Chocobo Racing

Dedicated men and women working in harmony with their feathered companions, thundering towards the finish line for fame and fortune─that, my friend, is chocobo racing!

— Race Chocobo Registrar

Chocobo Racing is an activity released with the Gold Saucer in patch 2.51. During this activity, players act as breeders, trainers and jockeys of their chocobos. Players can enter their well-bred and carefully trained chocobos into races to increase their ranks and win Manderville Gold Saucer Points.

Note that the chocobo you use in Chocobo Racing is NOT your companion/mount chocobo.

Unlock

Players must complete the level 15 questline starting with So You Want to Be a Jockey. Players can start the quest by talking to Race Chocobo Registrar in the Gold Saucer (X:6, Y:4). Players must have previously completed It Could Happen to You.

Quests

Quest	Type	Level	Quest Giver
So You Want to Be a Jockey		15	Race Chocobo Registrar
So You Think You Can Ride This Chocobo		15	Katering
Like Sire Like Fledgling		15	Chocobokeep

Levels

Rank

A chocobo's Rank is its level, which can be increased with experience from racing. The maximum rank is 50, but chocobos can be retired as early as rank 40.

At rank 1, your chocobo starts with each stat at 11% of its maximum value.

Every time your chocobo's rank increases, 5 stats will be randomly selected and increased by 1% of their maximum value. A particular stat can be chosen multiple times in a single rank-up. It also earns a feeding opportunity.

• If a stat has already been maxed, then it can't be chosen for a boost at rank-up. This ensures you never "miss out" on points.

At Rank 10, your chocobo will learn a new ability, chosen at random. If the ability is removed (using Lethe Water), a new ability is selected the next time your chocobo's rank increases. Chocobos with a higher rating (not rank) have a higher chance to learn high-tier versions of abilities.

Rating

A chocobo's Rating is a comprehensive measure of its ability, and determines which racing class your chocobo may enter. It is calculated using the following formula, rounded down to the nearest integer:

Rating = [(sum of stat caps) / 500 ] * (10 + rank)

Alternatively, the following formula also works, and is also rounded down to the nearest integer:

Rating = [(10 * pedigree) + (2 * (sum of stars)) - 5] / 25 * (10 + rank)

Generally speaking, this means rating increases as you breed higher-pedigree chocobos with higher stars, and as you train up a chocobo's rank. Feeds and ability choices will not affect rating.

A higher rating grants entry to higher-difficulty races, but also blocks access to lower-difficulty races. Your chocobo will earn far-greater EXP and slightly-more MGP in higher-tier races.

Class	Rating range
Maiden	1 ~ 20
R-40	21 ~ 40
R-60	41 ~ 60
R-80	61 ~ 80
R-100	81 ~ 100
R-120	101 ~ 120
R-140	121 ~ 140
R-160	141 ~ 160
R-180	161 ~ 180
R-200	181 ~ 200
R-220	201 ~ 220
R-240	221 ~ 240
R-300	241 ~ 300

Even though feeds don't affect rating, they do affect performance. If you don't feed your chocobo, or use lower-Grade Feeds, you will have a slight disadvantage against well-fed chocobos with a similar rating.

Stats and Abilities

A chocobo's stats and abilities.

Stats

Stat	Effect
Maximum Speed	Affects how quickly your chocobo can run.
Acceleration	Affects how quickly your chocobo can attain maximum speed.
Endurance	Affects the threshold at which your chocobo gains "Lathered" status and consumes stamina at an increased rate.
Stamina	Affects the total amount of stamina your chocobo has. The max stamina in a gauge is approximately 1,000 at 2 stars and 2,000 at 4 stars.
Cunning	Affects how effectively your chocobo can navigate a course with rough terrain.

The stats of your chocobo are displayed in the format (current stats)/(stat cap).

Stat cap

The formula for a single stat's cap is:

Stat Cap = 40 * (Pedigree Level + Star Rating) - 20

Your first chocobo will start with 1 Pedigree Level and 2 Star Rating in all stats, so it will have stat cap of 100 in all stats. A chocobo with Pedigree of 2 and 2 Stars in all stats will have stat cap of 140. The maximum stat cap is 500, requiring a Pedigree Level 9 Chocobo with a full 4 Star Rating.

Increasing stats

Ranking up increases stats, and stats can also be increased through training with feed. All gains through all sources are a whole-number percentage of your respective maximum in that stat.

• Your chocobo starts with 11% in all stats at rank 1.
• Each rank up selects 5 stats at random to be increased by 1% each. It is possible for stats to be selected multiple times. (example: a rank up might randomly select Maximum Speed once for 1%, Endurance once for 1%, and Stamina three times for 3%.)
  • If a stat is already maxed, then it won't be picked for the 5 increases.
• Grade 1 feed for a stat increases it by 1%. Grade 2 feed increases it by 2%, and Grade 3 by 3%.
  • Be warned that overcapping a stat with feed causes some points to be lost. (example: if a feed would give 15 points, but your chocobo is only 10 points away from max in that stat, then the spare 5 points is lost.)

Abilities

Your chocobo can have a maximum of 2 abilities: one "acquired" (learned) and one "hereditary" (inherited from parents).

• A chocobo cannot equip 2 abilities of the same type (example: you cannot equip both Choco Cure II and Choco Cure III).

Your chocobo will learn a random ability at Rank 10, if its learn slot is empty.

• The random ability cannot be the same type as the chocobo's hereditary ability (example: if the hereditary ability is Choco Dash, then Choco Dash II or III cannot appear as random rank-up skills).
• You can have your chocobo forget its learned ability by purchasing Lethe Water from the Tack & Feed Trader for  10 MGP, then speaking to the Race Chocobo Trainer and selecting "Unlearning Race Abilities". On the next Rank increase, your Chocobo will learn a new random ability.
• Chocobos with higher rating (not rank) will generally learn higher-tier versions of abilities.

You can also purchase Training Manuals from the Tack & Feed Trader to teach your chocobo a specific ability.

