Knightmare Profile

Designed and developed after the conquest of Japan/Area 11, the RPI-13 Sutherland is in many ways a refinement of its predecessor, the RPI-11 Glasgow. Though it's an advanced and effective design, much of the Glasgow's success comes from Britannia's overwhelming numerical and economical superiority to Japan. Furthermore, the Glasgow is designed primarily to combat tanks and other 'traditional' ground combat machines; this proves to be a liability, as its own success means that nations such as the Chinese Federation and EEU began seriously pursuing Knightmare design. Thus, the Sutherland is created with the possibility of battles with other Knightmares in mind. To that end, it features a redesigned, simplified cockpit system with improved life support, as well as the landspinners being refined for higher speed and efficiency. Many of these improvements are passed back to the Glasgow in the form of upgrades.

The Sutherland eventually replaces the aging Glasgow as Britannia's main battle unit, as well as being used as the basis for the RPI-209 Gloucester, the personal machine of Princess Cornelia Li Britannia and her team of pilots.

In a.t.b. 2017, Knightmare developer Lloyd Asplund creates the experimental Sutherland Air that incorporates several technologies developed for the Z-01 Lancelot, including MSV particle shields and the Float system. Despite being overshadowed by the Gloucester, the Sutherland is still used one year after the Black Rebellion, and several are fitted with Float systems in order to fight the revived Order of the Black Knights. Following his defection to Zero's side, disgraced Britannian noble Jeremiah Gottwald uses a Sutherland fitted with an air glide wing unit and Black Knights weapons in service of his young lord.