Stalwart Nova Cat Weaponry

[DeJaVu]

Griffin IIC 5

Type/Model: Griffin IIC 5
Mass: 40 tons
Chassis: NCIS Type M Endo Steel
Power Plant: 240 Consolidated Fusion
Walking Speed: 64 km/h
Maximum Speed: 97 km/h
Jump Jets: Northrup Starlifter M41
Jump Capacity: 210 meters
Armor Type: Alpha Compound Ferro-Fibrous
Armament: 6 Series 34NC Light Machine Guns
1 Series 7NC ER Large Laser
1 Series 1NC ER Small Laser
Manufacturer: Irece Alpha, Barcella Alpha, Brim Ironworks
Primary Factory: Irece, Barcella, Brim
Communications System: JNE Integrated
Targeting & Tracking System: Build 3 CAT TTS


The Griffin IIC has been a standard medium second-line ’Mech for the Nova Cat Clan since before they left Clan space, and prodigious production at three facilities (I’m inferring from data stolen at Irece here—I’ve never been to Brim or Barcella to confirm this, of course) has kept it a prominent feature in Clan provisional garrison clusters for years. With the Nova Cats’ adoption into Draconis Combine space, this practice has continued, but the Nova Cats have inherited a number of the Dragon’s recurring problems as well.
The data I have show an anti-infantry version of the Griffin IIC that reminds me of that crazy Diamond Shark Pirahna ’Mech. Six light machine guns give the newest Griffin both reach and devastating firepower against unarmored infantry, but I have to admit that six guns means it’ll challenge even battlesuit infantry as well.
The other change was to swap the weapon positions a bit... the small laser was moved to a torso location and the ER large laser shifted to the head mounting. I guess it’s good I’m not a MechWarrior—I don’t think I’d want quite that much wattage sitting right next to my cockpit. I don’t know—maybe the Nova Cat jocks are getting cold in their cockpits?
The really interesting—and, to my eyes, not very well though out—modification was the incorporation of improved jump jets, which increases the Griffin’s jump range to a respectable 210 meters. The surprising thing is that all the research I’ve done tells me they should have been able to get 270 meters out of those jets. The only order I can make out of it is to assume those extra thirty meters over and above the standard Griffin IIC’s capabilities are meant as a surprise an enemy can doubt—did that Griffin just jump too far, or just get a lucky extra burst of distance?