Click to see the mission!
Here we are again, upgrading the obvious ghosts of our incinerated people. Hopefully our upgrades will pass on as Sally, Mari (and Kaworu?), the International Dannar team, Garis and the Darius droids, and the Queen Fuji charge the moon to kick Gloria’s ass.
Now, despite Kira’s boost, Daiya has a pretty solid stake on the 2nd place (1st place for non-cheaters), so Jesus might be stuck in 3rd. Tragic.
Final round of upgrades: Jeeg was brought up to 50% (Squad Bonus: Accuracy +15, Melee weapons’ power +200) and the rest was used to buff Ichitaka as much as could be done. He’s nowhere near maxed out but that extra armor means enemies will have a real hard time doing lasting damage through Miu’s Barrier and the Laplace Wall.
No event units for the finale, but we do have 22 slots which is room enough for pretty much everyone important:
Dancouga/Hilde
Daiya/Deceive
Kouichi/Quatre
Lee/Norza
Kenji/Kyo
Jeeg/Micchi
Shinji/Rey
Kouji/Sawatari
Tetsuya/Canaria
Kira/Athrun
Iczer-3/Soubi
Goh/Yanma
Eida/Anna
Iczer-1/Iczer-2
Ozma/Luca
Heero/Yuu
Voltes/Combattler
Alto/Brera
Shinn/Yulianne
Asuka/Lou
Ichitaka/Miu
Eternal (In hindsight, I should’ve deployed Rei and someone else, but I only realized it was 22 slots, not 21, when I was recording, so I just picked whatever.)
Save the world, Queen Fuji!

: And so end the Guardians of Earth…
: Time and again they were an unrelenting shield against invaders; they were agents of justice… always the embodiment of hope for the weak.
: And that is precisely why news of their destruction should quickly sap the morale of any nations still fighting out there.
: There’s nothing quite as fragile as the hearts of people who’ve lost their anchors.
: Hah, you’re damn wrong. Even when they’re waist-deep in despair, the people can still pull themselves right back up…!
: What…?! That voice is…!


: Crooks like you won’t be running amuck while we’ve got something to say about it!
: LOTUS, the Champions of Justice, have arrived!
: Wh-What…?! How are you still alive after being on the receiving end of the Galtdeus artillery?!
: …! Wait, you didn’t…!
: Guess the other shoe just dropped. The Rushbird absorbed all the energy of your attack with the Laplace Wall…
: And the Straybird used all that energy to engage its Imaginary Road and warp us all the way to the surface of the moon.
: You absorbed all of that attack…?! Impossible!
: Yes, it’s possible! Ad libbing things is our specialty, you know!
: And using the Dimensional Converter as a warp device was my grandfather’s idea from the start.
: ‘Course, that was some real heavy lifting for the Rushbird, but it’s still got more than enough power to beat you up!
: Hrm, you stubborn pests…!
: And another thing. You were talking about how the people would quickly submit without us, right?
: I did. The people can only live by clinging to something else. With that something gone, they are helpless…
: Not at all. Because so long as justice is alive, there’ll always be those ready to stand up and fight. And those people will eventually end you!
: Right. You might even beat us today, but you can never snuff out the people’s spirit!
: That said, it doesn’t mean we’re leaving this mess for folks to sort out later!
: Yeah, absolutely… After what you did to Earth, we’d never be able to rest easy if we didn’t beat you into the dirt ourselves!
: … Hmph, the gall. Do you honestly think you’ve a shot at defeating me face-to-face?
: The Galtdeus is a mobile fortress, designed with the single purpose of facing and destroying Central.
: It is the fruit of all of Prof. Grife’s genius, and GreAT’s know-how and hard work… It personifies power, and I’m certain you can appreciate its majesty.
: Hmph… You call something you made by probing other peoples’ heads the fruit of your “hard work”? Don’t be ridiculous!
: To each their own, I suppose. But all this that I’ve accomplished… it most certainly is the crystallization of all my hard work!

: Blah, and here come all those mooks. I’m so sick of fighting these…
: But whatever the might throw at us, we can’t let ourselves be beaten…!
: You all know what’s at stake here, people. The enemy has quite the force waiting for us, but defeat is absolutely not an option…
: So my order for you is just this… take him down! I believe in all of you…!
: … Mission accepted…!
: We’ll whoop his butt and keep Earth’s future – our future – safe!
: The people of our world must be seriously dense to pick this guy as President!
: We can’t really give them crap since we chose Mishima. The politicians always keep their real selves way out of sight from the common folk.
: Ludo Gloria! Your defeat is what will really signal a new dawn for our Earth!
: This is it – the last battle of LOTUS! HERE WE GOOOO!

Mission 41 – The Light of Hope

Destroy the Galtdeus, don’t lose a ship. Last mission was the dry run – now’s the real deal. You’ve got a ton of mooks, MP Imperial Valleys and HL-1s, and Gloria ready to snipe down everyone on approach.
How easy this mission goes depends on the answer to this question: how many Confuse casters do you have? All in all, I’ve six which is actually more than what I think would be necessary to make this real smooth.
The reason I say that is because not only do the HLs have that high accuracy, the large amount of enemies makes evasion decay a real problem if they decide to gang up on people. Resource management, especially your SP, is essential to drop Gloria as soon as the game allows you (hint, hint).
Same priorities as always: take out the Strike Valleys ASAP lest they debuff your armor and, if there’s a Destroy by where you’ll be running people, take it out to avoid random MAPWs. You’ll want to spread your group in two wings, each going up the east and west sides of the crater and converging at Gloria because, as you might expect, he has a big MAPW he can use.
I find that the Imperial Valleys are more trouble than they’re worth and, with Confuse, there’s a decent enough chance your guys will be able to dodge them. Again, if they’re not directly in your way, consider ignoring them to conserve resources.
Galtdeus (Ludo Gloria)
Pilot Skills:
Counter
Break Morale Limit
Guard
Double Movement
Commander L4
Prevail L9
Support Attack L3
Attack Combo L3
Mech Features:
10% HP Regen
30% EN Regen
Gloria IS the toughest boss in the game by a mile, packing a full 300k HP, massive stats across the board, S ranks and a ton of range and firepower. Prevail L9 on top of Guard and a 3L size means damage will quickly start to drop against him – especially if you don’t use Size-Ignoring attacks like combos and whatnot. Yulianne’s Armor Down will be tremendously helpful in wrecking him in one round.
As I mentioned above, Gloria is more than equipped to snipe you down and his strongest attack, Revolution Cannon, has a reach of 3-9 and hits like a jet-propelled truck. Don’t let him get a clean him with it, or else. On the flip side, if you can close the distance, things become a lot better as he can only use his second weakest attack at point-blank.
Actually getting close to him is the catch, though, because Gloria has gone to Dvorak’s School of MAPW: a 4x4 AoE that he can set anywhere in a 2-8 range and it won’t even hit his own guys. Oh, and it also has a +30 accuracy modifier. THIS is why you’ll want to have Confuse up as often as you can, or at least have Daunt/Exhaust casts ready to push his morale back under 130 (Gloria has exceptional morale gains, though).
Oh, and you should know that Gloria doesn’t subscribe to the oft-seen trend of double moving bosses never using MAPWs back-to-back. He absolutely will tag you twice in a round – he’ll tag the same group twice – and that’s a recipe for dead stuff, especially with the mooks running interference. With Confuse up and a few command auras, though, it’s not too bad, but you’ll still want to keep your guys as spread out as can be on approach.
Don’t rush this because Gloria has some surprises, but don’t take things too slow that you’ll run dry. Keep a steady pace and, once your morale’s good, send someone to just tag the Galtdeus with whatever and trigger the plot.

