From 5cbb6d7b1d3e98529bf0ea23c15d8d6923a413ad Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Branden J Brown Date: Tue, 7 Jul 2026 11:16:09 -0400 Subject: [PATCH] zenno/doc/frbm: updates for 7-1 patch --- zenno/src/routes/doc/frbm/+page.svelte | 232 ++++++++++++++++++------- 1 file changed, 172 insertions(+), 60 deletions(-) diff --git a/zenno/src/routes/doc/frbm/+page.svelte b/zenno/src/routes/doc/frbm/+page.svelte index acc7c15..f198286 100644 --- a/zenno/src/routes/doc/frbm/+page.svelte +++ b/zenno/src/routes/doc/frbm/+page.svelte @@ -3,6 +3,8 @@ import type { ComputedAreas, ComputedSeries, HorizontalRule } from '$lib/chart'; import { AptitudeLevel, + conservePowerAccel, + distance, downhillAccelEnterChance, frontModeEnterChance, HORSE_LENGTH, @@ -89,8 +91,11 @@ loneWolf: allSkills.get(201641), slipstream: allSkills.get(201651), pto: allSkills.get(201661), + headon: allSkills.get(201902), risky: allSkills.get(202032), runaway: allSkills.get(202051), + fr: allSkills.get(202462), + burningPOW: allSkills.get(210031), burningWIT: allSkills.get(210051), ignitedWIT: allSkills.get(210052), radiant: allSkills.get(210061), @@ -209,6 +214,12 @@ y2: (x) => modemean(sectionSpeed(raceLen, x, x, secSpeedStyle, Phase.MidRace)[1], 1.04, paceUpEnterChance(x)), }, ]); + const fcSeries: ComputedSeries[] = $derived([ + { label: 'Front Runner', y: (x) => conservePowerAccel(distance(raceLen), RunningStyle.FrontRunner, x) }, + { label: 'Pace Chaser', y: (x) => conservePowerAccel(distance(raceLen), RunningStyle.PaceChaser, x) }, + { label: 'Late Surger', y: (x) => conservePowerAccel(distance(raceLen), RunningStyle.LateSurger, x) }, + { label: 'End Closer', y: (x) => conservePowerAccel(distance(raceLen), RunningStyle.EndCloser, x) }, + ]);
@@ -233,6 +244,28 @@

{/snippet} + 1 Jul Balance Update +

A quick summary of how the 1 Jul balance update affects front runners:

+ + About Me

About three weeks after Global launched, my friend told me to get a job, so I sent him a screenshot of me clicking the install @@ -259,14 +292,6 @@ some of the information from the race mechanics doc in chart form, but I will generally leave out exact mechanic numbers and conditions; the doc is already the place for that information.

-

- Also worth mentioning is that I've been unemployed for over two years, with a computer science degree that is increasingly - difficult for an anti-AI person to apply. If this article helps you, I'd be tremendously grateful if you could drop me some spare change. -

Race Mechanics

@@ -371,9 +396,8 @@

The running modes for front runners are speed-up (+4% target speed for first among that front type) and overtake (+5% for - not-first). Entering these modes requires meeting certain conditions relating to positioning, which collectively can be read - as "solo fronts are heavily penalized." (With the 1.5 anni balance patch, we expect that solo fronts will be given more - forgiving running mode conditions.) They also require passing a wit check, with the same chance for both modes. + not-first). Entering these modes requires meeting certain conditions relating to positioning. They also require passing a wit + check, with the same chance for both modes.

- Watch a MANT late surger with 1000+ power and wit in a daily legend race. As long as they don't get blocked, they should slide forward throughout the early race. Then, around when they reach the pace chaser pack, they'll suddenly start moonwalking back to the rest of the late surgers, often near the back of the group. That's PDM.

On styles with PDM, early race and sometimes mid race speed skills are effectively converted from distance gain into HP - conservation. The thing that really makes front runners good is that they don't have to worry about that – they aren't + conservation. The thing that really makes front runners strong is that they don't have to worry about that – they aren't subject to PDM at all. Their mid race speed skills always gain distance.

@@ -411,7 +435,8 @@

Spot struggle provides a target speed bonus that scales with the guts stat. If it isn't cut short, which will approximately - never happen, its duration also scales with the guts stat. Unlike skills, its duration does not scale with race distance. + never happen outside of sprint, its duration also scales with the guts stat. Unlike skills, its duration does not scale with + race distance.

@@ -421,7 +446,7 @@ Spot struggle also greatly increases HP consumption. For normal front runners, the rate is slightly less than Rushed. For runaways, it's more than double Rushed. (This is the reason people say you can't get enough stamina for runaways on Global.) Actually getting Rushed during spot struggle dramatically increases HP consumption, much more than just adding them together; - red-light green-light pretty much guarantees that horse won't spurt. + red-light green-light pretty much guarantees that horse won't full spurt.