• If you have not done so already, your chocobo must first unlearn its current ability by using Lethe Water.
• Once the ability slot is empty and a manual has been purchased, talk to the Race Chocobo Trainer and select "Teaching Race Abilities" to use the manual.
• Manuals are available for all abilities except Head Start. Some manuals require clearing certain Chocobo Challenge courses in order to unlock them from the vendor.

Your chocobo can inherit an ability from its parents. Each parent has a 50% chance of passing on its hereditary ability to a specific offspring.

Active abilities can be used once per race. Passive abilities are always active.

Icon	Ability	Type	Effect
	Choco Dash	Active	Temporarily boosts speed without depleting stamina for 1s / 2s / 3s.
	Choco Cure	Active	Restores 6% / 9% / 12% of total stamina.
	Choco Esuna	Active	Removes all current enfeeblements with a 75% / 90% / 100% success rate. Cannot cure Silence, as that prevents the use of abilities.
	Choco Ease	Active	Cures Heavy status while restoring stamina by 80 / 130 / 180. Stamina is only restored when curing the Heavy status.
	Choco Calm	Active	Cures Frenzied status while restoring stamina by 100 / 150 / 200. Stamina is only restored when curing the Frenzied status.
	Choco Reflect	Active	Repels any non area-of-effect enfeeblement back to its point of origin for 10s / 15s / 20s.
	Choco Steal	Active	Take an item from the satchel of the forerunning jockey with a 50% / 70% / 90% success rate.
	Choco Silence	Active	Creates a vacuum of Silence, preventing any nearby chocobo from using abilities for 35s / 40s / 45s. Telegraphs orange chains for a couple seconds, then becomes active (indicated by the scattering chains visual effect) and remains an active hazard for 4 seconds.
	Choco Shock	Active	Creates a disconcerting aura which Distracts nearby chocobos, preventing them from using items for 25s / 30s / 35s. Telegraphs blue chains for a couple seconds, then becomes active (indicated by the scattering chains visual effect) and remains an active hazard for 4 seconds.
	Head Start	Passive	Begin the race at maximum speed. This uses the chocobo's current max speed stat.
	Increased Stamina	Passive	Reduces stamina depletion during acceleration by 9% / 12% / 15%.
	Heavy Resistance	Passive	Increases chance of resisting Heavy to 60% / 70% / 80% / 90% / 100%. The default resistance chance is 0%.
	Level Head	Passive	Increases chance of resisting Frenzied to 60% / 70% / 80% / 90% / 100%. The default resistance chance is 0%.
	Speedy Recovery	Passive	Increases all stamina recovery by 50% / 65% / 80%. Includes items, abilities, and even green Magicked Panels.
	Dressage	Passive	Increases EXP earned in races by 10% / 20% / 30%.
	Choco Drain	Active	Generates a field which drains the stamina of nearby chocobos at a rate of 15 / 25 / 35 per second. Telegraphs for a couple seconds, then becomes active and remains an active hazard for 4 seconds.
	Paradigm Shift	Active	Swaps current item with a different one. The item received is random, and cannot be the same as the initial item. Fails if the user does not have an item.
	Mimic	Active	Repeats any ability or item used by a forerunning chocobo. Duration: 7s / 11s / 15s.
	Feather Field	Active	Protects the user from the detrimental field effects of any nearby chocobos. Duration: 10s / 20s / 30s.
	Super Sprint	Active	Sprint without weather or terrain penalties until all stamina is spent. Consumes significantly higher stamina. Cannot be toggled off. Chocobo will have a movement speed of 500 (maxed stat) for the duration of the effect, regardless of their max speed stat. Chocobo cannot decelerate for the duration of this effect. Effect fades when stamina reaches 0 (regardless of stamina restoration afterwards, such as from Choco Reraise).
	Choco Reraise	Passive	Instantly restores 60 / 130 / 200 stamina when stamina meter reaches zero. Only once per race. Cannot be refreshed by the Choco Aether item.
	Enfeeblement Clause	Passive	Reduces enfeeblement duration by 20% / 35% / 50%.
	Breather	Passive	Restores stamina at a rate of 0.8% / 1% / 1.2% per second while decelerating. Specifically requires pressing backwards. Slowing down any other way does not count. Still works if decelerating while at minimum speed. Does not work while Lamed by Choco Meteor.

Feeds

Performing a feeding session to increase a chocobo's stats.

You can feed your chocobo once per rank-up. The feeding sessions are stockpiled, so you can save up for better food if you need to.

Due to the limited amount of feeding sessions, it is recommended to only buy the best feed, which would be grade 3. These are only available through MGP.

Even though crafted feed options are available, they are not recommended, as they only come in grades 1 and 2, and the ingredients require Gardening (which requires housing) or waiting for Unspoiled Nodes to spawn. This is more effort than necessary for feed that is not even the best available option.

