World of Warships: Legends ship guide

AL Richelieu

Also called: AL 黎塞留 Beta
France · Tier VII · Battleship · Premium · Richelieu Variant
Sniper battleshipLong main-battery reach lands AP citadels from positions peers must push to reach.
Playstyle
  • Anchor a flank at 16-19 km with bow toward the closest threat, then use the speed advantage at 32 kn to rotate to the cap that needs a second battleship rather than the one your team already has
  • Avoid: Using the 32-kn speed to push rather than to rotate
Key characteristics
18.4 km gun rangeImproved HE penEngine BoostDefensive AAFragileEasily spotted
On this page
Community Data

AL Richelieu Community Stats

Across 4,000+ Standard battles from 110+ players, AL Richelieu averages a 56% win rate, 71,100 damage and 0.9 kills per battle, and survives 35% of them.

Community Data

AL Richelieu Community Stats

Log in to GamingDiver and upload your data to see Community Data for AL Richelieu: community win rate, damage, survival, spotting, and your own comparison.

Log in & upload to see Community Data

Playstyle

Overview

AL Richelieu is a Tier VII French sniper battleship (18.4 km): the long main battery reach lets her land AP citadels from positions where peer BBs have to push to engage. HE pen sits at the 1/4 caliber ratio instead of the standard 1/6, so HE spam is a real damage option here. Standout traits: heavy citadel belt in T7 BBs (405 mm, 5th of 48) and burny secondaries in T7 BBs (12, 9th of 46). The trade is surface detection in T7 BBs (15.7 km, 48th of 49).

Positioning

Anchor a flank at 16-19 km with bow toward the closest threat, then use the speed advantage at 32 kn to rotate to the cap that needs a second battleship rather than the one your team already has. Mobility means you can pick which fight you are in; do not waste it by holding center the whole match.

Potato Avoidance

Using the 32-kn speed to push rather than to rotate

The mobility advantage is about picking which cap fight you arrive at, not about leading the brawl line; a fast BB that overextends loses HP that the kit cannot trade back.

Signature Traits

Improved HE penetration

HE pen at the 1/4 caliber ratio instead of the standard 1/6. HE-spam is a real damage option here, not just a fire-starter, shared by 15/49 T7 BBs.

Engine Boost

+8% speed (about +2.6 kt), 180 s duration. Engine Boost takes her to 34.6 kt, faster than 53 of 60 T7 cruisers - enough to run down most cruisers or pull away from them, though destroyers still outpace her. Uncommon in T7 BBs.

Long gun range ↗

18.4 km main battery reach, best of T7 BBs.

ELITE ARMOR ↗
  • Heavy citadel belt · 405 mm
  • Heavy belt
Easily spotted ↗

15.7 km surface detect, bottom decile of T7 BBs. Visible before you can react; position early.

Shallow effective HP ↗

81366 effective HP once Repair Party is counted, bottom decile of T7 BBs. What you start with is close to all you get; there is little healing back.

Acquisition

How to get AL Richelieu

AL Richelieu is a Premium ship and not available to unlock in the Tech Tree. Acquisition path: Containers. Container chances are shown as the listed odds of receiving this exact ship, dividing grouped ship-pool odds across the resolved ships and including nested container paths when a crate can drop another crate.

While you save up, check active promo codes for free doubloons, camouflages, and other rewards.

Best listed chance for this ship

Official WG availability sources
  • March Update: Thirst for Combat Store / event post Start: 2025-02-27
    • Find them individually in the Store or in the new Azur Lane VI crate.
    • Ships: AL Richelieu, AL Harbin, and AL Formidable
Show direct source rows

Want the full picture? Each container page charts the odds as you open more crates - including pity guaranteed-reward timers and, for GD Supporters, pack math personalized to your port.

Builds

Pair with a commander whose unique skill complements her main armament; check the build tool for current recommendations.

Open in Build Tool →

Have a build you swear by? Open it in the Build Tool and hit Save build to share it here, or browse the Ship Builds guide for proven loadouts across the fleet.

Cohort position

Hide ▾

Where AL Richelieu sits among Tier VII BBs (48 ships). Notable standouts are shown first; the rest of the cohort-ranked stats are in the expand below. Acquisition variants (Black Friday, Founders Edition) are counted once with their base ship, not as separate peers.

BestMain battery range18.43 km (1/49) Top 10%Citadel belt405 mm (5/48) Top 25%Max speed32 kt (12/49) Top 25%HE shell damage6,300 (11/48) Top 25%HE fire chance40% (11/48) Top 25%Secondary fire chance12% (9/46) Top 25%AP arming threshold63 mm (11/49) Bottom 25%Main battery caliber380 mm (39/49) Bottom 25%AP DPM184,800 (42/49) Bottom 25%Secondary DPM (per side)175,500 (43/49) Bottom 25%AP pen at 10 km506 mm (43/49) Bottom 25%Flak damage per salvo (expected)1,050 (44/49) Bottom 10%Hit points57,300 HP (47/49) Bottom 10%Stealth profile15.72 km / 12.6 km (48/49 / 48/49) WorstNo torpedoes (33 of 49 in cohort)
See 33 mid-pack stats

Not standouts for AL Richelieu -- here's where she sits on every other ranked stat in the cohort. Stats tagged NORM are tied across more than half the cohort, so the value is the cohort default rather than a standout.

