P11A: Serendipity AF??? (Silver Chocobo)

P11A: Serendipity AF??? (Silver Chocobo)

ow that we have fully leveled up our Silver Chocobo, and we have added the passive abilities that we want to it, it is ready to race!  And since it is ready to race and we went to all of the trouble of making it ready to race... Well...  It would be a shame not to race it!

So return to the Historica Crux and select the Gate for Serendipity AF??? and, when we arrive, make a straight run for the Chocobo Race Building!  Inside we will want to stop off at the Registration Desk (the Chocolina on the left) and register our Silver Chocobo for the races...   Bear in mind before you try to register your Choco that you can NOT register a Choco that is an active member of your party -- if you have them as one of your party you will need to remove them from the party list before you can register them to race.

Also you need to be aware that once registered, that Choco is no longer available for combat or inclusion in your party after you leave the track unless their career has ended and they are no longer registered...   Think of it like this: once registered they become residents of the track stables and until you de-register them or they complete their career, they are not available for battle.

We can buy racing aids from the Chocolina on the right (assuming we have the coin, which probably we do not at the moment)...  But we do not really need those items for the early races, and by the time we do need them or want them we will have won some coin so it all works itself out in the end!

Before we get to the nitty-gritty of racing we should talk about the different Chocobo, because most players who are serious about racing will not simply level up the Silver Chocobo and just race it alone, they will want to have  a stable of racers of all different types to see what the best they can do with them is -- and that being the case we should first examine what the different Chocobo are that you can race, and what their advantages and disadvantages are...

Your first Chocobo Race at the Lower Stakes

-- The Different Types of Chocobo --

Most players collect Chocobo not for racing but to build Chocobo Combat Teams, and when they are properly trained they easily rival the majority of the other monsters in their various classes (though to be fair there are better monsters in each class). 

In addition to using them as members of their combat teams, because they can be raced, many players do that as a sort of value-added abvility and to earn extra coin.


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-- Black Chocobo (Availability: Uncommon)

Found primarily in the Vile Peaks in AF010, Black Chocobo are a highly desired addition to most player Monster stables in their role as Saboteur, which they are very effective at when they are properly leveled up.  While they are not a popular choice for racing, the Black Choco does have slightly more flexibility on the track than the Blue.

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-- Blue Chocobo (Availability: Common)

The Blue Chocobo are more commonly found in the Archylte Steppe in the Clearwater Marshes during both Sunny and Rainy weather, and are a more commonly encountered Choco but, despite that are not easy to tame.

Blues are modeate level racers, though most players consider them to be better serving in their compbat capacity as a Ravager.  Properly trained and with decent abilities a Blue can easily dominate the first two categories of races.

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-- Gold Chocobo (Availability: Exclusive)

The second-best racing Choco available in the world of FFXIII-2 the Gold is an exclusive monster -- only ONE can be caught in the game period, so it should always be managed with care in both its leveling and training, and its use.  Because it cannot be replaced, Gold Choco should NEVER be infused into another monster or released.

The Gold Chocobo is obtained in the A Dying World AF700, where its Monster Crystal is found inside  a Treasure Chest located in the northern area, east of the bridge.  In addition to being the second best racing Choco, Gold's are also considered to be desirable in their combat role as a Commando as part of a Chocobo Combat Team.

The Gold Chocobo caps out at Level 45, making it an easy to max-out racer.  Compared to Silver Chocos, the Gold is considered slightly weaker due to its maximum STR/MAG stats, which are an average estimated 800/600, while Silver's stats are an average estimated 800/800.

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-- Green Chocobo (Availability: Uncommon)

Found mostly in the Yaschas Massif in AF100 / AF110, Green Chocos are a desirable addition to your party making excellent Medics, and while they are not really overly popular as racers, they are slightly better than Blue Chocos in that respect, it is not uncommon to see them used for the lower levels of racing for the fun of it.

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-- Purple Chocobo (Availability: Very Common)

Found primarily within the Bresha Ruins in AF300, Purple Chocobo are encoutnered more often near the Cemetery on the far side of the Ruins, and are a very common encounter, and easily tamed. Widely considered to be very good Synergists when they are properly leveled, Purple Chocos are not a popular choice for racing, being similar to the Blue Choco in capabilities.

