Rare and epic pets are where Build a Base and Steal transitions from a casual collection game to a strategic progression game. Common and uncommon pets provide the foundation, but rare and epic pets provide the income that funds your walls, your gear upgrades, and your legendary pet chases. This guide covers the current rare and epic pet roster, their income multipliers, the collection bonuses that Rare Tier
The rare tier contains roughly 30 to 40 individual pets, distributed across 8 to 10 families. Each family has 3 to 5 related pets, and each family has a collection bonus that activates when the full set is completed. Rare pets generate 2x to 3x the base income rate of common pets, depending on the specific pet and the active family bonus. A complete rare family can generate as much income as several legendary pets, which is why experienced players prioritize rare family completion.
The drop rate for rare pets is roughly 7 to 10 percent, meaning that a player will receive a rare pet every 10 to 14 rolls on average. The pity system guarantees a rare within 50 rolls, which provides a hard upper bound on how much a guaranteed rare will cost. At the standard roll price, a guaranteed rare requires a budget of 50 rolls, which is the foundation of the rare pet chasing strategy.
Top Rare Families
The top rare families in Build a Base and Steal combine strong collection bonuses with pets that have unique design elements. The Dragon Den family, the Phoenix Flock family, and the Unicorn Herd family are typical top performers, with collection bonuses that boost the entire family by 1.3x to 1.5x when completed. These families are also visually distinctive, which makes them desirable to collectors and traders alike.
A second tier of rare families offers solid bonuses that are not quite as strong as the top tier. These families are still worth completing, and they often the income from a complete mid-tier family is more reliable than the income from a partial legendary collection.
The bottom tier of rare families have weak collection bonuses or include pets that are particularly difficult to roll. These families are usually skipped by experienced players, who prefer to invest their rolling budget in the top tier families. The exception is during events, where even the weakest rare family might become valuable due to event-specific bonuses.
Rare Pet Trading Value
Rare pets have substantial trading value, with prices typically ranging from 5x to 20x the cost of a single roll. The exact price depends on the specific pet, its family, the current meta, and the activity level of the trading market. A rare pet from a top family might sell for 15 to 20 rolls, while a rare pet from a weak family might sell for 5 to 8 rolls.
The trading market for rare pets is the most active segment of the Build a Base and Steal economy. Most active players trade rare pets regularly, and the market has a well-developed price discovery mechanism based on the trading hub's recent transactions. The trader who learns to read this market can generate significant cash, and many top players fund their legendary pet collections entirely through rare pet trading.
The Epic Tier
The epic tier is the bridge between the rare and legendary tiers. It contains roughly 20 to 30 individual pets, distributed across 5 to 8 families. Epic pets generate 3x to 5x the base income rate of common pets, and their collection bonuses are substantially stronger than the rare ones. A complete epic family can generate more income than a small1.5 to 3 percent, meaning that a player will receive an epic pet every 35 to 65 rolls on average. The pity system guarantees an epic within 100 rolls, which provides a hard upper bound on the cost of a guaranteed epic. A guaranteed epic requires a budget of 100 rolls at the standard price, which is a substantial but manageable investment for most mid-game players.
Top Epic Families
The top epic families in Build a Base and Steal are the most valuable collections in the game outside of the legendary tier. The Cosmic Cats family, the Shadow Serpents family, and the Crystal Creatures family are typical top performers, with collection bonuses that boost the entire family by 1.5x to 2.0x when completed. These families are also the most expensive to complete, with full collection costs often in the hundreds of rolls.
A complete epic family is a serious achievement in Build a Base and Steal. Most mid-game players have one or two complete epic families, and only experienced players have three or more. The income from a complete epic family is enough to fund a substantial base defense and a steady legendary pet chase, which is why the epic tier is the foundation of the end-game economy.
Epic Pet Trading Value
Epic pets have very high trading value, with prices typically ranging from 30x to 100x the cost of a single roll. The exact price depends on the pet, its family, and the current meta, but epic pets are always among the most valuable items in the trading market. A single epic pet from a top family might sell for enough cash market for rare pets, because epic pets are rarer and most players do not have the cash to buy them outright. Instead, epic pets are usually traded in multi-pet packages, where a player offers several rare pets plus cash in exchange for the epic pet. These trades require careful negotiation and a good understanding of the market, which is why epic pet trading is usually reserved for experienced players.
