Hi Blix
I normally cast Burkheimers, but Orvis approached me last year and I have been trying their new Mission rods along with my Burkies.
I must admit, I prefer longer rods, so I received the 14' 9wt and the 13'6" 8 wt. I really like both rods. They have a nice flex with some reserve power. I cast mostly Rage lines in winter and Scandi heads in summer/fall. I don't have any problem casting those lines or any of my sink tips or flies. I think they are a big improvement over the Clearwater series in that they have more power for sure, especially for casting and fighting fish.
I don't know which rods to compare them to because I generally cast 3-piece Burkie models. I prefer fewer ferrules. The Orvis Mission rods are 4 and 6 piece rods. I always find that more ferrules impact my casting, so I would prefer fewer ferrules.
That said, I would recommend the rods to anyone. I think they are every bit as good as any two handed rods produced by large companies. They don't have as many models as Sage or some others, at least yet, but I find the Mission rods are great because you can fish all types of lines, tips and flies within a day and not need to change the rod. I think that most companies are moving towards rods that are really good at casting Skagit setups, but far fewer are adequate for casting longer lines. So I really like the Mission. It allows me to change gear and keep the same rod.
Hope this helps. I like the rods and believe they are well-rounded enough to cover lots of situations.