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I was just wondering if top tier tau lists ever used Kroot, and if so how they field them. It seems like they are very good, comparing them to ork boyz (who have the same cost) they get basically equivalent guns (longer range worse AP), equivalent stat lines (+1 BS, +1 I, and -1 T) and they get a host of special rules. Compared to fire warriors, they have a similar statline (+2 WS, +1 I, and -2 armor), but their guns are shorter range, worse AP, and therefore significantly worse. Another benefit of Kroot is their ability to take cheap Kroot hounds to guide an outflank move and increase their combat ability significantly. So how bout it Dakka? Are Kroot worth it? Please vote and explain your reasoning.

You mean the ridiculously cheap mass snipers that can infiltrate and still gets stealth forests?

I also love the krootox but they arnt that great. (surprising people with side and rear shots is fun though. )

The only thing Kroot are good for is mass sniper rounds which is good, and Krootox delivery service which is ok since missile-sides and crisis suits fill their roll with better survivability.

Unless you are facing a heavy vehicle army, the kroot snipers should be able to pick off most anything.

So what is the best way to equip a squad?

 Waaagh 18 wrote:
So what is the best way to equip a squad?

I am wondering that myself.
I was going to set them up with the Sniper Rifles.
I currently have 12 Kroot and 2 squads of Fire Warriors right now.

Depends on the list really, Kroot Snipers are better by themselves, but if you combine FW with Ethereals for 3 shots per model at Rapid Fire Range or other bonuses, they can become very deadly.

I normally run a unit of 20 with sniper rounds and a Kroothound, allowing me to use them as a decent infiltrating Sniper unit or a Outflanker with Acute Senses to pick up an objective if necessary. I also like to include a Shaper because, even though he is expensive, Kroot are going to take casualties and their LD sucks otherwise. Keeping them around wherever they are for one more turn is usually worth the points.

Another option is outflanking with a hound.

Gives you some options for objectives.

Is it ever wise to take more than 1 hound? They are really speedy in combat...

A single squad of kroot is viable in a top tier list as a linebreaker/emperors will taker.

 Waaagh 18 wrote:
Is it ever wise to take more than 1 hound? They are really speedy in combat...

Maybe in a fluffy list but otherwise not really. They are speedy, but still one wound, no armor save to speak of, and only Str3 attacks.

I run them in groups of 20 with sniper rounds and however many hounds I can spare the points for (usually 3-4).

If I'm feeling particularly saucy I throw in a Krootox but not that often as there are other units which can do a Krootox's job more effectively.

I call it 'Operation: Round and Hound'.

You get round your opponent with the hounds, then hound a unit down with sniper rounds. :3

Natec wrote:

 Waaagh 18 wrote:
Is it ever wise to take more than 1 hound? They are really speedy in combat...

Maybe in a fluffy list but otherwise not really. They are speedy, but still one wound, no armor save to speak of, and only Str3 attacks.

The hounds are only 5 points each... In combat they are far superior to ordinary Kroot for less... The Kroot warrior may be able to shoot but he is 1/4 as effective in combat with worse initiative and half as many attacks...

 Waaagh 18 wrote:

Natec wrote:

 Waaagh 18 wrote:
Is it ever wise to take more than 1 hound? They are really speedy in combat...

Maybe in a fluffy list but otherwise not really. They are speedy, but still one wound, no armor save to speak of, and only Str3 attacks.

The hounds are only 5 points each... In combat they are far superior to ordinary Kroot for less... The Kroot warrior may be able to shoot but he is 1/4 as effective in combat with worse initiative and half as many attacks...

That still doesn't make the kroothound good in CC, just less bad than the rest of the Tau army. You still need 10 kroothounds to guarantee one dead Tac marine in CC(20 attacks hitting on 4+, wounding on 5+, failing save on 2-). For those same points you can have 8 kroot which should have one to two rounds of shooting and at least some sort of armor save in CC.