Smoke fire bloom14.4 km(25/49) Rudder shift15.4 s(22/49) Turning circle850 m(27/49) Main battery reload28.5 s(27/49) Sigma1.8(29/49) Fires per minute6.72(16/48) HE DPM105,840(14/48) Main dispersion209.7 m(19/49) Secondary HE alpha2,200(13/46) Secondary HE pen25 mm(23/46) AP velocity830 m/s(17/49) HE velocity830 m/s(19/48) Time to 90% speed34.6 s(37/49) Acceleration (0-12 kt)13 s(23/49) Engine power155,000 hp(25/49) Power / turn radius182.4 hp/m(28/49) Displacement44,800 t(17/49) Power-to-weight3.46 hp/t(21/49) Effective HE DPM (incl. fire)155,688(14/48) Secondary range5 km(35/49) AA DPS584(15/49) AA range5 km(19/49) AA threat1,764(23/49) Repair charges3(23/49) Max armor405 mm(16/49) NormSecondary dispersion bracket57(34 of 49 tied at this value) NormSecondary sigma1(48 of 49 tied at this value) NormAP fuse timer0.033 s(40 of 49 tied at this value) NormAP ricochet start45°(47 of 49 tied at this value) NormAP auto-bounce angle60°(46 of 49 tied at this value) NormRepair heal rate0.5 %/s(35 of 49 tied at this value) NormBow armor32 mm(36 of 48 tied at this value) NormStern armor32 mm(35 of 48 tied at this value)
Survivability
Hit Points57,300
Displacement44,800 t
Armor range18–405 mm
Plate armor thicknesses18, 19, 20, 22, 24, 30, 32, 40, 50, 80, 100, 120, 150, 170, 233, 250, 280, 330, 340, 355, 405 mm
Armor material/layer entries66
Fire resistance
ƒtop hull: 1 − 0.6337 fire coefficient = 36.6%. Lowers how often hits set you on fire. It does not reduce the damage a burning fire does per second; fires burn at the full rate on every ship.
36.6%
Fire duration60 s
Fire damage
ƒOne unattended fire: 0.003 of max HP per second (0.3%) × 60 s = 0.18 of the pool; 0.18 × 57,300 HP = 10,314 HP on this ship. 4 fire points can burn at once.
0.3% of HP per second
Flood duration40 s
Flood damage
ƒOne unattended flood: 0.005 of max HP per second (0.5%) × 40 s = 0.2 of the pool; 0.2 × 57,300 HP = 11,460 HP on this ship.
0.5% of HP per second
Torp Reduction
ƒ1 − 0.217 hull torpedo-damage coefficient / 0.333 unprotected baseline = 35%. Reduces torpedo hit damage. It does not affect flooding: floods start as often and tick at the full rate.
35%
Magazine HP
ƒPer-turret powder-magazine HP, a separate pool from the ship's. Penetrating hits wear it down and the turret is likelier to be knocked out as it falls, so a larger pool keeps the guns firing through punishment that silences a peer's.
31,900
Steering gear HP
ƒDurability of the steering gears. As this pool drops, hits are likelier to jam the rudder; unlike most modules the steering can be knocked out and repaired but is never permanently destroyed.
17,200
Effective HP
ƒBase 57,300 HP plus everything Repair Party can restore: 0.005 of max HP per second (0.5%) × 28 s × 57,300 HP = 8,022 HP per charge, × 3 charges = 24,066 HP. Ceiling, not a prediction: a charge only restores damage actually taken, and only the regeneratable share of it. In practice ships realize about half of this, mostly because half the charges go unspent; a charge that is used returns about 97% of the per-charge figure above.
63,667–81,366
Repairable: penetration50%
Repairable: citadel10%
Repairable: steering gear50%
Section HP
Bow section HP
ƒDamage saturation pool for the bow: penetrations here deal their normal share until twice this much penetration damage has landed on the section (2 × 2,900 = 5,800), then further hits on it deal half damage. A penetration deals 0.33 × the shell's max damage; once the section is saturated it deals exactly half of that (0.5 × 0.33 = 0.165 × max damage), so a 3,000-damage shell's pen goes from 990 to 495. Overpens (0.1 × max damage) and citadels (1.0 ×) ignore saturation. Pens on the ship's other, unsaturated sections still deal the normal 0.33 ×. A larger pool keeps that part of the ship taking full damage for longer; a small one saturates fast and protects the ship's HP.
2,900
Casemate section HP
ƒDamage saturation pool for the casemate: penetrations here deal their normal share until twice this much penetration damage has landed on the section (2 × 5,200 = 10,400), then further hits on it deal half damage. A penetration deals 0.33 × the shell's max damage; once the section is saturated it deals exactly half of that (0.5 × 0.33 = 0.165 × max damage), so a 3,000-damage shell's pen goes from 990 to 495. Overpens (0.1 × max damage) and citadels (1.0 ×) ignore saturation. Pens on the ship's other, unsaturated sections still deal the normal 0.33 ×. A larger pool keeps that part of the ship taking full damage for longer; a small one saturates fast and protects the ship's HP.
5,200
Auxiliary section HP
ƒDamage saturation pool for the auxiliary room: penetrations here deal their normal share until twice this much penetration damage has landed on the section (2 × 4,800 = 9,600), then further hits on it deal half damage. A penetration deals 0.33 × the shell's max damage; once the section is saturated it deals exactly half of that (0.5 × 0.33 = 0.165 × max damage), so a 3,000-damage shell's pen goes from 990 to 495. Overpens (0.1 × max damage) and citadels (1.0 ×) ignore saturation. Pens on the ship's other, unsaturated sections still deal the normal 0.33 ×. A larger pool keeps that part of the ship taking full damage for longer; a small one saturates fast and protects the ship's HP.
