Umamusume guide

Umamusume Guide: Train Smarter, Win Faster

Actionable tips that carry every Pretty Derby trainer from the first reroll to repeat victories.

What is Umamusume: Pretty Derby?

Umamusume: Pretty Derby is a multimedia franchise from Cygames that fuses high-stakes horse racing with idol culture. Legendary racehorses are reborn as Umamusume—horse girls with ears, tails, and elite running ability—who chase fame in the Twinkle Series.

You play as a Trainer at Tokyo’s Tracen Academy, scouting and raising riders through a three-year schedule that mirrors the Japan Racing Association calendar. Success depends on managing five stats, mood, and energy while meeting each character’s race objectives.

Beyond the game, the franchise spans anime, manga, and live concerts. This shared universe lets fans follow their favourite horses both on the track and on stage.

Umamusume characters preparing for the Twinkle Series

Uma Musume Download Guide

Your journey as a Trainer begins with installing the game on Steam, iOS, or Android. Make sure you have around 11 GB free on PC or 6 GB on mobile, then complete the initial tutorial—after the first run you can skip it on rerolls.

App Store (iOS)

Requires iOS device, ~6 GB download

Google Play (Android)

Requires Android device, ~6 GB download

Steam (PC)

Windows PC, ~11 GB download

How to play Uma Musume: Pretty Derby

Think of Uma Musume as a roguelike sports sim: each Career Mode run is a campaign where you raise one trainee across 72 turns, manage five stats, and chase URA Finals glory. Like Football Manager, Princess Maker, or Pokémon breeding, every decision shapes the next generation.

Step 1

Complete the tutorial once

Run through the opening Career Mode to learn the UI, mood, and energy systems. Afterward you can skip it, but mastering the flow of turns, races, and events early makes every reroll smoother.

Tutorial overview with Tracen Academy interface
Step 2

Reroll for a support deck

Treat support cards as your gear and skill tree. Use free Carats on support banners until you secure pillars like Super Creek or Fine Motion—your trainee rarity matters less than the mentors behind her.

Support card reroll screen placeholder
Step 3

Stack friendship and rainbow training

Throughout the run, prioritise sessions that raise friendship gauges so you unlock rainbow training bursts. Balance rest, recreation, and optional races to keep energy high while meeting mandatory objectives.

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Step 4

Inherit and iterate

Finished trainees become veterans that pass blue, pink, and white factors to the next generation—just like perfect breeding in Pokémon. Stack high-stat parents to start future runs with bonus stats, aptitudes, and skill hints.

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Uma Musume beginner guide: train champions step by step

Umamusume blends deep sports management with character-driven RPG growth. If you have ever managed a team in Football Manager, raised a heroine in Princess Maker, or bred perfect stats in Pokémon, you already understand the fundamentals.

Use this overview to connect those familiar systems to Umamusume’s unique vocabulary and master the loop faster.

Career Mode is your roguelike campaign

Each run is a 72-turn campaign where you shepherd a single trainee through three in-game years. Every turn asks you to choose between training a stat, resting for energy, or entering a race you must clear to reach the URA Finals.

Win or lose, the run ends with permanent upgrades: your trainee becomes a Veteran who forges Factors that strengthen every future generation.

  • Pick one trainee and two parents, then plan your 72 turns like a roguelike route.
  • Clear mandatory races on schedule to reach the URA Finals championship.
  • Use post-run Factors as account-wide progress that accelerates the next attempt.

Understand the five stats like classic RPG attributes

Speed is your damage stat—no build works without it. Stamina is the energy pool your runner drains during a race. Power lets you accelerate, break free from traffic, and tackle slopes. Guts is the reserve tank that keeps you sprinting when stamina empties. Wit is the tactical AI that triggers skills and keeps positioning tight.

Tailor these stats to your race distance: sprinters heavily weight Speed and Power, while long-distance specialists demand enormous Stamina with enough Wit to conserve it.

