Which Faction Should You Join in New World: Aeternum?

Welcome, adventurers! If you're diving into the vast world of New World Aeternum and wondering about factions—how they work, their benefits, differences, and how to join—you're in the right place. This comprehensive guide will walk you through everything you need to know about factions in New World, helping you make an informed decision on which faction to pledge your allegiance to and how to maximize your experience once you've joined. Whether you're a seasoned player or just starting, this article will serve as your go-to resource for faction-related knowledge.

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Understanding Factions in the New World

In New World, factions are one of the core gameplay elements that shape your journey across the continent of Aeternum. There are three distinct factions you can join:

• The Covenant (yellow symbol)

• The Marauders (green symbol)

• The Syndicate (purple symbol)

Each faction offers unique benefits, exclusive quests, and access to the faction store. Choosing a faction is more than just picking a color—it affects your gameplay style, social interactions, and PvP opportunities. But don't worry, we'll break down all the details so you can make the best choice for your playstyle.

The Benefits of Joining a Faction

Joining a faction unlocks a variety of perks and gameplay features that enhance your experience in New World:

1. Access to the Faction Store

Once you join a faction, you gain access to the faction store, where you can purchase exclusive items using faction tokens. The faction store offers a wide range of goods:

• Crafting materials

• Weapons and armor at various gear scores

• Endgame items such as Gypsum Orbs and Chromatic Seals

These items are only available to faction members, so without joining, you miss out on these valuable resources. As you level up your faction reputation, you unlock higher-tier items in the store, allowing you to gear up progressively.

2. Exclusive Faction Quests

Each faction offers unique quests that you can only access after joining. Completing these quests grants you faction reputation and tokens, which are essential for advancing your faction rank and purchasing from the faction store.

3. Ability to Create or Join Companies

Companies in New World are akin to guilds, allowing up to 100 players to band together for socializing, strategizing, and conquering territories. Joining a faction is a prerequisite for creating a company. However, you can join a company even if you haven't chosen a faction yet, which is useful if you want to team up with friends early on before making your faction decision.

Companies provide private chat channels and the ability to declare war on territories, which is a major endgame feature. Owning a territory reduces taxes for company members and provides a weekly income deposited into the company treasury.

4. Open World PvP Participation

Faction membership enables you to opt into open-world PvP (Player versus Player) combat. This is an optional feature, so you won't be forced into PvP as soon as you join a faction. When you flag yourself for PvP, you can engage players from opposing factions outside of settlements and safe zones.

To flag for PvP, you can press U on the keyboard or hold up on the D-pad and press the left trigger on a controller while in a settlement or at a fast travel point. After a 30-second countdown, you become PvP-enabled and can attack or be attacked by players of rival factions.

5. Territory Control and Wars

Faction members, through their companies, can participate in wars to capture and control territories. Controlling territories brings strategic advantages and economic benefits, making faction allegiance significant for players interested in the territorial conquest aspect of the New World.

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How to Join a Faction in New World

Joining a faction is a straightforward process, but there are some prerequisites and steps you need to follow:

1. Reach Level 17 to Unlock Faction Quests

You won't see faction representatives or their quests on your map immediately. You must reach character level 17 to unlock the faction initiation quests. Once you hit this level, faction quest icons will appear in key settlements such as Everfall, allowing you to begin the initiation process for Covenant, Marauders, or Syndicate.

2. Locate Faction Representatives

In Everfall, you'll find representatives for each faction marked by their respective colors:

• Yellow for Covenant

• Green for Marauders

• Purple for Syndicate

These NPCs will offer you initiation quests that serve as an introduction to their faction.

3. Complete Initiation Quests

You can complete the initiation quest lines for all three factions before making your final decision. These quests involve simple tasks like defeating specific enemies or collecting items. Each faction rewards you with unique items such as rings, gloves, or amulets upon completing their initiation quests.

Completing multiple initiation quest lines can be beneficial if you think you might want to switch factions later, as changing factions requires repeating these quests. However, you are not obligated to complete all; you can directly join your preferred faction after finishing its initiation quests.

4. Make Your Faction Choice

After completing the initiation quests, return to the faction representative to officially join the faction. You will be asked to confirm your choice, and once confirmed, your character becomes a member of that faction.

