Champions Meeting · Guide
Aquarius Cup
~Nov 21, 2026 → ~Nov 27, 2026Tokyo · 1600 m · Mile · Dirt · Left-handed
Summary
- End Closer won JP's Aquarius 2023: at least 62 of 100 winners in room matches with the final's conditions, and the top style in every JP guide. Agnes Digital [Full-Color Fangirling] alone took 40 of 100.
- Give your End Closers real late acceleration: Lightning Surge (Daiichi Ruby Power SSR), Let's Pump Some Iron! or Louder! Tracen Cheer!, and Lead the Charge! (Agnes Digital). The plan is to sit about 6th at the final corner.
- Second win route: one Front Runner (at least 28 of 100 wins). Smart Falcon [LOVE☆4EVER] takes the lead best; Copano Rickey [Eightfold☆Fortune] has the highest ceiling, and her unique wants six passives, which this cup's six greens supply. Carry Angling and Scheming, Victoria por plancha ☆ and Unrestrained.
- Pace Chaser was the most used style in the real CM (~44% of rivals) but won only 4-10 of 100 in room matches; Taiki Shuttle [Wild Frontier] is the stable one. Skip Late Surgers. Debuffers are situational at best.
- Stats: speed 1450-1600, stamina 600-650 (578 reaches the 601 course bonus with best mood; no recovery skill needed), power 1100-1200, guts 600, wit 1100-1200. Mile S and Dirt A or better.
- Expect about 1.8 Front Runners per 9-Uma room (usually 0-4).
Guides: Two End and Front; Urara with Runaway is a specific combo.
Running styles
Styles the guides favor: End CloserFront Runner
Use is the share of rival Umas that ran each style in Japan: how popular it was, not how often it won.
Result: wins or first places in room matches set up in Japan with this CM's conditions. Small samples, not Global and not a win rate in the real event.
| Style | Verdict | Use in Japan | Result in JP rooms | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| End Closer | Best | 22.8 % | 62 %of room wins | Measured Win share is a lower bound: Agnes Digital 40 + Oguri Cap 14 + Haru Urara [New Year ♪ New Urara!] 8 (62-68 by arithmetic). The room matches had 46.0% End Closer picks; the real CM had fewer (Graded League 20.2% in Round 1, 29.2% in Round 2; Open League 10-13%), which makes rank-conditioned accels easier (Let's Pump Some Iron! needs 6th of 9 on the final corner). Post-event review: the top style, 'stack Lightning Surge and take 6th and anyone wins'. One JP guide warns that with too many End Closers their bottom-50% skills stop firing. Sample: use: 423 rival Umas, Graded League Rounds 1-2 of the real CM; wins: 100 winners of pre-event room matches with the Graded League final's conditions (2023-02-08) |
| Front Runner | Strong | 20.3 % | 28 %of room wins | Measured Lower bound: Copano Rickey 14 + Smart Falcon [LOVE☆4EVER] 8 + Smart Falcon [Twilight Triumph] 6 (28-34 by arithmetic). JP counted Runaways as Front Runners, so the use figure includes them. Room matches: 28.0% use. One JP guide calls it the 'Unrestrained high-roll' style: it wins when a late random accel lands and loses otherwise. Real CM: Copano Rickey was the most common Front Runner, then Smart Falcon [LOVE☆4EVER]. A Runaway on the other side shuts it down. Sample: use: 423 rival Umas, Graded League Rounds 1-2 of the real CM; wins: 100 winners of pre-event room matches (2023-02-08) |
| Pace Chaser | Viable | 43.8 % | 4 %of room wins | Measured Room-match wins 4-10 of 100 (Hokko Tarumae 4, Taiki Shuttle 0, Copano Rickey as Pace Chaser 0) with only 22.3% use in room matches. In the real CM it was the most used style (Graded League 45.7% in Round 1, 39.2% in Round 2) because it was easier to train in Grand Concert. One JP guide puts it level with Front Runner, behind End Closer, and the post-event review says every style except Late Surger had a win route: Taiki Shuttle was the most stable, Hokko Tarumae the most explosive (not in Global), El Condor Pasa the F2P option. The fastest Pace Chaser accels (Budding Blossom, Tarumae's unique) need a challenge on the mid-race corner, which rarely happens with few Pace Chasers around. Sample: use: 423 rival Umas, Graded League Rounds 1-2 of the real CM; wins: 100 winners of pre-event room matches (2023-02-08) |