4,800
Hull section HP
ƒDamage saturation pool for the hull: penetrations here deal their normal share until twice this much penetration damage has landed on the section (2 × 43,000 = 86,000), then further hits on it deal half damage. A penetration deals 0.33 × the shell's max damage; once the section is saturated it deals exactly half of that (0.5 × 0.33 = 0.165 × max damage), so a 3,000-damage shell's pen goes from 990 to 495. Overpens (0.1 × max damage) and citadels (1.0 ×) ignore saturation. Pens on the ship's other, unsaturated sections still deal the normal 0.33 ×. A larger pool keeps that part of the ship taking full damage for longer; a small one saturates fast and protects the ship's HP.
43,000
Superstructure section HP
ƒDamage saturation pool for the superstructure: penetrations here deal their normal share until twice this much penetration damage has landed on the section (2 × 1,600 = 3,200), then further hits on it deal half damage. A penetration deals 0.33 × the shell's max damage; once the section is saturated it deals exactly half of that (0.5 × 0.33 = 0.165 × max damage), so a 3,000-damage shell's pen goes from 990 to 495. Overpens (0.1 × max damage) and citadels (1.0 ×) ignore saturation. Pens on the ship's other, unsaturated sections still deal the normal 0.33 ×. The superstructure is not exempt: it saturates exactly like the bow and stern, so shells aimed at it stop dealing full damage once this pool is used up. A larger pool keeps that part of the ship taking full damage for longer; a small one saturates fast and protects the ship's HP.
1,600
Stern section HP
ƒDamage saturation pool for the stern: penetrations here deal their normal share until twice this much penetration damage has landed on the section (2 × 2,700 = 5,400), then further hits on it deal half damage. A penetration deals 0.33 × the shell's max damage; once the section is saturated it deals exactly half of that (0.5 × 0.33 = 0.165 × max damage), so a 3,000-damage shell's pen goes from 990 to 495. Overpens (0.1 × max damage) and citadels (1.0 ×) ignore saturation. Pens on the ship's other, unsaturated sections still deal the normal 0.33 ×. A larger pool keeps that part of the ship taking full damage for longer; a small one saturates fast and protects the ship's HP.
2,700
Citadel section HP
ƒThis section has no practical saturation cap: every hit here keeps dealing its normal share of damage (on most ships the citadel; on many destroyers the casemate).
No saturation cap
Main Battery
ModuleArtillery: 380 mm/45 Mle 1935
Mounts / barrels2 mounts / 8 barrels
Reload time28.5 s
Firing range18.4 km
Turret traverse5 °/s
Turret armor430 mm
Turret traverse arcs
ƒHow far each mount can train, in degrees to either side of the mount's own facing. A rear turret with ±150° leaves a 60° blind wedge over the bow; one-sided arcs are wing mounts that cover a single side. The data does not say which way each mount faces, so the arcs are listed per mount without bow/stern angles.
±144°, ±155°
Guns to bear
ƒCounted from each mount's firing arc: no mount leaves a blind wedge, so every gun bears straight ahead. How far off the bow (or stern) the ship must angle before every main turret can fire: the widest blind wedge among the rear-facing (or forward-facing) mounts, from each mount's trainable arc.
all guns bear at the bow
Shell Grouping (σ)1.8
Dispersion type
ƒIn practice: 14% tighter (better) horizontal dispersion and 14% less vertical spread at max range (18.4 km) than a standard battleship: about 210 m wide × 126 m tall, against 244 m × 147 m. No other ship uses this curve.
Unique to this ship
Max Horiz Disp
ƒHorizontal dispersion ellipse width at max range, from the dispersion model: σH=(R30·idealRadius−minRadiusidealDistance+minRadius)·30 =(1842530·10−2.21000+2.2)·30=209.7m
209.7 m at 18.4 km
Max Vert Disp
ƒVertical dispersion ellipse height at max range: σV=σH·radiusOnMax =209.7·0.6=125.8m
125.8 m at 18.4 km
Med Horiz Disp
ƒ50%-hit horizontal radius: σH,50=σH·0.6σ =209.7·0.61.8=69.9m
69.9 m at 18.4 km
Med Vert Disp
ƒ50%-hit vertical radius: σV,50=σV·0.6σ =125.8·0.61.8=41.9m
41.9 m at 18.4 km
Turret turn time
ƒ180 degrees / 5 deg/s traverse speed = 36 s.
36 s
Shells/min
ƒZero upgrades: 8 broadside guns x 60 / 28.571 s (28.5 s = 200 ticks) base reload = 16.8. All upgrades (Main Battery Mod. 3 = -10% reload): 8 broadside guns x 60 / 25.714 s (25.7 s = 180 ticks) all-upgrades reload (28.5 s × 0.9 Main Battery Mod. 3 = 25.7 s) = 18.7.
Initial: 16.8 → 18.7
HE shells
HE alpha6,300
HE Velocity830 m/s
Fire Chance40%
HE fire DPM vs T7 BB49848
Effective HE DPM vs T7 BB155688
HE penetration
ƒ95 mm ≈ 380 mm caliber / 4 (improved HE penetration: German BBs, Yamato-class, and a handful of others).
95 mm
HE full-salvo alpha
ƒ6,300 HE damage x 8 broadside guns = 50,400.
50,400
HE DPM
ƒZero upgrades: 50,400 HE full-salvo alpha x 60 / 28.571 s (28.5 s = 200 ticks) base reload = 105,840. All upgrades (Main Battery Mod. 3 = -10% reload): 50,400 HE full-salvo alpha x 60 / 25.714 s (25.7 s = 180 ticks) all-upgrades reload (28.5 s × 0.9 Main Battery Mod. 3 = 25.7 s) = 117,600.