Oh, and like in so many SRWs, this stage gets a unique map BGM.









https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06lfTgBAOaw
And, hey, a Nuclear Windam finally managed to last long enough to put those guns to use!
It actually hurts a ton, as you can see.







And here he comes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J32D82FQDy4






As I said, just tag Gloria with whatever.

: With Central’s defeat, our Earth is finally coming together. I can do the same for this one as well, you know. Given the opportunity, I’ll unite all nations of this planet.
: Is defeating me truly what’s just? Oh, but I suppose this kind of questioning will always be too much for mere soldiers like you…!
: Hah, it’s always the worst folks who go around yelling of how in the right they are. And then they turn around and stomp all over everyone else to get what they want!
: The justice you brandish is as empty as your words. You’ve nowhere the sort of resolve Treize Khushrenada and Hisataka Katou had.
: And even nameless soldiers can still see the truth. The people were caught in the crossfire of your offensive, and the moment you accepted that, you became… evil.
: So prepare yourself! We won’t hesitate you put an end to you!
: For all your merits, you are hollow inside. The pain you’ll now feel is your just deserts for all those you’ve crushed underfoot!
: Final target IDed… Moving to destroy…!






Heero: “Ludo Gloria, not everything will be going according to your plans!”
Gloria: “Heero Yui… that’s the name of a legendary leader of this world, no? But I’m afraid I’ll be claiming that title as my own now!”
: Hmhmhm… Oh, how wonderful my Galtdeus is. No attacks can harm it, you see.
: Our weapons are having no effect…?!
: That’s… It’s using a dimensional seam as a barrier! It’s the same principle as a Fold Fault…!
: I told you: the Galtdeus personifies power, so it cannot be anything but indestructible!
: It had to rise above even the SDF-1 Macross, or it would be unable to win the people’s hearts and minds! And with that in mind, I made it so…!
: Emi, Rachel, we gotta do something or this’ll go just like when we fought the Glain-Neidr!
: We’re on it! Emi, you got a fix on where that barrier’s energy flow is coming from?!
: I do! It’s originating from…

: From these coordinates! I’m sending them to you right now!
: Huh? But there’s nothing…
: Look closer, Iczer-3! They’re not good enough to trick our eyes!
: Ummm… Ah! Found them!


: There they are…!
: So we need to destroy those and the Galtdeus’ barrier will disappear. Simple enough.
: And unlike those Spheres, it looks like we can attack those just fine. In that case…
: Right, we just have to fire everything we have and wreck them!
: Your targets are the enemy’s flying fortresses! Save dealing with President Gloria for after they’re down!
: Alright, now the way to go is 100% clear…
: But it would be rude to keep “His Excellency” waiting. Let’s wrap this up quick!
: Hmhmm, we’ll see about that…
And here’s why I told you not to bumrush Gloria. Before you can damage him, you must first destroy all 6 of these Core Fortresses and each one has 50k HP. Good news is they have no important skills to watch out for, being just big blobs of HP.
Still, that’s still another 300k HP you’ll need to wear down and Gloria will keep on pelting you with MAPWs while you run around wrecking the things. Keep running Confuse, spread your folks as best you can and see if you can’t take them out in two turns at most.

If you’ve been stocking SP, feel free to pop a Valor or two here to speed up the process.

Rey and Shinji just couldn’t move close enough with a single Zeal cast, but I’ll take four out of six.




Their 2L size cuts the damage a bit, but 12k on each one will help.













https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jt2JeN1Xglk
The Core Fortresses come with a very special attack involving all GreAT mooks… which still counts as an energy attack! 








And that’s the last of them!
Power dooooown.
: We’ve confirmed all fortresses have gone silent!
: That should also have done away with the Galtdeus’ barrier!
: Well, well, you’re putting up quite the fight… but I’d expect no less from the Guardians of Earth. However, I still have a few tricks up my sleeve.

: Giant missiles…?!
: These are my divine thunderbolts – the Conquest Bombs – and they’re set to make a beeline for the PLANTs!
: You’re going to destroy the PLANTs?!
: All I want is Earth and all its resources. Agricultural colonies, I could be talked into keeping around, but residential ones? I don’t need those at all.
: But, really, the people of this Earth aren’t high on my list of priorities right now.
: How can you say that…?! There’s nothing more precious than life!
: So what will it be, young Champions of Justice? You can’t simply turn the other cheek and let those set out to the PLANTs, can you? We both know that.
: You understand that you’d be going along with my plan, but you cannot help yourselves. You simply MUST divert some of your forces to deal with it. And that is the greatest weakness of Champions of Justice.
: … Psh, talk about veneer falling off.
: So now you’re using the lives of everyone as a shield… For all your attitude, you’re no different from a random thug.
: You’d best watch your tongue! I’ll have you know that my Conquest Bombs also have more than enough firepower to reduce your units to piles of slag!
: And there’s the choice of the day: if you wish to save the PLANTs, then feel more than welcome to stop my bombs with your own bodies. Of course, if you do that, I’m afraid there won’t be much left of you to try and stop me.
: Death by willingly flinging themselves at an obvious trap… a suitable end for you Champions of Justice, I say…!
: Bah, listen to you… What’s gonna happen is that we’ll protect the PLANTs and take you down! Real CHAMPIONS OF JUSTICE can always manage to do both!
: And real Champions of Justice will never lose to anyone when it’s time to fight and defend others!
: Stay strong, everyone! I know you can pull through this!


