Conceal vs Engage Orders, Explained
A plain-English rules guide
Orders are the single most important tactical concept in Kill Team 2024. Every operative is always on one of two orders — Conceal or Engage — and choosing correctly is what keeps your team alive. Here's what each does.
Every operative always has an order
At all times, each operative has either a Conceal or an Engage order, shown by an order token next to the model. During setup, every operative starts on Conceal. From the second Turning Point onward, you choose the order at the start of each operative's activation.
Conceal order
An operative on Conceal order:
- Is not a valid target for shooting while it is in cover. This is the key defensive tool in the game — a concealed operative behind cover simply can't be shot.
- Cannot perform the Shoot or Charge actions. The trade-off is that it can't attack at range or launch an assault while concealed.
Conceal is how you cross open ground, hold a position under fire, and protect fragile operatives you're not ready to commit.
Engage order
An operative on Engage order:
- Can act normally, including performing the Shoot and Charge actions.
- Can counteract (act during the opponent's turn under the Counteract rule).
- Can be shot at normally — Engage removes the "can't be targeted in cover" protection.
Engage is the aggressive order: you switch to it when an operative is ready to shoot, charge, or trade fire — accepting that it becomes a target in return.
Conceal keeps you safe but passive; Engage lets you fight but exposes you. Good Kill Team play is largely about timing that switch — staying concealed until the moment you can strike decisively, then flipping to Engage.
Common questions
Yes — Conceal only blocks the Shoot and Charge actions. An operative can still Dash, Reposition, pick up markers, and perform mission actions while concealed.
No — the protection only applies while it is in cover. A concealed operative in the open can still be shot.
At the start of each of the operative's activations (from the second Turning Point). You commit to the order for that activation.
This guide explains the rules in our own words as a reference aid — always confirm the exact wording against Games Workshop's free official Kill Team rules for tournament or rules-critical play.
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