Mayano Top Gun is a bit of a headache. Honestly, if you’ve spent any time in the training scenarios of Uma Musume Pretty Derby, you know she’s one of the most versatile—and frustrating—girls to build. She can run Lead, she can run Between, she can even go for the back-of-the-pack Chaser strategy if you’re feeling particularly brave (or masochistic). But because she has a "C" rank in almost every distance except Short, she’s a jack-of-all-trades that frequently becomes a master of none if you don't have a clear plan from turn one.
The trick to a successful Mayano Top Gun build isn't just stacking stats. It's about lean management of her unique "Brilliant Red Ace" skill and her weirdly balanced growth bonuses. She gets a 10% bonus to Stamina and a 20% bonus to Guts. In the current meta, that 20% Guts bonus is a blessing and a curse. It makes her incredibly resilient in the final stretch, but it can lure you into neglecting the Speed and Power she desperately needs to actually cross the finish line first.
Why Mayano Top Gun Fails Most Players
Most people fail because they try to make her do everything. You see those A-ranks in Mile, Medium, and Long distances and think, "I'll just build a generalist." Don't. You’ll end up with a girl who runs out of gas at Arima Kinen or gets bullied in the pack during the Japanese Derby.
Her base stats are deceptively tricky. Because she starts with higher Stamina potential, the game wants you to run her in Long distances. However, her core unique skill, "Sparkling Flash" (Kirameki no Flash), triggers based on her position in the final corner. If you’re running her as a Runner (Escape), she needs to be in the lead. If she’s a Betweener, she needs to be weaving through the crowd. You have to pick a lane and stick to it before you even hit the first training debut.
The Long-Distance Leader Strategy
If you want to win the big ones—the Tenno Sho (Spring) or the Arima Kinen—you’re likely looking at a Leader (先行, Senko) build. This is arguably her most "canon" feeling playstyle. You’re looking for a balance where she stays just behind the pure Runners and then explodes in the final straight.
For this, you need Stamina. Lots of it. Since she has that 10% bonus, you can hit 800+ Stamina without needing four Stamina support cards. Two high-quality cards like Super Creek (for Maestro) or Rice Shower are usually enough. The rest of your deck should be heavy on Speed. You want to aim for at least 1000 Speed by the end of Senior Year.
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Power is the silent killer here. If your Power is under 700, Mayano will get "boxed in" during the final corner. She’ll have the energy to run, but she won't have the physical strength to push past the other girls. It’s a heartbreaking way to lose a Grade 1 race.
Essential Skills for the Leader Build
Don't just click every gold skill that pops up. You need efficiency.
- Arc Maestro: This is non-negotiable for long distance. It’s the gold recovery skill that keeps her from "tiring out" (the dreaded purple face icon).
- Speedster: Since Mayano is a Leader, she needs that mid-race positioning boost.
- Non-Stop Girl: If you can get this from a support card like Yukino Bijin, take it. it helps her find a path when the track gets crowded.
The "Guts Meta" Gamble
Let's talk about that 20% Guts bonus. For a long time, Guts was considered a "trash stat" in Uma Musume. That changed. Now, Guts affects "Last Spurt" speed and how well an Uma Musume can resist being pushed around.
In a Mayano Top Gun build focused on Guts, you’re basically betting that she can outlast everyone else. This is a high-level strategy usually reserved for the Mura (Champions Meeting). You load up on Guts support cards—think Ikuno Dictus or Admire Vega—and try to hit 1000+ Guts.
The downside? It’s expensive. You need specific support cards that provide "Speed bonus" on a Guts card. If you don't have those, your Speed will stay too low, and Mayano will look like she’s running through molasses, even if she never gets tired.
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Dealing with the Training Events
Mayano is a "moody" character. Her random events can be a bit of a rollercoaster. One of her most famous (and annoying) event chains is the "Mayano's Decision" sequence. You’ll often get choices between gaining a small amount of stats or a large amount of stats with a high risk of failure or a "Night Owl" (Late Night) status.
Always play it safe unless you are early in the Junior year. Getting a "Cured" status or "Lazy" status on Mayano during the Summer Training camp is a run-killer. If she offers to go play or stay and train, look at your health bar. If you’re under 50%, just go play. The "Guts" you gain from a failed 20% training session isn't worth the three turns you'll lose fixing her mood.
Inheritance is Everything
You cannot fix Mayano’s flaws with training alone. You need good parents.
- Blue Factors: Focus on Power. Since she has bonuses in Stamina and Guts, her natural Power growth is slow. Use your inheritance to inject 12+ stars of Power into her.
- Red Factors: If you want to run her in Miles, you must get her Mile rank up to A. Her base is B, which sounds fine, but in high-level play, that B is a massive hidden penalty to her speed.
- Compatibility: Mayano plays well with Tokai Teio and Mejiro McQueen. Using them as parents increases the chance of "Double Circle" compatibility, which means more skill points and better stat gains during the inheritance segments in Year 2 and Year 3.
The Mental Game: Managing the Arima Kinen
The Arima Kinen at the end of the Senior year is the final boss for many Mayano players. It’s 2500m of pure pain. If your Mayano Top Gun build hasn't reached at least 600 Stamina and has one gold recovery skill by this point, you are going to struggle.
If you see her failing this race consistently, look at your support deck. Are you bringing too many Speed cards? It’s a common trap. You feel fast, you win the 1600m races easily, and then you hit the wall at the long-distance tracks. Swap one Speed card for a Stamina card, or even a Friend card like Tazuna or Kashiwamoto Riche to help with energy management.
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Practical Next Steps for Your Build
To actually get that Rank UG or higher Mayano, you need to stop guessing.
First, decide on your distance. If it’s Medium, prioritize Speed and Intelligence (Wisdom). Intelligence is what triggers your skills. A Mayano with 1200 Speed but 300 Intelligence will forget to use her recovery skills and finish 8th. Aim for at least 600 Intelligence for any build.
Second, check your support cards for "Training Efficiency." Mayano thrives when you can stack multiple girls in one training type. Because she has those weird bonuses, you want to trigger "Rainbow" friendship training in Guts or Stamina as often as possible to capitalize on those percentages.
Lastly, keep an eye on her "Brilliant Red Ace" unique skill level. Make sure you’re hitting the fan count requirements before the end of each year (usually 60k to 120k fans depending on the scenario) so the skill levels up. A Level 1 unique skill vs. a Level 5 unique skill is the difference between a podium finish and a "Better Luck Next Time" screen.
Focus on the Power inheritance, don't ignore Intelligence, and pick a single distance strategy. Mayano is a pilot—give her a clear flight plan, or she'll just wander off the track.