I'd originally gotten Leonard Nimoy to write the foreword to this, but he pulled out at the last minute so I'll just have to launch right on in without preamble.
The Griffin IIC is a 40-ton Clan battlemech that was developed early in the Clans' history using the battle-proven Star League Griffin as an inspiration. It is very widespread among the Clans, noted in TRO:3055 as being fielded by all the Invading Clans, and it appears on a RAT for almost every Clan in one form or another. Griffin IICs are commonly deployed in second-line forces though it is likely to appear in some front-line Clusters too, such as those of IS Clans that are depleted of omnimechs and those of resource-poor Clans like the Blood Spirits.
As with many IICs the Griffin IIC was updated several times over the years and has ended up with a rather long list of variants for a Clan 'mech.
Griffin IIC:
The original version of the 'mech is first seen in Technical Readout: 3055. It uses a 240-rated standard fusion engine which gives it a top ground speed of 97kph, to which it adds six jump-jets for extra manouverability. In-game this translates as a 6/9/6 movement profile - this is about average mobility for a Clan Medium 'mech. An XL engine could boost this and allow a sweeter 7/11/7 movement profile but the cheap standard engine is maybe one reason why the design is so widespread in garrison units. The engine also contains the Griffin IIC's ten double heatsinks.
The Griffin IIC uses endo-steel internal structure and has seven tons of ferro-fibrous armor, almost the maximum for its weight. I consider the armor to be well-placed. The torsos can all weather a Gauss Rifle strike without internal damage. Similarly the leg armor can take a hit from a 20-class autocannon, or two hits from a Clan ER large laser or large pulse laser. The arm armor can withstand a single such laser hit. This isn't bad at all for such a small 'mech, coming in as it does right in at the shallow end of the Medium class and being barely more than a big Light 'mech, and the standard engine helps with durability too.
The weapon loadout harks back to the old Griffin, combining LRMs with a long-range energy weapon. While the old Griffin packed a PPC and the distinctive LRM10 launcher on the shoulder, the Clan Griffin IIC uses one centre-line ER large laser and four LRM5s, two housed in each side torso, drawing from two tons of ammunition. A head-mounted ER small laser fills out the last half-ton. The LRM ammunition is a little on the light side as it gives each launcher just twelve volleys, enough for a duel but likely to run dry in a longer IS-style engagement. Heat-efficiency is decent though jumping around and firing all the long-range weapons will soon build up excess heat.
The Griffin IIC package produces a mobile long-range fighter that, unlike the Star League Griffin, loses no effectiveness at infighter ranges. This 'mech still ideally wants to maintain distance for as long as possible to make the most of its long-ranged armament and because, although it does have a lot of armor for its size, the armor is still thin compared to the larger 'mechs that make up the bulk of most BT forces. The Griffin IIC is an average duellist in my opinion, its long-range striking power counterbalanced by the 'mech's vulnerability to fast knife-fighters that can run it down and overwhelm it, though the jump-jets do help with infights. Another zellbrigen weakness comes from a particular aspect of duelling relating to weight. 'Mechs tend to challenge 'mechs from the same weight class and the little 40ton Griffin IIC is outclassed by many of the 50 and 55 ton bruisers at the top of the Medium weight class. I find the Griffin IIC does best as a fire support 'mech in gloves-off warfare where it can contribute its long-range firepower safely while other, more durable 'mechs have the attention of the enemy. BV- and c-bill-wise this 'mech is cheap and cheerful (much as Iron Mongoose described the Shadow Hawk IIC a couple of weeks ago), and actually that's pretty much how I'd describe it overall; a handy low-cost, lightweight, long-range filler 'mech. It's actually rather nondescript really and you don't hear players getting exited about it either as supporters or detractors, but don't count that against it. It's rarely the star of a battle but it's a useful and affordable 'mech to have around in nearly any situation.
Griffin IIC 2
A Nova Cat refit, the first of several by this Clan. It's a pretty basic change: the LRMs are swapped for Streak-SRM2s. I consider this change a downgrade. Your missiles lose a lot of range and a little maximum potential damage but the trade-off - a wider damage spread, better ammo efficiency and slightly better heat management - doesn't really balance out. Back in the day you could have optionally run Inferno warheads on the Streak-SRMs which would have been worth considering for some situations but that's not possible under the current rules. I think the Griffin IIC 2 would have been better served going all out for mid/short range firepower by swapping the ER large laser for two medium pulse-lasers or four ER medium lasers, so at least it'd have a significant overall damage boost. Style-wise I do like that it mirrors IS Griffin variants that swapped the LRM launcher for SRMs but power-wise I think it's an underwhelming package. If duelling, probably best used to snipe at brawlers and brawl with snipers, because that way at least you might approach some kind of parity with your duelling opponent. Using the jump-jets for backstabbing attacks is one workable tactic for this 'mech, the ER large laser will blast through the rear armor of many 'mechs in one shot and then you just need to get lucky with the scatter of the Streak-SRM2s to get some nasty crits. In more open warfare it's something of a general support 'mech, lending a little bit of firepower at all ranges.
