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First off, a brief apology. I’m trying a new method to capture screenshots as I go. The images might be different for the next few posts as I find out what works best. Please give me any feedback you can. I want to make this an enjoyable experience for everyone reading.

Let’s have a brief chat about Terrain Ranks. To start, let’s review this picture of Getter-1 from the prologue.



Each mech has their own terrain ranks. Terrain ranks go from S to C. Thankfully, ol’ Gett here has one of each which makes it easier to illustrate. A rank is the baseline with 100% “efficiency”.. B rank’s 90% and C rank’s 80%. S rank however is 110% efficiency. What I mean by efficiency is modifying a mech’s armor and mobility stats. It may not seem like much, but a little extra chance to evade or taking a little less damage will always help.


(I took the screenshot from Aile Chevalier)
Weapons also have terrain ranks as well. You can see them at the bottom left. Those ranks affect accuracy and damage dealt. It’s tripped me up before, but the weapon ranks take into account the terrain the target is on, not the user. As a rule of thumb, melee weapons can’t hit flying enemies if the user can’t fly as well. Also beam weapons are ineffective at hitting units in water. We’ll go over everything else on this page later.

Of course, dashes mean it won’t hit or deal any damage. Just like how dashes in the unit’s terrain means it can’t go on that terrain, such as can’t fly or can’t swim. Some other games in the series have terrain ranks for pilots as well, but thankfully we don’t have to worry about that. In this game, terrain is very important.

In case I mention it in the future, the nomenclature for terrains is SKY/GROUND/SEA/SPACE. Getter-1 would then be SBCA.

Also there’s an intermission screen between chapters, but we’ll be covering that in another post. There’s nothing to do there at this time anyway.

Last time, the entire planet disappeared. Let’s find out what’s happening on the outside.


Chapter 1: In a Universe of Confusion


[Neo Zeon Fleet Flagship Rewloola Bridge]
So, what’s the situation?
I tried asking around, but everyone is saying the same thing. They say the Earth is gone.
It’s hard to imagine, but isn’t it possible that there’s a barrier or something that’s covering the entire planet?
That doesn’t seem to be the case either.
Then what else could it be? If the Earth really did disappear instantly, there’s no way the colonies or the moon would survive.
Correct. There are no gravitational anomalies. That means the Earth is still there.
I’m amazed you can stay so calm.
Don’t joke around. This is the most upset I’ve ever been. I doubt I’ll be able to remember later what I’m thinking now. How shall we proceed?
Axis has collapsed. The operation has failed. I mean… with the Earth in this state, there’s no point in continuing…
I’m going to tell the fleet to retreat. We’ve lost more than half our strength already. We should go back home and assess the situation.
Very well. I’ll leave it to you. Call back Gyunei as well.


Jagd Doga Cockpit
Dammit all. What on earth is going on? I can’t understand what the CO is saying. Hmm… that’s…?
That’s not one of our mobile suits. No data… is it an OZ test suit? However it doesn’t seem to be a mobile suit… and there’s no sign of damage. I’m confiscating it.
Any signs of life? Or is the pilot just unconscious…


[Neo Zeon Government Office Commander-in-Chief Office]
It seems the citizenry is also confused.
I know. But what do we announce?
The soldiers are panicking as well. If this continues, there is a real risk of riots…
I know that too. It would have been better if this was an OZ weapon. But if they had access to such super technology, there’s no way we wouldn’t have known.
Super technology… Come to think of it, right before the incident there was a huge energy anomaly in Antarctica. I’m sure there were pre-human ruins down there. That could be the cause.
The Re-Technolgists… Either way there’s no way to confirm. Damn… If I’m like this, it’s no wonder the soldiers are confused. First of all, we need to calm the citizens and soldiers down. It doesn’t matter how. Let the PR people draft an official response.
I’ll arrange it right away.
To be honest, until we can confirm the situation, I have no idea what to do. We still have to deal with OZ and Zanscare.
Indeed. People like Delmail, who thought they were in control, must be furious now. But we have no cards to play and our fleet has suffered heavy damage. It’s going to be tough to continue the war against both OZ’s Space Force and Zanscare.
If this wasn’t a ploy by one of those factions, I’m sure they’re feeling the same way.
I have a report that Zanscare is contacting us to confirm the situation. Someone from OZ will be coming soon too. Civilians have reported that the shuttle that was descending to the surface went missing.
So it’s impossible to travel back and forth? Of course. Hopefully a ceasefire will be offered. After all, they need to know what happened to the Earth. No one can do anything until that is confirmed.
(What the hell happened…)


