GamingDiver / WoWs Legends Ships / Blücher

World of Warships: Legends ship guide

Blücher

Also called: 布吕歇尔 Beta

Germany · Tier VIII · CA Cruiser · Premium

Sonar cruiserSonar-first support: contest islands and smoke without spending detection.

Playstyle

Work the islands rather than a firing line
Avoid: Pushing in blind because the kit says brawler

Key characteristics

Improved HE penSonarEngine BoostThick end platesMany torpedo launchersWeak AA

On this page

Community stats
Playstyle
How to get Blücher
Builds
Cohort position
Stats and specs
Charts
Background
Armor
Exteriors

Community Data

Blücher Community Stats

Across 3,800+ Standard battles from 280+ players, Blücher averages a 58% win rate, 78,400 damage and 1.0 kills per battle, and survives 40% of them.

Community Data

Blücher Community Stats

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

Playstyle

Overview

Blücher is a Tier VIII German heavy cruiser with Sonar as her vision tool. It lets her contest islands and smoke without exposing the hull to vision cycles, which shapes how she pressures caps. Her sonar reaches 5.6 km, which is the range at which she can commit to a contest without guessing. HE pen sits at the 1/4 caliber ratio instead of the standard 1/6, so HE damages angled targets her AP can't, but her HE volume is low: a tool for bow-on targets, not a damage plan. Standout traits: end-plate armor in T8 CAs (27 mm, 5th of 36) and torpedo reload in T8 CAs (80 s, 1st of 21). The trade is AA DPS in T8 CAs (208, 36th of 36).

Positioning

Work the islands rather than a firing line. Sonar (5.6 km on ships, 3.8 km on torpedoes) is the whole kit, and it only pays inside that radius, so hold the cover beside a contested cap and use it to catch destroyers and torpedoes coming around the corner: HE into the destroyer, AP into any cruiser that shows you a broadside while it sits in smoke. Lead with AP wherever the target gives you a side; the HE is the weaker barrel here, so save it for targets AP cannot punish. Firing from a friendly smoke reveals you at 7.7 km, so pick the salvo rather than holding the trigger. The helm answers quickly (8.3 s), so she can break an incoming salvo that slower hulls have to eat.

Potato Avoidance

Pushing in blind because the kit says brawler

5.6-km Sonar is what makes the close fight winnable, and it only helps once you are already committed; it does not tell you what is waiting two islands over. Push when a destroyer is lit or a teammate holds vision, not to find out who is there.

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 7/36 T8 CAs.

Engine Boost

+15% speed (about +4.9 kt), 180 s duration. Engine Boost consumable lifts top speed enough to open or close a gap deliberately, though not to outrun a committed chase. Uncommon in T8 CAs.

ELITE ARMOR ↗

Thick end plates · 27 mm
Thick bow plate · 27 mm

ELITE TORPEDOES ↗

Fast torp reload · 80 s
Many torpedo launchers · 4 launchers

Weak AA ↗

208 AA DPS, bottom decile of T8 CAs. Aircraft chew through with impunity; lean on positioning over AA.

Weak torpedoes ↗

12700 damage per torpedo, bottom quartile of the 21 T8 CAs with torpedoes.

Acquisition

How to get Blücher

Blücher is a Premium ship and not available to unlock in the Tech Tree. Acquisition path: Campaign.

CampaignEarned in the campaign “Fire in the Fjords” (Feb 2026); campaign ships can later return through other limited methods.

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

Official WG availability sources

Fire in the Fjords Campaign Breakdown Campaign Start: 2026-02-23 · End: 2026-03-29
- To complete the Fire in the Fjords campaign and receive German Tier VIII Premium cruiser Blücher, you must accumulate 2,475 Renown with an active Admiralty Backing.
Through the Spy Glass: Blücher Campaign Start: 2026-02-24
- To add Blücher to your fleet, complete the Fire in the Fjords campaign with an active Admiralty Backing.
March Update: Echoes at Sea Campaign Start: 2026-02-19
- Captains who complete it with an active Admiralty Backing will earn even more, including the final prize: German Tier VIII Premium cruiser Blücher.

Builds

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

Karl von Müller

WG official

InspirationsNorman Scott · Francesco Mimbelli

WG official build from Through the Spy Glass: Blücher.

Source: Through the Spy Glass: Blücher

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 Blücher sits among Tier VIII CAs (35 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.