Remember Mission 7 (Retreat Route)? It’s just like that. Gloria’s 6 Conquest Bombs will set off to the southern edge of the map and, if one gets there, you lose. But there are two problems with that plan: one, there’s quite the long distance for them to cover (might take 3-4 turns for one to reach the goal – more than enough to drop Gloria) and, two…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4yY_Yu2HCw
The Bombs not only have rather piddly HP, they still have only one attack: blowing up. Like Logos’ nukes, whether the hit connects, you dodge or, say, use Invincible/Iron Wall, they kill themselves regardless.
A shame that Gloria’s plan never accounted for us having spirit commands. Whoops!
Mind you, after the Conquest Bombs start to spawn, when the enemies are reduced below 20…


: Enemy reinforcements!
: Hrm, and they just don’t stop coming…!
: This really shouldn’t come as any surprise – I just have to recall the forces I’d deployed across Earth.
: You may be so very powerful, but the line that separates victory and defeat is determined by the size of one’s army – or lack thereof.
: Maybe, but you still can’t summon all the forces you’ve deployed on Earth at once… isn’t that right?
: …!
: Meyrin, have you ran the numbers on how many mobile weapons he can warp in?
: Yes. According to intel provided by Prof. Grife, the warp device can only transport about 30 units per jump.
: Then the total number of troops he has isn’t a problem. We’ll destroy each wave as they come in.
: And as he’s forced to pull more and more forces out of Earth, it’ll give the people still fighting a chance regroup and attack.
: Surrender while you still can. Your plans are all falling apart.
: Get ready to face the music, Ludo Gloria!
: We’ll make you apologize to the Professor and everyone on Earth!
: Silence! SILENCE!! How could I ever be beaten by insects like you?!
: You may be this Earth’s guardians, but I’m its conqueror! Nothing but victory awaits me!
: Come! Let the full power of the Galtdeus – the power that’ll rule over a new world –carve into your souls! And then prostrate yourselves at my feet!
And if you kill all bombs…
: All of the enemy missiles are confirmed destroyed!
: Your ace in the whole has been destroyed, Mr. President… What will you do now?
: Then I suppose you force my hand… I wanted to use these to persuade the people of the surface into playing nice, but…

: H-He has more?!
: It’ll be alright, Naoto! He can bring out as many of these as he wants, we’re still keeping the PLANTs safe!
As it turns out, Gloria has unlimited reinforcements the second you take out his Core Fortresses. When you get rid of the things, then, that’s your cue to drop everything and bash the Galtdeus into submission.
Ideally you’d have killed all but one fortress in a turn, taking out the last one with a ship or something and sending everyone after Gloria immediately as the endless respawns begin. If you don’t, however, that’s fine: pop Confuse, let the bombs run off, spread out as much as you can to minimize the threat of MAPWs and wrap things up in the next turn.
Before we get the ball rolling, here are the other attacks of the Galtdeus:

: I feel what lies in your heart… a cold flame that nobody would ever truly embrace…
: I can certainly see the logic behind banding together, uniting your strength… but what it all comes down to is that that’s a weakling’s train of thought.
: And it amounts to absolutely nothing when faced with one truly mighty person!
: That’s where you are wrong. What you are is a lone man, wallowing in the power he’s earned…!
: But we’re not alone! I got a bit of everyone’s flame burning hot inside my heart…!
: And you say the power that has “amounts to nothing”? Let’s put that to the test and see who gets burned!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYSTn1c2My0
Gloria vs. Daiya: “You saved the Darius, the surface, and next you mean to save the world? Think you can actually pull that one off?”
: And the Voltes V sets itself before me… though I’m afraid your claim as the mightiest of all is ancient history.
: You see, I’ve amassed tech from all the Boazans you defeated and finally created a weapon to surpass even your unit!
: Our parents made the Voltes and if you think you’re wrecking it that easy, you’re in for a reality check!
: You talk a good talk, but, at the end of the day, you don’t give a damn about anyone but yourself!
: And we’re not about to let ourselves be beaten by someone like that! Come and feel the power of the Voltes for yourself!
–
: My Galtdeus was built to rise above and beyond any of Earth’s weapons!
: You’ve absolutely not winning this one. Just lay down your weapons, nice and easy.
: You’ve got to be kidding. My father poured his soul into building the Combattler…
: And it ain’t getting trounced by this gold POS you had to force people to make for you!
: All that data ya got from us is already way outdated! Now grit your teeth and I’ll prove it to you, Ludo Gloria!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzZ-9dHuxkQ
And here’s Gloria’s strongest weapon in full.
Gloria vs Voltes: “Voltes V… things might’ve turned out quite different in our world had you made it back from Planet Boazan.”
Vs. Combattler: “You cannot combine unless all five of your brainwaves are in sync? Do you honestly think you can best me with that faulty system?”

Now we can go! L doesn’t have a JAM Project song, so I asked around and this was recommended! 
: Your ambitions are about to come to a screeching halt, Gloria! And I, Tetsuya Tsurugi, am here to make that happen!
: Ah, the hero who’s defended Earth time after time… A shame that I must turn that pride and iron will to crumbs.
: I’d hoped that you would take up the mantle as a guardian of my world… but it doesn’t look like you’re willing to hear me out.
: Of course not – there’s nothing left for me to say to you. But if you insist, I’ll have to let my fists get my point across!
–
: Having a man like you in the front lines is a boon to your whole team. Your very presence bolsters everyone’s morale…
: You’re not an opponent to underestimate. I’ll turn you to ashes with the full might of the Galtdeus…!
: Hah, talk me up all you like, that won’t make me less pissed off at you!
: Step up, Ludo Gloria! Throw whatever you want at me, Kouji Kabuto always finds a way to bring home the gold!