[Neo Zeon Medical Room]
Ugh…my head…
Oh, you’re finally awake.
…Where am I…? Who are you…? What… was I…
It’s no wonder you’re confused. You were adrift and were rescued. This is a Neo Zeon medical facility. I’m the doctor in charge. Do you remember anything? What’s your name?
Joshua Radcliffe… I’m fine. I don’t have any amnesia.
That’s good. Doesn’t seem like you had any oxygen deficiency. There’s nothing seriously wrong with your body.
Right… I was adrift? In space? You said Neo Zeon, right? Ugh…
Don’t push yourself. Just because there are no serious abnormalities doesn’t mean you’re not hurt. You should probably keep resting. Regardless, I don’t know about anything other than your body. Next time you wake up, I’ll call the officer who rescued you.


(Why on earth am I in space? There was an accident in the Antarctic ruins that I got caught up in. How? What happened to my father… And to Rim and Cliff who escaped…?)
It seems that the rumors were true.
Who are you?
Gyunei Guss. I’m the one who rescued you. You should be grateful. If it wasn’t for me, you’d be dead in the sea of stars.
…For now, I’m grateful to be alive. I’m grateful, but you’re Neo Zeon. Was it a good thing that I was saved? What the hell happened that caused you to pick me up? What’s going on?
Hold up. I’m conducting the interrogation here. I won’t answer your questions until I’ve asked you everything I want to know.
Got it? You know I’m a Newtype. I’ll know if you lie. Now then, your name and affiliation.
(Dammit all. What the hell is going on? Do they think I’m an enemy soldier? What happened to my mech? They should tell it’s not OZ or BESPA.)
What’s wrong? I heard you don’t have amnesia. Or maybe you can’t tell me?
(Shit… this is bad. I don’t know what’s going on. That accident though. I should hide that I'm with Re-Tech. What about the League Militaire? I was with them so that’s not a lie. Neo Zeon was a potential enemy but they never fought before.)
Do we have to use guns and truth serums?
Alright. I’m Joshua Radcliffe. I’m with the League Militaire. I was fighting some Invaders.
So why were you in a place like that?
(What place? Dammit.)
…I can’t tell you even if I wanted to.
I don’t even know why I was adrift in space.
…
That’s the truth. Even if you give me truth serum, I would say the same thing.
…Then what about before?
…Antarctica.
Antarctica!?
We were investigating a Getter radiation flare up. At that time, we got attacked. Apparently there was some kind of accident and I got caught up in it. …That’s all I can remember.
An accident in Antarctica… I heard there was indeed a massive energy spike there. You must have been blown away. I thought it was strange that you weren’t wearing a space suit. You’re lucky to be alive.
I see… so that machine is used by the League Militaire to fight Invaders. No wonder it’s different from a mobile suit. Makes sense.


[Neo Zeon Military Facility]
Pardon me, Captain Amuro Ray and Colonel Bright Noa. Your house arrest has been lifted. I apologize for making you feel uncomfortable.
…
…Char, have you come to die by my hand?
The Axis Drop has failed.
…You lost to OZ. They must have been desperate.
Incorrect. That part of the operation was a success.
Then what was it? Zanscare? I’m not in the mood to debate.
Look at this.
This is footage from outside the colony. What is it?
I said I’m not in the mood to debate you! Get your act together, Char!
I need you to stay calm, Captain. Take a closer look.
What…on earth?
That’s strange. I can see the moon…
That’s right. The Earth that you should be able to see isn’t there. Just to clarify, this is unedited live footage.
You can’t be serious. What exactly are you trying to say with this poor excuse of a video?!
This isn’t a trick. This is reality. I’ll explain.