Item	Effect	Acquired By
Grade 1 Feed - Acceleration Blend	Acceleration +1% of Stat Cap	Level 30 Culinarian Recipe Purchased from Feathertrader in Central Shroud (x20,y22) for  1,500 gil. Purchased from Tack & Feed Trader in Chocobo Square (x6,y4) for  1,500 gil.
Grade 1 Feed - Balance Blend	Cunning +1% of Stat Cap	Level 30 Culinarian Recipe Purchased from Feathertrader in Central Shroud (x20,y22) for  1,500 gil. Purchased from Tack & Feed Trader in Chocobo Square (x6,y4) for  1,500 gil.
Grade 1 Feed - Endurance Blend	Endurance +1% of Stat Cap	Level 30 Culinarian Recipe Purchased from Feathertrader in Central Shroud (x20,y22) for  1,500 gil. Purchased from Tack & Feed Trader in Chocobo Square (x6,y4) for  1,500 gil.
Grade 1 Feed - Speed Blend	Maximum Speed +1% of Stat Cap	Level 30 Culinarian Recipe Purchased from Feathertrader in Central Shroud (x20,y22) for  1,500 gil. Purchased from Tack & Feed Trader in Chocobo Square (x6,y4) for  1,500 gil.
Grade 1 Feed - Stamina Blend	Stamina +1% of Stat Cap	Level 30 Culinarian Recipe Purchased from Feathertrader in Central Shroud (x20,y22) for  1,500 gil. Purchased from Tack & Feed Trader in Chocobo Square (x6,y4) for  1,500 gil.
Grade 2 Feed - Acceleration Blend	Acceleration +2% of Stat Cap	Level 50★★ Culinarian Recipe.
Grade 2 Feed - Balance Blend	Cunning +2% of Stat Cap	Level 50★★ Culinarian Recipe.
Grade 2 Feed - Endurance Blend	Endurance +2% of Stat Cap	Level 50★★ Culinarian Recipe.
Grade 2 Feed - Speed Blend	Maximum Speed +2% of Stat Cap	Level 50★★ Culinarian Recipe.
Grade 2 Feed - Stamina Blend	Stamina +2% of Stat Cap	Level 50★★ Culinarian Recipe.
Grade 2 Feed - Special Acceleration Blend	Acceleration +2% of Stat Cap	Like Sire Like Fledgling Purchased from Tack & Feed Trader in Chocobo Square (x6,y4) for  610 MGP.
Grade 2 Feed - Special Balance Blend	Cunning +2% of Stat Cap	Like Sire Like Fledgling Purchased from Tack & Feed Trader in Chocobo Square (x6,y4) for  610 MGP.
Grade 2 Feed - Special Endurance Blend	Endurance +2% of Stat Cap	Like Sire Like Fledgling Purchased from Tack & Feed Trader in Chocobo Square (x6,y4) for  610 MGP.
Grade 2 Feed - Special Speed Blend	Maximum Speed +2% of Stat Cap	Like Sire Like Fledgling Purchased from Tack & Feed Trader in Chocobo Square (x6,y4) for  610 MGP.
Grade 2 Feed - Special Stamina Blend	Stamina +2% of Stat Cap	Like Sire Like Fledgling Purchased from Tack & Feed Trader in Chocobo Square (x6,y4) for  610 MGP.
Grade 3 Feed - Special Acceleration Blend	Acceleration +3% of Stat Cap	Purchased from Tack & Feed Trader in Chocobo Square (x6,y4) for  1,345 MGP.
Grade 3 Feed - Special Balance Blend	Cunning +3% of Stat Cap	Purchased from Tack & Feed Trader in Chocobo Square (x6,y4) for  1,345 MGP.
Grade 3 Feed - Special Endurance Blend	Endurance +3% of Stat Cap	Purchased from Tack & Feed Trader in Chocobo Square (x6,y4) for  1,345 MGP.
Grade 3 Feed - Special Speed Blend	Maximum Speed +3% of Stat Cap	Purchased from Tack & Feed Trader in Chocobo Square (x6,y4) for  1,345 MGP.
Grade 3 Feed - Special Stamina Blend	Stamina +3% of Stat Cap	Purchased from Tack & Feed Trader in Chocobo Square (x6,y4) for  1,345 MGP.

Racing Items

A treasure coffer containing items.

In addition to magicked panels, you may come across treasure coffers containing race items. Race items will be added to your hotbar automatically.

While some offer beneficial effects for you and your chocobo, others can be used to hinder your opponents. Blue chests tend to contain beneficial skills, while red chests tend to contain hindering skills.

Each box has a queue of items it will give out. When a racer touches the box, they will receive the item at the front of the queue. This queue can be previewed in the race UI when approaching the box.

• Racers in leading spots can use this information to snatch items that could be used against them, or they can avoid touching the box to prevent advancing its queue.
• Similarly, a racer approaching a box might choose to slow down for an opponent to take an item, so they can then take the item after it.

Note that some boxes are airborne, requiring jumping to reach them.

After acquiring an item, you can activate it through your hotbar.

Only one item can be held at a time. You cannot receive another item until your current one is used or stolen.

Icon	Item	Type	Rarity	Effect
	Choco Potion	Self	Common	Instantly restores stamina by 10%.
	Stamina Tablet	Self	Common	Grants Tireless, which prevents stamina reduction for 10 seconds. If stamina is at zero, restores a small amount of stamina. Also prevents all other forms of stamina loss, such as being hit by Briar Caltrop or Choco Meteor.
	Sprint Shoes	Self	Common	Temporarily boosts speed without depleting stamina for 3s. Functionally identical to the ability Choco Dash III.
	Choco Aether	Self	Common	Allows a previously-used active race ability to be executed again. If you have 2 active abilities already used, it will restore only 1 of them, chosen at random.
	Bacchus's Water	Offensive	Common	Sends the forerunning chocobo into a Frenzied state for 15 seconds and increases its stamina loss.
	Graviball	Offensive	Common	Inflicts the forerunning chocobo with Heavy for 10 seconds. This instantly decreases their speed and acceleration significantly.
	Briar Caltrop	Offensive	Common	Surrounds your chocobo with a ring of thorns which will sap the stamina of any chocobos that enter at a rate of 5% per second (up to 4 seconds). Telegraphs for a couple seconds, then becomes active (indicated by the thorns visual effect) and remains an active hazard for 4 seconds.
	Hero Tonic	Self	Rare	Invigorates your chocobo for 15 seconds, increasing its overall performance while preventing and nullifying any current enfeeblements. Stamina is consumed at a decreased rate. You are immune to every negative status effect, including course hazards, Magicked Panels, items, abilities, and even the Lathered status. You are also immune to losing stamina from hazards, and Imps cannot steal your items. Max Speed and Cunning are significantly increased.
	Choco Meteor	Offensive	Rare	Summons a meteor from the heavens to wreak havoc on all forerunning chocobos. Inflicts 20% stamina damage to all chocobos in front of you, as well as the Lamed status for 8 seconds which reduces speed to minimum and prevents all acceleration, including from items and abilities.
	Stamina Swapper	Offensive	Rare	Interchanges your chocobo's stamina with that of a forerunning chocobo. Swap is made only if the forerunning chocobo has more stamina than yours.
	Spiderweb	Offensive	Common	Distracts the chocobo running immediately behind you, rendering them unable to use items for 10 seconds.

Racing

Up to 8 players and their chocobos can enter into a race, allowing you to enter a race as a full party.

