Once a month, the full moon rises, and the competitive spirit returns to The Tower.
Faction Wars are returning, disguised as the inferiorly named "Faction Rally." At 2 AM PST, Guardians can pick one of the Tower's coolest Factions, or if so inclined, Dead Orbit.
Upon pledging allegiance, Guardians will be charged with daily tasks: raiding Lost Sectors, doing battle in The Crucible and completing Strikes. In reward, they can receive tokens that can be exchanged for faction loot. Whichever faction receives the most tokens, wins.
Weapons
Each faction has an exclusive weapon, which will be sold, only if they win the Faction Rally. Members of the winning faction can acquire this weapon for just 1,000 glimmer, while the rest will have the option to buy it for 50,000.
New Monarchy
Future War Cult
Dead Orbit
Future War Cult fusion rifle is giving me flashbacks to my favorite fusion rifle in Destiny history: The Vacancy, a godly fusion that the cult offered in Destiny 1. The sword offered by New Monarchy, as well, is very appealing.
Shaders
Realistically, though, a huge draw for factions are their shaders. They're going to make up the bulk of the loot you receive.
In this category, New Monarchy clearly comes out on top. The gold-red combo is on the same moisture tier as the Raid shader. As much as it kills me to admit, the Dead Orbit shader can look pretty sweet on guns, and I've seen it look pretty slick on certain armor sets.
Weapons
There's no comparison here: Future War Cult dominates when it comes to weapons. Some standouts in general:
The Number
True Prophecy
Song of Justice
New Monarchy's 'Song of Justice' is the closest thing we'll get to the godly Halo DMR being in Destiny, so be sure to pick that up. I actually missed it in the last Faction Rally, but picked it up late from one of Cayde's Chests. It's a great gun, and FWC's Auto and Hand Canon are equally potent. Dead Orbit's weapons aren't standouts, but I have heard reasonably good chatter regarding the hand canon.
Overall, if you're in need of better weapons, Future War Cult's lineup is far stronger. New Monarchy has a few good weapons, but it's diluted by far more that are weaker. Trying to find a good Dead Orbit gun, though, is like fishing in a sewer.
Morality
If you love science and the lore surrounding the game's mysteries, Future War Cult has you covered. They're inquisitive, bold and ingenious.
If you're a patriot and a believer in rule of law, New Monarchy is your group. They've got loyalty and ethics in a time where both are rare.
If you're a masochist who hates good loot and think human civilization is a lost cause, Dead Orbit is just the place for you.
In sum, there's a valid choice between Future War Cult and New Monarchy. I can't imagine why anyone would go with Dead Orbit, but I'm sure people will.