In medium+ races, the extra HP consumption is a serious consideration; front runners need more stamina and recoveries than @@ -429,6 +454,47 @@ multiple gold speed skills in total distance gained. See the mechanical speed calculator for precise analysis.

+

+ However, while the details aren't yet known, it appears that spot struggle reduces conserved power, + which means that front runners who spot struggle are less likely to full charge, and the probability falls as the spot + struggle duration rises. +

+ + Conserve Power & Fully Charged +

+ New in the 1 Jul balance patch is the conserve power mechanic. Horses with base power plus power passive skills greater than + 1200 effectively gain access to a free perfectly-timed accel skill, Fully Charged. The effectiveness of full charge varies + with running style and distance, but it is greatest for front runners at all distances. +

+
+ +
+ + + {raceLen}m +
+
+

+ The exact mechanics of conserving power are unclear at this time. What has been confirmed is that rushed and spot struggle both reduce the chance for it to fire. Since spot struggle duration scales with guts, it appears that taking high guts to benefit + from the strength of spot struggle has become likely to deprive you of an even stronger mechanic. +

Lane Combo

@@ -674,7 +740,7 @@ Spurt Skills

Because they are post-Angling, skills that activate in the final spurt are typically less interesting to front runners. - Notable exceptions are and, on Tokyo turf, , and, on Tokyo turf, These are good inherits for those who don't have easy access to and

Eyes especially has the potential to be threatening, since it's roughly unconditional. However, it hits others in vision, which is essentially always a range of 20m. Debuffers are typically built with very little stamina and power, so Eyes is - almost never going to reach front runners, especially the front who got Angling. + >, which is essentially always a range of 20m, or 8 lengths. Debuffers are typically built with very little stamina and power, + so Eyes is almost never going to reach front runners, especially the front who got Angling.

The other category of skills to think about is other horses' uniques. @@ -753,6 +819,10 @@ Obviously, CM is run in teams of three. While spamming the highest stats you can manage is a valid strategy that will get wins, building a team holistically will lead to higher win rates.

+

+ N.B. This section has only partially been updated for the 1 Jul balance patch, which means that some of the advice especially + relating to runaways and spot struggle is out of date. A full update here probably won't come until after CM17 Virgo Cup. +

Zero Front

@@ -790,21 +860,20 @@ Solo Front

Because solo fronts essentially don't have access to their running modes, they are unlikely to - build enough of a lead over paces to win, even with Angling. (This should change to some degree with the release of Grand - Live, as solo fronts will get an extra long speed-up zone.) + build enough of a lead over paces to win, even with Angling. (This changed a bit with the 1 Jul balance patch, as solo fronts + now get an extra-long speed-up range, but it doesn't appear that they're maintaining much of a gap over paces in practice.)

In particularly front-dominated metas, this is manageable, since you'll have opponent fronts to run against. When any other - style is viable, which is probably always now that Nishino Flower exists, you'll have matches where your team's front runner - is solo. The best choice for how to design a solo front depends on the rest of your team composition, because ultimately the - choice you are faced with is whether to use a runaway blocker. + style is viable, which is always now that is buffed, you'll have matches where your team's + front runner is solo. The best choice for how to design a solo front depends on the rest of your team composition, because ultimately + the choice you are faced with is whether to use a runaway blocker.

- In the MANT era, building a runaway that can defeat normal front runners is difficult. For one thing, a runaway existing means - that all fronts have access to overtake mode for position keep, which is better than speed-up mode. Moreover, beating their - mid race skill list requires some lucky hints in Unity Cup. The ideal runaway blocker has capped power, capped wit, and - surface S, along with full gate and lane combos where applicable, to build as much of an early race lead - as possible. + The ideal runaway blocker has capped power, capped wit, and surface S, along with full gate and lane combos where applicable, to build as much of an early race lead as possible. Her speed stat doesn't particularly matter, because her + job is to block, not to win.

Because runaways get so far ahead during the first half of the race, they essentially disable pace-down mode There is still a difference between dual ace double front and double front with an ace and a backup. The ideal stat lines and skill lists will be the same between the two styles, but character choice will be different. In particular, dual ace wants - both to have strong speed uniques – VBourbon, SMaru, Ines Fujin on Tokyo turf. + both to have strong speed uniques – VBourbon or SMaru.

With an ace and a backup, the ace is the one with the speed unique, and the other is a horse who gambles on winning mid race and turns that into a first place finish. Seiun Sky is the strongest such option; as an own unique rather than inherited, - Angling gives so much perfectly timed accel that speed inherits give her more lengths than other accel skills. + Angling gives so much perfectly timed acceleration that speed inherits give her more lengths than other accel skills.

