Gelderland Build & Guide | WoWs Legends

Playstyle

Overview

Gelderland is a Tier I Dutch cruiser - a tutorial-tier ship. The kit is for learning basic mechanics: movement, aiming, shell travel time, gun rotation, and reading the minimap. Match impact comes from making fewer mistakes than the other Tier I players, not from gear advantages. Notable: best turret traverse rate in T1 CAs (10) and best superstructure armor in T1 CAs (13 mm).

Positioning

Stay near your team; do not push ahead alone. At Tier I the goal is practicing the basics, so pick a teammate to follow and learn how to lead your shots while their ship is in your field of vision.

Potato Avoidance

Sailing in a straight line

Even Tier I players will lead a predictable target; learn to make small course changes between salvos to break enemy aim. This is the single highest-impact habit to build at this tier.

Signature Traits

Hardened superstructure

13.0 mm superstructure, best of T1 CAs. HE farms less.

Thick deck armor

125.0 mm armor deck, best of T1 CAs. Eats plunging fire and HE that peers don't.

High-arc AP shells

53.5° impact angle at max range, best of T1 CAs. Lobs over island cover.

High-arc HE shells

55.9° HE impact angle at max range, best of T1 CAs. Lobs over cover.

High HP pool

16600.0 HP, top decile of T1 CAs.

All-Weather

No stat falls into the cohort's bottom decile across T1 CAs. Stable baseline in every category, no glaring weakness to play around.

Acquisition

How to get Gelderland

Gelderland is available in the Gelderland branch of the Netherlands Tech Tree as an early line ship.

Show The Netherlands tech-tree branch diagram

Netherlands Tech Tree

Gelderland sits in the Gelderland branch. The highlighted path shows the local branch context inside the full Netherlands tree.

1 ships in highlighted branch · scroll to inspect all Netherlands lines.

NetherlandsIIIIIIIVVVIVIIVIII★

Cruiser

Tier ★Gouden LeeuwPHSC110 Tier VIIIJohan de WittPHSC109 Tier VIIHaarlemPHSC108 Tier VIEendrachtPHSC107 Tier VKijkduinPHSC106 Tier IVCelebesPHSC105 Tier IIIDe RuyterPHSC104 Tier IIJavaPHSC103 Tier IGelderlandPHSC102

Official WG availability sources

March Update: Thirst for Combat Store price varies 2025-02-27

Builds Beta

Use a The Netherlands cruiser commander focused on reload, range, agility, and survivability. Inspirations that improve dispersion, rudder/steering, concealment, or damage consistency fit the safe mid-range cruiser plan.

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Cohort position

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Where Gelderland sits among Tier I CAs (13 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.

BestDeck armor125 mm (1/13) Top 10%Concealment7.81 km (2/13) Top 25%Hit points16,600 HP (3/13) Top 25%Air detection4.69 km (3/13) Top 25%Main battery range10.41 km (3/13) Top 25%Acceleration7 s (4/13) Top 25%AA threat248 (3/13) Top 25%Max armor125 mm (3/13) Bottom 25%Max speed20 kt (11/13) Bottom 25%Main dispersion86 m (11/13) Bottom 25%Power-to-weight2.48 hp/t (11/13) WorstAP DPM83,333 (3/3)

See 20 mid-pack stats

Not standouts for Gelderland -- 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.

Rudder shift6.2 s(7/13) Traverse-to-turn ratio5.6 ×(9/13) Main battery caliber120 mm(9/13) Main battery reload7.2 s(8/13) HE shell damage1,700(7/12) HE fire chance7%(7/12) Fires per minute2.92(8/12) HE DPM70,833(7/12) AP velocity820 m/s(2/3) HE velocity820 m/s(8/12) AP fuse timer0.01 s(2/3) AP arming threshold20 mm(2/3) Engine power10,000 hp(9/13) Turn-speed retention30.3 hp/m(9/13) Displacement4,033 t(6/13) Citadel belt20 mm(10/13) Bow armor25 mm(5/13) Stern armor13 mm(7/13) NormAP ricochet start45°(2 of 3 tied at this value) NormAP auto-bounce angle60°(2 of 3 tied at this value)

Peers in this cohort

Show all 12 peers

Stats & specs

Customize in the Build Tool →Shell ballistics chart More tools in the WoWS Legends Data Lab

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

Survivability

Hit Points16,600

Displacement4,033 t

Armor range6–125 mm

Plate armor thicknesses6, 10, 13, 20, 25, 50, 51, 102, 125 mm

Armor material/layer entries38

Fire resistance0%

Fire duration30 s

Torp Reduction4%

Magazine HP

ƒ

The magazine is the module a detonation comes from. Penetrating hits to it raise the detonation chance from 1% toward 30% as its HP is worn down, so a larger magazine pool rides out citadel hits longer before a detonation becomes likely.

