The masterwork of Neo Zeon, Moblie Suit MSN-04 Sazabi appears in Gundam Evolution through its illustrious Newtype design as a bulky Unit that fits anywhere on a team in Bandai Namco’s Hero First-Person Shooter. The sleek Sazabi thrives at close range while its tank-focused gameplay provides backup for ally Mobile Suits when charging into dangerous objective points on the battlefield. Players that desire a focused strategy from one of the strongest Season 1 Units of Gundam Evolution should look no further than the Sazabi.
Health and stamina are the two key universal mechanics that form the foundation of a Mobile Suit’s utility. Health ranges from 800-1400 between Units, and Sazabi holds the highest health value of any Gundam in the game, at a maximum of 1400 exactly. In order to balance this staggering amount of durability, Sazabi’s size makes it far easier to land attacks on, draining that health quickly if focused. Stamina divides into meters, which get drained when a Mobile Suit dashes, sprints, or hovers in the air. Typically, the more Stamina a Mobile Suit has, the faster it can move in and out of situations. A caveat to Sazabi is displayed through the singular Stamina bar they possess, creating limited mobility that calls into question Sazabi’s use as a Hero Shooter beginner’s Unit in Gundam Evolution.
Stars next to selectable Mobile Suits indicate the difficulty tied to their styles of play in Gundam Evolution. One to four stars mark the range, with one-star Mobile Suits being perfect for players just getting started, and four-star Units being particularly hard to master. The Sazabi Unit is listed as a three-star Gundam, boasting some degree of difficulty, but not an incredible amount compared to a four-star Mobile Suit such as the GN-001 Gundam Exia.
Piloting the MSN-04 Sazabi in Gundam Evolution
The most important tools a player can remember while playing as the Sazabi Mobile Suit are its shield, Beam Tomahawk, Homing Boost, Enemy Search, and the properties of a powerful G-Manuever. Shields in Gundam Evolution have their own health tied to them, protecting the primary Unit’s health from damage until it is destroyed. Direct counters to shields do exist, through knockback abilities such as the RX-75 Guntank in Gundam Evolution, or shield-breaking options from Units like the RX-78-2 Gundam. Players using Sazabi should be aware of those threats as they become more familiar with Sazabi’s shield, using it in optimal circumstances.
Devastate Enemy Gundam with the Beam Shot Rifle and Beam Tomahawk
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The primary fire of the Sazabi Unit, the Beam Shot Rifle functions as a shotgun of sorts, a bursting string of shots that deal more damage at close-range. Blasts of the Rifle are capable of taking out nearly half the health of most Mobile Suits with a singular headshot, and the range of each shot goes a considerable distance to grant decent cover fire to allies. Not quite as subtle as another Unit more akin to a Spy from Team Fortress 2 hidden in Gundam Evolution, Sazabi’s alternate fire input with the Rifle concentrates their shots into a more focused distribution, dealing huge damage to nearby Units. Far easier to aim this way, players that balance the Beam Shot Rifle’s low ammo prior to reloading with both firing modes are able to easily disable rival Gundam.
Perhaps the trickiest tool in Sazabi’s kit, the Beam Tomahawk is a slow-moving projectile that travels at an angled arc, lodging into surfaces for a duration. Should a player hit an enemy Gundam with the Tomahawk, it stuns the hit Mobile Suit, leading to excellent follow-up damage from either Sazabi or their teammates. The Tomahawk also breaks shields, an ironic counter to rival Sazabi Units that players may use to break enemy team formations from the front lines. Strong stunning abilities are always useful, exemplified by some Units unlocked through earned capital in Gundam Evolution.
Use Enemy Search and Homing Boost to Search and Destroy
A tool that many players forget about, the Enemy Search active skill on Sazabi locks onto enemy Units, tracking their movement behind walls for a short time. Active for a short time, this skill may not be as effective as other Mobile Suits who use this as their G-Manuever, but the knowledge of an enemy team’s positioning for any duration is far better than no indication at all. Players that combine Enemy Search with the dash mechanic tied to Stamina or the stunning effect of the Beam Tomahawk are able to chase down foes before they escape. These otherwise small bits of utility present on individual Units are what makes Gundam Evolution such an impressive Overwatch-style shooter.
Homing Boost temporarily takes away a major drawback of the Sazabi, its mobility. When players lock onto an ally Mobile Suit or the location of the thrown Beam Tomahawk, a prompt shows up indicating the input of this active skill. Within a certain range, Sazabi will boost forward with a surprising amount of momentum for its size, rushing toward either their ally or weapon without using any Stamina in the process. No matter the location, Sazabi immediately brings itself as far as the Boost will go, putting itself right into its Beam Shot Rifle’s best range or soaring through the air toward an upward Tomahawk to reach a team in desperate need of help.
Divide and Conquer with Funnels
Once Sazabi reaches the maximum percentage for their ultimate ability, the G-Manuever, players call upon the aid of several attachments to the Sazabi Mobile Suit as seen in the Gundam Units trailer for Gundam Evolution. These drones automatically target enemy Gundam that Sazabi sees, firing beams within a massive range for the duration of the G-Manuever. Targeting multiple enemies at once, the Funnels act as a deterrent, preventing opponents from approaching Sazabi in fear of the extra firepower the Funnels give them. Overcoming the natural weaknesses of Sazabi’s limited mobility and playing into the strengths of close-range damage or incredible supportive bulk are essential strategies for players looking to pilot Char’s signature Mobile Suit in Gundam Evolution.
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Gundam EvolutionPlatform: Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, PC
Released: 2022-12-31
Developer: Bandai Namco Studios
Publisher: Bandai Namco Entertainment
Genre: Free-to-Play, multiplayer, FPS
ESRB: Not Yet Rated
Gundam Evolution