It is time to build something very old, very simple, but very, very classic:
Its the RGM-79, AKA the GM.
About the Mobile Suit
The GM was the primary “grunt” suit of the Earth Federation during the One Year War.
From a technical standpoint, the GM is based on the RX78-2 Gundam, but is highly simplified so that it could be mass produced. The following is a non-exhaustive list of downgrades:
- The Gundam is made out of , while the GM is made out of less durable (but lighter!) Ceramic Composite Titanium Alloy.
- The GM has only one beam saber instead of two.
- The GM lacks the Gundam’s learning computer, though data from the learning computer was eventually uploaded into GMs to improve their combat prowess.
- While the GM can be equipped with the Gundam’s beam rifle or Hyper Bazooka, it typically doesn’t use either. Instead, most GMs are equipped either with some sort of machine gun, or a Beam Spray Gun (more on that later).
- The GM lacks the Core Block system.
- It’s reactor is not quite as powerful as the Gundam’s, but since its made out of lighter materials, it can technically move a little bit faster.
Cannon Fodder
On paper, the GM is superior to the Zaku II in every meaningful way.
On paper …
But in practice, the GM is arguably the most cannon fodder-y of all mobile suits in the Universal Century. It’s extremely hard to find footage of a basic GM doing anything cool. Even Zakus get more heroic moments in comparison.
And yet various sources of lore repeatedly tell us that the GM is the main reason why the Federation ultimately won the One Year War. So what gives? Why is such a seemingly capable mobile suit constantly being clowned on? And how did such a suit win the war?
The Watsonian explanation would go something like this:
By the time the GM rolled out late into the war, the Zaku II was already outdated in favor of better models such as the [Dom](https://gundam.fandom.com/wiki/MS-09_Dom), and later the [Gelgoog](https://gundam.fandom.com/wiki/MS-14_Gelgoog). This robbed it of some of its technical advantages.Additionally, GM pilots were rookies by default, whereas a Zaku pilot could theoretically have years of experience. Better pilots can make up for technical disadvantages.
Ultimately, the GM's success in the war was due to sheer numbers. Eventually the Federation could crank them out so quickly that it became akin to Zapp Brannigan versus the Killbots, where they sent wave after wave of GMs against [Zeon](https://gundam.fandom.com/wiki/Principality_of_Zeon) forces until they were overwhelmed. Sadly, this means that they had both enough resources and enough lives to throw at the problem - and that they were more than willing to do so.
Meanwhile, the Doylist explanation would be something like:
You can't have the GM upstage the Gundam (because it's the hero), nor can they dominate against Zeon mobile suits (otherwise Zeon won't look like a threat). That means the GM has to be written as the quintessential jobber.
And besides, all those technical specs are from outside of the show itself. The episodes weren't written with those technical specs in mind.
Feel free to choose whatever explanation you like better.
Variations upon Variations
Like the Zaku, the GM’s simple design made it easy to modify, which in turn led to a dizzying number of variants.
Pretty much every one of these variants features various tweaks to the GM’s armor and color scheme. Some (but not all) have unique weapons. Whatever your tastes, you can probably find a GM that’s perfect for you.
Appearances in Media
I’m not going to list all of them. Suffice to say that the GM first shows up on screen in Episode 29 of Mobile Suit Gundam. Considering the show only lasted for another 14 episodes, that’s pretty late into the run!
In the years since, Sunrise has done some retconning. The Battle of Jaburo (which occurs in Episode 29) may be the first time we see the GM, but the official lore now states that they were first deployed during Operation Odessa.
Weapons and Stuff
Like I said, the GM is capable of using all of the Gundam’s weapons, but generally doesn’t. The only exception to this rule is the shield: Originally, all GM’s were depicted as having the Gundam’s “red with yellow cross” shield.
The GM’s only unique and notable weapon is its Beam Spray Gun:
The name is a bit misleading. You might assume that it describes its operation - that is, you might assume that it fires beam energy in a “spray and pray” fashion. In truth, the name refers to its appearance, since the Beam Spray Gun resembles a real life spray paint gun:
In terms of functionality, the Beam Spray Gun is basically a lower powered version of the Gundam’s Beam Rifle. It packs less of a punch, and each shot has less range, but being a beam weapon it still packs quite a punch.
The gun also has multiple firing modes, though I can’t recall any scenes in any animation where it uses them.
How to Pronounce GM
If you're like me, your natural inclination is to pronounce GM as "Gee Em". However, there is a lot of official evidence - including spoken dialogue - that reveals that it is actually pronounced like the name "Jim".Here is a whole video on it, if you find this topic as fascinating as I do.
About the Model Kit
This is HGUC kit #20, which makes it extremely old (vintage 2001 according to the box). That means it’s not going to be fancy in any way, shape, or form. But there’s an argument to be made that the GM doesn’t need to look fancy.
It’s also an extremely cheap kit, coming in at around ten bucks (you can tell by the shape of its small, squarish box. That’s always a sign of a small, simple kit).
About the Build
Last year I purchased a few sheets of waterslide decals. One of them is sheet #37, AKA “Gundam Decal Set for MS (Earth Federation Space Force). Unbeknownst to me at the time, this decal sheet has a bunch of markings specifically designed for the Gundam, Guntank, Guncannon, and the GM.
I already used the Guntank’s special markings last year, and I plan on doing the same for the GM. I think a few waterslides in the right places out to really spice it up.
Other Thoughts
I was today years old when I realized that the GM is described as a “Mass Productive” mobile suit, rather than “Mass Production”:
And it’s not the only one. I have at least one other model that’s “Mass Productive”, I also have some that are “Mass Production”, so clearly Bandai eventually corrected themselves.
I don’t bring this up to make fun of them or anyhing. I just think it is an interesting curio.