Treat support cards as equipment and passive trees

Support cards are the mentors you bring to every run. They provide passive bonuses, gold skills, and—most importantly—rainbow training when their friendship gauge turns orange.

This is why rerolls focus on support banners. A low-rarity trainee raised with meta support cards will eclipse a rare trainee paired with weak mentors.

  • Build a six-card deck before every run; they dictate your stat ceiling.
  • Prioritise friendship events early to unlock rainbow sessions.
  • Evaluate cards by their bonuses, skill hints, and event value rather than character love alone.

Inheritance is the long-term breeding layer

Finished trainees can pass blue stat Factors, pink aptitude upgrades, and white skill hints to their descendants. By pairing the right parents, you can start new runs with triple-digit stat bonuses and optimal race ratings.

Treat it like Pokémon breeding or Chocobo raising—each generation sets the stage for a stronger Champions Meeting roster.

  • Aim for 600+ in key stats to unlock 3★ factors; 1100+ makes them far more likely.
  • Stack parents whose strengths complement your target distance and strategy.
  • Iterate constantly: every successful run produces better parents for the next cycle.

Uma Musume video guide collection

Curated YouTube breakdowns that visualise rerolling, training loops, PvP prep, and meta analysis. Each video opens in a new tab.

Beginner reroll and setup video thumbnail

Beginner reroll & setup walkthrough

See the full reroll process, opening tutorial, and how to lock in a meta support deck on day one.

Career mode training fundamentals video thumbnail

Career Mode training fundamentals

Learn how to balance energy, friendship, and race scheduling to clear objectives efficiently.

Champions Meeting preparation video thumbnail

Champions Meeting prep guide

Course analysis, meta builds, and team compositions for monthly PvP tournaments.

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Advanced resource planning roadmap

Upcoming banners, must-pull cards, and how to budget Carats on the global schedule.

Advanced curriculum: optimisation & strategy

Push beyond story clears with scenario-specific playbooks, Champions Meeting prep, and disciplined resource planning that keeps you competitive on the accelerated global schedule.

Scenario deep dives

Every scenario rewrites the rules for training priority, support decks, and skill timing.

URA Finals remains the baseline: clear objectives, win the URA triple, and learn the fundamentals without gimmicks.

Project L’Arc adds partner links, overseas aptitude management, and exclusive skills for conquering the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

U.A.F Ready GO! demands a balanced deck, tight energy management, and levelling 15 sports disciplines to unlock massive training bonuses.

  • Use partner-linked support cards to guarantee scenario bonuses.
  • Track overseas aptitude levels before each key race.
  • Build decks with varied types (Speed/Power/Guts/Wit/Pal) to counter poor sub-stat gains.
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Champions Meeting (PvP) central

Monthly PvP demands precision analysis, not just high evaluation scores.

Each meeting fixes course, distance, surface, weather, and time—build specifically for those conditions.

Success depends on course study, meta-aware skill selection, and assembling ace runners supported by blockers or debuffers.

  • Analyse course layout: direction, slopes, corner positions, final straight length.
  • Adapt team compositions: 1–2 ace runners plus disruptors when the meta favours frontrunners.
  • Track both Open and Graded league restrictions when choosing roster candidates.
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Resource management & long-term planning

Accelerated global releases make currency discipline mandatory.

Use JP roadmaps to identify must-pull support banners months in advance.

Save Carats aggressively, spark only for meta-defining cards, and borrow maxed supports via the friend system when necessary.

  • Tag must-pull banners like SSR Kitasan Black or limited meta supports.
  • Skip niche banners to preserve pity resources for key releases.
  • Use borrowed supports (3 per day) to cover gaps and delay non-essential pulls.
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Tracen Academy archives: databases & tier lists

Quickly reference trainee profiles, support card rankings, and skill data. Use these archives alongside our live guides to build rosters that match the monthly meta.

Character (Trainee) database

Complete profiles for every playable Umamusume in the game.

Browse base stats, growth bonuses, and default aptitudes for track, distance, and running strategies.

