Athen Shire is a common mission location for clanners and isn't that hard to reach at all. Plus the vast majority of missions allocated to that zone end up in one of two locations. To some of the old timers it used to be two zones, Athen Shire and Athen Shire Exp, but Athen Shire Exp was renamed to its current title 'Wailing Wastes' some time ago.

How do I get there?

Athen Shire is located just outside of West Athens, there is a grid access point in West Athens so it's a perfect location in that respect. Once out of the grid terminal hang and then a left and head out of the city of West Athen. Follow the road to your right (it bends round to your left after you join it at the gate). Follow the road until you zone, then viola - you're in Athen Shire.

It's pretty much the same using the Whom-Pas, but you'll be appearing in Athen itself. Head to the west gate of Athen that takes you to West Athens.

You can also reach Athen Shire from Wailing Wastes by running south until you hit the War Academy.

Map

The layout below will show you the area in detail, click the picture for a large view.

Locations of note

The Town of Freedom (approx 1500, 300)
At levels below 50 the most likely mission location given will be around the co-ords 1500, 300 in Athen Shire, this is the town of Freedom, a clan outpost. As an outpost it isn't much to see, one armour shop, a clothes shop, a pharmacy, a couple of bank terminals, insurance terminals and a set of mission booths.

There are a three of clan guards that protect the outpost so you can deposit any nasties that tail you on the journey. Most critters in the zone don't get above level 20 so after that the passage is fairly safe.Mostly Malle's, Minibulls and Reets.

Having the pharmacy there can be handy if you run out of med kits between missions.

The Junkyard (approx 1500, 900)
The second location awarded in Athen Shire is the Junkyard, it's directly north of Freedom and easy to find, but all the mission locations are around the co-ords 1500,900.

A few high level types can usually be found hanging around looking for a rare spawning junk king mob, not actually seen him myself, all I hear is the campers muttering about crystals.

Again, nothing much to worry anyone above 25 in the critters stakes, the odd junkbot spawns now and again.

Aerial view of the junkyard

The War Academy
Not a mission location but on the northern edge of Athen Shire lies the clan war academy.

It's worth finding, particularly if you are hunting or running missions in Wailing Wastes as there are reclaim, insurance and bank terminals here, and it's a deal closer then running to West Athens or Athen itself to save. There are also some advanced vendors in the main courtyard, (go through the tunnel under the pillars to find them.) including a pharmacist.

Aerial view of the Academy

Mobs: Blubags, Rollerrats, Various Robots, Minibulls, Malles, Leets.