Chimera: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 10:07, 20 June 2023

If you were looking for the 40k vehicle, see Chimera Transport

The Chimera is a monster from Greco-Roman mythology, described as a tripartite fire-breathing beast with the forequarters and head of a lion, the hindquarters and head of a goat, and the tail and head of a snake. Exactly how that works out depends on the artist; perhaps the most iconic of real-world art depicts it as having a lion's head on its neck, a goat's head growing straight up out of the middle of its back, and the snake's head replacing the tip of its tail. What doesn't vary, strangely enough, is that even though the original Chimera was female, it always has a mane (beard) on the lion, even in period art depicting it as a unique creature. It ravaged the land with its fiery breath until Bellerophon killed it by using Pegasus to fly out of range of the fire whilst carrying a lance with a big block of lead on its tip; he threw this at its mouth and the flames melted the lead so it poured down Chimera's throat and killed it. In the centuries since, the word chimera has gained a second more broad meaning, referring to any sort of weird mishmash between two or more different things Frankensteined together.

In Fantasy Gaming[edit]

Chimeras show up in a lot of fantasy games. Thanks to D&D, pretty much all incarnations have the three heads sharing the same neck stump, a dragon head instead of a snake head, and a pair of wings giving it flight! (TSR really liked adding wings to lion-based creatures), despite the fact that the original Chimera was landlocked and this played a huge role in its defeat.

They are particularly prominent in Dungeons & Dragons (and thusly Pathfinder), where they are capable of speech, but usually not very bright. All the ego of a Red Dragon and none of the brains, essentially. The unique awnsheigh in Birthright, the Chimera, is essentially a were-creature, a half-elf who sometimes explodes into a hideous and ever-shifting monster form that goes on feral rampages.

Chimeras also appear in Warhammer Fantasy and Age of Sigmar, where they are creatures of Chaos and so usually show up as mounts for the Chaos Lords.

Hordes of the Warriors of Chaos
Champions:	Chaos Lords - Daemon Prince - Chaos Sorcerer - Exalted Hero - Aspiring Champion - Druchii Anointed
Chaos Warriors:	Chaos Warriors - Chosen - Forsaken - Chaos Knights - Chaos Chariot - Gorebeast Chariot
Mortals and Fodder:	Chaos Marauders - Marauder Horsemen - Cultists -Chaos Warhounds - Marauder Horsemasters
Monsters and Daemonic War Engines:	Chaos Spawn - Dragon Ogre - Dragon Ogre Shaggoth - Manticore - War Mammoth - Chaos Trolls - Chaos Giant - Chaos Ogres - Hellcannon - Chaos Beast - Chaos Warshrine - Slaughterbrute - Chimera
Khorne:	Skullreapers - Wrathmonger - Skullcrushers
Tzeentch:	Mutalith Vortex Beast - Chaos Dragon - Doom Knights
Nurgle:	Putrid Blightking - Bile Trolls - Plague Ogres - Rot Knights
Slaanesh:	Hellstrider - Mirror Guard
Auxiliaries:	Beastmen - Norsca - Chaos Dwarfs - Chaos Daemons - Skaven - Dark Elves

Original D&D
1e
2e
3e
4e
5e
Pathfinder
GURPS

Star Wars[edit]

The Chimaera was introduced as Thrawn's flagship in Heir to the Empire and would quickly become one of the most prominent ships in the EU. This is despite it being a mere Imperial II class when many other Imperial warlords had Super Star Destroyers or some manner of super weapon. The Chimaera had a cloaking device... which was deemed useless without an allied force user because you can't see where you're going when cloaked without the force and all non-force base communications were blocked.

Star Wars doesn't have Greek mythology, so fans assumed it referred to genetic Chimeras or, at least, some mad science hybrid beast since Star Wars has genetics advanced enough to produce human clones.

Monstergirls[edit]

This article or section is about Monstergirls (or a monster that is frequently depicted as a Monstergirl), something that /tg/ widely considers to be the purest form of awesome. Expect PROMOTIONS! and /d/elight in equal measure, often with drawfaggotry or writefaggotry to match.

Chimera monstergirls are a rare breed, mostly because designers struggle with how to incorporate the three heads and tripartite body into one design.