BestTorpedo reload80 s (1 of 2 tied) BestEnd plates27 mm (1 of 10 tied / 7/36) Top 10%Rudder shift8.3 s (4/36) Top 10%Main dispersion133.8 m (3/36) Top 25%Turning circle740 m (10/36) Top 25%Main battery range15.85 km (10/36) Top 25%AP velocity925 m/s (5/35) Top 25%HE velocity925 m/s (5/29) Top 25%AP ricochet start55° (9/35) Bottom 25%Max speed32.8 kt (28/36) Bottom 25%HE DPM109,091 (24/29) Bottom 25%Effective HE DPM (incl. fire)155,569 (27/29) Bottom 25%AA range4.5 km (31/36) Bottom 25%Torpedo range8 km (18/21) Bottom 25%Torpedo speed60 kt (17/21) Bottom 10%Fires per minute5.67 (28/29) WorstSecondary HE alpha1,200 (27/27) WorstSecondary fire chance5% (1 of 12 tied) WorstAA DPS208 (36/36) WorstAA threat780 (36/36) WorstTorpedo damage≈12,700 (1 of 3 tied) WorstRepair heal rate0.5 %/s (1 of 17 tied)

See 31 mid-pack stats

Not standouts for Blücher -- 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.

Hit points47,500 HP(16/36) Concealment13.04 km(23/36) Smoke fire bloom7.67 km(22/36) Air detection7.83 km(24/36) Main battery caliber203 mm(19/36) Main battery reload11 s(17/36) Sigma2.05(17/36) HE shell damage2,500(21/29) HE fire chance13%(22/29) AP shell damage6,100(11/35) AP DPM266,182(17/35) Secondary DPM (per side)126,000(19/28) Secondary HE pen20 mm(17/27) Time to 90% speed25.2 s(13/36) Acceleration (0-12 kt)9.1 s(19/36) AP fuse timer0.025 s(27/35) AP arming threshold34 mm(17/35) AP auto-bounce angle65°(10/35) Engine power131,820 hp(16/36) Power / turn radius178.1 hp/m(13/36) Displacement18,700 t(17/36) Power-to-weight7.05 hp/t(13/36) AP pen at 10 km280 mm(17/35) Flak damage per salvo (expected)1,782(24/36) Torpedo reaction time8.1 s(15/21) Max armor150 mm(24/36) Citadel belt150 mm(19/36) NormSecondary dispersion bracket57(20 of 28 tied at this value) NormTurn speed retained81%(32 of 36 tied at this value) NormSecondary range5 km(22 of 28 tied at this value) NormRepair charges2(33 of 36 tied at this value)

Peers in this cohort

Compare Tier VIII Cruisers

Show all 35 peers

Stats & specs

Customize in the Build Tool →

Survivability

Hit Points47,500

Displacement18,700 t

Hull dimensions

Length x beam at the waterline, plus draft. Length matters when dodging torpedoes; beam and draft shape how hard the ship is to hit.

205 x 21.3 m

Armor range16–150 mm

Plate armor thicknesses16, 20, 25, 27, 30, 40, 70, 80, 90, 105, 150 mm

Armor material/layer entries56

Fire resistance

top hull: 1 − 0.6004 fire coefficient = 40%. 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.

40%

Fire duration30 s

Fire damage

One unattended fire: 0.003 of max HP per second (0.3%) × 30 s = 0.09 of the pool; 0.09 × 47,500 HP = 4,275 HP on this ship. 4 fire points can burn at once.

0.3% of HP per second

Flood duration40 s

Flood damage

One unattended flood: 0.0025 of max HP per second (0.25%) × 40 s = 0.1 of the pool; 0.1 × 47,500 HP = 4,750 HP on this ship.

0.25% of HP per second

Torp Reduction

1 − 0.3 hull torpedo-damage coefficient / 0.333 unprotected baseline = 10%. Reduces torpedo hit damage. It does not affect flooding: floods start as often and tick at the full rate.

10%

Steering gear HP

Durability 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.

14,300

Effective HP

Base 47,500 HP plus everything Repair Party can restore: 0.005 of max HP per second (0.5%) × 28 s × 47,500 HP = 6,650 HP per charge, × 2 charges = 13,300 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.

60,800

Repairable: penetration50%

Repairable: citadel33%

Repairable: steering gear50%

Bow section HP

Damage saturation pool for the bow: penetrations here deal their normal share until twice this much penetration damage has landed on the section (2 × 1,500 = 3,000), 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.

1,500

Casemate section HP

Damage saturation pool for the casemate: penetrations here deal their normal share until twice this much penetration damage has landed on the section (2 × 7,300 = 14,600), 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.

