Treat the Pets page as a route test list. Pick the hero problem first: slow waves, boss stalls, survival pressure, or a route that needs less attention. A pet earns priority when it changes that route, not when it looks rare in the collection.

Read pet data next to Heroes, Runes, Gear, and Farm. Use the same route, the same build, and a small batch of clears before you move a pet from collection goal to active build slot.

Define the hero problem first

A pet can only be judged after you know the hero's problem. If the hero clears waves slowly, a pet that improves pressure may be valuable. If the hero reaches bosses comfortably but loses time there, boss-phase support may matter more. If the hero already clears safely, a pet that only adds safety may be less urgent than one that improves route speed.

Start pet planning on Heroes and finish it on Farm. Check the pet record for the companion's job. Use route results to decide whether it changed your farm. A fun pet with no route gain can stay in the collection plan while another companion takes the progression slot.

Avoid collection bias

Players often overvalue the pet they just unlocked because it is visible and exciting. That is collection bias. A new pet deserves testing, but it should still be compared with the companion that already supports your route. If the old pet keeps the route stable while the new pet only changes a number that does not matter, the old pet may remain better for now.

Before you spend, run the same route with both pets using the same hero, gear, rune setup, and route goal. Compare clear time, failure rate, and whether the route feels more repeatable. Do not judge from one run. Use several clean clears, especially if the pet's value depends on timing or enemy behavior.

Create a two-pet test sheet before spending materials: pet, hero, route, build, three clean clear times, failures, and one note about attention cost. Run the incumbent first, then the new pet, then the incumbent again if the result is close. That order catches warm-up drift and build changes. When the new pet wins only on the fastest run but loses on repeatability, keep it as a future option. When it improves the median clear or removes failures, move it into the active slot and retest gear and runes. Use the note again after a patch, because pet timing changes can make an old result stale. Do not merge those tests with unrelated material farms.

  • Test pets on the same route before changing the rest of the build.
  • Compare repeatability, not only best clear time.
  • Keep collection goals separate from progression priorities.

Match pets with runes and gear

Pets rarely act alone. A pet can make a rune more valuable by supporting the same pattern, or it can reduce the need for a defensive gear piece by making a route safer. The opposite is also true: if gear already solves survival, a defensive pet may be redundant. Good pet choice comes from the whole build, not the pet card in isolation.

Recalibrate the farming optimizer after a pet changes route speed. A companion that improves the high stable route more than the 1-1 baseline can move the best farm. At that point, you have a route upgrade in the pet slot.

A pet can change gear and rune priority. Safety support can free the next upgrade for damage. Better wave control can make boss support the missing piece. Test the companion before you spend on a permanent rune or a difficult gear target, because the bottleneck may move after one pet swap.

Limitations and update checks

Use the pet database for structured records, then test the pet with your timing, route choice, and risk tolerance. Some pet value only appears after repeated runs. Some pets look strong but do not change the actual route outcome. Treat the page as a testing shortlist rather than a permanent ranking.

Checked against site data on June 19, 2026. Report outdated pet records with the pet, hero, route, game version, and the difference you saw. A correction with those fields updates the source data so collection pages and route guidance stay aligned.

Separate pet collection from pet deployment. Collection means you want the companion in the account. Deployment means it deserves the current route slot. A pet can fit a future build and still lose today's farm test. Keep the route label from each test so you know which job the companion handled.

Record the rejected pet too.