Gloria vs Kouji: “Ah, the Devil Emperor; that’s quite the fitting opponent. Let us ante up the fate of the world, then! Come!”
Vs. Tetsuya: “I can appreciate your determination, but if you’ll bear your blade against me, I’m left with no choice!”

Ah, sorry. All these Projects confuse me – here’s the actual song!

: War does nothing but spread sorrow and hatred, and I’ll bring an end to it today!
: Indeed, it’ll end – at the moment this world falls squarely under my rule, that is!
: The way you look at the PLANTs like they’re nothing is no different from how the old Earth government treated us!
: And I’m not letting you call the shots with our world’s destiny! Earth is our home, so keep your hands off it!






Gloria vs. Shinn: “You do understand that I’m offering the world free of war that you so desire, yes?”
: Here’s a bit of wisdom for you, boy: justice does not equal victory. Rather, it’s the victors who determine what justice is.
: Good to hear! Guess our justice was the real deal all along, huh, Emi?
: Right, Kouichi! After all, victory will be ours… because we’re true Champions of Justice!




Gloria vs. Kouichi: “Champions of Justice, hm…? Then I suppose I’ll simply educate this world on how pointless it is to ramble about justice.”
: Come on, Goh! Let’s take that guy out in a hurry and put an end to all this fighting!
: Yeah! We’ll show him how strong the bonds between a husband and wife are!
: How the mighty hero of the War of Giants has fallen… What use is something like a bond between man and woman in the battlefield?
: All that time you spent spying on us and you didn’t learn jack, I see…
: I’ve Anna, and all my friends, here by my side! You might not realize the strength that comes from the bonds we share, but I can easily showcase it for you!








Gloria vs. Goh: “I’ll give you ample proof that that the power of ‘love’ and ‘bonds’ is worthless in battle!”
: I don’t feel anything in your heart – not a person you care about, or an ideal you pursue… What a sad man you are…
: Everyone here has been fighting for something or someone. But all you’re doing is fueled just by your thirst for glory…
: I’m fighting for my people, thank you very much. Under my rule, our two worlds will complement each other’s deficiencies, and then prosperity will be ours.
: We’d share with you our advanced technology, and you’d share with us your abundant resources. Whatever is wrong with that picture, I ask of you?
: The fact you don’t mean anything you say! If you’re so good, then why’s your heart so empty?!
: Silence! How dare an android – a man-made automaton – talk about anyone’s heart?!
: The Nagisas were always so kind to everyone – androids or not…!
: And that’s your main problem, old man! You don’t know how to be kind to others, and that’s why your heart’s empty!
–
: I’m afraid Earth has no place for your kind, Warrior of the Cthulhu. Why not surrender and I’ll show you to the door?
: Do you think the Cthulhu still want to invade Earth? They’re not like you!
: I do regret having to do any invasion.
: What I truly want is nothing more than to bring the peoples of both Earths together under the rule of one king.
: If you claim to truly have what it takes to be king, then you’d best stop with your empty rhetoric!
: You have no pride as a warrior. Rather, you grasp so desperately at any power and political influence you can get your hands on… pathetic.
: Ludo Gloria… In the name of all those I hold dear, I’ll make sure Earth stays far out of your reach…!






Gloria vs. Iczer-3: “I’ve no use for an ignorant Iczer kid. Stand down or I’ll have to make you!”
Vs. Iczer-1: “You vagrants dare get in the way of my conquest of Earth…? You don’t know your place, I see!”
: I’ve quite the hefty reward waiting – join me and it is yours…! I’ll give you five times what you make in a year!
: Your intel’s very outdated, guy. We haven’t been fighting for a paycheck for a long while now.
: You won’t make mine and Team D’s hearts waver by tempting us with that!
: Why…? You were all a bunch of unassuming civilians, so why are you so scrupulous now?!
: I might not look like it, but I’m a one-man kind of woman. Now, as for contracts, maybe you can convince me?
: Do you want me to cry? Because you’re making me cry right now…
: Dude, she’s just giving him the run-around.
: You really are a bunch of idiots. But in a very good way, thankfully.
: And we kind of came too far to turn back on it, right? Besides, this is really, really exciting.
: Time to bring him into the supernova that is the Dancouga – that which has transcended the beasts and the gods themselves!
: Let’s go wild!





Gloria vs Aoi: “You’ve transcended the beasts, men and the gods themselves… but you’ll find it impossible to transcend me!”
: Why are you set on doing this?! I’m sure there were other ways you could’ve brought happiness to you world!
: We tried, all the way until our resources ran dry. That was when I learned of the existence of this world.
: And ruling two worlds… Now that was an accomplishment that would measure up to my talents and dedication!
: This man is…! Kira, we don’t have a choice here!
: I know, Athrun! He has to be stopped…! We can’t let our world head down the wrong direction again!








Gloria vs. Kira: “A world ruled by me… that is the world I hope for!”
: He’s emanating an enormous amount of energy. That said…!
: Right. A man without the strength that comes from the heart will not bring us down!
: The strength of the heart, hm…? I’ll concede that it has proven its usefulness. But can something as fickle as that help you overcome the titanic gulf between our units?!
: Those who say that will always wind up regretting how ignorant they were!
: Kenji, Hiroshi! Now is the time to bring out the full power of your Bronze Bells!
: Aye, aye, grams!
: Get over here, ya crummy President! The Steel God’s packing all our hearts and you’re gonna get a mouthful of what they give us!









Gloria vs. Kenji: “I doubt a dimwit like you could understand anything, even if I tried to explain it.”
: Why are you starting a war with other humans?! We even managed to understand each other with the Vajra!
: The worthless masses are worse than even a swarm of bugs. That is why they must be lead…!
: No one here ever asked to be “lead” by you! You should just be happy being President of your own world!
: Oh, but I cannot simply give up on my dream! Only those who believe they can go the distance can overcome their limits and reach beyond!
: Bite me! Do you seriously think it’s alright to prey on others just to fulfill your dream?!
: Those who lack the capacity to grasp my noble designs ought to simply step back and contend themselves observing my rise to supremacy!
: Just give me a while and I’ll bring that planet you found into my fold as well!
: You hear that, princess? We better stop him or he’s going to annex our Frontier too.
: Alright, that does it… I can’t let him get out of here in one piece!
: Ranka, Sheryl…! This guy would close off the sky itself, and I swear it on the wings you gave me that I’ll run him into the ground!