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-- Red Chocobo (Availability: Uncommon)

Red Chocos are a lot harder to catch largely because they appear infrequently, and even when they do appear your chance of taming them are low if you do not have an ability item that improves monster taming rates on you and equipped.  They are found in the Archylte Steppe during Sunny weather, mostly in the desert area west of the plains.

While they are not widely considered to be a good choice for racing, they do have some racing ability once they are leveled and have decent abilities -- but most players find them to be a more valuable addition to their stable in their active combat role of Commando -- being effective fighters when properly leveled and trained.

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-- Silver Chocobo (Availability: Exclusive)

The best racing Choco available in the world of FFXIII-2 the Silver is an exclusive monster -- only ONE can be caught in the game period, so it should always be managed with care in both its leveling and training, and its use.  Because it cannot be replaced, Silver Choco should NEVER be infused into another monster or released.

The Silver Chocobo is obtained in the inner-lobby of the Academy HQ in Academia AF4XX, using the Advanced Moogle Throw from on top of the massive green sphere in the lobby.   In addition to being the best racing Choco, Silver's are also considered to be desireable in their combat role as a Sentinel as part of a Chocobo Combat Team.

The Silver Chocobo caps out at Level 45, making it an easy to max-out racer.  Compared to Gold Chocos, the Silver is considered slightly better due to its maximum STR/MAG stats, which are an average estimated 800/800, while Gold's stats are only an average estimated 800/600.

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-- White Chocobo (Availability: Very Uncommon)

The White Chocobo is very uncommonly found in the Oerbra zone in AF300, being found within the vicinity of the Big Tree for the most part...  Moderately valued as a combat team member, the White Chocobo is widely considered to be a great racing Choco -- though not as capable as a Silver of Gold Choco, when properly trained they easily surpass an average or moderately trained Gold, or a poorly trained Silver.

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--Yellow Chocobo (Availability: Very Common)

The Yellow variety of Choco are by far the easiest to catch/tame, being present in great numbers on the plains of the Archylte Steppes during Sunny weather.   In addition to being the easiest to tame they also happen to be the least flexible as racers, in fact most players do not consider them worth the effort of leveling and infusing as racers because to be competitive they have to be a very high level indeed.

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When you are evaluating the stats of your Choco take the following into consideration:

Strength = Speed
Stamina = Magic
Hit Points = Race Points
Abilities = Leveling / Infusion

Your Choco can learn different abilities, but not all of them will directly translate into racing skills.

While each of the above types of Chocobo can be caught / tamed as soon as access to their home zones is obtained, they cannot be raced until the Serendipity Casino is accessed.

-- The Basic Facts of Choco Racing --

The process of training a Choco for racing is integral to the process of upgrading (leveling) the Choco -- the emphasis being primarily on the stats of Strength (STR) and Magic (MAG).  As they apply to racing, Strength = Speed and Magic = Stamina, and as such they are used to determine how a Choco ranks in the racing system.  The following table details the basic minimums and their Ranks, starting with the lowest Rank/Class and working to the highest:

Rank E: Less than 150 STR/MAG (150 -- 199)
Rank D: Over 200 STR/MAG (200 -- 399)
Rank C: Over 400 STR/MAG (400 -- 599)
Rank B: Over 600 STR/MAG (600 -- 699)
Rank A: Over 700 STR/MAG (700 )

While each Choco will differ based upon type, the optimal levels for bot stats are widely considered to be 800 STR / 800 MAG -- though most Choco will be considerably below those targets save for Silver, Gold, and White Choco.

Chocobo Racing is a Career-Based System -- that is to say that each individual Chocobo that you want to race will have a finite capacity for racing that is based upon their actual Race Points (RP) stat.  Understand that whatever their RP Stat is, that will control how many times that your Choco can be raced before it must retire -- and it is largely the RP stat that makes most Choco types unsuited to racing, and why most players only treat Chocobo other than Silver, Gold, and White as casual or recreational racers.

The Career Span (CS) of your Choco is based upon the cost in RP for a given race -- as each race costs a set amount of RP to race.   Your Choco will begin their CS with only a specific amount of RP ()the actual value of its stat), and so will only be able to race a specific number of races before it must be retired.  Fortunately the RP for the CS resets once the Choco is officially retired, which means that you can re-register them for a new CS using the base RP over again.  