Strategies for Rare and Epic Pets
The optimal strategy for rare and epic pets depends on your current progression stage and your goals. For new players, the priority should be to acquire at least one rare pet and one epic pet as soon as possible, because the income boost from these pets is enough to accelerate the rest of the progression. The specific pet does not matter much at this stage; the goal is to have a rare and an epic in the collection, not to have the best possible rare and epic.
For intermediate players, the priority should shift to family completion. Pick one rare family and one epic family to focus on, and roll specifically for those families until they are complete. The income from a complete family is much higher than the income from a partial collection of the strongest individual pets, which is why family completion is the most efficient use of the rolling budget.
For advanced players, the priority should be to maintain a balanced collection across all rarities. A player with a complete epic family, two complete rare families, and a strong legendary collection is in a much better position than a player who missing pieces, rather than relying entirely on rolling.
Common Mistakes with Mid-Tier Pets
The most common mistake with rare and epic pets is over-rolling for a specific pet that is not worth the cost. Some players fall in love with a particular pet and spend their entire rolling budget trying to obtain it, only to realize later that the pet is not as valuable as they thought. The fix is to set a per-pet rolling budget and to walk away if the budget is exhausted without success.
The second most common mistake is ignoring the trading market. Some players roll exclusively for rare and epic pets, when they could acquire the same pets more cheaply through trading. The market has prices for every rare and epic pet, and the player who learns to read the market can usually find better deals than the player who relies on rolling alone.
The third most common mistake is selling valuable family pieces during a panic. A player who needs cash for a wall upgrade or a gear purchase might sell a rare pet from a top family for a discount, not realizing that the same pet is worth much more to a player who is trying to complete that family. Before you sell any rare or epic pet, check the market to see what the pet is actually worth, and consider whether the cash you need is really worth the long-term value you are giving up.
Long-Term Value and Collection Goals
The long-term value of rare and epic pets in Build a Base and Steal is substantial. A well-organized mid-tier and as new players enter the market. The player who builds a thoughtful mid-tier collection is the player who has a steady source of income and trading capital for the rest of their Build a Base and Steal career.
A reasonable one-year collection goal is to have at least one complete rare family, one partial epic family (3 of 5 pets), and at least one legendary pet. This goal is achievable for most active players, and it provides a strong foundation for the long-term progression. Players who have reached this goal are usually ready to start focusing on the legendary tier, which is the next major progression milestone.
See Also
Quick Stats Reference
| Element | Typical Value | Best Use |
|---|---|---|
| Cash per minute | 50 - 500 | Track in your daily log |
| Rolls per hour | 20 - 80 | Budget for events |
| Walls per layer | 4 - 8 | Defensive core design |
| Pets per base | 12 - 25 | Income + defense mix |
| Raid attempts/day | 3 - 10 | Energy and target rotation |
FAQ
Does this strategy work for both solo players and teams?
The principles are the same for solo and team play. Players who internalize this idea tend to progress faster than players who focus on memorizing specific actions, because the underlying principle adapts to the changing meta while specific actions become outdated with each patch.
What should I do if the strategy stops working after a patch?
Read the patch notes carefully and look for pets list system changes. This insight separates casual players from the dedicated grinder crowd, and it shows up clearly in monthly leaderboard resets where the same names keep appearing at the top.
Where can I find more detailed information about this topic?
The official wiki, the community Discord, and the developer blog are the best sources. Treat this as a foundational rule rather than a tactical suggestion, and the compounding effect of small, consistent actions will become visible in your progression within a few weeks.
How does pets list interact with the trading economy?
The trading economy and pets list interact constantly. pets list outputs feed trades. This is the kind of meta-strategy that does not appear in any specific guide, but it is what the most successful players in the pets list area of the game have all learned to do.
What is the best time of day to focus on pets list?
Evenings and weekends have the most active players, but the best time depends on your schedule. The most experienced players treat this as a foundational concept rather than a tactical tip, and that framing makes the difference between long-term progression and short-term frustration.