Genetics and Appearance
From Grouse House Wiki
This guide goes into detail on how every aspect of Wolvden's genetics system works, including bases, eyes, and everything else!
Base Genetics
Base Genetics
Each base has its own genetics that determine how it passes through breeding. Bases are given three categorizations based on its appearance and rarity. You can view the genetics of a wolf's base on their page, under the Looks section.
The Looks section of a wolf's page.
"Muted Dark II" is the base genetics of the base displayed above, Pecan. These are the three categories that the base was assigned, and they can be read in the order of Color, Shade, Rarity. The percentage in parentheses next to the wolf's base name is the percentage of wolves in the game that also have that base. So, in this screenshot, 0.36% of all wolves in the game have the Pecan base.
There are four main color groups which most bases will be assigned -- Cool, Muted, Warm, and Monochrome. The categorization is based on the general appearance of the base. There are also Special color bases, which are categorized as such due to their extra rarity rather than their actual color. (More details about Special bases are available later in this guide.) Breeding similar colors together will help make breeding outcomes more predictable. For example, breeding a Cool base with another Cool base will guarantee that all pups from the breeding will also have Cool bases.
In addition to colors, bases come in three different shades -- Light, Medium, and Dark. This is based on how "bright" the base appears.
The final categorization, rarity, is either I, II, or III. This value shows how difficult the base is to obtain. A rarity of I means that it is very common, while a rarity of III means that it is very rare. Special bases do not have rarities in genetics, so their rarity is instead represented by *. Tier I bases are the easiest to breed, and Tier III bases are the most difficult to breed.
Base Pass Rates
Base Pass Rates
When considering the pass rates of bases, it's important to note that base genetics is not a matter of "this base x this base = that base". Rather, the bases that are produced from a breeding are determined by the genetics of the base (the color group, shade, and rarity) instead of the base itself.
When crossed, some color groups are less compatible with each other, and end up producing less predictable outcomes. If you would like to have a guaranteed chance to get a certain color group or shade, make sure to pair wolves together that will produce only those categories.
Below are outlines of the possible outcomes of certain category combinations. The separate categories do not affect each other and are all calculated separately. For example, a parent having a Warm base will not affect the base shade of the offspring. These tables do not include specific probabilities of getting each outcome, because specifics have not been revealed by developers.
| Color | |
| Cool + Cool | Cool |
| Cool + Muted | Cool, Muted, Monochrome |
| Cool + Warm | Cool, Muted, Warm, Monochrome |
| Cool + Monochrome | Cool, Monochrome |
| Muted + Muted | Cool, Muted, Warm, Monochrome |
| Muted + Warm | Muted, Warm, Monochrome |
| Muted + Monochrome | Muted, Monochrome |
| Warm + Warm | Warm |
| Warm + Monochrome | Muted, Warm, Monochrome |
| Monochrome + Monochrome | Monochrome |
| Shade | |
| Light + Light | Light |
| Light + Medium | Light, Medium |
| Light + Dark | Light, Medium, Dark |
| Medium + Medium | Light, Medium, Dark |
| Medium + Dark | Medium, Dark |
| Dark + Dark | Dark |
| Rarity | |
| I + I | I |
| I + II | I, II |
| I + III | I, II, III |
| II + II | I, II |
| II + III | I, II, III |
| III + III | I, II, III |
Special Circumstances
Special Circumstances
Breeding Bases with Matching Categories
On top of the chances presented with normal genetics, breeding bases with matching categories -- being the same color group, shade, and rarity -- result in those specific bases having an additional 25% chance of passing directly to the pup. If the bases bred have the same color group and shade, but not the same rarity, the additional chance drops based on how far the rarities are apart. If the rarities are one step apart, the additional chance will be 5%, while if the rarities are two steps apart, the chance will be dropped to 0.5%.
For example, if you breed a Warm Medium I base to a Warm Medium III base, there will be an additional 0.5% chance on top of normal pass rates that the pup produced will have the same base as one of their parents. If you breed a Warm Medium II base to a Warm Medium III base, there will be an additional 5% chance for either base to pass directly to the pup. Finally, if you breed two Warm Medium IIIs together, there is an additional 25% chance for the pup to get either of the parents' bases.