Keep in mind that switching factions is possible but comes with a cooldown of 30 days, so choose wisely!

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Comparing the Three Factions: Covenant, Marauders, and Syndicate

Many players ask, "Which faction is best?" or "What are the differences between factions?" Let's dive into the nuances that set each faction apart and help you decide which one fits your style.

Faction Store Items: Mostly Identical

One of the biggest misconceptions is that factions offer different gear or advantages. In reality, the faction stores offer almost identical items in terms of stats, gear score, and perks. For example, the best bows available from each faction store have the same gear score, attribute requirements, and perks, differing only in name and visual style.

There is one notable exception: each faction has a unique, very expensive piece of crafting gear exclusive to them. For instance:

• Covenant: A cooking gear piece that boosts meal bonuses

• Syndicate: An alchemy gear item that increases the Arcana item's crafted quality

• Marauders: A weapon-smithing or armor-crafting gear piece

These items cost upwards of 60,000 gold and are generally considered luxury purchases rather than necessities.

Visual Style and Armor

Each faction has a distinct armor style that reflects their identity:

• Covenant: Features regal, knightly designs with capes and brimmed hats

• Syndicate: Known for mysterious plague doctor masks and dark cloaks

• Marauders: Sport rugged, battle-hardened gear with prominent flags and banners

If aesthetics matter to you, faction armor sets offer a great way to showcase your allegiance.

Map Influence and Territory Control

The map in the New World displays faction influence using colors corresponding to each faction. This can affect your decision if you want to join a faction dominant in your server's region:

• Joining the dominant faction in your area can provide safety from enemy attacks.

• Choosing an underrepresented faction offers more PvP opportunities and chances to participate in wars.

However, since the map's faction control can shift frequently, it's not always the best deciding factor.

Fort Ownership and Bonuses

Forts scattered across the map provide global bonuses to faction members when controlled. These bonuses can include crafting enhancements, faster travel, or increased PvP experience. Fort control is independent of territory ownership and can change hands frequently through PvP skirmishes.

For example:

• Marauders controlling Fort Mourningdale gain a +5 global crafting bonus

• Marauders controlling another fort receive +10% PvP XP

• Covenant controlling a fort enjoys free fast travel

Considering which faction holds key forts on your server can influence your choice.

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Faction Advancement: Ranking Up Your Faction

Advancing through faction ranks unlocks access to better rewards and gear in the faction store. The process involves earning faction reputation and tokens by completing faction missions and other activities.

Faction Reputation and Tokens

• Reputation increases your rank within the faction.

• Tokens are the currency used to purchase items in the faction store.

Both are earned primarily through faction missions, which are daily quests exclusive to your faction.

How to Earn Reputation and Tokens Efficiently

The first three faction missions you complete each day grant a 10x multiplier on reputation and tokens, making them highly valuable. It's recommended to complete at least these three daily missions consistently.

Faction missions vary from PvE tasks like gathering or killing enemies to PvP objectives such as capturing points or escorting boxes. PvP faction missions require you to remain flagged for PvP and prevent fast traveling until completion.

Faction Advancement Quests

To move beyond certain faction ranks, you must complete special faction advancement quests, such as the "Trial of the Gladiator." These quests unlock once you've accumulated the required faction reputation and reached the appropriate character level, typically level 24. For example, to advance from Soldier to Gladiator in the Marauder faction, you'll need to reach level 24, earn 3,000 faction reputation, and complete the corresponding trial quest.

Advancement quests are found in specific zones tied to each faction. Here's where you need to go for your first major faction promotion quests:

• Covenant

  • Quest Name: Trial of the Templar

  • Location: Brightwood

  • Quest Giver: Adjudicator Maras

• Marauders

  • Quest Name: Trial of the Gladiator

  • Location: Cutlass Keys

  • Quest Giver: Commander Winifred Silas

• Syndicate

  • Quest Name: Trial of the Scrivener

  • Location: Monarch's Bluffs

  • Quest Giver: Alchemist Cromwell

These quests unlock once you've reached the appropriate level (e.g., level 24 for Gladiator) and earned enough faction reputation.

