Editing Earth Alliance Strike Dagger (section)

=='''DESCRIPTION'''==

With ZAFT having pioneered mobile suit development with the introduction of the ZGMF-1017 GINN, the Earth Alliance is forced to quickly catch up and develop mobile suits to replace the ineffective mobile armor TS-MA2 Moebius. The end result of that is the GAT-01 Strike Dagger, a mass production mobile suit based on the GAT-X105 Strike Gundam. As a mass production suit, the Strike Dagger lacks many design elements present in the original Strike Gundam, such as the Striker mission packs. It is armed with only one head vulcan, one beam saber and a beam rifle. The Strike Dagger also lacks EMP (electromagnetic pulse) shielding, which proves fatal in its debut at the Battle of Panama when ZAFT deploys its Gungnir System. These shortcomings are corrected later on with the GAT-01A1 Dagger. On a level of performance, the Strike Dagger generally exceeds the aging GINN in combat.The Alliance quickly produces a high number of Strike Daggers and sends them immediately to the front lines. Strike Daggers are used heavily during the assault on the Orb Union and later in space against ZAFT during the last battles of the war. Following the war, the Alliance creates another mass production successor to the Strike Dagger/Dagger series, the GAT-02L2 Dagger L.

==='''COMBAT ABILITIES'''===

Weapons wise, the Strike Dagger's armament is rather simple. It consists of head mounted "Igelstellung" 75mm multi-barrel CIWS for defense against incoming missiles, a single ES01 beam saber for close-combat, which, when not used, is stored on the mobile suit's right shoulder and a shield for defense. The suit is typically armed with a single M703 57mm beam rifle to shoot down enemies. This rifle also mounts a grenade launcher. Despite being a "cheap and cheerful" production model, the suit is nonetheless highly effective in battle.

Alhough based upon the GAT-X105 Strike, the Strike Dagger isn't able to mount any Striker Packs. It also lacks EMP shielding which proved to be fatal during the suit's first sortie. Lastly the suit isn't equipped with the Strike's energy-intensive Phase Shift armor, which was removed both as a cost-cutting measure and to improve the Strike Dagger's combat endurance.

==='''HISTORY'''===

The Strike Dagger is the Earth Alliance's main mass-production type mobile suit for the last few months of the Bloody Valentine War. Its design is a highly simplified version of the experimental Strike, which had proved highly effective in combat against ZAFT's mobile suits.

The original GAT-01 design concept - later produced as the GAT-01A1 105 Dagger - was nearly identical in performance to the Strike. However, due to an urgent need to produce large numbers of mobile suits in a short time, the Strike Dagger removed several of the Strike's features that would be restored in the 105 Dagger, including the capacity to use Striker Packs, an advanced sensor system, and strong EMP shielding.

Introduced early in Cosmic Era 71 on May 25, the Strike Dagger saw first service in the Battle of Porta Panama, acquitting itself well in combat against ZAFT's ZGMF-1017 GINN mobile suits. However, the whole Strike Dagger unit which participated in that battle was neutralized when ZAFT used its Gungnir EMP weapon. Due to the massive losses which ZAFT had suffered earlier in the failed Operation Spit Break, the Alliance soldiers were brutally slaughtered by ZAFT forces. After the Battle of Porta Panama, all Strike Daggers had their EMP shielding upgraded to defend against ZAFT's Gungnir weapon system.

From that battle onward, the Strike Dagger replaced the outdated TS-MA2 Moebius mobile armor in all roles other than nuclear delivery, proving superior to the GINN in ground combat. However it proved to be inferior to both Orb's  MBF-M1 Astray, and ZAFT's successor unit, the ZGMF-600 GuAIZ. After the end of the first war, production of the Strike Dagger ceased in favor of the GAT-01A1 105 Dagger. However, during South America's war for independence, the nation's primary mobile suit was the Strike Dagger, which fared below average against the Atlantic Federation's newer GAT-01A1 105 Daggers and GAT-02L2 Dagger L models. However, one unit, piloted by USSA ally Barry Ho, managed to defeat several Atlantic Federation mobile suits before his own unit was crippled and he was rescued by Serpent Tail pilots Gai Murakumo and Elijah Kiel.

==='''GAME NOTES'''===
The Strike Dagger's weaponry works exactly like that equipped to other Gundams and mobile weapons.  It has a beam rifle and beam saber that drain an ultracompact energy battery.  The battery has power points equal to the Hull Dice number times 100, plus 25 per pip.  That power is depleted by 1 point per round while active, and also by a number equal to the beam rifle and beam saber when used.  The Strike Dagger doesn't have PS armor, so it lasts longer in battle but does not have such a good defense against ballistic and explosive weaponry.  The beam saber also works like other beam sabers, making Armor Dice  for Hull equal pips, as many as the saber has Damage Dice.  The Daggers also have a Combat Shield to defend against incoming attacks and possible death blows.

==='''OTHER SPECS'''===
*'''Model number''': GAT-01
*'''Code name''': Strike Dagger
*'''Unit type''': mass production general purpose mobile suit.
*'''Manufacturer''': Earth Alliance
*'''Operator''': Earth Alliance
*'''First deployment''': 25 May C.E. 71
*'''Accommodation''': pilot only, in standard cockpit in torso.
*'''Dimensions''': head height 18.02 meters
*'''Weight''': max gross weight 55.31 metric tons.
*'''Armor materials''': unknown
*'''Powerplant''': ultracompact energy battery, power output rating unknown.
*'''Equipment and design features''': sensors, range unknown.
*'''Fixed armaments''': 2 x "Igelstellung" 75mm multi-barrel CIWS (fire-linked, mounted in head); ES01 beam saber (stored on right shoulder, hand-carried in use); shield (mounted on right arm).
*'''Optional hand armaments''': M703 57mm beam rifle (power rating unknown, mounts grenade launcher).
*'''Appearances''': Mobile Suit Gundam SEED; Mobile Suit Gundam SEED ASTRAY B; Mobile Suit Gundam SEED ASTRAY (OVA); Mobile Suit Gundam SEED DESTINY; Mobile Suit Gundam SEED DESTINY ASTRAY; Mobile Suit Gundam SEED ASTRAY R; Mobile Suit Gundam SEED X ASTRAY; Battle Assault 3 featuring Gundam SEED; Mobile Suit Gundam SEED: Never-Ending Tomorrow.

'''Source''': http://www.rpggamer.org