Gloria vs. Alto: “You’ve my thanks for settling things with the Vajra. Now I only need to worry about stamping out the worthless masses!”
: Target in sight… We won’t let you bring sorrow to anyone else…!
: The God created by Man… Still, if it cannot unleash its true power, then it’s no cause for concern!
: Whatever they had in mind when they were making the EVA, I’ll be using its power to protect everyone else!
: Well, look at him, all manly and grown up. I can’t well get left in the dust, though…! Here we go, #02!




Gloria vs. Shinji: “The EVA and its A.T. Field… How effective will that be against the Galtdeus, I wonder?”
: I won’t let you go on using my grandfather’s creations for evil.
: I hoped you had learned where you stand in all this. Will you fly off in a panic once I defeat you again?
: Yuu’s far stronger than he was before, Gloria. Your data is in dire need of a revision.
: I got a lesson in humility from someone. You won’t be besting me anymore!
: Let’s go, Haruno. You, me, the Straybird… and LOTUS!
: Ready as always…!
–
: Not even in my wildest dreams did I think the unit we found with Prof. Grife would become such a nuisance…!
: To think I, of all people, would gloss over the huge “potential” it had.
: Maybe you kidnapped the professor and did the stuff you did because it was the only way to keep your people safe from Central… But!
: What you’re doing today is 100% inexcusable!
: Yeah, and I’m not gonna…! Not as part of LOTUS, and not an individual!
: Then come and try your hand! I, Ludo Gloria, will not be bested by a mere brat!
: I don’t need your permission, “prez”! Here we go, Alice! We’ll bring out everything we learned ‘til now and blast him straight off our Earth!
: Ready when you are, Ichitaka! No problems at all!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQVoBWlFOPY
Yuu vs Gloria:
- “I won’t forgive you for using my grandfather’s intellect for evil!”
- Yuu: ”Here’s your due for toying with us!” > Haruno: “This is your end, Ludo Gloria!”
- Gloria vs. Yuu: “Are you watching, Prof. Grife? I’m about to send your dear family spiraling into the afterlife!”/ “Perhaps you and the power that bested the Imperial Valley can actually amount to “potential”… but prevailing against me is well beyond you!”
Ichitaka vs. Gloria:
- Alice: “How dare you use the professor’s mind for evil!” > Ichitaka: “I’ll never forgive you… not as a member of LOTUS or as another human!”
- Ichitaka: “President or not, I’ve had it up to here with you looking down on everyone else!” > Alice: “But we will put a stop to that today!”
- When counterattacking – Ichitaka: “President, schmesident! You’re just a big time crook, pure and simple!” > Alice: “Hit him back, Ichitaka! I won’t show him any mercy either!”
- Gloria vs. Ichitaka: “Watching you grow was especially delightful, Ichitaka. But I’m afraid you surpassed by expectations far too much.” / “Are you watching, Prof. Grife? What we have here is a showdown between your two masterpieces!”

: Did we get him…?!
: Severe damage confirmed to his engine… That mobile fortress is finished.
: Hrgh… Why…? While you’ve been fighting for what you think is right, the people have been doing nothing but daydream about peace…
: How can you justify risking your lives for a bunch like that…?!
: Because that’s our duty as pilots – and there isn’t anyone here who’d turn his or her back on it…!
: You do understand that while the masses may be grateful today, they’ll soon forget all you‘ve done, right?
: This was never about getting props from others. Everything I did was because I wanted to keep everyone’s smiles safe…!
: How long will that philosophy last, I wonder? I tried serving the people once – I believed that was the “duty” of those blessed with talent…
: I willingly offered myself as a subject in nanomachine research. I ignored all the risks that came from parleying with Central and personally saw it done.
: But the people are an insatiable lot. They want peace, they want wealth, they want more equality, they want more liberties… They want more and more and more…
: But you still can’t let yourself be broken by that! You gotta stay your path and carry on, no matter how tough it is! That… That’s what justice is about!
: “Justice”… what a bunch of hot air. How did you ever defeat me…?
: Because we’ve got all our friends here with us. And we can help each other, and turn that “hot air” into something real.
: But not you, President Gloria… And that’s how you shot yourself in the foot. As determined as you might’ve been, you wound up sabotaging your own work.
: Is that so…? I used to have friends – comrades… but I killed the man I used to be… I’d turned my back on everything…
: Would things have been different…? Could I have held onto my old ideals if I hadn’t forsaken the bonds I had…?
: I hope… you won’t end up like me…


: It’s over… it’s really over.
: Yes, it is. But we still have things to do.
: Much of the world is in tatters… We’ll need to bring some courage and hope to all those weary people…
: We must also reach out to the PLANTs and the dwellers of the parallel universe, and work to establish peace between us.
: A Champion of Justice’s work is never done, eh?
: Hmhmm. But this battle isn’t just ours – it’s one that involves all those who call the Earth Sphere their home…
: In that case, we’ve plenty of groundwork to put into place! Chop-chop, everyone! Let’s head home!
: Yeah, let’s head home… the Earth is waiting for us!


