Difference between revisions of "Super Griffin"

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==Tales of the Black Widows Design (Illegal)==
 
==Tales of the Black Widows Design (Illegal)==
While its overall weight was increased to 60 tons, necessitating a slightly heavier internal structure, the ''Super Griffin'' retains the original CoreTek 275 [[fusion engine]] which could only provide a reduced ground speed of 64.8 km/h for the heavier frame. To make up for this, the 'Mech mounts 9 special [[Jump Jet]]s, giving it an unpredecented jump range of 270 meters. The armor was increased by half a ton and a [[Medium Laser]] was added on the left arm. Also, the ''Super Griffin'' mounts thirteen [[heat sink]]s, three of which are experimental [[Double heat sink#Double-strength heat sinks|double-strength heat sinks]], for a total heat dissipation capacity of 16 per turn, as opposed to the twelve regular heat sinks on the standard ''Griffin''.
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While its overall weight was increased to 60 tons, necessitating a slightly heavier internal structure, the ''Super Griffin'' retains the original [[Core Tek 275]] [[fusion engine]] which could only provide a reduced ground speed of 64.8 km/h for the heavier frame. To make up for this, the 'Mech mounts 9 special [[Jump Jet]]s, giving it an unpredecented jump range of 270 meters. The armor was increased by half a ton and a [[Medium Laser]] was added on the left arm. Also, the ''Super Griffin'' mounts thirteen [[heat sink]]s, three of which are experimental [[Double heat sink#Double-strength heat sinks|double-strength heat sinks]], for a total heat dissipation capacity of 16 per turn, as opposed to the twelve regular heat sinks on the standard ''Griffin''.
  
 
It should be noted that the ''Super Griffin'' as described in the sourcebook is an illegal design and cannot be built under current rules:
 
It should be noted that the ''Super Griffin'' as described in the sourcebook is an illegal design and cannot be built under current rules:

Revision as of 11:01, 16 October 2019

Super Griffin
Super Griffin
Production information
Manufacturer none (prototype)
Production Year 3020[1]
Model GRF-2N-X[2]
Class Heavy
Cost 6,400,960 C-bills
Technical specifications
Mass 60 tons
Chassis custom (prototype)
Armor unknown
Engine Core Tek 275
Speed 64.8 km/h
Jump Jets yes (manufacturer unknown)
Armament
BV (1.0) ?
BV (2.0) 1,310


Overview

The GRF-2N-X Super Griffin is an evolution of the classic Griffin, a re-design that essentially produced a new BattleMech with even a different tonnage. Using a sixty ton frame, engineers fitted Prototype Improved Jump Jets to the 'Mech to compensate for its reduced speed.[2]

Weapons and Equipment

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.

History

The Super Griffin was designed in 3020 as a part of "Project Phoenix" together with the Super Wasp at the Friden Aerospace Park research facility on Hoff by House Davion scientists including Dr. Jorge Belasco. After eighteen months of work, an operational Super Griffin prototype had been completed but it was still untested when the Black Widow Company attacked the facility on 13 May 3022. The Super Griffin was a test-bed for prototype Improved Jump Jets and Prototype Double Heat Sinks developed by the NAIS after reviewing the Halstead Collection.[3]

The Super Griffin and Super Wasp were described as the first fully-redesigned units in four decades, but the Hatchetman was hailed as the Inner Sphere's first new 'Mech design in over a century when it entered full production a few years after the attack on Hoff (and in the Periphery the Merlin had been designed in 3010 already). This suggests the Super Griffin and Super Wasp never came beyond the prototype stage.