During the race, your chocobo will run along the course automatically. Players can increase the speed of their chocobos by holding forward, which increases the rate of stamina consumption. The course is divided into invisible "tracks" spanning the width of the course and pressing left or right will move you onto the adjacent "track". You want to steer your chocobo into speed boosts and out of speed decreases. When you pick up an item, you will be able to use it from your hotbar.

As you continue to enter races and your chocobo gains experience, it will grow stronger, and its rating will increase. A higher rating will earn you entry to races in higher classes. However, your chocobo will become barred from participating in lower class races.

Accessing Chocobo Square

To acquire a racing chocobo, register your chocobo, and begin racing, players must first proceed to the Chocobo Square by speaking with the lift operator Saethrith at the Entrance Square of Gold Saucer (X:4, Y:6).

Preparing for Chocobo Racing

Obtain a Registration Form

After completing the prerequisite quest, players can register their racing chocobo. Over the course of the quest, players will receive either a Fledgling Chocobo Registration G1-M or a Fledgling Chocobo Registration G1-F, depending on the preferred gender of their chocobo.

• In the event you accidentally discard your registration form or wish to acquire a new racing chocobo, a new registration form can be purchased from the Feathertrader NPC at Bentbranch Meadows in Central Shroud (X:20, Y:22) for  5,000.

Register Your Racing Chocobo

After acquiring your registration form, speak with the Race Chocobo Trainer NPC at the Chocobo Square (X:6, Y:4) to complete registration for your chocobo and give it a name.

• Each name change costs  2,000 gil.
• Names are 1 or 2 words long, and are restricted to a distinct list of possible words. For a list of possible words, see Race Chocobo Name List.
• Certain word combinations are forbidden. If this happens, the NPC will inform the player that the name cannot be used.

Only one chocobo can be registered for racing at a time. To register a new one, the current one must be permanently retired or dismissed.

• Once a chocobo reaches rank 40, it can be retired and then used for breeding.
• The currently-registered racing chocobo can be dismissed before it reaches rank 40, but in this case it cannot be used for breeding.

How to Enter a Race

Chocobo races can be queued using the Duty Finder. The queue will pop once 30 seconds have passed or 8 players have entered, whichever happens first.

• Please note that you cannot register for other duties when queuing to enter a race.
• If queueing as a pre-made party, the class will be selected based on the lowest-rating chocobo. All other chocobos will be synced down to that rating.
• If fewer than 8 players are present in any case, the remaining slots will be filled by pre-made NPCs.

To repeat the training course, speak with the Race Chocobo Registrar NPC at the Chocobo Square (X:6, Y:4).

• Prior to Patch 4.3 (which added Duty Finder support), players had to talk to this NPC and select from the races available at their rating.

To view your race chocobo's rating, select Character from the main menu, followed by Gold Saucer, then select Chocobo from within the interface.

Courses

Course	Length	Notes
Sagolii Road	1560 yalms	Shortest course. No detrimental terrain. Few slopes.
Costa del Sol	1600 yalms	Medium-length course, with submerged track and steep hills.
Tranquil Paths	1700 yalms	Longest course, with a large swamp area.

Controls

Steering

To steer your chocobo left and right, press the following buttons or keys:

Steer Left

• A (Move Left)
• Q (Strafe Left)
• Left Analog Stick

Steer Right

• D (Move Right)
• E (Strafe Right)
• Left Analog Stick

Speed and Stamina

To accelerate, press any of the following buttons or keys:

• W (Move Forward)
• LB (L1) Button
• Left Analog Stick Up

To decelerate, press any of the following buttons or keys:

• S (Move Backward)
• Left Analog Stick Down

Be warned, however, that accelerating increases the rate at which your chocobo's stamina gauge depletes. If you run out of stamina, your speed will drop, and you will be unable to accelerate for the remainder of the race.

Magicked Panels

Magicked Panels

Magicked Panels have beneficial and detrimental effects. The green and blue ones are beneficial, while the red and purple ones are detrimental.

• Green - Restores about 7% stamina.
• Blue - increases speed temporarily.
• Purple - inflicts Heavy status for 5 seconds.
• Red - decreases stamina by 15%.

Weather Effects

Chocobo races are held outdoors, and therefore subject to varying weather conditions. Weather comes in 3 types: Fair, Foul, and Neutral.

Fair weathers:

• Clear Skies
• Fair Skies
• Heat Waves ( Sagolii Road only)

Foul weathers:

• Rain
• Showers
• Thunderstorms ( Costa del Sol only)

Neutral weathers:

• Clouds
• Fog

A chocobo can prefer either Fair or Foul weather, and this will affect their performance in those weather types.

In practice, Fair and Neutral weathers don't appear to affect performance much, whereas Foul weathers impose penalties on all chocobos.

While a Foul weather is active:

• Fair weather preference: max speed is reduced by about 10%.
• Foul weather preference: max speed is reduced by about 5%. Cunning is also increased, according to the Patch 2.55 notes.
• Everyone: the speed threshold to become Lathered is decreased by more than max speed is decreased (meaning it is easier to become Lathered).

Fair-preference chocobos in Fair weather are believed to receive a bonus to Cunning, similar to what Foul-preference chocobos receive in Foul weather.

As of an undocumented change estimated around Patch 5.1, weather changes work as follows:

• The race will always start as Fair Skies (a Fair weather type).
• The weather can change 0-2 times per race. It will usually change into a different type (example: Fair -> Neutral), but there is a small chance of changing to the same type (example: Fair -> Fair).
• Fair weather is over twice as common as Neutral and Foul weathers, on average.
• Each course also has a slightly-higher chance of one weather type:
  • Sagolii Road: Fair
  • Costa del Sol: Neutral
  • Tranquil Paths: Foul

Completing the Race

A race will conclude when all racers have crossed the finish line, or 30 seconds after a winner (1st place) is declared. The results will be determined at this time, with MGP and experience points awarded based on performance.

