For the heavy metal band played in Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel, see Chimaira. |
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.
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Background[edit | edit source]
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[edit | edit source]
Specifications[edit | edit source]
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.
Gameplay attributes[edit | edit source]
Chimera tanks are roughly on par with sentry bots and deathclaws in terms of durability and combat threat, although they are significantly larger. 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[edit | edit source]
Name (Base ID) | Statistics | Behavior | Abilities | Items | ||||
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Chimera xx00301f |
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Notes[edit | edit source]
- The Chimera's turret cannot fully rotate, making the back of the tank a weak spot, a design flaw it appears to share with American main battle tanks.
- The player character may encounter Chimera tanks twice throughout the campaign, a pair off in the distance during The Guns of Anchorage and at the fuel depot during Paving the Way. Only one chimera is ever actually fought, serving as a miniboss at the fuel depot.
- 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 backward.
- 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 character down, causing some damage.
- The Chimera is described as being superior to any American tank available.[3]
Appearances[edit | edit source]
The Chimera tank appears only in the Fallout 3 add-on Operation: Anchorage.
Behind the scenes[edit | edit source]
- The Russian and German military both toyed 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.
Bugs[edit | edit source]
The tanks may not be hostile towards the player when first encountered.[verified]
Gallery[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Lone Wanderer:"What exactly IS a Chimera?"
Thomas Morgan:"Put simply, it's a co-opted mining rig that's been changed into an armored vehicle -- bigger and tougher than any tank we have in our arsenal. The Chinese fitted the vehicle with multiple weapons, reinforced the armor and outfitted them for long range."
Thomas Morgan's dialogue - ↑ Reconstructed audio log; Reconstructed audio log 31.13: "Chimera Tanks? Come on, man, even you have to admit these are sheer fantasy."
- ↑ Lt. Thomas Morgan: "Put simply, it's a co-opted mining rig that's been changed into an armored vehicle -- bigger and tougher than any tank we have in our arsenal."
(Lt. Morgan's dialogue)
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