Which mission should I do first in Zero Company?
The one whose window closes first among the things that cannot be replaced: a forced Critical Mission, then a record with a verified expiry fact that unlocks something, then the unique Operator content. Value payouts come after consequence.
Is there a best mission order?
No fixed one. The board is scoped to the current Cycle and changes with your choices, injuries, Intel and campaign state, so a single hard-coded order would be wrong for most saves. This page gives a read order instead.
Should I do Critical Missions immediately?
Not necessarily. The game only forces the launch when the countdown reaches 1 Cycle remaining, so while it is above that you can spend the Cycle on content that would otherwise disappear. Project what is still on the board after the next Cycle before you decide.
Can you delay story missions?
Yes, until the countdown reaches 1 Cycle remaining. At that point a Critical Mission must be launched, so delayed optional content should be finished before you let it get there.
Do Critical Missions expire?
They are not lost — they become obligatory. 13 records sit on the Main Story route, and the game's own rule says a Critical Mission at 1 Cycle remaining must be launched, which is a different failure mode from an expiring Operation: you lose the room to choose, not the content.
What happens when a Critical Mission timer reaches zero?
The rule as shipped says the launch becomes mandatory at 1 Cycle remaining. The page does not claim a beyond-zero behaviour the data does not state.
Should I do side missions before the main story?
When unique content would disappear first, yes — any of the 20 records with a verified expiry fact is a candidate. When a Critical Mission is already forced, no.
Should I prioritize Hero Missions?
All 11 Hero Missions carry expiry facts, and the ones with follow-ups gate their own sequels. That makes them high value, but not unconditionally first: a forced Critical Mission outranks them.
Can Hero Missions expire?
Yes. Every Hero Mission record carries an explicit expiry fact, and the game has a notification string for a Hero Mission expiring.
Can Companion Missions be missed?
The expiry facts are attached to the Hero Mission records, so treat any Hero Mission you have not completed as able to close. Whether a given save sees it again is a campaign-state question this page cannot read.
Do Missions advance the Cycle?
Yes. The board is scoped to the current Cycle and a Cycle begins after returning to the Den after completing a Mission, so launching the Mission is the action that moves time.
Should I do Operations before Missions?
Review them before you launch. Operations resolve in the strategic layer and cost Intel, while the Tactical Mission is what ends the Cycle — so anything you meant to spend Intel on has to be decided first.
Can Operations expire?
Yes. 20 records in the current data carry expiry evidence, and most of them are Operations tied to an Operator chain.
Can you complete every Mission?
No, and the game says so directly: every objective has a limited time frame and you will not be able to respond to every opportunity.
Can you complete every Operation?
No. Intel is the limit — the Intel Cap bounds what you gain per Cycle, so Operations are a spending decision rather than a checklist.
What should I do if two Missions expire at once?
Take the one with dependents. A record that unlocks a follow-up cannot be substituted later, while a Credit or Capacitor payout usually has other sources.
Should I choose rewards or the shortest timer?
Timer decides urgency; reward decides value, and neither decides alone. Rank by what becomes impossible after the next Cycle, then by what your run needs right now.
What happens if I skip a Mission?
You can lose the record, its follow-up chain, its payout and any Operator progression attached to it. A generic resource another record also pays is not permanently missable just because this record did.
Why can’t I find a Mission that says 1 Cycle?
“1 Cycle remaining to complete” is used for work that is finishing, such as an objective already in progress — not only for deadlines. Look at the verb: EXPIRES IN is a deadline, “remaining to complete” is a running objective.
What does “completes in 1 Cycle” mean?
It means the objective resolves on its own after a Cycle passes. There is nothing to launch and nothing to lose.
Should I heal an Operator before an expiring Mission?
If a required Operator is Injured and the record can expire, treatment competes with the window: a Bed costs the Cycle, the Bacta Tank does not but is disabled on Hard and Expert. Contact Sawtooth is an example of an Operation whose follow-up Hero Mission also carries an expiry fact.
Are Mission rewards the same as missable content?
No. This page separates the mission opportunity, which can be missable, from the reward type, which usually has other sources.