Experience and MGP rewards are scaled according to finishing placment, using the following weights:

Placement	Scaling factor
1st	15/15
2nd	12/15
3rd	11/15
4th	10/15
5th	9/15
6th	8/15
7th	7/15
8th	2/15
Bonus	13/15

Notes:

• The penalty on 8th place was imposed in Patch 2.55 to discourage players from intentionally placing last (by AFK-ing, etc).
• The "Bonus" is randomly given to one of the racers who finished 2nd to 7th. This racer uses the bonus scaling factor instead of the normal one for their placement.
• If there is a tie for a placement, then all racers in the tie use the scaling factor for that place (example: there is a tie for 3rd place, everyone in that tie uses the 3rd place scaling factor). If a tied placement gets the bonus, then this is also given to everyone in the tie.

If racing with other players present (as opposed to just 1 player + 7 NPCs), everyone receives a flat (non-percentage) amount of bonus experience, regardless of placement. This multiplayer bonus increases with more players.

• Example: 2 players on R-100 Sagolii Road each earn +103 experience from the multiplayer bonus.

The experience boost from Dressage is applied at the end, after the scaling factor and multiplayer bonus (if any) have been determined.

Racing UI

The default layout of the racing UI.

The following unique UI elements are displayed during chocobo races.

• Position in Race, top left corner by default.
• Stamina Gauge, bottom-center of the screen by default.
• Race Item Notices, bottom right corner by default.

These UI elements are displayed in place of the currently existing UI elements:

• Party List --> Position in Race
• Parameter Bar --> Stamina Bar
• Notices --> Race Item Notices

Chocobo Challenge

Chocobo Challenge is a mode added in patch 3.25, where players race against unique NPC rivals on remixed versions of the standard courses. Succeeding yields very large amounts of MGP, as well as access to buy more chocobo training manuals.

Entry

Challenge races will be available upon speaking with the Race Chocobo Registrar in the Chocobo Square (X:6.1, Y:4.8).

• Chocobo rating must be greater than 41 to qualify for Chocobo Challenge races. Each race also has its own rating requirement on top of that.

Speak with the Race Chocobo Registrar in the Chocobo Square (X:6.1, Y:4.8) and select your desired challenge race.

• Players cannot register for challenge races while in a party. There is no wait time on the queue, it pops instantly.
• Chocobo Challenge races give experience roughly equivalent to what an R-140 race on that course would give.
  • Since entry is possible as early as rating 41, this means doing Chocobo Challenge races may be a faster way to rank up than normal races, until reaching rating 141 to qualify for R-160. However, Chocobo Challenge races have the drawback of not rewarding any MGP, and generally having more-difficult NPCs and hazard layouts.

Challenge Races

Increasingly difficult challenges will be made available as players complete each race. Please note that your chocobo's rating must exceed a certain threshold to participate in each race.

Players will only receive a reward for their first-time completion. Completing specific challenges unlocks additional ability manuals for purchase from the Tack & Feed Trader.

• Note that the first-time MGP rewards are affected by MGP-boosting buffs, such as from the Gold Saucer VIP Card - so it's recommended to have this buff active when attempting a race.
• However, the MGP is not affected by the The Make It Rain Campaign.

Race	Rating	Course	MGP Reward	Ability manuals unlocked	Notes
Race 1 - Hugging the Inside	41	Tranquil Paths	20,000		Middle Child is the opponent to beat.
Race 2 - Keep Away	61	Costa del Sol	21,000		Brass Tacks is the opponent to beat.
Race 3 - Inability	81	Sagolii Road	22,000		There are 2 opponents to beat: Besion Pressant and Sourdine Maline. Besion Pressant is extremely fast, and generally maintains the lead throughout the race. Debuffing them with items, or using the Coblyn hazards' explosions to reduce their stamina, can help gain an advantage. Sourdine Maline is a much-lesser threat by comparison.
Race 4 - Heavy Hooves	101	Tranquil Paths	23,000	Choco Drain II Mimic II Feather Field II Super Sprint	Lightfoot Longstrider is the opponent to beat. She has Heavy Resistance V, making her immune to Heavy. The course has a large amount of Morbol hazards on the sides, and Purple Magicked Panels that need to be jumped over or sidestepped. Both of these inflict Heavy for 5 seconds.
Race 5 - Defending the Rush	121	Costa del Sol	24,000		Fiery Retort is the opponent to beat. The course has a lot of enemy hazards and Red Magicked Panels, to sap stamina.
Race 6 - Road Rivals	141	Sagolii Road	25,000	Choco Reraise II Enfeeblement Clause II Breather II Paradigm Shift	Pale Lightning is the opponent to beat.
Race 7 - Field of Dreams	161	Costa del Sol	26,000		There are 3 opponents to beat: Rolanberry Field, Snurbleberry Field, and Tonberry Field.
Race 8 - Playing Both Ends	181	Tranquil Paths	27,000	Choco Esuna III Choco Ease III Choco Calm III Choco Reflect III Choco Steal III Choco Silence III Choco Shock III	There are 2 opponents to beat: Choco Loco and Flotte Lotte.
Race 9 - Stamina	201	Sagolii Road	28,000		There are 2 opponents to beat: Safe Cracker and Fiddler's Wages. The course has a very large amount of red magicked panels, Cactuars, and Coblyns, all of which decrease stamina. Recall that Cactuars and Coblyns cannot be jumped over.
Race 10 - Cat and Mouse	221	Costa del Sol	29,000	Increased Stamina III Heavy Resistance V Level Head V Speedy Recovery III Choco Reraise III Enfeeblement Clause III Breather III	There are 2 opponents to beat: Wicked Wolf and Gone Coeurl.
Race 11 - Mad Dash	231	Sagolii Road	30,000		There are 3 opponents to beat: Dalli Dalli, Schrager Vogel, and Volle Kanne
Race 12 - Bag of Tricks	241	Tranquil Paths	35,000	Choco Dash III Choco Cure III Choco Drain III Mimic III Feather Field III	There are 2 opponents to beat: Blue Ribbon and Nine Times.
Race 13 - Tag Team	251	Sagolii Road	40,000		There are 3 opponents to beat: Lob Lolly, Ruff Peck, and Staggering Bob.
Race 14 - Heavier Hooves	261	Costa del Sol	45,000		There are 3 opponents to beat: Heavy Head, Heavy Heart, and Heavy Legs. All of them have Heavy Resistance V, making them immune to Heavy. The course has a very large amount of purple magicked panels, which apply Heavy.
Race 15 - Ultimatum	271	Tranquil Paths	50,000	Race Barding (achievement reward)	There are 3 opponents to beat: My Stars, Max Power, and Sticky Fingers.

