Velocity Skills Explained

See Skills Explained for other types of skills.

Understanding Target Speed

The most important factor in assessing Velocity Skills is understanding Target Speed. Every Uma has a Target Speed that they will accelerate towards and not go past. Velocity Skills increase the Target Speed for a set duration, allowing them to run slightly faster. Velocity Skills range from a 0.05 to 0.45m/s increase in Target Speed. Consult Target Speed for more info.

Almost all Velocity Skills are usable. With limited SP, however, cost-effectiveness is an important consideration. Here are some examples.

Style Corners/Straightaways

Front Runner Straightaways ○ has a base cost of 130 SP, a base duration of 3 seconds, and increases Target Speed by 0.15. If we increase this to Double Circle, it has a base cost of 270 SP while increasing Target Speed by 0.25.

Ignited Spirit SPD

Ignited Spirit SPD has a base cost of 200 SP, a base duration of 1.8 seconds, and increases Target Speed, at base, by 0.15. In Champion’s Meeting, if our entire team has 1200 Speed, it increases our Target Speed by 0.18 instead.

Because these two Skills have Conditions that allow them to be directly compared, we can use a simple formula:

Skill Effectiveness = (Velocity Effect * Duration) * 100 / SP Cost

WARNING

This formula is being used to simplify comparisons between 2 similar Velocity Skills. Many Velocity Skills are difficult to compare directly due to the different circumstances in which they proc,

e.g. The Duty of Dignity Calls and Ramp Up.

Applying this formula, we can see that Style Corners/Straightaways ○ has a Skill Effectiveness of 0.346 at base, while Ignited Spirit SPD is 0.162. Even after the typical 30% Discount from Hints, Ignited Spirit SPD only has an Effectiveness value of 0.231. Although Ignited Spirit SPD is usable, it has a high opportunity cost and should only be taken when there are no better options. Distance Corners/Straightaways (e.g. Medium Corners ○) is even more efficient than Style Corners/Straightaways, only costing 100 SP at base.

Another factor to consider when assessing Velocity Skills are Activation Conditions. One example is Playtime’s Over, which only activates when another Uma is close behind for more than 3s. Because this skill activates when an Uma is pressured, it is useful in defending against overtakes. Another example of this is Tail Held High, which procs after activating three Skills in the mid-race.

On the other hand, Activation Conditions can also affect Velocity Skills negatively. Velocity Skills that often activate while an Uma is accelerating provide little to no value. One example is Masterful Gambit, which procs when an Uma is in the rear half of the pack at a random point in the Final Leg. This ensures that the skill will either not activate or only activate while the Uma is accelerating, making it ineffective. A different issue arises with Homestretch Haste: As it can activate anywhere in the Last Spurt, this Skill can proc right before the end of the race and provide minimal value.

Because The Duty of Dignity Calls activated while we were Accelerating, we do not benefit from the increased Target Speed.

A final, lesser known factor to consider when assessing Velocity Skills is that every Velocity Skill has a cooldown, after which it can re-activate. The Skills with the shortest cooldowns are Corner Adept and Straightaway Adept at 30 seconds: In longer courses, these Skills can proc twice, effectively doubling their value.

Speed Carryover

Speed Carryover is when a Velocity Skill activates near the end of mid-race and lasts long enough to still be active during the start of the Accel Zone. The Uma starts accelerating from the higher Current Speed, and reaches Top Speed faster.

When The Duty of Dignity Calls activates immediately before the late-race, we achieve a Speed Carryover effect. As seen on the diagram above, Speed Carryover is powerful because it effectively increases the duration of the Velocity Skill until the Uma reaches her Top Speed.

Speed Carryover is often achieved through Uniques. For example, Final Corner Uniques such as The Duty of Dignity Calls can Carryover on Tracks where the Final Corner begins before the Accel Zone, such as in the Tokyo 2000m Track. Another example is Uniques that proc off of Recovery Skills, such as A Kiss for Courage and Festive Miracle. These skills can guarantee carryover on Tracks where Triple 7s activates shortly before the Accel Zone.