| Late Surger | Avoid | 13.1 % | — | From guides Almost none in room matches (3.7% use): most Late Surger candidates were run as End Closers. One JP guide: effectively a weaker End Closer, no reason to use it except as a debuffer. Post-event review: 'it doesn't exist'. More common in Open League (24-29%), where it did not stand out. Sample: use: 423 rival Umas, Graded League Rounds 1-2; no per-style win count for Late Surger (0-6 of 100 by arithmetic, room matches) |
| Runaway | Weak | not counted | 0 %of room wins | Measured Runaways (rebuilt to Dirt) showed up in room matches now and then, but none won. One JP guide: its job is to shut down rival Front Runners and to stretch the unique of Haru Urara [New Year ♪ New Urara!], which lasts longer the farther the leader is; it rarely wins itself. Post-event review: Daitaku Helios and Silence Suzuka Runaways appeared occasionally and could win. Both start at Dirt G; Daitaku Helios is not in Global. Sample: 100 winners of pre-event room matches: no Runaway win; no usage count |
Expected room
Front Runners per room (Runaways included): 1.8 on average, from 0 to 4. Runaways per room: no source counted them. Measured
The Front Runner figure includes Runaways, because JP counted them as Front Runners. No source counts Runaways: JP sources only saw them 'now and then', so most rooms had none (min 0 is safe; mean and max are unknown). The pre-event room matches had more Front Runners and End Closers than the real CM, which leaned to Pace Chaser.
Umas
What Japan used and what the guides recommend, one card per outfit. A recommendation is a guide author's priority, not a chance of winning.
In Japan: 40 of 100 winners and 64% of End Closer picks (room matches, 2023-02-08); the most used Uma in Graded League Round 1 of the real CM (~19% of 299 rivals); the most common End Closer and the most title reports in the post-event review; one JP guide calls her the best End Closer thanks to Lead the Charge! (no rank condition) and Superstan. Global aptitudes: Dirt A, Mile A, End Closer B. Measured
Guides:End Closer: Dirt acceleration with no rank condition
- End conversion and Lightning Surge
- Validate availability and version in Global
- Guides take Lightning Surge from the Daiichi Ruby SSR.
In Japan: 14 of 100 winners and 27% of End Closer picks (room matches); post-event review: the clear second End Closer, with the most explosive wins of the event; own unique Triumphant Pulse. Global aptitudes: Dirt B, End Closer D, so she needs Dirt and End Closer sparks (one JP guide: very hard to rebuild). Measured
Guides:End Closer: High finishing ceiling
- Costly End conversion
- Validate availability and version in Global
In Japan: 8 of 100 winners and 21% of End Closer picks (room matches); her unique lasts longer the farther the leader is, so she pairs with a Runaway (JP guides agree); the post-event review notes many picked her; anecdote: she beat one finalist's three Agnes Digitals in a final. Global aptitudes: Dirt A, Mile A, End Closer B. Measured
Guides:End Closer: Unique connects behind a tractor
- Allied Runaway converted to dirt
- Validate availability and version in Global
- Guides pair her with a Runaway teammate converted to dirt; the planner only checks the running style.
