Editing Warhammer 40,000/9th Edition Tactics/Tau (section)

===Auxiliaries===
It would read {{W40kKeyword|kroot}} if it weren't for those meddling Vespids. This is where Gue'Vesa would go in...[[Meme|''if you had any'']]
====HQ====

* '''[[Shaper|Kroot Shaper]]:''' Has a Shaper Kroot Rifle -  a storm bolter with a point of AP, but at BS4+ (re-rolling 1s) - that can be swapped for a Pulse Rifle for less shooting at more range (never do this). The Ritual blade gives you S+1(5) AP-1 with your stellar WS2+ (still re-rolling 1s), though with three attacks it's unlikely to kill much. You can swap it for a Kroot Pistol (an AP-1 Pulse Pistol) ''and'' a once-per-game Grenade Belt: 6” Grenade 2d6 S5 AP-1 D1, blast, one use only. The reason you take one is for support: Friendly {{W40kKeyword|KROOT}} units within 6” can use this model’s Ld value of 8 and can re-roll 1s to hit (meaning the Shaper buffs himself, a rarity in 9E).  The Shaper also has the Kroot-standard Ambushing Predators for a scout move and the Carnivore/Kroot Hound standard +1 to Light Cover, granting a 4+ in Light Cover. Can be taken slotlessly if you take a Carnivore unit to support, but at 25 points, needs to support roughly 150 points' worth of Kroot to be worth it (minus the value of the Shaper's gun); if you're supporting Carnivores, that works out to about 24 of them with a Pulse Rifle or 23 with a Shaper Rifle.  It's harder to compare the Shaper Rifle directly to a Kroot Gun, but 6 Krootox Riders are also enough to immediately get your points back.
====Troops====
* '''[[Kroot]] [[Kroot_Kindreds#Carnivore_Kindred|Carnivores]]<sup>{{W40Kkeyword|kroot}}</sup>''': Significantly (25%) cheaper and more fragile (Sv6+, 4+ in light cover, which against AP0 means they die 67% faster in the open and 50% faster in light cover) bubble wrap than Fire Warriors, their 7" movement and initial scout might allow them to be more usefully positioned to protect our broadsides. Only slightly good close combat and terrible at shooting (their guns are just bolters, so relative to Pulse Rifles -12", -1S, +1AP, i.e. ''garbage''), they need to be fielded in bigger numbers to be effective, like Ork Boyz but wimpier. With Ambushing Predators, they can counter-counter your Tau getting charged while they hide out of sight. Take one to defend the rear and take Krootox Riders for genuine melee.
**The problem with leaning too hard into supporting them is that their baseline is so bad - all of the Kroot support abilities you have work a lot better with Krootox Riders than Carnivores.
**The Carnivores are a lot more important for efficiency as they allow you to also take in a pack of Kroot Hounds, Krootox and Shaper all without taking up the appropriate slots. Since they don't benefit from the benefits provided from the rest of the Tau unless you're running Dal'yth, this lets you focus all of your benefits without blocking out slots for the rest of the army.
***[[Meme|Enough of that shit, here comes Arks of Omens!]] Price went up +2 points because someone at GW hates birds. Now Kroot hounds are the better choice in most lists.

====Elites====
*'''[[Krootox|Krootox Riders]]<sup>{{W40kKeyword|Kroot}}</sup>''': A relatively cheap unit, they have become cheap Space Marine bikers, a fast unit with relatively strong shooting and melee, and able to quickly advance at the defect of not doing anything else that turn. They each have a pseudo-Autocannon (BS4+ 48" Heavy 2 S7 AP-1 D2) with powerful WS3+ A4 S6 AP-2 D2 gorilla-bird punches.  With current costs, their ranged output is strictly worse than triple-missile Crisis, which works out to 75 points per gun for either unit but the Crisis have -1AP relative to the Kroot.  As soon as you introduce melee the Kroot will pull ahead, and of course the two units have wildly different support options - Krootox have very cheap and easy access to re-rolling 1s to hit with a Shaper and an Ethereal can grant them +1 to wound, while the Crisis have access to drones and markerlights and significantly better stratagems.
*'''Kroot Farstalkers<sup>{{W40kKeyword|Kroot}}</sup>''': The guys from Kill Team: Into the Dark. Alongside all the benefits given to basic Kroot, these guys also get to mark one enemy unit as their prey, letting the squad re-roll to hit them on top of benefitting from a Shaman. If you also buy a Pech'ra bird, you can also make enemies unable to use cover, which means a lot. While just as strong as basic Kroot in a fist fight, the Farstalkers prefer to be further away because they can trade off their rifles for guns and...hoo boy, they have a LOT of guns to pick from...
**Kroot Scatterguns are essentially shorter-ranged rifles with Assault 2, making them a bit better in close-quarters. The Kroot Hunting Rifle provides you a genuine sniper rifle that goes very well with the Pech'ra. The Accelerator Bow gives you a high-powered weapon with S6 AP-2 that can re-roll to wound. The Dvorgite Skinner and Londaxi Tribalest provide you with heavy weapons, with the former being an S4 AP-1 flamer and the latter being a Heavy 3 gun with S7 AP-1 that deals 3 damage to all vehicles.