Initial: 105,840 → 117,600
Fires/min
ƒZero upgrades: 16.8 shells/min × 0.4 (40% fire chance) = 6.72. All upgrades (Main Battery Mod. 3 = -10% reload): 18.7 shells/min × 0.4 (40% fire chance) = 7.47.
Initial: 6.72 → 7.47
AP shells
AP alpha11,000
AP Velocity830 m/s
Min Ricochet45 deg
Guaranteed Ricochet60 deg
Fuse Timer0.033 s
Fuse Threshold63 mm
AP pen max range408 mm
AP overmatch
ƒfloor(380 mm caliber / 14.3) = 26 mm (AP auto-penetrates plating this thick or less).
26 mm
AP Pen Close
ƒAP formula evaluated at muzzle velocity: P=10−7·K·m0.69·d−1.07·v01.38 =10−7·2100·8850.69·0.38−1.07·8301.38=681.7mm.
681.7 mm point-blank
AP Pen Far
ƒSame formula at the ship's max firing range (18.4 km), where the shell has slowed to 571.4 m/s: P=10−7·2100·8850.69·0.38−1.07·571.41.38=407.2mm.
407.2 mm at 18.4 km
AP full-salvo alpha
ƒ11,000 AP damage x 8 broadside guns = 88,000.
88,000
AP DPM
ƒZero upgrades: 88,000 AP full-salvo alpha x 60 / 28.571 s (28.5 s = 200 ticks) base reload = 184,800. All upgrades (Main Battery Mod. 3 = -10% reload): 88,000 AP full-salvo alpha x 60 / 25.714 s (25.7 s = 180 ticks) all-upgrades reload (28.5 s × 0.9 Main Battery Mod. 3 = 25.7 s) = 205,333.
Initial: 184,800 → 205,333
AP AOE Radius
ƒAP shell over-penetration splash radius; scales with shell mass. Wickes 102mm = 3, standard 152mm CL ~ 20, Iowa 406mm ~ 270, Yamato 460mm = 400, Incomparable 650mm = 550 (max). Larger value = bigger splash damage area when AP over-pens.
120
AA Defense
AA mount points62
Maximum AA range
ƒLongest-reaching family on the in-game AA card. Base AirDefense aura max range is 3.5 km; dual-purpose mount auras extend it.
5 km
40 mm/56 Bofors Mk214×4 40mm
20 mm/70 Mk448×1 20mm
100 mm/45 Mle 1931 (DP)
ƒDual-purpose: your secondaries doing double duty against aircraft. The same mounts appear on the Secondary Battery card - shared guns, not extra hardware.
6×2 100mm
152 mm/55 Mle 1936 (DP)
ƒDual-purpose: your secondaries doing double duty against aircraft. The same mounts appear on the Secondary Battery card - shared guns, not extra hardware.
3×3 152mm
Far aura
Guns100 mm/45 Mle 1931 (DP) + 152 mm/55 Mle 1936 (DP)
Continuous DPS
ƒEffective DPS in in-game units (raw aura damage × 3.5 × hit probability, summed per contributing aura) - matches the Close-range AA DPS headline's currency. Includes 58 from dual-purpose secondaries firing as AA in this range band.
58
Range5 km
Medium aura
Guns40 mm/56 Bofors Mk2
Continuous DPS
ƒEffective DPS: 107 raw aura damage × 3.5 × 0.75 hit probability = 281 - the same in-game units as the Close-range AA DPS headline.
281
Range3.5 km
Total DPS in Aura
ƒFar 58 + Medium 281 = 339
339
Near aura
Guns20 mm/70 Mk4
Continuous DPS
ƒEffective DPS: 100 raw aura damage × 3.5 × 0.7 hit probability = 245 - the same in-game units as the Close-range AA DPS headline.
245
Range2 km
Total DPS in Aura
ƒFar 58 + Medium 281 + Near 245 = 584
584
Flak
AA explosions
ƒEach ~2 s salvo fires 2 AA explosions in quick succession, each leaving 3 clouds ahead of the attacking squadron, plus 1 stray cloud farther out that appear off-beat between salvos - up to 7 clouds per salvo × 200 damage each. Planes that fly into a cloud take its damage; clouds dissipate before the next salvo lands. Defensive AA Fire, where fitted, multiplies the AA explosions within each salvo, and commander skills that raise the Number of AA explosions add to it.
2 per salvo, 3 clouds each + 1 outer cloud
Cloud damage
ƒDamage a plane takes for flying into one flak cloud, before any reductions.
200
Cloud spawn chance
ƒEach cloud in the pattern rolls this chance to spawn, so salvos average fewer clouds than the maximum. Often called flak 'hit chance', but spawned clouds always damage planes that fly into them - the roll is on spawning.
75%
Salvo interval
ƒA new flak salvo (the AA explosions above) fires roughly every 2 s.
every ~2 s
Fired by
ƒFlak keeps firing while at least one secondary battery mount is operational - even losing every dedicated AA mount does not stop it.
Secondary battery
Flak zone
ƒThe activation band: flak fires while attacking planes are inside it. Clouds are placed ahead of the planes' path, so clouds can land short of 2.5 km or past 5 km - once planes get inside the band, new salvos stop. AA range bonuses push the outer edge out; the 2.5 km inner edge does not move.
2.5-5 km
S
Secondary Battery
Mounts9
Firing range5.0 km
Shell Grouping (σ)1
Total secondary fires/min (per side)
ƒSum of each gun family's fires/min (per side): 5.4 + 2.7 = 8.1. Per side: the barrels that bear on one broadside target (mounts × barrels / 2). A ceiling: assumes every shell hits and ignores the four-fire cap and Fire Prevention.
8.1
Secondary DPM (per side)
ƒSum across all secondary families of (per-side barrels × 60 / reload_s × alpha), with each reload counted in whole 1/7 s ticks (guns fire on the first tick after the reload), where per-side barrels = mounts × barrels-per-mount / 2 (the guns that bear on one broadside target). Per-family: 6×2 100 mm (6/side) × 60/4 s × 1400 = 126,000 + 3×3 152 mm (4.5/side) × 60/12 s × 2200 = 49,500. Assumes every shell hits (real hit rate is lower; the Brawl matchup tool on the Compare page folds in dispersion + target armor).