-- Adding Abilities --

The process -- and what abilities you choose -- is purely a matter of personal choice, though many trainers consider the combination of Marathoner / Perseverance / Sprinter to be the defacto base foundation for most serious racers.

Some abilities lend themselves to each other in complimentary ways -- for example trainers who do not want to have to use boosting items (meaning that they do not want to have to pay for them) often choose to add  "Health Nut" to their Choco, in which case it is also a good idea to add  "Attention Hog" to it.  If you are planning on mostly betting upon your own Choco to win -- and thus planning on it winning a lot -- you do NOT want to add "Health Nut" to its abilities, since that is adverse to "Dark Horse" ability.  If you are using the "Blue Streak" ability it is a good idea to also add "Second Wind" since that will help with the counter and extend the effectiveness.

A known winning combination of skills for a well-leveled well-trained Silver/Gold/White Chocobo includes the following abilities:

-- Attention Hog (Feral Speed II / Gilfinder II)
-- Free Spirit (Auto-Bravery / Auto-Vigilance / Critical: Faith)
-- Health Nut (Rapid Recovery)
-- Marathoner (Critical: Tetradefense / Critical: Vigilance)
-- Second Wind (Fettered Magic / Improved Counter I)
-- Turbo (Improved Cure / Critical: Shield)
 
Alternatively you can build a basic Silver Choco that uses the Stay at the Back of the Pack strategy for racing using Blue Streak for the final dash at the end of the race by doing the following:

(1) Level your Silver Choco to Level 45;
(2) Infuse Silver Chocobo with Pulse Gladiator at Level 1 / Default Level (Second Wind ability);
(3) Infuse Silver Chocobo with a Reaver or Cactaur at Level 1 / Default Level (Sprinter ability);
(4) Level the Microchu to Level 24 using any class items;
(5) Infuse Silver Chocobo with Microchu at Level 24 (Marathoner & Health Nut abilities).

When racing this choco select the "Stay at the back" race mode, and do not initiate boost until Blue Streak is active.

Other Choco can be Effective Racers

-- Choco Races (by Class) --

These are the actual Chocobo Races broken out by class, with each of the races listed alphabetically with their particulars.  Note that there are 3 types of race under each class: Normal, Graded, and Secret.


(C5) Cocoon Class (Cost = 10 RP)
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 Name (Length) -- Type  (Reward)
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Bodhum Derby (1200 m) -- Normal (Potion)
Bresha Classic (1200 m) -- Normal (Chocoboost)
Euride Stakes (1200 m) -- Normal (Mana Bolt)
Fifth Ark Cup (1200 m) -- Secret ( Guard's Ravager Badge / Mana Droplet)
Gapra Classic (1200 m) -- Normal (?)
Hanging Edge Classic (600 m) -- Normal (Potion)
Nautilus Derby (600 m) -- Graded (Witch's Bracelet)
Orphan's Cup (600 m) -- Secret (Cute Cactaur Figurine / Power Droplet)
Palumpolum Cup (600 m) -- Normal (Power Bolt)
Sanctum Special (1200 m) -- Graded (Zealot's Amulet)
Sunleth Cup (600 m) -- Normal (?)
Vile Peaks Classic (600 m) -- Normal (Chocoboost)


(C4) Monster Class (Cost = 15 RP)
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 Name (Length) -- Type  (Reward)
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Adamantoise Classic (600 m) -- Normal (Vitality Droplet)
Ahriman Cup (1200 m) -- Graded (Auric Amulet)
Behemoth Special (600 m) -- Graded (Silver Bangle)
Bomb Classic (600 m) -- Normal (?)
Cactaur Cup (1200 m) -- Secret (Pilot's Badge / Mana Droplet)
Flan Stakes (600 m) -- Normal (Chocoboost)
Garchimacera Cup (1200 m) -- Normal (?)
Goblin Derby (600 m) -- Normal (Librascope)
Marlboro Classic (1200 m) -- Normal (Librascope)
Ochu Classic (1200 m) -- Normal (Vitality Bolt)
Sahagin Derby (1200 m) -- Normal (Chocoboost)
Tonberry Cup (600 m) -- Secret (Cie'th Wing / Power Droplet)