====Fast====
* '''[[Kroot_Hound|Kroot Hounds]]<sup>{{W40kKeyword|Kroot}}</sup>''': Cheap bubblewrap at 6 points each (minimum 24 per unit) for more valuable units. They have M12 A3 WS3+ S3 AP-1 D1 for melee as well as re-rolling charges (and advances, if you're trying to reach the enemy quickly, but they can't charge after advancing), as well as the Kroot-wide Scout move and the Carnivore ability to improve Light Cover by +1 for a whopping 4+ save in cover. Try to stick to MSU if you can, to circumvent their low Ld of 5. You can also use them to squeak an extra Commander in or to cover the Fast Attack portion of a brigade.
* '''[[Lesser Knarloc]] Riders<sup>{{W40kKeyword|Kroot}},Legends</sup>''': FW legends finally gave their {{W40kKeyword|CAVALRY}} points. They're PL4, 90pts for a unit of three. Basically, 3-6 Kroot rifle-wielding hooligans lumbering about on a low, fat, beaky K-Rex each. Knarloc Riders fill an odd niche where they've got a similar stat-line to Krootox Riders (inc. a flat +6" Adv move); two less Strength & one less Toughness, but with a 4+ save and more melee attacks so are kind-of focused towards assaulting infantry. The Knarloc itself, like all 9th edition Cavalry, gets to have a go at the target at pulse weapon strength with -2AP and 2D, after the rider's had his one standard Carnivore swing. Thunderous Pounce gives the Knarloc Riders +1 Str and A on the charge, giving them two S5 rifle swings and and two S6 knarloc bites. A minimum unit of 3 will rapid-fire 6 shots then hit with 8 attacks on average (3-6 at S4/5 & 4 at S5/6 -2AP) so they're not amazing at killing much but should take a big chunk out of an equal-value unit of Gaunts or other T3 crappy-save death-fodder before getting hit back. Three of these vs 12 Hormagaunts (60pts) will kill off 7 standard Gaunts with rapid-fire and then on the charge, taking a wound back on average. Vs GEq that's 5.8 Guardsmen and for MEq it's 2.5 dead Marines. Double that up for a full unit of six Knarlocs and you end up with 14 dead Gaunts (obviously), a wiped unit of 10 Guardsmen or one dead Marine combat squad, on average. On terrain-heavy tables they may be useful but you've still gotta get them onto target first so...rare models, questionable value. Plenty of character for rounding out a Kroot fanatic's list but beyond that...?
* '''[[Vespid|Vespid Stingwings]]<sup>{{W40kKeyword|Vespid}}</sup>''': They're cheap at 12ppm and they chug out a fair volume of 18" Assault 2  S5 AP-2 D2 now because fucking Space Marines, and they move like greased lightning - M14 and '''Fly''' is nearly as fast as a Piranha, plus they have standard Deep Strike. Point for point they can ruin heavy infantry, get in close for the kill with excellent mobility, all the while staying at a comfortable 18"range. These are phenomenal flankers/harassers. Unfortunately, these crazy bugs will become Ld5 if the Ld8 strain leader is slain, so don't be stupid. Use them to take care of the random supporting units or anything that tries to buff your enemy. They also have A1 WS4+ S4 AP-1 D1 melee (with A2 on the Strain Leader), in case you're desperate for some reason.
** Unfortunately, at T4 W1 Sv4+, these are going to die very easily. Get them cover or have something more threatening on the board for your enemy to worry about.
**Consider Dal'yth so they can benefit from those Markerlights. 10 S5 shots at 3+ with D2 will toast most stuff in game.
**Relatively excellent at completing mobility-centric objectives.  A unit of 4 Shield Drones is much tougher per point, but isn't just slower, it isn't {{W40Kkeyword|infantry}} and hence can't complete potentially important actions like Retrieve Nachmund Data.
====Heavy support====
*'''[[Great_Knarloc|Great Knarloc]]<sup>{{W40kKeyword|Kroot}},Forge World,Legends</sup>''': GMO space chickens taken to the extreme. These big melee brutes can equip a bolt thrower (Assault 6  S6 AP-1 D1) with obligatory kroot rifle, a twin kroot gun (Rapid fire 2 S7 AP-1 Dd3), or baggage harness (Kroot within 6" get exploding 6s to hit at range). Has turbo boost and can inflict MW on a single unit it charged, dealing D3 on a 4-5, or a flat 3 on 6. For melee, with 4 S7 swings hitting on 3+, you're dealing a whopping AP-4 at 3 damage each. Pair this with a Shaper (made a warlord with A Ghost Walks Among Us, so he can keep up with Rexy here) and you'll be ripping space marines in half. If you're doing a fun Kroot list, Great Knarlocs should absolutely be an auto-include.
**Because all of the K-Rex's wargear are 0 points, having one with the baggage harness, coupled with a Shaper for re-rolls, babysitting a few gangs of Krootoxes could make a surprisingly brutal gunline. However, we then remember that Kroot aren't very good at shooting, so the effectiveness of this is up for debate.
** Alternatively, at only 65 points (wargear included), T6, 9W, and 4+ save, a Great Knarloc is only slightly less defensive than units like Carnifexes and Deff Dreads, all while being consistently cheaper. Slap a bolt thrower on it so it can keep some shooting up, and with the auto-advance and mortal wounds, it can make a fairly decent bullet-sponge/battering ram.