The echoing depths of the Gallowdark are home to horrors without name or number, from ephemeral monstrosities dredged out of the warp to forgotten synth-species that still scavenge its cavernous hulls. For the stalwart Breacher teams of the Imperial Navy, these creatures are the stuff of shipyard rumour and feverish nightmare – a monstrous threat to be met with shotgun and shield.
To the Kroot, they’re lunch.
An avian species hailing from the world of Pech, the Kroot are known across the galaxy as mercenaries without peer and carnivores without qualm. Many reside within the T’au Empire, and Kroot often join Hunter Cadres on the battlefield as skirmishers – but independent communities of Kroot can be found across the galaxy, settled on distant border-planets and wandering Warspheres.*
These groups – known as kindreds – vary widely in mien, because the Kroot really are what they eat. Equipped with acute sensory quills, powerful twitch-muscles, and stomachs capable of digesting anything short of adamantium, the Kroot can hunt down almost anything in the galaxy – and upon devouring their prey, they naturally adapt its qualities into their own biology.
As such, the Kroot are a testament to the importance of a varied diet. sampling it themselves along the way to change and adapt to the task at hand. And according to the Liber Xenologis, an individual Kroot may even be able change its own morphology if it eats enough of the right thing…
The Farstalker Kinbands actively seek out foreign prey in order to consume it and bring beneficial new genetic material back home. In fact, they share it with their kindreds in the same way – by being eaten themselves at the end of their long sojourn.
Judging this balance is the task of the Shapers. Part shaman, part dietician, these respected Kroot guide their kindreds on migratory hunts across the galaxy, ensuring they steer clear of evolutionary dead-ends, pursue the appropriate prey for their genetic philosophy, and respect the five second rule.
The first Kroot models arrived back in 2001, as part of the original T’au range – savage-looking scouts to complement the sleek soldiers of this new faction – but the Kroot first appeared even earlier than that, tucked away in the core rules for Warhammer 40,000’s third edition. The Imperial sketch artist didn’t get them quite right – but the essentials are definitely there.***
The Kroot have spent the years since their arrival sneaking throughout the setting, from Warspheres taking the tabletop in Battlefleet Gothic, to the arrival of Dahyak Grekh in Blackstone Fortress – at one point they even had their own trap-laden army list in White Dwarf!
It’s well-past time they bounded back into the spotlight – fortunately, the Farstalker Kinband are festooned with options to help them do just that, including striking specialists, updated Kroot Hounds, and new heavy weapons acquired from alien employers. You’ll also find loads of cosmetics – like a bevy of grisly snacks, perfect for keeping up your strength in the depths of the Gallowdark…
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* Vast, nomadic city-ships that can support a population of thousands. The Kroot put on a good show of being ‘primitive’, but they’re really not.
** Eagle-eyed alien-spotters will note other species who’ve also hit the tabletop – like the Dreaded Ambull, the Clawed Fiend, and some skeletal fellow who probably isn’t important. Wonder who’s next?