175,500
Secondary fire DPM vs T7 BB (per side)
ƒFires/min (per side) 8.1 × (1 − 0.366 fire resistance) × 60 s × 0.003 of max HP per second × 65,000 HP = 60,084. Per side: the barrels that bear on one broadside target (mounts × barrels / 2). A ceiling: assumes every shell hits and ignores the four-fire cap and Fire Prevention.
60,084
Total secondary DPM vs T7 BB (per side)
ƒSecondary DPM (per side) 175,500 + secondary fire DPM 60,084 = 235,584: shell damage plus fire damage against one T7 battleship, every shell hitting.
235,584
Secondary dispersion type
ƒMax dispersion = range (km) × 57 + 30. Each dispersion type sets its own slope; this is not a percentage applied to a standard baseline.
Standard
Max secondary dispersion @ 5 km
ƒ5 km × 57 + 30 = 315 m.
315 m
100 mm/45 Mle 1931 (6×2) (DP)
ƒDual-purpose: the same mounts also fire at aircraft, so they appear on the AA Defense card too - shared guns, not extra hardware.
Caliber100 mm
Reload time4 s
HE alpha1,400
Muzzle Velocity780 m/s
Fire Chance6%
Secondary fires/min (per side)
ƒ6×2 barrels / 2 sides × 60 / 4 s × 0.06 (6% fire chance) = 5.4. Per side: the barrels that bear on one broadside target (mounts × barrels / 2). A ceiling: assumes every shell hits and ignores the four-fire cap and Fire Prevention.
5.4
HE Pen17 mm
Show 1 more gun family
152 mm/55 Mle 1936 (3×3) (DP)
ƒDual-purpose: the same mounts also fire at aircraft, so they appear on the AA Defense card too - shared guns, not extra hardware.
Caliber152 mm
Reload time12 s
HE alpha2,200
Muzzle Velocity870 m/s
Fire Chance12%
Secondary fires/min (per side)
ƒ3×3 barrels / 2 sides × 60 / 12 s × 0.12 (12% fire chance) = 2.7. Per side: the barrels that bear on one broadside target (mounts × barrels / 2). A ceiling: assumes every shell hits and ignores the four-fire cap and Fire Prevention.
2.7
HE Pen25 mm
Maneuverability
Engine power155,000 hp
Maximum speed32.0 kt
Turning circle radius850 m
Rudder shift time15.4 s
Engine power-boost threshold7.0 kt
Engine spool-up time23 s
Reverse spool-up time11.5 s
Reverse speed
ƒtop speed / 4 + 4.9 = 32 / 4 + 4.9 = 12.9 kt. Base value; speed modifiers scale it.
12.9 kt
Crash stop
ƒSeconds from top speed to a dead stop after ordering full reverse: reverse power winds in over the reverse spool-up while water drag does most of the braking, using the ship's own reverse-power ratio. The full curve is on the acceleration chart. Full reverse stops about a quarter faster than a plain Stop order from top speed.
45.8 s
Engine boost threshold (reverse)
ƒSpeed below which the engine's built-in power boost applies in reverse.
9.1 kt
Acceleration 0-90%
ƒTime to reach 90% of top speed (28.8 kt of 32.0 kt).
34.6 s
Acceleration 0-99%
ƒTime to reach 99% of top speed (31.7 kt of 32.0 kt). 99% rather than 100% because true top speed is asymptotic (thrust meets drag), so the last fraction of a knot is never quite gained.
54.5 s
Guns in a full turn
ƒWith the rudder hard over the hull turns 4.1°/s, so a target drifts across the bow at that rate. Turret traverse minus hull turn: 5 − 4.1 = +0.9°/s, so the guns hold the target through the turn. Main Battery Mod. 2 (+20% traverse) and Mod. 3 (−15%) move this line.
hold target (+0.9°/s spare)
Concealment
Detectability by sea
ƒBase value, no camouflage. With a Grade IV permanent camo (or any disposable camo): 15.72 km x 0.955 = 15.01 km. Camouflage does not change detectability by air.
15.72 km
With Grade IV camouflage (sea)
ƒDetectability by sea 15.72 km x 0.955 (Grade IV permanent camo or any disposable camo) = 15.01 km.
15.01 km
Detectability by air12.6 km
Smoke firing penalty14.4 km
Detect when firing (sea)
ƒmax(main battery range, sea detectability 15.72 km) = 18.43 km. Equal to the ship's main battery range (never below base detectability): firing makes you visible to everyone you can reach.
18.43 km
Detect when firing (air)
ƒAir detectability 12.6 km + gun-firing bloom 7.83 km = 20.43 km. The bloom tracks main-battery caliber x 0.020.
20.43 km
Detect when on fire (sea)
ƒSea detectability 15.72 km + 2.0 km while burning = 17.72 km.
17.72 km
Detect when on fire (air)
ƒAir detectability 12.6 km + 3.0 km while burning = 15.6 km.
15.6 km
Guaranteed Detect2 km
✦
Consumables
Damage Control Party∞ charges · 80 s reload · 15 s active
Repair Party3 charges · 80 s reload · 28 s active · 8,022 HP (14% of max HP) total heal (per charge)
ƒ0.005 of max HP per second (0.5%) × 28 s effective active time = 0.14 of max HP × 57,300 HP = 8,022 HP: up to 14% of max HP restored per charge.
· 24,066 HP (42% of max HP) total heal (all charges)
ƒ0.14 of max HP per charge × 3 charges = 0.42 × 57,300 HP = 24,066 HP: up to 42% of max HP if the whole Repair Party loadout is used.
· 286 HP/s (0.5% of max HP) heal per second
ƒ0.005 (0.5% of max HP) × 57,300 HP = 286 HP/s. WoWS heals a flat percent of MAX HP each second, so this rate holds at any health level.
Defensive AA Fire3 charges · 140 s reload · 25 s active · ×2 flak burst boost
ƒRepeats the flak burst pattern ×2 within each salvo - more clouds in the air over the salvo, at the same spots.
Engine Boost2 charges · 180 s reload · 180 s active · +8% speed bonus

