Type-W

The Type-W (タイプ-W) is a recurring Board type Extreme Gear in the Sonic Riders series. It is Wave the Swallow's character-exclusive Extreme Gear, meaning only she can use it, and her default Extreme Gear. It is one of the first Extreme Gears available in every game in the Sonic Riders series.

The Type-W is a part of the Babylon Rogues' own unique series of Extreme Gears that Wave has constructed and customized herself. The Type-W is especially built to suit and benefit hers truly. It is an extremely exquisite piece of machinery and is a prime example of Wave's skills as an Extreme Gear mechanic.

Sonic Riders
"Wave comes from a family of riders, so it's no surprise that she's a pro. When riding her special Type-W Board, created for Flight Type Babylon characters, Wave flies high above the competition."

- Description from the Sonic Riders website.

"Babylon Standard. Flight type W (Wave)."

- Description, Sonic Riders

Description
The Type-W first appeared in Sonic Riders. According to its profile, it is a standard Extreme Gear for the Babylon Rogues. Wave specifically made it for the Flight Type.

The Type-W is in Sonic Riders designed as a pink, board-shaped Extreme Gear, with purple markings along with a tad of white in the back, a salmon colored pad on the top and with two foot prints facing away from one another.

Abilities and traits
As a Board-type Extreme Gear in Sonic Riders, the Type-W is well-balanced in its attributes with average statistics, an average rate of fuel-consumption and is suited for general riding.

Like most other character exclusive Extreme Gears, the Type-W does not possess any unique abilities of its own.

Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity
"Wave's own hand-designed gear. Its ultra-compacted body stands as proof of her engineering genius."

- Description, Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity

Description
The Type-W made its return in Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity. According to its profile, it is in this game hand-designed by Wave, possessing an ultra-compact body for containing more mechanical functions than a regular Extreme Gear.

In Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity, the Type-W received a noticeable redesign. In this game, its shape resembles very much that of an arrowhead, while keeping a distinct board shape, though, like most other Board types in the game, it is much thicker than the regular Board types in Sonic Riders. It is mostly colored white, with pink streaks running across it and has two light purple, circular foot pads on the top central surface. It also has what appears to be hover units at the mid-section where it turns inward.

Abilities and traits
As a Board type Extreme Gear in Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity, the Type-W is well-balanced in its attributes with average statistics and is suited for general riding. Like most other character-exclusive Extreme Gears, the Type-W does not possess any unique abilities of its own.

Sonic Free Riders
"Wave crafted this unique build exclusively for herself. Her high standards can be seen in its design and performance."

- Description, Sonic Free Riders

Description
The Type-W made another reappearance in Sonic Free Riders. According to its profile, Wave crafted it exclusively for herself, with its design and performance reflecting Wave's high standards for Extreme Gear mechanics.

In Sonic Free Riders, the Type-W received a new redesign. In this game, the Type-W returned to having a more board-like shape, like the one it had in Sonic Riders. It is mainly colored purple, with white accents on the front and rear and a smaller red recess on the front, along with yellow markings on the top surface.

Abilities and traits
As a Board type Extreme Gear in Sonic Free Riders, the Type-W is, like in Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity, well-balanced in its attributes with average stats and is suited for general riding.

Like in the previous titles, the Type-W possesses no unique abilities of its own, but it can be equipped to two Gear Parts.

Archie Comics
The Type-W has made several appearances in the Sonic the Hedgehog comic book series and its spin-offs published by Archie Comics as Wave the Swallow's personal Extreme Gear, which she always has with her, and was one of the first Extreme Gear shown in the comics. In this media, it has the same design it had in Sonic Riders.

The Type-W first appeared in Sonic the Hedgehog #163 where it was used by Wave to battle Sonic the Hedgehog, along with Jet the Hawk and Storm the Albatross. Using the Type-W, which was foreign technology to Sonic, Wave and her team were able to defeat Sonic in their first confrontation. The next day, however, when the Babylon Rogues arrived to destroy Knothole, Wave was attacked by Sonic, Knuckles the Echidna and Miles "Tails" Prower, who had required their own Extreme Gear. With his Extreme Gear, Tails was able to combat Wave on her Type-W, and eventually managed to drive off the Babylon Rogues, with the help of Sonic and Knuckles.

Jazwares
The Type-W, with the design it had in Sonic Free Riders, was packaged with a 3.75 inch Wave the Swallow toy created by Jazwares, following the release of Sonic Free Riders.