: It is a difficult moment we find ourselves in. But it is also a major opportunity for every person to extend a friendly hand to another.
: We and the PLANTs swear that we will spare no efforts in helping restore the scars left on Earth from the parallel universe’s offensive…
: And while it will be a gradual process, we will very soon be initiating diplomatic talks with the other Earth. But there is no need to view them with suspicion – may I remind you of our alliance with the Frontier Fleet, and their help in defending our world.
: Naturals, Coordinators, Implanted humans, Zentradi… society has so many different facets. But now is the moment where we must work together and rise above the walls between us.
: It will be a long and difficult road until peace is truly upon us, but that is a voyage we must all strive to see fulfilled. And that is why…
: Lacus and Relena’s declaration is being received quite favorably across the world, it seems.
: I want to believe that a wish for peace has found its way into the hearts of every person… It’s that light that gives us hope…
: It might be a small flicker right now, that light is one we must always keep safe… And I’ll keep on doing so by Lacus’ side.
: What about you, Athrun? Are you staying in Orb?
: I am and, this time, I’ll do everything I can to help Cagalli restore it. Guess we won’t be seeing each other for a while again…
: I’ll be keeping your FAITH badge, though. Can’t let you walking around with a free pass to do whatever!
: Psh, you gotta learn how to open up, man. You know you don’t need to do that to get him to visit the PLANTs.
: So you’re really staying in Orb, Shinn?
: Yeah. I want Stella to take some time to rest now that she’s finally free from the battlefield.
: Yay! I can stay with you!
: But you need some time off too, you know. You’ve got plenty of you want to do, like visiting your family’s grave, right?
: Hm, you’re right…
: Then how about I come with? I’ve got just enough vacation hours piled up, and it’d do me good to put my feet up now that things are calm again.
: Heey, Luna! I’m not staying here to play around, you know!
: I’m kidding, I’m kidding… Still, do you think I can join you when you’re bringing flowers to the memorial?
: Luna…
: But when you’ve wrapped everything up here, you better come back to the PLANTs pronto, alright? And make sure you bring Stella along, too.
: We’ll all be waiting… so don’t forget where your home is.
: Of course not…! After all, that’s the home the Chairman left in our care…
: The terrorists planning to attack the ceremony have mostly been captured.
: I’ve taken the rest of them. Everything’s secured in a 3km radius.
: Whew… I’m glad the world’s at peace, but it looks like Relena’s no less of a target than she was before.
: … It doesn’t matter. I’ll eliminate any obstacles that get in her way…
: Oh, what an intense prince we have here. But maybe that’s just the ticket when you’re tagging along with that girl.
: Still, wouldn’t it be nice to see some payoff from all the fighting you did?
: No, we’re content in just snuffing out any sparks of war, like we’ve always done. Hope has already found its way on the peoples’ hearts… there’s no need us to fly our Gundams anymore.
: The world’s taken its first step towards peace, but things are hardly calm just yet. Would you be willing to carry on fighting at our side?
: I’m super okay with that! I can handle anything if Shizuru with me!
: Easy there, cowboy.
: You can count on us, Lady! We’ve been watching over Earth all this time, so why not stick with it, right?
: We’ll have other bad eggs turn up eventually, and I’ll be ready to shut them down for as long I’m alive…!
: But I’d like to ask: where’re Goh and the others? I didn’t see them outside…
: Ah, don’t worry. They’re back at the Dannar Base, helping with the reconstruction.
: Haah… carrying all this stuff is pretty tiring business even with the Dannar…
: Goh, watch how you’re setting those down! There’s no room for the other container! Move them about 10cm to the side!
: And just how do you expect the Godannar to handle something as precise as that?!
: Now’s not the time to start grumbling! We’re short on both workers and equipment, you know! Come on, just a bit to the right!
: Ah! Here’s the container I was looking for!
: Brother! We need your help over here!
: Gaaah, shut up! Shut up! Shut up!
: Goh Saruwatari… so he also gets like that when there’s no enemy to fight…
: Hard to believe that that’s the hero from the War of Giants and one of LOTUS’ members, huh?
: Meow?
: Hmhmhm, I’ll say. Still, a world that has no need for heroes is always preferable to the alternative. So I hope we’ll be seeing Goh as antsy as that for a long time.
: Treason, terrorism… the list goes on. By rights, you would likely all be sentenced to life in prison or worse.
: And I’m sure you understood that you’d eventually have to pay for the crimes you committed.
: But it’s also true that you and your comrades helped save this world… So, taking your contributions into account, the powers that be are extending you an extra-legal pardon.
: We really appreciate that.
: But, there’s a string attached: you’ll be joining an intelligence agency suitable for people in your situation.
: An intelligence agency…?
: Do you mean…
: While LOTUS has been dismissed, the Preventers are still an arm of the UN and we’re always understaffed.
: That kind of work suits me just fine, but… is that really alright?
: If you were willing to die for your cause, why not try a new life for yourselves?
: … And we won’t even ask you to wear a mask.
: Hah, so even Preventer Wind has a sense of humor… I’d wager not even Hisataka Katou could have imagined this.
: … Good day, Ikari.
: Good day… Hm? Why is your hand covered in band-aids?
: Prof. Akagi put them there.
: That’s not what I… How did you get hurt? Are you okay?
: It’s a secret… I’ll tell you later.
: (I feel this warmth inside whenever I’m with Ikari… I want him to feel the same way with me…)
: (I want him to feel that way with the Cmdr., too, and to get along with him, so…)
: … Ikari, I’m thinking of putting together a small dinner party later. If you want, you can…
: Ayanami…
*Later on…
: Ah, here you are, Shinji!
: Kouichi?! And the JUDA team too… Why are you all here…?
: Work, as luck would have it. JUDA’s opened this new resort to help people in trouble relax, so we’re telling folks about the place.
: Feel free to stop by whenever, Shinji – and bring Asuka and Rei along when you do. Kouichi and Yajima got their own little shop there.
: Not to blow my own horn, but I make a pretty mean yakisoba. I bet it’ll totally one-up your usual lunchbox, Shinji!
: This isn’t a competition, ya dumdum!
Punch!
: Ooow, cut it out!
: He’s right, sis. Our Factor powers are gone, so…
: If you go at him like you did before, he’ll actually die this time.
: You really lost your powers…?
: But for a bunch of regular kids, you still look like you’ve got some fighting spirit in you.
