The T’au Empire may be known for its advanced technology and predilection for ranged combat, but there exists a second side to the coin – their auxiliaries. These alien allies are called upon to fill gaps in a T’au battle plan and lend their strength to the Greater Good, and none are more prominent than the Kroot.
These proud aliens have been part of the T’au Empire since the first Codex launched in 2001, and they’re now receiving the reinforcements they so richly deserve.
Thanks to last year’s roadmap, we already know Codex: T’au Empire is on its way soon, and it will be available first in the awesome Kroot Hunting Pack army set. The book comes with a fancy full-art cover fit for an Ethereal, but the real stars are the new Kroot miniatures, and wow… there are more than a few.
Kroot kindreds are guided in battle by wise gene-shamans known as Shapers, and now they have a wider array of these specialised leaders to choose from – starting with the two in the Kroot Hunting Pack.
Up first is the War Shaper, a seasoned battlefield commander who takes responsibility for the disposition of all Kroot forces in the field.
War Shapers are exemplary warriors in their own right. Their traditional equipment may look primitive, but it’s extremely effective in such experienced hands – whether the twirling melee prowess of the bladestave and prey-hook, or pinpoint ranged power of the dart-bow and tri-blade.
They are accompanied by the vicious Flesh Shaper – masters of ritual butchery who take a strong personal pride in guiding the carnivorous practices of their fellow Kroot and ensuring only the finest genetic material makes it into their pack’s evolutionary heritage.
The bulk of a Kroot force is composed of warriors known as Kroot Carnivores, whose rustic equipment and savage countenance bely fearsome skill in combat and a respectable level of marksmanship. They’re the backbone of any Hunting Pack, which is why you get a whole 20 of them in the box.
The new kit is packed with character and gives the Carnivores several dynamic poses befitting their natural agility, while echoing the classic style. They also have a new trick in the form of a tanglebomb launcher, whose powerful salvoes add explosive fire support to their Kroot rifle volleys.
Speaking of fire support, the iconic Kroot weapons platform returns with the glow-up of the century. The Krootox is a hulking beast, a subspecies whose raw strength makes for excellent gun-toting cavalry that can carry repeater cannons and tanglecannons into the thick of the fighting without compromising on mobility.
These creatures – a divergent strain of the same genetic base as regular Kroot – are treated as valued partners, and the new model is covered in ornaments, fetishes, and bangles to show off their status.
Krootox are not normally aggressive by nature, despite their brawn – but a juvenile Krootox is more hot-tempered, and can be roused to battle by a particularly wild rider. Herded into thundering packs of Krootox Rampagers, their raw strength is fully exploited for sudden ambushes and devastating charges, acting as linebreakers and skirmish cavalry that range ahead of the wider Hunting Pack.
Their riders pitch in by hurling javelins and swinging wicked hunting blades, giving each Rampager a total of seven attacks in close combat. With up to six in each unit, they’re a big pile of melee power to be charging around the battlefield.
The Kroot are so back, in fact, that they even have their own dedicated Detachment in the new Codex: T’au Empire. The Kroot Hunting Pack allows you to deploy an all-Kroot force, replete with thematic Enhancements and Stratagems. The galaxy won’t know what ate ‘em.
These aren’t even the only new Kroot units coming… but you’ll have to wait to see what else is in store. Didn’t one of the silhouettes in our sneak peek at 2024 have a very Kroot-like shape?
In the meantime, head back to our revels hub to see what else we’ve shown off today, from shadowy Drukhari ambushers to graceful aelven warriors out of the riverlands of Hysh.