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Umamusume Pretty Derbyisn’t just about racing, it’s about helping your horsegirl grow from a new academy trainee to a full-fledged star, all whilepreparing her for the URA Finale finalsthat happen at the end of a three-year in-game career. And while winning that final race and raising your Team Rank is the big goal, there’s a lot that can trip up new players before getting there.
While the game does a solid job introducing new systems through tutorials, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed at the beginning. If you’re not sure what to work on first, this beginner’s guide offers some handy tips and tricks to help you get the most out of yourUmamusume Pretty Derbyjourney.
Rely on Starting Characters
While it might be tempting to grab new horsegirls right away, it’s better to stick with the ones you already have, likeHaru Urara,Gold Ship,Vodka,Daiwa Scarlet,andSakura Bakushin O. Worrying about locked characters early on, especially without much game knowledge, can leave you short on Carats.
Instead, focus on training your existing umas byraising their Potentialanddoing Star Unlock. This will grant them more skills, raise their base attributes (Speed, Stamina, Power, Guts, and Wit), and transform their unique abilities, making it easier to compete in career races and win the URA Finale.
If you’ve got afree 3-star vouchersitting in your mailbox, consider spending it on horsegirls like Special Week or Mejiro McQueen; they’re reliable picks that can carry you through most of the early game.
Pick Legacy Based on Career Info
Legacy Umas can patch up your horsegirl’s weak spots, so instead of picking a random veteran in career mode, take a moment to choose wisely. The best way to do this is bychecking the Career Infoof your character in career mode.
Look at the list of races during her training period; if most are mile-distance races, but your uma has a B rating for that, you’ll want toselect a Parent Umawho can raise that to an A. You’ll spot these stat boosts highlighted in yellow on the Legacy page. Likewise, medium- and long-distance races need more Stamina. If your uma’s Stamina is on the lower side, pick a Legacy that improves it.
When you’re still building your roster and don’t have strong veterans yet, it’s a good idea toborrow a Legacy Umafrom another trainer. You can do this through the Guest tab, though you can only choose one. Still, the right pick can make a big difference in your uma’s performance.
Spend Carats on Support Cards
InUmamusume Pretty Derby, you’ll only get a limited number of free Carats, so it’s best to spend them on something that gives you the most edge, and that’s undoubtedly Support Cards. As a beginner, your goal should be to pull asmany good SSR or SR support cardsfrom the Scout as you can.
Support Cards play a huge role in your horsegirl’s training. They show up as training partners, trigger special events, and help you earn more stat points. So, your focus should be on choosing ones that actually benefit your character. To do that, check the races in her career. If she has more sprint races, prioritizeSpeed-type cards. For mile races, go with anythingexcept Guts and Wits. And if she’s racing medium or long distances, aim for cards that increaseStamina, Power, and Speed.
Ideally, your deck should include three Speed-type cards, along with others that match your race needs. When picking cards, snag onesthat offer a high Friendship Bonus, Mood Effect, and Specialty Priority.But if your uma’s career goal needs higher popularity, go for cards that give Fan Bonus instead.
Career Goals Come First
Career mode can feel a bit overwhelming at first, with all the goals, class ranks, training stats, and skills thrown in. But once you’ve got your bearings, it’s pretty straightforward. While your horsegirl moves through most of these naturally, the main thing is to keep her clearing Career Goals one after another.
Early on,chasing an A-rank Umaor Legend Class isn’t really needed. What matters more is walking her through training and races until she conquers the URA Finale finals. Once that clicks, you canstart building a strong team for PVP matcheslike Team Trials.
When it comes to training stats during Career Mode, it really depends on your horsegirl’s track type, distance aptitude, and planned races. If she’s enteringsprint races, train more in Speed and Wit. ForMile races, put more effort into Speed and Power sessions. And formid-to-long-distance races, prioritize Stamina and Speed, with some Guts and Wit on the side to support her performance.
Grab Easy Upgrades Through Missions and Daily Sales
You’ll regularly need to level up your characters and Support Cards, which requires a good amount of upgrade items, Monies, and Support Points. One of the easiest ways to gather these things is bycompleting Special Missions, likeDaily Tasks, Main Story, Title, and limited-time missions.These are your best bets for farming resources every day.
Since you’ll also want your horsegirls to hit three stars quickly for better skill boosts and outfit unlocks,you’ll need lots of Star Pieces. The simplest way to get them is through the Daily Sales section of the Game Shop. Just take part in Non-career races to trigger the sale, and you’ll be able to buy several Star Pieces using Monies, something you’ll earn plenty of through daily missions.
Upgrading yourSpeed and Stamina Support Cardsearly will help pass on more of these stats during training, so it’s worth collecting the needed items as soon as you may.
Watch Story Episodes
While building your characters in the game, some mechanics can be easy to miss, yet they’re actually pretty rewarding in the long run if you pay attention. One of them isStory Mode. This section showsshort episodes from your characters’ backstories, and watching themearns you extra Carats over time.
You’ll mostly find Main Stories and ones tied to horsegirls you’ve unlocked, but you’ll occasionally see Event Stories pop up, too. Players can watch them fully or skip through and still receive the rewards. That said, some chapters might ask you toraise your friendship bondwith the featured horsegirl or take part in a few practice races first.
Alongside Story Episodes, don’t forget to check theArchive sectionfor more Carat rewards, especially when the red exclamation mark shows up above it.
Participate in Events
Umamusume Pretty Derbyoften runs events where you’re able to unlock new songs and earnhandy items like Alarm Clocks, Scout Tickets, upgrade materials, and more. It’s a great way to grab free rewards just by doing what you’re already doing, finishing career runs, winning races, or even just logging in.
These events usually reward you with Prize Coins, which can be spent in thePrize Derbyfor fun items, and Event Points, which go toward unlockingEvent Point Rewards. Make sure to take advantage of this, especially at the start, since it helps build up your characters without too much extra effort.
On top of Event Missions, you can also increase your Event Point gain byusing certain Support Cardsduring your training runs. Use those bonuses to level up faster during events.
