Pets , also known as Familiars , are friendly entities that hover over the hero's shoulders. Most pets attack nearby enemies automatically or provide passive effects to heroes or defenses.
Heroes can only equip one pet at a time, except for the Summoner who can use two pets at once.
Pet Progression
Like other pieces of equipment, Pets can be leveled up and customized. They also grow in size as they gain levels; this affects the attack range of melee pets. It is otherwise simply cosmetic.
Pets can be leveled up through direct mana investment or experience (PC only). All experience points the hero earns counts as free mana investment into the pet.
Unlocking Pets
Several pets will not be available for sale at a player's Tavern Shop until the player has completed all the particular requirements in order to unlock the pet. Players must all note that even after completing a pet's unlock conditions, it may not immediately be available for sale at the Tavern Shop.
The chance of an unlocked pet being available for sale at the tavern shop is dependent on its rarity.
Rarity
A general guide to the rarity of finding a pet in your Tavern Shop :
Campaign Completion Pets
These pets are rewarded for completing certain maps on Campaign Mode . Hero guardians and animi can be sold by the tavernkeep once the player has cleared The Summit .
Hero Guardians
These pets do not attack. Instead, their Defense Boost stat offers various enhancing effects to hero's defenses. Defenses boosted by a guardian emit a purple starbursts which correspond to the starburst in the guardian's hands.
Hero Animi
These offensive pets can only be equipped to their corresponding hero class or heroes that can use that class's weapons. The Jester can equip any animus, because she can use any weapon. Likewise, a Summoner is unable equip any of these pets, because he has no weapons.
Survival Reward Pets
These pets become available after reaching at least Wave 15 or beating the final wave (Wave 25 at the earliest) on a particular map on either Survival or Pure Strategy Mode , on any difficulty.
When deciding to skip waves on PC, players must start on at least two waves prior to receive the corresponding Survival Reward Pet.
Classic Campaign Survival Pets
Griffon
Rarity
Special
Platforms
Common
Splash lightning damage from up to 3 projectiles.
PC/Console/Mobile
Level Requirement
Where
N/A
The Deeper Well - Reaching Wave 15.
Steam Robot
Rarity
Special
Platforms
Uncommon
Physical AoE melee damage with knockback.
PC/Console
Level Requirement
Where
N/A
Foundries and Forges - Reaching Wave 15, or Omenak - Reaching Wave 30.
Serpent
Rarity
Special
Platforms
Uncommon
Splash poison ranged damage from up to 3 blobs.
PC/Console/Mobile
Level Requirement
Where
N/A
Magus Quarters - Reaching Wave 15, or Infested Ruins - Reaching Wave 30.
Tiger
Rarity
Special
Platforms
Common
Physical melee damage with knockback.
PC/Console/Mobile
Level Requirement
Where
N/A
Castle Armory - Reaching Wave 15.
Genie
Rarity
Special
Platforms
Rare
Gives mana based on the amount of damage dealt.
PC/Console/Mobile
Level Requirement
Where
N/A
Hall of Court - Reaching Wave 15, or Coastal Bazaar - Reaching Wave 25.
Hawk
Rarity
Special
Platforms
Common
Physical ranged damage.
PC/Console/Mobile
Level Requirement
Where
N/A
The Ramparts - Reaching Wave 15.
Imp
Rarity
Special
Platforms
Rare
Consumes the hero's mana to automatically heal nearby defenses during combat.
PC/Console/Mobile
Level Requirement
Where
N/A
Endless Spires - Reaching Wave 15, or Emerald City - Reaching Wave 25.
Dragon (Familiar)
Rarity
Special
Platforms
Common
Deals splash fire damage with up to 3 projectiles.
PC/Console/Mobile
Level Requirement
Where
N/A
The Summit - Reaching Wave 15.
Giraffe on Treadmill
Rarity
Special
Platforms
Ultra-Unique
Extra base stats.
PC/Console
Level Requirement
Where
N/A
Default reward for clearing the final wave of most survivals.
Never sold by the Tavernkeep .
Nessie
[[|80px|center]]
Rarity
Special
Platforms
Ultra-Unique
Extra base stats, always 100 across the board.
PC
Level Requirement
Where
17
The Deeper Well - Beating the final wave (Wave 25) on Easy difficulty.
DLC Survival Pets
These pets are never sold by the Tavernkeep , even if the host has obtained them and has DLC for their corresponding map(s).
Seahorse
Rarity
Special
Platforms
Rare
Sprays up to six poison projectiles at enemies to attack.
PC
Level Requirement
Where
N/A
Aquanos - Reaching Wave 20, or Temple of Water - Reaching Wave 30.