[Time passes]

There’s… No way…
I can’t remember how many times I’ve heard that phrase. But this reality has to be accepted. There’s no reason to lie now.
OZ. Zanscare. The Moon. The other Sides. No one knows anything about this. We can’t see the planet. That’s the only fact us Spacenoids see.
But… How did this happen? Why has it come to this?
I don’t know. I haven’t met anyone so far who could provide a satisfactory answer.
…So what do you want from us? If you were just going to release us, there’s no need to have this discussion.
OZ and Zansacare have called for a ceasefire and are working together to assess the situation. Our offer has been rejected. Typical of Dermail and Kagachi.
We don’t have the military power of OZ or Zanscare. We don’t have any backup from Jupiter. Now that OZ has been unable to be contained, the war situation has changed. On top of that, we’ve lost our fleet.
I feel bad for the dead soldiers and their families, but you deserve this, Char. If you hadn’t tried to drop Axis, this wouldn’t have happened.
Regardless, the Zanscare fleet is already heading to Side 3. Are you getting it?
What?
Those guys could easily sink a colony or two just for intimidation. Not to mention decapitation with the guillotine. It would be so easy for them.
I know that, but what do you want us to do about it?
I’ll ask again. Amuro, Bright, cooperate with me.
That’s just like you. Always looking down on others.
Even so, Amuro and I are the only two people who can help with this disadvantageous situation? I doubt it.
Indeed. But Colonel Noa, our troops are suffering from a severe lack of morale. The addition of both of you would mean a lot to us.
The One Year War. The Gryps War. The Axis Conflict. Always leading from the front lines. And yet you are still alive. The captain is the Unified Forces’ number one ace. You represent more than you think.
Everyone knows your relationship with the Commander-in-Chief is as both ally and enemy. That only increases the impact.
But…
And Captain Ray. Your fighting abilities as a Newtype in a decent mobile suit is equivalent to a single squadron. All I’ve ever heard within the Unified Forces are calls to discharge you.
If it weren’t for the OZ coup, I would be fighting on the front lines against Neo Zeon. Char and I would end up fated to fight in the end.
I feel the same way. But that’s an unresolved matter. …Those who are too similar sometimes hate each other.
But… this is now. Please understand that this is an abnormal situation, Amuro.
Yes. This is reality. It might be presumptuous to ask this as a former member of OZ and a leader of the coup. But this is the truth, Amuro Ray.
…Char, I will never forget nor forgive you for what you’ve done.
That’s fine, Amuro. If we become enemies again, you can strike me down from behind.
Don’t forget those words.
Fine by me. I owe you a lot for saving my wife and child. As long as it’s not destroying the planet, I’m willing to cooperate.
The planet is gone, Bright.
Thank you Colonel Noa. Captain Ray.
You don’t need to thank me, Zechs Merquise. I want you to remember that this was an unavoidable situation.
I understand.
(I never thought it would turn out like this again. Lalah… Guide me…)


You must be Joshua Radcliffe. I’m…
Char Aznable, I know. I’ve seen you on video. You’re the leader of Neo Zeon aren’t you. What business does such an important person have with me?
I heard you were with the League Militaire. Seems like you’re a good pilot too.
How do you know that?
I understand that you’ve heard the details. I would like your cooperation.
…Neo Zeon was an enemy to us humans on the surface. I was on the ground when you dropped Fifth Luna, you know.
I won’t make excuses. But if it’s true that you’re a member of the League Militaire, then OZ and BESPA are also your enemies.
…
Besides, you have no place to go back to. If you want to flee to another colony, go ahead. But eventually you’ll have to fight. That mech isn’t just for show.
(Was that accident in Antarctica the cause…? Rim… I hope that you were also sent flying into space like me. Otherwise, there’s really no hope…)
I don’t believe your lie about why you were in space. But I know we’re not enemies. If you are a warrior, find your own path in fighting.
Let me think about it… But I don’t think you have the luxury of time.
Correct. If we don’t win this upcoming battle, BESPA will invade Side 3.
…Ok. I’ll help you. But I will leave the moment I think you’re being unreasonable.
Very well. Let’s go, Radcliffe. I’ll show you to the hangar and your mech.


