Positioning in Umamusume Pretty Derby is as important as managing stats and upgrading your character. Learn more about it with this guide.

Umamusume Pretty Derby is a racing sim above all else. Indeed, players need to focus on training, upgrading, and scouting various horse girls in the game, but ultimately, it is all for winning races and building a successful career. To do that, players need to understand various strategies and tactics, including how positioning works in the game. It is a crucial component in any race, and getting a good understanding of it can result in success instead of failure. In this article, we will discuss the various positioning tactics in Umamusume Pretty Derby.
Positioning in Umamusume Pretty Derby Explained

Positioning is a key aspect in Umamusume Pretty Derby that a lot of players often ignore. It is a key factor to win any race, and almost all runner types in the game require it at some point in the race. More specifically, Positioning gives your horse girls a better idea of how to find open spaces and use them while being surrounded by other rivals.
For example, in a race, your trainee might come into a situation where she has one or two opponents in front of her, as well as on her sides, blocking any kind of progression. In that instance, the positioning skill will be crucial to ensure that your runner is not stuck in her position.
Now that we have discussed the idea and the importance behind the skill, it is time to discuss tactics. In Umamusume Pretty Derby, there are two types of positioning tactics that have the best effects. These are Rail Running and Wide Running.
Rail Running
As you can expect from the name, Rail Running refers to a tactic where your Umamusume positions herself in the middle of the track. If your runner is in the middle of the pack, then this can help her prevent environmental obstructions such as the wind. Alternatively, if your horse girl is in the front of the pack, then with this tactic, she can stop opponents from overtaking her. This style mostly favors Front-Runners and Stalkers.
However, there are still some disadvantages of Rail Running. One of the most prominent ones is the lack of escape routes. Since this tactic emphasizes being in the middle, your horse girl can easily get surrounded by other opponents and get boxed in with no way to get out.
Wide Running
Wide Running is a strategy with a philosophy opposite to Rail Running. With this tactic, your goal is to position your runner on the wide or outside areas of the track, at the edge of the pack. This way, your racer gets a clear path. With it comes the option to move freely without any restrictions. This particular style is quite effective with Closers and powerful finishers.
However, similar to the Rail Running, Wide Running also has caveats. For starters, since you will be positioning your racer on the wide areas of the track, your distance to the finish line will naturally get longer since you will be missing most of the apex lines. In addition to that, the increased distance means that your Umamusume will have more energy than her rivals to come out on top at the end of the race.

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