When the Griffin first went into production it was considered a heavy 'Mech. While its classification has changed over the centuries it has been in production, 'Mech pilots still cite the Griffin as one of their favorites. One of the trio of classic medium 'Mechs available in the Inner Sphere (along with the Shadow Hawk and Wolverine), the Griffin has always been the most flexible unit of the Successor Lords. The Clans used this popular 'Mech during their invasion, though they substantially revised it to make it better fit their needs. Throughout its life it has remained an impressive test-bed design, and many variants of the design now exist. This document deals with the first version of the Griffin IIC that we had contact with, and the one most often seen in modern days.

         The Griffin shed fifteen tons at the hands of Clan technicians, distinguishing it from the Wolverine and Shadow Hawk. This customization was possible because of the unparalleled technical development the Clans achieved in their isolation.
         The Clans also made substantial changes to the Griffin's structure. The prominent arm baffles characteristic of the 'Mech were redesigned to more fully cover the vulnerable shoulder joints. Ferro-fibrous armor created the remaining visual differences, being far bulkier than traditional armor. The distinctive over-the-shoulder barreled LRM launcher was replaced by sleeker twin LRM-5 launchers nestled in each torso. Clan designers also freed up the BattleMech's hands by moving its primary armament, now a large laser instead of a PPC, to the center torso. This allowed the BattleMech to raid and perform other similar functions. Another addition to the Griffin IIC was a head-mounted small laser, providing a bare minimum of anti-infantry capability in urban combat.

         The Griffin IIC is most often used as a fast recon 'Mech capable of providing ample fire support to light missions when required. While all of the invading Clans have used this design, most have modified them from the original base over the last half-century. Interestingly, Wolf's Dragoons manufactures the original Griffin IIC to this day through their Blackwell corporation, and sell it to their Allied Mercenary Command members. This makes the basic model of the Griffin IIC very common throughout the Human Sphere.