- "He is Aurelia's hero after all."
- ― Aquila Squadron
Gryphus One is the player character in Ace Combat X: Skies of Deception. He is a Captain in the Aurelian Air Force and leads the 207th Tactical Fighter "Gryphus" squadron based at Aubrey AFB. He is by far the most famous pilot in Aurelia. Little more is known about him apart from his dislike of hot weather.
Biography
Beginning of Leasath-Aurelia War
Leasath forces took over ninety-five percent of Aurelia in just ten days (thanks to the Gleipnir airborne fortress). When a B-52 Stratofortress squadron was sent to Aubrey Air Force Base, the Gryphus Squadron was sent to intercept the bombers in a desperate attempt to defend it. After the bombers were destroyed, the Gleipnir unstealthed from its Optical Stealth and fired an SWBM missile. The warning of an incoming SWBM came too late, and almost the entire Gryphus Squadron was wiped out in the following explosion. Only Gryphus 1 and Gryphus 5 survived, the latter being severely damaged.
The remaining Aurelian pilots headed to Puna Airbase, where they attacked the bombers stationed there, two C-5 Galaxy planes, and the base headquarters in a daring bid to capture it and use it as their own resupply base.
Gryphus One headed for the city of Port Patterson. There, he attacked the oceanic forces landing in the port. They mainly consisted of landing ships. After the fleets were destroyed, the city was retaken.
The Route to Santa Elva
If the player heads for Kingshill (Last Line of Defense), Gryphus One attacked the Miller Unit on its way to retake Port Patterson. There were plenty of aircraft there as well. After destroying most of the units (which consisted of M1A1 Abrams tanks, SAMs, AA guns and vehicles), the Miller Unit 3rd Artillery Division appeared. Gryphus One destroyed the division, saving Port Patterson.
If the player heads for either two locations (Stand Canyon/Terminus Island) without doing Last Line of Defense, the Miller Unit takes over Port Patterson (Captive City). Gryphus One was sent to the port. Once there, he attacked the unit, which was hiding within the port's fuel storage tank complex to shield themselves. After most of the unit was destroyed, the 3rd Artillery Division entered the city. Unlike the others, the 3rd Artillery Division was not prepared. After the unit was wiped out, Port Patterson was retaken.
If the player chose to do Captive City, a unit of C-5 cargo planes flew over Kingshill (False Target). Gryphus One was to attack the transport aircraft. One of each squadron would conceal more weaponry for the Gleipnir during the battle over Santa Elva. However, because there were many decoy aircraft, Gryphus One had to use his own eyes to find the real transport. It appeared that the real transports were those flying lower than the rest (the payload exceeded the Maximum Takeoff Weight), and couldn't gain altitude. The decoys got to Santa Elva, but the real planes never did because they were shot down.
If the player heads for Stand Canyon (Rolling Thunder), Gryphus One found himself trying to protect the allied Davis Unit, which broke off from the main unit while heading to Santa Elva.
For the Gleipnir, Gryphus One either destroyed the SWBM over Terminus Island (The Midnight Sun) or rescued the Davis Unit while letting a fully intact Gleipnir reach Santa Elva.
At Santa Elva, Gryphus One attacked the Gleipnir to liberate the city. He destroyed all of the Gleipnir's vital functions, severely crippling the fortress. He delivered the death blow by destroying the Shock Cannon, resulting in an energy surge which caused the airborne fortress to crash into the river and explode. Gryphus One soon became the spearhead of Aurelian operations and was feared in Leasath as Nemesis.
Taking Back Griswall
Shortly after the Gleipnir's destruction, the Aurelian forces were on the move towards the Aurelian capital, Griswall. However, Leasath survivors on the Kalana Steppes and Sachana AFB were still dangerous to Santa Elva.
If the player goes to the Kalana Steppes first, he eliminated all enemy survivors along with the Leasath fighters sent from Sachana Air Base. Next, he took back Sachana Air Base with the Aurelian Army helicopter unit while under RPG fire.
If the player decides to attack Sachana first, Gryphus One had to fly low to approach the base stealthily. Once he did, he destroyed all the aircraft stationed there as well as the infamous Skylla Unit. This came at the expense of letting the Leasath Army build up its forces on the Kalana Steppes.
If Gryphus One went to the Kalana steppes after the Sachana operation, he destroyed the entire army mobilizing to attack Santa Elva. In the chaos, the Hamlet Unit was discovered and eliminated. Any remaining Leasath soldiers surrendered to the mop-up Aurelian forces. However, if Gryphus One doesn't go to the steppes, the Hamlet Unit will attack Santa Elva with cynocrine, a chemical ordinance agent. Gryphus One then flew back to Santa Elva to neutralize the gas before it toxified all of the city, and destroyed all of the Hamlet Unit's CAS aircraft.
If Gryphus One goes to Monte Breeze, he faced intense jamming from Mount Nevera, forcing him to cooperate with allied force recons to destroy the six XC-01's transporting MBSRs for the Meson Cannon defending Griswall. If he destroys the Nevera Jammer first, he only had enough time to destroy 4 of the transports. Unfortunately, a group of freedom fighters called the Aurelian Liberation Corps will head to the factories, which had been rigged to blow. Despite the Liberation Corps' complaints, Gryphus One destroyed all the facilities before their train could reach any of them.
Afterwards, the Aurelian ace went to Mount Nevera to destroy the Nevera Jammer. However, it had an absolute missile shield that prevented area access, making Gryphus One search and destroy the power stations before attacking the jammer itself. If he didn't destroy the Skylla Unit at Sachana Base, they will cause trouble by knocking down the towers leading to the power stations.
