What Is Late Start in Umamusume Pretty Derby?

Having a Late Start in a race can put you at a disadvantage in Umamusume: Pretty Derby. Here is how to reduce this penalty.

Late Starts can ruin some runs in Umamusume: Pretty Derby (Image via Cygames Inc.)
Late Starts can ruin some runs in Umamusume: Pretty Derby (Image via Cygames Inc.)

Winning races is the main objective while playing Umamusume: Pretty Derby. There are many factors that decide your chances of winning these races. Some of these factors include your stats, your opponents, and luck as well.

Occasionally, you might notice a message popup when the race starts regarding a late start. This can prove to be detrimental to your winning chances for that race. Here is everything you need to know about this mechanic and how to avoid it as much as possible.

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Umamusume Pretty Derby: Late Start, Explained

You can counter this with some skills (Image via Cygames Inc.)
You can counter this with some skills (Image via Cygames Inc.)

This is a chance-based event that can happen in some of your races. Late Start effectively reduces your chances to win the race by doing as it suggests; making you start the race a little later than your competitors.

From the start of the race, you have a random delay before you start running. If this delay period crosses a certain threshold, it is deemed a Late Start, and you get the notification. It is completely random and luck-based.

You can go multiple runs without seeing this, or have it occur multiple times in a row. Fortunately, there are some ways to reduce the chance of this event happening.

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How To Counter or Reduce Late Start in Umamusume Pretty Derby

You can get these skills from the Tazuna Hayakawa Support Card (Image via Cygames Inc.)
You can get these skills from the Tazuna Hayakawa Support Card (Image via Cygames Inc.)

There are specific skills built into the game to counter this mechanic or at least reduce the probability of it. There are two skills you can consider, those being Focus and Concentration. Concentration is an upgrade of the Focus skill. Their effects are as follows:

  • Focus: Slightly decrease time lost to slow starts.
  • Concentration: Decrease time lost to slow starts.

Having Focus will be ideal for reducing the possibility of Late Starts messing up your runs. That was all the information about Late Start and how to counter it in Umamusume: Pretty Derby.

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