Quick answer
  • Choose the minion that fixes your build’s current bottleneck. Flying Fish King and Venom Queen offer different mana tools; Ancient Oak Treant supplies healing; damage picks depend on your skills and target debuffs.
  • There is no measured all-purpose winner here. The comparisons below use the effects listed on official legendary Rein tooltips.

Start with the problem you need to solve

Companion shortlist by purpose
Your needConsiderWhy it fits
Repeated mana shortagesFlying Fish KingMana Cost Reduction plus a temporary flat Mana Regen increase.
A refill during a long fightVenom QueenRestores a percentage of maximum Mana on its listed cooldown.
Reliable healing supportAncient Oak TreantAdds maximum Health and a periodic percentage-based heal.
Poison damageDread Sand ManticorePoison Damage passive and an ability that applies Poisoned.
Vulnerable synergyLord of the Crimson ValeProvides both a Vulnerable application and damage against Vulnerable enemies.
Strong Attack physical buildRedrock LordStrong Attack passive and a temporary Physical Damage buff.
Cooldown-focused critical buildLord of the CinderCooldown Reduction passive and a short Critical Hit Damage window.

These are tooltip-based matches, not a ranking from controlled damage tests. A damage bonus is only useful when your build can use its damage type or condition. If your character stops casting because it has no mana, a smaller-looking sustain bonus may solve a more important problem than another damage multiplier.

Flying Fish King versus Venom Queen

Flying Fish King lists +10% Mana Cost Reduction and Mana Monsoon, which grants +25 Mana Regen for 5 seconds on a 20-second cooldown. Venom Queen lists Mana Injection, restoring 15% of maximum Mana on a 10-second cooldown. The first changes costs and recovery over time; the second is a percentage refill.

Compare them during the part of a fight where mana actually runs out. Maximum Mana, ability costs and time spent waiting between casts can change the better choice. Do not turn the cooldown text into a guaranteed sustained mana-per-second result: actual activation timing and other interactions still matter.

Healing and defense have different jobs

Ancient Oak Treant lists a heal for 20% of maximum Health with a listed 12-second cooldown, alongside +10% maximum Health. Ancient Shellwarden instead offers +15% Armor and a Chill ability, but also carries a −10% Move Speed penalty. A defensive choice can therefore cost you clearing speed.

Bloodmoon Werewolf’s Life On Hit +10% should not be read as healing 10% of maximum Health on every attack. In an October 1 thread, the player checked the stat and agreed that it increased their existing Life On Hit value. Its separate ability supplies +30% Attack Speed for 5 seconds on a 10-second cooldown.

Compare two picks without changing everything

Keep the build steady

Use the same skills, gear, consumables and map for both companions. Otherwise you cannot tell which change mattered.

Watch the failure

For a boss, note whether the loss comes from an empty mana pool, a single lethal hit or health gradually falling behind. For farming, watch clear time and how often your cart fills.

Choose for this activity

Keep the safer minion for unstable runs. Revisit a damage or travel-oriented option once the run is dependable.

Collection and carriage capacity are separate considerations. A minion that helps win a boss fight may not be your preferred companion for a long unattended farming session. Check the capacity shown on your own minion panel instead of assuming every legendary has the same cart.

Sources and scope

Steam release; retained sources checked 9 October 2026. Patch-specific rules and player reports are identified where relevant. No hands-on verification.

Review status
Source-reviewed
Game version
Steam 1.0.x; source-specific dates and patch scope
Checked
Method
Article-specific retained-source review and editorial revision; current gameplay not tested. Retained source bundle checked for this release; no current-client gameplay test.
  1. Rein of the Dread Sand Manticore - Steam Community Market first-party

    Official named Rein tooltip: permanent minion unlock and listed passive/ability.

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  2. Rein of the Lord of the Crimson Vale — Steam Community Market first-party

    Official named Rein tooltip: permanent minion unlock and listed passive/ability.

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  3. Rein of the Ancient Oak Treant - Steam Community Market first-party

    Official named Rein tooltip: permanent minion unlock and listed passive/ability.

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  4. Rein of the Ancient Shellwarden - Steam Community Market first-party

    Official named Rein tooltip: permanent minion unlock and listed passive/ability.

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  5. Rein of the Redrock Lord - Steam Community Market first-party

    Official named Rein tooltip: permanent minion unlock and listed passive/ability.

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  6. Rein of the Venom Queen - Steam Community Market first-party

    Official named Rein tooltip: permanent minion unlock and listed passive/ability.

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  7. Rein of the Flying Fish King - Steam Community Market first-party

    Official named Rein tooltip: permanent minion unlock and listed passive/ability.

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  8. Rein of the Bloodmoon Werewolf - Steam Community Market first-party

    Official named Rein tooltip: permanent minion unlock and listed passive/ability.

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  9. Rein of the Lord of the Cinder - Steam Community Market first-party

    Official named Rein tooltip: permanent minion unlock and listed passive/ability.

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  10. Is Bloodmoon Werewolf companion not working correctly? :: Deskrawl: Idle ARPG General Discussions community

    Player clarifies the existing Life On Hit stat increase.

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