In Last Epoch, you must choose between two factions, Circle of Fortune and Merchant’s Guild, to aid you in the endgame. Each faction offers distinct benefits and additional loot acquisition methods. Circle of Fortune focuses on enhancing both the quantity and quality of loot drops, as well as enabling targeted farming for specific item slots. By choosing Circle of Fortune, you forgo access to the Merchant’s Guild’s Bazaar, an auction house system for players to buy and sell items. Let’s delve into what Circle of Fortune entails and how it works.

Unlocking Factions

To unlock factions, you must first reach Maj’Elka Upper District in the Divine Era, typically achieved by progressing to Chapter 9 of the main campaign. Alternatively, you can follow a main campaign skip guide, which involves completing the Lightless Arbor, Soulfire Bastion, and Temporal Sanctum dungeons to skip straight to the end of Chapter 9.

Once you reach Maj’Elka Upper District, the NPC Zerrick will inform you on the two factions before directing you to the base of the faction of your choice. The Circle of Fortune resides in The Observatory, just one map node north of Maj’Elka Upper District.

Circle of Fortune Rank

As a member of the Circle of Fortune faction, you can earn powerful passives that enhance the amount of loot drops as well as their quality. These passives are obtained by advancing through the faction’s Ranks, of which there are ten in total. You can view the Ranks and their corresponding passives through the default hotkey ‘Y’.

To raise the faction Rank, you will need to earn Reputation, which can be gained by killing enemies and completing quests. Another way to increase Reputation is by spending Favor, the faction’s primary currency. It’s important to note that your faction and Rank is shared account-wide among characters within the same game mode. However, characters in different game modes (Normal, Hardcore, Legacy, Challenge) will have separate faction Ranks.

Prophecies and Favor

The main feature of Circle of Fortune is the Prophecy system, which enables you to target specific item slots and rarities. Prophecies can be accessed in The Observatory by interacting with the four telescopes located northwest of the waypoint. Each Telescope offers random selections of Prophecies that reward you with loot upon completing their objectives. The four Telescopes correspond to different groups of item slots:

• North Telescope (Arctus) - Armor slots
• South Telescope (Mesembria) - Jewelry slots
• East Telescope (Eos) - Weapons
• West Telescope (Dysis) - Idols and Crafting Materials

To purchase Prophecies, you need the aforementioned currency, Favor. Favor is earned primarily through killing enemies and completing quests, but you can also earn them by completing Prophecies. The Prophecies can also be rerolled with Favor if none of the options are desirable. However, rerolling will randomize the entire Telescope and not individual Prophecies. You can hold up to 48 Prophecies, which can be viewed by pressing the default hotkey ‘Y’.

Each Prophecy comprises an Event, Condition, and Reward, detailing the objective, any additional requirements (such as difficulty or Corruption level), and the rewards upon completion. Individual Prophecies can be fulfilled multiple times, as seen at the top, with rewards dropping on the ground automatically upon each fulfillment.

Unfortunately, some Prophecies can be hard to decipher for new players due to lack of information. For example, some Events require killing specific enemies, but lack Conditions detailing their locations, forcing you to use external sources to find them.

Lenses

Lenses are items that can be slotted into each Telescope, located in the lower left-hand corner, to customize Prophecies according to your preferences. For instance, a Lens can increase the odds of axes showing up in Prophecy rewards, while another can prevent Arena Events from appearing.

Each Telescope can accommodate up to three Lenses, with the Lens slots unlocking at Ranks 2, 5, and 9. There are two types of Lenses: Regional Lenses and Greater Lenses. Regional Lenses are restricted to their respective Telescopes, while Greater Lenses can be equipped on any Telescope. Lenses can be purchased with Favor from the NPC Galila, located next to the waypoint. Different Lenses become available as you reach specific Ranks. In addition to Lenses, you can also spend Favor to purchase random equipable items from Galila.

Conclusion

Circle of Fortune is an ideal option for players who enjoy the classic ARPG grind and the pursuit of perfect loot drops. It’s perfect for solo players who prefer not to deal with the complexities of an auction house. However, the faction certainly isn't limited to solo play; members can still enjoy trading items among themselves.