7,300

Hull section HP

Damage saturation pool for the hull: penetrations here deal their normal share until twice this much penetration damage has landed on the section (2 × 35,600 = 71,200), 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 ×. 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.

35,600

Superstructure section HP

Damage saturation pool for the superstructure: penetrations here deal their normal share until twice this much penetration damage has landed on the section (2 × 3,600 = 7,200), 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.

3,600

Stern section HP

Damage saturation pool for the stern: penetrations here deal their normal share until twice this much penetration damage has landed on the section (2 × 2,000 = 4,000), 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.

2,000

Citadel section HP

This 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: 203 mm L/60 SK C/34

Mounts / barrels4 mounts / 8 barrels

Reload time11 s

Firing range15.8 km

Turret traverse10 °/s

Turret armor160 mm

Turret traverse arcs

How 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.

4x ±145°

Guns to bear

180° − 145° (the most restricted aft-facing mount's arc) = 35° off bow; 180° − 145° (the most restricted forward-facing mount's arc) = 35° off stern. 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.

35° off bow / 35° off stern

See the firing-arcs diagram ↓

Shell Grouping (σ)2.05

Dispersion type

In practice: 6% tighter (better) horizontal dispersion and 6% less vertical spread at max range (15.8 km) than a standard cruiser: about 134 m wide × 80 m tall, against 142 m × 85 m. Also on this curve (225): AL Avrora, AL Yukikaze, AL Z24, Acasta, Achilles, Adriatico, Aigle, Akatsuki, Akizuki, Albany, Allen M. Sumner, Attilio Regolo and 213 more.

Standard destroyer

Max Horiz Disp

Horizontal dispersion ellipse width at max range, from the dispersion model:

σ_{H} = (\frac{R}{30} \cdot \frac{idealRadius - minRadius}{idealDistance} + minRadius) \cdot 30

= (\frac{15845}{30} \cdot \frac{8 - 0.5}{1000} + 0.5) \cdot 30 = 133.8 m

133.8 m at 15.8 km

Max Vert Disp

Vertical dispersion ellipse height at max range:

σ_{V} = σ_{H} \cdot radiusOnMax

= 133.8 \cdot 0.6 = 80.3 m

80.3 m at 15.8 km

Med Horiz Disp

50%-hit horizontal radius:

σ_{H, 50} = σ_{H} \cdot \frac{0.6}{σ}

= 133.8 \cdot \frac{0.6}{2.05} = 39.2 m

39.2 m at 15.8 km

Med Vert Disp

50%-hit vertical radius:

σ_{V, 50} = σ_{V} \cdot \frac{0.6}{σ}

= 80.3 \cdot \frac{0.6}{2.05} = 23.5 m

23.5 m at 15.8 km

Turret turn time

180 degrees / 10 deg/s traverse speed = 18 s.

18 s

Shells/min

Zero upgrades: 8 broadside guns x 60 / 11 s base reload = 43.6. All upgrades (Main Battery Mod. 3 = -10% reload): 8 broadside guns x 60 / 10 s (9.9 s = 70 ticks) all-upgrades reload (11 s × 0.9 Main Battery Mod. 3 = 9.9 s) = 48.

Initial: 43.6 → 48

HE shells

HE alpha2,500

HE Velocity925 m/s

Fire Chance13%

HE fire DPM vs T8 BB46500

Effective HE DPM vs T8 BB155591

HE penetration

51 mm ≈ 203 mm caliber / 4 (improved HE penetration: German BBs, Yamato-class, and a handful of others).

51 mm

HE full-salvo alpha

2,500 HE damage x 8 broadside guns = 20,000.

20,000

HE DPM

Zero upgrades: 20,000 HE full-salvo alpha x 60 / 11 s base reload = 109,091. All upgrades (Main Battery Mod. 3 = -10% reload): 20,000 HE full-salvo alpha x 60 / 10 s (9.9 s = 70 ticks) all-upgrades reload (11 s × 0.9 Main Battery Mod. 3 = 9.9 s) = 120,000.

Initial: 109,091 → 120,000

Fires/min

Zero upgrades: 43.6 shells/min × 0.13 (13% fire chance) = 5.67. All upgrades (Main Battery Mod. 3 = -10% reload): 48 shells/min × 0.13 (13% fire chance) = 6.24.

Initial: 5.67 → 6.24

AP shells

AP alpha6,100

AP Velocity925 m/s

Min Ricochet55 deg

Guaranteed Ricochet65 deg

Fuse Timer0.025 s

Fuse Threshold34 mm

AP pen max range207 mm

AP overmatch

floor(203 mm caliber / 14.3) = 14 mm (AP auto-penetrates plating this thick or less).

