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The Chimera is the most common armoured transport in the Astra Militarum. It carries a squad of Guardsmen in its troop compartment and gives mechanised regiments the mobility to keep pace with their tanks. Like the Leman Russ, it is built for reliability rather than sophistication, and it is produced on countless forge worlds.
The Chimera chassis is the base for many other vehicles. Its hull carries the Hydra anti-aircraft platform, the Basilisk and Medusa artillery pieces, the Hellhound flame tank and many command and support variants. Local patterns exist too. During the Dark Crusade, Imperial Guard forces found STC data on the world of Kronus that allowed a new Kronus pattern of Chimera to be built.
A Chimera is also amphibious, and its crew and passengers can fire lasguns through the hull's firing ports while it advances.
The Chimera is the standard armoured personnel carrier of the Astra Militarum and one of the most common vehicles in the Imperium. It is simple to build and maintain, it is amphibious, and it carries a full infantry squad. That makes it the backbone of mechanised regiments. Its chassis has been adapted for many roles, including the Hellhound flamethrower tank, the Basilisk artillery piece and the Hydra flak tank. It has served from the first Imperial Guard codex onwards.
The Chimera can be fitted with camouflage netting, extra armour, dozer blades, hunter-killer missiles, storm bolters and other upgrades. Gryphonne IV produces a variant with a twin heavy bolter turret, which is ineffective against armour but deadly against packed infantry. During the Siege of Vraks, the Vraksian Traitor Militia used Chimeras taken from the Munitorum stockpiles on Vraks Prime.
Appearance & wargear
The Chimera is a boxy tracked transport with a small turret, usually armed with a multi-laser or heavy bolter. A hull-mounted heavy bolter or heavy flamer sits at the front, and a rear ramp lets the squad deploy. Lasgun firing ports line the sides. Paint follows regimental colours.
It is a boxy, tracked hull with a small turret mounting a multi-laser or heavy bolter and a hull-mounted heavy bolter or heavy flamer. Lasgun ports along the sides let passengers fire from inside. Mechanised regiments often add dozer blades, searchlights and pintle-mounted stubbers.
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Battlefield role & tactics
Chimeras carry infantry across the battlefield under armour, then support them with fire after they deploy. Mechanised regiments use them to move entire companies quickly and to make the Guard's infantry far harder to pin down.
It carries Guardsmen across fire-swept ground while providing light fire support. Armoured fist squads ride into battle and dismount where they're needed. Command Chimeras carry officers and vox gear. It is reliable rather than heroic and easily destroyed by heavy weapons, but in large numbers it makes Guard armies far more mobile.
Notable battles & users
- Kronus, Dark Crusade: Guard forces recovered STC data that allowed a new Kronus pattern Chimera.
- Mechanised regiments: armoured companies of Chimeras carry whole infantry companies into battle.
Related
No profiled character is closely tied to this unit type yet.
