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 Olthannon wrote:
I've never collected them but I think Kroot are my favourite 40k race. They look awesome, interesting lore, cool ideas behind their genetics.

Their home world is called Peck.

The new minis look great, I hope for some more newer units. Maybe a bizzarro vehicle or chariot.

It sounds silly, but I often thought the idea of a kroot chariot with artillery would be cool. Nothing too large, just about the size of a dreadnought laying down. Something about St.5, AP1, heavy 6, indirect fire, ignores cover. 1-3 per squad.

 cuda1179 wrote:
It sounds silly, but I often thought the idea of a kroot chariot with artillery would be cool. Nothing too large, just about the size of a dreadnought laying down. Something about St.5, AP1, heavy 6, indirect fire, ignores cover. 1-3 per squad.

Given the models we've seen - or those that have been hinted - bashing something like that together should be very possible.

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
Fun fact?

Kroot and Tau are confirmed to have been pitched as separate army ideas, before the Studio settled on what we have now.

Source for this can be found in the Link Tank over in General Discussion. Can’t remember exactly which video though, but they’re all pretty interesting.

Don't recall a video, but here's a blog post from the proverbial horse's mouth.
https://gavthorpe.co.uk/2017/06/26/the-origins-of-the-tau/

So...

I love all the stuff in the Krootbox- that Krootox in particular. He doesn't look like an animal- he looks like a respected member of the flock, whose thoughts and feelings are as important to his companions as his considerable strength.

On the hounds? I see the point of people who prefer the old sculpt... But personally, I feel like the old sculpts didn't visually communicate the "these are actually members of the same species" as well as the new sculpts do. When I look at the new hounds, I don't need the book to tell me they are the same species- I can see it in the models themselves.

As for the suggestions that Kroot use more Tau equipment, or have fewer units in order to better facilitate the alien auxiliary concept, again I see the point- it's valid. I just disagree. I think it speaks volumes about the ambiguity of the so called "Greater Good" and I think that's intentional. In 9th, it was clear that of all Tau septs, only the Da'lyth truly respected the Kroot as equals.

What I would prefer is for them to release 3 Vespid units instead of one, so that Vespid are more balanced with Kroot as an auxiliary. I say units, because it is possible for one box to supply the models for all three datasheets. So I'd be looking for a generic HQ, an elite unit and a battle line unit. And then I'd like to see them do the same for Demiurg to round out the Auxilary/ Mercenary component of the Tau army. These Demiurg would do double duty, as I'd also want the unit to be usable in a Leagues of Votann army.

I admit that all of that is unlikely... But it is how I would prefer GW to deal with disparities in the alien auxiliary concept that arise from Kroot being over-represented and equipped according to their own cultural norms, rather than those of their supposed allies, who are mostly paying them lipservice to benefit from a steady supply of cannon fodder.

We haven't seen the Carnivore sprues yet, right? I wonder if there will be Tau equipment on there as options, so you could build them according to how enmeshed with the Tau you want them to be.

The current marketing angle seems to be Kroot as an independent army.

ubik2000 wrote:

The current marketing angle seems to be Kroot as an independent army.

And yet they come packaged with a limited edition Tau Codex, one which has cropped the majority of the actual Kroot off the original artwork.


Incidentally, I was looking at the warcom article from back when the farstalker kindred was announced that I don't remember seeing before. IIRC I think they were inspired by the old Kroot mercs Codex, which had conversions that were similar to these, but I'm pretty sure the artwork is new. Hints that maybe they are working long term on a mercs dex (would guess maybe 11th/12th edition if it happens)?



https://www.warhammer-community.com/2022/08/26/birds-of-a-feather-feast-together-the-kroot-are-the-galaxys-premier-hunters/

IIRC the Green Kroot (Kroorks?) were the only option worth taking. With T3 6+ melee specialists you needed the T4 that an ork-rich diet would give you.

chaos0xomega wrote:

ubik2000 wrote:

The current marketing angle seems to be Kroot as an independent army.

And yet they come packaged with a limited edition Tau Codex, one which has cropped the majority of the actual Kroot off the original artwork.


