What Support Cards actually do
Support Cards power up your training runs. They:
- add training stats (Speed, Stamina, Power, Guts, Wit),
- trigger events and friendship training,
- offer skill hints (cheaper skills),
- give bonuses like Race Bonus, Specialty Priority (how often they show up at a station), Training Effectiveness, etc.
You bring five Support Cards + (optionally) a Friend/Helper card. Quality beats quantity—five good, synergized picks outperform a random pile of rares.
How to build a good deck (quick rules)
- Match your Uma’s race style.
- Front Runner → Speed + Stamina, front-row skills
- Pace Chaser / Mid → Speed + Power/Wit, position and tempo skills
- Late Surger / End Closer → Power + Wit + Stamina, closing skills
- Anchor with Speed. Speed matters for almost everyone. Aim for 2 Speed supports unless your Uma is very specific.
- Add one main stamina source (Stamina or Recovery skill engine), one Power, and one Wit/Guts slot based on the course and distance.
- Bonuses matter. Cards with Specialty Priority, Race Bonus, Training Effectiveness, Friendship Bonus, and Skill Point Bonus snowball your stats.
- Don’t sleep on maxed SRs. A fully uncapped SR can beat a weak SSR.
- Borrow smart. Use the Friend slot for a top-tier SSR you don’t own (often a Speed or “万能” utility pick).
Global Tier Philosophy (read this once)
- S+ / SS: Meta staples with standout effects (amazing Specialty Priority, premium gold skills, top bonuses). Good in almost any deck.
- S: Strong, broadly useful.
- A: Good, but needs more planning or specific Umas to shine.
- B: Niche or slightly undertuned; still fine if it fits your plan.
- C–D: Outclassed or missing key bonuses.
SSR Support Cards — Simple Tier List & Why
S+ (must-haves if you can get them)
- Kitasan Black – “Fire at My Heels” (Speed)
Absurd Speed station presence, big friendship value, smooths early and late training. Works on almost every runner. - Super Creek – “Peace/Piece of Mind” (Stamina)
Recovery engine + stamina gains; enables greedy Speed stacking elsewhere. - Fine Motion – “Wave of Gratitude” (Wit)
Great early gauges, consistent training value; Wit here actually feels like core fuel, not filler.
S (excellent, a touch more situational)
- Tazuna Hayakawa – “Tracen Reception” (Friend)
Safer training (lower failure), energy savings, strong utility events—stabilizes scuffed runs. - Special Week – “Setting Sun & Rising Stars” (Speed)
Very solid once leveled; dependable Speed anchor. - Biko Pegasus – “Double Carrot Punch!” (Speed)
Shows up where you need her; pure Speed tempo. - Nishino Flower – “Even the Littlest Bud” (Wit/Utility)
Mood and hint support; helps consistency. - Vodka – “Wild Rider” (Power)
High Specialty Priority for Power; great for closers and late push lines. - Oguri Cap – “Get Lots of Hugs for Me” (Power)
Reliable early Power and hint economy. - Silence Suzuka – “Beyond This Shining Moment” (Speed)
Mood + front-running package; shines on leaders. - Seiun Sky – “Foolproof Plan” (Tactics/Utility)
Smart events and positional control; strong on suitable runners. - Twin Turbo – “Turbo Booooost!” (Speed)
Speed + hint power; pairs well with other Speed anchors. - Yaeno Muteki – “Fiery Discipline” (Power)
Power push with helpful events for skill coverage.
(If you only remember one thing: pair Kitasan Black with Super Creek or Fine Motion, then fill around it.)
A (very good with the right Uma/course)
Examples: Tokai Teio (Dream Big!), El Condor Pasa (Champion’s Passion), Special Week (Brightest Star in Japan), Grass Wonder (Fairest Fleur), Smart Falcon (My Umadol Way), Gold City (Run My Way), Mejiro McQueen (Your Team Ace), Ines Fujin (Watch My Star Fly), Sakura Bakushin O (Eat Fast! Yum Fast!), Haru Urara (Urara’s Day Off!), King Halo (Tonight, We Waltz), Seiun Sky (other print), Gold Ship (That Time I Became the Strongest), Mejiro Ryan (Winning Pitch).
Why A: They deliver strong stats or great skills but want specific race styles, distances, or higher levels to feel “S”.
B (playable, often niche)
Examples: Tamamo Cross (Split the Sky, White Lightning), Gold Ship (Breakaway Battleship), Rice Shower (Showered in Joy), Air Shakur (7 More Centimeters), Mejiro Palmer (Go Ahead and Laugh), Winning Ticket (BNWinner!), Yukino Bijin (Hometown Cheers), Hishi Akebono (First Bite?), Bamboo Memory (Head-on Fight), Daiwa Scarlet (Mini Vacation), etc.
Why B: Useful if it matches your Uma’s plan (late surge, specific course/weather, etc.), but generally outclassed.