14 mm

AP Pen Close

AP formula evaluated at muzzle velocity:

P = 10^{- 7} \cdot K \cdot m^{0.69} \cdot d^{- 1.07} \cdot v_{0}^{1.38}

= 10^{- 7} \cdot 2559 \cdot {130.8}^{0.69} \cdot {0.203}^{- 1.07} \cdot 925^{1.38} = 504.4 mm

504.4 mm point-blank

AP Pen Far

Same formula at the ship's max firing range (15.8 km), where the shell has slowed to 484.7 m/s:

P = 10^{- 7} \cdot 2559 \cdot {130.8}^{0.69} \cdot {0.203}^{- 1.07} \cdot {484.7}^{1.38} = 206.8 mm

206.8 mm at 15.8 km

AP full-salvo alpha

6,100 AP damage x 8 broadside guns = 48,800.

48,800

AP DPM

Zero upgrades: 48,800 AP full-salvo alpha x 60 / 11 s base reload = 266,182. All upgrades (Main Battery Mod. 3 = -10% reload): 48,800 AP full-salvo alpha x 60 / 10 s (9.9 s = 70 ticks) all-upgrades reload (11 s × 0.9 Main Battery Mod. 3 = 9.9 s) = 292,800.

Initial: 266,182 → 292,800

AP AOE Radius

AP 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.

Torpedoes

ModuleTorpedoes: 533 mm Drilling

Launchers / tubes4 launchers × 3 tubes = 12 tubes

Reload time80 s

Projectile speed60.0 kt

Range8 km

Maximum simulated damage

Most targets only intersect one hull section, so a hit transfers about 1/3 of the warhead alpha (2/3 when the warhead blast >= 5000 and the burst reaches a second section). For this ship:

D_{sim} = α \cdot c = 38, 100 \cdot 0.333 = 12, 700

. In battle, a hit on the torpedo belt deals the per-hit figure × (1 − the target's torpedo protection %), a bow or stern hit deals it in full, and a torpedo never counts as a citadel hit.

≈ 12,700

Maximum damage (ammunition)

38,100 warhead alpha / 3 + 1,000 blast = 13,700. Warhead alpha / 3 plus the blast addend: the per-torpedo damage figure. The 'Maximum simulated damage' row above applies target geometry to the same warhead.

13,700

Torpedo module damage

Per-torpedo module/blast damage parameter. Most torpedoes carry 500 to 2,000; ships announced by WG as dealing increased module damage carry 9,000 to 12,000, so their hits knock out engines, rudders, and turrets far more often. Comparative figure.

1,000

Torpedo detectability1.3 km

Reaction time

How long a target has to dodge after your torpedo is spotted at its detectability range (lower means less warning):

t_{react} = \frac{1.3 km}{60 kt \times 2.6855} = 8.1 s

. 2.6855 converts knots to m/s on the game clock. Base value; commander torpedo-concealment skills lower it further.

8.1 s

Flooding chance

This torpedo carries a flooding-chance value of 2.27 per hit, shown as

2.27 \times 100 = 227 %

. Values above 100% are normal: in battle the base chance is scaled down by the target's torpedo protection (the Torp Reduction stat on its Survivability card) and any flood-resistance modifiers, so a value above 100% keeps flooding likely even through partial protection.

227%

Torpedo launcher traverse25 °/s

Launch arcswing 142° (one launcher per beam)

Torp Turn

Time to rotate the launchers 180 deg:

t_{turn} = \frac{180 °}{25 ° / s} = 7.2 s

7.2 s

Torp Arming191 m

Per-side salvo damage

One side firing, all torpedoes hitting: per-side tubes x per-torpedo simulated damage = 6 x 12,700 = 76,200. Each hit on the target's torpedo belt is reduced by its torpedo protection %.

76,200

AA Defense

AA mount points14

Maximum AA range

Longest-reaching family on the in-game AA card. Base AirDefense aura max range is 3.5 km; dual-purpose mount auras extend it.

4.5 km

37 mm Flakzwilling 306×2 37mm

20 mm Flak 388×1 20mm

105 mm L/65 Dop. L. C/31 (DP)

Dual-purpose: your secondaries doing double duty against aircraft. The same mounts appear on the Secondary Battery card - shared guns, not extra hardware.

6×2 105mm

Guns105 mm L/65 Dop. L. C/31 (DP)

Continuous DPS

Effective 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 129 from dual-purpose secondaries firing as AA in this range band.