Incidentally, I was looking at the warcom article from back when the farstalker kindred was announced that I don't remember seeing before. IIRC I think they were inspired by the old Kroot mercs Codex, which had conversions that were similar to these, but I'm pretty sure the artwork is new. Hints that maybe they are working long term on a mercs dex (would guess maybe 11th/12th edition if it happens)?

Spoiler:

https://www.warhammer-community.com/2022/08/26/birds-of-a-feather-feast-together-the-kroot-are-the-galaxys-premier-hunters/

That artwork is from the Liber Xenologis background book from a couple of years back.

Nice to see the Kroot Vulture represented in that artwork, though I am disappointed by the lack of fez.

 Kid_Kyoto wrote:
So are we getting Codex: Cannibal Chickens from Space, or are they just additions to the Tau dex.

Honestly I never liked them there, their weapons, uniforms and general look just don't mesh. I know GW is going for a colonial auxiliary look but usually the 'natives' will have some gear from the colonials.

Kroot have always looked like a whole other army concept mashed into the Tau. Which, as it happens, is exactly what happened. Same with the C'tan and the Necrons.

Technically the Kroot rifles had been upgraded with pulse rounds and there was a Shaper model with pulse rifle. Not much though.

I think Kroot are more akin to irregulars than recruited colonial troops in aesthetics. However, Kroot are also an advanced, space-faring race in their own right despite the appearance, so that does go some way to explaining how they kept more of their cultural trappings.

ubik2000 wrote:
We haven't seen the Carnivore sprues yet, right? I wonder if there will be Tau equipment on there as options, so you could build them according to how enmeshed with the Tau you want them to be.

The current marketing angle seems to be Kroot as an independent army.

Optional Tau-styled bits would be the best solution. I'm not sure that's going to happen, though.

I'd expect naked Kroot with few if any options on as small a sprue as GW can fit a squad of ten. Kind of like Chaos Cultists. While they're adding breadth to the Kroot part of the Tau army, I don't see them committing many resources to the basic infantry model for what is only an auxiliary part of the main army.

I wouldn't mind if GW proved me wrong, though.

 Kid_Kyoto wrote:
IIRC the Green Kroot (Kroorks?) were the only option worth taking. With T3 6+ melee specialists you needed the T4 that an ork-rich diet would give you.

Vultures were popular and usually all three Fast Attack choices were maxed out due to the combination of infiltrate, jump packs and an eviscerator option for the Shaper for hard hitting first turn charges.

I actually like the fact the Tau and Kroot look very different. It makes them look like independent auxiliaries which fits their lore. The Vespid were more heavily brought under the Tau wing in contrast, it makes sense their kit is more Tau.

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
Fun fact?

Kroot and Tau are confirmed to have been pitched as separate army ideas, before the Studio settled on what we have now.

Source for this can be found in the Link Tank over in General Discussion. Can’t remember exactly which video though, but they’re all pretty interesting.

I still have the WD where that's discussed somewhere around here.

Kroot Trail Shaper



https://www.warhammer-community.com/2024/02/12/slip-through-the-battlefield-and-pounce-on-your-prey-with-the-new-kroot-trail-shaper/

I thought Shapers shaped Kroot. But this guy is just a Kroot who shapes trails?

Even before the battle begins, Trail Shapers can pull a fast one over their opponents by launching a Kroot Ambush. They, the unit they join, and a whole other Kroot unit melt into the background and reappear where they’re least expected – taking advantage of the Scouts 7” rule shared by almost all Kroot to pressure vulnerable troops away from their objectives.

There was a nice little rules note in there too. Scouts 7" on "almost all Kroot".


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 lord_blackfang wrote:
I thought Shapers shaped Kroot. But this guy is just a Kroot who shapes trails?

They're seemingly breaking different spheres of responsibility out for the different Shapers.
The War Shaper(the one in the army set) is a "field commander".
The Trail Shaper is a tactician.

Also worth noting that the 'shaping' aspect of kroot society is almost entirely an off-battlefield thing. It takes too much time for the ingested flesh to manifest as physical changes. So they're focusing the rules around their battlefield roles as leaders of groups of kroot, and setting up a ranking system which previously we only had a few hints at in the fluff.

It does feel like if one doesn’t mind a bit of repitition, you could now field a pure Kroot force.

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
It does feel like if one doesn’t mind a bit of repitition, you could now field a pure Kroot force.