How to Grind Faction Reputation Quickly

Once you reach higher faction ranks, the reputation required to level up increases significantly. Here are some effective strategies to maximize your faction reputation gains:

1. Faction Missions in Higher-Level Zones

At level 40 and above, you can complete faction missions in zones like Great Cleave and Shattered Mountain. These missions often involve multiple objectives that can be completed simultaneously, such as:

• Preserving or sanctifying points

• Collecting and delivering boxes

• Standing in control areas

This allows for quick mission completion loops, typically taking 4 to 5 minutes each, enabling efficient reputation farming.

2. Expedition Missions

If you receive multiple faction missions for the same expedition, completing that expedition can yield large chunks of faction reputation. For example, running Empyrean Forge with three faction missions can grant nearly 9,000 reputation in one go.

3. Outpost Rush

Participating in Outpost Rush, a PvP mode, also grants faction reputation and helps advance your PvP rewards track. It's a fun alternative to grinding faction missions and can diversify your gameplay.

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What to Buy in the Faction Store

The faction store offers a variety of items that can be valuable throughout your journey. Here are some noteworthy purchases:

• Crafting Materials: Useful for leveling your crafting professions.

• Weapons and Armor: Gear at various levels to help you progress.

• Gypsum Orbs: Valuable endgame crafting materials that do not cost gold.

• Chromatic Seals: High-tier crafting materials essential for late-game gear upgrades. You can purchase one per day.

• Grand Runes of Holding: Storage bags that can be sold to other players.

Choosing the Right Faction for You

With all this information, the ultimate question remains: Which faction should you join?

Here are some factors to consider:

• Playstyle and PvP Interest: If you want to engage in open-world PvP and faction wars, pick a faction that aligns with your friends or has active companies on your server.

• Company and Social Connections: Joining the same faction as your friends allows you to form companies, communicate privately, and participate in wars together.

• Aesthetic Preference: If you prefer a faction’s armor style or lore, that can be a fun reason to choose them.

• Map and Fort Control: Consider which faction controls key forts and areas that provide bonuses you want to benefit from.

Mechanically, the factions are balanced, and your choice will not impact your character's stats or abilities. The most important factor is your social and gameplay goals.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I join a company before choosing a faction?

A: Yes! You can join a company without selecting a faction. However, to access faction-specific features like the faction store and wars, you must eventually choose a faction.

Q: How do I switch factions if I change my mind?

A: You can switch factions after a 30-day cooldown. To do so, complete the initiation quest line for the new faction before making the switch.

Q: Does faction choice affect PvP in Outpost Rush or Arenas?

A: No, factions do not influence PvP in Outpost Rush or 3v3 arenas. These modes are faction-neutral.

Q: What happens if I don’t join a faction?

A: Without a faction, you can't participate in faction-specific quests, buy from the store, engage in open-world PvP, or join companies. PvE is still accessible.

Q: Is it better to join the dominant faction on my server?

A: Not necessarily. While dominant factions offer safety, smaller factions may offer more PvP action and war opportunities.

Q: How do I earn faction tokens?

A: Complete faction missions. The first three daily missions give a 10x bonus, making them the most efficient source of tokens.

Q: Are faction stores the only way to get certain crafting materials?

A: Some materials like Gypsum Orbs and Chromatic Seals are exclusive to faction stores, but most others can be found or bought elsewhere.

Q: Can I participate in wars without being in a company?

A: No. Only companies can declare or participate in wars, and all members must be part of the same faction.

Final Words

Factions in New World Aeternum are a fundamental part of the game, providing structure for PvP, social interaction, and progression through unique rewards and quests. Whether you choose the noble Covenant, the fierce Marauders, or the secretive Syndicate, your faction will shape your adventure in meaningful ways.

Remember, the factions are balanced in terms of gameplay mechanics, so your choice should be guided by your preferred playstyle, social connections, and aesthetic preferences. Take advantage of initiation quests to explore each faction before committing, and don't hesitate to switch factions later if your goals or friends change.

Once you've joined, focus on completing faction missions daily to quickly build reputation and tokens, enabling you to access better gear and crafting materials. Participate in company activities, wars, and open world PvP to experience the full depth of faction gameplay.

Choose your faction wisely, and may your journey in Aeternum be legendary!

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