129

Range4.5 km

Guns37 mm Flakzwilling 30

Continuous DPS

Effective DPS: 9 raw aura damage × 3.5 × 0.9 hit probability = 28 - the same in-game units as the Close-range AA DPS headline.

Range3.5 km

Total DPS in Aura

Far 129 + Medium 28 = 157

157

Guns20 mm Flak 38

Continuous DPS

Effective DPS: 17 raw aura damage × 3.5 × 0.85 hit probability = 51 - the same in-game units as the Close-range AA DPS headline.

Range2 km

Total DPS in Aura

Far 129 + Medium 28 + Near 51 = 208

208

AA explosions

Each ~2 s salvo fires 2 AA explosions in quick succession, each leaving 4 clouds ahead of the attacking squadron, plus 1 stray cloud farther out that appear off-beat between salvos - up to 9 clouds per salvo × 220 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, 4 clouds each + 1 outer cloud

Cloud damage

Damage a plane takes for flying into one flak cloud, before any reductions.

220

Cloud spawn chance

Each 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.

90%

Salvo interval

A new flak salvo (the AA explosions above) fires roughly every 2 s.

every ~2 s

Fired by

Flak 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

The 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 4.5 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.

2.5-4.5 km

See the AA layers diagram ↓

Secondary Battery

Mounts6

Firing range5.0 km

Shell Grouping (σ)1

Secondary DPM (per side)

Sum 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: 6×2 105 mm (6/side) × 60/3.429 s (3.35 s = 24 ticks) × 1200 = 126,000. Assumes every shell hits (real hit rate is lower; the Brawl matchup tool on the Compare page folds in dispersion + target armor).

126,000

Secondary fire DPM vs T8 BB (per side)

Fires/min (per side) 5.2 × (1 − 0.4 fire resistance) × 60 s × 0.003 of max HP per second × 75,900 HP = 43,035. 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.

43,035

Total secondary DPM vs T8 BB (per side)

Secondary DPM (per side) 126,000 + secondary fire DPM 43,035 = 169,035: shell damage plus fire damage against one T8 battleship, every shell hitting.

169,035

105 mm L/65 Dop. L. C/31 (DP)

Dual-purpose: the same mounts also fire at aircraft, so they appear on the AA Defense card too - shared guns, not extra hardware.

6×2 105mm

Caliber105 mm

Reload time3.35 s

HE alpha1,200

Muzzle Velocity900 m/s

Fire Chance5%

Secondary fires/min (per side)

6×2 barrels / 2 sides × 60 / 3.429 s (3.35 s = 24 ticks) × 0.05 (5% fire chance) = 5.2. 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.

5.2

HE Pen20 mm

Secondary dispersion type

Max 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

5 km × 57 + 30 = 315 m.

315 m

Maneuverability

Engine power131,820 hp

Maximum speed32.8 kt

Turning circle radius740 m

Rudder shift time8.3 s

Engine power-boost threshold7.0 kt

Engine spool-up time15.3 s

Reverse spool-up time7.7 s

Reverse speed

top speed / 4 + 4.9 = 32.8 / 4 + 4.9 = 13.1 kt. Base value; speed modifiers scale it.

13.1 kt

Crash stop

Seconds 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.

28.6 s

Engine boost threshold (reverse)

Speed below which the engine's built-in power boost applies in reverse.

11.7 kt

Acceleration 0-90%

Time to reach 90% of top speed (29.5 kt of 32.8 kt).

25.2 s

Acceleration 0-99%

Time to reach 99% of top speed (32.5 kt of 32.8 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.

40.3 s

Guns in a full turn

With the rudder hard over the hull turns 5.5°/s, so a target drifts across the bow at that rate. Turret traverse minus hull turn: 10 − 5.5 = +4.5°/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 (+4.5°/s spare)

See the full acceleration curve ↓

Concealment

Detectability by sea

Base value, no camouflage. With a Grade IV permanent camo (or any disposable camo): 13.04 km x 0.955 = 12.45 km. Camouflage does not change detectability by air.

13.04 km

With Grade IV camouflage (sea)

Detectability by sea 13.04 km x 0.955 (Grade IV permanent camo or any disposable camo) = 12.45 km.

12.45 km

Detectability by air7.83 km

Smoke firing penalty7.67 km

Detect when firing (sea)

max(main battery range, sea detectability 13.04 km) = 15.85 km. Equal to the ship's main battery range (never below base detectability): firing makes you visible to everyone you can reach.

