The Rumour Engine - 26th September, 2023

[Joe]

 

WarCom Article.

 

Another week, another Kroot teaser.

[Quantum]

Definitely Imperial tech. Those rivet/spikes are quite like the ones you see in Skitarii armor. 

 

My guess is Adeptus Mechanicus.

[Sarges]

3 minutes ago, Joe said:

 

WarCom Article.

 

Another week, another Kroot teaser.

I, for one, welcome our new Krootox overlords.

[grailkeeper]

Votann:?

[TrawlingCleaner]

Hell yeah, more Kroot!

Sign me up! 

 

For reference to other Kroot weapons:

 

This is so similar to Kroot weapons

Edited September 26, 2023 by TrawlingCleaner

[CL_Mission]

Definitely looks like something that would be mounted on the back of a Krootox. As someone who hasn't touched Tau beyond buying a few models when they were first introduced it's probably not my place to say but I kind of hope they replace the Krootox with some kind of Knarloc. I just think it's a much better looking beast than the ape like Krootox and I'd be far more likely to get into Kroot with something like that. The recent killteam made them far more tempteing overall.

[Castellan Wulfrik]

Yeah, immediately thought Kroot. Let this be the first of our newly formed glorious Kroot revolutionary army taking over the entire Ultima Segmentum. I won't rest until we get knarlocs, greater knarlocs, knarloc riders, krootox, krootox riders, kroot hounds psychic kroot and winged kroot. Make Pech Great Again!

[Halandaar]

Krooooooot

 

[Marshal Reinhard]

And in this thread I was made aware of how very human the kroot guns look. Would have spontaneously guessed something for chaos if the thread hadn't showed me what's what

[Guest Triszin]

Kroot

R

O

O

T

[Jukkiz]

"i am kroot"


Looking like double barrel weapons are back in the menu too

[01RTB01]

If not kroot, solar auxilia?

[apologist]

There have been a few Rumour Engine pictures that have either clearly been Kroot (like the one above), or have design features in common. 

 

WarbossKurgan runs a very handy blog that collates the rumour engine images and their eventual solutions. Here are unsolved examples that I think point to kroot:

 

   

 

 

Most likely, I think:

• Above left  Zygodactyl hand, bracer has similarities to those on the Cutskin. Lacing and straps are likewise appropriately pseudoprimitive. Looks big; some sort of Krootox or modern equivalent. If not Kroot, probably for Blood Bowl, which has a slightly more modern aesthetic than AoS.
• Above, second from left  Kroot-style spines in cloak. This could easily be an AoS model, save for the triangle pendant, a detail that's prominent in the Farstalker box. I'd hazard a guess that this is either a Shaper or a new type of character. Perhaps a shaman, if those are kroot quills?
• Above, second from right  The symbols on the arrowheads are identical to those carved into the gun-butt of the Tracker. My guess is either ammunition for a Knarloc-mounted bolt-thrower. Note the angles and markings on the shaft, too, because...
• Above right  ...those angles and markings are very similar to those on this weapon/artefact. My guess is a weapon for the character in the image above, second from left. Possibly a Knarloc goad. 

 

    

 

Less likely, but perhaps related:

• Above left  This fabric cloak(?) has the primitive feel – but here I think too primitive. While you do see visible stitching (on the Coldblood's cloak, for example), it's rarely quite so patchwork. More likely to be an AoS Ghoul thing, but included here for comparison and contrast.
• Above, second from left  An outside guess here, based largely on the peculiar shape of the hand, which feels a bit 'krooty' to me. If there is a new character type, perhaps it's a psychic one. The psychic effect(?) is quite neutral-feeling to me. If not kroot, some sort of Warcry wandering monster or AoS undead, I think.
• Above, second from right  This just doesn't look like any familiar design language to me – and the Farstalkers are interesting in having hitherto unseen items and equipment like the Dvorgite Skinner and Londraxi Tribalest. It looks like a strap and carabiner on the bottom right, to me; which struck me (perhaps wishful thinking!) as a kroot 'thing'.
• Above right  Necron, right? That was what struck me. This is the least likely to be Kroot, in my opinion, but there's just something about the similarity between this and the goad/bolts earlier.