Quick SSR Power-Card Notes (popular question)
- Vodka: High Specialty Priority → great rainbow procs; strong, wide-use gold skill. (S)
- King Halo (Power): Great once limit-broken; strong Specialty Priority + Power bonus. (A at MLB)
- El Condor Pasa: Solid mix—Specialty Priority, Race Bonus, relevant gold skill. (A at MLB)
- Oguri Cap: Nice Power start + decent gold, but weaker due to missing Race Bonus. (A when leveled)
- Mihono Bourbon / Hishi Amazon / Daitaku Helios (SR Power comps): Strong SR stand-ins when MLB, thanks to Specialty Priority + starting Power + Race Bonus (varies).
SR Support Cards — What to Use When You Lack SSRs
SRs are the backbone for most players early on. Fully uncapped (MLB) SRs can rival or beat weak SSRs.
SR S-Tier (grab these if you can MLB them)
- Eishin Flash – “5:00 a.m. Right on Schedule” (Speed)
Race gains + frequent high-level hints = fast, cheap skill progression. - Zenno Rob Roy – “The Perfect Book for You” (Stamina)
Stamina for long tracks + steady hint value. Great for distance races. - Sweep Tosho – “Lamplit Training of a Witch-to-be” (Speed)
Recovery/navigation tools for End Closers + shows up in Speed often. - Hishi Amazon – “Reach to the Top!” (Power)
Power presence, race/fan gains, solid kit for Closers/Pace Chasers.
SR A-Tier (very solid fillers)
- Mayano Top Gun, Manhattan Cafe, King Halo, Marvelous Sunday, Narita Taishin
Pick based on what you lack: Speed presence, wet-track skills, Wit energy, or fan/race bonuses.
SR B-Tier (still good when they fit your plan)
- Agnes Digital (recovery/straights + debuffs), Matikane Fukukitaru (chance-based kit with Wit value),
Nice Nature (two prints—mood/debuffs), Daiwa Scarlet (Wit with Medium focus),
Agnes Tachyon (Medium race tech/debuffs), Daitaku Helios (mile tools + fan/race bonus),
Biwa Hayahide (more hints), Mihono Bourbon (Front Runner power kit),
Air Groove (balanced buffs/debuffs), Aoi Kiryuin (friendship recreation utility).
(MLB any of the above and they’ll carry you surprisingly far.)
R Support Cards — When you’re in a pinch
R cards have the lowest ceilings, but they:
- are easy to uncap,
- can patch stat coverage,
- and provide specific skill hints you might want.
Use them to fill a missing stat or unlock a key skill, especially early on. Prioritize Speed, then Power/Stamina, then Wit/Guts as needed for your runner and distance.
Simple starter templates (swap as needed)
Front Runner (Short/Mile):
- 2× Speed (e.g., Kitasan Black + Biko/Suzuka)
- 1× Stamina/Recovery (Super Creek or strong SR/utility)
- 1× Power (Vodka/King Halo or SR Daitaku Helios/Hishi Amazon)
- 1× Wit (Fine Motion or SR Marvelous Sunday)
- Friend: top-tier Speed or utility (Kitasan/Tazuna)
Pace Chaser (Medium):
- 2× Speed (Kitasan + Special Week/TT)
- 1× Stamina (Creek/Zenno Rob Roy)
- 1× Power (Vodka/El Condor)
- 1× Wit (Fine Motion/Agnes Tachyon SR for Medium tech)
- Friend: whichever S+/S you’re missing
Late Surger / End Closer (Long):
- 1–2× Speed (Kitasan + flexible)
- 1× Stamina (Creek mandatory for long)
- 1× Power (Vodka/King Halo)
- 1× Wit (Fine Motion; also consider Manhattan Cafe SR for rainy/long aids)
- 1 flex (extra Power or Stamina depending on course)
- Friend: best missing S+/S anchor
FAQ
1. Should I reroll for a top SSR?
If you’re early, Kitasan Black, Super Creek, or Fine Motion are worth chasing. They make every run easier.
2. Is Wit actually worth a slot?
Yes—Wit boosts skill uptime, energy economy, and event quality. Fine Motion is the gold standard.
3. SR vs un-uncapped SSR?
A maxed SR with strong bonuses can beat a base SSR with poor bonuses. Check Race Bonus, Specialty Priority, and Training Effectiveness.
4. What about borrowing?
Always borrow your highest-impact missing piece (often Kitasan Black, Super Creek, or Fine Motion).
Conclusion
- Core trio to know: Kitasan Black (Speed), Super Creek (Stamina), Fine Motion (Wit).
- Great complements: Tazuna (utility), Biko, Suzuka, Vodka, Oguri, El Condor, Special Week.
- SR lifesavers (MLB): Eishin Flash, Zenno Rob Roy, Sweep Tosho, Hishi Amazon.
Build around your Uma’s race plan, keep Speed anchored, and use bonuses (Race/Spec Priority/Friendship) to snowball training. That’s the whole game.