15.85 km

Detect when firing (air)

Air detectability 7.83 km + gun-firing bloom 4.06 km = 11.89 km. The bloom tracks main-battery caliber 203 mm × 0.020 = 4.06 km.

11.89 km

Detect when on fire (sea)

Sea detectability 13.04 km + 2.0 km while burning = 15.04 km.

15.04 km

Detect when on fire (air)

Air detectability 7.83 km + 3.0 km while burning = 10.83 km.

10.83 km

Guaranteed Detect2 km

✦

Consumables

Damage Control Party∞ charges · 60 s reload · 5 s active

Choose one

Sonar2 charges · 180 s reload · 118 s active · 5.58 km ship detect
ƒ
Derived from the consumable's 30 m grid-unit range (km = grid units x 30 / 1000): $\frac{186 \times 30}{1000} = 5.58 km$
· 3.84 km torpedo detect
ƒ
Derived from the consumable's 30 m grid-unit range (km = grid units x 30 / 1000): $\frac{128 \times 30}{1000} = 3.84 km$

Defensive AA Fire3 charges · 140 s reload · 25 s active · ×2 flak burst boost
ƒ
Repeats the flak burst pattern ×2 within each salvo - more clouds in the air over the salvo, at the same spots.

Repair Party2 charges · 80 s reload · 28 s active · 6,650 HP (14% of max HP) total heal (per charge)
ƒ
0.005 of max HP per second (0.5%) × 28 s effective active time = 0.14 of max HP × 47,500 HP = 6,650 HP: up to 14% of max HP restored per charge.
· 13,300 HP (28% of max HP) total heal (all charges)
ƒ
0.14 of max HP per charge × 2 charges = 0.28 × 47,500 HP = 13,300 HP: up to 28% of max HP if the whole Repair Party loadout is used.
· 238 HP/s (0.5% of max HP) heal per second
ƒ
0.005 (0.5% of max HP) × 47,500 HP = 238 HP/s. WoWS heals a flat percent of MAX HP each second, so this rate holds at any health level.

Choose one

Engine Boost2 charges · 90 s reload · 180 s active · +15% speed bonus

Catapult Fighter5 charges · 80 s reload · 60 s active · 5 km patrol radius
ƒ
Derived from the consumable's 30 m grid-unit range (km = grid units x 30 / 1000): $\frac{167 \times 30}{1000} = 5 km$
· 1 squadron size

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 cruiser6% tighter H · 6% shorter V

H = horizontal, V = vertical spread. This ship's curve against the standard cruiser curve, both evaluated at this ship's max range (15.8 km) with the same model as Max Horiz/Vert Disp: horizontal 134 / 142 m − 1 = -6%, vertical 80 / 85 m − 1 = -6%. Shell grouping (σ) is separate: it sets how shells bunch toward the centre of this ellipse.

Shell scatter width @ 5 km52.5 m

(166.7 × (8 − 0.5) / 1000 + 0.5) × 30 = 52.5 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 km90 m

(333.3 × (8 − 0.5) / 1000 + 0.5) × 30 = 90 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 km127.5 m

(500 × (8 − 0.5) / 1000 + 0.5) × 30 = 127.5 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 km20.4 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  $delim \cdot R_{m a x} = 0.5 \cdot 15845 = 7922$  m, and  $radiusOnMax = 0.6$  at 15845 m. Below the kink:  $k = 0.2 + (0.5 - 0.2) \cdot \frac{5000}{7922} = 0.3893$ , so  $σ_{V} = σ_{H} \cdot k = 52.5 \cdot 0.3893 = 20.4 m$ .

Shell scatter height @ 10 km47.4 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  $delim \cdot R_{m a x} = 0.5 \cdot 15845 = 7922$  m, and  $radiusOnMax = 0.6$  at 15845 m. Above the kink:  $k = 0.5 + (0.6 - 0.5) \cdot \frac{10000 - 7922}{15845 - 7922} = 0.5262$ , so  $σ_{V} = σ_{H} \cdot k = 90 \cdot 0.5262 = 47.4 m$ .

Shell scatter height @ 15 km75.1 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  $delim \cdot R_{m a x} = 0.5 \cdot 15845 = 7922$  m, and  $radiusOnMax = 0.6$  at 15845 m. Above the kink:  $k = 0.5 + (0.6 - 0.5) \cdot \frac{15000 - 7922}{15845 - 7922} = 0.5893$ , so  $σ_{V} = σ_{H} \cdot k = 127.5 \cdot 0.5893 = 75.1 m$ .

