Gundam Arche (GNW-20000)

Technology & Combat Characteristics

The Arche Gundam is one of the tallest and widest Gundams ever built, standing head-and-shoulders over the majority of other Gundams. Arche Gundam was tuned specifically to Ali Al-Saachez's preference for close quarter combat, its only ranged weapons designed for support. Its tall, lanky appearance belies its enormous agility and combat capabilities in melee combat.

Arche Gundam's armaments and design was carried over fromGNW-002 Gundam Throne Zwei. The unit features a pair of foot mounted GN Beam Sabers, as well as a GN Shield. Both theGN Buster Sword and GN Shield are docked on the arms of Arche Gundam and the former can quickly slide forward into Arche's grasp. The sword itself secretly doubles as a GN Beam Rifle, which can be deployed by transforming and revealing the gun within the mid-section of the sword; it was a rarely used feature. The GN Shield also possessed the ability to unfold its clavicle antennas and deploy a beam shield.^[1]

In close-quarters combat, Arche Gundam is capable of using its foot sabers and Buster Sword to hold its own against multiple opponents at once. The long slender arms give Arche Gundam greater reach against targets in melee combat. The unit also possesses a Core Fighter that can function as an escape unit in emergency situations. Unlike the mobile suits used by Innovators, the Core Fighter does not carry the solar furnace with it during escape. The escape unit is powered by aGN Condenser for propulsion instead. It does, however, carry its head along on the core fighter (as shown in Episode 15 of Season 2). The Arche Gundam doesn't have the Trans-Amsystem, the Innovators never enhanced the unit beyond its original design.

Against difficult foes the Arche Gundam can deploy a total of ten GN Fangs from the Fang containers on its hips. The GN Fangs possess a small GN beam emitter that can either be used as a small beam gun or beam dagger. The GN fangs are not particularly powerful weapons, only able to inflict light damage against an enemy mobile suit, however they are quite dangerous en-mass. The true purpose of the fangs is to use their small size, speed, and numbers to overwhelm enemies, leaving them open to the Arche's swords.