(C3) Weapon Class (Cost = 20 RP)
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 Name (Length) -- Type  (Reward)
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Airwing Cup (600 m) -- Normal (Power Chip)
Altair Stakes (600 m) -- Normal (Chocobull)
Binding Rod Classic (1200 m) -- Normal (Mana Chip)
Blazefire Saber Classic (600 m) -- Normal (Phoenix Down)
Durandal Cup (1200 m) -- Normal (Phoenix Down)
Gungnir Special (600 m) -- Graded (Durable Warding Amulet)
Hawkeye Derby (1200 m) -- Normal (?)
Nirvana Cup (1200 m) -- Secret (Cataur Figurine / Potent Droplet)
Omega Weapon Cup (600 m) -- Secret (Mog Figurine / Potent Droplet)
Partisan Stakes (1200 m) -- Graded (Pain Dampener)
Pleiades Classic (1200 m) -- Normal (Chocobull)
Wild Bear Derby (600 m) -- Normal (?)


(C2) Guardian Class (Cost =  25 RP)
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 Name (Length) -- Type  (Reward)
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Aster Cup (600 m) -- Normal (Vitality Sliver)
Dreadnough Special (1200 m) -- Normal (Chocobull)
Enki Enlil Classic (1200 m) -- Normal (Vitality Chip)
Garuda Stakes (600 m) -- Normal (Chocobull)
Havoc Stakes (1200 m) -- Normal (Dark Matter)
Kalavinka Classic (600 m) -- Graded (Nagaraja)
Manasvin Cup (600 m) -- Normal (Elixir)
Myrmidon Derby (1200 m) -- Normal (Elixir)
Proudclad Classic (1200 m) -- Graded (The Tower)
Shaolong Gui Cup (1200 m) -- Secret (White Choco Figurine / Mana Sliver)
Undying Cup (600 m) -- Secret (Onion Knight's Helm / Power Sliver)
Ushumgal Derby (600 m) -- Normal (Adamantine)

The Dahaka Stakes pays off in The Collector's Catalog

(C1) Fal'Cie Class  (Cost = 30 RP)
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 Name (Length) -- Type  (Reward)
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Anima Stakes (1200 m) -- Normal (Mana Orb)
Atomos Derby (600 m) -- Normal (Vitality Orb)
Bismark Cup (1200 m) -- Normal (Bloodguard)
Carbuncle Classic (600 m) -- Normal (Power Orb)
Dahaka Stakes (600 m) -- Normal (Collector's Catalog)
Eden Stakes (600 m) -- Graded (Entite Ring)
Kujata Classic (1200 m) -- Normal (Potent Sliver)
Lindzei Cup  (600 m) -- Secret (?)
Orphan Special (1200 m) -- Graded (Potent Orb)
Pheonix Cup (600 m) -- Normal (Potent Sliver)
Pulse Cup (1800 m) -- Secret (Coyo Logo / Potent Orb)
Titan Classic (1200 m) -- Normal (Potent Sliver)

Note: Secret Class races are locked until the related Graded Race has been won in that Race Class...

-- Notes on Betting --

You cannot have a racing section without some thoughts on betting...  Optimally assuming you built a really great racer your strategy will be straight-forward: bet on your Choco!  But if it is not an optimal ride or, perhaps more likely, you are in the higher class races and there are higher-rated chocos among the competition, you may want to both bet on yourself and lay off a bet on the choco in the race that you think might actually beat you...

By betting for and against yourself you increase the chances that you will walk away with jingle in your pockets, since they pay-out will still be in the green on a two-bet race. 

If you are racing to farm money one of the most profitable methods in racing is to simply race the Dahaka Stakes and win (obtaining the Collector's Catalog) and then sell your prize to the Chocolina for 11,000 Gil (you must sell it though because you can only have one of them at a time, and if you already have one when you run the race, you do not get a second).

You will want to pay particular attention to the odds that are being applied on the pre-race stats screen and the condition of the chocos...  Bearing in mind that condition is not always a key factor when the choco is of higher quality and superior training -- and also that you can purchase racing items from the Chocolina that can be used to buff the different conditions -- a practice that can be a bit expensive but is often worth the time and effort required to learn what to use and when to use it.