Rules

Special opponents will appear in each race. Challenges can only be cleared by placing higher than these special opponents.

• You do not need to place 1st in the race, you only need to place higher than all special opponents.
• Players will be matched with other players and regular NPCs in addition to special opponents.

Special Racing Opponents

A special opponent during a Chocobo Challenge race.

Special racing opponents are denoted by an aggression icon next to their name, as well as a different colored nameplate. They will also be wearing the Race Barding.

Multiple special racing opponents may be present depending on the challenge selected. In such cases, players must place higher than all special racing opponents to clear the challenge.

• The color of their display names is adjustable by going to "Character Configuration" -> "Display Name Settings" -> "NPCs" -> "Engaged Enemies".
• By default, special opponents' nameplates are red, players' are blue, and normal NPCs' are green.

Breeding

A pair of chocobos, ready to breed.

Retired racing chocobos can breed with other chocobos of the opposite sex in a process called "Covering". Their offspring will increase in Pedigree Level, inherit Stars for each stat, inherit an ability from its parents, and gain some of its parent's characteristics, such as color. The breeding process allows the player to raise stronger chocobos.

Only chocobos that are at least rank 40 can retire and become breeders. Breeding requires a retired male chocobo and a retired female chocobo.

"Covering permissions" that represent pre-made breeding chocobos can also be bought from the Tack & Feed Trader in the Gold Saucer, in exchange for Manderville Gold Saucer Points.

Unlock

Talk to the Chocobokeep to start the quest "Like Sire Like Fledgling"

To unlock Covering, players must complete the quest Like Sire Like Fledgling. They can start the quest by speaking to Chocobokeep in Chocobo Square (X:6, Y:4) in Gold Saucer. Players must have completed the So You Think You Can Ride This Chocobo quest and have a rank 40 or higher Chocobo.

To retire a race chocobo, talk to the Race Chocobo Trainer in Chocobo Square (X:6.0, Y:4.7) in Gold Saucer.

When retiring a race chocobo, the player can offer some parting words, praising one of the chocobo's two abilities. The ability praised will remain as its hereditary ability to be passed down through covering.

• Please note that a race chocobo cannot be re-registered once retired.

Preparing Chocobos for the Covering

Both male and female chocobos are required when arranging a covering. Furthermore, only one of the pair may be a breeding chocobo purchased from the Manderville Gold Saucer (a "covering permission") - the other one must be a retired racing chocobo.

It is also possible to breed two retired chocobos together, and this is eventually required in order to breed for maximum stars.

Arranging the Covering

Talk to Katering to arrange for chocobo coverings.

When the chocobos have been prepared for covering, speak with Katering in the Central Shroud at Moogle's Gift Mounts (X:20, Y:22).

Arranging a covering will incur a small gil fee, depending on the highest-pedigree parent:

Highest- pedigree parent	Gil cost
1	440
2	670
3	900
4	1,080
5	1,360
6	1,760
7	2,200
8	2,800
9	3,480

Receiving a Proof of Covering

Upon payment, Katering will take the two chocobos into her care, and the player will receive a Proof of Covering, which indicates when the fledgling chocobo can be retrieved. Speak with her again after 30 minutes to receive the new chocobo's license.

Collecting the Fledgling

After the appointed time, speak with Katering to exchange the Proof of Covering for the fledgling's license.

Guide

Breeding strategy

The covering menu, with a summary of possible traits to inherit from the parents.

Pedigree Level

Breeding allows for creating a child chocobo with a higher Pedigree level than their parents. Every Pedigree Level on a chocobo increases all of their maximum stats by 40. For example, if a Pedigree Level 1 chocobo has a max of 100 in all of its stats, a Pedigree Level 2 chocobo will have a max of 140 in all of its stats.

Note that the Pedigree Level of the child will be the lowest Pedigree Level among the parents, plus 1. Therefore, it is only necessary to breed with a chocobo that has equal-or-higher Pedigree Level. For example, don't waste MGP by breeding a Pedigree 1 chocobo with a Pedigree 9 one - just breed it with another Pedigree 1 chocobo. Their offspring is going to be Pedigree 2 in both cases.

• Due to this, purchasing a pedigree 9 covering has no advantage over purchasing a pedigree 8, as breeding parents of pedigree 8+8, 8+9, or 9+9 will produce a pedigree 9 child in all three cases.

Traits inherited from parents

• Each parent's ability has a 50% chance of passing down to its offspring.
  • If a parent chocobo has two abilities, the player can choose which one to be considered for passing down when retiring them. This cannot be changed once the retirement process has gone through and the Retired Chocobo Registration item has been received.
• Each parent's color has a 50% chance of passing down.
• Star Ratings are inherited randomly from the parents' genes, calculated for each stat separately

Not inherited:

• The offspring's sex is 50% male or 50% female.
• The offspring's weather preference is 50% fair or 50% foul, regardless of the parents' weather preferences. Weather preference is not visible until the chocobo is registered for racing.

Star Ratings

The 3 types of star ratings.

Star Ratings on a chocobo are listed in 3 sets: "own", male "parentage" (blue stars), and female "parentage" (red stars).

These work similar to phenotypes and genotypes in real-life genetics - essentially, the "own" stars are the physical expression (phenotype), which the chocobo will use for racing - but these stars are not the ones passed down by breeding. Instead, the parentage stars (genotype, or genes) are what gets passed down by breeding. When creating a child chocobo, their male "parentage" stars randomly pick one of the father's two genes for each stat category (maximum speed, acceleration, endurance, stamina, and cunning). The female "parentage" stars repeat the process, but for the mother's genes.