In Japan: 14 of 100 winners and 25% of Front Runner picks (room matches); the most used Front Runner in the real CM; one Graded League Group A finalist lost his final to one. Her unique Luck Runs My Way scales with active passives and needs six for full effect: the cup's six greens cover it. Weak if inherited. Global aptitudes: Dirt A, Mile A, Front Runner A. Measured
Guides:Front Runner: Front-side ace with a high peak
- Greens and variable acceleration
- Validate availability and version in Global
In Japan: 8 of 100 winners but 32% of Front Runner picks (room matches); best at taking the lead (one JP guide) and the realistic top Front Runner of the real CM (post-event review). Global aptitudes: Dirt A, Mile A, Front Runner A. Measured
In Japan: 6 of 100 winners and 11% of Front Runner picks (room matches); awakening skill Be the Center! (Dirt late-race accel); one JP guide puts her just below Smart Falcon [LOVE☆4EVER]; her mid-race unique heals, which helps against debuffs. Measured
In Japan: 0 of 100 room-match wins (18% of Pace Chaser picks), but the most stable Pace Chaser of the real CM (post-event review) and one JP guide's top Pace Chaser: her own unique has only a rank condition, and on this track it lasts 5 s and slightly overlaps the accel zone. Part of the team with which one finalist won a Graded League Group A final (Platinum). Global aptitudes: Dirt B, Mile A, Pace Chaser A. From guides
In Japan: Her own unique is Victoria por plancha ☆, which fires ~33 m into the late race; post-event review: the F2P Pace Chaser that showed her unique's strength in races with few Front Runners; one JP guide: run her with no Front Runner teammate. Global aptitudes: Dirt B, Mile A, Pace Chaser A. From guides
In Japan: Rated a ★5 Pace Chaser by one JP guide: her awakening skills fit the course very well; her unique (speed in the last 300 m) is weaker when the leader is far. Seen in the real CM's usage lists. Global aptitudes: Dirt A, Mile A, Pace Chaser A (in Global since 2026-09-24). From guides
In Japan: Rated ★5 by one JP guide: final-straight speed unique, stronger after passing on the final corner, and the awakening skill Encroaching Shadow fits the course. Global aptitudes: Dirt A, Mile B, End Closer A. From guides
In Japan: 4 of 100 room-match wins and 22% of Pace Chaser picks; the most explosive Pace Chaser of the real CM (JP guides agree), but her unique needs a mid-race challenge and 3rd-4th place. Not in Global's roster (master 2026-10-02). Measured
Stats and aptitudes
| Target |  Speed |  Stamina |  Power |  Guts |  Wit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Recommended | 1450 | 650 | 1200 | 600 | 1200 |
| Minimum | 1200 | 578 | 1000 | 500 | 900 |
Without one: 600.
Aptitudes: Mile S and Dirt S if you can: distance and ground aptitudes matter most, style aptitude much less. Dirt A is the practical floor: a Dirt F/G Uma needs at least 4 red-spark slots on Dirt and then rarely gets Mile S. Global aptitudes: Agnes Digital and Haru Urara [New Year ♪ New Urara!] start Dirt A / Mile A / End Closer B; Oguri Cap Dirt B / End Closer D; Smart Falcon and Copano Rickey Dirt A / Mile A / Front Runner A; Taiki Shuttle and El Condor Pasa Dirt B / Mile A / Pace Chaser A.
From guides Recommended = one JP guide's back-line target (End Closer is the best style); its front-line target is 1600/600/1100/600/1100. Another JP guide: speed, power and wit first, stamina 600, guts 600+. A third guide's Open League floor: 1200+/650/1000/600/900. The course grants a speed bonus from stamina at 601+: 578 reaches it with best mood (fixed in the final), 614 if mood is bad; 901 is not worth it. The 100 room-match winners: stamina 6 under 500, 34 at 500-599, 56 at 600-699, 4 at 700-799, 0 at 800+; guts 16 under 600, 44 at 600-699, 32 at 700-799, 8 at 800+. Recovery skills are not needed at 600/600; a gold recovery only adds safety if you have spare SP, so stamina_with_gold has no source figure. Minimum guts 500 is a Global CM10 guide's floor for back-line styles. Don't copy Global CM10's 500-550 stamina: that run was Firm and Sunny.
Check your own build in the HP Calculator before training: these targets come from Japanese guides.
Skills
Inherited uniques 6
- Angling and SchemingFront RunnerThe late race starts on the final corner, so it is the fastest accel for Front Runners (JP guides' top priority). Seiun Sky has low Dirt, so spend her red sparks on Mile.
- Victoria por plancha ☆Front RunnerPace ChaserThe final straight starts ~30 m into the late race, so this straight accel is almost a first-moment accel. El Condor Pasa has it as her own unique.
- Budding BlossomPace ChaserOne JP guide's top Pace Chaser accel, at the start of the late race, but it needs a mid-race corner challenge and 3rd-4th place; it was unreliable because room matches had few Pace Chasers.
- Give Mummy a Hug ♡Pace ChaserFront RunnerFinal-straight accel at 2nd-4th and within 1 length of the runner ahead; one JP guide's second Pace Chaser pick and a Global CM10 guide's front-line straight accel.