Each entry includes innate skill sets, unique skill triggers, and strategic notes that explain ideal roles and course preferences.

  • Compare starting stats and growth rates to pick the right trainee for a scenario.
  • Review aptitude letters (G–S) before committing to a race or inheritance plan.
  • Read competitive analysis to understand strengths, weaknesses, and best distances.
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Trainee tier list

Rankings contextualised by Champions Meeting conditions.

Tier placements shift with course layouts, weather, and distance. An S-tier mile runner might drop to B-tier on long tracks.

Each tier entry highlights versatility, unique skill strength, and growth rates that align with competitive builds.

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Support card database

The backbone of every account—documented in detail.

Filter by card type, limit break level, and passive bonuses such as Training Bonus or Friendship Bonus.

Read skill hint lists, gold skill effects, and event outcomes so you always pick the optimal dialogue option.

  • Compare stats across SSR and SR cards before investing resources.
  • Track which events restore energy or grant free stats.
  • Identify gold skills that remain meta across multiple scenarios.
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Support card tier list

Prioritise Carats and limit-break targets with confidence.

Rankings analyse training power, gold skill value, hint quality, event strength, and versatility across scenarios.

Cards like Kitasan Black, Super Creek, and Fine Motion headline the list thanks to unmatched training bonuses and skill suites.

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Skills database

Searchable skill library for build optimisation.

Find precise effect descriptions, activation conditions, skill point costs, and hint reductions.

Identify which trainees or support cards provide the skill so you can plan inheritance and training routes.

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Everything a trainer needs on day one

Follow the roadmap from reroll to Champions Meeting domination with concise, battle-tested guidance.

Launch pad for new trainers

Installation, reroll flow, and first-ticket picks mapped out so you avoid wasting precious Carats.

Trainer's handbook

Master career mode, stat targets, support synergies, inheritance, and skills with illustrated breakdowns.

Advanced curriculum

Deep dives on new scenarios, Champions Meeting prep, and long-term resource planning for the global schedule.

Systems you must master to win

Use these quick hits as a refresher before each training loop.

Friendship & rainbow training

Stack early bonds, chase rainbow procs, and explode stats during summer camps.

Inheritance blueprint

Build parent lineages with 3★ blue sparks and pink aptitude boosts for effortless stat ceilings.

Skills & aptitudes edge

Pair meta gold skills with A-rank aptitudes so your ace stays in lane and surges when it counts.

Support card spotlight

Secure these cards during your opening reroll so every future trainee benefits from elite tutoring.

PrioritySupport CardTypeWhy it matters
A-rankSuper CreekStaminaGrants Swinging Maestro and unmatched stamina recovery—mandatory for medium and long courses.
A-rankFine MotionWitHuge wisdom gains and flexible skill suite that keeps your horse smart, rested, and adaptable.
B-rankKitasan BlackSpeedMeta-defining speed support; save for her banner if unavailable at launch to future-proof your deck.
B-rankTazuna HayakawaFriendCuts failure rates, restores energy, and stabilises mood—priceless for consistent high-stat runs.

Duplicates (LB levels) dramatically increase value—an MLB SR often outperforms a base SSR.

Baseline stat targets by race distance

Aim for these numbers during URA Finals runs; adjust with recovery skills or scenario bonuses as needed.

DistanceSPDSTAPOWGUTWIS
Short (Sprint)1000+400400–1000300400+
Mile900+600400–1000300400+
Medium800+800400–1000300400+
Long800+1000+400–1000300400+

Falling short on stamina can be offset with top-tier stamina recovery skills—use them proactively.

Community paddock & toolkit

The best calculators, databases, and social hubs to keep your stable ahead of the meta.

Essential tools

Community hubs

  • r/UmaMusume subreddit

    Daily Q&A, banner megathreads, and community guides.

  • Global Discord servers

    Real-time advice, Champions Meeting prep, and parent swaps.

  • Friend ID megathread

    Borrow maxed-out supports for your critical training runs.

Clubs & media