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A year ago I started a Kroot army.  I find the cool factor, conversion potential and the ability to infiltrate an entire army of mercenary beastmen to be a fun idea, not to mention they compliment my IW and Ork armies very well.  My dilema is hounds; my 15 hundred pt list and occassional mercenary units always include a maxed out unit of hounds, 20 kroot, 20 hounds and a shaper with evicerator.  I really don't theink the GW hound models are worth it at $7 Can per model.  I'm not at all willing to pay $140 Can for the requisite number of hounds.  My idea is to order 20 cold ones.  I know they're a bit large, but they're great models and I think they would look really good in a Kroot force.  And at  $4.25 Can per model I can get 20 at $85 which saves me a cool $55 dollars off of those bloody metal hounds.  Let me know what you think.  I haven't completely made up my mind (except that I won't buy the actual hounds), but after scouting the online store I figure that cold ones are the best choice for the cheapest price. 

Ive seen players use Kroot as kroot hounds just add some genestealers arms too them so you can tell them apart.
Also ive seen gaunts used as kroot hounds too Just cut off the heads and add Kroot heads too them and remove the weapons.
Lot cheaper then Kroot hounds and plus you get lots of extra bitz too...

I saved $40 at the time using Carnivores and Genestealers.  You can save more now by purchasing discount Carnivores and battle of McCragge Genestealers from Battle Wagon Bits.  There are two varieties of Genestealer model, one is from the BoM Boxed set (3 part model - body & 2 sets of arms) and the other is from the retail Genestealers Box (body, 4 arms, bits).

www.pbase.com/furious_one/kroot_mercenaries

Don't forget the WHFB wolves. You can get 10 for $30 and goblins with them to trade to a Fantasy O&G player or 40K player who needs gretchin.

Mentioned over in the "Chaos Wolf" thread was Heresy Miniatures' Ghostbusters-esque Charnel Hellbeasties (scroll down here. Not any cheaper, but fairly looking. Jmurph also hit on the deal that is the gobbo wolf riders. It costs the same to get 10 wolf sprues alone as it does for the regiment set. Just GS a little kroot "hair" and/or paint 'em green and viola! Kroot Hounds!

Mine are converted Gaunts. Cut the part of the body off that is for the arms, Then cut the back of the head flat and stick it to the body. Could be done alot better i know, though these were made before i knew about green stuff

http://trobarts.customer.netspace.net.au/Kroots/Hounds%201.jpg

http://trobarts.customer.netspace.net.au/Kroots/Hounds%202.jpg

aww. how cute. they look like puppies!!! I've always wanted to do an all kroot army, but prices of hounds have kept me away.

Kroot hounds became awesome with the release of the Tau: Empires Codex.  That is where they got their initiative of 5.  I have to remind everyone that if you make a Kroot Mercs army then hounds are still initiative 4 and still follow the 'release the hounds rule'.  So... the 'good' rules for Kroot hounds only follow for Tau armies, and I suspect that is why a lot of Tau players are all-of-a-sudden looking for cheap methods of adding hounds to their armies.  My suspicions have been confirmed with eBay prices of Kroot hounds, which suddenly went up 25% when the new Tau Empire codex came out.

- Oaka

Thanks for the ideas. I don't personally want to use nids parts to make my hounds. The attraction of the cold ones for me is they'd really look like they fit in a kroot army. Those deamon hounds are very cool looking, but come out at 13 Can for 2 so I could get the actual kroot hounds for a $1 more per model. The goblin wolves look great too, but at $45 per 10 thats $90 for 20 wolves. Although I play Orks I don't use gretchin so the cold ones are looking like the best bet so far.

You're being a tad harsh Oaka. Its understandable if people don't want to play in a tournie against an army that has many substitutions. I don't play in them and I am going to be buying 100+ Kroot for this army so I don't believe I'm trying to make the army the cheapest way possible. I've never really liked the Kroot Hound models and think they're a rip off.

I've been playing the game for 10+ yrs and have 7 armies. I don't mind paying for something expensive if I think it is worth it or if the model catches my eye but hounds are neither to me. My first 2 yrs in the hobby I used boxes for all my tanks and try not to judge anyone who's starting out and needs to substitute. Using an alternative model for my hounds is hardly the same thing and I'm planning on using other GW models anyway. Have you seen the cavalry mounts using cold ones, I believe there is a pic of them in the list.

I understand your passion concerning this. The reason I want to play Kroot is that they are very unique, don't forgive mistakes and provide a lot of great conversion potential. After the thousands of dollars I've put into this hobby no one is going to tell me that because its not the exact model that is supposed to be used for a certain unit I can't use it, unless of course I'm at a GW, Rogue Trader or Tourny.

Thanks all for bringing several options to my attention which hadn't occured to me.

@ WarsmithDave,

I didn't mean to single you out on this.  I only have bad intentions towards those that build army lists before they buy miniatures.  Tau lists with lots of Kroot hounds have become the power gamer way to win games.  Please don't limit yourself to the simple mathematical way of deciding which units are the best.  I play this game for fun, and so should any Kroot player.  Anyone who wants to win tournaments should stick to Space Marines, as they are mathematically the best to win tournaments.  If you decide to use lots and lots of kroot hounds, and you want to use more than an average gamer's budget would allow for kroot hounds, then you are probably using too many.  But, the best alternatives I have seen out there involve (believe it or not) regular plastic wolf bodies and bitz-ordering the dark elf war hyrdra metal heads.  Go look at the GW website at the dark elf war hydra and take a look at how close the various heads look to kroot hounds and how much cheaper they are.

- Oaka

what about dark eldar warp beasts $8.00 for a blister of 2 from GW & probably even cheaper on an ebay deal or leftovers discounted at a local store due to lack of demand ?