Winged Kroot Vulture
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After playing quite a few games with Kroot this edition, I got the desire to update my pre-10th edition thoughts on Kroot units and give them all rankings since that’s what people seem to do these days. I’m looking forward to seeing how these will change when the new codex drops, but so far, here are my thoughts:
8. Aun’Shi: Not technically a Kroot, but since he can lead a Carnivore squad, I figured I should include him...
Pro’s:
- Solid melee damage output, really helps your carnivores get that melee kill for the 5+ FNP.
- +1 OC to a blob of 20 bodies is a reasonable number and helps them contest against BattleLine units.
Cons:
- Removes Stealth and Scout from the unit slowing them down and making them more vulnerable. (Also reduces their base move from 7” to 6”).
- Since you can only take 3 Carnivore Squads anyway, this essentially takes the Shaper slot and thus you also loose the 6+ FNP and the potential 4+ FNP.
- Highly vulnerably to Precision weapons and challenges, even with his 5+ Invul, hes only T:3 W:3.
Recommended Changes:
- Give him Stealth and Scout. It won’t matter when he’s leading any other T’au unit and then it makes him more of an even match with the Shaper, you essentially trade the better FNP for the improved OC and the extra 10 points accounts for the increased melee damage output.
7. Kroot Hounds:
Pros:
- Very Fast: 9” Scout plus 12” move allows them to rush across the board and charge things turn 1.
- Low Cost, at only 30 points for 4 models with stealth. Can be used to secure table quarters or screen deep strike easily.
Cons:
- No OC.
- Minimal damage output. Even if the are near a carnivore squad for +1 to wound, S:3 AP:0 D:1 just doesn’t get the job done.
- Even if you can charge a unit turn one, all but the lightest infantry will take minimal damage (since you won’t be near carnivores for +1 to wound) and then kill you on the swing back. The -1 to hit you give tanks for tying them up doesn’t matter because 90% of your army has stealth anyway.
Recommended Changes:
- They don’t need that much of a buff to become reasonable, I think giving them a simple pip of AP would make them hit okay enough that while they still wouldn’t be great, you wouldn’t feel so bad about taking them.
6. Great Knarlocs:
Pros:
- Increased Toughness and Wounds since 9th actually makes them somewhat survivable.
- Movement increased to 9” which is a nice speed boost, especially with keeping the 6” auto advance. It’s honestly often more movement than you need.
- Gained Scout to match the rest of the army.
- New Bolt Thrower weapon is cool, if inconsistent.
- Aura of Sustained Hits 1 is still strong, even with the nerf to only 3”.
Cons:
- Minimal actual damage output for a large points increase. A:4, WS 3+, S: 7, AP: -1, D:3 just isn’t enough on a 100 point model that does little else. It’s not strong enough to fight vehicles and has too few attacks to fight infantry. Even against elite infantry, you usually only kill one.
Recommended Changes: (How the mighty have fallen, This was the best Kroot unit for 8th edition and a solid contender even through the power creep of 9th. Currently only the Baggage harness feels worthwhile and even then, if you could take more of the models you were buffing, that would just be better.)
- Increase their melee damage output. It’s fine that they’re still not all that durable, but at least make them hit hard, they’re a big freaking dinosaur. Something like 6 attacks and S9 Ap -2. That would be all you’d really need. A sweep attack version for lighter infantry would be nice, but isn’t super necessary since most of your army is anti-light already.
- With the addition of the Scout move and the movement buff, the 6” auto advance is rarely relevant. Bringing back the chance to deal mortals on the charge would give the unit some extra oomph, or just give them Lance like the riders, that would make them feel punchier too. (Saying that, they wouldn’t really need more Strength as stated previously if they got Lance.)
5. Kroot Shaper:
Pros:
- 6+ FNP is reasonably relevant on 20 bodies and if you can manage to get the 4+ from a melee kill, the unit becomes very durable for its cost.
- Low points cost at only 40.
Cons:
- Low damage output.
- Easy to be picked off by Precision or challenges.
Recommended Changes:
- The ability to take a reasonable melee weapon would be all the unit really needs. 3 attacks at S:5 AP:0 D:1 just feel like nothing for a character, even if they do double attacks on the charge.
- One addition wound would be nice, T:3, W:3, Sv: 6+ is just so squishy, even with stealth.
- Give them Infiltrate and allow them to lead Farstalker squads.
4. Krootox:
Pros:
- +1 WS/BS buff near carnivores feels very noticeable, especially in melee where it makes them hit on 2+.
Cons:
- Points increase and damage reduction might have been a little too much over correction, but they were very strong in 9th...
Recommended Changes:
- They’re honestly fine as is, maybe a small points reduction to 30 instead of 35. They are reasonably survivable and do an okay amount of damage. As the Kroot’s only reliable source of D:2, they fight a lot of marine or marine equivalent units and give a fair showing for themselves.
3. Knarloc Riders:
Pros:
- Gained Stealth which is a huge survivability boost.
- Gained Scout to fit in with the army and close on targets faster.
- Lance in an improvement over their previous “Furious Charge” equivalence since it never used to affect the mount.
- Light infantry blender in close combat, but can still punch up well on the charge.
- Received +1 T, but -1 SV. I think this is a very slight buff since the larger weapons often negated the save anyway.
Cons:
- Reasonably points expensive at 110 for 3, so comparing value vs 20 carnivores will always happen. (Personally I think they are reasonably comparable in terms of value, I don’t wish I could take 20 more carnivores instead).
