Completed Kits #8: HG Astraea Dark Arms [GBC GB]

GBC-001DA Astraea Dark Arms of Team Night Warriors

Type:
Designed for use in Space, though functional in a multitude of environs at reduced efficiency. Tuned specifically for Mid-to-Close Quarters Battle and painted in Black and Blue for added effectiveness in darkness.

Internal Weaponry:
-GE Vulcans X2 wrist mounted.
-GE Beam Sabres X4 forearm and toe mounted.

Main Weaponry:
-GE Sword III Kai X2, removed GE Pistol and mode change function for reduced weight and therefore easier blade handling.
-GE Light Machine Gun Sword X2.

Optional Weaponry: 
-**TOP SECRET** to be revealed on March 31st, 2015.

Strengths: 
-Enhanced Gunpla musculature package, resultant in the overall strengthening of limbs.
-GE Composite Armour, strengthened against shell and beam impacts.
-Avalanche setup, adds hover systems and additional shield plating.
-GE Trans-Am Gunpla will operate at 3X the performance for 5 minutes.
-One **TOP SECRET** system.

Weaknesses: 
-GE Trans-Am after time limit performance is reduced to 1/3 of original specifications.
-Vulnerable to long and mid-range attacks.

Backstory:
Astraea Dark Arms is the successor Gunpla to my Exia Dark Arms, an upgrade I had intended to build for a few years now, the Gunpla Battlers Championship Group Build gave me a good opportunity to build it.

Seeing as my Astraea is intended to be the upgrade to the Exia I felt it was necessary to alter certain aspects in such a way as to reduce the weaknesses of the original. Where the Exia had limited armour I’ve added more (the Avalanche parts). Where the Exia had Sub-machine Guns, that it had to throw away to use its swords, I have added mode switching Light Machine Gun Swords with a mounting point so they don’t need to be discarded. Where the Exia had throwing Beam Sabres (4 only), I have added 4 permanently internal Beam Sabres.

I built it with what skills I had already acquired in person in mind; I have been a fencer (sabre-ist) for a little over 10 years now so it seemed appropriate to arm it with some proper one handed long swords.

To see more of the complete Astraea Dark Arms check out my Google+ Album.

A note on the functions of GE Particles (patent pending :P ). The Gundam Eclipse Particle is used to mobilize a Gunpla through the voting process of the GE Gunpla Builders Championship. Beyond their inherent ability to make all Gunpla the same scale, they also function equivalently to any particles in the anime be they Minovsky or GN, etc.