AP pen 5 km374 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  $P = 10^{- 7} \cdot K \cdot m^{0.69} \cdot d^{- 1.07} \cdot v^{1.38}$   $= 10^{- 7} \cdot 2559 \cdot {130.8}^{0.69} \cdot {0.203}^{- 1.07} \cdot {744.8}^{1.38} = 374 mm$ , where 744.8 m/s is the shell's speed when it arrives at 5 km (from 925 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 km280 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  $P = 10^{- 7} \cdot K \cdot m^{0.69} \cdot d^{- 1.07} \cdot v^{1.38}$   $= 10^{- 7} \cdot 2559 \cdot {130.8}^{0.69} \cdot {0.203}^{- 1.07} \cdot {603.6}^{1.38} = 280 mm$ , where 603.6 m/s is the shell's speed when it arrives at 10 km (from 925 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 km215 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  $P = 10^{- 7} \cdot K \cdot m^{0.69} \cdot d^{- 1.07} \cdot v^{1.38}$   $= 10^{- 7} \cdot 2559 \cdot {130.8}^{0.69} \cdot {0.203}^{- 1.07} \cdot {499.4}^{1.38} = 215 mm$ , where 499.4 m/s is the shell's speed when it arrives at 15 km (from 925 m/s at the muzzle). Fixed anchors make ships directly comparable at the same fighting distance; the Charts card plots the full curve.

HE flight time @ 10 km4.89 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,  $a_{drag} = k ρ v^{2}$ , where  $ρ$  is air density from a standard-atmosphere profile and  $k$  bundles the shell's drag coefficient, caliber and mass:  $k = \frac{π C_{d} d^{2}}{8 m} = \frac{π \cdot 0.2674 \cdot {0.203}^{2}}{8 \cdot 122} = 3.55 \times 10^{- 5}$ . That runs from a 925 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.

AP flight time @ 10 km4.89 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,  $a_{drag} = k ρ v^{2}$ , where  $ρ$  is air density from a standard-atmosphere profile and  $k$  bundles the shell's drag coefficient, caliber and mass:  $k = \frac{π C_{d} d^{2}}{8 m} = \frac{π \cdot 0.2869 \cdot {0.203}^{2}}{8 \cdot 130.8} = 3.55 \times 10^{- 5}$ . That runs from a 925 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) - 0.251 in this case. Lets HE pen ~50mm armor instead of ~33mm. 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

4 mounts × 2 barrels = 8; all 8 bear on the broadside.

Model inputs

Krupp (AP)2,559

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 mass130.8 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 coefficient0.2869

Air drag on the AP shell in flight; lower keeps velocity, and with it penetration, at long range.

AP muzzle velocity925 m/s

Starting speed of the AP shell; penetration scales with velocity^1.38.

HE muzzle velocity925 m/s

Starting speed of the HE shell; sets its flight time and lead.

idealRadius8

Horizontal dispersion growth per idealDistance of range, in 30 m units; the slope of the scatter-width line.

minRadius0.5

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.

Torpedoes

Estimated torpedo reaction time8.1 s

1300 m / (60.0 kt × 2.6855) = 8.1 s. detectability / (speed kt x 2.6855 m/s per knot on the game clock).

Torpedo speed60.0 kt

Travel time to max range49.6 s

8000 m / (60.0 kt × 2.6855) = 49.6 s. range / (speed kt x 2.6855 m/s per knot on the game clock).

Tube count12

4 launchers × 3 tubes.

Per-side salvo6 torpedoes

12 wing tubes / 2 = 6: the launchers sit one per beam, so only half of them reach any one side. Each launcher reloads on its own, so she can fire one beam, turn, and fire the other without waiting.

Full-salvo damage152,400

All tubes hitting one target: tubes x per-torpedo simulated damage = 12 x 12,700 = 152,400. Each hit on the target's torpedo belt is reduced by its torpedo protection %.

AA defense

AA DPS at max range129

Only families that reach 4.5 km contribute at the outer edge of the AA bubble. In-game families: 37mm SKC 30 twin 6x2 -> 28 DPS @ 3.5 km; 20mm Flak 38 8x1 -> 51 DPS @ 2 km; 105 mm SKC 33 6x2 -> 129 DPS @ 4.5 km.

AA DPS layered by range129 DPS @ 4.5 km, 157 DPS @ 3.5 km, 208 DPS @ 2 km

@ 4.5 km: 129 from one family; @ 3.5 km: 28 + 129 = 157; @ 2 km: 28 + 51 + 129 = 208. 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-blank208

28 + 51 + 129 = 208 DPS: the sum of every family's average DPS, achievable only inside the closest-range family (2 km).

