The Chimera is a peculiar machine, and another P.H.A.Z.E. project.
Compared to other machines of similar weight class it's lightly armoured, and would fit rather well into the 'cruiser' category except for a slight snag.
Not actually that slight, at that. A big snag. A sabre-shaped snag.

For a reason known only to themselves the Projects Department, while welding off-the-shelf components together like a young Victor Frankenstein's insane kindergarten arts-and-crafts project, attached a sword. A very particular piece of equipment which used several tonnes of payload space which could otherwise have been filled with useful things like armour and spare ammunition.
The Chimera is not a pretty machine, and its weapon load has oft been described with words like 'odd', 'bizarre', 'moon-struck', 'daft', 'barmy' and, of course, the Bureau of Mecha Design's favorite, 'completely, totally, utterly mad'.

The machine is classed as a section-level command unit, and fits a number of minor sensor refinements to facilitate this. However, command mecha are usually kept at a distance from the melee, where it is simply too easy for a pilot to get caught up in a fast moving duel and lose sight of his sectionmates.

Short range missiles fire like shotguns, scattering explosives across an opponent in the hopes of exploiting weak points. Medium-output lasers are usually used as secondary batteries for heavier weapons, providing a short-range punch to discourage enemies that might otherwise close. Swords are... well, utterly mad and only really effective when fitted to heavily built superheavy close-assault units that can use them to full effect. They're certainly damaging enough to get attention, but in the hands of a machine the size of a Chimera, they don't really have the knock-out force behind them to qualify as a primary weapon.

Complicating matters is a lack of heat dissipative capacity. The machine can break things and hurt people with the best of them, but doesn't have the endurance for sustained heavy combat.

It can certainly fight hard, but its payload is not suited for quickly bringing an enemy down without overheating, unless one closes quickly, kicks the enemy's feet out from under him and lop his canopy off. Commanders are not usually supposed to be in the thick of things collecting other people's body parts.

The P.H.A.Z.E. promoted the design as a combination command unit and short range assault specialist, but the machine only truly comes into its own as part of a larger team, rushing in to finish off weakened enemies before falling back to cool off.

All in all, opinions on the Chimera are fairly polarized. Some believe it to be a masterpiece, combining speed, firepower and reasonable amounts of armour in a package that can drop individual hostiles quickly but doesn't tempt a commander to participate too closely in a battle.

Others think it's the lunatic product of a pack of sick and deranged minds.

Conspiracy theorists have promoted a number of theories to explain this, of course, but the most widely held one is simply that the designers were under the effects of an accidental drug-warfare chemical leak.

It would certainly fit with past Projects Department actions.