This information was originally detailed in a Wolvden Tumblr post about genetics.
Special Bases
Unlike other bases, Special bases can only be obtained through breeding if one of the parents has the same specific Special base. A wolf with a Special base cannot produce any Special base other than its own. Do note that Special bases do not have a rarity, and are not a tier, hence their tier being represented by a *. When this guide refers to "any tier", Special bases are excluded from this. Special bases are completely separate from each other and do not share any overall tier category.
Breeding two different Special bases together has the chance to fail to any color group and rarity, though the shades of the Special bases are taken into consideration when determining which bases can be produced.
A Special base bred to a base of a different color group has the chance to either produce that Special base, or any base within the color group of the other parent. For example, a Special x Cool pairing will fail to Cool bases only.
Below are some other examples of Special base breedings that are possible.
- Special Light (Selene) x Special Light (Selene) = Any Light base (any tier or color), or Selene
- Special Light (Selene) x Special Dark (Losna) = Any base (any tier, shade, or color), or Selene or Losna
- Special Light (Selene) x Warm Light III = Any Warm Light base or Selene
- Special Medium (Luna) x any Tier I or Tier II base = Any Tier base from the non-special base's colour group, or Luna
You cannot breed any normal bases together to get a Special base. For example, you cannot breed two Tier III bases together to get a Special base. In order to breed a specific Special base, one of the parents must have that specific base.
The only Special bases currently available are obtainable using applicators purchased or obtained during events.
Losna, a special base.Base Catalogue
Base Catalogue
The following section lists every single base in the game, including the genetics of the base as well as how the bases are obtained.
It is important to note that every base in the game can be obtained by breeding the right bases together, including bases not listed as "Breed Only" below.
If you'd like to see what bases are possible from a given pairing, or what you'd need to breed in order to achieve a specific base, take a look at this Base Calculator!
Detailed explanations of the obtention tags are below.
Customization: This base can be obtained through Base Changers or the Wolf Customizer.
NBW: This base can be found on basic befriended wolves.
Starter Wolf Creator: This base can be applied to your starter wolves with the starter wolf creator, or added to a rerolled lead wolf.
Breed Only: This base can only be obtained through breeding.
Special NBW: This base can be found on [rated befriended wolves].
Crafted Applicator: This base can be applied using a specific applicator obtained through [crafting].
Lunar Event Applicator: This base can be applied using a specific applicator obtained from the monthly Lunar Event.
Matchmaker Applicator: This base can be applied using a specific applicator obtained from February's Matchmaker Event.
Cataclysms Applicator: This base can be applied using a specific applicator obtained from August's [Cataclysms Event].
Coigreach Applicator: This base can be applied using a specific applicator obtained from November's [Coigreach Event].
Cool
| Cool | |||
| Light I | |||
 Aquamarine |
 Glaucous |
 Honeydew |
|
| Breed Only | Customization, NBW, Starter Wolf Creator | Customization | |
| Light II | |||
 Chrysoberyl |
 Lavender |
 Pale |
 Sky |
| Breed Only | Breed Only | Customization | Special NBW |
| Light III | |||
 Larimar |
 Opal |
 Squid |
|
| Breed Only | Breed Only | Breed Only | |
| Medium I | |||
 Beryl |
 Blue |
 Khaki |
|
| Breed Only | Customization | Customization, NBW, Starter Wolf Creator | |
| Medium II | |||
 Diorite |
 Galena |
 Malachite |
 Maltese |
| Special NBW | Customization | Breed Only | Breed Only |
| Medium III | |||
 Grulla |
 Megalodon |
 Topaz |
|
| Breed Only | Breed Only | Breed Only | |
| Dark I | |||
 Diopside |
 Marengo |
 Skarn |
|
| Breed Only | Customization, NBW, Starter Wolf Creator | Customization | |
| Dark II | |||
 Diorite |
 Galena |
 Malachite |
 Maltese |
| Breed Only | Breed Only | Customization | Special NBW |
| Dark III | |||
 Apex |
 Blueschist |
 Serpentine |
|
| Breed Only | Breed Only | Breed Only | |
Muted
Warm
Monochrome