Assault Shroud

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The Assault Shroud is a type of mobile suit combat technology introduced in Mobile Suit Gundam SEED.

Technological Overview

The Assault Shroud is a set of composite armor mounted on a mobile suit's body that was designed to enhance mobility, offensive and defensive capabilities. As such, the pieces of the Assault Shroud not only consisted of extra armor, but also incorporated additional thrusters and weaponry. Although the equipped MS functions effectively in space, it usually performs poorly under gravity due to its bulk. In an emergency, the pieces of the Assault Shroud can be purged from the MS.

History

The Assault Shroud was developed by ZAFT during First Alliance-PLANT War to increase the combat performance of the ZGMF-1017 GINN, creating the ZGMF-1017AS GINN Assault Type. The added armor, thrusters and weaponry of the GINN Assault Type turned it into a heavy mobile suit with high mobility, and also gave it performance comparable to an ace pilot-use mobile suit. However, despite the later addition of the ZGMF-515AS CGUE Assault, ZAFT soon shifted its focus towards developing newer mobile suits as well as better customized ace pilot-use mobile suits, and Assault Shroud-equipped mobile suits became a rarity.

After the GAT-X102 Duel Gundam was damaged by the GAT-X105+AQM/E-X01 Aile Strike Gundam in battle, it was upgraded by ZAFT with its own Assault Shroud to augment its performance.^[1] However, the Duel's Phase Shift Armor does not extend to the Assault Shroud. The Duel continued to use its Assault Shroud for the remainder of the First Alliance-PLANT War, until the Second Battle of Jachin Due, where it ejected the armor during its fight against the GAT-X252 Forbidden Gundam.^[2]

The Earth Alliance also created their own version of the Assault Shroud, the Fortestra (meaning 'strong dress'), based on data acquired by the Archangel from its multiple battles against the Duel Gundam. The Fortestra was equipped by the Alliance's limited production GAT-01D Long Dagger, and later the mass-produced GAT-01D1 Duel Dagger. Unlike ZAFT's Assault Shroud, the Fortestra was designed to unleash a bright flash when purged, blinding nearby enemies. After the First Alliance-PLANT War, a redesigned Fortestra equipped with Variable Phase Shift armor was integrated into the GAT-X1022 Blu Duel Gundam's body, but unlike the earlier design, this version of the armor cannot be purged.

At an unknown timepoint after the First Alliance-PLANT War and prior to the Foundation Conflict in C.E.75, the original Duel Gundam was secretly upgraded into the ZGMF-1027M Duel Blitz Gundam, which is equipped with an improved Assault Shroud that has weapons reminiscent of the GAT-X207 Blitz Gundam's.

Gallery

Notes & Trivia

• The Assualt Shroud acts as one of the Duel Gundam's modes during the Gundam Vs. series where it notably decreases the amount of damage Duel takes but also decreases its movement speed and momentum. In all its appearances, the Duel has had the ability to purge the armor using the same attack that finished off the Forbidden Gundam, and the Duel was later given the ability to regain its lost Assault Shroud.

Appearances

References

Assault Shroud File 01 (Gundam Perfect Files, Issue 38, Pg 24)

Official Gundam Fact File, Issue 25 (1)

Official Gundam Fact File, Issue 25 (2)

Gundam Perfect Files, Issue 49 (1)

Gundam Perfect Files, Issue 49 (2)

GINN Assault Type File 01 (Gundam Perfect Files, Issue 176, Pg 9)

GINN Assault Type File 02 (Gundam Perfect Files, Issue 176, Pg 10)