[Neo Zeon Fleet Rewloola Bridge]
Colonel, we’ve spotted the BESPA fleet.
As we’ve expected. There seems to be twice as many of them than us.
Are we going to hit them straight on?
Yes. We will attack the enemy flagship. Bright, what do you think?
No problem. However, I didn’t expect Neo Zeon to have a battleship like this.
It’s brand new. When Anaheim lost their customers, they sent it to us. You should breathe easy on that ship. The crew is also happy to be fighting under Bright Noa.
Really? Well let’s give it a go.
Amuro, can you hear me?
I hear you.
I heard that what you’re using is supposed to be a more advanced version of the Zeta Gundam. You can do this.
No problem.
But the Re-GZ... It seems the United Forces haven’t been able to develop any decent mobile suits.
…
Joshua Radcliffe, I’d like to tell you not to push yourself too hard, but this won’t be easy. Have you gotten used to space combat?
I did some training earlier to get used to it. It’s not fully adjusted for space combat, but I’ll be fine.
Good answer. Go for it. Gyunei, cover Joshua.
Must I?
Yes. You’re my most trusted man. That’s why I’m asking you.
…Very well.

Enemy ship within range. Incoming fire!
Retreat while firing our main guns. Launch the mobile suit squads in 30 seconds.


Here they come. Scatter!
(A Psychoframe equipped mobile suit? I heard the Re-GZ didn’t meet the expected specifications. In the end, the United Forces couldn’t create a successor to the Gundam. Despite that, Char created the Jagd Doga and the Sazabi. Treize created the Epyon, who also bears the moniker of Gundam. The Unified Forces became complacent after surviving the Axis Conflict…)
(...I was strengthened as a newtype at the research lab. There’s no way I could lose to Amuro Ray in a mobile suit like that.)
Aile Chevalier… this is our first actual battle in space. We’ll be fine. Just stay calm…
Joshua Radcliffe, don’t fall behind!
Roger.

Let’s get started with new units!~
Game isn’t so hard that you need to min-max pilots and units if you don’t want to. Using your favorites will work out in the long run.


[MSN-04 Sazabi]
First up is the man himself, Quatt-- I mean Char Aznable and his personal mobile suit, the Sazabi. You’ll be using this baby the entire game even after you get its eventual upgrade. It’s a sniping suit thanks to its long ranged funnels and mega beam cannon. Of note, you’ll specifically need a Newtype or Cyber-Newtype to use funnel weaponry.

I believe this is the first SRW game that lets you play as his Char’s Counterattack version as opposed to his Quattro persona. He’s a solid pilot that’s very similar to the other Gundam Main Character pilots.


[RGZ-91 Re-GZ]
The GZ stands for Gundam Zeta. Historically, this was the EFF’s attempt to mass produce the Zeta Gundam, but because they couldn’t simplify the transformation mechanic enough for said mass production. In the end, we got the Re-GZ. In the first pic you can see its normal Mobile Armor form. It sports a powerful long ranged mega-beam cannon and some weaker beam cannons and a missile launcher. Its main gimmick is that if it’s defeated (or you use the Divide command), it sheds the plane section and becomes a mobile suit with full HP and EN. The mobile suit form is weaker, but it has a wider variety of (weaker) weapons. It’s mostly used as a second health bar. Overall it’s not a bad unit but this is chapter 1. You’re gonna get better later, especially for Amuro.

Speaking of Amuro, he will be one of your best pilots (if you use him of course). He naturally gets a high Newtype skill level and some highly desirable spirits such as Focus and Soul. You get him early and he stays the entire game.


[MSN-03 Jagd Doga]
The Jagd Doga (pronounced Yagd) is very similar to the Sazabi, being a funnel equipped mobile suit and all. It sports another long ranged beam cannon attack that comes from its shield (no gameplay difference). This will be a better unit for Amuro than the Re-GZ until we get his “Nu” unit later.

Simp Lord Gyunei is not my favorite character. I’m sure he’s decent and he has the Cyber Newtype skill (Newtype but with slightly lower numbers I believe), but I just don’t like him personally. Once we get more pilots, he’ll be warming the bench.


[OZ-13MS Gundam Epyon]
This may surprise you, but the Epyon isn’t that good. I mean it has its good parts, such as its really cheap attacks, good terrains on the mech and its attacks, and its unique ability being the Zero System. Zero System increases mobility and damage when over 130 will. Despite this, it only has close range attacks (max range is 3). In a game where it’s easy to be overwhelmed, the Epyon is too vulnerable. If you want to use it (and it is usable with investment), focus on its mobility to avoid getting hit. It just won’t be as good as some other mobile suits from Gundam Wing.