Propeller Cat
Rarity
Special
Platforms
Rare
Boosts the player's Hero Damage . Up to three nearby heroes can also be boosted.
Never rolls above Mythical quality .
PC
Level Requirement
Where
<=74
Sky City - Reaching Wave 25.
Cowboy Monkey
Rarity
Special
Platforms
Rare
Long-ranged, high-damage shots.
Heals players below 50% health or when they are no enemies to attack.
PC/Console
Level Requirement
Where
N/A
Karathiki Jungle - Reaching Wave 15, or Akatiti Jungle - Reaching Wave 25.
Consoles: Becoming a Playstation Plus member.
Dice
Rarity
Special
Platforms
Ultra-Unique
Variable melee damage; grants the hero mana per enemy hit.
High stat bonuses. Boosts the hero's movement speed by 10%.
PC
Level Requirement
Where
N/A
The King's Game - Reaching Wave 25.
Skeleton on Treadmill
Rarity
Special
Platforms
Ultra-Unique
Extra base stats; increases the hero's movement speed by 11%.
PC
Level Requirement
Where
N/A
Winter Wonderland - Beating the final wave (Wave 35), or Arcane Library - Beating the final wave (Wave 30).
Moon
Rarity
Special
Platforms
Ultra-Unique
High stat bonuses. Reduces gravity on the player by 20%; they jump higher and fall slower.
PC
Level Requirement
Where
90
Moonbase - Beating the final wave (Wave 35).
Lost Quest Survival Pets
These pets are exclusively obtained from survivals on The Lost Quest maps.
Polly
Rarity
Special
Platforms
Ultra-Unique
Similar to the Cowboy Monkey . This parrot attacks faster, but does not heal heroes.
PC
Level Requirement
Where
N/A
Buccaneer Bay - Reaching Wave 25.
Ember Pony
Rarity
Special
Platforms
Ultra-Unique
Does very high fire elemental damage.
PC
Level Requirement
Where
N/A
Embermount Volcano - Reaching Wave 30.
Fenix
Rarity
Special
Platforms
Ultra-Unique
Similar to an Ember Pony , but rolls with an extra projectile.
PC
Level Requirement
Where
N/A
Embermount Volcano - Reaching Wave 35.
Animorphic Ember
Rarity
Special
Platforms
Ultra-Unique
Very high stat bonuses. Each stat can roll up to 825 or be upgraded to 800 max.
Never rolls with Hero Damage .
PC
Level Requirement
Where
100
Embermount Volcano - Beating the final wave (Wave 40).
Desert Goblin
Rarity
Special
Platforms
Ultra-Unique
Shoots arrows that damage enemies and heal injured allies.
Targets players that are below 50% health or when they are no enemies to attack.
PC
Level Requirement
Where
N/A
Emerald City - Beating the final wave (Wave 35).
Mini Spider Queen
Rarity
Special
Platforms
Ultra-Unique
Sprays webs at enemies, causing them to take double damage. Does not work against bosses.
PC
Level Requirement
Where
N/A
Crystalline Resurgence: Part 1 - Beating the final wave (Wave 35).
Mini Snowman
Rarity
Special
Platforms
Ultra-Unique
Throws volleys of snowballs which deal physical splash damage.
PC
Level Requirement
Where
N/A
Winter Mire - Reaching Wave 25
Turkey on a Treadmill
Rarity
Special
Platforms
Ultra-Unique
Very high stat bonuses. Each stat can roll up to 750 or be upgraded to 700 max.
Increases the hero's movement speed by 55%.
PC
Level Requirement
Where
93
Winter Mire - Beating the final wave (Wave 35).
Harpoon (Pet)
Rarity
Special
Platforms
Ultra-Unique
A pet version of the Harpoon Turret . It rapid-fires harpoons at enemies with high accuracy.
Always Transcendent quality with 200 upgrade levels.
PC
Level Requirement
Where
78
Reach Wave 30 of Survival Mode on Magus Citadel .
Mini Mech
Rarity
Special
Platforms
Ultra-Unique
Shoots bullets at close range and homing rockets from afar.
PC
Level Requirement
Where
N/A
Omenak - Beating the final wave (Wave 35).
Wasp (Pet)
Rarity
Special
Platforms
Ultra-Unique
Melee and ranged attacks. The latter deals poison overtime after hitting an enemy.
PC
Level Requirement
Where
N/A
Infested Ruins - Reaching Wave 25.
Mini Wasp Queen
[[|80px|center]]
Rarity
Special
Platforms
Ultra-Unique
Melee and ranged attacks.
PC
Level Requirement
Where
N/A
Infested Ruins - Beating the final wave (Wave 35).
Challenge Reward Pets
These pets become available after completing a particular Challenge .
