Armaments & Equipment:
1 x Beam Rifle, with 20-shot recharging e-clip, hand-carried in use.
2 x Six-Tube Missile Launcher, mounted on lower legs.
2 x Double-Barrel Grenade Launcher, mounted on forearms.
1 x Folding Thermal Sword, stored on rear waist, hand-carried in use.
Optional Armaments:
A variety of hand weapons, including pistols, rifles, and even heavy cannons, as well as stylized heat melee weapons, are available from Caladin Technologies. Several companies, and even individuals, have also been known to make their own customized hand-carried armaments.
Brief Profile:
For the last few years, the slick, menacing Zuda II has been the flagship mobile suit of Caladin Technologies' weapons manufacturing firm, growing into both a symbolic icon for the company as well as popular commodity on the free market. While its ancestor, the original Zuda, was just an upgraded member of Vulcan Industrial's famous Zaku series, the Mark II is a machine fit for the latest generation of mobile suit pilots. Sized to recent standards, it carries a potent arsenal of explosive projectile launchers and supporting weaponry that give it tremendous short-to-medium range combat capabilities, though these diminish when the suit runs out of ammo (as it tends to after two volleys from each weapon).
Physically, the machine is also fairly strong, though its brute force and speed are overshadowed by its agility, especially in space. This bit of specialization is not without cost, however. While the Zuda II is much more nimble than the New Alliance's Jegan, it lacks the latter's overall adaptability, and is prone to malfunctions or breakdowns under extended exposure to severe environmental conditions. Duststorms, prolonged underwater use, and snow, for instance, all have a habit of clogging or otherwise damaging its joints and verniers. Despite this, its customization options, though limited to its hand weapons, make it especially alluring for pilots with a unique sense of style. Since their first rollout, several have been spotted with interesting melee weapons, for example, while others have been seen carrying rifles and cannons that have been custom-built for their respective pilots. Customized or not, most of these units are possessed by members of the Free Trade Coalition, who use them to equip their regular soldiers and entice mercenaries.