Experimental Technical Readout: Succession Wars, Volume 1 variant (Legal)

This design uses a standard sixty ton frame protected by ten tons of armor. The Super Griffin uses five prototype Double Heat Sinks combined with ten standard heat sinks to dissipate twenty points of heat per turn. In addition, the ground speed has been reduced to that of a Crusader or Archer, but the use of six Prototype Improved Jump Jets allows it to cover 180 meters in a jump. The armament has been updated to include a single Small Laser in the torso. The armor allocation has been fixed.[2]

When the Black Widow Company attacked Hoff, the Super Griffin was deployed alongside two Super Wasps. The Super Griffin used its improved jump ability to land an attack in the rear of a Rifleman, but the return fire from the Rifleman destroyed a Prototype Improved Jump Jet. This led to an explosion as the jump jet's uncontrolled ignition led the LRM ammunition being ignited. The resulting explosion destroyed the Super Griffin completely.[2]

Tales of the Black Widows Design (Illegal)

While its overall weight was increased to 60 tons, necessitating a slightly heavier internal structure, the Super Griffin retains the original Core Tek 275 fusion engine which could only provide a reduced ground speed of 64.8 km/h for the heavier frame. To make up for this, the 'Mech mounts 9 special Jump Jets, giving it an unpredecented jump range of 270 meters. The armor was increased by half a ton and a Medium Laser was added on the left arm. Also, the Super Griffin mounts thirteen heat sinks, three of which are experimental double-strength heat sinks, for a total heat dissipation capacity of 16 per turn, as opposed to the twelve regular heat sinks on the standard Griffin.

It should be noted that the Super Griffin as described in the sourcebook is an illegal design and cannot be built under current rules:

Jump jets

According to the construction rules, the number of jump jets is limited to the walking movement points. A 60-ton 'Mech with a class 275 fusion engine like the Super Griffin would therefore only be allowed to mount four jump jets which would weigh one ton each. Even reducing the oversized engine to a fitting class 240 fusion engine would not free up enough mass to improve the jump distance further through Improved Jump Jets (which only became available in 3069).
(It is technically legal to mount a mismatched fusion engine but the performance is rounded down, in this case to equal a class 240 fusion engine.)

The Super Griffin, however, is said to mount nine jump jets which together weigh 4.5 tons, i.e. half a ton each. No record sheet exists to indicate the location of the jump jets.

This allocation of jump jets does in fact conform with the original construction rules from the Battledroids game: These early rules had no limit on the number of jump jets that could be mounted, and they were always half a ton in weight irrespective of the 'Mech's tonnage. Tales of the Black Widow Company, which is the source for the Super Griffin and Super Wasp, was the very first sourcebook published for the franchise and was presumably written using the first draft of the construction rules; when it was published, the game had already been renamed to BattleTech and the construction rules had also changed.

To remedy this rules violation it has been suggested to assume the Super Griffin has only four jump jets, at 1 ton each. However, this is not supported by canon sources and the reduced movement leaves the 'Mech somewhat hamstrung. It would also leave the design half a ton underweight which is technically legal.

Mixing standard and double heat sinks

Double heat sinks cannot normally be mixed with standard heat sinks. However, special house rules regarding experimental double-strength heat sinks that could be substituted for and mixed with regular heat sinks were provided within Tales of the Black Widow Company, the sourcebook for that particular campaign.

Armor distribution

The Super Griffin's armor 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 armor on any side torso location. However, the Super Griffin has one less point of armor on both arms compared to the standard Griffin on which it is based, for no apparent reason. This suggests that the armor configuration given is in error, and that the extra armor point on the side torso locations belongs on the respective arm instead. (The error was fixed in the version presented in Experimental Technical Readout: Succession Wars, Volume 1.)

Variants

None known. Although a functional prototype was built, the Super Griffin, itself a variant of the Griffin, apparently never advanced beyond the prototype stage.

Design Quirks

The GRF-2N-X Super Griffin variant is subject to the following Design Quirks:[2]

The original design from Tales of the Black Widow Company is subject to the following design quirks:

BattleMech Gallery

References

  1. MUL online date for the Super Griffin
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Experimental Technical Readout: Succession Wars, Volume 1, p. 5
  3. Experimental Technical Readout: Succession Wars, Volume 1, p. 4
  • Tales of the Black Widow Company, p. 47

Bibliography