Finally, the liberation of Griswall was at hand. Leasath amassed its army with the backing of the powerful Meson Cannon to block the way. If Gryphus One prevented the MBSR delivery, allied ground forces will approach the city under attack by forces outside and inside the city itself. Gryphus One defended the troops along the way and destroyed the Meson Cannon.
If the MBSRs were delivered, Gryphus One will face fully charged Meson Cannons. Nevertheless, he destroyed all the cannons and enemy aircraft present.
In another scenario, the Liberation Corps took back the city, but were boxed in by enemy ground forces. The freedom fighters decided to help the Air Force by taking the Meson Cannon offline, but also accidently opened the gates defending the city. Gryphus One still stopped the advance force, but now had to deal with the Skylla Unit, which was using Scud missile launchers to launch cruise missiles into the capital. Gryphus One halted all the attacks, saving Griswall.
After Leasath's defeat at Griswall, Aurelia was reunited with rejoicing. However, in the midst of the liberation, Leasath leader Diego Navarro slipped away in a C-17A Globemaster III to the Danern Straits.
Destroying Fenrir and Ending the War
Two Aurelian F-117A Nighthawks, Otus 1 and 2, were tracking Navarro to the Danern Straits, finding a secret Leasath facility on Sentry Island. Suddenly, they were shot down by a cloaked secret Leasathian attack fighter known as Fenrir.
The Aurelian Air Force mobilized to destroy Fenrir and its facilities before Navarro could complete it. Leasath forces in the Danern Straits and Cobalt Cave stood between them and the base on Sentry Island, now called Archelon Fortress.
If Gryphus One flew to the Danern Straits, he will fight alongside Falco Squadron to shoot down Leasath's Alect Squadron to keep them away from Archelon Fortress. The Alects appear with six S-32's in the middle of the fight and engage the Aurelians. Gryphus One showed superior prowess to the Alects and destroyed all six members. If he flew to Cobalt Cave first, the Alect Squadron reached their destination. The Leasath Navy assembled in the straits to defend Archelon fortress. Gryphus One either destroyed the fleet or let it reach Archelon Fortress.
Alternately, Gryphus One flew to Cobalt Cave to sink the departing cargo ships and warehouses. A defecting Leasath scientist taken into custody by Aurelian Navy SEALs infiltrating the complex revealed the cargo was an HPM (High-Powered Microwave) weapon meant to be mounted onto Fenrir. If Gryphus One let the HPM go, he destroyed the HPM satellite guidance system on the island, weakening the microwave weapon.
Gryphus Squadron and Aquila Squadron assembled for a final battle with the Leasath Air Force (F-15S/MTD, Su-37 Terminator, Su-47 Berkut, S-32, Fenrir) at Archelon Fortress. The enemy launched the four new model Fenrirs mounted with the HPM, shooting down Aquila One in the process. Despite great odds, Gryphus One used his superior piloting and wit to overpower and destroy all the Fenrirs. A Shock Cannon on top of the fortress was activated in a desperate last stand against the AAF. Aquila Three was destroyed by the cannon's first shot. Gryphus One flew his way through the shockwaves and destabilized the weapon, causing Archelon Fortress to collapse on itself.
If the Alect Squadron arrived instead of the HPM, they piloted the four functioning Fenrirs to combat the two Aurelian ace squadrons. The Alects made the fight extremely difficult with their reflexes and Fenrir's optical camouflage. Fortunately, the Aurelian Navy SEALs managed to bypass the island's naval defenses and expose Fenrir's power transmitter for Gryphus One's missiles. The optical camouflage was taken offline, enabling Gryphus One to destroy the Alect Squadron. The SEALs then entered the fortress to open the front gate for Gryphus One, and discovered a fifth Fenrir taking off before they could stop it. Gryphus One flew into the fortress and shot down the escaping Fenrir as the fortress began to collapse from C-4 charges. Gryphus One and the SEALs escaped as Archelon was consumed in a raging inferno, taking a recovered Fenrir prototype with them.
The Aurelian victory led to the fall of Navarro's government. Navarro himself either fled Leasath or was killed by a mob of rioting Leasath citizens.
Post-Leasath-Aurelia War
After the war, Gryphus One returns to Cape Aubrey and is probably still stationed there. It is unclear whether Albert Genette, who was in Aurelia covering the war, managed to get an interview with him. Also, with a recovered Fenrir in Aurelian hands, it is possible Gryphus One took it on evaluation flights for developing future aircraft, including some of the next-generation fighters in Ace Combat 3.
In other games
Gryphus One's paint scheme is available for download in Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation, under the name "GRYPHUS EMBLEM".
In Ace Combat: Joint Assault, the special mission "Ace of Aces" features an F-22A ace named "Gryphus". He is the 30th aircraft to spawn in the level and the second Ace Combat aircraft to appear. Furthermore, his paint scheme is also available for the F-22A Raptor.
Ace Combat: Assault Horizon features the name "Gryphus" as a usable callsign in competitive multiplayer. The callsign requires the player to achieve the "Hero" bonus five times to unlock.
Trivia
- Much like Mobius 1, the aircraft he flies (canonically) an F/A-22A Raptor and F-4E Phantom II
- The Argentine Air Force acrobatic display team is called Cruz del Sur, Spanish for "Southern Cross".
- The paint Scheme of the F-22A Raptor of Gryphus one is similar to the camo used on Chilean F-16C/D Block 50s, albeit in light grey form.
- The name "Gryphus" mean Condor in latin; The Andean Condor is the Symbol of the Chilean Air Force, and one of two animals that appear in the Chilean Flag Shield.