Kroot Carnivore Squads: Are they still viable in the 6th Edition Tau Codex?

"They are fierce indeed these Kroot, and savage. I look upon them and tremble at their ferocity. I can only hope that when the enemy sees them they tremble as I do."

— Por'Vre'Tau'Cho - Water Caste Envoy to Sy'l'Kell prior to the ambush of the 17th Brimlock Dragons

                 Let’s start by examining how the Kroot have changed in the Tau Empire 6^th Edition Codex. They begin with dropping the Kroot cost of 1 point per model, and followed through with taking away Strength 4 and 1 Attack.  The recent Codex has also granted the Kroot a 6+ armour save without having to pay for the ridiculously expensive Kroot Shaper, and thankfully they gave the Kroot Rifle AP 5 in close combat.

                Their abilities of Stealth and Move Through Cover maintain the theme that these troops are the scouts and skirmishers of your army, and as such their role hasn’t entirely changed in your Cadre. You can multiply the effectiveness of this role for +1 point per model with Sniper Rounds, giving them the Sniper and Rending special rules which will force your opponent’s vehicles, characters, monstrous creatures, and other heavy targets to respect their distance (or risk getting wounded on a 4+).

                The Acute Sense in Kroot Hounds will make their Outflank role viable with more reliable tactical precision and it’s strongly recommended that any army planning on using Outflank take at least one Kroot Hound.

                While the Krootox has lost a wound, it now has a 6 Toughness, meaning that it can soak some fire and likely be around to return it. The 48” Strength 7 AP 4 Kroot Gun allows them to move and shoot at 48” or double the volley at an impressive 24” (which ironically is the same range as the rest of your Kroot). It is also important to note that taking the Krootox no longer prevents your Kroot from using the Infiltrate special rule. With a Krootox or two in your Carnivore Squad they can effectively counter your competition’s lightly armoured vehicles.

                You’ll read a lot on the Internet whether or not the Kroot Carnivore Squads are worth it, especially now that 6th Edition allows for you to take Allied Armies such as Orks to fill their role. In my personal opinion, however, the Kroot have only gotten better in 6th Edition.

Tau Empire 6th Edition Codex: First-Thoughts and Must-Haves

It has been over two months since the Tau Empire Codex for 6^th Edition was released, and I've been able to play approximately four games with the new rules. The following post will illustrate some of the strengths I have noticed with the Tau Empire's new Codex.

1) Disruption Pods - With the Jink special rule for Skimmers our vehicles are capable of a 4+ Cover Save with this support system. This is almost a must in 6^th Edition where glancing hits are the primary reason most vehicles are destroyed.

2) XV104 Riptide Battlesuit - You shouldn't leave home without this model. While it is a pricey addition to your Cadre in both points and monetary value, the Nova Reactor with an Ion Accelerator will make short work of a majority of the heavy infantry that can be deployed against you, as well as provide sufficient support to your XV88 Broadsides in establishing heavy weapon superiority. Throw Interceptor and Skyfire on the XV104 and you have a decent counter for units utilizing the Deepstriking and Flier special rules.

3) Twin-Linking and Dual Weapons - The 6^th Edition Tau Empire Codex removed the requirement that dual weapons automatically become twin-linked, this means you can now equip and fire the same gun twice independently rather than rerolling failed hits on a single gun. The best part is for an additional 5 points per weapon you can make your favorite reaper twin-linked! This provides a multitude of configurations and options for our XV8 Crisis Battlesuit Teams, as well as allowing the XV8 Crisis Battlesuit Commander to be deployed with dual twin-linking weapons that can be fired in the same turn.

4) Drones - While we still can use Drones for ablative wounds, we must be more cautious in the positioning of these models relative to the unit we are going to receive fire from. 6^th Edition clearly states that the closest models must be removed when receiving casualties, so make certain to place the Drones between you and the enemy and beware of Deepstriking units.

5) Fusion Blaster - The Tau Empire now has the best melta weapon in the game due to it offering an additional 6" over the competition in terms of range. This means while most armies are gaining their melta bonus within 6" of enemy models, the Tau Empire are making use of it within 9".

6) Pulse Rifles - Our Fire Warriors are now even more lethal, while most armies must close to 12" in order to make use of Rapid Fire, our Pulse Rifle equipped Fire Warrior Teams are capable of unleashing double their volley at only 15" due to its impressive 30" range!

7) Snap Fire - In 6^th Edition the Fire Warrior Team's best friend is Snap Fire. As the enemy closes you should give up ground in order to stay out of their assault range. The best way I've used this is when deploying multiple Fire Warrior Teams. Let your back firing line fire at full Ballistic Skill while allowing your front line to fall back using Snap Fire.

I hope these musings provide better insight on how you play your 6^th Edition Tau Empire. Do you have something to add? Is there something that I’ve overlooked? Your comments, as always, are welcomed and appreciated.

For the Greater Good!