Since your two front runners are both meant to be winners, making your third horse a support type is likely to give the best @@ -853,12 +922,6 @@ long distance; front runners are common generally here.) So, double front for long is ultimately about the same as double front for other distances, just with different goals when choosing the legacy.

-

- Given that NN is good, it's also worth considering the gold version, - NSM is a better skill for the long double front build, but for now, the only way to get it while running MANT is from Yukino Bijin - Wit. That card's numbers are not great. It's still possible to get a good stat line using her, but it will take more careers to - get there than to just get NN from Fine Motion. -

If you're feeling adventurous, runaway is another consideration for double (and triple) front on long distances. Your ace (hopefully) still gets VC, but the runaway paces up the race. As mentioned in the solo front @@ -888,10 +951,10 @@

The fact that triple front tries to occupy positions 3-4 lets you do some very interesting team comps where you run pace - chasers as front runners. E.g., I ran Taiki Shuttle as front in dirt CM and Curren Chan as front in sprint CM. This is not - terribly consistent because they're readily equipped to get into first just as easily as third, but then they just get Angling - instead and follow the normal front runner game plan. If you see people talking about a pace chaser being especially strong - for a given CM, consider running them as a front runner in a triple front build instead. + chasers as front runners. E.g., I ran Taiki Shuttle as front in CM10 on dirt and Curren Chan as front in the CM9 sprint. This + is not terribly consistent because they're readily equipped to get into first just as easily as third, but then they just get + Angling instead and follow the normal front runner game plan. If you see people talking about a given pace chaser being + especially strong for a CM, consider running them as a front runner in a triple front build instead.

A more mechanical type of support is to build for spot struggle and have her pull your less gutsy fronts @@ -905,13 +968,13 @@ showing. In addition to the normal front win cons, it's potentially strong to take unconditional gambles like and . + />, , and .

- SS supports do best on medium and long tracks, because you want to be building everyone for spot struggle on miles and - sprints. However, spot struggle is the only mechanic in the game that scales superlinearly with stats, so even the difference - between 1200 and 1000 guts can matter enough to justify an extra guts focus on the SS support in miles. See the - mechanical speed calculator for details. + Now that conserving power is a game mechanic, SS supports have the problem that spot struggle risks + taking away full charge, which means losing a strong accel. This can be alleviated to some degree by managing + Dodging Danger to keep your ace out of the spot struggle – either the ace has lane combo and the + other two don't, or the ace doesn't have it and the other two do.

@@ -934,15 +997,17 @@ />, so the normal fronts (typically UG1 or better) pass them during early race.

- If this build ever had an era, it was during Unity Cup, when NSM was essentially free and there was no VC. I don't think it's - viable now. + If this build ever had an era, it was during the first pass of Unity Cup, when NSM was essentially free and there was no VC. + We have reworked UC for one CM before Our Grand Concert releases, but it's a sprint CM that overwhelmingly favors pace + chasers. I don't think it's viable now.

Career

Most front runners enjoy easy careers thanks to strong kits and little chance to be blocked.

- Currently, this chapter is about MANT (a.k.a. Trackblazer). Unity Cup is still useful – obviously for runaways, but also - for spinning up an legacy. + Currently, this chapter is about MANT (a.k.a. Trackblazer). Current data for CM16 following the URA and UC reworks suggests + that MANT horses win approximately just as much as UC horses relative to their respective populations, despite the lower stat + caps. So, I am going to leave this section largely untouched until the next scenario releases.

Support Cards @@ -1170,7 +1235,8 @@ Taiki Shuttle & Curren Chan

When building triple fronts, you will naturally have a horse in third. This presents an - opportunity to use a horse who is normally a pace chaser as a type of gambler. + opportunity to use a horse who is normally a pace chaser, with a strong unique that requires position 3 or behind, as a type + of gambler.

Taiki Shuttle and original Curren Chan are notable for having C and B front, respectively, which is quite reasonable to fix. @@ -1196,14 +1262,15 @@ Important Sparks

- Front runners are uniquely capable of making good use of all stat (blue) sparks, since guts is unusually important for them. - Power sparks are typically still best, and stamina sparks can help to forgo a stamina card or two for 2400m+ builds. Fronts - have a disproportionate representation of horses with high speed talent, which makes speed sparks a bit less valuable. + Front runners are uniquely capable of making good use of wit sparks, since wit governs early- and mid-race speed, which is + unusually important for them. Power sparks are typically still best, and stamina sparks can help to forgo a stamina card or + two for 2400m+ builds. Fronts have a disproportionate representation of horses with high speed talent, which makes speed + sparks a bit less valuable.