Under the hood

Show ▾

All values are ship base stats with modifications and upgrade changes denoted inline.

The constants behind the formulas and the long tail: shell and dispersion inputs, fixed-range anchors, salvo math, layered AA. Click the formula chip on any row to see how it is calculated.

Main battery formulas

vs standard BB14% tighter H · 14% shorter V
H = horizontal, V = vertical spread. This ship's curve against the standard battleship curve, both evaluated at this ship's max range (18.4 km) with the same model as Max Horiz/Vert Disp: horizontal 210 / 244 m − 1 = -14%, vertical 126 / 147 m − 1 = -14%. Shell grouping (σ) is separate: it sets how shells bunch toward the centre of this ellipse.
Shell scatter width @ 5 km105 m
(166.7 × (10 − 2.2) / 1000 + 2.2) × 30 = 105 m. Horizontal scatter at a fixed 5 km, from the same dispersion model as the rows below - a knife-fight-range anchor comparable across ships.
Shell scatter width @ 10 km144 m
(333.3 × (10 − 2.2) / 1000 + 2.2) × 30 = 144 m. How wide your shells scatter at 10 km, from the same dispersion model as the max-range figure above. Picking a fixed range makes this number directly comparable from ship to ship: max-range dispersion makes a longer-range gun look worse even when it's tighter at any common range. The interactive Dispersion tab on the Charts card plots the full curve from 0 to max range.
Shell scatter width @ 15 km183 m
(500 × (10 − 2.2) / 1000 + 2.2) × 30 = 183 m. Horizontal scatter at a fixed 15 km, from the same dispersion model - the long-range anchor. Only shown when the ship's guns reach 15 km.
Shell scatter height @ 5 km38.1 m
How tall the scatter ellipse is at a fixed 5 km, from the same model, comparable from ship to ship. The height/width ratio is a piecewise-linear curve through three points from the ship's own dispersion data: radiusOnZero=0.2 at 0 m, radiusOnDelim=0.5 at delim·Rmax=0.5·18425=9212 m, and radiusOnMax=0.6 at 18425 m. Below the kink: k=0.2+(0.5−0.2)·50009212=0.3628, so σV=σH·k=105·0.3628=38.1m.
Shell scatter height @ 10 km73.2 m
How tall the same scatter ellipse is at 10 km. Comparable from ship to ship for the same reason as the width value above. The height/width ratio is a piecewise-linear curve through three points from the ship's own dispersion data: radiusOnZero=0.2 at 0 m, radiusOnDelim=0.5 at delim·Rmax=0.5·18425=9212 m, and radiusOnMax=0.6 at 18425 m. Above the kink: k=0.5+(0.6−0.5)·10000−921218425−9212=0.5085, so σV=σH·k=144·0.5085=73.2m.
Shell scatter height @ 15 km103 m
How tall the scatter ellipse is at a fixed 15 km, from the same model. Only shown when the ship's guns reach 15 km. The height/width ratio is a piecewise-linear curve through three points from the ship's own dispersion data: radiusOnZero=0.2 at 0 m, radiusOnDelim=0.5 at delim·Rmax=0.5·18425=9212 m, and radiusOnMax=0.6 at 18425 m. Above the kink: k=0.5+(0.6−0.5)·15000−921218425−9212=0.5628, so σV=σH·k=183·0.5628=103m.
AP pen 5 km586 mm
AP penetration at a fixed 5 km, from the same ballistic curve as AP Pen Close/Far: the shell's impact velocity at that range fed through the AP formula P=10−7·K·m0.69·d−1.07·v1.38 =10−7·2100·8850.69·0.38−1.07·744.11.38=586mm, where 744.1 m/s is the shell's speed when it arrives at 5 km (from 830 m/s at the muzzle). Fixed anchors make ships directly comparable at the same fighting distance; the Charts card plots the full curve.
AP pen 10 km506 mm
AP penetration at a fixed 10 km, from the same ballistic curve as AP Pen Close/Far: the shell's impact velocity at that range fed through the AP formula P=10−7·K·m0.69·d−1.07·v1.38 =10−7·2100·8850.69·0.38−1.07·669.21.38=506mm, where 669.2 m/s is the shell's speed when it arrives at 10 km (from 830 m/s at the muzzle). Fixed anchors make ships directly comparable at the same fighting distance; the Charts card plots the full curve.
