SW Zero Company: Two Companion Missions Expire Same Cycle
What happens when two companion missions hit 1 cycle left at the same time. Priority order, Coil vs companion trade-off, and what to do if you already missed one.
STAR WARS Zero Company
Companion Missions
Cycle Timer
Priority Guide
Core problem: You can only run one tactical mission per cycle. When two companion missions hit 1 cycle left at the same time, you must pick one. The other expires. Players want to know whether the companion leaves forever, whether the story or achievement is ruined, and whether they should skip a Coil/crisis mission to save both.
What Actually Happens If You Miss One
- 1The companion you skipped vanishes from the Den roster (relationships, armory, focus points, deploy list) as if they permadeathed. They did not.
- 2They typically return after the next story beat, pissed off. The missed mission is treated as resolved/skipped rather than remaining available.
- 3Achievement for "both of a crewmate's missions" is at risk if one expires. Several players assume it is lost.
- 4Crisis/Coil missions that share the same window are the usual reason you get boxed in.
1What to Do This Cycle
- 1Open the Holotable first and write down every mission with a 1-cycle timer: companion missions, crisis/Coil, and any critical story node about to become mandatory.
- 2Talk to every companion in the Den / the Pit before you pick a mission. Companion missions unlock from conversation. If one is still an Operation first, run that Operation now (Operations do not spend the cycle the way a tactical mission does).
- 3Decide the priority: If both are the second mission of two different crewmates and you care about trophies, pick the companion whose remaining story or combat kit you still need. If a Coil/crisis mission is also on 1 cycle, see the trade-off table below.
- 4Deploy the companion whose mission you chose. Bring a second operator you want bond XP with; shared missions are the main bond source.
- 5After the mission, check the Den immediately. Expect the skipped companion to be missing. Do not reload-spam assuming permadeath unless they actually had two injuries and went down.
- 6Push the next story/critical mission when it becomes available. That is when players report the missing operator returning.
2Coil vs Two Companion Missions: The Trade-Off
| Choice | Why Pick It | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Do both companion missions (skip Coil) | Saves personal arcs, roster presence, possible trophy | Coil may get a health or armor bump |
| Do Coil + one companion | Keeps Coil one-shottable, weaker late game | Other companion leaves until a later chapter; comes back angry |
| Do story-critical if about to force itself | Prevents the game from locking you into a worse window next cycle | You still lose one companion mission |
Players with strong cross-training buffs frequently say: skip the Coil and take the two companion windows when those are the last personal missions. Players who cannot one-shot Coil elites yet take the crisis.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Assuming the missing operator is dead and restarting the campaign. They return after the next story mission.
- Rushing every critical mission the moment it appears. That compresses the campaign and stacks companion timers on top of Coil pairs.
- Ignoring Den conversations. Several companion missions never appear on the Holotable until you talk to that operator.
- Treating crisis missions as mandatory. They expire in one cycle and only five of ten can be done in one playthrough; they are optional pressure, not story locks.
- Waiting to "see if both come back next cycle." The expired companion mission does not stay on the board.
If You Already Missed One
- 1Progress the next story mission. Do not sit in the Den hoping the expired node returns.
- 2Talk to whoever is left and keep bonds on your active core four.
- 3Treat the returning companion as damaged relationship. Rebuild with shared deployments and Call for Backup.