Look. Starting Uma Musume Pretty Derby is a headache if you don’t have a plan. You open the app, see a dozen flashing banners, and realize everything is in Japanese (unless you’re on the Korean or Taiwanese servers). It’s overwhelming. Most people just grab the first shiny horse girl they see and start running. That is a massive mistake.
Honestly, the "starter experience" in this game is less about the characters and almost entirely about the Support Cards. If you mess up your initial pulls, you’re going to hit a wall in the URA Finals or Grand Masters faster than a stamina-depleted Haru Urara. We need to talk about what actually makes a "starter pack" viable in 2026.
The Support Card Trap in Uma Musume Starter Packs
The biggest misconception? Thinking a 3-star character ticket is the most important thing in your inventory. It's not.
In Uma Musume, your "deck" of Support Cards dictates whether your girl becomes a legendary Triple Crown winner or a tragic "open class" fodder. When you're looking at starter packs or fresh reroll accounts, you should be hunting for Kitasan Black (Speed) or the more recent meta-definers like Duramente.
Why? Because speed is king. It’s always been king. Even with the introduction of new mechanics and different training scenarios, if you can't hit that speed cap, you aren't winning CM (Champions Meeting) or LoH (League of Heroes). A starter pack that gives you a high-limit break (MLB) Kitasan Black is worth ten times more than an account with five random 3-star horses.
Most veteran players on platforms like Gamewith or Kamigame will tell you the same thing: reroll until your fingers bleed for support, not for the girls. You get a free 3-star exchange ticket anyway. Use that on your "waifu." Use your actual currency on the cards that make her fast.
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Breaking Down the "Newbie" Rewards
Cygames is actually pretty generous, which is weird for a gacha game, but they make up for it with brutal power creep. When you first log in, you’re usually greeted with a mountain of jewels and at least two or three "Pity" tickets.
The 3-Star Exchange Ticket
This is your "Get Out of Jail Free" card. If you love Rice Shower or want the sheer dominance of Narita Brian, this is how you get them. But wait. Don't use it immediately.
Wait until you’ve exhausted your initial gacha pulls. There is nothing—and I mean nothing—more soul-crushing than using a selector on Mihono Bourbon only to pull her on a random daily discount draw ten minutes later.
Selective Gacha vs. Step-up Banners
Sometimes the game runs a "72-hour" starter banner. These are usually bait. They feature older units that have been power-crept by the newer "Alt" versions. For example, the original Special Week is iconic, but her "Summer" or "New Year" versions often carry much better skill sets for specific tracks.
Why Stamina Cards Are Making a Comeback
For a long time, you could just ignore Stamina cards. You’d just bring a "Power" card that gave a Stamina bonus and call it a day. That's over.
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With the longer tracks in recent rotations, "Stamina Greed" is a real thing. If you’re looking at a starter pack, keep an eye out for Super Creek (Stamina). She has been in the game since day one and is still one of the best cards because of "Maestro of the Arc." It’s a gold recovery skill that doesn't fail.
If your starter pack doesn't have a reliable recovery source, your girls will "gas out" at the 2000m mark. It’s embarrassing to watch. You'll see them leading the pack, and then they just... stop. They don't actually stop, but their animation slows down so much it feels like they're running through molasses.
The "Friend" Card Dilemma
You also need a "Friend" or "Group" card. Think of cards like Mei 708 or Tsurugi Ryoko. These aren't horse girls; they’re the trainers or gym leads.
They provide "Energy" management. Without them, you're constantly clicking the "Rest" button. In Uma Musume, every time you click "Rest," you're wasting a turn where you could have been gaining stats. A starter pack with a solid Friend card allows for "Infinite Training" loops where you basically never sleep. It’s a grind. It’s exhausting. But it’s how you get those UF and UE rank ratings.
Managing Your Jewels Early On
Don't spend your jewels on the "Pretty Derby" banner.
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I know, I know. You want the horses. It’s a horse racing game. But the "Support Card" banner is where the actual game is played. A 1-star character trained with 5-star cards will destroy a 3-star character trained with garbage cards every single time.
Basically, your strategy should be:
- Reroll for 2-3 top-tier SSR Support Cards.
- Use the free tickets for your favorite characters.
- Save every single jewel for the "Half-Anniversary" or "Anniversary" banners.
Cygames tends to release "broken" cards during these events. If you blow your load on a random mid-year banner because a girl looks cute in a wedding dress, you're going to regret it when the new "Scenario Link" card drops in February or August.
Actionable Steps for a Perfect Start
First, check the current "Tier List" on a site like AppMedia. The meta shifts every six months when a new training scenario drops. What worked in the "Grand Live" era is completely useless in the current 2026 meta.
Second, focus on "Limit Breaking." An SSR card at Level 30 is often worse than an SR card at Level 45. In Uma Musume, you need duplicates. A "starter pack" that offers four copies of one great card is infinitely better than an account with ten different SSRs that only have one copy each.
Finally, join a Discord or a Circle early. The "Borrow" system is your lifeline. You can borrow one Max-Level card from a friend for every training session. This means you only need to own five good cards; the sixth one (usually the most expensive "Scenario" card) can be borrowed for free from a whale in your friend list.
Stop looking for "all-in-one" packs. Look for a foundation. Build the support deck first, and the wins—and the girls—will follow naturally as you play.