AA threat index780

28 × 3.5 + 51 × 2 + 129 × 4.5 = 780. 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 alpha1200

The only family (105 mm): 1200. Maximum HE damage per shell across secondary HE families. Best on this ship: 1200 from the 105 mm family.

Max HE fire chance5%

The only family (105 mm): 5%. Maximum per-shell fire chance across secondary HE families (before target fire resistance is applied). Best on this ship: 5% from the 105 mm family.

Max HE pen20 mm

The only family (105 mm): 20 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: 20 mm from the 105 mm family.

Open in Charting Tool

Ship Charts

Background

An Admiral Hipper-class heavy cruiser and the second ship in this series, Blücher was distinguished by powerful armament and quite an advanced fire control system for her time. In early April 1940, shortly after completing her sea trials, she played a key role in Operation Weserübung - the German invasion of Norway and Denmark. Serving as the flagship of the squadron tasked with capturing Oslo, the cruiser was sunk on April 9, 1940, while attacking Norwegian coastal fortifications.

Armor Beta

Hull HP 47,500, distributed across 5 hull zones, each with its own plate thicknesses, saturation cap, and pen thresholds.

Bow & stern27 mm

Overmatched by 74+ AP guns across the bracket. Can’t reliably bow-tank; gets bow-citadelled and overpenned.

Belt / citadel80 mm

Thin belt: battleship AP citadels straight through it broadside. Rely on angle, speed and concealment, never sit flat.

Farming16 mm

Superstructure and extremities take HE pens and AP overpens from nearly any gun: steady chip damage. Fire resistance 40%, fires burn 30s. Range-by-range in the Compare tool →

Section	Plates	HP cap	Threats	Tactic
Bow	27 mm primary (range 20–40 mm)	1,500 (3% of HP)	Overmatched by 406mm+ AP (Hawke, Iowa)Angle bounces 380mm27 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)	16 mm primary (range 16–105 mm)	35,600 (75% of HP)	Overmatched by 283mm+ AP (Scharnhorst '43, Schill)Angle bounces 203mm16 mm: HE pens from 127mm+	Largest HP pool. Citadel sits behind these plates; thinner deck and side plating absorb the rest.
Stern	27 mm primary (range 27–80 mm)	2,000 (4% of HP)	Overmatched by 406mm+ AP (Hawke, Iowa)Angle bounces 380mm27 mm: HE pens from 203mm+	Mirror of bow. Same fast saturation.
Citadel	80 mm primary (range 20–150 mm)	≈ 165,500 (effectively 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.
Superstructure	16 mm primary (range 16–150 mm)	3,600 (8% of HP)	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).
Secondary mount (105 mm mount)	separate HP pool, does not drain ship HP	800 per-mount HP	Destroyed at 0 HP	Per-mount HP for the heaviest secondary on this ship. A mount destroyed at 0 HP is out for the rest of the battle; DCP does not repair destroyed mounts. Smaller (lighter-caliber) secondaries typically share the same HP value.
AA mount (37 mm mount)	separate HP pool, does not drain ship HP	200 per-mount HP	Destroyed at 0 HP	Per-mount HP for the heaviest AA on this ship. An AA mount destroyed at 0 HP stops shooting down planes for the rest of the battle; DCP does not repair destroyed mounts. HE shells specifically target AA mounts since the small-caliber HP pool falls fast.
Rudder (module)	separate HP pool, does not drain ship HP	14,300 module HP	Incapacitated at 0 HP	When module HP reaches 0 the rudder locks at its current angle until DCP repairs it. Repair via Damage Control Party.

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.

Exteriors

Skins & permanent camouflages

Every custom exterior Blücher can equip.

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.

2026-02-24 · Through the Spy Glass Through the Spy Glass: Blücher Ship feature 2026-02-23 · Campaign breakdown Fire in the Fjords Campaign Breakdown Campaign reward 2026-02-19 · Patch notes March Update: Echoes at Sea Patch notes

Blücher

Blücher Community Stats

Blücher Community Stats

Blücher Community Stats

Playstyle

Overview

Positioning

Potato Avoidance

Signature Traits →

How to get Blücher

Builds

Karl von Müller

Cohort position

Peers in this cohort

Stats & specs

Under the hood

Main battery formulas

Model inputs

Torpedoes

AA defense

Secondary battery firepower

Ship Charts

Background

Armor Beta

Skins & permanent camouflages

Primary official WG sources

Signature Traits