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For the heavy metal band played in Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel, see Chimaira. |
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The Chimera is a modified mining rig[1] with a mounted laser cannon, acting as a Chinese battle tank in the Fallout 3 add-on Operation: Anchorage.
Background
It was included in the Anchorage Reclamation simulation created by VSS at the behest of General Constantine Chase. Its actual deployment in Alaska is dubious, as unimplemented voice clips of VSS technicians in the add-on suggest that their presence is an outright fabrication[2] by General Chase.
Characteristics
Specifications
The tank itself is basically a low chassis propelled by screws, with a laser cannon jury-rigged to the drill tower. Originally, it was used for oil drilling in the Alaskan tundra.[3]
Gameplay attributes
Chimera tanks are roughly on par with sentry bots and deathclaws in terms of durability and combat threat, although they are significantly larger and more imposing in appearance. They are equipped with a unique laser weapon similar to Liberty Prime's eye laser. Chimeras take slightly increased damage when shot in the screws, and noticeably increased damage when shot in the cannon or radar antenna.
Statistics
| Name (Form ID) | Statistics | Behavior | Abilities | Items | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chimera xx00301F |
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Notes
- The Chimera's turret cannot fully rotate, making the back of the tank a weak spot.
- The player will most likely encounter Chimera tanks twice throughout the campaign.
- The Chimeras are fully automated, and so are technically robots. Therefore, they can be disabled with the Robotics Expert perk.
- When moving forward, the screws spin in such a way that the vehicle should be moving backwards.
- At the Chimera depot, there is a Chimera lacking a laser cannon, instead boasting a derrick.
- Walking into a Chimera while crouching will knock the player down, causing some damage.
Appearances
The Chimera tank appears only in the Fallout 3 add-on Operation: Anchorage.
Behind the scenes
- The Russian and German military, respectively, did toy with the idea of using screws for treads. The Russian vehicle, named ZIL-29061, was designed to rescue cosmonauts in extreme off-road conditions.
- In Greek mythology, the Chimera is a monster with the body of a lion, the heads of a goat and lion, and the tail of a snake. In biology, the name has been used for any organism that appears to have a combination of traits of others. Its name is an obvious reference to how the Chimera tank is a piece of mining equipment equipped with weapons that were not made for it.
Bugs
The tanks may not be hostile towards the player when first encountered. [verified]- If one tosses a frag grenade at a tank, there is a chance the machine will be launched into the air and remain airborne until defeated by the player. At this point, the tank may rotate, but not actually move.
Gallery
References
- ↑ Mentioned in an intelligence report in the sim
- ↑ See: Reconstructed audio log#Reconstructed audio log 31.13: "Chimera Tanks? Come on, man, even you have to admit these are sheer fantasy."
- ↑ Evident from the way deployed Chimeras look in the depot
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