Which Faction Should You Pick in Last Epoch?

Like other ARPGs in its genre, Last Epoch comes with many different features, including a faction system. Given on later in the game, the system brings unique gameplay choices that will affect your entire experience. However, before we can even get to that, there comes the difficult choice of what faction to go with. If you’re a new Last Epoch player and find yourself in this situation, then keep reading as we tell you which faction you should pick in the game. So, with that, let’s begin!

How Many Factions Are There in Last Epoch?

The first major question you might have is the number of available factions in-game. In the case of Last Epoch, you get to choose between two factions. Both give you a completely different gameplay experience. While you will need to earn ‘Faction Favor’ to get access to these perks, they are, nonetheless, sweet.

The bonus is that you can switch between factions whenever you want. You are not stuck with a single faction, as the game allows you to check it before you decide to stick to one for good. This is a welcome option for players who don’t want to make hasty decisions. So make sure you’re sure before you speak with that faction’s representative.

The option to join factions in-game comes after you reach Chapter 9. This is the final entry in the list of all chapters in Last Epoch. The game gives you the option as soon as you finish it. This happens after reaching the city of Maj’elka where a quest called “Merchants and Fortune Tellers” begins. This questline introduces the two factions: Merchants Guild and Circle of Fortune. Zerrick, an NPC, explains the factions to you.

The Circle of Fortune

The Circle of Fortune is one of the two factions you can join in Last Epoch. The Circle is a mystical group of individuals that banded up to find fortune through arcane research and astrology. The Circle of Fortune is geared towards the usual end-game gameplay you’d expect from an action RPG like Diablo or Path of Exile. You play solo or as a group through various encounters to find the best loot in-game.

You complete various prophecies, which are events and conditions to earn rewards. You can then use these rewards to improve your faction level and item discovery. The more prophecies you complete by purchasing them through faction favor, which is earned by slaying monsters as that faction member, the better your item discovery rate becomes. This is perfect for players who enjoy solo or group gameplay and traditional end-game, ignoring the player-driven economy.

The Merchant’s Guild

The Merchant’s Guild is a unique gameplay experience that taps into the player-driven economy and embraces it wholeheartedly. It solves the player trading woes, making it a faction-specific system for players who enjoy doing just that. This faction unlocks the Bazaar in Maj’elka, which is the game’s auction house. Each of the stalls in the Bazaar acts as a filter for items. Each of them trades on a separate item, and each of them allows you to list items specific to that shop. Like Circles of Fortune, partaking in the auction system for gear will require favor points.

You earn these by completing tasks given by the faction or killing enemies as a faction member. One key thing to remember if you join this faction is that items purchased as a member of the Merchant’s Guild are character-bound, and you cannot sell off items found in the Circles of Fortune factions. This is to prevent the item-flipping practice generally encountered in a player-driven economy. Players who prefer trading with other players and min-maxing their item prices will enjoy this faction.

Which Faction Should You Join in Last Epoch?

Much like most general suggestions, we suggest you pick the faction that fancies your playstyle. However, you should pick Circles of Fortune over Merchant’s Guild if this is the first time you’ve picked up an Action-RPG or if you are someone returning from the usual big-name action RPG. My prime reason for suggesting this is an easier gameplay experience.

As such, Circles of Fortune is a straightforward journey where you kill enemies, gain favor, level up your item discovery, and earn overall benefits. Furthermore, you and your friend can experience the typical RPG end-game loop of discovering good loot by just playing. Another thing that many have pointed out is that if you primarily play an offline character, you’ll enjoy this particular faction over Merchant’s Guild.

We hope our quick guide helps you decide which faction to join in Last Epoch. Regardless of which style you go for, both will provide a unique gameplay experience. Which faction did you select for Last Epoch? Let us know in the comments below!