Milliardo (aka Zechs Merquise), however, is a great pilot. He comes with both Counter and Hit and Away, which makes him ideal for anything but the Epyon. He’ll get a better ride soon enough.


[Ra Cailum]
The Ra Cailum is the first battleship we have access to. Battleships suck at combat, but they make up for it with the ability to put units inside of it. You can move any non-battleship unit into one and, in exchange for 10 will, will start recovering HP and EN at a high rate. It also replenishes that unit’s ammo. Try to have one close by if you can help it just in case one of your units starts to run dry. The Ra Cailum comes equipped with nukes, but somehow they aren’t the best weapon in the game.

Bright might not be the best for combat (the Ra Cailum certainly isn’t either) but he does get some nice support spirits. Try to feed him some kills if you can to access these spirits and increase his SP pool.

[SECRET ALERT]
This game has secrets. Quite a few of them. By doing certain things over the course of the game, you get access to secret characters, mechs, and more.
The first secret to keep in the back of your head is getting Amuro some kills. Amuro needs a kill count of 50 by the middle of the game (Chapter 16-ish). It’s never too late to start feeding him some kills here and there.


Anyway let’s get started by advancing our units. Epyon transformed into its MA (Mobile Armor) form for that extra mobility and movement. Then it’s time for the slaughter.



You can use the asteroids for some minor terrain defensive/evasion buffs. Anyway, BESPA units attack and the situation devolves into a brawl.
SRW D - BEYOND THE TIME











At one point, I lined up some units with the Ra Cailum and used a multi-target MAP attack.

The last unit remaining is the Zanscare battleship. It’s bulkier than normal mobile suits so it takes more than 2-3 hits to take down.




Somewhere along the way, Gyunei takes a hit from the Zanscare battleship and almost dies!


Eventually, I took it down with the Ra Cailum’s nukes.


BESPA has retreated…
Seems like it. BESPA won’t be attacking us for a while.
Ok, let’s return to Side 3.


[Neo Zeon Dining Hall]
Phew… It’s over.
Oh… Good job, Captain.
Oh, it’s you. We haven’t talked much yet. You’re good out there. But your unit… It’s not a mobile suit. I heard it’s from the League Militaire.
Yeah.
Why did you join Neo Zeon?
Circumstances. You know why.
Speaking of which, what’s your relationship with the commander? Even a grunt on the surface like me wants to know.
Don’t ask me that. I have my own reasons.
So Amuro Ray isn’t as bad as the rumors say. I bet that even if we’re using the same mobile suit, I can beat him.
Gyunei Guss… assumptions like that are meaningless.
I would have preferred you to be my enemy, Amuro. Then we could find out for sure.
(A Newtype… no, a Cyber Newtype? You seem to be very cautious, Char.)
Joshua Radcliffe, come with me. The maintenance crew wants to learn about your mech.
…Ok. I’m coming.


[Neo Zeon Storage Area]
Welcome back Gyunei. Did you win?
Quess, I did shoot down a lot of BESPA mobile suits. I can do better than Amuro.
Amuro… I haven’t met him yet.
There’s no need to meet with him. How are you doing with training?
It’s so boring. I can use funnels now.
Really? You haven’t been at it that long. I knew it… Quess is the real deal.
Who’s that over there?
Joshua Radcliffe. The pilot I rescued out there.
…Nice to meet you.
Hmmm. Just a normal guy.
You think I’m just normal?
I think you are. Gyunei, where’s the Colonel?
Even if you leave now, you won’t catch up with him.
That doesn’t matter. I have business with him.


[Neo Zeon Bay Block]
Amuro! Oh, Amuro! I’m glad you’re safe…
Beltorchika?! Why are you here?
I got a call from Londonion…So I…
I see…
Looks like you’ve arrived.
You…?
This is the extent of what I do for those who fight alongside me.
I apologize.
ColonelBright, it would be best if your family went to Granada on the moon. If it’s ok with you, we can arrange for a shuttle and ID.
Yes. Please go ahead.
I see. So that’s… Amuro Ray… I’m surprised he’s with such a nasty woman.


[Neo Zeon Barracks]
(Neo Zeon… Newtypes… I guess that’s how he can understand how I feel... Amuro Ray… Char Aznable… I guess this is better than getting picked up by BESPA or OZ…)