Chimera

Chimera was a heavyweight robot which competed in Series 8 of Robot Wars, entered by a family team. It lost its Group Battle in the aforementioned series after having its tyres heavily damaged and ripped off by M.R. Speed Squared.

Chimera was originally built by Colin Scott of Team Death, but as of 2015, is now under the ownership of Team 53, nowadays known as Team Chimera, who rebuilt the robot in 2016 and entered it into Robot Wars.

The name Chimera is derived from the mythical creature of the same name that is said to have the head of a lion, the body of a goat and the tail of a serpent.

Design
Chimera is a thwackbot, armed with a variety of interchangeable blades and weapons, which it swings overhead by overturning the robot, utilising the power of momentum. The primary blade among the team’s selection is a three-headed spiked shaft. The robot cost less than £1,500 to build, borrowing tyres from an old Ford Fiesta. However, the team felt that their exposed tyres give them a weakness to spinners, and the robot was slow, particularly for its weapon type, at just 6mph.

Series 8
Chimera participated in Episode 2, filling in as a reserve for an unknown drop-out, where it faced fellow newcomers to the main competition Draven and Foxic, as well as M.R. Speed Squared. "We have tested [the tyres] and they can still run even if they get destroyed, we can roll on the rims"

- Unfortunate foreshadowing from Phil Mann

Wary of the full-body spinner M.R. Speed Squared, Chimera kept its distance away from all other robots in the arena. However, Chimera was targeted by the spinner due to its exposed wheels, and the very first blow sustained knocked Chimera's wheel loose. Despite the tyre nearly coming off, Chimera could still slowly coast around the arena, though it was closely followed by Draven. A second attack from M.R. Speed Squared removed Chimera's wheel completely, immobilising it on one side. Chimera was left to drive in circles near the wall while Draven was immobilised. Cease was called and Chimera was eliminated.

Results

 * }

Wins/Losses

 * Wins: 0
 * Losses: 1

Robot Wars Live Events
Chimera competed at a variety of Robot Wars live events, albeit without major success. It made its 2016 debut at Manchester in a battle with Behemoth, Beast and Eruption, but quickly became immobilised. The team's featherweight Mini-Mera debuted at the same event. Chimera's successor, Chimera2, was scheduled to debut at the Gloucester event, but was not completed in time.

Outside Robot Wars
After Robot Wars was taken off-air, Chimera was built by Colin Scott to compete in FRA competitions. It was originally known as The Wall and armed with a horizontal spinning bar. The robot was retired in 2006, but was restored for an appearance at the 2011 UK Championships, where Chimera lost to Thor and Tiberius.

In March 2012, Chimera was sold to Team Scar, who at the time, owned Robot Wars veterans Scar and Eric, before finally being sold to Team 53 in 2015, who rebranded themselves as Team Chimera.

The 2016 version of Chimera fought its last fight at the 2016 Cannock Robots Live! event where it fought Apollo and Meggamouse. It didn't last long in its final fight, as it was thrown eight feet in the air by Apollo, and over the heightened arena wall, twenty seconds into the battle. Team Chimera have built a featherweight version of Chimera, known as Mini-Mera. The various team members also own the featherweight robots Nautilus and Wolfs-Bane, and a beetleweight named Pisces.

A brand-new version of Chimera, Chimera2, has finished construction and awaits its combat debut.