Posted this up on ATT ealier.
They were running predator last night, whcih I've always loved. Started some gears rolling in my head that the kroot spines look a lot like the predator hair/dreds. Kroot aren't quite techie enough to be predators but that prompted a thought. What if Kroot ended up eating/shaping from Tau bodies and taking on some of the higher intelligence and ability to use high tech weaponry?
With that I built a "Krootau" auxillary model.
Here's the WIP pics, (still needs greenstuff work and clean up)
Early on when the Tau were first adopting the Kroot into their empire a ship hosting a Tau and Kroot diplomatic session was lost within a sudden warp storm. Heavily damaged by the storm supplies were running low and kroot instinct eventually overrode social graces...
The ship was thought lost by it's host colony but there were survivors. Fearing retribution they hid away from the eyes of the Tau empire clinging to remote systems using their skills and technology to survive as pirates and mercenaries.
The Krootau are sligtly smaller in stature than their more feral Kroot brothers, but through shaping they have gained much of the Tau intellect and aptitude with technology while retaining a much stronger and robust body from their Kroot heritage. They are capable close combat fighters but are also skilled hunters now capable of using and replicating many elements of Tau technology.
The idea is to make them for=I=munda gangs, or options for the kroot mercs list.
Still in teh rough phase of modelling and nee greenstuff but I was fairly happy with the base idea.