Saviour Gundam: Imperfect

Series: Gundam SEED Destiny / Destiny Astray

ZGMF - X23S
(Zero Gravity Maneuver Fighter - X [experimental] 2[Transforming Air/Space type] [3rd model of that series] S[Second Series]

The Second Series was a new family of machines that could be supplied with power via the newly developed Deuteron Beam power transmission system. It was possible for a unit with this system installed to receive “close to an infinite” amount of power from a battleship that could supply a Deuteron beam. Five units were developed with this system: ZGMF-X56S IMPULSE, ZGMF-X24S CHAOS, ZGMF-X88S GAIA, ZGMF-X31S ABYSS, and ZGMF-X23S SAVIOUR.However, compared to the IMPULSE, CHAOS, GAIA and ABYSS the SAVIOUR came relatively late due to various factors. This delay proved to be a godsend as it escaped being hijacked by PHANTOM PAIN operatives at the ARMORY ONE colony. The SAVIOUR is of a transforming air/space craft family of mobile suits like the CHAOS (indicated by the "2" in the model number) the series number counter "3" makes it possible to believe that it was designed during their initial stages of the 5 machines' development (or that something went wrong during its development stage). When compared to the other 4 machines there are few similarities outside of its ablity to transform into a Mobile Armor and requiring special pilots. Conversely, the machines ability is so high it could therfore be said that the machine itself chooses its pilot. Zaft had extraordinarily high expectations from this group of MS's activities. To prove it Supreme Council Chairman Gilbert Durandal elected the Impulse and Saviour pilots immediately under his personal direct influence (had the other 3 units not been hijacked they may also have been as well). Based on the assumption that they were designed to use the Deuteron Beam Power Supply System, the Second Series units were equipped with high power beam rifles. Generally, the architecture of the Impulse, Chaos, Gaia and Saviour rifles are almost the same -- the prototype for the design of this rifle is the M-M20･LUPIS which was developed for use by Nuclear Engine equipped machines FREEDOM and JUSTICE during the last war.


**Using the completed Impulse mesh as a base, I started the Saviour from the backpack, legs, shield and then body in order to speed up time to finish the mesh completely. This ended up being to my advantage as it meant that I could use parts from the existing Impulse in larger amounts. I generally worked on the thought that the 2nd Series of suits is very loosely based on the impulse as a base which may or may not really be true, but at least the impulse being a 2nd series machine would have some characteristics "loosely similar" to the other 4 of the same series (some hard core fans may have a problem with this notion). In that spirit I made slight changes to the Impulse’s reusable sections and basically replaced parts that were "obviously" different in appearance or operation. The Saviour’s “backpack” I treated as though it were a Silhouette (contrary to the anime series presentation), thus the Impulse mesh can also attach the Saviour backpack as a Silhouette for kicks. Similarly I treated the waist and leg portions as Saviour’s “Leg Flyer”, so that the Impulse can attach them as well (again contrary to the show). In the body, I left the Core Splendor cockpit attached, but deleted the remainder of the core splendor, er, at least the parts that allow for flight thereby creating a somewhat ad-hoc core-block. I can be un-parented and deleted in the scene and recombined with a full core splendor if needed, but the rear fin stabilizer of the Saviour backpack seems to get in the way (unless the Saviour’s backpack is sufficiently recessed from the chest flyer – but this looks funny). Combined would yield the Saviour-Impulse, which is again never seen (even in the mangas – but its existence is speculated by many fans). The head is based off Freedom’s head unit, but modified to add Saviour’s key characteristics. The arms I based off of Impulse's but used the idea from the ZZ gundam to get the wrist and whatnot to rotate inward, revealing a booster.


...but really this deviation was used to try out some flame hypervoxels. Rendertime was fairly high. I wanted even more hypervoxel clouds but the last weekend trying to get some out took all of 3 days and STILL didn't come out the way I wanted. This dev should be considered unfinished. Still investigating the idea of a new system...


Software: Lightwave (modeling, rendering), Photoshop (UV texturing, throwing everything together), Hexagon2 ( UV's)

Gundam is (c) Bandai, Sunrise, Sotsu Agency