The Griffin GRF-1N was introduced in 2492 during the Age of War. It was one of the earliest medium ’Mechs, and it makes an effective mobile fire support unit.
During the Star League era, it proliferated throughout the Inner Sphere where it remained a widely used design until the Republic era when it was fully replaced by more modern variants except in the Periphery.
Read This First
- Use your mobility to stay at 6-12 hexes
- Alternate fire with your weapons in order to avoid building up heat
- Be careful about taking damage to your right torso
Griffin GRF-1N
- Role: Sniper
- Tech Base: Inner Sphere (2492)
- Chassis: 55 tons
- Movement: 5 / 8
- Jumping: 5
- Armor: 152
- Heat Sinks: 12 (12)
- Weapons:
- PPC
- LRM 10 (ammo: 24)
- Design Quirks:
- Battlefists
- Jettison-Capable Weapon (PPC)
- Rugged (1)
- Ubiquitous
- Cost: 4,957,107 C-Bills
- Battle Value: 1,272
Mobility
The GRF-1N has good mobility for a medium ’Mech. It can walk 5, run 8, and jump 5. That means that it can get to a +3 target movement modifier by either running or jumping in order to be a more difficult target. While a Griffin’s MechWarrior won’t always be able to dictate the engagement range, they should aim to use their mobility to stay at a distance of about 6-12 hexes from their targets.
Durability
The Griffin GRF-1N pairs its mobility with a good amount of armor for a medium ’Mech. It has 82% of the maximum protection for a 55 ton chassis with 152 armor points. The limbs have relatively less protection than the torso. Only the right torso has a risk of explosive critical hits, but it has a 33% chance of that happening when it takes a critical. Because the GRF-1N’s weapons are also exclusively on its right side, losing the right torso also means that it loses all of its firepower. Between those two risks, a MechWarrior should be mindful of losing their right torso armor and either focus on evasion or keep their left side towards the enemy when that happens.
Weaponry
The GRF-1N has a pair of long-range weapons. The LRM 10 can be fired out to 21 hexes while the PPC can be used at 18 hexes. Both weapons suffer from minimum range penalties though, so the Griffin wants to use its mobility to maintain some distance from its targets. Its ideal range for damage output is 6 hexes where targets are in short range for the PPC and only 1 hex inside of the minimum range of the LRM launcher.
The Griffin’s PPC is arm-mounted while the missiles are torso mounted and have a more limited firing arc. After a torso twist, the PPC can be used against targets other than the roughly 60° to the rear left. In general, the Griffin’s mobility and preference for longer ranges should allow it to keep most targets within both weapons firing arcs.
The GRF-1N carries 24 shots for its LRM 10. This is about twice what should be needed for a single engagement. Combined with alternating fire for heat management, that will mean that a MechWarrior rarely needs to worry about conserving ammunition.
Heat Management
The Griffin GRF-1N runs a little hot, especially when it makes use of its jump jets. It carries 12 single heat sinks. Firing both its weapons generates 14 points of heat and then it can generate up to 5 additional heat if it makes use of its jump jets. If a Griffin’s MechWarrior can find a good vantage point to act as a sniper from cover, then they can fire the PPC every round and alternate fire with the LRMs to stay heat neutral. If they need to be more mobile though, alternating fire with the PPC can give them more drastic cooling turns in exchange for giving up more potential damage. If a Griffin has a spotter, then moving out of sight and using indirect fire with the LRMs can keep it safe from return fire during those dedicated cooling turns.
Brawling
Despite being a long-range fire-support ’Mech, the Griffin is a capable brawler. Its Battlefists quirk means that it can deliver its 6 damage punches more accurately than most other designs. It does give up the possibility of firing its PPC when punching with its right arm, but that tradeoff only happens when the enemy has managed to get well within the PPC’s minimum range anyways. The Griffin can kick for 11 points of damage.
Cost & Upkeep
The Griffin GRF-1N uses introductory tech, so it is fairly inexpensive from both a purchase and maintenance point of view. After most battles, the Griffin will only need a single ton of the LRM ammunition replaced. The Ubiquitous and Rugged quirks mean that it will be a bit easier to take care of during a full campaign.
When using the Warchest Point system, these are the expected costs for the Griffin GRF-1N:
| Action | Cost |
| Purchase | 550 SP |
| Armor Repair | 55 SP |
| Structure Repair | 110 SP |
| Reload | 5 SP |
Miniature
The new plastic Griffin is only available in the Beginner Box. A metal version is available from Iron Wind Metals.
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One reply on “’Mech Manual: Griffin GRF-1N”
The new plastic model is a stunner, the dedicated long range support guy of the classic 55-ton trio, the Griffin’s a hot running but capable ‘Mech and you did a nice write up for her 🙂 Just wish that the Griffin and Wolverine came in a Lance box too!