: Hell, yeah! I might not be able to fly the Linebarrel anymore, but I’m still a CHAMPION OF JUSTICE!
: Yeah, we’re still signed up as JUDA’s Special Forces.
: Our battles now are just making sure everyone has a smile on their faces.
: Hahah, that’s actually well said. But, if you’ll excuse me, I’m late for practice, so…
Off she goes.
: Ah, found him! You there, Shinji’s friend! There’s someone looking for you.
: Yeah, it was… um… a girl with long, black hair I think?
: Oh, crap! I forgot I’d promised to meet up with Emi…!
And he runs.
: He just can’t sit still…
: (Was I… actually laughing back there…?)
: (Huh… I guess I can laugh now…)
: I’m so, so sorry, Emi! I ran into Shinji and we just started talking…!
: It’s fine, I’m not angry… Honestly, I knew this was going to happen.
: After all, you wouldn’t be my dear Kouichi if you didn’t forget what you were doing the second anything piqued your interest.
: “My dear Kouichi”…? Isn’t that what you called me back during the fight with Central?
: Heh… I’m kinda embarrassed to hear that again.
: Are you? Then, how about… “My Kouichi”?
: Whuh…?! But, um, that’s… Emi, I…!
: Come now, if I’m calling you like that, the best you could do is answer in kind!
: M-M-My d-d-d…
: “My dear Emi”.
: I know, I know! B-But, I…!
: Hahahah… You’re despicable!
Full disclaimer: this was originally one of THOSE scenes, where the characters go “Oh, stop calling me by my surname and use my first name” – obviously not gonna fly with me using everyone’s first names throughout all this. Worse, they even paired it with Emi dropping the honorific, which would’ve forced me to change things regardless.
Combing the entire LP to rewrite all names as surnames is not happening, so I had to switch a few things to make it work and still keep most of the scene intact and true to the original. Nice of them to drop this on me during the epilogue! :eng99:
: This was quite the busy day, all things considered…
: JUDA’s resort, huh…? Maybe I should call Misato and see if she wants to come with us?
: If they can get a day off, we could also ask Kaji and Ritsuko too…
: Well, darn. I finally get to Japan and I don’t even get a chance to shine… Sucks for you, too, don’t it?
: Wah?! W-Who are?!
: Just a very special girl passing by. I’ll be seeing you later, little puppy!
: H-Huuh…?
: Good luck, Kenjiii!
: You’ve got us working as your pit babes, so you better win this or there’ll be Hell to pay!
: Kenji vs. Kyo… Who do you think’ll come out on top, captain?
: I wonder… There might be a bit of a dark horse running this one.
Vrooomm!
: I’m gonna put you in your place today, Kyo!
: Try, but don’t expect me to make it easy!
Vrooomm!
: Much as I hate raining on you boys’ parade, I’m afraid this cup belongs to me!
: Aoiiii?!
: Open up those peepers and take a look at how I work with my Magnum! (This is a reference to “Bakusō Kyōdai Let’s & Go!”, where Aoi’s VA voiced Go Seiba.)
Vrooomm!
: That’s quite the close race… Did you know Aoi’s an F-1 racer and a three-time champion, Sakuya?
: Yeah, I looked her up after I heard she was also a top model.
: Guess you and her both have your share of secrets.
: Not like I ever went out of my way to hide anything, though… Oh, Johnny! Isn’t it time for Eida’s show?
: Relax, I didn’t forget. Here, I brought my notebook…
: We’re coming live from the Reconstruction Charity Concert! Today’s attractions are Eida Rossa, every teenager’s favorite singer, and…
: Lacus Clyne’s old body double, now a rising star after her shocking reveal: Meer Campbell!
: Isabelle’s been getting a ton of work lately. And Eida’s even more popular than she was before, huh?
: I’ll say… Just the other day, I had to put together a scrapbook from a “Men’s Popstars Monthly” she starred in and it was a pain.
: Johnny… she’s your girlfriend. You better learn how to make do with little stuff like that.
: I’m so happy that we can sing together again, Meer!
: Oh, no, no! I’m still just an amateur! I don’t deserve—
: Please, that’s doesn’t matter at all! I know you took a lot of flak after publically announcing that you were Lacus’ double…
: But here you are, singing your own songs with your head held high. You’re a wonderful artist, Meer, and I mean it!
: Thank you, Eida…! And if I can bring just a bit of joy to those that are suffering, then I’m ready to sing my heart out on stage!
: Ditto… Though I wish we could also have Sheryl and Ranka here with us.
: Hm, I know… The Macross Quarter should be just about ready to leave, right?
: We can use the Vajra’s ability to head back to our original universe?
: Yup. From what Ranka said, they apparently can even warp their own planet over there.
: It’s not easy leaving this world behind, but the UN and the new president of our New United Nations Government will start diplomatic talks in due time…
: So we might just be able to see them again. Still, as the SMS, we must now return to our original mission.
: You’re really going, huh… Tsk, it’s gonna get real lonely around here.
: Decades have passed since we left, but home is still home… we all want to find the way back to our Earth.
: Speaking of, how’re things with that New United Nations Government?
: The moderate faction’s regained their power and have appointed a new president. From what we’ve heard, they’re officially working on sending peace ambassadors to this side.
: That’s good to hear!
: On the flip side, I heard the other world has this Anti-Unification League bunch?
ji: And it’ll also fall on us to help find a solution to that.
: Moreover, it seems the Warp Route between Earth and Planet Boazan had stabilized and both planets are already interacting with one another. Things will be quite busy in the near future.
: It’s all good, dad! I’m ready to do whatever to keep peace going!
: And, Alto, I know this ain’t none of my business, but don’t you think you gotta hurry up and make up your mind already?
: He’s right. A man can’t be all willy-nilly like that.
: This might not be a serious matter for you, but it sure is for the girls.
: Hrm, it’s not easy hearing that from you… Now you’re making me feel like scum.
: But they’re absolutely right. Don’t go at this the way someone did.
: Yeesh, Klan… I came through and said the words, didn’t I?
: Yeah – once! I wanna hear you say it for the rest of your life! Consider it payback for your past behavior!
: We might be at this for a while, then, because I’ve absolutely no intention of dying anytime soon.
: I know, which is precisely the point!
: We’re receiving a call from Nanase at Island 1. Patching it through.
: Nanase?!
: Is everyone alright?! You’ve no idea how shocked I was when I heard that you all were all fighting to protect us. I thought it was just the ZAFT and Voltes teams…
: What about your injuries, Nanase? Are you feeling better already?
: Luca… thank you. Yes, I’m all better. The hospital finally discharged me today, even.
: Oh, that’s great news! We can all go to school together again, then!