A chocobo's "own" stars are determined when the chocobo is registered for racing, and are randomly selected between their male gene (blue stars) or female gene (red stars) for that stat.

Note that a chocobo's stat numbers (calculated based on current rank, feed trainings, etc) do not matter while breeding. Only its Pedigree Level, Stars, and Abilities matter. To create powerful chocobos (Pedigree 9, and 4-Stars in multiple stats), breed the current chocobo as soon as it hits rank 40. Do not waste time and money to raise the stats of low-pedigree chocobos through feed trainings.

After retiring a chocobo, it can breed up to 10 times. Covering permissions purchased from the Gold Saucer can only breed 1 time each. If an offspring is unsuitable, the offspring's certificate can be discarded.

Bogdan Blazkowiz's Chocobo Breeding Calculator can be helpful for choosing breeding partners. Input the stats of up to 10 chocobos, and it will determine the best pair among the set.

Optimization

Chocobo breeding path example

Time optimization with coverings:

• When breeding chocobos, the player is given a Proof of Covering item that is tagged as UNIQUE - the NPC will not allow for starting another covering while the player possesses a Proof of Covering in their inventory.
• However, if the player puts a Proof into other inventories, such as Retainers and the Chocobo Saddlebag, then the NPC will let them do another covering. By using the base inventory, the Chocobo Saddlebag, and 2 Retainers, it is therefore possible to perform 4 Coverings at the same time.

Leveling process:

• When leveling a new chocobo through ranks 1-20, it is highly recommended to use the ability Dressage III to increase EXP gain.
  • After about rank 20, the race opponents become difficult enough that using a better racing ability (such as Choco Cure) can make performance better and more consistent.
• Higher placement in a race gives more exp, but the main concern is to avoid placing 8th (dead last), as this grants 70% less exp than 7th place.
• In higher-rating races, and/or when using a low-star/low-stat chocobo, it may be necessary to use some feed trainings to increase stats, to ensure consistent non-last placements.
• Racing with other players present (as opposed to just racing NPCs) grants an exp bonus to everyone, regardless of placement. This bonus increases with more players.
• As pedigree increases, the amount of exp needed to rank up increases. Higher-tier races also give more exp, but not enough to completely mitigate this. Overall, expect each chocobo to take longer to rank up than their parent(s).

Ability:

• The ability can be directly controlled through using manuals (with the exception of Head Start, which has no manual). Assuming both chocobos are owned by the player (as opposed to purchased covering permissions), it is possible to teach the same ability to both parents before retiring them, to guarantee that specific ability is passed down.
  • Most endgame builds use Choco Cure III, so this is generally recommended as the hereditary ability. The other ability slot can be freely switched by using manuals, allowing for trying out multiple builds.

Stars:

• Since racing chocobos purchased from the Feathertrader will always have the default Desert Yellow color and 2-star genes across the board, players will need to purchase covering permissions from the Tack & Feed Trader to add other colors and higher-star genes into the gene pool.
• If a chocobo receives 4-star genes from both parents for the same stat, then this chocobo will be guaranteed to pass a 4-star gene for that stat to its offspring.
  • Obtaining all ten 4-star genes on both a male and female chocobo is technically ideal, as this means the RNG element for the child's stars is completely removed - the child will be guaranteed to have 4-stars across the board, effectively "cloning" the parents stat-wise (while increasing pedigree, if it isn't already at 9).
  • However, getting all ten 4-star genes is more work than necessary. For optimal racing performance, all that matters is whether the chocobo's phenotype (the "own" column) has 4 stars in every stat, and that the chocobo is pedigree 9.
• As pedigree increases, so does the exp needed to rank up the chocobo - and since a chocobo must reach rank 40 before it can breed, this means the breeding process slows down. Due to this, it is recommended to aim for 4-stars long before reaching pedigree 9.
  • For an estimate: in the video by Squintina linked above, it took 651 races go from a pedigree 1 default chocobo to a rank 50 pedigree 9 chocobo with all 4 star genes (effectively a "perfect" chocobo). However, they did most of that without Dressage. Using Dressage frequently should significantly reduce the amount of races needed.

Final Chocobo:

• Once a pedigree 9 chocobo with an optimal phenotype has been obtained, its stat build can be considered. Effectively, a chocobo has 2,250 points to work with (275 at base, 1,225 from rank-ups, and 750 from grade 3 feeds), and each stat has a max of 500 points.
  • This means that only 2,250 of the 2,500 stat points can be assigned, leaving a "gap" of 250 points.
• Aim to max 3 stats, as this is fully within the player's control, whereas maxing 4 stats requires that the random rank-up points leave one stat at 250 or below.
• Generally speaking, Maximum Speed > Stamina > Endurance > Cunning > Acceleration.
• Use only grade 3 feeds for the +15 points (3% of stat cap of 500) per feed. You can use up to 50 feeds.
  • Try to wait until a stat is a multiple of 15 points away from max, as this means you can max it with feeds on-the-dot without missing out on any feed points.
  • However, also try not to max a stat too early, as this increases the chance of an undesired stat being selected for a boost on rank-up.
• When feeding, try not to raise Max Speed too much above Endurance at a given time. This combination means you will suffer a higher stamina-spend penalty when Lathered at max speed.

MGP cost analysis

Raising an ideal chocobo costs a lot of MGP, but there is also a lot of MGP to be gained in the process.

Spendings:

• The bulk of spending will probably be on covering permissions, which is subject to a lot of RNG.
  • Ideally (for lowest cost), 4-star genes are obtained at earlier pedigrees, with pedigree 3 being the absolute earliest, while pedigree 4 or 5 are more realistic.
  • Pedigree 2 is not expected to gain lots of 4-star genes, as the starter pedigree 1 chocobo is guaranteed to pass only 2-star genes. This means in best-case, a pedigree 2 chocobo could have five 4-star genes from a pedigree 1 covering.
  • In Squintina's example, she purchased 42x pedigree 1 coverings ( 640 each, total  26,880) and 30x pedigree 2 coverings ( 845 each, total  25,350) before switching to inbreeding birds for the rest of the process (which does not cost MGP). This totals to a cost of  52,230, as a rough estimate.
• Assuming the player follows a similar path to the video, they can expect to raise about 15 birds (one each for pedigrees 1-2, then two each to inbreed for pedigrees 3-8, and one final at pedigree 9).
  • For each chocobo, expect to spend  2,420 on a Dressage III manual (to speed up the raising process), and optionally another  2,420 for a different manual if higher races become difficult. Across 15 birds, this should total to  36,300−72,600.
• For the final chocobo, the 50x grade 3 feeds should total to  67,250.
• Grand total estimated spending:  155,780−192,080, or about 150-200k.