- Unit size reduced to 3 form 3-6.
Recommended Changes:
- I think these are fairly costed and perform well. All I would change is to bring back the 6 man units that we used to have the option of taking. It would give Kroot players more places to put their points and a 6 man unit could reasonably fight a lot more things.
2. Kroot Carnivores:
Pros:
- Solid damage output for points cost. 20 “bolters” for 110 points is nothing to sneeze at, even if they only hit on 4+.
- Stealth gives them a big survivability boost from 9th.
- Very mobile. Bringing a horde of these up with scout really takes over the board fast.
Cons:
- No BattleLine.
Recommended Changes:
- I’d increase the points cost slightly, to 60 or 65 (if they get a pip of OC with it) per 10 man squad and give them BattleLine. This would give Kroot players that don’t have a lot of the ancient Forge World models the change to actually build a full Kroot army. It would also enable the taking of 10 man units for flexibility / holding backfield objectives instead of only using 20 man blobs. The increased cost in points would be the “tax” on spamming infantry.
1. Kroot Farstalkers:
Pros:
- A unit with infiltrate is exactly what you need in a Kroot army, allowing you to take proper advantage of your scout moves.
- Picked up Stealth for increased survivability.
- Barely more expensive than Carnivores (5.83 vs 5.5 ppm) and between the special weapon as well as the Bounty Hunters and Pech’ra rules giving them Lethal Hits and Precision against one target and Ignores Cover against anything, their damage output is noticeably higher.
Cons:
- Loss of other Special Weapons that were fun and flavourful.
Recommended Changes:
- Bring back the other special weapons, even if you have to add +5 points to the unit. The Shotguns were functionally interchangeable with the rifles (assault 2 at 18” rather than RF 1 at 24”) but the bow and the sniper were nice little additions, especially with how bounty works now.
- I’d add that if they kill their bounty target, you gain 1CP. It will rarely happen, but I think it’s rather flavourful.
As for the army as a whole, assuming that you have access to the ancient Forge World models, I think it plays quite well. You are very light on anti-tank, but run a very effective and mobile anti-infantry force. Once you get used to playing around things like Primarchs and Dreadnaughts, it’s a pretty strong army. There are a few things I hope we do see in the new codex though (I’m assuming new hounds and Krootox are a given at this point):
1. Plastic Knarlocs. The sneak peak we got looks like it could be a Great Knarloc and I’m really hoping that’s the case. We really need more accessible Kroot units.
2. Named Characters. Even if it’s just Dahyak Grekh and Anghkor Prok, that’s all we really need.
3. Character riding a Knarloc that can lead them and/or Krootox.
4. Kroot Psyker and / or unit of Psykers. There are Kroot Psykers in the lore that focus on stealth and subterfuge, they would be a great addition to the range.
5. Split the Great Knarlocs into 3 “units” like the SM Land Speeders so that you can take 3 of each in the same list.
That’s all I’ve got to say about Kroot for now. If anyone else has any thoughts or ideas on the units or army, I’d love to hear them.
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Fixture of Dakka
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I've had a Kroot Army in cold storage for quite some time. Technically a Tau army, as it wasn't the Kroot Merc list. I had the minimal Fire Warriors, Shadowsun, and some Stealth suits. Everything else was kroot, including Angkor Prok.
I'd love to see a refinement and refreshing of the species when they finally get to them. FW added (and then lost) concepts that really made them feel like a complete army. I'd love some plastic Great Knarlocks and Knarlock riders.
A slight gripe. I'd like to have Shapers be squad sergeants again, with a different HQ version. Also, I always did kinda like the old lists where you could attach a Krootox and/or a few hounds to a Carnivore squad. It made it a nice blob squad.
As for ideas for the future? Borrow from the old Merc list. Other than that, expanded wargear, perhaps a subspecies that is slower, but bulked up a bit and melee focused.
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Winged Kroot Vulture
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 cuda1179 wrote:I've had a Kroot Army in cold storage for quite some time. Technically a Tau army, as it wasn't the Kroot Merc list. I had the minimal Fire Warriors, Shadowsun, and some Stealth suits. Everything else was kroot, including Angkor Prok.
I'd love to see a refinement and refreshing of the species when they finally get to them. FW added (and then lost) concepts that really made them feel like a complete army. I'd love some plastic Great Knarlocks and Knarlock riders.
A slight gripe. I'd like to have Shapers be squad sergeants again, with a different HQ version. Also, I always did kinda like the old lists where you could attach a Krootox and/or a few hounds to a Carnivore squad. It made it a nice blob squad.
As for ideas for the future? Borrow from the old Merc list. Other than that, expanded wargear, perhaps a subspecies that is slower, but bulked up a bit and melee focused.
While I do agree that their squads should have leaders again, lore wise the shapers would function more like (to use a SM equivalent) Captains or Lieutenants. It would be cool to have a high shaper like Angkor Prok that can do the leader free strat for a Kroot unit, having more access to the Grenades strat would be one way Kroot could punch up a little more.
Totally agree. I'd love to see a big brutish Kroot that have fed on a lot of Orks. Flying Kroot would be great too, kind of like how T'au use Vespid, but a melee version. Or another big dinosaur version, like a Kroot brachiosaur that hauls around an artillery piece on its back.
I'd also like to see some Kroot vehicles, I imagine they'd look something like the Brute Vehicles from Halo, as if they were all built in a chop shop.
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