Super Griffin
Sarna News
| |
| Super Griffin | |
|---|---|
| Production information | |
| Manufacturer | none (prototype) |
| Model | GRF-2N |
| Class | Heavy |
| Technical specifications | |
| Mass | 60 tons |
| Chassis | custom (prototype) |
| Armor | unknown |
| Engine | Core Tek 275 |
| Speed | 64.8 km/h |
| Jump Jets | unknown |
| Armament | |
| BV (1.0) | ? |
| BV (2.0) | ? |
Contents
Description
The GRF-2N Super Griffin is an evolution of the classic Griffin, a re-design that essentially produced a new BattleMech with even a different tonnage (similar to the -IIC variants that the Clans created for many classic designs). While its overall weight was increased to 60 tons, which means more powerful Jump Jets are required for the 'Mech, the Super Griffin retains the CoreTek 275 fusion engine which means its ground speed dropped to 64.8 km/h. To make up for this, the armour has been increased by half a ton and a Medium Laser has been added. Also, the Super Griffin mounts thirteen Heat Sinks (as opposed to the twelve regular heat sinks on the standard Griffin), three of which are experimental Double Heat Sinks, for a total heat dissipation capacity of 16 per turn.
- Note that the Super Griffin as described in the sourcebook is an illegal design and cannot be built under standard rules:
- The armour allocation of 22/7 to both torso sides is illegal. Even on a 60-ton frame the 'Mech may only mount altogether 28 points of armour on any side torso location. However, the Super Griffin has one less point of armour on both arms compared to the standard Griffin for no apparent reason. It could therefore be assumed that the armour configuration is in error, and that the illegal armour point on the side torso locations belongs on the respective arm instead.
- Although it is technically legal to have a mismatched engine, the Super Griffin suffers a reduction in speed due to its increased mass and may only have 4 jump jets (at 1 ton each), not 9 as shown in the sourcebook. This was presumably in error, and supposed to read 4.
- Double heat sinks cannot normally be mixed with standard heat sinks. However, special house rules regarding experimental double heat sinks that could be substituted for regular heat sinks were provided within the sourcebook for that particular campaign.
- With 13 heat sinks and 4 jump jets the 'Mech comes out at 59.5 tons and is actually 0.5 tons underweight.
Together with the Super Wasp, the Super Griffin was designed at the Friden Aerospace Park research facility on Hoff by House Davion scientists in "Project Phoenix". After eighteen months of work, an operational prototype had been completed when the Black Widow Company attacked the facility on 13 May 3022. The Super Griffin was deployed as a last line of defense together with the Super Wasps, and was presumably destroyed. There have been no recorded encounters with either design afterwards.
Armament
The Super Griffin retains the weapon configuration of the regular GRF-1N Griffin, namely a PPC in the right arm and a LRM-10 launcher with two tons of ammunition in the right torso. A medium laser was added to the left arm.
Variants
None known. In fact only one single functional prototype was encountered and presumably destroyed and the design apparently never entered full production. The exact reasons for this remain unknown.