Rainbow Unicorn
Rarity
Special
Platforms
Ultra-Unique
Casts enemy-piercing rainbows to attack.
PC
Level Requirement
Where
N/A
Assault Challenge Mission Pack - Rewarded after completing each part in succession, on the same difficulty settings.
Goblin Cupid
Rarity
Special
Platforms
Ultra-Unique
Shoots piercing arrows that damage enemies and heal injured allies.
Targets players that are below 50% health or when they are no enemies to attack.
PC
Level Requirement
Where
N/A
Sky O' Love .
Mummy
Rarity
Special
Platforms
Ultra-Unique
Mixed elemental damage. Its shots pass through walls.
PC
Level Requirement
Where
N/A
Tomb of Etheria
Achievement Reward Pets
These pets become available after attaining a particular Achievement .
Chicken (Familiar)
Rarity
Special
Platforms
Ultra-Unique
Deals Heroic splash damage with both ranged and melee attacks. Knocks back enemies in melee and shoots eggs at distant monsters.
PC/Console
Level Requirement
Where
N/A
Unlock all non-DLC achievements in the original game
Kain
Rarity
Special
Platforms
Ultra-Unique
Consumes the hero's mana to automatically heal nearby defenses during combat.
Mobile
Level Requirement
Where
N/A
Obtained by earning the Legendary Defender achievement.
Weighted Companion Cube
Rarity
Special
Platforms
Ultra-Unique
Similar to the Dice pet. It tackles enemies which gives mana per enemy hit.
This pet always has the same stats and upgrade levels.
PC
Level Requirement
Where
N/A
One-time reward for finishing all of the original Challenges on Nightmare with Hardcore Mode enabled.
Pets Obtainable By Non-conventional Ways
These pets are not rewarded from just completing a map. There are extra steps you need to do so you get them.
Fish in a Bowl
Rarity
Special
Platforms
Ultra-Unique
High stat bonuses.
PC
Level Requirement
Where
70
Complete the hidden puzzle in the Moonbase and then finish the map (on Campaign Mode ).
Treadmill on a Treadmill
Rarity
Special
Platforms
Ultra-Unique
Very high stat bonuses. Increases movement speed by 45%.
PC
Level Requirement
Where
100
Complete the hidden puzzle in the Moonbase , get a 42 on the DDR machine and then finish the map on Nightmare Campaign .
Exclusive Pets
These pets are given to players as incentives for purchasing the game from a particular online distributor.
Steam Bonus Pets
Medic - TF2 Bonus
Rarity
Special
Platforms
Ultra-Unique
Heals players.
PC - Steam
Level Requirement
Where
25
Steam
Heavy - TF2 Bonus
Rarity
Special
Platforms
Ultra-Unique
Physical ranged damage.
PC - Steam
Level Requirement
Where
25
Steam
Engineer - TF2 Bonus
Rarity
Special
Platforms
Ultra-Unique
Repairs nearby towers automatically, at the cost of mana.
PC - Steam
Level Requirement
Where
25
Steam
Pyro - TF2 Bonus
Rarity
Special
Platforms
Ultra-Unique
Short-ranged fire damage.
PC - Steam
Level Requirement
Where
25
Steam
Pre-Order Pets
???
Argo
Rarity
Special
Platforms
Ultra-Unique
Vampiric poison missiles
PC
Level Requirement
Where
N/A
GamersGate
Archimedes
Rarity
Special
Platforms
Ultra-Unique
Occasionally heals player
PC
Level Requirement
Where
N/A
Impulse
Mephisto
Rarity
Special
Platforms
Ultra-Unique
Consumes the hero's mana to automatically heal nearby defenses during combat.
PC
Level Requirement
Where
N/A
Direct2Drive
Nagi
Rarity
Special
Platforms
Ultra-Unique
Ranged fire attack
PC
Level Requirement
Where
N/A
Amazon
Notes
The quality of pets is unaffected by neither Pure Strategy or Mix Mode . However, Hardcore Mode does affect pet quality, as does the level of difficulty the level is played on.
Myth : The melee attack range of pets increases as they grow in size.
History
PC
7.18 : Several changes were made to pets used on Nightmare Difficulty
The effectiveness of mythical quality pets is now determined by a player's Hero Damage Stat .
All DPS pets now deal 10% more damage
Normal non-heroic damage-dealing pets (e.g. Tiger ) damage increased (9x)
Rainbow Unicorns damage halved
Laser Robot damage halved
Overall effectiveness increased for elemental damage-dealing pets (1.5x), melee damage-dealing pets (1.25x)
Imp hero defense repair rate increased (4x)
Fairy hero healing rate increased (5x)