Wiki

effect · kill_operative

Definition

  • Supported scope:COUNTRY, CHARACTER
  • Supported target:THIS, ROOT, PREV, FROM

Description

Kills an operative. This will temporarily lock the slot they occupy
Examples:
GER = {
    kill_operative = PREV  # where PREV is an operative (unit leader)
    # or
    kill_operative = {
        operative = PREV
    }
}

kill_operative = { killed_by = GER } # where the scope is an unit leader

Hands-On Notes

Hands-on notes are AI-generated and checked against the vanilla command vocabulary — treat them as a starting point, not authoritative reference. The definition above is the game's own documentation.

Hands-On Usage

kill_operative is commonly used in flavor events or decisions to execute/eliminate enemy operatives, such as permanently removing a captured operative after a successful counter-intelligence operation. Unlike capture_operative, this effect directly kills the operative and temporarily locks its slot, making it suitable for narrative moments depicting "permanent removal."

# Counter-intelligence success event: eliminate embedded operative
country_event = {
    id = counter_intel.1
    ...
    option = {
        name = counter_intel.1.a
        # scope is COUNTRY; PREV refers to the captured operative character
        kill_operative = {
            operative = PREV
            killed_by = ROOT
        }
    }
}

Synergy

  • [capture_operative](/wiki/effect/capture_operative): Capture an operative first, then decide whether to execute—these two effects form a complete "capture-then-eliminate" workflow.
  • [has_captured_operative](/wiki/trigger/has_captured_operative): Serves as a precondition to check if the country currently holds a captured operative, ensuring the kill_operative target is legally available when executed.
  • [free_operative](/wiki/effect/free_operative): Forms an opposing choice to kill_operative; players can select one or the other in an event option to decide whether to release or execute.
  • [turn_operative](/wiki/effect/turn_operative): An alternative method for handling captured operatives—attempt to turn them first, and if that fails, proceed to the elimination branch.

Common Pitfalls

  1. Target scope confusion: Within a COUNTRY scope, you must specify the operative via operative = <target> or directly kill_operative = PREV; if the target is omitted or is not an operative character, the effect silently fails without error messages, and the operative survives.
  2. Slot-locking misconception: After an operative is killed, its slot becomes temporarily locked. Newcomers often mistakenly believe the slot is lost permanently and intentionally avoid using this effect, when in reality the slot can be refilled once the lockout period expires.