Griffin IIC 3
A collaborative effort between the Nova Cats, Diamond Sharks and Cloud Cobras, this model is the first of the new-look Project Phoenix variants and appears in Technical Readout:Project Phoenix. This new Griffin IIC's appearance changes but the chassis, armor, engine and jump-jets all remain functionally identical to the earlier models. It seems to be based on the Griffin IIC 2; the Griffin IIC 3 replaces two of the Streak-SRM2s and the ER small laser with two heavy medium lasers and a heavy small laser. Trend-spotters will have notice that many of the IIC 'mechs from TRO:3055 got equivalents to the H omnimech variants that came out around the same time, and this is the Griffin IIC's entry. I like heavy lasers for their punch so I instinctively rather like the Griffin IIC 3. If you don't like heavy lasers, especially ones on a jumping 'mech and without a targeting computer to assist, then you won't like the Griffin IIC 3. It is an infighter at heart but has the ER large laser for mid- and long-range work. Since it only has the ten double heatsinks of the base model, the Griffin IIC 3 has overheating problems if you go nuts with the lasers, but running hot for a turn or two can be worth the risk and you do have the jump-jets to escape to a safe cool-down spot if need be. The 'mech does have another inefficiency in that it retains the Griffin IIC 2 variant's two tons of ammo for the Streak-SRM2s. With only two launchers now, 50 shots each is excessive. The ammo is also dangerously located in such a way that a critical hit to either side-torso has a 50-50 chance of hitting an ammo bin. Ideally a ton of ammo should have been dropped for something more useful, like an ECM or weaponry, and the critical slots rearranged so that the remaining ammo bin wouldn't be so vulnerable. Still, as it stands the Griffin IIC 3 is an inefficient but workable 'mech and one that gets my 'cheap and cheerful' stamp. Use it like the Griffin IIC 2 but with more emphasis on aggressive short-range fighting. If you only like optimized 'mechs, avoid, because optimized this ain't.
Griffin IIC 4
Another Cat/Shark/Cobra effort and one much closer to the original model, this 'mech also appears in TRO:Project Phoenix. This is the 'ATM variant' for the Griffin IIC, mirroring the batch of omnimech E variants. It keeps the now-traditional ER large and small lasers in the CT and HD but replaces the four LRM5s with two ATM3s fed by three tons of ammunition. The problem here should be pretty clear right away: even using HE ammo at close range, the ATMs won't match the the LRMs for max damage. Further out, using standard or ER ammo, they do even less damage. The only gains over the original model are slightly larger ammo reserves, slightly less heat generation and increased maximum range when firing ER ammo, though with tiny 3-missile plinks the range advantage doesn't bring much to the table. All said, this intended upgrade by the Cats is in my view a downgrade from the base model. Perhaps this is harsh though - since as it's a Nova Cat ride, it may be fairer to compare it to the Griffin IIC 2 that it's more likely to be based on. With that comparison the Griffin IIC 4 comes out as more flexible and can actually hit harder up close. To be fair to the design and designer out-of-universe, I'm guessing there needed to be an ATM variant and this is a very conservative way of doing it that stays close to the form of the original model. To really get the space for larger, more effective ATM launchers you'd need to pop in an XL engine, then you could double the launcher size and roll with two ATM6s and four tons of ammo, but I guess the designer considered that the Cats/Sharks/Cobras wouldn't want the expense of the advanced engine in this second-line 'mech.
Griffin IIC 5
This is a Jihad-era Griffin IIC that first appears in Record Sheets Project Phoenix Upgrade. Another version with Project Phoenix looks, and another Cat/Shark collaboration (and rumored to involve the Cloud Cobras again too), it keeps the same basic Griffin IIC chassis along with the hallmark centerline large laser and head-mounted small laser. For flash new gear the Griffin IIC 5 adds in seven improved jump-jets and six light machine guns fed by a ton of ammo. Lacking the anti-'mech punch of other versions, it is slightly more mobile and unlike earlier variants has the ability to get +4 to-hit modifier from jumping, and with the machine guns it is murder on infantry. Many will consider this 'mech an anti-infantry platform that also carries a useful ER large laser. As a straight combat 'mech it's lacking hitting power but I guess it does have one thing going for it - good heat efficiency. A full jump + lasers won't even create more heat than the 10 freezers can dissipate, and of course the light machine guns don't generate any heat at all. Against 'mechs, as with the Griffin IIC 2 your best bet would be backstabbing - you'll be hoping to jump behind someone to cut open their rear armor with the ER lasers and riddle their internals with machine gun fire. It's a cheap 'mech BV-wise and if you're anything like me you'll have a sneaking attraction for this 'mech just for the potential bragging rights that come with scoring a 'mech kill using light machine guns.
