Pets

Kingshot Pets: Build Order, Taming Marks and All 14 Pets

Pets look like a side system until you realize how much combat power sits in them. In this guide I break down what I've learned about unlocks, the refinement trap that eats Taming Marks, and the exact order I would build pets in, whether you spend or not.

Last updated 11 September 2026.

How to build the Beast Cage

The Beast Cage is the building that holds your pets. It unlocks once your server is 54 days old and your Town Center is at level 18, and the game walks you through building it with a short tutorial. Until both conditions are met the pet system stays hidden, which is why new players on a young server cannot find it. From then on the Generation 1 pets can be captured on the world map and tamed, and every later generation unlocks by server day, as the table below shows. The Beast Cage guide covers both unlock conditions, the Beast Whisperer starter event and what to do while you wait.

Pets unlock by server age, not by your progress

The Beast Cage opens once your server is 54 days old, together with Town Center level 18, and every player gets there at the same time no matter how fast they built. The generations then arrive after day 90, 140, 200, 280, 370 and 450, the schedule kingshot.wiki gives and the one in the table below. Other guides put Generation 2 and later up to about three weeks earlier, so treat those days as approximate.

Most pets also need the previous one at a set level, and that is the part people walk into: Cheetah needs Bison at 15, Moose needs Cheetah at 15, Lion needs Moose at 15, and from Generation 5 the gate moves up to level 30. Plan one pet ahead or the unlock day arrives while the pet before it is still level 8.

Advanced Taming Mark item tile from Kingshot

Leveling with Pet Food raises the primary squad attack and defense buffs, with an advancement step every 10 levels. That buff applies whether the pet's skill is on cooldown or not, and pets with the same level cap cost the same Pet Food to raise. Refinement is the part people get wrong: a Taming Mark rerolls all six secondary stats at once, some go up, some go down, and the mark is spent whether you keep the roll or not. Once a stat climbs into a higher rarity it can never fall back down, which is what makes refining worth it long term.

Banking your Taming Marks for event days is the single best habit in this system. Refining scores real points in events like KvK prep, leveling with Pet Food scores almost nothing. And keep Advanced Taming Marks for Epic tiers and above, they're wasted lower down.

There is a third layer above both of these that catches people out. Advancement is a step change rather than a gradual climb, charged at every tenth level. The first gates cost Growth Manuals alone, later ones add Nutrient Potions and then Promotion Medallions, and each pet page lists its own gates. Budget the materials against each other, because a gate only opens when every pile covers it. They are worth saving for a pet scoring window for the same reason Taming Marks are.

All 14 pets at a glance

Pet	Gen	Unlocks	Skill
Bison	1	After day 54	Grip of the Titan
Gray Wolf	1	After day 54	Construction Aide
Lynx	1	After day 54	Comforting Embrace
Cheetah	2	After day 90	Scent Mastery
Moose	2	After day 90	Horror Stare
Grizzly Bear	3	After day 140	The Howler
Lion	3	After day 140	Gift of the King
Giant Rhino	4	After day 200	Wild Charge
Mighty Bison	4	After day 200	Fearless Roar
Alpha Black Panther	5	After day 280	Deadly Bite
Great Moose	5	After day 280	Antler Impact
Ironclad War Elephant	6	After day 370	Elephant's Guard
Regal White Lion	6	After day 370	Territorial Power
Ironclad War Bear	7	After day 450	Ursa's Rage

The build order I would follow

F2P: Gray Wolf and Bison early because they're what you have, then everything into Lion from day 140. Its digs hand you Forgehammers, Truegold and charm items every day or two, and those compound across your whole account. Cheetah bridges the gap with free Pet Food. Cap Lynx at level 20, that covers your four daily Pet Adventures and not a point more.

Spenders: Mighty Bison first, because more troops per march wins fights even at lower stats, then Giant Rhino and Grizzly Bear. Rhino and Mighty Bison also give the biggest refinement returns, so Advanced Marks go there.

