ZMS-04S Flag Striker

The ZMS-04S Flag Striker (aka  Flag Striker ) is a variant of the SVMS-01 Union Flag and its later development. Appeared in (series), the unit is built and piloted by (character).

Technology & Combat Characteristics
A Union Flag, SVMS-01E Union Flag Graham Aker Custom, and SVMS-01O Over Flag combination, custom-built Gunpla built and pilot by (character). It retains the basic appearances and structure of the Flag, has lighter armor, reinforced joints, a high-output flight unit and black anti-beam coating of the Over Flags, and an improved G-System of the Graham Aker Custom Flag. Despite the clear similarities of the Flags mobile suits, it had a special feature that allowed it to be even faster when it’s in its jet fighter mode. It requires the legs to retract most of its internal joints and mechanism to the main body, and becomes a large pair of wings for the Flag Striker. It’s a similar transformation to the YMS-02 Union Blast and the legs become more streamlined for better and faster aerial combat. Another change from the originals is the weapons inspired from another series other than Gundam 00, which is called Gundam Wing. The weapon is an inspired form of XXXG-00W0 Wing Gundam Zero’s Twin Buster Rifle, which is called the Twin XLR-13 200mm Long Linear Rifle. Combining both the Flags’ aerial transformable combat and the Wing Gundam Zero’s combat capabilities, (character) can bring out the best potential within this Gunpla model, not because he built it, but because of his crazy, blitzkrieg style of combat.

This model receives many questionable feedbacks and criticisms daily, because of its weak appearance and structure equipped with a high-powered weapon that is enough to destroy an entire nation, likewise a single mobile suit. Oddly enough, neither the builder nor the Science Tech Club could explain the abnormally within the Gunpla's structure and its impossible combat capabilities. The only explanation, described by (character), was the quickness and seamless of the flow within the combat sequences that physics and technical issues couldn’t catch up. Which could possibly explained when the moment the model stops for a few seconds, it needed a 10 to 20 seconds stationary rest, whether on the ground or in the air. It’ll hover in a suspended location for a possible cooldown sequence, before it could fight again. Unfortunately for his opponents, (character) had learned this weakness during development that he trains daily on the blitzkrieg combat style to the point of almost never breaking the continuous course of action, only unexpected circumstances will the chain is needed to abruptly break.

To improve the velocity performance to further the propulsion power, the Flag Striker is removed of the Defense Rod and 20mm Machine Gun for the few armaments, equipped thursters version of the Defense Rod like the Union Flag Custom II, enhance the drum section for quicker transforming mechanism and remove the section for the sub-cockpit, and add a new power source generator called the Solace Reactor, which is a combination of the GN Drive’s core structure and the solar-powered reactor of the original Flags’. With the amount of velocity and mileage the Flag Striker can achieve in a minute, the entire body of the model could destroy targets and enemies in one simple charge. The streamline structure with the sonic speed would slice other Gunplas in half, from either the aerodynamic flight or leg wings.

Armaments

 * Twin XLR-13 200mm Long Linear Rifle
 * The main armament of the Lightning Demon, a direct successor of the XLR-04 200mm Trial Type Linear Rifle, but longer, more powerful, has beam projectiles instead of metal rounds, and possibly it’s impossible appearance for the model to use. It can be combined together as a single double-barrel rifle that can emit a beam capable of destroying objects several miles in size, including an entire space colony; separately, it can still release a beam powerful enough to destroy waves of enemies. Both rifles don’t have expendable energy packs for ammunition; instead, it’s powered directly from the mobile suit carrying it via an energy linkage system built in. The power came from the electricity drawn from molecular fuel cells that are infused into the materials that make up the suit, and it’s an unlimited power supply due to the blitzkrieg tactic’s intake of speed and Plavsky Particles, or in real-time’s term, hydrogen molecules.


 * Missiles/Grenades
 * Depending on mission parameters, the Flag Striker can be equipped with different missiles like air-to-air missiles, air-to-surface missiles or even surface-to-air missiles. These missiles are stored in the waist compartment, which when the missiles are fired it would open up to launch them. Additional missile pods can be attached to the main wing, sub wing, and leg wing, and micro-missile launchers/ multi-tube missile pod can be attached to the twin rifles, shoulders, and pelvis armor section. Sometimes missiles and grenades can be stored in the forearms instead of the sonic blades.


 * Sonic Blade (Plasma Sword)
 * The standard melee weapon of Union's mobile suits. A folding dagger-like weapon that incorporates a high-frequency oscillating blade and the vibrations of the blade greatly increases the weapon's cutting capabilities. It can focus plasma in a sword shape to form a plasma sword, and the power is equivalent to the Wing Gundam Zero’s beam saber, even capable of operating underwater.


 * Defense Rod
 * Similar to the SVMS-01X Union Flag Custom II, the Flag Striker mounts two defense rods on its legs instead of forearms. The defense rods also serve as sub-thrusters for the unit. In Jet Fighter MA mode, the defense rods becomes wing thrusters.

Special Equipment & Features

 * Chaff & Flare Dispenser
 * This equipment is used to intercept missiles coming from behind the Flag when it is in flight mode. It is located at the sole of each leg. It was rarely used against the beam weaponry, but some newer versions of this equipment were use for quick escape, like creating a smokescreen.