Griffin IIC 6
Developed by the Nova Cats during in 3073 and later made available to the DCMS and the RAF, the Griffin IIC 6 is a bigger departure from the original than the previous models were but it still stays true to the core concept of a big laser combined with missiles. Appearing in Technical Readout: 3085, it is built around a smaller 200-rated standard fusion engine but mounts eight improved jump-jets, giving a 5/8/8 movement profile. It has over 20% less armor than the previous models. A heavy large laser is mounted on the left-torso shoulder, being too big for the traditional CT laser mounting without a compact engine or gyro, and this weapon is tied into a targeting computer. The Griffin IIC 6 also has the same ATM3s as the IIC 4 model. In all honesty I think this 'mech is at best quirky and definately inefficient, a weaker variant than the first model because it has considerably thinner armor and inevitably runs rather hot. In spite of all that I find myself liking it. Heavy lasers combined with high mobility is often a good pairing (and a fun one), and the Griffin IIC 6 can deliver mean backstabs. The t-comp is handy for offsetting the heavy large laser's inaccuracy and the short range of the heavy laser means the ATMs are going to be playing to their strengths by firing a lot of HE ammo (I wouldn't even bother taking any ER ammo on this, just HE and standard, maybe even just HE). I guess the best way to use it is sort of like a flying Solitaire - skirmish with the heavy large laser and/or ATMs until you get the opportunity to jump into a juicy rear-arc, which with eight IJJs shouldn't be too long in coming, then let rip with everything. If you hit a rear torso with the heavy laser then it's almost certainly going to go internal and you can exploit the holes with ATM fire. If you end up running too hot to fight then an eight-hex jumping distance is usually enough to hop to a safe spot to cool down. If you like tricky, quirky 'mechs that can make a mark if used right then this is an entertaining one worth looking at. It has the same ballpark BV tag as the others so you won't be breaking the bank by indulging. DCMS operators might consider refitting it with a C3 slave by dropping a ton of ammo or one improved jump-jet; just to be clear, I'm talking from a player's custom 'mech perspective, there's no indication this is done in the fluff.
Griffin IIC 7
An unusual variant, again from the Nova Cats, this is an experimental test-bed for new weapon technologies. The Cats have let the budding Republic of the Sphere get their hands on this 'mech too. It is first mentioned in Technical Readout: 3085. Interestingly it's built on the original Griffin IIC chassis rather than the Project Phoenix version but nevertheless it's the most different variant so far. It has an XL engine and seven standard jump-jets that together boost the movement profile to 7/11/7, so uniquely for Griffin IICs the Griffin IIC 7 can ramp up a +4 to-hit mod from either running or jumping. For weapons it's kitted out with two experimental ER medium pulse lasers, an experimental Streak LRM10 launcher with a ton of ammo and a conventional Streak-SRM6, also with a ton of missiles. Armor overall is reduced though the higher speed helps to compensate. This 'mech comes out as a mid-range skirmisher, staying fast and hard to hit while snapping back with it's accurate ER pulse lasers and Streak-LRMs (the latter handily hitting its medium band right as the pulse lasers come into their long range). The high speed and low armor pretty much make this a dense-boned Light 'mech and it should be treated as such. At almost 2000 BV it's the most expensive Griffin IIC by a fair way, maybe a little too expensive for what you get, but if you're a fan of 'mechs like the Fire Moth D and the Hellion C, the Griffin IIC 7 is in a similar vein.
Griffin IIC 8
The Griffin IIC 8 is first brought to our attention in Technical Readout: 3085. A Jade Falcon creation and built by them in large numbers from 3078 onwards, this is the Griffin IIC 3 on K-Z. Keeping everything else the same, the Griffin IIC 8 drops the old head-mounted heavy small laser and one ton of Streak-SRM2 ammo, replaces the standard engine with an XL engine and adds nine improved jump-jets and an ECM suite. I liked the 3 model for being inefficient but still kinda good and I like this one even more for the same-reasons-but-more-so. Essentially it fixes the most glaring flaws of the 3 and has great agility with nine hexes jumps, with ECM to boot, all for a cheap BV price tag at slightly less than 1750. It might not be a top-tier hyper-optimized 'mech decked out with pulse and t-comps but it is effective and stylish. The nine hex jump range and ECM mark it out as a good in-your-face C3 disrupter, and it also works as a general lightweight infighter much like the IIC 3. While the Griffin IIC 8 is good at messing with C3 networks it lacks the pulse lasers that you'd want for taking down fast C3 spotters, so bear that in mind when using it. I would use this agile 'mech to attack the slow long-range mechs and C3 Master carriers at the back, cutting them off from their C3 spotters while looking for rear-shot opportunities.
The super-tl;dr version: I think the original and the 8 are the strongest models, the former for long range support and the latter as a C3 blocker and infighter. The 3, 6 and 7 are all tricky but workable. The 2, 4 and 5 are rather undergunned but not useless, and the 5 will certainly rip up PBIs like crazy.
