Griffinkeeper

Name: SPEW Gryphon IV
Ship Class: Modified "Kol" Class
Ship Type: Capital
Faction: SPEW
Primary Role: Combat
Secondary Role: Heavy/Assault Transport
Shield Power: Very High
Hull Points: Very High
Armor Level: Very High
Armor Type: Capital
Weapons (Fore):

• 4 x Linked Beam Cannons (SPEW)
  
• Rapid Fire Rail Gun (SPEW)
  
• 2 x AutoCannons
  
• 2 x Pulse Laser Batteries
  
• 2 x Omni-Missile Bank
  
• 6 x Deployable Point Defense turrets.
  

Weapons (Side):

• 3 x AutoCannon Batteries (Port)
  
• 2 x AutoCannon Batteries (Starboard)
  
• 12 x Deployable Point Defense turrets.
  

Weapons (Aft):

• 2 x AutoCannon Batteries
  
• 6 x Deployable Point Defense turrets.
  

Squadrons Supported: 2
Compliment: 1500

Early Development: After playing a video game known as Sins of A Solar Empire: Rebellion, Grif found himself drawn to the design of the "Kol" Class Battleship used by the TEC forces. Using the MacGuffin device, Grif was able to recreate the ship so that YWS members could use it. One of them he took for himself, known as the SPEW Gryphon IV.




Later Development: While well suited for YWS members, SPEW ships had much more demanding specifications. Grif made some modifications to the Gryphon in order to increase it's capabilities. The standard shields, hull, and armor was replaced with SPEW versions which were lighter and stronger. As a result, the SPEW Gryphon has twice the strength of a regular "Kol" class at half the mass, making it much more maneuverable.




Weapon upgrades also came with the updates. Improvements to the reactor technology aboard the Gryphon meant that the linked beam lasers could concentrate more power for longer durations. The same improvements also allowed for a decreased charge time for the Rail Gun. Additional changes in capacitance allow for a faster acceleration and top speed for the rail gun's projectiles.

The Ship to Surface Nuclear Missiles were swapped out and replaced with two Omni-missile banks, which could deploy a larger variety of munitions against ships as well as surface targets.

An important innovation was the addition of deployable point defense turrets, or PDT's. These remote controlled vehicles work together to protect the Gryphon from fighters and missiles. They also protect the Gryphon by projecting shields of their own and even sacrificing themselves to protect the ship from missiles if no other viable option exists. PDT's allow the Gryphon to be effective against smaller fighter forces.




History: The SPEW Gryphon IV has not appeared on any missions yet, but is currently on patrol.