T'au Empire or Kroot Combat Patrol: which should you buy?
The T'au Empire Combat Patrol is the core of the army: Games Workshop describes it as Breachers, Pathfinders and a Devilfish. Combat Patrol: Kroot suits you if the Kroot are what drew you in. You can own both, because the Kroot are part of the T'au Empire army and not a separate one.
The T'au Empire box is £86.11 (in stock); the Kroot box is £82.95 (sold out at the moment).
Kroot are part of the T'au Empire army
Games Workshop's Xenos Faction Packs of 9 June 2026 list the detachments, which are sets of army rules, for the alien armies. The Kroot Hunting Pack is one detachment of the T'au Empire, next to Kauyon and Mont'ka.
What each box holds
- Combat Patrol: T'au Empire. This box is the Sudden Dawn Cadre. It holds a team of 10 Breachers with pulse blasters, a Devilfish to carry them, a team of Pathfinders as spotters and a Commander in an Enforcer battlesuit.
- Combat Patrol: Kroot. A Farstalker Kinband of 10 Kroot and two Kroot Hounds, a Lone-spear, a mature Krootox Rider and three Krootox Rampagers. It also gives you the miniatures for a full Kill Team.
The T'au description dates from 2024 and the Kroot one from February 2026. If the box in your hands differs, trust the box.
Which box for which buyer
| You want | Buy | Because |
|---|---|---|
| Smooth armour panels and a colour scheme of your own | Combat Patrol: T'au Empire | Games Workshop says T'au can be painted in almost any armour colour if the sept markings stay the same. |
| Natural tones and a pack of skirmishers | Combat Patrol: Kroot | Kroot skin changes with what they eat, so the range of colours is wide. |
| One army that grows into both | Either first, the other second | The two boxes fit the same army. |
Starting Kroot in stages
Some of the Kroot box's units are also sold as single kits here: a Lone-spear, a Krootox Rider, Krootox Rampagers and Kroot Hounds. That lets a Kroot force grow in stages.
Common questions
Is Kroot a separate army from the T'au Empire?
Kroot are part of the T'au Empire army. The Kroot Hunting Pack is a detachment of the T'au Empire, listed beside Kauyon and Mont'ka. You still need the T'au Empire faction to play it.
Will people play with me if I go T'au?
One July 2026 thread suggests it is unlikely to be a problem. The top reply said anyone who refuses a game over your faction is not worth playing with, and another said they had never heard of that happening. Play a few Combat Patrol games and see.
Does the Kroot Combat Patrol work for Kill Team?
Games Workshop said in February 2026 that the box comes with the miniatures for a full kill team as well as a Combat Patrol.
Do T'au have to be painted white?
Games Workshop says the T'au can take almost any armour colour, as long as their sept markings stay the same. White with red markings is the colour scheme it suggests for a start.
Kroot Combat Patrol: Warhammer Community, 23 February 2026. T'au Empire Combat Patrol and painting: Warhammer Community, 23 April 2024 and 8 May 2024. Detachments: Warhammer Community Xenos Faction Packs article, 9 June 2026. Player views: Reddit, July and August 2026. Prices and stock: this shop, read live.