Seventh OH perk: +1 Champion or Frostreaver troops?

[PragmaticGamer]

Just came back about 2 weeks ago (left 3 months into the expansion, so big-ish gap). Thankfully, the two catch-up mechanisms for AK (which were great, but wow, they drained my piddling OH resources) are done. Now I have to choose the 7th OH perk.

I've got eight out of nine champions (still have to pick up the lich, plan on doing it this weekend). I'm allowed to have 6 champions at once (one out with me as my "give me OH resources & gold" combat ally (Koltira; a +100 OH resources/WQ and a +15 gold/WQ equipped)). They're all at 850 (I'm afraid to push past there without enough equipment to raise two or three of them to 900, in case the "oh, you have iLvl 855? okay, we'll fill up your mission table with 875 missions" happens), and I've only got one blue (+30% to mission completion) and purple (the above +100 to OH resources from WQ) champion equipment. Two of my champions aren't even out of blue territory (i.e., only one gear slot open), and the lich will have none open when I get him.

So...

I'm talking myself into getting the extra troop (at least until my champions are decent). But should I focus on an extra champion, instead?

[Tojara]

DK followers are actually good, I'd always run the extra champion. Go grab meatball, he's really easy to get and doing couple dozen world quests to get him to rare is well worth the time investment.

I'd never have Koltira as a bodyguard bitch though. His -20% mission reduction is amazing for elite strike missions. Throw a carrot or a saddle on him and he reduces the 3 day duration to 2 days, which allows you to comfortably get two AP missions or two supply cache missions per command center.

[PragmaticGamer]

For now, Koltira is my combat ally simply because I put my epic/purple +100 OHR/WQ gear on him. I've only picked up that epic and (just this last week) a rare/blue (a bonus on missions lasting longer than 8 hours). If I had better than uncommons/greens, I'd be more inclined to put Koltira back on missions. But I've got 25k of OH research and 12k of sending out AK 40 notes to my alts to get through first. :-)

Plus, at 850, my champions barely made any dent when I experimented with the Elite Strike missions. My troops (and the one Abomination I had) made a much bigger difference. Still not enough to actually do it (I think I got up to +40%), but until my champions are leveled/geared...

[Bakis]

+1 follower.
Koltira is ok as combat ally once the others gets geared. I got no issues running all Elite missions on 100% with her still out as follower.

[PragmaticGamer]

Is there any recommendations for best champion roster? I've got the +1 champions and am about 1/3 of the way through getting Meatball.

I found one small guide, without explanations. Based on how the mage players reacted to the mage recommendations, I'm not sure I trust it.

[Marrilaife]

Tbh, I would be really really sad to waste Koltira on a combat ally slot. Unless you don't care about command center missions, but I do. They ALWAYS roll with minions (req. death and decay) sometimes with double of that. DKs have only 2 champions with d&d thoras and koltira, contrary to other classes which usually have 3 minion counters. Having elite strike spawn with double slow 12 days baseline duration sucks monkey balls. Having only 1 d&d champion and locking him to elite strike missions and then spawning 2 worthwhile "cursed" missions that require d&d to remove curse (happened to me this cycle of command center) will just bite you if you have only 1 d&d-er.

Generally the idea is to have 2 of each spec, 2 of each counter and then combat ally, can swap one of these for meatball.

Personally my setup is: Koltira, Minerva, Thoras, Thassarian, Morgraine, Nazgrim for missions, Rottgut for combat ally because I don't need 3rd blood champion, could swap some stuff around if you like (for example use Minerva / Thassarian as a combat ally and use Amal'thazad as a mission champion etc.), use Meatball instead of weakest link (for me that would probably be Nazgrim), every champion can be used but I really dislike Whitemane (no counter and troop revive in second slot? at least on my Mage Aethas has no counter but his passive is a powerhouse allowing me to 200% missions I otherwise can't), and I don't like Amalthazad either because my usual setup is 2 champs + troop per mission so the perks "15% when alone" rarely apply.

But that depends on your playstyle.

If you don't have Meatball and locked Koltira to a combat ally setup (gold / OR equips) I'd probably go for frostreavers and every time one rolls with d&d don't deplete him just save for command center missions, you might need it. Unless you don't care about these, but damn the 500 supplies is juicy (this week that legendaries turned 970 I dumped all my supplies - coming mostly from missions, 1k stockpiled and 500 from pending command center mission - and so far 5 out of 6 of my alts got a legendary out of it, it's a really powerful mission reward).

[PragmaticGamer]

I just picked up epic +15% to all missions. I'm planning on swapping out Koltira's uncommon +15 gold/WQ. As more gear rolls in, I'll transition them back to missions. Maybe take Minerva, as annoying as she is, out as a combat ally to power level her.

Edit, same with Meatball and my other combat allies.

Edit #2: I've done the second quest for Meatball and got completion and turn in, for 5 brawl matches. As of 2 hours ago (roughly 12 hours after turning in quest), still no dwarf beard mission.

Do I go back and fight Oso the bear to kickstart the mission? Fight through Brawls until I'm halfway through tier 2? Don't know what has changed since the comments from January that I've read.

[Ashaeron]

I actually run Rottgut as my combat ally, stacked up with +gold/ap gear.

Definitely on the side of +Champion. 2 Champs & Ebon Ravager pretty much guarantees 200% for everything for me.

[PragmaticGamer]

How useful is Meatball as a split bodyguard/missions? I've got the Pouch of Wonders (50 gold per WQ and 20% chance of AP per WQ). If I get another rare or epic + OR piece, I'd fill the third slot with a bonus to missions.

Everyone knows the Command Center buff is legendaries for champions this cycle?