They just need to add Vultures, Knarloc riders and the Great Knarloc, and it will be a really fun, standalone, army.

That's a cool model, I do like the little meathook of flesh for a midfight snack.

It seems like there's still a fair few models on the way, certainly enough for a standalone army.

 Shadow Walker wrote:

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
It does feel like if one doesn’t mind a bit of repitition, you could now field a pure Kroot force.

They just need to add Vultures, Knarloc riders and the Great Knarloc, and it will be a really fun, standalone, army.

Vultures are kinda cool, but I think it is best to leave them out so Vespid can have their own niche.

 MajorWesJanson wrote:

 Shadow Walker wrote:

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
It does feel like if one doesn’t mind a bit of repitition, you could now field a pure Kroot force.

They just need to add Vultures, Knarloc riders and the Great Knarloc, and it will be a really fun, standalone, army.

Vultures are kinda cool, but I think it is best to leave them out so Vespid can have their own niche.

They both could be viable - heavily armed and armored vs lightly armed and armored, one good vs elites and one vs hordes.

 Shadow Walker wrote:

 MajorWesJanson wrote:

 Shadow Walker wrote:

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
It does feel like if one doesn’t mind a bit of repitition, you could now field a pure Kroot force.

They just need to add Vultures, Knarloc riders and the Great Knarloc, and it will be a really fun, standalone, army.

Vultures are kinda cool, but I think it is best to leave them out so Vespid can have their own niche.

They both could be viable - heavily armed and armored vs lightly armed and armored, one good vs elites and one vs hordes.

I mean, Dark Eldar have two distinctly different jump pack troops that fill different niches, and they are from the same species. Kroot vs Vespid should be easy enough to justify, especially considering the demand.

There had better be a fez in this theoretical Vulture kit, though.

 Haighus wrote:
However, Kroot are also an advanced, space-faring race in their own right despite the appearance, so that does go some way to explaining how they kept more of their cultural trappings.

That was explained in the background twenty years ago. Eating some Orks (Mekboyz) made them able to build cities and spacecraft. Then another Ork invasion hit them hard and their only successful resistance was the old guerilla tactic, until the Tau saved them. They abandoned their cities (though kept the surviving spacecraft) to live like in the old days in the woods.

 Dysartes wrote:
There had better be a fez in this theoretical Vulture kit, though.

Okay, I want in on the joke. What's with the fez fetish (what the fez?)?

 Stormonu wrote:

 Dysartes wrote:
There had better be a fez in this theoretical Vulture kit, though.

Okay, I want in on the joke. What's with the fez fetish (what the fez?)?

When they printed the original Kroot Mercenaries army list back in t'day, they'd obviously converted models to show what you could do for the new units introduced with the army list, such as the Vultures.

At the edge of one of the pictures showing the Vultures was a Kroot Vulture wearing a fez - and I still believe that Kroot to be the unit leader, regardless of what anyone else may say.

As these things go, it falls under the heading of "funny, and as far as I'm aware, completely harmless", so if they do do a Kroot Vulture kit, I'd like to see it return as an optional head.

 Dryaktylus wrote:

 Haighus wrote:
However, Kroot are also an advanced, space-faring race in their own right despite the appearance, so that does go some way to explaining how they kept more of their cultural trappings.

That was explained in the background twenty years ago. Eating some Orks (Mekboyz) made them able to build cities and spacecraft. Then another Ork invasion hit them hard and their only successful resistance was the old guerilla tactic, until the Tau saved them. They abandoned their cities (though kept the surviving spacecraft) to live like in the old days in the woods.

Was this in a novel or campaign book? I can't find any details like this in the old Army books, other than Pech was their homeworld and they used Warspheres for their mercenary gigs.

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
Kroot Trail Shaper



https://www.warhammer-community.com/2024/02/12/slip-through-the-battlefield-and-pounce-on-your-prey-with-the-new-kroot-trail-shaper/

Love the Kroot head riflestock, I appreciate the little things they're adding to the Shapers to make them more characterful without making them too flashy

Vultures break the basic rule of changing the number of limbs, unless you're going the way of the flying nids and adapting feet into weapon arms.

Save those sprues for a big weapons platform/transport Pech'zilla/Apech'asaurus and leave the Knarlocs in legends to be taken alongside the new stuff in their own niche.