AP pen 15 km443 mm
AP penetration at a fixed 15 km, from the same ballistic curve as AP Pen Close/Far: the shell's impact velocity at that range fed through the AP formula P=10−7·K·m0.69·d−1.07·v1.38 =10−7·2100·8850.69·0.38−1.07·606.91.38=443mm, where 606.9 m/s is the shell's speed when it arrives at 15 km (from 830 m/s at the muzzle). Fixed anchors make ships directly comparable at the same fighting distance; the Charts card plots the full curve.
AP flight time @ 10 km4.87 s
How long an AP shell takes to reach a target at a fixed 10 km, from the same numerically integrated trajectory the Charts card plots. The shell slows under quadratic air drag, adrag=kρv2, where ρ is air density from a standard-atmosphere profile and k bundles the shell's drag coefficient, caliber and mass: k=πCdd28m=π·0.2791·0.3828·885=1.79×10−5. That runs from a 830 m/s muzzle velocity in 0.02 s steps under gravity 9.8 m/s² until the shell lands, then divides by 2.77 because the game clock runs faster than real time. Lower is better, since a faster shell is harder to dodge and needs less lead.
HE flight time @ 10 km4.87 s
How long an HE shell takes to reach a target at a fixed 10 km, from the same numerically integrated trajectory the Charts card plots. The shell slows under quadratic air drag, adrag=kρv2, where ρ is air density from a standard-atmosphere profile and k bundles the shell's drag coefficient, caliber and mass: k=πCdd28m=π·0.2791·0.3828·884=1.79×10−5. That runs from a 830 m/s muzzle velocity in 0.02 s steps under gravity 9.8 m/s² until the shell lands, then divides by 2.77 because the game clock runs faster than real time. Lower is better, since a faster shell is harder to dodge and needs less lead.
Improved HE PenYes
This ship's HE shells use a 1/4 (~0.25) caliber-to-pen ratio instead of the standard 1/6 (~0.167) - 0.25 in this case. Lets HE pen ~95mm armor instead of ~63mm. Hits every German cruiser (150mm CL, 203mm CA) and BB (350mm+), British heavy cruisers / Lion / Nelson, a handful of other premiums.
Guns per full salvo (alpha, DPM)8
2 mounts × 4 barrels = 8; all 8 bear on the broadside.

Model inputs

Krupp (AP)2,100
Armor-penetration constant of the AP shell; penetration scales straight with it, so a 10% higher Krupp is 10% more penetration at every range.
AP shell mass885 kg
Enters penetration as mass^0.69 and slows the shell's drag deceleration, so a heavier shell keeps more velocity at range.
AP drag coefficient0.2791
Air drag on the AP shell in flight; lower keeps velocity, and with it penetration, at long range.
AP muzzle velocity830 m/s
Starting speed of the AP shell; penetration scales with velocity^1.38.
HE muzzle velocity830 m/s
Starting speed of the HE shell; sets its flight time and lead.
idealRadius10
Horizontal dispersion growth per idealDistance of range, in 30 m units; the slope of the scatter-width line.
minRadius2.2
Horizontal dispersion at zero range, in 30 m units; the intercept of the scatter-width line.
idealDistance1,000 m
Range step over which horizontal dispersion grows by idealRadius.
taperDist4,000 m
Inside this range the scatter width tapers toward minRadius instead of following the line.
radiusOnZero0.2
Vertical scatter as a share of horizontal at zero range.
radiusOnDelim0.5
Vertical scatter as a share of horizontal at the delim point.
radiusOnMax0.6
Vertical scatter as a share of horizontal at maximum range.
delim0.5
Where the vertical-scatter curve bends, as a share of maximum range.