Before a Bear Hunt rally: activate Mighty Bison, Alpha Black Panther and Giant Rhino, and Great Moose if you're the one calling the rally. One classic waste to avoid: Moose's Horror Stare does nothing against the bear, it has no health bar to shrink.

Pet tier list for free-to-play

Two public tier lists, kingshotwin's and Kingshot Handbook's, agree on the top of the order and split on Generations 5 and 6. The tiers below keep what they agree on and say where they part ways.

Priority	Pets	Why
Level first	Lion, Mighty Bison	Lion's daily digs pay Forgehammers, Truegold and charm material. Mighty Bison adds up to 15,000 squad capacity for two hours on every rally you lead.
Level on the way	Cheetah, Bison, Giant Rhino	Cheetah finds 200 to 500 Pet Food a day and Bison completes a resource tile instantly. Giant Rhino has to reach level 30 before Mighty Bison unlocks.
Only to the gate	Moose, Grizzly Bear, Gray Wolf, Lynx	Moose at 15 unlocks Lion, Grizzly Bear at 15 unlocks Giant Rhino, and Lynx at 20 covers the four daily Pet Adventures.
By your role	Great Moose, Alpha Black Panther, Regal White Lion, Ironclad War Elephant	Kingshot Handbook rates them S, kingshotwin B or C for free-to-play. Great Moose's rally capacity pays off if you are the one calling rallies.
Not rated yet	Ironclad War Bear	Too new for either list.

Gen 4 pets: Giant Rhino and Mighty Bison

Both are worth levelling. Giant Rhino's Wild Charge adds 2.5% attack to all squads at skill level 1 and 10% at level 10, for two hours on a 20-hour cooldown. Mighty Bison's Fearless Roar adds 1,500 to 15,000 squad capacity on the same timer, and it tops every tier list we checked. Their refinement caps are several times a Gen 1 pet's, which is also what carries you through the Mystic Trial's Forest of Life.

Gen 7: Ironclad War Bear

The only Gen 7 pet, unlocking after about 450 server days. Its skill, Ursa's Rage, cuts enemy squad defense by 2.5% at skill level 1 and 10% at level 10 for two hours. It is an attacker's pet, and until a tier list covers it, level it once Lion and Mighty Bison are where you want them.

Frequently asked questions

When do pets unlock in Kingshot?

By server age. The Beast Cage opens once your server is 54 days old and your Town Center is level 18, and the later generations follow after day 90, 140, 200, 280, 370 and 450. Guides give somewhat earlier days for Generation 2 onwards, so treat those as approximate. Most pets also need the one before them at level 15, or level 30 from Generation 5 onwards.

What are Taming Marks and when should I use them?

Refinement currency. A mark rerolls all six secondary stats of a pet at once, and it gets used up whether you keep or discard the roll. Spend Common Marks on lower tiers, save Advanced Marks for Epic and above, and ideally refine on event days that score points for it.

Which pet should F2P players build first?

Lion, as soon as it unlocks after server day 140. Its digs feed you Forgehammers, Truegold and charm items that make every march stronger. Until then, Cheetah pays for itself through free Pet Food.

What is the best pet tier list for F2P?

Lion and Mighty Bison at the top, which both public tier lists agree on. Then Cheetah, Bison and Giant Rhino, and the gate pets (Moose, Grizzly Bear, Gray Wolf, Lynx) only as far as the next unlock needs. The Gen 5 and 6 pets split the lists, so level them by the role you play.

Are Gen 4 pets worth levelling?

Yes. Mighty Bison adds up to 15,000 squad capacity for two hours and tops every tier list, and Giant Rhino adds up to 10% attack to all squads and has to reach level 30 before Mighty Bison unlocks anyway.

Do refinement stats from different pets stack?

Yes, additively across all your pets at the same time. That is why refining a second pet is often better value than chasing the top tier on one.