In the Monster Girl Encyclopedia, the "Chimaera" belongs to the small family of "Demon Beasts", and has the form of a lion-girl with goat's horns and legs, a serpent for a tail, a leonic paw for a right arm, a draconic paw for a left arm, and pauldrons reminiscent of a goat's and a dragon's heads. Extremely powerful and destructive, it has a bad case of split personalities, with one persona for each of the four beasts that work as a team to support her in her goal of finding and keeping a lover.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-The '''Chimera''' is a monster from Greco-Roman mythology, described as a tripartite fire-breathing beast with the forequarters and head of a lion, the hindquarters and head of a goat, and a serpentine or draconic tail with a dragon's head. Exactly how that works out depends on the artist; perhaps the most iconic of real-world art depicts it as having a lion's head on its neck, a goat's head growing out of its back, and the dragon's head replacing the tip of its tail, but the most common modern depiction has the three heads sharing the same neckstump. It ravaged the land with its fiery breath until Bellepheron killed it by using [[Pegasus]] to fly out of range of the fire whilst carrying a lance with a big block of lead on its tip; he threw this at its mouth and the flames melted the lead so it poured down Chimera's throat and killed it.
+''If you were looking for the 40k vehicle, see [[Chimera Transport]]''
+[[File:Chimera statue.png|right|300px]]
+The '''Chimera''' is a monster from Greco-Roman mythology, described as a tripartite fire-breathing beast with the forequarters and head of a lion, the hindquarters and head of a goat, and the tail and head of a snake. Exactly how that works out depends on the artist; perhaps the most iconic of real-world art depicts it as having a lion's head on its neck, a goat's head [[what|growing straight up out of the middle of its back]], and the snake's head replacing the tip of its tail. What doesn't vary, strangely enough, is that even though the original Chimera was female, it ''always'' has a mane (beard) on the lion, even in period art depicting it as a unique creature. It ravaged the land with its fiery breath until Bellerophon killed it by using [[Pegasus]] to fly out of range of the fire whilst carrying a lance with a big block of lead on its tip; [[awesome|he threw this at its mouth and the flames melted the lead so it poured down Chimera's throat and killed it]]. In the centuries since, the word chimera has gained a second more broad meaning, referring to any sort of weird mishmash between two or more different things Frankensteined together.
 ==In Fantasy Gaming==
-Chimeras show up in a lot of fantasy games. Weirdly, they tend to have wings and be fliers (though admittedly they're usually very clumsy at it), despite the fact that the original Chimera was landlocked and this played a huge role in its defeat.
+Chimeras show up in a lot of fantasy games. Thanks to D&D, pretty much all incarnations have the three heads sharing the same neck stump, a dragon head instead of a snake head, and a pair of wings giving it flight! (TSR really liked [[Manticore|adding wings to lion-based creatures]]), despite the fact that the original Chimera was landlocked and this played a huge role in its defeat.
-They are particularly prominent in [[Dungeons & Dragons]] (and thusly [[Pathfinder]]), where they are capable of speech, but usually not very bright. All the ego of a Red [[Dragon]] and none of the brains, essentially.
+They are particularly prominent in [[Dungeons & Dragons]] (and thusly [[Pathfinder]]), where they are capable of speech, but usually not very bright. All the ego of a Red [[Dragon]] and none of the brains, essentially. The unique awnsheigh in [[Birthright]], the Chimera, is essentially a were-creature, a half-elf who sometimes explodes into a hideous and ever-shifting monster form that goes on feral rampages.
-Chimeras also appear in [[Warhammer Fantasy]], where they are creatures of [[Chaos]] and so usually show up as mounts for the Chaos Lords.
+Chimeras also appear in [[Warhammer Fantasy]] and [[Age of Sigmar]], where they are creatures of [[Chaos]] and so usually show up as mounts for the Chaos Lords.
-==In [[Warhammer 40000]]==
+{{Template:Warriors of Chaos Forces}}
+<gallery>
+Chimera ODD5.png|Original D&D
+Chimera 1e.jpg|1e
+Chimera MCV1.jpg|2e
+Chimera MM 2e.png
+Chimera 3e.jpg|3e
+Chimera 4e.jpg|4e
+Chimera 5e.jpg|5e
+Chimera B1.png|Pathfinder
+Chimera DF Monsters 2.png|GURPS
+</gallery>
-[[File:Chimera.gif|350px|right]]
+==Star Wars==
+The Chimaera was introduced as Thrawn's flagship in ''Heir to the Empire'' and would quickly become one of the most prominent ships in the EU. This is despite it being a mere Imperial II class when many other Imperial warlords had Super Star Destroyers or some manner of super weapon. The Chimaera had a cloaking device... which was deemed useless without an allied force user because you can't see where you're going when cloaked without the force and all non-force base communications were blocked.
-<i>Maybe you were looking for [[METAL BOXES|METHUL BAWKSES]]?</i>
+''[[Star Wars]]'' doesn't have Greek mythology, so fans assumed it referred to ''[[Wikipedia:Chimera (genetics)|genetic]]'' Chimeras or, at least, some mad science hybrid beast since ''[[Star Wars]]'' has genetics advanced enough to produce human clones.
