You’ve probably seen her on the cover of the game. Red hair, twin tails, and a massive ego that she actually has the stats to back up. Daiwa Scarlet isn't just a starter character; she is a powerhouse. But here is the thing about her: if you mess up her training early on, she will fall off a cliff faster than a horse with no stamina in the final 200 meters.
Building a top-tier Uma Musume Daiwa Scarlet build is all about managing her "Miss Perfect" persona. She wants to lead. She needs to lead. If she isn't in the front, her unique skill basically disappears into the void. This makes her one of the most rewarding characters to train, but also one of the most frustrating if you don't understand how the guts and power stats interact with her specific kit.
Why Your Daiwa Scarlet Keeps Losing in the URA Finals
Most players fail because they treat her like a generic runner. She’s not. Scarlet is a "Runner" (Runner/Leader) hybrid with a heavy lean toward the front of the pack. If you don't pump enough into her Stamina and Power, she gets swallowed by the pack during the middle leg of the race. It’s painful to watch.
The game gives her a 10% growth bonus to Speed and 20% to Guts. Honestly? That Guts bonus is a bit of a trap. In the current meta, Guts is important for "Last Spurt" sticking power, but if you ignore Power, she won’t have the acceleration to keep her lead when the Leader-type girls start closing the gap. You need to balance the "Big Three": Speed, Stamina, and Power. Forget about Intelligence until you’ve hit your survival thresholds.
The Strategy for a Winning Mile vs. Medium Distance Build
Distance matters more than anything else when picking your support cards. Scarlet is naturally gifted at Miles and Medium distances. Don't try to force her into Long Distance unless you have a death wish or a very specific inheritance setup.
For a Mile build, you can go ham on Speed. You want her to hit that top speed early and never look back. Aim for 1000+ Speed and around 600 Stamina. That’s usually enough to keep her breathing through the finish line. However, if you are aiming for Medium Distance (like the Arima Kinen or the Japan Cup), 600 Stamina is a joke. You’ll see her start "panting" (the blue sweat icons) before the final turn. For Medium, you need at least 800 Stamina or a couple of gold recovery skills like Maestro of the Arc.
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Skills That Make or Break the Run
Her unique skill, Red Ace, triggers when she is in the lead during the latter half of the race. If she’s in second place, it won't fire. This is why "Runner" (Runner) is usually the preferred strategy over "Leader."
- Escape Artist (Concentration): Essential. If she fumbles the start, she has to fight through the crowd, wasting precious energy.
- Top Runner: This is a gold skill that keeps her ahead during the middle of the race.
- Maestro of the Arc: Provided by the Super Creek SSR card. Don't leave home without it for Medium distance builds.
I’ve seen builds where people stack "Leader" skills because they think it's safer. It’s not. Scarlet’s AI is aggressive. Embrace the Runner life.
Support Card Deck Composition: Stop Following Generic Lists
You’ll see a lot of "Best Support Card" lists that just spam SSRs. Unless you’re a whale, that isn't helpful. For a reliable Uma Musume Daiwa Scarlet build, you need a deck that maximizes her 10% Speed bonus.
A classic F2P-friendly setup involves three Speed cards and two Stamina cards, with one Friend card (like Tazuna or Kashiwamoto). If you have the Kitasan Black SSR, use it. It is arguably the best Speed card in the game for Scarlet because of the high starting bond and the "Cornering Master" skill.
But what if you don't have the top-tier SSRs? Look at your SR cards. Sweeps Tosho is an SR Speed card that provides incredible training value. Manhattan Cafe (SR Stamina) is another sleeper hit for Scarlet builds because she offers "Stamina Greed," which helps in those pesky Medium distance races where everyone else is tiring out.
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The Power Trap
Let’s talk about Power. Scarlet needs it to get out of the gate and to hold her position. If your Power is under 500 by the time you hit the Summer Training camp in Year 2, you’re going to have a bad time. I usually prioritize Speed training that also grants Power sub-stats.
One trick expert players use is "Inheritance Looping." If you can get a parent with 9-star Power factors, you can basically ignore Power training and let the inheritance procs do the heavy lifting. This lets you focus entirely on Speed and Stamina during the actual training sessions.
Managing Her "Temperamental" Events
Scarlet has some annoying random events. She’s a perfectionist, so when things go wrong, her motivation tanks. Always keep a "Cup of Tea" or use the "Outing" command immediately if her mood drops below "Great." A "Normal" mood Scarlet is a losing Scarlet. You lose too many stat gains during training sessions if her mood isn't at the max level.
Also, watch out for the "Out of Condition" debuff. It happens. If it hits right before a major race like the Oka Sho, don't panic. Use a recovery item if you have one, or just pray to the RNG gods. But never, ever train on a 20% fail rate with her. She will fail, she will get injured, and your run will be ruined.
Final Stat Benchmarks for a Competitive Build
If you want to actually win in the Team Stadium or the Champions Meeting, here are the numbers you should be hitting for an A+ or S-rank Scarlet:
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For a Medium Distance (2000m-2400m) focus:
- Speed: 1100-1200
- Stamina: 800+ (with at least one Gold recovery skill)
- Power: 800-900
- Guts: 400-500
- Intelligence: 400-600
For a Mile (1600m) focus:
- Speed: 1200 (Max)
- Stamina: 600
- Power: 1000
- Guts: 400
- Intelligence: 600
Notice the Intelligence jump for the Mile build. In shorter races, skill activation frequency (which is tied to Intel) is often the tie-breaker when everyone has maxed out Speed.
Practical Steps to Optimize Your Next Run
Stop auto-picking skills. It’s the biggest mistake new players make. Just because a skill is "Yellow" (Speed) doesn't mean it helps a Runner. Look for specific "Runner" (Runner) prefixes. If you take "Leader" skills but set her strategy to "Runner," those points are completely wasted.
- Prioritize Speed/Stamina Inheritance: Get those blue factors sorted before you start.
- Focus on Bond Gauges: In Year 1, don't worry about the "perfect" stat. Go where the people are. You need those rainbow training sparks as early as possible.
- The Summer Camp is Sacred: Save your energy. Don't go into summer camp with a low energy bar. This is where you fix your weakest stats (usually Power or Guts) because the training levels are boosted.
- Target the Triple Tiara: Scarlet is built for the Oka Sho, Shuka Sho, and the Yushun Himba. Winning these gives you massive hidden stat bonuses and better skill hints at the end of the year.
Scarlet is a bit of a diva, but she’s arguably the most consistent front-runner in the game once you stop treating her like a balanced type and start treating her like the speed demon she is. Keep her in the lead, keep her happy, and watch her cross the line while the rest of the pack is still fighting for air.
To truly master her, focus on refining your Support Card synergy. Look for cards that offer "Inspiration" for the specific skills you lack. If you find your Scarlet is getting caught in the final stretch, swap one Speed card for a Power card with a high "High Voltage" skill hint. It provides that late-game kick needed to fend off late-chargers like Gold Ship or Vodca. Efficiency in your training turns is the difference between a mid-tier finish and a legendary run. Don't waste turns on low-stat gain sessions; if the rolls are bad, use that turn to rest or boost Intelligence to recover energy. Consistent high-value turns are the only way to hit the S-rank thresholds.