Overview

When deciding which faction to join in Last Epoch, it ultimately comes down to your personal preference and playstyle. Both the Merchant's Guild and the Circle of Fortune offer unique benefits and gameplay experiences that cater to different types of players.

If you enjoy engaging with item trading and maximizing your gear through trade interactions, the Merchant's Guild may be the right choice for you. This faction focuses on facilitating item trading within the Last Epoch community, allowing you to buy, sell, and trade items with other players. By joining the Merchant's Guild, you gain access to a marketplace where you can browse and search for specific items to enhance your character's power and build.

On the other hand, if you prefer to rely on your own luck and enjoy the thrill of hunting for rare and powerful items through gameplay, the Circle of Fortune might be more appealing. This faction introduces Prophecies, which are special objectives that, when completed, grant valuable rewards such as unique items and powerful crafting materials. By joining the Circle of Fortune, you can pursue these Prophecies to obtain exclusive loot and enhance your character's capabilities through gameplay challenges.

How to Join Factions 

1. Progress Through the Main Storyline: To join a faction in Last Epoch, you first need to progress through the main storyline on your first character until you reach Act 9. Once you arrive in Maj’elka, the city in the desert, you’ll unlock the side quest “Merchants and Fortune Tellers” from Zerrick. He'll provide a brief overview of each faction and guide you to their locations in the city.

2. Locate Faction Representatives: Track down the representatives from each faction:

- For the Circle of Fortune, visit the Observatory.

- For the Merchant’s Guild, head to The Bazaar.

3. Choose Your Faction: Speak with the representatives of the factions and choose which one to join. Remember, you're not locked into one faction permanently. If you join one but later change your mind, you can leave the faction by accessing the Faction screen ("Y") and selecting ‘Leave Faction’ in the top right. You can then join the other faction, though they won't accept you until you've left the previous one.

4. Earn Favor: Regardless of which faction you choose, you'll need to build Favor to access their features. Favor is earned by killing monsters, completing quests, and participating in endgame activities while aligned with your chosen faction. This Favor acts as a currency that can be exchanged for goods and services from your faction.

5. Utilize Faction Benefits: 

- For the Merchant's Guild, Favor is required to make trade listings and purchase items from other players.

- For the Circle of Fortune, Favor is necessary to purchase Prophecies and Lenses.

Which Faction to Join

Choosing between the Circle of Fortune and the Merchant’s Guild in Last Epoch depends on your preferred playstyle and goals in the game. Here's a breakdown of each faction to help you decide:

Circle of Fortune:

1. Casual-Friendly: The Circle of Fortune is known for being welcoming to both solo and group players, making it ideal for those who prefer a more relaxed approach to the game.
  
2. Quest and Bounty Focus: This faction emphasizes completing quests and bounties to earn rewards, providing a structured way to progress and obtain valuable items.
  
3. Prophecies: By completing a mini-game in Maj’elka’s Observatory, players can earn additional rewards through randomized prophecies, which may include valuable items or Idols.
  
4. Lenses for Target-Farming: Players can use Lenses to gamble for Uniques, allowing them to target-farm specific loot and tailor their gear to their preferred playstyle.

Merchant’s Guild:

1. Focus on Trade and Economy: The Merchant’s Guild revolves around the mercantile arts, offering players the opportunity to engage in trade and commerce within the game world.
  
2. Purchase Rare Items: In the Maj’elka Bazaar, players can visit various shops specializing in different item types and purchase rare items to enhance their characters' power.
  
3. Earn More Gold: Selling items to other players via the auction house allows players to earn more gold, providing a lucrative opportunity for those interested in accumulating wealth.
  
4. Considerations: However, players should be aware of the Favor Tax, which is incurred when buying and selling items in the Bazaar. Additionally, items purchased from the Merchant’s Guild are automatically bound to the player's account, preventing them from being sold again for profit.

Ultimately, your decision should be based on whether you prioritize a more casual and quest-focused experience (Circle of Fortune) or if you prefer engaging in trade and accumulating wealth (Merchant’s Guild). Consider your playstyle and objectives in Last Epoch to determine which faction aligns best with your preferences.

Tags: