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I was painting up my Kroot and really wishing that the Kroot codex was still around. After about 45 mins of searching on the internet I found a version stored on someone's site, but it has a lot of old obsolete rules from 3rd ed.

Looking through the codex, i found a few problems with the actual list that drastically needed changing to make it viable:
1) No anti-tank weapons to speak of.
2) Everything is too similar. They are all just Kroot stats+ special ability.
3) Many pointless units and upgrades that are outperformed by simple Kroot Carnivores with Kroot Rifles
4) Nothing really unique except for the fact that they are Kroot and noone plays kroot.

The uniqueness was something I really thought should be changed.
So, I came up with an idea:

The Kroot War Howdah:

..............................................Pts..Ws Bs..S..T..W..I..A..Ld..Sv
Knarloc with Kroot War Howdah...X....4...0...7..8...3..4..4..10...3


Transport: Can carry 16 Infantry, + Kroot hounds.

Access Points: Treated as an open-topped transport, so any model within 2" may embark.

Fire Points: Treated as an open-topped transport, so any model on the Howdah may fire if the Knarloc doesn't run or assault.
There are 2 Heavy Bolt Casters positioned on the howdah as sponson weapons, which may each be fired by one embarked infantry model.

Special Rules:
Morale: The Knarloc is Fearless.
Movement: The Knarloc Moves as a Monstrous Creature.

Shooting: The Knarloc has no shooting attack of its own. It may run in the shooting phase, which will always be 6" movement unless running through difficult terrain.
Models may fire as if from an open-topped transport, or may man the Bolt-Casters. Embarked models may not fire if the Knarloc Runs in the shooting phase.
Each bolt-caster may fire at a different unit, unless the Knarloc is assaulting that turn, in which case they must both fire at the unit they intend to assault.

When shooting at the Knarloc, weapons with Ap1 or Ap2 may add +1 to their strength. Weapons with Melta (or similar +D6 to armor penetration) characteristics add +2 to their strength, however a weapon with both Ap1/2 and Melta will only add +2 Str.

Assault: If it did not run in the shooting phase, the Knarloc may assault.
Any/all embarked models may also assault during the shooting phase, being placed into combat and gaining +1 attack as normal. Models who fired Heavy or Rapid Fire weapons during the shooting phase may not attack in the assault.
Alternatively, all embarked models may fight from the howdah during the assault, in which case they do not gain the +1 attack for charging but they gain a 4+ armor save and count as being in cover. On the 2nd and subsequent rounds of combat, the Kroot must dismount and fight from the ground as normal: the kroot dismount at the end of the first round of combat but before any pile-in or consolidation from other units.
At the end of a combat involving a kroot squad and a knarloc, if both are unengaged the Kroot may consolidate into the Knarloc, as long as their consolidation move brings them within range to embark.



I'm reasonably happy with the special rules, however i'm not sure about the stats or points. It needs to be roughly the equivalent in durability to an Armor 11 transport, yet it can't be taken down with just one lucky hit.

Ideas/comments?

i like it but i think its overly complicated

[i]edit cant spell complicated apparently

It looks overly complicated but basically its just a monstrous creature that can assault with kroot on its back.

I'm writing the rest of a kroot list (just normal units for the rest) which i'll post when done.

Sound pretty good, were did you find this codex??? id like to look at it.

What was the strongest weapon??

And were there any leaders besides the shapers??

I found 3 different Kroot Lists.
3rd Edition Chapter Approved List The official list. Download this quickly before GW updates the CA site which will probably remove it permanently.
Updated for 5th Edition The 3rd Ed list, updated for 5th edition by fans. Almost exactly the same list, just with updated rules to make sense in 5th ed.
A fan created 4th ed list which is quite interesting. It includes many more unit types other than basic Kroot, such as a krootox gun battery, or Abominations. Although is in no way official.

I don't think people would really have any problems with you using the fan updated 3rd-5th ed list, but the 4th ed list is much more competitive and interesting.

Basically the list suffers from the fact that every single unit is T3 Sv6, with a S4 Ap6 gun. Which makes only a few units even worthwhile taking (Carnivore and Vulture kindreds). The only anti-armor weapons you can take are Melta-bombs and eviscerators. However, the army does have the benefit that every single model is able to infiltrate/outflank and gains a 3+ cover save in woods.

ive allways loved kroot merc's and am concidering starting a 2nd army now.
if it all goes wrong and the list is deleted please PM me and i will be happy to send it to you as i have it saved now

I played Kroot mercs last edition. they were brutal, and can still be.

every unit requires an evicerator. take blood of the stalker. Take the kroot hound units with blood of the stalker and sure foot charm. This combo will allow you to infiltrate d6 inches closer to your opponent, so thats first turn charge capabilities. Sure foot allows you to roll 2 dice and pick the highest for fleet.


Only issue is how the totem works now. Do you get to reroll the die for setup, or sieze the initiative or both?

just have to love the ammount of snipers, rapid fire heavy weapon, melta-shaper spam, evicserator-vulture spam and randomly large units of trackers (cav. units, that cant move and fire lol)

give them ork hybrid though (2 points per kroot, 5 per shaper) and you get a S4, T4 carnivore

I wouldnt waste the points on ork hybrid. go for the +1 I

That sounds like a damned big Knarlock, does forgeworld make something that big or would it need to be scratchbuilt? Since Knarlocs are bipedal, the Ork Squiggoth wouldn't work. Perhaps a big T-Rex toy might with some head alterations.

the Archanadon for the lustrian list in the book was converted with a carnisaur and a knarloc, so I figure one could model it.