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The chimera has this huge top hatch. It also has a rule that says units inside it can fire out of the top hatch but the vehicle becomes open-topped.

My first question is can this hatch be opened and closed turn to turn?

Second, If it has to be open all of the time to fire out do I have to model it that way?

Third and most important, with the hatch open then the chimera is opened topped. Does this mean that the troops inside can hop out the front, shoot, and then assault?

Like any fire points, it only is "open" when you decide to shoot out of it. It does not need to be modeled that way, nor do would the Chimera be open-topped all the time if it was modeled open.

The Codex specifies that the Chimera only counts as open topped in your opponent's shooting phase if using the fire point. The vehicle is not open topped in any other phase, including your opponent's assault phase. As such, no you may not assault out of it (unless stationary). Heck, it's not even that large of a hatch compared to the Rhino fire point! No climbing out of it either, the only access port on a Chimera is on the rear.

That's all pretty much right. Fire Points are not Access points. See Page 66 of the Rulebook for the Generic Fire Points rules (the open top thing is a chimera special rule)

Thanks guys, after getting a hold of the codex it seems your right. Darn it. I had hopes of exploiting that open-topped rule.

Sorry to waste your time.

Of course, if you did model it open topped then you would be da man. also, if you fired a mortar out of it you would be DA MAN. dark angels and dark eldar excluded of course.