-The '''Chimera''' Armored Transport is the [[Imperial Guard]]'s main troop carrier, capable of transporting troops on the battlefield and giving them fire support.
+== Monstergirls ==
-Unlike the [[Rhino Transport]] of the [[Space Marines]], the Chimera is an Infantry Fighting Vehicle, an infantry transport designed to transport men to where they need to be, then provide support fire and cover behind its armor. Remarkably survivable from the front and equippable with a wide array of weaponry, it has at least as much Infantry-killing firepower as 2 guard heavy weapon teams, as well as the ability to act as a mobile firepoint for guardsmen with Special Weapons that can shoot out from the vehicle. Adding both survivability and flexibility to an army that otherwise tends to be sluggish, the Chimera is a ubiquitous presence that finds a home in many Imperial Guard Army Lists.
+[[File:MGE Chimaera.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Well, what did ''you'' think a cross between a [[catgirl]], a [[dragon]]girl and a [[satyr]]ess might look like?]]
+{{Monstergirls}}
-===Overview===
+Chimera [[monstergirls]] are a rare breed, mostly because designers struggle with how to incorporate the three heads and tripartite body into one design.
-The Chimera is one of the most important vehicles in the Imperial Guard's arsenal: it is a fast moving, amphibious vehicle capable of traversing terrain that even a [[Leman_Russ_Battle_Tank|Leman Russ]] would find impossible to cross (swamps, marshes and even the occasional river).  When the enemy neglects to defend these positions because of their perceived obstructiveness, they can [[Creed|expect a squadron or two of Chimeras in their flanks]] or [[anal circumference|rear.]]
-In all seriousness, the Chimera is a fantastic asset. Have your CCS cower in it with pride, or shove them straight at that [[Distraction Carnifex|Carnifex]] over there
-The Chimera has several uses: it can be an armored taxi of sorts where it rushes in between the front lines to insert and/or pick up units, and it can go to the rear to pick up new units and deliver them to the heart of the battle.  If needed they can serve as moving barriers, providing troops cover while they engage the enemy.  A third use is that they [[DISTRACTION CARNIFEX|rush towards the enemy, shrugging off small arms fire]] as they [[Metal_Boxes|deliver their payload into the most defended positions.]]  The Steel Legions of [[Armageddon]], one of the chief manufacturing planets for the Chimera, are fully mechanized and can move across the ash planes of their home world at frightening speeds.
-The Chimera can mount a variety of weapons to support the squads they carry. The most common and famous weapon associated with the Chimera is the [[Multilaser]], a larger, even more rapid firing version of the [[Hellgun]], used to suppress enemy movement. This weapon can be replaced with either
+In the [[Monster Girl Encyclopedia]], the "Chimaera" belongs to the small family of "Demon Beasts", and has the form of a lion-girl with goat's horns and legs, a serpent for a tail, a leonic paw for a right arm, a draconic paw for a left arm, and [[Pauldrons|pauldrons]] reminiscent of a goat's and a dragon's heads. Extremely powerful and destructive, it has a bad case of split personalities, with one persona for each of the four beasts that work as a team to support her in her goal of finding and keeping a lover.
-[[Bolter|Heavy Bolter]] or [[Flamer|Heavy Flamer]], both of which are [[Twin-Linked]] and can field either of those two in its hull. Forge World gives the Chimera even more blasty power with the ability to replace the main gun with an [[Autocannon]], turning it into a different breed of threat altogether. Each side of the tank features a row of three Lasgun turrets that embarked passengers may fire at enemy squads. For added punch against vehicles, it can also mount a Hunter-Killer Missile.
-However, probably due to the current Imperial Guard Codex, not so many Guard players use them, preferring the SIGAOD (Shooty Imperial Guard Army Of Doom), which is better supported by the Imperial Guard's other transport, the [[Taurox]] or [[Valkyrie]]. Mech Guard love the fucking things though, since for the points-cost they're one of the best investments a squad can make. 260 points will buy four squads a dedicated transport option that essentially removes the need to carry either Heavy Bolters or Autocannons.
+[[Category: Dungeons & Dragons]]
-The other major use the Chimera finds is as a command vehicle; officers embarked inside can still issue orders, measuring their order radius from the tank's hull; this serves the dual purpose of increasing your order distance (since the Chimera is obviously larger than the man shouting orders from the hatch) and also keeping your HQ alive, since Guard HQ's are notoriously squishy.
-One common trick with Chimeras is to, after unloading their passengers, form them into hunting packs (Soviet Bronegruppa IN SPACE) and have them roam around the battlefield pissing off targets of opportunity. with two long-ranged, rapid-fire weapons and surprising durability, they absolutely excel at punishing relatively anti-tank-light forces like the Orks and Tyranids.
