The World of Warcraft: Legion companion app couldn’t have come soon enough

I don’t miss Garrisons

One of World of Warcraft‘s most divisive features was introduced in its last expansion — Garrisons. Essentially amounting to a base management minigame, players could track down NPCs, get them to perform an essential function for their instanced camp, and lead them to victory through daily missions with timers. It was fun at first, but got old over time, especially since players were required to log in constantly to babysit it.

The Class Hall system in Legion is likely going to have longer legs. It’s more akin to a questing system from a JRPG, and it has a more direct impact on the story. It also has a great, easy to use companion app that lets you manage your base while you’re on the go.

Although I pretty much have a handle on the Broken Isles by now (the new zone), I love that the world map shows up on the app itself, and that you can actually see where your troops are going. It adds a little story to the automated endeavors, a “I’ve been there” sort of camaraderie-type feeling that helps you connect with your NPCs a bit. I won’t spoil it, but seeing some major lore characters appear as heroes for some class halls is a nice touch too.

The app also ends the issue of a guildmate falling behind on resources or rewards (especially leveling up your new artifact weapon) merely because they went on vacation. It does pretty much everything it advertises, and you can see a detailed view of each mission, which lets you judge who to send accordingly.

The only downside I can see at the moment is that it logs you out of World of Warcraft when you sign into the app. That would be fine on its own if it was related to technical limitations, but then the app notifies you that someone is already logged in, and parses a bit before it lets you try again. It shouldn’t do both, though it is ultimately a minor inconvenience, as I’ve mostly used the app before bed or while I’m out — far removed from being logged in.

I hit level 110 this week with my Demon Hunter, and I’m forging ahead with gearing up for Mythic Dungeons (available now) and the raid (out on September 20). Expect my review after I’ve played more endgame!

You can find the app here on Android and here on iOS.