Should you join Merchant’s Guild or Circle of Fortune in Last Epoch?
In an effort to give players more agency over how they acquire gear, the developers are adding factions to Last Epoch, with the Merchant’s Guild and Circle of Fortune debuting as the game's first-ever factions.
Each one has plenty to offer its constituents, but which of the game's factions, the Merchant’s Guild or Circle of Fortune, is worth committing to? Let's find out.
Should you join the Merchant’s Guild or Circle of Fortune?
Click to enlargeThe answer might not be as clear-cut as you'd like, but the best faction in Last Epoch depends solely on how you want to play the game and your preferred approach to acquiring loot.
Do you enjoy socialising with other players, buying low and selling high, and just generally having access to whatever upgrades you want if you have the means to pay for it? Well, the Merchant's Guild is a perfect fit!
If you'd rather earn your loot the old-fashioned way by grinding through mobs and quests but with added features to make it a little bit easier to find what you're after, the Circle of Fortune is probably right up your alley.
You can find a detailed explanation of how factions work - as well as the benefits of joining either one - if you carry on reading below.
What are factions?
Click to enlargeFactions are groups of like-minded individuals you can align yourself with in Last Epoch. After selecting one, you'll gain Faction Rank and Favour when you defeat enemies, complete quests, and engage in exclusive activities. As you increase your Faction Rank and accumulate Favour, you'll unlock increasingly stronger perks and bonuses.
To start things off, Eleventh Hour Games is introducing two factions to Last Epoch: the Merchant’s Guild and the Circle of Fortune. You may only represent one of these factions at any given time, and if you decide you want to swap later on, you can, but it's not especially forgiving. Consequently, you're better off doing your homework and making sure the faction you're leaning toward is the right fit before fully pledging your allegiance to it!
Benefits of joining the Merchant’s Guild
Click to enlargeThe Merchant's Guild is all about business. Aligning with the Merchant's Guild will allow you to trade with other players and buy and sell items in the Bazaar, a trade-focused zone exclusive to members of the Merchant's Guild.
As you increase your Faction Rank with the Merchant's Guild, you'll unlock perks that'll give you permission to buy and sell higher-quality items from players and in the Bazaar:
| Rank | Bonus |
| 1 | Buy Basic Items |
| 2 | Buy Set Items |
| 3 | Buy Specific Unique Items |
| 4 | Buy Idols |
| 5 | Buy Exalted Weapons |
| 6 | Buy Unique Weapons |
| 7 | Buy All Exalted Items |
| 8 | Buy All Unique Items |
| 9 | Buy Legendary Weapons |
| 10 | Buy All Legendary Items |
Benefits of joining the Circle of Fortune
Click to enlargeThe Circle of Fortune is a mystical faction guided by the stars. Instead of bartering for loot, followers of the Circle of Fortune use Prophecies, Telescopes, and Lenses to improve their potential to find top-tier items independently and increase the probability of finding specific types of loot they're after.
Here's a list of the bonuses tied to each Faction Rank in the Circle of Fortune:
| Rank | Bonus |
| 1 | Enemy Item Drop Chance |
| 2 | Upgraded Rune of Ascendance |
| 3 | Idol Drop Chance |
| 4 | Exalted Affix Chance |
| 5 | Monolith Echo Reward Upgrade |
| 6 | Legendary Potential Chance |
| 7 | T7 Affix Chance |
| 8 | Rare to Exalted Chance |
| 9 | Full Set Drop Chance |
| 10 | Prophecy Reward Upgrade |
Moreover, as your Faction Rank increases, you'll unlock additional bonuses revolving around Lenses. Slotting Lenses into Telescopes allows you to customise your Prophecies further and, in turn, gives you even more control over your loot drops.
That's the basics of factions in Last Epoch and the pros and cons of the Merchant’s Guild and the Circle of Fortune. Speak to Zerrick in the Upper District of Maj'Elka to choose a faction and start climbing the Ranks!
Factions are just a taste of what Season 1 of Last Epoch has to offer. Get more Last Epoch content on our Last Epoch homepage at GGRecon, like how to respec your Passives.
