What is Sabotage?
Sabotage (also called "internal conflict" or "team dysfunction") is a hidden game mechanic where heroes actively undermine each other during missions if they have:
- Negative relationships (they dislike each other)
- Conflicting personalities or quirks
- Clashing work styles
- Competing priorities
💡Why Players Miss This
The game does NOT explicitly warn you about sabotage before sending heroes. You'll only discover the conflict after the mission fails, often costing you valuable resources and story progress. This is by design - Dispatch is about managing dysfunctional teams.
Real Example from Gameplay
A player sends Sonar and Coupe on a rescue mission. Both have high mobility stats (85+ speed), so it looks perfect on paper.
Result: Mission fails with 20% success rate.
Why: Sonar and Coupe have a -30% relationship penalty. They spent the mission arguing about tactics instead of rescuing the hostage.
✅ Sending just Sonar alone would have resulted in 75% success rate.
How Sabotage Works (The Math)
Mission success is calculated using this formula (simplified):
Success Rate = Base Rate
+ (Hero Skills Match)
+ (Ability Bonuses)
- (Relationship Penalties) ← SABOTAGE
- (Flaw Penalties)
± (Team Size Modifier)
Relationship Penalty Scale
| Relationship Value | Effect | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| +0.2 to +1.0 | Positive synergy | +10% to +30% success boost |
| 0.0 | Neutral | No effect |
| -0.1 to -0.2 | Minor tension | -5% to -10% penalty |
| -0.3 to -0.5 | Strong dislike (SABOTAGE) | -15% to -25% penalty |
| -0.6 to -1.0 | Open hostility (CRITICAL) | -30% to -50% penalty |
⚡ Key Insight:
A -0.3 relationship penalty can completely negate the benefit of having high stats. Two heroes with 90 combat might perform worse than one hero with 60 combat due to sabotage.
How to Detect Sabotage Risk
Method 1: Check the Hero Database
Each hero's page shows their Relationships section listing:
- ✅ Positive relationships (good synergy - deploy together)
- ⚠️ Neutral relationships (no bonus/penalty - safe to deploy)
- ❌ Negative relationships (SABOTAGE RISK - avoid deploying together)
📖 Example: Sonar's Relationships
- ✅Invisigal: +0.25 (Excellent teamwork - both value stealth)
- ⚠️Punchup: 0.0 (Professional but distant)
- ❌Coupe: -0.30 (SABOTAGE RISK - competing for leadership)
Method 2: Use the Mission Simulator
Our Mission Success Calculator automatically detects sabotage risks:
- Select your mission
- Choose 2+ heroes
- Click "Run Simulation"
- Look for red warning indicators about team conflicts
💡 Pro Tip: The simulator will suggest alternative hero combinations to avoid sabotage while maintaining high success rates.
5 Proven Strategies to Avoid Sabotage
1. Deploy Heroes Solo When Possible
When to use: Early game, low-risk missions, or when you have one hero with 80+ in the required stat.
Why it works: Zero relationship penalties. A solo hero with 70 combat often outperforms two heroes with 90 combat who hate each other.
✅ Best for: "Bank Robbery", "Tech Support", "Surveillance" missions
2. Check Relationships BEFORE Deploying
When to use: Every time you deploy 2+ heroes.
How to do it:
- Visit each hero's page in the Hero Database
- Scroll to "Relationships" section
- Verify all team members have neutral (0.0) or positive (+0.1 or higher) relationships
✅ Best for: High-stakes missions where failure is not an option
3. Build "Safe" Team Compositions
When to use: When you need multiple heroes but want to minimize risk.
Known safe pairs:
- ✅ Sonar + Invisigal (+0.25 synergy)
- ✅ Punchup + Golem (+0.15 synergy - both are tanks)
- ✅ Flambe + Malevola (0.0 neutral - no conflict)
✅ Best for: "High-risk Rescue", "Multi-target Missions"
4. Improve Relationships Over Time
When to use: Long-term strategy for unlocking powerful team combinations.
How relationships improve:
- 🎭 Choose dialogue options that resolve conflicts (Episode events)
- 🏆 Complete successful missions together (+0.05 per success)
- ☕ Use "Coffee Break" events to facilitate team bonding
- 🎁 Give heroes gifts they appreciate (unlocks after Episode 3)
⚠️ Note: Relationships can also worsen if you consistently send heroes on failed missions together.
5. Use the "Third Wheel" Strategy
When to use: When you must deploy two heroes who dislike each other.
How it works: Add a third hero who has positive relationships with BOTH conflicting heroes. This hero acts as a "mediator" and reduces the sabotage penalty by 50%.
Example: Sonar (-0.3) + Coupe = High sabotage risk
Solution: Sonar + Invisigal (mediator) + Coupe = Reduced penalty
✅ Best for: Critical missions where you need specific abilities from conflicting heroes
Common Sabotage Mistakes
❌ Mistake #1: "More Heroes = Better Success"
Why it fails: Each additional hero adds relationship complexity. The formula calculates penalties for EVERY negative relationship pair.
✅ Better: Deploy the minimum number of heroes with optimal stats
❌ Mistake #2: Ignoring Story Dialogue
Why it fails: The game tells you about conflicts in dialogue scenes. If Hero A says "I can't stand working with Hero B," that's a sabotage warning.
✅ Better: Pay attention to office interactions and adjust teams accordingly
❌ Mistake #3: Never Checking the Hero Database
Why it fails: You're flying blind. The game doesn't show relationship values in the mission deployment screen.
✅ Better: Bookmark the Hero Database and check before every multi-hero mission
Advanced: Exploiting Positive Synergy
Once you understand sabotage, you can flip it to your advantage. Heroes with positive relationships (+0.2 or higher) get powerful success rate bonuses.
Best Synergy Pairs (Late Game)
- 🌟Sonar + Invisigal (+0.25)
Perfect for stealth missions. Combined bonus can push success rate to 95%+
- 🌟Punchup + Golem (+0.20)
"Tank duo" - ideal for high-risk combat missions with civilian casualties risk
- 🌟Prism + [Any Ability-Heavy Hero] (+0.15)
Prism's "Dupe" ability copies the other hero's abilities, doubling effectiveness
🎯 Pro Strategy: "The Dream Team"
Build a core 3-hero team where ALL pairs have positive relationships. This creates a "multiplicative" effect where the team becomes greater than the sum of its parts.
Example: Sonar + Invisigal + Prism = +0.25 + +0.15 + +0.18 = +58% total bonus!
Sabotage FAQ
Q: Can I see relationship values in-game?
A: Not directly during mission deployment. You must check each hero's profile page or use our Mission Simulator which automatically calculates relationship penalties.
Q: Do relationships change based on my story choices?
A: Yes! Major story decisions (like "Fire Sonar or Coupe") permanently affect relationships. Some heroes will gain +0.2 relationships, others will drop to -0.5.
Q: Is there a way to reset relationships?
A: No direct reset, but relationships can be slowly improved through successful missions and dialogue events. A relationship at -0.3 can eventually reach +0.1 over 10-15 successful joint missions.
Q: Does sabotage affect mission rewards?
A: Indirectly. Lower success rates mean higher chance of "partial success" outcomes, which give reduced rewards. Critical failures (caused by severe sabotage) can result in hero injuries or permanent stat penalties.