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I'm trying to build a 500 point Tau army using only an Ethereal with no drones and Kroot Carnivore Squads. What is the best way to go about doing this? Heres my idea...

Ethereal- Honour Blade
Kroot Carnivore Squad- 10 Kroot Hounds, Shaper
Kroot Carnivore Squad- 10 Kroot Hounds, Shaper
Kroot Carnivore Squad- 3 Krootox Riders, Kroot Hound, Shaper, Sniper Rounds

That's pretty much the way you would have to build it, but if you're going to go all-Kroot, you'll likely need to use the Taros units. Apparently they're all Fast Attack choices now, so it's quite possible to put an army together.

Really wish there was a kroot hq, just for fun. They made rules for one at some point didn't they?

Yeah, Anghkor Prok has rules that were available online after the Tau were first introduced at the 2001 Games Day and he was the miniature that year.

http://trobarts.customer.netspace.net.au/anghkor-prok.pdf

This is the same PDF that was on the GW website but has since been taken down.

Alternatively, since the Ethereal special rules now benefit Kroot units, it's quite appropriate to use a Kroot Master Shaper model with Ethereal rules.

I don't see the point of running the Kroot hounds, since they're T3, S3, no save, and offer nothing to a unit that's strength is shooting.

Run 2 units of 20 Kroot, give them a few Krootox and sniper rounds then throw in an Ethereal.

 Savageconvoy wrote:
I don't see the point of running the Kroot hounds, since they're T3, S3, no save, and offer nothing to a unit that's strength is shooting.

Run 2 units of 20 Kroot, give them a few Krootox and sniper rounds then throw in an Ethereal.

Eh, I think the Kroot Hounds are a good idea. It's not like you can prevent them from getting in close combat if you're going to try to be aggressive with objectives and such. At the absolute very least they will take bullets.

They suck as bullet sponges though. They're only 2 points less than a Kroot with a sniper and they don't provide anything to the Kroot's shooting power. They don't really offer anything in CC either since the only unit that Kroot are able to handle in melee are more aptly handled by the Kroots AP5 attacks.

They're just a huge point sink. 10 of them are just 50 points that would be better spend on more Kroot bodies and guns.

You can use Kroot hounds as a way to contest or claim objectives late game. Stay in cover and shoot with your Kroot most of the game, and then you can move 12" with your hounds as they are beasts. This helps to suddenly assault an enemy unit holding an objective.

In order to actually make that tactic work you're going to need at least 4 kroothounds, which is 20 points. Maintaining unit cohesion and stringing the unit out with two in front and two more bodies to fill the 6" gap between the lead and the Kroot. This is also making the assumption that only one wound gets through overwatch, anything more and your effective charge range goes down.

This also includes many assumptions to actually work. That you'll have enough hounds late in game, meaning that you use Kroot as a shield and lose shooting effectiveness. Assuming that the unit is more susceptible to a Kroot charge than actual Kroot shooting since they have no assault weapons. Assuming that the unit is sufficiently damaged enough that Kroot can do enough damage to them, while the Kroot are still strong enough to weather the combat.

The scenario required to pull this off is very unlikely and not really an advisable tactic. The most I could imagine would be 3 hounds just to get in range to contest objectives and having the Kroot provide fire support. I strongly believe that the points are still better spent on more Kroot and the upgrade to sniper rounds.

The hounds are really only there for the higher initiative and outflanking re-roll, so i put one in every squad, usually in the back or middle.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Also, I really hope for an allies dex or something that brings back more options for Kroot, like wings, but that would be 100% tourney legal