Any strategy to running missions? And 2 questions on mechanics.

[Deleted]

I am finding missions and followers a fun aspect of garrisons, but am curious about whether and which missions to run. I at a stage now where quite a few available missions offer only a modest chance of success - 51%, 65% etc - even with my best followers. (They are L95 missions and my followers are usually L90 or 91). I am reluctant to run such missions - I've done several with 88% chances and failed (yes, RNG is RNG, I know).

On the one hand running missions is good because even if they fail, followers get XP.

On the other hand, the missions seem to remain (for a while at least) if you don't run them. So you could wait a while, to give your followers a chance to level or to find recruits with good counters to the mission danger.

This raises two questions:

(1) If you run a mission, does that increase the odds of getting another mission? Does the number of available missions in your garrison have any effect on the chance of getting a new mission available? Is it like a pump, refilling as you start to get empty? Or is it blind, like loot, where holding an item has no effect on whether the same item drops again?

(2) If you don't run a mission, how long does it remain available? Are they effectively weeklies? I can't imagine they stay available forever.

Here are a few tips I am gravitating towards:

(1) Follower level is key: keep your best followers active, to level them up fast rather than share out XP among all your crew. Best being highest level, but also the epics (e.g. Fiona), rares (e.g. Ashran starter one) and especially any with a profession trait you will have a building for.

(2) Use short CDs before long CDs: go for the short missions first, so you have more XP by the time you run the more lucrative long missions. Run short missions during your play sessions; run the 8-10 hour ones over night (d'oh!).

(3) Mission level is key to difficulty: run the lower level missions first, to try to level up your followers so they have more of a shot at the higher level ones.

(4) Variety is good: having the right counter to a mission difficulty has a big effect on success, so keep a mix of abilities on your followers. If you have 2 good followers with a common counter-ability, they would be good candidates to use that item that re-rolls follower abilities.

Anyone got answers to my 2 questions? Or other tips to share?

[PepperAD]

Great post, I have all the same questions... and no answers for you unfortunately!

One tip I would add is to look at the rewards when prioritizing missions. Bonus XP, garrison resources, rare drops (I've only seen the follower talent reset), etc... are better than some of the crap I've seen like a stack of level 8 strength potions (seriously!?).

[Master Guns]

The most important thing about followers is their counters. That can be the difference between 50% and 100%.

[Alroxas]

I at a stage now where quite a few available missions offer only a modest chance of success - 51%, 65% etc - even with my best followers. (They are L95 missions and my followers are usually L90 or 91).

There's the problem right there. You are trying to run missions at lv 95 with under leveled followers. For the best success chance you need to put followers with the right counters who are at least the same lv. In some cases, the right counters might be enough to be 1 level under the mission level.

(1) If you run a mission, does that increase the odds of getting another mission? Does the number of available missions in your garrison have any effect on the chance of getting a new mission available? Is it like a pump, refilling as you start to get empty? Or is it blind, like loot, where holding an item has no effect on whether the same item drops again?

Missions seem to generate based on your actual player level. The higher your level, the more missions are available however, note that since players typically level faster than followers, you can easily get to the point where you have lv 100 missions but no lv 100 followers. The good news is that as you quest in Draenor, there are chances to get followers at higher levels (not all of them start at lv 90).

(2) If you don't run a mission, how long does it remain available? Are they effectively weeklies? I can't imagine they stay available forever.

I believe they reset daily. In the beta, I got the lv 100 follower mission that gives a seal but I didn't have enough followers at lv 100 so I didn't run it. A day later it was gone.

(1) Follower level is key: keep your best followers active, to level them up fast rather than share out XP among all your crew. Best being highest level, but also the epics (e.g. Fiona), rares (e.g. Ashran starter one) and especially any with a profession trait you will have a building for.

Multi-follower missions allow for some followers with certain traits (i.e. Advanced Training) to help boost XP gain.

Also note that quality of followers are improved after the follower reaches lv 100. Higher quality of followers have more abilities/traits.

(2) Use short CDs before long CDs: go for the short missions first, so you have more XP by the time you run the more lucrative long missions. Run short missions during your play sessions; run the 8-10 hour ones over night (d'oh!).

There's also a trait (i.e. Epic Mount) that reduces mission time by 50%. So a 8-10 hour mission can be halved. Also can be used on shorter missions as well.


In general, the Inn is a good investment because at lv 2 it allows you to recruit specific traits/abilities for followers (once a week though).

Lastly, the Dwarven Bunker/War Mill allows for upgrading the followers gear (weapon and armor) which is important for lv 100 followers.