- Let's Pump Some Iron!End CloserLate SurgerLate-race corner accel at 6th of 9: one JP guide's top End Closer priority. You need mid-race speed skills to be in 6th.
- Louder! Tracen Cheer!End CloserLate SurgerFinal-straight accel for an Uma that stays in the back 30% in the first half without getting Rushed; on one JP guide's top End Closer list.
Gold skills 9
- UnrestrainedFront RunnerRandom final-corner accel while 1st. One JP guide: a Front Runner without it is not serious; post-event review: the Front Runner meta was about drawing it at the right moment.
- Be the Center!Front RunnerDirt late-race random accel in the top half. Many Front Runners in room matches carried it next to Unrestrained, because inherited accels alone were no longer enough against End Closers. Awakening skill of Smart Falcon [Twilight Triumph].
- Taking the LeadFront RunnerEarly-race lead skill; one JP guide's early pick for Front Runners, and the 650 m opening straight rewards early position.
- Lightning SurgeEnd CloserLate SurgerThe key End Closer accel. Post-event review: 'stack Lightning Surge and take 6th and anyone wins'; JP guides name it first. From the Daiichi Ruby Power SSR (in Global since 2026-08-12); hard to fire as Front Runner or Pace Chaser.
- Lead the Charge!End CloserPace ChaserFront RunnerDirt late-race random accel with no rank condition; Agnes Digital's awakening skill and on the Agnes Digital Power SSR. One JP guide: the reason Agnes Digital [Full-Color Fangirling] stands out.
- Encroaching ShadowEnd CloserGold version of Straightaway Spurt; one JP guide rates Inari One [Golden Dream] highly for it.
- Furious FeatEnd CloserLate SurgerMile late-race random accel in the back half; from the Oguri Cap Power SSR and on one JP guide's End Closer list.
- Daring StrikeEnd CloserEnd Closer mid-race speed from the back, which helps reach 6th for Let's Pump Some Iron!; one JP guide calls it near-mandatory. From the Admire Vega Power SSR.
- Professor of CurvatureFront RunnerPace ChaserLate SurgerEnd CloserRated ★★★ by one JP guide: almost every corner here counts and it links into the final corner; from the Kitasan Black Speed SSR.
White skills 3
- GroundworkFront RunnerPace ChaserSmall early accel if 3+ skills fire in the early race; the course greens (Left-Handed ○, Winter Runner ○, Wet Conditions ○) count, so it triggers reliably.
- Forward, March!Pace ChaserEnd CloserDirt late-race random accel with no challenge or rank condition: one JP guide's fix for unstable Pace Chaser accels (Head-On does the same). Agnes Digital has it.
- Straightaway SpurtEnd CloserEnd Closer straight accel in the last spurt; in one JP guide's data, builds with it had the best room-match win rate; post-event review: it works because the final straight starts right after the late race begins.
Green skills 7
- Left-Handed ○Front RunnerPace ChaserLate SurgerEnd CloserRunawaySpeed passive that fires on Tokyo (left-handed). One JP guide: speed greens matter for every style in a short race; it also counts for Groundwork and Copano Rickey's unique.
- Winter Runner ○Front RunnerPace ChaserLate SurgerEnd CloserRunawaySpeed passive in winter; same role as Left-Handed ○.
- Wet Conditions ○Front RunnerPace ChaserLate SurgerEnd CloserRunawayPower passive on Good, Soft and Heavy ground: fires here (Soft). Part of the green set one JP guide uses to trigger Groundwork.
- Snowy Days ○Front RunnerPace ChaserLate SurgerEnd CloserRunawayGuts passive in Snowy weather; one JP guide suggests it as an extra green. It did not fire in Global's Sunny CM10.
- Standard Distance ○Front RunnerPace ChaserLate SurgerEnd CloserRunawayStamina passive (1600 is a multiple of 400); one JP guide suggests it as an extra green.
- Tokyo Racecourse ○Front RunnerPace ChaserLate SurgerEnd CloserRunawayStamina passive at Tokyo. No JP guide singled it out; it mainly serves as one more passive for Copano Rickey's unique.
- Muddy ○Front RunnerPace ChaserLate SurgerEnd CloserRunawayDirt speed passive on Soft or Heavy ground: fires here. Not one of the cup's six listed greens, but one JP guide lists it among the speed passives that fire (with Solid Steps, a Dirt speed passive at 1000+ power).
