As you progress into the later stages of Last Epoch, you'll encounter a crucial decision: selecting between joining the Merchant's Guild or the Circle of Fortune. Upon choosing a faction, you'll have the opportunity to develop your reputation and ascend to higher ranks within your chosen group. 

This complete guide will provide insights into determining the optimal faction to join in Last Epoch, offering a comparison between the two options and addressing the possibility of switching factions at any juncture.

What Are The Differences Between The Merchant's Guild And The Circle Of Fortune?

Firstly, let's examine the offerings of each faction in Last Epoch. They differ significantly from one another, underscoring the importance of comprehending the advantages each provides before making a decision.

The Merchant's Guild grants you the ability to engage in player-to-player trading within Last Epoch, along with facilitating trade at the Bazaar, the faction's central trading hub. This trading system extends to Legendary loot as well, ensuring you're not limited solely to lower-tier Last Epoch Items. Conversely, if you opt not to join the Merchant's Guild, your options are confined to either selling or salvaging the loot acquired throughout the game.

On the contrary, the Circle of Fortune bolsters your loot drops, elevating the likelihood of acquiring Legendary or Unique items. Additionally, by aligning with the Circle of Fortune, you gain the opportunity to fulfill Prophecies, further enhancing your loot acquisition.

Which Faction Should You Align With: The Merchant's Guild Or The Circle Of Fortune?

In my view, opting for the Circle of Fortune in Last Epoch is the superior choice without much hesitation. 

While the Merchant's Guild broadens the scope of Last Epoch through its trading system, the Circle of Fortune expedites character progression significantly for endgame content. By augmenting loot drops and rarity, this faction facilitates equipping your character with Legendary and Unique items with relative ease as you advance through endgame activities. Completing Monoliths and engaging in post-main story content yields ample high-tier loot to sustain engagement.

In contrast, the Merchant's Guild introduces a novel system in Last Epoch, albeit one fraught with volatility. Relying on online markets with other players to trade loot poses inherent risks. While seasoned players familiar with in-game economies from other MMORPGs or ARPGs may find the Merchant's Guild appealing, for most newcomers, I recommend aligning with the Circle of Fortune.

Is It Possible To Switch Factions In Last Epoch?

Thankfully, you have the flexibility to switch between factions at any point in Last Epoch. 

However, this decision is not without consequences, as each faction change requires restarting your reputation and rank. 

Additionally, it's important to recognize that every character you create on a specific difficulty level will align with the same faction. For instance, if you have two characters on Normal difficulty and one joins the Circle of Fortune, both characters will be members of that faction.

Should you opt to create a new character on a different difficulty level or mode, you have the freedom to select whichever faction you prefer.