Griffin IIC

The Clans upgraded the venerable Griffin design until the BattleMech now known as the Griffin IIC emerged. Seven tons of Ferro-Fibrous armor are mounted on an Endo Steel frame, giving the Griffin IIC almost maximum armor protection for its size. It is slightly faster than its antecedent, and it correspondingly mounts enough jump jets to leap up to 180 meters at a time.

Weapons and Equipment
This fire support 'Mech is armed with an ER Large Laser for direct-fire and four LRM-5 launchers, giving it a strength that exceeds the original Inner Sphere design, while being faster and lighter. Two tons of ammunition prove sufficient for most Clan engagements. Unlike the original, none of the IIC's weapons have a minimum range, so it is just as deadly up close, where it can also add in an ER Small Laser. It does not need additional heat sinks to stay relatively cool.

Variants

 * Griffin IIC 2 : This variant swaps each missile launcher for a Streak SRM-2. BV (1.0) = 1,454, BV (2.0) = 1,516


 * Griffin IIC 3 : Similar to the IIC 2, this variant retains the large laser, but trades out the rest of the armament for a Heavy Small Laser, two Streak SRM-2s and two Heavy Medium Lasers. BV (1.0) = 1,317, BV (2.0) = 1,532


 * Griffin IIC 4 : This upgrade was first designed by Clan Nova Cat with assistance from Clan Diamond Shark and Clan Cloud Cobra. It retains the Series 7NC ER Large Laser and Series 1NC ER Small Laser, but replaces the missile launchers with a pair of ATM 3s. Three tons of ammunition allow for maximum flexibility. BV (1.0) = 1,407, BV (2.0) = 1,475


 * Griffin IIC 5 : This anti-infantry variant replaces the missile launchers with six Series 34NC Light Machine Guns. The weight saved allowed for the inclusion of enough Northrup Starlifter M41 Improved Jump Jets to leap up to 210 meters, a scant improvement. This inclusion necessitated reshuffling the locations of the lasers. BV (1.0) = ??, BV (2.0) = 1,344


 * Griffin IIC 6 : Based on the Griffin IIC 4, the Nova Cats first deployed this variant during the Jihad. The ATM-3s stay in place, but the lasers were removed and replaced by a single Heavy Large Laser. A Targeting Computer offsets the sensor interference from the big gun, and Improved Jump Jets allow the IIC 6 to cover 240 meters in every jump. BV (2.0) = 1,468

Related BattleMechs
Griffin - 15 tons lighter, the Griffin IIC is an upgrade of the Inner Sphere Griffin.

Trivia

 * On the Japanese port of Mechwarrior 1, the Griffin IIC's concept art was originally the BattleMaster; as the Griffin never made an appearance anywhere in the game. When Technical Readout: 3055 was created in 1992, FASA took the BattleMaster's concept art from the Japanese version of the game to create the Griffin IIC.