Team compositions
2 Front Runners + 1 End Closer (e.g. Smart Falcon [LOVE☆4EVER] + Copano Rickey + Agnes Digital)
From guides Post-event verdict: one of the two setups that won most consistently. Two Front Runners raise the odds that one draws Unrestrained; the End Closer covers the race where the front collapses.
Front Runner + Pace Chaser + End Closer (e.g. Smart Falcon + Taiki Shuttle + Agnes Digital or Oguri Cap)
From guides The other most stable setup in the post-event review: each style has its own win route, so the team is less exposed to how the room is built.
2 Pace Chasers + 1 End Closer (JP: Hokko Tarumae + Taiki Shuttle + Agnes Digital; Global: Taiki Shuttle + El Condor Pasa or Wonder Acute + Agnes Digital)
Anecdote One finalist won a Graded League Group A final (Platinum) with it, with Agnes Digital taking the win by a neck. One JP guide: run 2+ Pace Chasers if a teammate needs the challenge condition; El Condor Pasa wants no Front Runner teammate.
Runaway + Haru Urara [New Year ♪ New Urara!] + End Closer (e.g. Silence Suzuka rebuilt to Dirt + Haru Urara + Agnes Digital)
From guides Two JP guides: most Runaway users paired it with Haru Urara [New Year ♪ New Urara!], whose unique lasts longer the bigger the gap to the leader, and the Runaway also blocks rival Front Runners. Costly: Silence Suzuka starts at Dirt G (Daitaku Helios, the other JP option, is not in Global).
2 × Front Runner + 1 × End Closer
From guides Post-event verdict: one of the two setups that won most consistently. Two Front Runners raise the odds that one draws Unrestrained; the End Closer covers the race where the front collapses.
1 × Front Runner + 1 × Pace Chaser + 1 × End Closer
From guides The other most stable setup in the post-event review: each style has its own win route, so the team is less exposed to how the room is built.
2 × Pace Chaser + 1 × End Closer
Anecdote One finalist won a Graded League Group A final (Platinum) with it, with Agnes Digital taking the win by a neck. One JP guide: run 2+ Pace Chasers if a teammate needs the challenge condition; El Condor Pasa wants no Front Runner teammate.
Debuffers
Depends on the room One JP guide: hard to use here, since stamina debuffers lack range because of their aptitudes, and several speed and accel debuffs are Mile skills that 564 Escapades cannot push to the second half. Another: the 564 Escapades + Dominator speed-debuff set still does some work and can help Lightning Surge fire; Grass Wonder (Mile A) for speed, Nice Nature for stamina; a single stamina debuffer does little. Post-event review: stacking stamina debuffs might pay off because builds run lean on stamina. Anecdote: one Open League finalist lost the final with Agnes Digital + 2 stamina debuffers.
Support decks
Decks published by guides for this CM in Japan. Some cards may not be in Global yet; the planner checks which ones you can use.
Deck shapes
- 2 Speed / 1 Power / 2 Wit / 1 Pal · End Closer · JP · Grand Live · umamusumelabo.com
- 3 Speed / 2 Wit / 1 Pal · Front Runner · KR/JP historical · Grand Live · uma.inven.co.kr
- 2 Speed / 1 Power / 2 Wit / 1 Pal · End Closer · KR/JP historical · Grand Live · uma.inven.co.kr
- 2 Speed / 1 Guts / 2 Wit / 1 Pal · Pace Chaser · KR/JP historical · Grand Live · uma.inven.co.kr
Guides in other languages
Korean · author guide · 2024-05-21 · inven.co.kr
- Agnes Digital (original) · End Closer · Strong
- Taiki Shuttle (original) · Pace Chaser · Practical
- Copano Rickey (original) · Front Runner · High ceiling
Historical guide; no population census; patch and Global availability pending.
What may differ in Global
- Hokko Tarumae (109901; 4 of 100 room-match wins, the most explosive Pace Chaser) and Daitaku Helios (106501, a JP Runaway) are not in Global's roster (master 2026-10-02); Shinko Windy (104301) neither. JP got Tarumae on 2023-01-10, so she may reach Global before 2026-11-21 (inference).
