BST-08 Garuda Kshatriya is the upgraded version of BST-08 Garuda.
Appearance[]
Garuda Kshatriya shares much of its physical appearance with its previous iteration, with some notable differences. It has received several more boosers on the sides of its legs, as well as replacing the boosters on its feet with extra more powerful boosters underneath the ankle armor. Its backpack thrusters have received more effective thrust vectoring. Garuda Kshatriya additionally has been upgraded with the BITS System, featuring six large BITS attached to the back of its waist.
Weaponry[]
Garuda Kshatriya retains all of its previous iteration's weaponry, with several additions.
Energy Blade - Garuda Kshatriya retains the energy blade on its left arm, providing close combat capability.
Rapid Energy Caster - Garuda Kshatriya retains both of its rapid energy casters, which are more powerful than before and still features its rapid fire and power shot capabilities.
Micro-Missile Launcher - Garuda Kshatriya has retained its micro-missile launchers, allowing it to fire a series of homing missiles at targets.
Railgun - Garuda Kshatriya has received two hip-mounted railguns that fire physical shells that are capable of piercing through targets easily, giving the frame extremely powerful physical ranged weapons. The weapons give the frame additional capability against AD Barriers, much like an Executioner frame.
Head-Mounted Rotary Cannon - Garuda Kshatriya is equipped with four head-mounted rotary cannons used for point-defense against projectiles. Though they are primarily used for this purpose, they can also cause severe close-range damage in a pinch.
AD Rifle - Garuda Kshatriya has retained its AD Rifle, which has received a large increase in power output due to the installation of an AD-Condenser. In addition to its extremely powerful long range capability, the rifle has received two secondary modes.
The first secondary mode allows each shot fired to ricochet between several targets in order to compensate for the AD Rifle's lack of crowd control capability. Though these ricocheting shots have less power than the normal AD Rifle, it is still capable of eliminating multiple targets with single shots, with each bolt able to ricochet up to 6 times.
The second alternate mode provides a powerful close-range energy bayonet that produces a beam that travels up the underside of the AD Rifle's barrel and extending beyond it. This gives Garuda Kshatriya a powerful and extremely long range melee weapon to supplement its base energy blade.
AD Cannon - The AD Cannon of Garuda Kshatriya is still a powerful weapon that is capable of producing a wide beam of energy that can evaporate anything it touches. The addition of the BITS System assists in charging the AD Cannon, as well as recovering from the disruption of Garuda Kshatriya's AD Field after firing. Additionally, the AD Cannon has been upgraded to be able to fire powerful single powerful shots from the weapon's pylons, allowing the frame to utilize its AD Cannon even mid-combat and not stationary.
Battle Integrated Support - Garuda Kshatriya has received six large BITS that are attached to the frame's waist. These six Rifle BITS can be deployed to attack targets independently, capable of shooting extremely powerful energy shots at multiple targets. The Rifle BITS can also deploy a small energy blade and can spin, allowing them to act as energy saws to slice into enemies. A third function allows the Rifle BITS to bank shots from Garuda Kshatriya's AD Rifle, allowing the frame to bounce shots off of its BITS to hit enemies at any angle.
Performance[]
Garuda Kshatriya has received a complete overhaul in performance, increasing its combat effectiveness exponentially. Its ranged capabilities have been made even more deadly, with its shots becoming more powerful and more accurate. Its AD Rifle has been given additional versatility in combat, with its two new secondary functions providing more utility in combat. The installation of a BITS System provides even more ranged ability, with each of the Rifle BITS capable of firing shots independently from multiple angles, as well as provide close-range support. The frame has also had two railguns installed on its hips, providing even more ranged options as well as a physical weapon that allows it to function in a small manner as an Executioner, capable of piercing through AD Barriers with the powerful physical shells.
The addition of AD-Condensers further bolsters Garuda Kshatriya's already impressive firepower. Garuda Kshatriya was modified to utilize a single AD-Condenser internally, allowing it to increase its power output with the extra energy it provides. Further, it carries four spare AD-Condensers attached to the back of the waist, to be used as supplementary power for its AD Rifle. Using these Condensers, the Garuda Kshatriya is able to provide a greater degree of sustained fire from all its weapons without needing to recharge its energy. This also gives it a large boost in the power of its HALO System, with the extra energy capable of being burned while active to further improve performance. This feature allows Garuda Kshatriya to rival even Executioners in terms of power, though without a true HALO-E System, it is incapable of making full use of the stored energy.