The claw machine isn’t a menu item you can tap at will. It’s a random event that appears during recreation outings in Career Training, and it only starts rolling in once you step out of the Junior period. For most trainees, that means finishing the Junior Make Debut race, moving into the Classic year, and keeping the career alive with steady fan gains. If you’re raising early-game favorites like Haru Urara, your Classic years won’t kick in until you clear the six-month Junior stretch (July to January), so don’t expect the minigame before that point.
Once you’re in the Classic timeline, the simplest way to fish for the event is to use the Recreation option whenever your energy dips or a training week looks inefficient. Those friendly visits can spin the event roulette, and the claw machine is one of the outcomes. The catch? You also need to keep your fan count moving. The game expects you to cross basic fan thresholds as you train; if you ignore races for too long, your run can stall out before you ever touch the machine.
Think of it like this: recreation fuels consistency, races fuel progression. You need both. A practical rhythm for early Classic year looks like this: train when the gains are strong, enter low-stress races to build fans when the schedule lines up, and use recreation in weeks where training is weak or your energy is near the red. That routine gives you a steady shot at the claw machine without tanking your season.
Haru Urara and Mayano Top Gun are popular picks for players trying to trigger the event because their career pacing encourages frequent recreation and lighter race schedules early on. If you go that route, plan to grab fan counts in small chunks rather than chasing massive leaps. Hitting the 5,000-fan mark while you’re cycling recreation keeps the run safe and avoids a dead end before the event appears.
A quick warning that saves headaches: if the claw machine triggers, don’t close the game mid-minigame. The session tracks your three credits live. Exiting the app or crashing out counts as losing the remaining attempts.
Timing also matters for resource flow. The minigame gives energy and mood bumps on success, which can reset a sluggish training week. If you see your stamina slipping and you’ve got no great training tiles, use recreation. Even if the claw machine doesn’t show, the outing itself keeps your run on track.
The claw looks simple, but it’s strict. You press and hold to move the arm, then release to drop. The only consistent way to secure a grab is to line up the claw’s center over the plushie’s center. Anything off-center will slide, wobble, and slip. Before you touch the controls, swipe the screen to scan the field. You’re not just picking a plushie—you’re choosing an angle and a plan for your next two credits.
Each session gives three attempts, and the claw moves faster after every drop. That means your first credit is your most precise, your second is tighter, and your third is a scramble if you haven’t adjusted. Use the opening attempt to secure the cleanest target on the board, then adapt to faster movement on the second and third pulls. If you’re playing on a touchscreen with even a little input lag, aim a fraction early and let the claw glide into center rather than trying to stop on a dime.
What should you go for? Upright plushies are the best choices because their centers are easy to judge. Lying plushies can work, but only if you can clearly see the center mass. Aiming near the head often helps because it’s typically the densest part; the claw gets a better purchase and drags the body. When two or three plushies are close together, grabbing one can nudge another into the drop zone. That’s good for the mission, but it’s also risky—if the first plushie tilts, you can lose both.
You’ll notice golden sparkles on some plushies. Sparkles hint that the target has something attached or jammed in a way that can chain into more catches. These can swing big, but the alignment window feels tighter and the weight can be awkward. If you’re hunting the mission clear (3+ in one drop), a shiny target can be worth the try on your first or second credit. If you just need a safe win for energy and mood, stick to clean, upright singles.
Here’s a simple route that works for most boards:
Common mistakes are predictable and easy to fix:
If you want extra consistency, play with a simple mental check: center the claw, count a slow one-two as it glides, and release mid-count when it aligns. It sounds basic, but that cadence helps when the arm accelerates on later attempts.
The mission everyone talks about is straightforward but strict: you need three or more plushies in a single drop. Two in one go won’t clear it, even if you grab five total across the session. If you miss, don’t panic—you just have to wait for the event to return in later years. Keep your fan count healthy and your energy balanced so you’re still in shape when it pops up again.
Here’s what the rewards look like by performance:
Clearing the mission (3+ in one drop) also grants 100 Carats, which you can spend in the gacha to pull new characters or support cards. That payout is the real incentive to learn the alignment and pace your attempts. The hint level for Straightaway Recovery is a nice bonus if your build leans on speed and stamina management—it can shave off rough patches in mid-race segments where mispositioning often drains more stamina than you expect.
Because the event timing is RNG, your strategy outside the minigame matters just as much. A clean campaign plan keeps you ready to capitalize the moment it appears. Use these simple principles to balance your season:
One more practical angle: device feel. On mobile touchscreens, micro-adjustments are easier, but fingers can block sightlines. Tilt the device or use your non-dominant hand to keep the view clear. On PC, mouse input is steady, but the temptation is to click late. Glide into the center instead of snapping to it. Either way, train your eye on the plushie’s center mass, not the claw tips. The tips are misleading—the game checks the middle.
If you’re pushing for the mission on a specific trainee, plan a mini-route around it. For example, with Haru Urara, front-load recreation in early Year 2 to spawn events while sprinkling in low-stress races to climb toward 5,000 fans. When the claw machine appears, go for an easy catch first, then attempt a multi-grab on your second try. If the board looks ugly, take the safe single and wait for the next appearance. You’re playing the long game; the spin will come back around.
The claw machine is one of the rare parts of Umamusume Pretty Derby where raw mechanical timing meets season planning. The controls reward calm hands and clean reads, while the campaign rewards patience, energy discipline, and steady fan growth. Treat the minigame as a service to your run: bank energy, lift mood, pick up a handy skill hint, and, when the board lines up, cash out the 100 Carats with a three-plush drop.
Quick reference, all in one place:
It’s random, yes. But with a steady schedule, smart recreation windows, and clean alignment, the claw stops feeling like a coin flip and starts feeling like a quiet edge you can count on during a long campaign.
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