: We should totally get together and just kick back, Nanase!
: Of course. I’m already counting the minutes for you guys to come over to this planet!
: And the Iczers will be coming with us to the Frontier Fleet, too, right?
: Yes. Talks were had and the Cthulhu people will also be making the Vajra planet their home.
: Iczer-3 was always so friendly with the Vajra, huh? Now that I think about it, could you understand what they were feeling?
: Hmm… I can’t understand them like you can, more like I can kinda tell when they were mad, happy and stuff.
: …?
: Ah? What I said annoyed you, Mr. Bug? Sorry! You know I love you, little cutie!
: He’s not “Mr. Bug”! He’s Ai-kun and he’s our friend!
: Pyui!
: Strange… how come Iczer-3’s the only one who can tell what the Vajra and animals are feeling?
: I suppose it’s because empathy like hers will be essential to the Cthulhu from this moment onwards.
: Perhaps Iczer-3’s actual struggle will be to bring kindness to all corners of the universe… and that’s a struggle without end.
: Indeed, she’s a failure as a warrior… But without people like those, the universe could never be free from war.
: We all have a long road ahead of us… but we must carry onwards if we’re to atone for our people’s sins.
: Iczer-1… as I mentioned before, the Cthulhu now need you to succeed Sir Violet as our leader.
: Are you certain about this, Gray? I am an android, not a purebred Cthulhu.
: But your heart is no different from ours, no? That makes you a person, Iczer-1.
: I would also be willing to follow you, my sister.
: Thank you, Nagisa, Iczer-2…
: You’ll be a very busy woman now, huh, Iczer-1? Promise me you won’t push yourself too hard… huh?
: Ahahah… I told myself I wouldn’t cry, but I guess that’s not happening…
: Nagisa… though our paths might diverge, the bond between us is eternal. We will always be partners…
: I know… Thank you for everything, Iczer-1… but this won’t be goodbye…!
: Indeed…!
: So the arks with the Darian people will be leaving with the Quarter?
: Though our destinations will be different, we figured it’d be simpler logistics to load both our cargoes at the same time.
: Naoto, damn good work while I was down for the count.
: And now you and Daiya can slow down and rest for a bit, yes? (She’s just called “Daiya’s Mom”)
: I dunno… Mom, Dad… there’s something I learned from all this.
: What is it, Daiya?
: It’s really difficult to put together a peaceful world… And that peace only exists because we’ve got folks trying their hardest to life good, and no one even knows they’re there.
: Those people are still going at it, so I don’t think I can just stand around doing nothing.
: You really are an eager beaver, huh?
: I took it from dad, I think. Hahahah!
: We’ll take care of the surface, so you and the Daiku Maryu make sure you keep the Darius arks nice and safe!
: You needn’t even ask us that!
: The Daichi and Tenku Maryus’ll also be accompanying us. I doubt any creature could give us pause.
: Puria, I think if you’ve time to fuss over others, then you could spend it becoming a bit more feminine. (Daimon)
: Get off my back, old man!
: Daiya, whatever happens, know that you’ll always be the 47th crewmember of the Daiku Maryu.
: Lulu… If you ever run into any trouble, you can hit me up whenever, alright? Even if you’re halfway across the universe, I’ll come running. And that’s a promise!
: Daiya…!
: It’s almost time to say goodbye to our friends of Earth, Ranka. Let’s go and give them something to remember us by!
: Okay! Thank you so much for all you’ve done for us, everyone! We’ll never forget you!
: Now, for one last time, listen to our song!
Cheers!
And following the credit sequence…
: I’m here, professor! You said you had something you wanted to show me?
: Hmhmm. With my underground lab fully restored and the insurance money coming in, I’ve started working on something huge.
: So I figured I’d let you have a look-see at the blueprints before it’s put together.
: Ooh, nice. Give me something to wet my appetite, huh? Though I can’t really make a lot of sense from any of this.
: … But you got me curious now. Can you tell me what you’re putting together?
: Heheheh… Open up your ears and prepare to be blown away! I’m building a carrier for the Rushbird and Straybird!
: You serious, professor?!
: JUDA HQ had that Flag holed up inside it, right? I can’t let them one-up me like that!
: Oh, boy… looks like things will be getting busy in the underground again.
: But it’s been ages since you worked there, so I see no problems at all with that!
: I suppose I do appreciate the challenge of helping him. Haruno, we’ll need you and Alice to welcome eventual visitors, alright?
: But I thought my AI wasn’t suited for household tasks.
: Maybe not, but I want you to try regardless. I’m sure anything Alice can do, you can as well, and vice-versa.
: Haruno, what do you say when a visitor arrives?
: Target sighted. Engaging.
: What?! No! No engaging!
: But, professor, what’re you making this carrier for? The world’s already at peace.
: I figured even if there’re no enemies around, it’d work as a symbol of hope for the people. But mostly I’m making it because I felt like it!
: Still, this baby will be quite something. I just have to get the energy flow running proper, and it’ll even be able to head on over to the Highly Probable World.
: Then we could see our friends again?!
: Sure, sure. I want everyone to get a good night’s sleep today – work begins tomorrow!
: Oof…
: (And, so, life went back to normal. Things aren’t the same as they were before, but we’ve the whole future to look forward to.)
: (And if you ask me, I hope these peaceful days will go on forever…!)
[i]And, boom, another SRW down.
All in all, I had fun doing L, even if it’s nowhere close to being my favorite. The series list was nice (bring the Iczers back, Banpresto!), the BGMs and graphics were great and I enjoyed plenty of moments throughout – yes, even Frontier (the finale’s good). Only major gripes I have are the Iczer-3 bosses getting bushwhacked by the plot and, like in MX, the originals’ lack of relevance for pretty much the whole thing. I giggled too hard at SEELE being no-sold to chalk that up as a demerit.
As always, I have to extend my gratitude to Hokuto, TheMajinZenki and Caphi for their ever-present support, insight and willingness to hear me rant about the game deciding be cute and blindside me (whatthefucklinebarrelsthisisbull!).
I’ll be taking a quick gander over this to scan for any typos that went under the radar, but if anyone finds any, do post about it or send me a message. When that’s done, it’s straight to the archives.
And as I’ve made note during the course of this, UX is slated as the next one. When will it be? Depends on how quickly I can get everything set up and running smoothly, but I’ll try to play Santa and start it soon. In the meantime, you folks go practicing your TAMASHIIII voice.
Thanks for reading![/i]