 

While I'd love to see a broader kroot release – and I think we are going to get something – I think this is going to be a fairly limited release. Were I a betting man, I'd say that the top row could all be part of a single Krootox kit. The new rumour image looks like it can't be anything but a Krootgun to me; the bolts could easily be an alternative inspired by the crossbow in the old Kroot mercenaries list; and the cloak and staffbutt could be part of the rider and alternative build.

 

A more optimistic guess is that we'll see a Krootox kit alongside a standalone Master Shaper (or whatever the modern name will be) and a Shaman or other support character.

 

I'd love to see that list supplemented by a Greater Knarloc; and a technoshaman or weaponbroker both sound like they'd add to the Kroot 'spiritual mercenary' concept, and would fit nicely with some of the more outlandish rumours shown above... but I'm straying towards wishlisting here, so will stop!

Edited September 26, 2023 by apologist

[sitnam]

Sounds like I started painting my Farstalkers at just the right time. Even if it's a limited release, new Kroot is always great. Tau are on the roadmap of upcoming codexes, and their auxiliary side has been sorely lacking for a while

[Jscarlos18]

Can you use the Kroot from Kill Team in normal 40k? Because with that and this next batch it would expand that section of the range for the T'au so isn't all just battlesuits.

 

Vespids also need to get updates, maybe add Nicassar for the psyker niche and perhaps some other auxiliary race from the lore so finally T'au can be more diverse in the tabletop.

[sitnam]

26 minutes ago, Jscarlos18 said:

Can you use the Kroot from Kill Team in normal 40k?

You indeed can. The kit builds the Farstalker squad, which bring along some heavy weapons. I think you can use the kit for normal Carnivores too, but GW still sells the classic Carnivore kit

[Guest Triszin]

[Marshal Mittens]

A bunch of new kroot would be awesome.

 

I wish we could see more kroot vehicles and such too. In the lore they have warp travel and such. 

[Indy Techwisp]

Hopefully T'au get more than just Kroot remodels this edition, but Kroot and Vespids are in dire need of Modern sculpts.
Krootox seems like a certainty now, but some of the unsolved "Kroot-like" images could be from basic Kroot Carnivores too

[irlLordy]

I would strongly suspect that the farstalker kit from KT will just become the new carnivore kit next codex. You have enough basic arms and guns in it to make up a regular squad. This looks like an update for the krootox, maybe GW will make a melee version too so Tau can at leaat have something which can countercharge.

[OttoVonAwesome]

I might have to stop :cuss:ting on GW if they bring out a real kroot merc army list again.

[Indy Techwisp]

19 minutes ago, OttoVonAwesome said:

I might have to stop :cuss:ting on GW if they bring out a real kroot merc army list again.

 

There was a (very bad) 4Chan "leak" a while back of a so-called Minor Xenos Codex, which would be pulling all the Kroot and Vespids out of T'au, updating all the models, adding in units for Zoats, Hrud and other random "minor Xenos" (including literal WHFB Skaven for some reason), and making them a stand-alone army that T'au can ally in like CSM can ally in Daemons.

 

Very obviously fake mind you, but it's become a bit of a meme to pronounce the ""leak"" to be accurate with every new Kroot Rumour Engine image.

[Orion]

12 hours ago, Marshal Reinhard said:

And in this thread I was made aware of how very human the kroot guns look. Would have spontaneously guessed something for chaos if the thread hadn't showed me what's what

Meanwhile I was made aware how people don't know what Kroot look like.

I nearly covered my screen in coffee reading "Definitely Imperial tech." as the first reply. 

 

But it's definitely a look that's unique to Kroot. Thinking about it, 40k design has done a pretty good job at having each race's weapons be unique.

Votaan is probably the exception there. For better or worse their gun's blend a bit into human tech.

[Indy Techwisp]

39 minutes ago, JayJapanB said:

Votaan is probably the exception there. For better or worse their gun's blend a bit into human tech.

 

It's either T'au tech (Ion) or Human tech (Bolters).

 

Makes sense as the Squats gave T'au Ion tech and gave Humans... Terminator Armour.
yeah, old lore is weird.

[SpaceDwalin]

4 hours ago, JayJapanB said:

Votaan is probably the exception there. For better or worse their gun's blend a bit into human tech.

For better in my opinion, isn't part of the point that Votann and Imps including thier tech have shared origins. I view Kin as a kind of humans.

Edited September 27, 2023 by SpaceDwalin