Natec wrote:
hat still doesn't make the kroothound good in CC, just less bad than the rest of the Tau army. You still need 10 kroothounds to guarantee one dead Tac marine in CC(20 attacks hitting on 4+, wounding on 5+, failing save on 2-). For those same points you can have 8 kroot which should have one to two rounds of shooting and at least some sort of armor save in CC.

who told you that tacs had a 2+ save?

Yea, kroot do not assault very well.
The'll beat guardsman and other low combat stat units with armor 5 or worse, but they will not beat anyone else.
Not even with hounds.


As for using them as shooters-they CAN work, but they don't fit in every list.
Essentially speaking they work far better in agressive tau lists than defensive ones, but the defensive is the meta for them right now due to how ungodly powerful HYMP broadsides are.

They pass on a 3, so from the attackers perspective you want them to roll a 2 or less, which os what I was trying to say with the "failing a save on a 2-". Sorry for the confusion.

How do Kroot mesh with firewarriors? Are there any hidden synergies because it seems like Kroot are the most useful for outflanking while tau gunline it...

 Waaagh 18 wrote:
How do Kroot mesh with firewarriors? Are there any hidden synergies because it seems like Kroot are the most useful for outflanking while tau gunline it...

They dont.

Both are Objective grabbers with a possible side job.
Fire warriors synergize with there HQs and can get massive amount of anti guard dakka, and can take transports for better mobility (though wayyyyy to expensive)

Kroot on the other hand are better for putting poisoned wounds on high T models or better yet holding an objective via infiltrating or outflanking grabs or harrassing.

Both are able to use markerlights as well.

So you don't take both in the same list?

We used to have too. but now we dont.

I take all Kroot as infantry dakka can be handled by a lot of everything else in the army.

So who wins Kroot vs. Fire Warriors?

Farsight Crisis suits

But my preference is for Kroot snipers.

Basically one of the easiest ways to get poison in an army that doesn't have much of it.

Kroot are there to fill your mandatory troop choices at minimum cost that can also provide some OS mobility.

Always outflanking You take them to sit on something, and draw some fire. Gives you the ability to be in the backfield quite easily.

If they die hurrah, they ate some firepower. If not hurrah, they are now scoring an objective or contesting something/giving you line breaker.

 Leth wrote:
Kroot are there to fill your mandatory troop choices at minimum cost that can also provide some OS mobility.

Always outflanking You take them to sit on something, and draw some fire. Gives you the ability to be in the backfield quite easily.

If they die hurrah, they ate some firepower. If not hurrah, they are now scoring an objective or contesting something/giving you line breaker.

So if they are only to fill troop slots do you still give them sniper rounds / Kroot hound / shaper?

Snipers are dirt cheap and can come in handy (lucky rends are always nice) 1 hound per unit is good so it gives em the opportunity to outflank with acute sense, shapers are bad.

Hound for the extra movement on the board(move like beasts so can get two inches further in+ the base to maintain coherency) as well as acute senses and that's it. If they are firing heavy weapons they are not moving, and if they are in a position where they don't need to move then they should be hunkering down and focusing on staying alive every turn. At least in my experiences against tau, keep up cheap. those sniper rifles are another marker drone. I will take up to 4-5 turns of an additional markerlight hit than the possibility of using sniper rounds.

 Desubot wrote:
Snipers are dirt cheap and can come in handy (lucky rends are always nice) 1 hound per unit is good so it gives em the opportunity to outflank with acute sense, shapers are bad.

What makes shapers bad? They have 3x wounds, 3x attacks, and +1 LD. That for 3 normal Kroot Rena out as the total wounds and attacks are the same and the leadership is better...

edit: whoop 15 points.

Its 15 points for a model that can easily get instagibbed for no extra shooting
You have to ignore the close combat attacks as if you are debaiting that you are doing tau wrong.
I disagree about the sniper costs

The ultilty i feel is worth it. sure if you outflank it wont work as well but that is more than likely only a turn of snaps or other mode of fire,

I am just saying I would(for the points) rather take something I will use every turn for sure rather than something situation based.

Then again in my lists I am usually fighting to find even 5 points. So something like that would be the first to go.