- Global's roster today matches JP up to the 2022-11-28 releases, so every other Uma JP relied on (Agnes Digital, Oguri Cap, Haru Urara [New Year ♪ New Urara!], both Smart Falcons, Copano Rickey, Taiki Shuttle, El Condor Pasa, Wonder Acute, Inari One) is available, and so are the key cards (Daiichi Ruby, Kitasan Black, Agnes Digital, Oguri Cap and Admire Vega SSRs).
- JP trained in Grand Concert (speed cap 1600) and two JP guides recommend it; in a scenario with a lower cap, scale the 1450-1600 speed target down.
- No evolved skills were in play in JP's CM22 (they arrived the day after). Global data still marks evolved skills such as Agnes Digital's 'Ultimate Uma Simp' as not in game, so this holds today; recheck if Global adds them before the cup.
- Razor-Sharp Steps (202491), on one JP guide's End Closer list, is not in Global; K.S.Miracle's Guts SSR (30130) neither.
- Global already ran this course as CM10 in March 2026, but Firm and Sunny: Snowy Days ○ did not fire then and a Global CM10 guide asked only 500-550 stamina. This cup copies JP's Soft and Snowy conditions, so follow JP's 600 stamina.
- Don't inherit Copano Rickey's unique: its inherited version is very weak.
Gaps in the data
- No win data from the real CM: win shares come from pre-event room matches (100 winners, 2023-02-08), where End Closers were 46% of picks against ~23% in the real Graded League.
- The per-style and per-Uma pages of the room-match data returned 403; only its tier page and an archived main page could be read.
- No source counts Runaways per room, so their mean and max are null.
- The real CM's Graded League samples are small (299 and 124 rival Umas), and the per-Uma shares come from OCR in an uncertain order; only Agnes Digital's lead (~19% in Graded League Round 1) is used.
- There is no Global guide for this cup with these conditions; the only Global guide covers CM10 (Firm, Sunny).
- Unknown whether Hokko Tarumae or Daitaku Helios will be in Global by 2026-11-21.
- Stat targets are guide figures; only the stamina and guts bands of the 100 room-match winners are measured.
Sources and credits
This guide is our own summary, in our words, of the research below; the findings belong to their authors. Follow the links to read them in full.
- Altema: Aquarius Cup tier and room data (final-condition room matches) Altema · data · 2023-02-08 · Japanese100 winners plus style use, stamina and guts of winners
- Altema: Aquarius Cup main guide (archive.org copy) Altema · guide · 2023-03-27 · Japanese
- Kitachan Black: Aquarius 2023 Round 1 (Speaker Deck) Kitachan Black · data · Japanese299 Graded League + 397 Open League rival Umas (usage only)
- Kitachan Black: Aquarius 2023 Round 2 (Speaker Deck) Kitachan Black · data · Japanese124 Graded League + 227 Open League rival Umas (usage only)
- onJ: Aquarius Cup (2023) wiki page, guide plus post-event review onJ · wiki · Japanese
- Umamusume Lab: Aquarius 2023 tier list and environment Umamusume Lab · guide · 2023-02-08 · Japanese
- Umamusume Lab: Graded League Group A final report Umamusume Lab · blog · 2023-02-22 · Japanese1 final
- GameWith: Aquarius Cup 2023 guide GameWith · guide · 2023-02-10 · Japanese
- game8: Aquarius Cup 2023 skills and tier game8 · guide · Japanese
- game8: Aquarius Cup 2023 Open League build game8 · guide · Japanese
- dororon: Aquarius 2023 result (Graded League Group A final won) dororon · blog · Japanese1 final
- Hobohobo Game Log Kai: Aquarius 2023 final Hobohobo Game Log Kai · blog · 2023-02-22 · Japanese1 final
- sho5: Aquarius 2023 Open League final sho5 · blog · 2023-02-22 · Japanese1 final
- uma.guide: Aquarius Cup (Global CM10, Firm/Sunny) uma.guide · guide · 2026-02-11 · English
- GameTora: Champions Meeting list (JP and Global race data) GameTora · wiki · English
Guides cited
- umamusumelabo.com https://umamusumelabo.com/ikusei/aquarius2023-oikomi-ikusei
- uma.inven.co.kr https://uma.inven.co.kr/dataninfo/guide/?bidx=295864
- inven.co.kr https://www.inven.co.kr/webzine/news/?news=295808&site=uma