Earnings:

• The MGP earnings per race before raising the final chocobo is about  300−500 on the low end (various placements in pedigrees 1-4). With an estimated 500-600 races during this process, we can expect MGP income of about  150,000−300,000 (lowball estimate).
• The MGP earned from first-clears of challenge races sums to  445,000. If a Gold Saucer VIP Card (15% MGP buff) is applied to all of them, this adds  66,750, totaling  511,750 for the lot.
• Grand total expected earnings:  661,750−811,750, or about 660-810k.
• This is also technically not the end of the earnings, as winning a race with a maxed bird can generally net about  1,000 per 2 minutes, including queue time. This is a very fast way to farm MGP on-demand between limited events such as GATEs or Open Tournaments.
  • Weekly Challenge Log entries for racing also account for another  26,000 per week, if all 4 objectives are met (play 20 races, and win 10 races).

To conclude, Chocobo Racing easily pays for itself over time. Just try to have 50-100k MGP ready at the start, to get past the hurdle of covering permissions RNG.

Track choice

For farming wins and MGP, Sagolii Road is generally recommended due to its short length and low amount of hazards and rough terrain.

• It's short enough that Super Sprint (or Head Start) plus stamina sustain (such as Choco Cure III) is more than enough to simply sprint at full speed through the entire track.
• Super Sprint or Head Start builds can completely ignore Acceleration, as they can reach max speed immediately and maintain it throughout the race.
• The lack of rough terrain also means the Cunning stat does not need to be prioritized.

However, builds fully-focused on sprinting through Sagolii Road generally perform worse than generalist builds on Costa del Sol and Tranquil Paths. These tracks' longer length and larger amount of rough terrain/obstacles means it's harder to manage stamina efficiently enough to cover the entire track sprinting.

In-race tips

Movement:

• The track is effectively split into distinct lanes, rather than being a freely-explorable area. It is not possible to pass a Chocobo that is ahead of you on the same lane (in other words, there is collision between chocobos), so don't use Sprint Shoes when you are directly behind another Chocobo.
  • This can also be used to your advantage - running directly in front of an opponent can effectively body-block them, and reduce the chance of them passing you.

Stamina management:

• Budget your stamina. Look at your track completion percentage and your stamina gauge, and try to ensure that they sum to 100%.
  • If the sum is higher than 100%, then you have excess stamina and should push spending it, even into Lathered state.
  • If the sum is 100% or less, you should consider slowing down to clear the Lathered state, while maintaining a medium stroll. Spend stamina to speed up only when you start to have excess stamina, or when opponents start to approach.
  • In an ideal scenario, your stamina will hit 0 right when you cross the finish line.
• In R-60 or higher races, avoid mobs. When you hit a mob, you lose speed and 3-5% stamina, and sometimes receive debuffs such as Heavy, Silence, or Distracted. You can jump over some smaller ones such as mandragora.

Items:

• Avoid getting hit by Briar Caltrop at all costs. Briar Caltrop appears as a circular wall of thorns; move away from it ASAP, or it will drain about 10 to 20% of your stamina. Do not trade Briar Caltrops with another player(s), because even if you sap their stamina, they will sap yours as well. Unaffected players will easily overtake the both of you.
• You cannot collect a new item if you are still carrying an old one.
• If you are ahead, try to control what items your opponent can get. Do not take an item if the next one will be far more useful to you, or if leaving it behind may allow your opponent to catch up.

Hazards:

• Imps in Tranquil Paths will steal your current item if you touch them.
• Enemies that wait on the sides of the track will use their AoEs when a racer uses an item or ability nearby. These AoEs inflict Silence and Distracted to anyone hit by them. This applies to Peistes in Sagolii Road (cone AoE), Morbols in Tranquil Paths (cone AoE), and Goobbues in Costa del Sol (circle AoE, 3 spots).
• On Sagolii Road, the red panels and Coblyn on the bridge can all be dodged by holding left into the wall, rather than jumping over the panels. This only works on the left edge of the bridge, it does not work on the right edge.

Achievements

Chocobo breeding and racing are associated with the following achievements:

Name	Points	Task	Reward	Patch
Go Forth and Multiply	5	Obtain a new chocobo through covering.	Chocobo Breeder	2.51
Pedigree Champ	5	Obtain a new chocobo with a pedigree level of 9 or higher.	Racing Chocobo Mask	2.51
Training Day	5	Train your chocobo to a rating of 285.	Chocobo Trainer	2.51
Off to the Races I	5	Participate in a sanctioned chocobo race.	Bug Boy (Male) / Bug Girl (Female)	2.51
Off to the Races II	5	Participate in 100 sanctioned chocobo races.	-	2.51
Off to the Races III	5	Participate in 300 sanctioned chocobo races.	Senior Jockey	2.51
Off to the Races IV	10	Participate in 3,000 sanctioned chocobo races.	Veteran Jockey	2.51
Breaking the Maiden	5	Place first in a sanctioned chocobo race.	-	2.51
Winning Jockey I	5	Place first in 10 sanctioned chocobo races.	-	2.51
Winning Jockey II	5	Place first in 50 sanctioned chocobo races.	-	2.51
Winningest Jockey	10	Place first in 500 sanctioned chocobo races.	The First Across	2.51
Ride to the Challenge I	10	Complete the first 15 Chocobo Challenge races.	Race Barding	3.25

Images

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External Resources

• Chocobo Racing wordpress guides - Loki Iridescia on Gilgamesh
• Chocobo Breeding Calculator - Bogdan Blazkowiz