- Pink sparks are more interesting, because – at least until other styles catch up on accels – they're less reliant - on distance S to win. Building a high affinity legacy tree requires keeping some mile and long sparks on hand. Front sparks - are better than other style sparks, especially if you do triple front CM builds using + Pink sparks are more interesting, because – at least until other styles finish catching up on accels – they're + less reliant on distance S to win. Building a high affinity legacy tree requires keeping some mile and long sparks on hand. + Front sparks are better than other style sparks, especially if you do triple front CM builds using fixed pace chasers.

Front runners are more reliant than other styles on getting certain skills from inspiration:

@@ -1221,7 +1288,7 @@
  • is the stronger lane combo piece. The only sources of it are inheritance and Unity Cup; which is to say, the source of it is inheritance. When searching databases for borrows, looking for Ignited WIT is a shortcut for listing - good front runner legacies, since it's only valuable to fronts and somewhat hard to get even when you focus on it. + good front runner legacies, since it's only valuable to fronts.
  • Almost all green skills are valuable to inherit at one point or another as GW triggers. @@ -1236,12 +1303,17 @@
  • All generic speed skills that aren't strictly late race are good inherits. - is the best one by ratio of strength to difficulty to acquire. + is the best one by ratio of strength to difficulty to acquire; if you aren't forced to borrow Smart + Falcon, you can get the gold version of this from Nakayama Festa Wit. , , , and are also strong, but available as hints or chain skills from some usable-to-good cards.
    • -
  • Obviously, getting front-runner-specific skills from inheritance makes them cheaper and more consistent to get.
    • +
  • + Getting front-runner-specific skills from inheritance has become especially important now that reworked UC doesn't give + skills according to aptitudes. This is a significant reason for MANT to remain the parenting scenario, arguably even more so + than the higher affinity potential. +
    • Parents @@ -1270,7 +1342,8 @@
  • Mayano Top Gun doesn't have an actual front runner variant (until Halloween Mayano in 2028 or so), but she acts like a front - runner for affinity. In particular, Maya and Kitasan is the highest base compatibility pair currently in the game. + runner for affinity. In particular, Maya and Kitasan is among the highest base compatibility pairs currently in the game. + (They were #1 prior to the 1 Jul balance patch, but now that spot goes to Tamamo Cross and Inari One.)
  • TM Opera O is technically a pace chaser parent, but she still has good compatibility with most front runners, and her unique @@ -1286,6 +1359,37 @@ My CM Teams + CM16 – Leo Cup (Sprinters Stakes) +

    + The 1 Jul balance patch redefined everything for everyone, and front runners are suddenly actually quite bad. + I guess the stakes are lower for my triple front mandate. +

    +

    + An additional interesting detail is that this track has no straights before late race. That means straight velos are much less + important. +

    +

    + I had some amazing luck with support card pulls and got both Maruzensky and Nakayama Festa to MLB in 400. Are these runs what + it feels like to not be F2P? +

    +
      +
    1. Suzuka gets to be a runaway again!
      2. +
    2. + Mejiro Palmer gets to have G sprint fixed and be a second runaway! Hopefully she will both stay in front of Taiki and not + block Suzuka! +
      3. +
    3. + Taiki Shuttle has a very-nearly-perfect 3-4 unique, which will be great with her as a front runner. Given the importance of + skills, I'm building her in MANT. +
      4. +
    +

    + This CM will be interesting as the first opportunity to use multiple runaways and not have them be vaporized by spot struggle. + I'll actually want to click on power to make sure I break 1200, and I'll want to minimize guts to conserve more power, which + means I'll reasonably get the ca. 800 stamina required for them to survive. The only downside is that runaways, and front + runners broadly, are not actually good here, because is so wildly good in sprint now. +

    + CM15 – Cancer Cup (Takarazuka Kinen)

    Kitasan's unique ends about a sixth of a second before late race starts, which means massive carryover potential (although @@ -1309,6 +1413,14 @@ ace, and that's what Chocobon does best.

    • +

    Win rates are a bit messy because I experimented with a few different comps and Throne reworks. After 80:

    +
      +
    • VBourbon: 28-15-17-20
      • +
    • Kitasan: 12-14-11-38 (of 75)
      • +
    • Suzuka: 8-5-7-60 = 8-4-6-37 + 0-1-1-23 (replaced after 25; I ended up not using a runaway either time)
      • +
    • Seiun Sky: 0-0-2-3 (of 5)
      • +
    +

    Lost finals to two COCs, one getting Pump and the other NSM, while Chocobon blew velos during accel.

    CM14 – Gemini Cup (Yasuda Kinen, NHK Mile Cup, Victoria Mile)