AA defense

AA DPS at max range58
Only families that reach 5 km contribute at the outer edge of the AA bubble. In-game families: 40mm Bofors 14x4 -> 281 DPS @ 3.5 km; 20mm Oerlikon MK4 48x1 -> 245 DPS @ 2 km; 100mm 45 Mle 1930 6x2 -> 39 DPS @ 5 km; 152 55 Mle 1936 3x3 -> 19 DPS @ 5 km.
AA DPS layered by range58 DPS @ 5 km, 339 DPS @ 3.5 km, 584 DPS @ 2 km
@ 5 km: 39 + 19 = 58; @ 3.5 km: 281 + 39 + 19 = 339; @ 2 km: 281 + 245 + 39 + 19 = 584. Cumulative AA DPS at each family range threshold. Inner ranges stack the outer families, so a target closing the distance hits stronger AA bubbles as it crosses each band.
AA DPS at point-blank584
281 + 245 + 39 + 19 = 584 DPS: the sum of every family's average DPS, achievable only inside the closest-range family (2 km).
AA threat index1764
281 × 3.5 + 245 × 2 + 39 × 5 + 19 × 5 = 1764. SUM over AA auras of (aura DPS x aura range km). A plane crossing the AA bubble is exposed to each aura for a time proportional to that aura's range, so long-reach DPS is worth more than the same DPS in a short bubble. Units: DPS*km; used to rank overall AA threat across the cohort.
Near aura range2 km

Secondary battery firepower

Max HE alpha2200
max(1400 (100 mm), 2200 (152 mm)) = 2200. Maximum HE damage per shell across secondary HE families. Best on this ship: 2200 from the 152 mm family.
Max HE fire chance12%
max(6% (100 mm), 12% (152 mm)) = 12%. Maximum per-shell fire chance across secondary HE families (before target fire resistance is applied). Best on this ship: 12% from the 152 mm family.
Max HE pen25 mm
max(17 mm (100 mm), 25 mm (152 mm)) = 25 mm. Maximum HE armor penetration across secondary HE families (caliber × 1/6 for most nations; 1/4 for German/UK BBs). Shells whose pen falls under a plate's armor thickness shatter for 0 hull damage though fire chance still applies. Best on this ship: 25 mm from the 152 mm family.
Open in Charting Tool

Ship Charts

Background

One of the most successful and well-balanced "new generation" battleships in the world. The ship was equipped with 380 mm guns, had a high speed, strong armor and very good torpedo protection. The disadvantages of concentrating the ship's main guns on the bow were compensated by the favorable turret traverse angles.

Armor Beta

Hull HP 57,300, distributed across 5 hull zones, each with its own plate thicknesses, saturation cap, and pen thresholds. HP caps are estimates.

Bow & stern32 mm

Overmatched by AP from only MusashiARP Musashi. Angled, everything else bounces.

Belt / citadel330 mm

Citadels come from a flat broadside at close range; held past ~30° of angle, AP shatters or bounces.

Farming19 mm

Superstructure and extremities take HE pens and AP overpens from nearly any gun: steady chip damage. Fire resistance 37%, fires burn 60s. Range-by-range in the Compare tool →

Section Plates HP cap Threats Tactic
Bow32 mm primary (range 32–50 mm)≈ 2,865 (~5% of HP)
Overmatched by 460mm+ AP (Aki, Musashi)Angle bounces 410mm32 mm: HE pens from 203mm+
Bow-tank fits behind this exterior plate. Saturation is FAST here; the cap is often only a few thousand HP.
Hull (midship)19 mm primary (range 19–355 mm)≈ 42,975 (~75% of HP)
Overmatched by 283mm+ AP (Scharnhorst, Scharnhorst '43)Angle bounces 203mm19 mm: HE pens from 127mm+
Largest HP pool. Citadel sits behind these plates; thinner deck and side plating absorb the rest.
Stern32 mm primary (range 32–150 mm)≈ 2,865 (~5% of HP)
Overmatched by 460mm+ AP (Aki, Musashi)Angle bounces 410mm32 mm: HE pens from 203mm+
Mirror of bow. Same fast saturation.
Citadel330 mm primary (range 18–405 mm)no cap
Citadel pen: full damageOver-pen: ×0.10 damage
Effectively no cap; citadel pool sits at ~165k HP on every ship. An AP citadel penetration deals the shell's full damage, the biggest single hit available; only over-penetrations are damped, to ×0.10.
Superstructure24 mm primary (range 24–405 mm)no cap
Any HE ≥16 mm pens at full damage
Any HE ≥16 mm pens at full damage. HE-spam target, and the section saturates fast (often only a few thousand HP).

Saturation cap = HP a section can absorb before further damage to it is reduced (the "bow-tank" effect). Citadel pool is ~165k on every ship (effectively no cap); damage is gated by pen/over-pen multipliers instead. Superstructure saturates fast but HE always pens regardless of the plate thickness. Rudder (and other module HPs) are a separate pool from ship HP: damaging a module doesn't drain ship HP. Incapacitated modules like the rudder and engine are restored by DCP, but secondary and AA mounts destroyed at 0 HP stay out for the rest of the battle.

Balance History

Balance updates affecting AL Richelieu. Cards are condensed; use each source link for full context.

Buff ×3Main Battery ×3
2025-09-04

September Update: The Valor Armada

  • Main battery reload time reduced from 30 to 28.5 s.
  • HE shell damage increased from 5,800 to 6,300.
  • HE shell fire-setting chance increased from 38 to 40%.
Read the full official post
Exteriors

Skins & permanent camouflages

Every custom exterior AL Richelieu can equip.

  • AL Richelieu default exterior
    DefaultThe ship’s standard exterior

Primary official WG sources

Filtered to official World of Warships: Legends pages where this ship is a focus, reward, line member, or high-context variant mention.