Waco Rangers Clash With Wolf's Dragoons

Hyperion, Rubigen Prefecture
Rasalhague Military District, Draconis Combine

The Waco Rangers clashed with Beta Regiment of Wolf's Dragoons on the Combine world of Hyperion which is on the Commonwealth/Combine border. The Rangers are on loan to the Commonwealth, as their current contract is held by the Federated Suns. Colonel Waco readily agreed to the mission, as he and his entire regiment are forever eager to engage their hated Dragoons, who the Colonel blames for ruthlessly murdering his son on New Aragon.

GRF-1N Griffin

Overview

The GRF-1N Griffin was first put into production in 2492. Considered a heavy 'Mech early in its career, the Griffin was superseded by heavier and better-armored vehicles within a century. The design was popular, however, and so the Griffin was kept in production but downgraded to medium status. This 'Mech may currently be found in almost every unit of the Successor States.

Though the Griffin was initially designed as an assault 'Mech, its capacity was soon surpassed by more advanced weapons technology. For this reason, the Griffin was given a new specialty, that of long-range support in medium lances, a role for which it is well suited.

Capabilities

The Griffin's armament is limited yet powerful. Its hand-held Fusigon PPC can inflict heavy damage at long ranges. This, combined with the drum- mounted Delta Dart LRM ten-rack, allows the Griffin to hit hard at long or medium ranges. Unfortunately, the Griffin is not equipped for close combat and must rely on other 'Mechs of its unit to provide most of the effective short-range fire. It is equipped with two massive battle fists in case hand-to-hand combat is necessary, however.

One of the Griffin's special advantages is its high maneuverability relative to its tonnage. With a maximum speed of more than 80 kph and the use of its Rawlings 55 jump jets, the Griffin can outdistance any heavier 'Mechs that might do it harm. It is the CoreTek 275 fusion engine that allows the 'Mech to achieve such speeds. More massive and efficient than many heavier 'Mech engines, the CoreTeck 275 is the real reason for the Griffin's long and successful career.

By medium 'Mech standards, the Griffin's defensive armor is substantial. However, it must often confront heavier 'Mechs (in support of other medium vehicles). Because of this, two false armor baffles have been added to the shoulder assemblies of each arm on most Griffins. These baffles give additional, yet limited, protection to the long-range missile drum and the head/cockpit area. Two other small armor baffles are located on the legs, protecting the knee joint actuator assembly areas.

As with many other early 'Mechs, the Griffin has a serious problem with overheating. Because the 'Mech is fitted with too few heat sinks for its large-caliber armament, a Griffin pilot is usually faced with the choice of wither firing or fleeing. In most cases, he cannot do both without risking dangerous levels of heat build-up.

Variants

The House Steiner modification is the only major variant on the basic Griffin design. Steiner has replaced the Fusigon PPC with one large laser and two medium lasers, and replaced the standard LRM ten-rack with a five-rack. This new arrangement does not help the Griffin's inherent heat problems, but it does provide for less random damage because large laser damage is more constant than missile spreads.

From: Jane's Fighting 'Mechs, 3024 Edition.

Candace Liao Hosts Championship Gala

Capellan Quarter, Solaris City, Solaris
Rahneshire, Isle of Skye, Lyran Commonwealth

Duchess Candace Liao hosted a formal gala to celebrate the upcoming Solaris Championship duel to be hosted in the Capellan Arena. Notable personalities from the Draconis Combine and, to a lesser extent, the Free Worlds League made appearances. There were a few representatives from the Lyran Commonwealth and some miscellaneous Periphery States. Even the Davion Ambassador to Solaris was present, although no other members from the Federated Suns attended the Gala.

Moder Defeats Delvalle

Capellan Quarter, Solaris City, Solaris
Rahneshire, Isle of Skye, Lyran Commonwealth

Hans Moder Defeated Manuel Delvalle to become Champion of Solaris. The duel, which took place in the Capellan Arena, pitted the Moder's Orion against Delvalle's Hatchetman. Moder, who hails from the Lyran Commonwealth, used his 'Mechs bigger size to pound away at Delvalle, who couldn't bring his better maneuverability into play in the jungles of the arena.

Delvalle was Champion for only one year. He won in the open Unlimited Class tournament after Grey Noton retired early last year. At that time, the new Hatchetman design won many contests due to its hatchet weapon. Last night was Delvalle's first Championship defense.

Moder can now rest for a few months as the next round of Qualifying matches begin. Up and coming contenders include Jason Bloch of the Blackstar Stables, Robert Hopton of the DeLon Stables, former Solaris Champion Maxwell Boddi, and Phillip Capet.