger"
The first of the CAS modules to be deployed in the anime, the Jaeger is the high-speed armor designed to counter-act higher speed Zoids such as the Lightning Saix. The unit is underwhelming in terms of stopping power, coming only equipped with the Liger's standard Shock Cannon, as well as a pair of head-mounted Vulcans. So while its speed is overwhelming (able to topple opponents through a sonic boom), in terms of sheer strength, the unit underperforms.
- CP-21 Liger ZERO "Panzer"
The final CAS unit to be deployed, the Panzer was designed for protracted sieges and ground superiority. Equipped with a glut of missiles and near-impregnable body armor, the signature weapon of the unit is its "Hybrid Cannon", consisting of a pair of AZ-216mm railguns and AZ-108mm beam cannons. The unit is the premiere choice in terms of sheer stopping power, able to neutralize threats on multiple levels; from unmanned Zabat drones to shooting down a falling Judge Satellite in the anime.
The armor is not without drawbacks; the intense weight of the armor causes massive strain on the ZERO system, causing overheating and slowing down the Liger's speed to a crawl. Instead, a savvy pilot can rely on the density of the Panzer's armor to protect it from significant damage.
NOW... who wins?
You decide; comment me back with your pros and cons, and I'll make my decision.