Trade and Item Factions Overview

Last Epoch lets you choose how you want to obtain and exchange items in the endgame. The game has two factions - the Merchant's Guild and the Circle of Fortune, which represent distinct methods towards trading, itemization, and looting. Each faction has its own benefits, drawbacks, and rewards. In this guide, we will cover everything you need to know about the two trade factions!

With the game's full release, two factions will be introduced, allowing players to choose one of them as well as offering distinct benefits and services linked to item hunting and exchange:

• The Merchant's Guild: Grants trade between players through the Bazaar, as well as player-to-player.
• The Circle of Fortune: Boosts the loot you find yourself through Prophecies, and passive bonuses.

Joining a faction is fairly simple. All you have to do, is head to the Upper District of the mercantile city of Maj'Elka. Which faction you choose will depend on whether you like trading with other players, or prefer having advantages during your own item hunting. Once you reach the city, the NPC named Zerrick will introduce you to the Factions and their Central Hub: The Bazaar for the Merchant Guild, and The Observatory for the Circle of Fortune.

Each character can only join one of these factions, and you will have the possibility to switch between both factions. However, leveling each faction's rank takes quite some time, so you should choose early on which faction you prefer, in order to get the most out of it.

Each faction's bonuses and rewards are tailored to its related playstyle. You are going to get access to a new UI panel that contains your faction's rank, rewards, as well as additional information.

Every faction has ranks that are earned by accumulating reputation as well as favors, which are a special currency.

Ranks determine which bonuses you will earn from your faction. To receive more benefits from the faction, however, you must first gain reputation.

There are a total of 10 ranks to achieve with either faction.

Reputation is a measure of your character's rank within the faction, which unlocks new perks and rewards. In order to gain more reputation, you will need to gain experience. Just doing quests and defeating enemies will reward you with reputation for your faction. If you want to gain more experience, you will have to participate in the Faction's core mechanics: trading (through the bazaar) for the Merchant's Guild, or completing prophecies (we will explain what they are further down) for the Circle of Fortune.

Favor is a currency that can be spent on the faction's services and rewards. It is your main currency for factions. You need favors to list an item on the bazaar or buy items for the Merchant's Guild, and for the Circle of fortune, you will need favors to get prophecies. You will also have access to a favor vendor, but we advise you to only buy items from him if you have an excess of favors after being max rank.

The Merchant's Guild offers access to an auction house (the Bazaar), where you can buy and sell items.

It is a faction that enables players to trade items with other players through an auction house system. Players can buy and sell items in the Bazaar with Favors, which is the main currency for Factions.

Items that will be tradable through the Bazaar are:

• Helmets
• Amulets
• All Weapon item types
• All Off-Hand item types
• Rings
• Belts
• Gloves
• Body Armor
• Boots
• Relics
• Idols

The main advantage of joining the Merchant's Guild is that it allows players to access a large and diverse pool of items, and to create builds more reliably and efficiently. Players can also make a profit by selling their unwanted or valuable items. The Merchant's Guild is ideal for players who enjoy the economic aspect of the game, and who want to optimize their characters with the best possible gear through trading.

However, the main drawback of joining the Merchant's Guild is that it reduces the excitement and satisfaction of finding items by yourself. You may feel less attached to items, and more tempted to buy them from others. Additionally, equipping items purchased through trade requires ranks in the Merchant's Guild faction, which means that if you switch factions, you will lose access to your traded items until you regain ranks. In addition, please note that items purchased from the Bazaar are no longer tradable.

The Circle of Fortune offers increased item quantity and quality, as well as exceptionally powerful passive bonuses. Moreover, this faction offers access to the Observatory, where you can use telescopes to observe the heavens and exchange your favor for prophecies.

The Circle of Fortune is a faction that enhances the item hunt experience for players who prefer to find their own items. With access to the Observatory, you can exchange favors against prophecies at the telescope: Prophecies will force certain items to drop or increase the drop rate for higher-tier affixes. Once you obtain a prophecy, you will need to fulfill its requirements in order for it to come true

You can also purchase lenses from the faction vendor. Lenses will allow you to modify the prophecies you receive.

The main advantage of joining the Circle of Fortune is that it increases the fun and challenge of finding items by yourself. Being a part of this faction, you can enjoy the thrill of discovery and the sense of accomplishment and ownership of your items. The Circle of Fortune also encourages you to experiment with different builds and items and to adapt to what you find.

The Circle of Fortune is ideal for players who enjoy the exploration and customization aspects of the game.

However, the main drawback of joining the Circle of Fortune is that it limits the options and flexibility of players who want to trade items with other players. You may miss out on some items that are hard to find or that suit your preferred playstyle. The Circle of Fortune also introduces a risk of frustration, as item drops are still subject to RNG, and you may encounter dry spells or bad luck. Additionally, equipping items found while part of the Circle of Fortune requires ranks within the faction, which means that players who switch factions will lose access to their found items until they regain said ranks.

The new trade and item Factions are a unique and original concept intended to address both sides of the trade topic in ARPGs. It allows players to choose how they want to get and exchange items in the endgame and rewards them accordingly. It also adds a layer of strategy and consequence to the itemization process, requiring players to consider the advantages and disadvantages of each faction before deciding when and if to switch between them. Trade and item Factions are just some of the many aspects that make Last Epoch an exciting and engaging ARPG for a wide range of players.