Category:Chocobo Racing

What is Chocobo Racing?

The newly completed CRA (Chocobo Racing Association) racetrack is the perfect place for players to test out and show off the skills of their very own chocobos. The automated races held at this exciting venue will require players to piece together a picture-perfect plan based on variables such as chocobo condition and the weather, using options consisting of orders given to their jockeys and items to be utilized on the track. But that’s not all. Performing well in these races will earn players gil or VCS-mint chocobucks, which can be used to purchase items or services that will assist in breeding.

Note: Only players who have installed and registered the Aht Urhgan expansion data will be able to access the chocobo race content.

For information on raising a chocobo, check out our Chocobo Raising Page.

What are Chocobucks?

Chocobucks are a special type of currency for use at CRA-sanctioned establishments. Chocobucks can be earned by winning special races and can be exchanged for items and services used in chocobo breeding. Chocobucks are also required to participate in certain official races.

Notes:

• The maximum amount of chocobucks a player can obtain at one time is 1000.
• Chocobucks can only be used at the branch at which they were earned.

Chocobuck Exchange Centers:

Southern San d’Oria – Palabelle
Bastok Mines – Gavoroi
Windurst Woods - Toppi-Meppi

What are Racing Teams?

Each of the three regional CRA branches has its own racing team. Before participating in any races, players must first join one of the three teams (San d’Oria, Bastok, or Windurst). While similar in many ways, each racing team also offers many unique services--from different items available at the Chocobuck Exchange Centers, to special races. Though players are required to select a racing team, they can change their affiliation (free of charge and without penalties) at any time.

Changing Affiliation

In the event that players wish to change their affiliation, all records of their previous race results and chocobuck earnings will be stored at the CRA branch. While players cannot transfer those results and earnings to their new racing team, if they choose to return to a previous team, they will be able to start where they left off.

How to Participate

Raise A Chocobo

First, players must be raising an adult chocobo and have obtained a CRA racing form (available from a trainer) or have a chocobo out to pasture and possess its VCS registration card. Next, players must visit one of the CRA branches located in San d’Oria, Bastok, and Windurst, and register their chocobo to race.

CRA officials have been dispatched to the following locations:

San d’Oria Chocobo Circuit

• Alangriche - (H-8)

Bastok Chocobo Circuit

• Jazgeh - (H-8)

Windurst Chocobo Circuit

• Rungaga - (H-8)

Register Your Chocobo

Chocobos can be registered at any of the aforementioned CRA branches by trading to the representative either of the two documents (obtainable from a chocobo trainer):

• VCS Registration Card
• CRA Racing Form (free)

Notes:

• Only adult chocobos can participate in races.
• Players may only register one chocobo at a time.
• If a chocobo’s attributes change after CRA registration, players must re-register their chocobo for those changes to be reflected.

Choose A Race

There are three types of races players and can participate in:

Race Type	Fee	Prize(s)	Description
Free Run	Gil	Chocobucks	“Practice” races that may be run at any time.
Official Races	Chocobucks	Gil & Prizes	Mission-style races sponsored by the VCS.
Re-Runs	Chocobucks	Gil	Previously cleared official races.

Free Run:
Placing in free runs is one way for players to earn the chocobucks necessary for participating in official races and purchasing items at the Chocobuck Exchange Centers. There are no limits to the number of races players may participate in each (Earth) day, but the fee will increase gradually with each race until charging a maximum of 1,000 gil more per consecutive free run after hitting 10,000 gil. The fee will continue to increase until being reset at Japanese Midnight. The gil increase is as follows: 100 → 150 → 200 → 300 → 400 → 600 → 800 → 1,000 → 1,500 → 2,000. The maximum cost is 100,000 gil.

Official Race:
By successfully completing the objectives of these “mission-style” races, more challenging races will be unlocked. Chocobucks are usually required to participate in official races; however, the first race (Novice Race I) is available free of charge.

Note:

• Due to the strain some of the more advanced official races place on a chocobo, players will be required to allow their chocobos a period of rest before entering another race.

Re-run: For a small chocobuck fee, players can re-race previously completed official races. While prizes will be rewarded to those players who place, the amount will be considerably less than that which was received the first time.

Note:

• Please note that the required rest period mentioned above also applies to re-runs.

Official Races

Novice Races:

Race Name	Objective	Number of Opponents	Fee	Reward(s)
Novice Race I	3rd or higher	4	Free	500 gil
Novice Race II	3rd or higher	6	Free	1000 gil
Novice Race III	3rd or higher	8	Free	1500 gil, 3 chocobucks

Challenge Races:

Race Name	Objective	Number of Opponents	Fee	Reward(s)
Challenge Race I	1st	2	3 Chocobucks	3000 gil
International Race I	3rd or higher	8	5 Chocobucks	5000 gil
International Race II	3rd or higher	8	10 Chocobucks	5500 gil
Challenge Race II	1st	3	15 Chocobuck	6000 gil
CRA Classic	1st	8	20 Chocobucks	6500 gil, 10 Chocobucks, Bronze Trophy, Gysahl Medal, Title: Chocorookie

Pashhow Swamptrot Races:

Race Name	Objective	Number of Opponents	Fee	Reward(s)
Dueler's Race	1st	2	25 Chocobucks	7000 gil, 15 Chocobucks
Survival Race	1st	8	30 Chocobucks	7500 gil, 15 Chocobucks
Deadly Race	1st	8	35 Chocobucks	8000 gil, 20 Chocobucks
Mystery Race	1st	8	40 Chocobucks	8500 gil, 20 Chocobucks
Lethal Race	1st	8	45 Chocobucks	9000 gil, 30 Chocobucks, Pullus Torque
Dream Race	1st	8	50 Chocobucks	10000 gil, 30 Chocobucks, Mythril Trophy, Sakura racing badge, Title: Chocochampion

Make Preparations

Before running a race, players will have the opportunity to make the following preparations:

Visit the paddock:
Players can visit the paddock and view the condition of all the chocobos scheduled to participate in the upcoming race.