 * Visor AI
 * An AI system that is used to control the eye-patterns made by the unit's visor. It is assumed that this feature is used to intimidate enemies.


 * Hardpoint
 * These hardpoints on the leg wings are for mounting additional missile pods.


 * Weapon Bays
 * On the legs wings and forearms, the Flag Striker can store several grenades and missiles, depending on the mission.


 * Drum Cockpit
 * The drum cockpit is designed to reduce the G forces exerted on the pilot during the unit's flight. It achieves this by having the pilot sit in a lying down fashion. Overall this decreases the burden on the pilot. It has been improved so the transformation would go smoother in mid-air.


 * G-System
 * An acceleration mechanism featured in the Flag Striker, which greatly accelerates it. However, the G-System has a large drawback: the suit's pilot will experience up to 12Gs of acceleration making it a double edged sword weapon. Fortunately, (character) modified it to not caused that experience, instead, it retains the purpose, but with a different drawback. The G-System is tied to the flight unit pack and the Solace Reactor that accelerates the propulsion and velocity to the highest point, but must not stop for at least 3 to 6 seconds or else the model would stop completely. For that reason, the Gunpla would go into hover mode that suspended itself in mid-air, or when on the ground, it’ll continue to stand, despite not being in a supportive pose. The “overheating” moment would last 10 to 20 seconds, which is a big opening to assaults


 * Solace Reactor
 * Though the GN Drive was already nicknamed a Solar Reactor, the Solace Reactor isn’t like the GN Drive nor like the normal solar-powered mobile suits of the Union and AEU. It has several components similar to the GN Drive like the flywheel system, stability control block, generating furnace or generator, and a similar module to the Energy Converter of the GN Drive Tau. Only difference is the power source, which is hydrogen and solar rays, and another component that is the key and most important system than the TD Blanket of the GN Drive.


 * Flywheel
 * The flywheel system is a system of funnels that spin throughout the Solace Reactor. They absorb the photons and electrons within the molecule drive power plant by spinning the funnels inwards and spewing Plavsky Particles (hydrogen-converted particles) through the vent of the Solace Reactor outward. Thus creating a high propulsion system. Another flywheel system come from the front in the form of an intake exhaust, to take in the hydrogen atoms for the generator.


 * Molecule Generator
 * One of the core components of a Solace Reactor, the Molecule Generator harnesses energy to produce Solace Particles, which is by converting the hydrogen molecules and combining them with the solar-powered atoms.


 * Stability Control System
 * The Stability Control is the "brain" of a Solace Reactor, regulating the Reactor's output. It is likely where the software and mechanisms for Solace Repose, G-System, and the QuickTime transformation mechanism system are to be found.


 * Energy Converter
 * Similar to the GN Drive Tau's replacement component for the TD Blanket, the module helps the key component directly. While the original's properties are unknown, this version is clearly explained that it converts Plavsky Particles into high-voltage electricity. Even without the special component, it can still be use to convert PPBS's hydrogen into energy. However, it's the second important component if the first component is needed to work.


 * Plavsky Particle Gem Receiver
 * The special key component that is the heart of its power-plant generators and the one that make it possible for the frail-looking mobile suit to have an enormous amount of power, or in this case, loads of Plavsky Particles emissions. It’s actually a receiving prism that collects both the solar rays and Plavsky Particles to it. In real life, it would be hydrogen instead, which, with the solar rays’ heat infused with the atoms, would cause an internal combustion similar to the byproducts of baryonic decay of the GN Drive, or in this case, a “perfect burning”. Theoretically, it’ll supply power for an infinite period of time, so long as the Solace Reactor is not pushed to breaking limits. The crystalized Plavsky Particle gem was given to (character) by an unknown source, and includes the component compartment along with it, making it easy for the Solace Reactor to be built upon.

Special Attacks

 * Blitz Falken (“Lightning Falcon”)
 * A jet fighter mode attack that requires the Flag Striker to break the sound barrier thrice, on a single flight sequences. Once it set itself homing onto its target, it’ll engulf itself in flames and dive straight to its mark. Despite calling it “Lightning”, it’s actually due to the static charges that happened when the Flag Striker broke the sound barrier for the third time; possibly, a charged moment for it to hone in onto its target.


 * Nord Schweifstern (“Northern Comet”)
 * It’s not actually a special attack skill, but it’s more of a powered-up action. The move set will reenact the scene of the Wing Gundam Zero’s twin buster rifle destroying the bunker shield-protected Presidential Building while in the sky at Brussels in the series’ OVA. The Flag Striker would charge up the shots through the Particle Burst Mode of the Solace Reactor, which releases a massive amount of Plavsky Particles/Solace Particles and the twin linear rifle would receive all of them for the massive beam emission. In this single, destructive attack, the drawback of the stationary moment in the G-System becomes useful for this moment. The hover mode actually forces the model to stay in that location for a while, and nothing can move it, not even a single millimeter. The Flag Striker would stay for that moment and release the massive linear beam blast that’ll destroy most things, and the only weakness is when a functional or partial-functional fighter manages to escape the line of fire.

Notes & Trivia

 * The “Z” in the model number stands for “Zephyr” and the “S” at the end of it stands for “Striker”