Starting your journey in Umamusume: Pretty Derby can feel overwhelming with dozens of characters and support cards to choose from. You want to build a winning team from day one, but which Umas should you prioritize? The key lies in selecting versatile characters with manageable career paths and pairing them with powerful support cards that'll carry you through those crucial early races.
Which Umas Should You Pick First?
Oguri Cap (Starlight Beat) - The All-Around Champion
Oguri Cap (Starlight Beat) stands out as your best starter choice thanks to her exceptional versatility. She delivers solid performance across multiple stat categories and boasts a crucial B-rank aptitude for Dirt racing, something you'll appreciate when tackling diverse race conditions later.
Oguri Cap
Her balanced stat distribution means you won't struggle with any particular weakness during training, making her perfect for learning the game's mechanics without hitting frustrating walls.
Alternative Powerhouse Options
If you're looking for variety, consider these excellent alternatives:
important
Remember that when you select a character for Career mode, you cannot use their corresponding support card in your deck. Always check your available support cards before making your final choice.
Essential Support Cards for New Players
From Left to Right (Fine Motion, Kitasan Black, Super Creek)
Fine Motion (Wave of Gratitude) - Your Training Lifesaver
This SSR Wit support card becomes invaluable during your early careers. Fine Motion's Wit Friendship Recovery ability helps you conserve precious energy after Wit training sessions, allowing you to tackle other training types without burning out. Even at lower levels, this card provides consistent value that scales beautifully as you progress through the game.
Kitasan Black (Fire at My Heels) - Speed Training Excellence
For Speed training, nothing beats Kitasan Black (Fire at My Heels). At Level 45, she appears frequently during Speed training and provides bonus Power stats to your trainee, essentially giving you two stat boosts for one training session. Her career event unlocks Professor of Curvature, a game-changing skill that boosts your character's speed on corners, crucial for tight race finishes. Kitasan Black (Fire at My Heels) is basically a must pull banner every time she's around as it is expected that her overall strength and value as a support card won't be power crept in the long term.
Super Creek (Piece of Mind) - Stamina Powerhouse
Medium and Long distance races demand serious stamina investment, and Super Creek (Piece of Mind) delivers exactly that. His Level 35 Stamina Bonus skill dramatically increases stamina gains during training, ensuring your Uma can handle those grueling 2400m+ races.
tip
Super Creek represents one of the best long-term investments in the game. She benefits compound over time, making her worth pursuing even if it takes multiple banner attempts.
Smart Training Strategies for Beginners
Start with Short Distance Specialists
Focus on Sprint (1000m-1400m) and Mile (1500m-1800m) races initially. These distances allow you to win through Speed alone without requiring massive Stamina investments that can overwhelm new players.
Longer distances introduce complex stamina management that's better tackled once you understand the core training mechanics.
Understanding Race Distance Requirements
warning
The Tenno Sho (Spring) at 3200m represents one of the most challenging races. Always verify if this appears in your character's goal races before starting a career.
Avoiding Common Beginner Mistakes
Don't Ignore Aptitude Ratings
Racing with low aptitude ratings guarantees frustration. Before starting any career, check your character's aptitude for the required surface types (Turf vs Dirt) and distances. Use Spark Inheritance to boost weak aptitudes before diving into challenging careers.
Uma Musume Stats
Stamina Shortfalls Kill Long Distance Dreams
The number one reason players lose Medium and Long distance races? Insufficient Stamina. For the demanding 3200m Tenno Sho (Spring), aim for approximately 600 Stamina while maintaining strong Speed stats.
Swinging Maestro
Recovery Skills Save Careers
When your Stamina feels inadequate, recovery skills become your safety net. Prioritize support cards that offer recovery abilities, or train Umas who naturally learn these skills through their career events. The Default S tier Stamina skill is often said to be the "Swinging Maestro" skill.
Building Your First Competitive Team
The URA Finale Advantage
URA Finale scenario provides the most beginner-friendly experience. Unlike other scenarios, URA Finale offers straightforward race conditions and balanced challenges that help you master core mechanics without overwhelming complexity.
Easiest Characters for URA Success
Very Easy Difficulty:
- Silence Suzuka - Mile specialist with forgiving goals
- Maruzensky - Reliable all-arounder
- Sakura Bakushin O - Perfect for learning fundamentals
Easy Difficulty:
- Gold Ship - Quirky and sometimes unreliable, but powerful
- El Condor Pasa - International racing specialist
- Nice Nature - Excellent for stamina-focused builds
Your first steps in Uma Musume are all about building a strong start, and aiming for that first B or A career rating is a great milestone. Focus on your core picks like Oguri Cap with Fine Motion and Super Creek to set a solid foundation, but never forget, this is a game about racing with the girls you love. Whether it’s meta queens or your number one waifu, training the uma that makes your heart go doki doki will always be the real win. So go forth, Trainer-san, and may your next race be as fun as your favorite’s victory pose.