Sunday, May 23, 2021

[Kit Insight] Bandai HGUC 1/144 Me02R-F01 Messer Type-F01 - Painted Build


Model Number: Me02R-F01
Designation: Mafty Mass Production Heavy Attack Use Mobile Suit


Universal Century mobile suit designs should have went the direction of "bigger is better" instead of miniaturisation.
The Messer was a delight to paint and build, with generous part separation coupled with an interesting build process. The resultant model kit is very solid, although the joint-arms for the massive back skirts tend to wobble a little. The stock backpack thrusters were also replaced with larger ones from a Builders Parts Set as the default ones are way too tiny for a big boy like this.

Commissioned to Anaheim Electronics by Mafty (in secret, of course), the Messer and its variants were meant to be the hammer of the terrorist organisation, crushing any and all opposition with extreme prejudice. While the Messer itself was not based off any existing mobile suit design, Anaheim Electronics developed the machine off of the production lines of the Geara Doga and Sazabi, but the Messer really was an unique amalgamation of mechanical design cues and themes both Zeonic and Federation. While the Messer had an exceedingly Zeonic monoeye main sensor, it also had chest-mounted air intake vents reminiscent of Federation mobile suits.

The Messer was a huge mobile suit, its 23-metre height towering over most of its contemporaries save for Gundam-Type mobile suits. Despite the unit's massive bulk, it was very maneuverable, thanks to numerous high-powered thrusters, verniers and apogee motors built into the lower-section of the airframe. In fact, the bulk of the Messer's thrust came from its skirt and leg thrusters, with the backpack used for more precise maneuvering in gravity.

Used primarily for guerilla warfare, the Messer was equipped with 3 pairs of head-mounted vulcan cannons, a Long Beam Rifle, 3 beam sabers and a shield, armaments more than adequate to go toe-to-toe with Federation Jegans, Gustav Karls and GM-IIIs. The Messer's beam rifle was derived from Federation designs and bore a passing resemblance to the standard-issue Type-89s used by the Jegan, and mounted the same box-type e-pacs in parallel under the barrel. This was meant to complement the Messer's guerilla warfare role, allowing it to replenish ammunition from defeated enemy units and prolong its operational window. The optical sight mounted on the right-side of the beam rifle enabled long-range sniping attacks far outside of the target's combat range, with Messer units exploiting such hit-and-run tactics to great effect.

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