Legendary Weapons

Lore & Background

It only mentions that the Assassin class uses self-healing to solo spike and the Ritualist communes with ancestors through ashes and urns within the context of Factions.

In Their Own Story

The only narrative elements present relate to Mhenlo, a monk who spent his youth in Cantha, and Master Togo, a ritualist introduced during the Shing Jea Island tutorial where players learn about the Luxon-Kurzick conflict.

Reader's Guide

There is no guide available for crafting Legendary Weapons in this source. The text does mention that skill acquisition in Factions requires purchasing skills from Skill Traders rather than completing quests, and that reaching level twenty takes less time than in Prophecies, but it offers zero instructions on weapon creation, transmutation, or stat bonuses.

Did You Know?

• Guild Wars Factions introduces the continent of Cantha, inspired by East Asian cultures, where the Luxons and Kurzicks engage in a global persistent war.
• The Assassin profession can instantly teleport around combat using Shadow Step but has weak armor, making them ineffective as frontline fighters.
• Unlike Prophecies, all missions in Factions are compulsory for accessing new areas, replacing the old bonus mission system with a three-tiered reward structure based on time or objectives.

Campaign Setting and Factions

Guild Wars Factions serves as a standalone expansion set in the continent of Cantha, a region heavily inspired by East Asian cultures. This campaign introduces a unique persistent global war between two distinct groups: the Kurzicks and the Luxons. The Kurzicks reside in the dark Echovald Forests, valuing art, religion, and social order while wearing dark clothing to absorb heat. Conversely, the Luxons dwell near the Jade Sea, prioritizing strength over tradition and wearing light garments to reflect sunlight; they are often compared to pirates. Neither side is portrayed as inherently good or evil, allowing players to choose based on preference rather than moral alignment. Players actively participate in this conflict by assisting their chosen faction to claim towns across the game map. Control of these settlements is determined by alliances, which can consist of up to ten guilds united under a single lead name. Town ownership shifts based on standing earned through player donations and participation in various activities.

New Professions and Combat Mechanics

While retaining the original six character classes from Prophecies, Factions expands gameplay with two entirely new professions: the Assassin and the Ritualist. The Assassin is designed as a high-mobility striker capable of teleporting via Shadow Step to deal massive damage quickly before retreating, though their weak armor limits frontline effectiveness. They excel at targeting spellcasters and can sustain themselves through self-healing abilities. The Ritualist acts as a conduit to the spirit world, summoning bound spirits to attack or protect allies, and even providing ghostly weapons for companions to wield. These classes utilize unique mechanics like ancestor communion through ashes and urns. Additionally, existing classes such as Dervishes and Paragons can access Cantha via the port city of Kamadan but cannot be created there initially. The game also modifies boss encounters significantly; enemies now deal double damage and cast spells twice as fast, shifting the focus from mitigating condition durations to managing raw survivability against powerful foes.

Mission Structure and Progression Systems

Factions fundamentally alters the cooperative mission structure compared to its predecessor. Unlike Prophecies, where optional bonus missions existed and areas were often accessible without completion, Factions makes all missions compulsory for progression. The old bonus system is replaced by a three-tiered reward mechanism based on speed or specific objectives, such as keeping NPCs alive until the end of an encounter. Players earn gold, experience, and skill points at each tier, accelerating character development. The time required to reach the maximum level of twenty is reduced, with most areas designed specifically for high-level play. Skill acquisition has also shifted; instead of receiving skills solely through quests, players must purchase them from Skill Traders using earned currency. This modification streamlines the unlocking process, allowing players to customize their builds more rapidly once they achieve the cap level and begin focusing on skill point accumulation.

Alliances and Competitive Gameplay Modes

The game introduces a robust social layer through multi-guild Alliances and competitive missions. An Alliance allows up to ten guilds aligned with the same faction to unite under one name, competing for control of towns based on collective standing earned through donations. Players earn account-based faction points by completing PvE quests or participating in battles, which can be donated to their alliance or traded for armor crafting materials and skills if they choose not to contribute directly. A player's faction identity is determined by the majority of their unspent points. Furthermore, Factions adds competitive missions where two random teams of eight battle for objectives. In modes like The Jade Quarry, teams race to capture quarries and transport jade shipments back to base while securing watchtowers. If a player dies, they respawn at their base to rejoin the fight immediately, ensuring continuous engagement until the match concludes.