Give orders to the jockey:
Players can give their jockeys one of the following three orders:

• Keep Pace
  • Have the jockey maintain a consistent pace throughout the whole race.

• Final Spurt
  • Have the jockey save the chocobo's energy until the end of the race.

• Sprint
  • Have the jockey push the chocobo to its limits from the get-go.

Players can equip their chocobo/jockey with items that improve attributes or wreak havoc on other racers. Before players can equip items, they must first trade them to the CRA representative. The representatives will hold on to one of each item.

Note:

• Players can only equip one item per race.

Start the Race

Once all preparations have been made, the race will begin. All races are automatic, so players only need to sit back and watch the action unfold on the racetrack.
The following can affect the outcome of the race:

Weather:
Just as in the field, weather on the racetrack can affect a chocobo’s performance.

Placing:
To make races fair for chocobos of all sizes, placing will be determined not by when a chocobo’s beak crosses the finish line, but when its saddle does.

Items & Equipment:
All items equipped to a chocobo or jockey, regardless of their type, are consumable and can only be used once (though the effect of chocobo equipment will be present throughout the race).

Racing Advice

Attributes:
A chocobo’s attributes directly affect its performance in a race. While each attribute is important, players will find that a high “strength” rating will give most chocobos an advantage on the track. However, we would like to stress that balance is also necessary.

• Strength: Determines the chocobo's top speed.
• Endurance: Determines much stamina a chocobo has.
• Discernment: Affects how well a chocobo manages its Endurance, and item use timing.
• Receptivity: Affects a chocobo’s ability to avoid accidents, and attacks.
• Weather: Affects a chocobo’s performance in certain types of weather.
• Abilities: Some abilities affect the other attributes.
  • Canter: Increases Endurance by one full level. Always active.
  • Gallop: Increases Strength by one full level. Always active.

Stamina: At the start of the race, your chocobo begins with full stamina. The amount of stamina a bird begins the race with is determined by its Endurance. As the race progresses, your bird's stamina will steadily drop. The rate at which stamina drops is determined by your bird's Discernment. A chocobo with low Discernment will often use all its stamina up well before the race is over or have a bunch unused at the end of the race. You can tell when your bird runs out of stamina when sweat droplets begin falling off its head.

Attacks: Other Jockeys can use items which have a negative effect on one or more chocobos on the track. You can tell if an attack was successful if a red exclamation point appears above a chocobo's head after an attack is used.

Equipment

Selecting the appropriate item to equip during a race can be the difference between coming in first and coming in last. It is important to select an item that will complement a chocobo’s abilities and attributes, as well as the jockey’s orders and opponent condition. For example, jockeys who have been given the order to sprint, will often use items at the beginning of a race. In cases like this, equipping the jockey with a stamina apple will help his chocobo to maintain a quick pace for a longer period of time.

Items:

Item	Effect
Speed Apple	Used during a race to temporarily boost the speed of a chocobo.
Stamina Apple	Used during a race to temporarily regenerate a chocobo's stamina.
Shadow Apple	Used during a race to temporarily resist the effects of any detrimental items aimed at the chocobo.
Pepper Biscuit	Used during a race to greatly reduce the speed of an opponent chocobo.
Fire Biscuit	Used during a race to greatly reduce the stamina of an opponent chocobo.
Gysahl Bomb	Used during a race to temporarily reduce the speed of all surrounding opponent chocobos.
Spore Bomb	Used during a race to reduce the discernment of all surrounding opponent chocobos.
Fairweather Fetish	Used during a race to temporarily clear up the weather.
Foulweather Frog	Used during a race to temporarily call upon a rainstorm.
Chocobo Taping	When equipped during a race, this item will slightly increase the strength of a chocobo.
Chocobo Blinker	When equipped during a race, this item will slightly increase the stamina of a chocobo.
Shadow Roll	When equipped during a race, this item will slightly increase the discernment of a chocobo.
Chocobo Hood	When equipped during a race, this item will slightly increase the receptivity of a chocobo.

The following are used only during the Dream Race and cannot be used by players:

Item	Effect
Dream Apple	Used by Sakura during the Dream Race. Increases speed, stamina, and improves resistance to negative items.
Dream Cracker	Used by the chocobo Kayaki during the Dream Race. Reduces speed and stamina of all birds except Sakura and Kayaki.

Saddles:

Saddle	Effect
Lauan	Stabilizes a chocobo's stamina.
Ash	Increases endurance and stabilizes a chocobo's stamina.
Elm*	Increases endurance and stabilizes a chocobo's stamina.
Brass	Lowers Endurance, but increases Strength.
Silver	Lowers Endurance, but increases Strength.
Mythril*	Lowers Endurance, but increases Strength.
Grass	Increases physical attributes, but requires some Discernment to use.
Cotton	Increases physical attributes, but requires some Discernment to use.
Linen*	Increases physical attributes, but requires some Discernment to use.
Rabbit Hide	Increases physical attributes, but requires some Receptivity to use.
Sheep Leather	Increases physical attributes, but requires some Receptivity to use.
Buffalo Leather*	Increases physical attributes, but requires some Receptivity to use.

* Can only be purchased when your racing team is in first place.