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Destiny – How to Choose the Best Faction

How to earn Reputation and Crucible Marks for your chosen Faction.
This article is over 10 years old and may contain outdated information

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Destiny presents players with some fairly significant choices throughout their journey across the universe, the first of which is whether to become a Hunter, Warlock or Titan. It’s an important choice, but certainly not the last one they’ll make.

Upon reaching level 20, Guardians will have to decide which of the three Factions to join, or if they want to join any at all. It’s a game changing decision, and given its weight, we felt an in-depth explanation was in order. After all, we wouldn’t want you running with the wrong crowd.

What are Factions in Destiny?

The three Factions unlocked at level 20 are groups within the Destiny universe that share different ideals and provide players with certain Weapons and Armor to assist them on their travels. The benefits change from one Faction to the next, so selecting the one that best suits your play style is essential. For example, each Faction specializes in two of the three attributes found in the game (Intellect, Discipline and Strength), so going with the Faction that compliments your Guardian is key. The good news is, nothing is forever. If gamers make a bad choice, they’ll be able to switch things up and go in a new direction.

What are the three Factions in Destiny?

Future War Cult – This group uses FWC for short, and operates on the belief that another war with The Darkness cannot be avoided. They are known for their vast military strength and believe in being ready to fight at any given time.

In the Tower, the FCW is represented by Lakshmi-2, a vendor who will sell Weapons and Armor to Guardians, the latter specializing in Intellect and Discipline. To keep things simple, this means that Armor purchased from the Future War Cult will reduce the cool down time for both your Grenade and Super Ability. If those are two important parts of your play style, the FWC might be the right Faction for you.

Dead Orbit – The Dead Orbit would like to abandon The City, and plan to escape an already dying Earth before The Darkness returns. They’ve given up on the Traveler and have no faith that The City can withstand a major attack.

In the Tower, they are represented by Arach Jalaal, and specialize in both Discipline and Strength, meaning that Armor Guardians purchases from them will reduce the cool down time of the Grenade and Melee abilities. This Faction doesn’t provide any bonus to the Super abilities at all, and therefore might be the least popular of the three.

New Monarchy – The New Monarchy is the third Faction to choose from upon reaching level 20, and they believe in maintaining the haven and bringing back the Golden Age. This Faction has significant pull with the royal family.

In the Tower, the New Monarchy is represented by Executor Hideo, who will sell Guardians Weapons, as well as Armor that contains boosts to the Intellect and Strength attributes. This means players who opt for this Faction can expect reduced cool down times for the Melee and Super abilities, although they will not receive any bonuses for their Grenade.

Where can I find and join a Faction in Destiny?

All three of the above mentioned Factions have representatives in the Tower. The Dead Orbit and Future War Cult are located in the Tower Hanger, the structure to the right of Guardians when they first spawn into the Tower Plaza. The New Monarchy is found in Tower North, located just to the left of players when they enter the Tower Plaza. For specific locations, approach the robot when you first arrive at the Tower and view a map of the area.

What Faction should I choose in Destiny?

That, my friend, is a loaded question. It all depends on your personal play style and how you’ve set up your Guardian, but we can talk about some scenarios and concepts that will help you out.

Let’s take our level 24 Hunter, for example. We’re still rocking the Gunslinger sub-class and focused much of our combat around our Grenade and Super abilities. For this reason, the Future War Cult is a no-brainer for us, since Armor that we purchase from them will provide us Intellect and Discipline, the two attributes that complement our Hunter the most.

Check out the makeshift chart to help you make your decision.

  • Intellect – Reduces the cool down time of your Super ability.
  • Discipline – Reduces the cool down time of your Grenade.
  • Strength – Reduces the cool down time of your Melee ability.

Here are what each of the three Factions specialize in.

  • Future War Cult – Intellect (Super) and Discipline (Grenade).
  • Dead Orbit – Discipline (Grenade) and Strength (Melee).
  • New Monarchy – Intellect (Super) and Strength (Melee).

Get the official Destiny Digital Guide  (also available in a Print Edition).

How do I buy Weapons and Armor from my Faction in Destiny?

In order to purchase Weapons and Armor from one of the three Factions, players must earn Reputation for that particular Faction, as well as Crucible Marks to use as the actual currency.

Just as players can earn Vanguard and Crucible Reputation if they don’t choose a Faction, once they align themselves with a group, all the Vanguard and Crucible Reputation they earn will be converted into Reputation for their chosen Faction, assuming they’re wearing that Faction’s Cloak, Badge or Bond. For example, the Legendary Weapon you want might require you be Rank 2  with the Future War Cult before you can buy it, and this is accomplished by playing in the Crucible and completing Strikes in the Vanguard playlist.

The second item that players will need to purchase things from their chosen Faction is Crucible Marks, and unlike Reputation, this is only earned by competing in the Crucible, also known as player-versus-player. We guess this is Bungie’s way of making people play in all the different game modes. Well played.

Expanding on the Cloaks, Badges and Bonds, the last thing that players must do in order to earn Reputation for their Chosen Faction is to wear their Hunter Cloak, Titan Badge or Warlock Bond. This can be purchased from your Faction’s representative in the Tower. It’s important to remember since you must be wearing that item in order for your Vanguard Reputation to be converted to Reputation for that Faction.

Well, that just about sums up Factions and what you need to know to get started. What are you waiting for, Guardian? Head out and face The Darkness.

Destiny GuideMade for the ultimate Destiny fan, the Destiny Limited Edition Strategy Guide is a beautiful 400-page guide that comes with two exclusive lithographs, a gorgeous premium double-sided dust jacket (featuring a unique cover design on the exterior and additional artwork direct from Bungie on the interior), as well as one of Three Deluxe, Collectible Covers based on the Hunter, Warlock, or Titan. This Limited Edition book is a must-have collectible for Destiny fans.

The Destiny guide is also available as a Signature Series Guide and as a Digital Guide.


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