-One other tactic is to set a long line of chimeras across the board, screened by Hellhounds and screening heavy support. This provides a multi-tiered AV12 line charging straight at the enemy. Combine this with Vendettas to destroy enemy Armour or Valkyries to flank. Alternatively, focus all of your chimeras into a wedge, driving them straight into the middle/weakest part of the enemy line. This will, provided the enemy hasn't gone all out in anti-vehicle, tank shock your opponent off the board, separating their army in two and allowing your Chimeras and heavy support to surround and mop up the rest of their army. Schwerpunkt their HQ to dust.
-===Genestealer Cults===
-With the latest release of the new revamped [[Genestealer Cult]], it seems that [[Brood Brothers|certain generations]] of [[Genestealers]] was able to successfully [[Pretend|infiltrate]] even the commanding office of the [[Imperial Guard]] (How the upper Imperial authorities and local Imperial [[Paranoia|paranoia]] [[Fail|failed]] to locate ''THAT'' kind of [[Heresy]] is unknown), and are thus, able to [[Blood Ravens|steal]] some Chimeras and hoard it in the gigantic sewers of an Imperial underhive. A Genestealer Chimera functions the same as a regular Chimera only with Genestealer insignia and the possibility in opening up a [[Genestealers|horde of troops that can eviscerate a]] [[Terminator]] [[Rape|like a present on Christmas.]]
-===Inquisition===
-The Inquisition can take chimeras for ten points cheaper, but they lose the mobile command vehicle rule. Loses some of the Imperial Guard vehicle options, but can purchase psybolt ammunition instead to make its heavy bolter(s) and storm bolter more powerful. They look normal from the outside, but open up to something that no one expects.
-===Rules of Note===
-There are actually written rules that say this particular Metal Box is also a boat.  Its Amphibious rule allows it to move across water terrain.  This would mean that it could ram an [[Ork Submersible|Ork Submersible]], or tank shock a [[Saharduin]] squad.  Sadly, since nobody uses water terrain, plays apocalypse, or has more than one Saharduin model, Amphibious is a totally useless rule.
-Another rule of note is the one that lets you use orders whilst riding in a chimera. This one's actually pretty useful.
-===Weaknesses===
-The Chimera's front armor is durable, but its side and rear armor are much more flimsy. While it's generally tougher than a Rhino, it also tends to be a bigger target since the Chimera's weapons are often too big for armies that rely on light armor ([[Dark Eldar]], [[Orks]], etc) to ignore, whereas a Rhino tends to be less of an obvious target. It also has only a single small access point (its rear door), which is such a glaring issue that it gets its own separate subsection.
-====The Rear Door Paradigm====
-The Chimera's only access point is its (comparatively tiny) rear door. Embarking rules state that every unit about to board a transport has to be within 2 inches of an access point, which means [[Derp|it's very hard (if not impossible) to fit more than 6 or so models into a Chimera during an embarking phase, when the Chimera has room for 12]]. This is a problem that the [[Rhino Transport|METAL BOX]] and [[Land Raider|GIANT METAL BOX]] just don't have, either because they have multiple doors, or because their access point is so big it makes the issue [[Moot|moot]].
-This doesn't preclude larger units from starting the game already loaded in the Chimera, nor does it stop smaller units from using the damned thing like they pretty much always have, but it does mean that taking an [[Armored Fist Squad]] of 10 soldiers can quickly turn into a wonderful impersonation of when a fa/tg/uy tries to unpack and then repack a suitcase. You're generally not getting a larger unit back into the Chimera it disembarked from, so it's probably better for the Chimera to drive off and make new friends while the unit camps the objective.
-{{40k-Imperial-Vehicles}}
-{|align=center border=2 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=4
-|-
-!colspan=1| Imperial Forces!! Chaos!! Other
-|- valign=top
-|
-{{Mechanicus}}
-{{Militarum-Tempestus}}
-{{Imperial-Guard}}
-{{Inquisition}}
-|
-{{Lost-and-Damned}}
-|
-{{Genestealer-Cult}}
-|}
-==Monstergirls==
-[[File:MGE Chimaera.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Well, what do you think a cross between a [[catgirl]], a [[dragon]]girl and a [[satyr]]ess might look like?]]
-{{Monstergirls}}
-Chimera [[monstergirls]] are a rare breed, mostly because designers struggle with how to incorporate the three heads and tripartite body into one design.
-In the [[Monster Girl Encyclopedia]], the "Chimaera" belongs to the small family of "Demon Beasts", and has the form of a lion-girl with goat's horns and legs, a serpent for a tail, a leonic paw for a right arm, a draconic paw for a left arm, and pauldrons reminiscent of a lion and a dragon's heads. Extremely powerful and destructive, it has a bad case of split personalities, with one persona for each of the four beasts that work as a team to support her in her goal of finding and keeping a lover.
+[[Category: Monsters]]
-[[Category:Dungeons & Dragons]][[Category:Monsters]]
+[[Category: Greek Mythology]]

Chimera: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 10:07, 20 June 2023

In Fantasy Gaming[edit]

Star Wars[edit]

Monstergirls[edit]

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