AMA-100 Z’od-iacok (Zodiac)

Zodiac

A prototype mobile armor developed by the Zeon remnants based at the asteroid Axis. This enormous machine is intended to serve as a space supremacy weapon, seizing control of the orbital airspace during Earth landing operations. Its unusual shape enables the Z’od-iacok to change its orbital vector and maneuver in the upper layers of the atmosphere using aerodynamic braking.

The body of the Z’od-iacok splits in half to reveal a pair of immensely powerful mega particle cannons, whose beams are focused and directed by I-field generators installed in the forward section of the mobile armor. However, sustained firing of these cannons can overload the machine’s energy CAP and cooling systems, a flaw that leads the Axis forces to abandon the Z’od-iacok in its prototype stage. Although there are plans to install a psycommu system and an arsenal of remote "bit" weapons, the development project is halted before these features can be implemented.

During the Pezun Rebellion, the Axis forces donate the prototype Z’od-iacok to the New Desides, who use this machine during their final battle against Taskforce Alpha on April 4, U.C. 0088. After shooting down Stole Mannings’s Nero Trainer Type and damaging the space cruiser Pegasus III, the New Desides pilots separate the Z’od-iacok into two Zoan units so that they can engage the enemy mobile suits in close combat.

Note: The Z’od-iacok does not appear in the original serial published in Model Graphix, and is introduced only in the revised version published in Gundam Wars III. For this reason it was omitted from Entertainment Bible 3, which was published before Gundam Wars III, and although it has appeared in video games it has never been featured in the MS Encylopedia series.

Editor’s Note: The Japanese spelling of Z’od-iacok sounds like "zodiac".

Z’od-iacok
Unit type:
Mobile Armor
Overall length:
218.30 meters
Overall width:
41.65 meters
Overall height:
44.20 meters
Base weight:
9640 tons
Full weight:
22580 tons
Power generator output:
197400 kW
Rocket thrusters:
6200000 kg x 8
Acceleration:
2.20 G
Vernier thrusters/apogee motors:
84
Sensor radius:
28000 meters
Armor:
gundarium alloy composite
Armament:
Large Mega Particle Cannon x2 (520 MW), Beam Cannon x12 (12 MW), Wired-beam Claw x4 (50 MW), Beam Saber x12 (0.9 MW), 60mm Vulcan gun x8
Pilots:
Tosh Cray, Fast Side

The AMA-100 Z’od-iacok can separate into two independent mobile armors, which are referred to as Zoan I and Zoan II. Like the completed Z’od-iacok, these machines can maneuver in the upper layers of the atmosphere using aerodynamic braking, and each Zoan is armed with a powerful mega particle cannon.

For close combat situations, the Zoan can transform from its streamlined cruising form into a "fighting form" with crude arms and legs. Its arms terminate in wired beam claws controlled via a quasi-psycommu system, and these claws can function as beam cannons or beam sabers depending on the situation.

During the final battle of the Pezun Rebellion on April 4, U.C. 0088, the New Desides pilots use the separated Zoan units to battle the mobile suits of Taskforce Alpha. Fast Side’s Zoan II is destroyed when its mega particle cannon overloads, and Tosh Cray abandons the Zoan I after setting it on a collision course to the Earth Federation capital in Dakar. However, the falling Zoan I is destroyed by the MSA-0011 S Gundam as it enters the atmosphere.

Note: Although each Zoan supposedly has six small beam cannons and six beam sabers, it’s not clear whether these are installed in the "fingers" of the wired beam claws or elsewhere in the machine. The images in Gundam Wars III and the animation in the G Generation games show beams emitted only from the central barrel of the beam claw.

Editor’s Note: The name of this mobile armor is sometimes spelled "Zoon" in English letters. The Japanese spelling sounds like "zo – ahn".

Zoan
Base weight:
4820 tons
Full weight:
11295 tons
Power generator output:
98700 kW
Rocket thrusters:
6200000 kg x 4
Acceleration:
2.20 G
Vernier thrusters/apogee motors:
42
Sensor radius:
16000 meters
Armament:
Large Mega Particle Cannon (520 MW), Beam Cannon x6 (12 MW), Beam Claw x4 (50 MW), Beam Saber x12 (0.9 MW), 60mm Vulcan gun x4
Zoan in cruise mode
Overall length:
218.30 meters
Overall height:
22.10 meters
Overall width:
20.83 meters
Zoan in battle mode
Overall length:
193.85 meters
Overall height:
33.80 meters
Overall width:
23.84 meters

Illustrations

Model Photos

Special thanks to Mark Simmons for the profile.