ZGMF-X56S/β Sword Impulse Gundam is the ZGMF-X56S Impulse Gundam fitted with the β Sword Silhouette, from Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny (2004, C.E. 73). ZAFT built the Impulse as the general-purpose unit of its Second Stage series, and the Sword pack makes it a close-quarters machine. Shinn Asuka takes it into combat first, and Lunamaria Hawke later inherits it.
What it does in the story
Its first sortie is the Armory One incident, when Phantom Pain's Extended pilots steal three Second Stage Gundams and Shinn fights all three inside the colony until the pack's weapons are wrecked and he has to change Silhouettes. On Earth he switches to it to break the Earth Alliance fleet, and at Crete he uses it against the Orb fleet. Lunamaria flies it at Heaven's Base, where its swords are turned on Destroy Gundams.
What makes it different
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The two swords lock into one.
The MMI-710 Excalibur anti-ship laser swords are physical blades with a laser edge, and their hilts join to make a double-bladed form. The laser can be extended past the tip to pierce Phase Shift armour, and although the swords are named for sinking ships they are mostly used on mobile suits.
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The pack flies to the suit on its own.
The Impulse is three modules: the Core Splendor cockpit fighter, a Chest Flyer and a Leg Flyer, which dock in midair and receive their Silhouette from an automated Silhouette Flyer. That is also why it launches from the Minerva, which has the hangar and catapult for it.
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Changing the pack changes the armour colour.
The Impulse uses Variable Phase Shift armour, which shifts strength, colour and power draw according to the Silhouette fitted, though the settings are programmed beforehand. In the Sword configuration the suit turns out in red, black, grey and white rather than its usual colours.
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The swords come with hover thrusters.
The Sword Silhouette's thrusters let the Impulse hover in Earth's atmosphere. The pack also carries two RQM60 Flash-Edge beam boomerangs, an improved version of the Justice Gundam's boomerangs.
How big is it?
- Overall height: 19.37 m, with a head height of 17.76 m
- 1/144: roughly 13.5 cm
- 1/100: roughly 19.4 cm
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Frequently asked questions
1. How is the Sword Impulse different from the Force and Blast Impulse?
They are one airframe with three Silhouette packs: α Force, β Sword and γ Blast. The airframe is identical: the pack, its weapons and the Variable Phase Shift colours are what change, so the Sword Impulse is a configuration, not a separate design.
2. Are there two swords or one double-bladed sword?
Both, depending on the moment. The Sword Silhouette carries two Excalibur anti-ship laser swords, and their hilts can be joined into a single double-bladed weapon.
3. Who pilots the Sword Impulse in SEED Destiny?
Shinn Asuka flies it from the first episode and uses the pack repeatedly on Earth. Lunamaria Hawke takes it to Heaven's Base after Shinn moves to the Destiny, and the Silhouette is not used again in the war.
4. Why does the Impulse launch in separate pieces?
A damaged module can be swapped instead of losing the whole suit, and one airframe can carry three role packs, though the suit is tied to the Minerva and its launch cycle.
Background sources: ZGMF-X56S/β Sword Impulse Gundam — Gundam Wiki · ガンダムシリーズの登場機動兵器一覧（ガンダムSEED DESTINY）— 日本語版 Wikipedia