8,300

Steering gear HP

ƒ

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.

5,000

Main Battery

ModuleArtillery: 120 mm/40 Krupp №3

Mounts / barrels8 mounts / 8 barrels

Reload time8 s

Firing range (base)9.5 km

Firing range (top fire control)10.4 km

Turret traverse10 °/s

Shell Grouping (σ)

ƒ

Shell grouping (sigma); shown in-game as Shell Grouping.

2

Max Horiz Disp

ƒ

Horizontal dispersion ellipse width at max range. (R/30·(idealRadius−minRadius)/idealDistance + minRadius)·30 = (9460/30·(8−0.5)/1000 + 0.5)·30 = 86 m

86 m

Max Vert Disp

ƒ

Vertical dispersion ellipse height at max range = max horizontal × radiusOnMax = 86 × 0.6 = 51.6 m

51.6 m

Med Horiz Disp

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50%-hit horizontal radius = max horizontal × GetHalfHitsRatio(σ) = 86 × 0.32 (σ=2) = 27.5 m

27.5 m

Med Vert Disp

ƒ

50%-hit vertical radius = max vertical × GetHalfHitsRatio(σ) = 51.6 × 0.32 (σ=2) = 16.5 m

16.5 m

Turret turn time

ƒ

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

18 s

Base shells/min

ƒ

5 broadside guns x 60 / 8 s base reload = 37.5.

37.5

HE shells

HE Damage1,700

HE Velocity820 m/s

Fire Chance7%

HE penetration

ƒ

20 mm ≈ 120 mm caliber / 6 (standard HE penetration ratio).

20 mm

HE full-salvo alpha

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1,700 HE damage x 5 broadside guns = 8,500.

8,500

Base HE DPM

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8,500 HE full-salvo alpha x 60 / 8 s base reload = 63,750.

63,750

Base fires/min

ƒ

5 HE shells x 60 / 8 s reload x 7% fire chance = 2.62.

2.62

AP shells

AP Damage2,000

AP Velocity820 m/s

Min Ricochet45 deg

Guaranteed Ricochet60 deg

Fuse Timer0.01 s

Fuse Threshold20 mm

AP overmatch

ƒ

floor(120 mm caliber / 14.3) = 8 mm (AP auto-penetrates plating this thick or less).

8 mm

AP Pen Close

ƒ

Canonical community AP formula (jcw780/wows_shell), evaluated at muzzle velocity: 1e-7 × Krupp × mass^0.69 × caliber_m^-1.07 × v0^1.38 = 1e-7 × 2000 × 21^0.69 × 0.12^-1.07 × 820^1.38 = 165.8 mm. Matches the in-game spec card.

165.8 mm

AP Pen Far

ƒ

Same formula at the ship's max firing range (13 km), where the shell has slowed to 225 m/s: 1e-7 × 2000 × 21^0.69 × 0.12^-1.07 × 225^1.38 = 27.8 mm.

27.8 mm

AP full-salvo alpha

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2,000 AP damage x 5 broadside guns = 10,000.

10,000

Base AP DPM

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10,000 AP full-salvo alpha x 60 / 8 s base reload = 75,000.

75,000

AP AOE Radius

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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.

5

AA Defense

AA mount points11

Close-range AA DPS

ƒ

Sum across every AA aura on this ship of (aura.continuous_damage x 3.5 x aura.hit_probability). Here: (10×3.5×0.85) + (61×3.5×0.85) = 211. Covers AA-only mounts plus dual-purpose secondaries (Bismarck 105mm, USN 5"/38 cruiser secondaries) and dual-purpose main batteries (Sumner-class 5"/38, Akizuki-line 100mm). Formula validated against in-game captures on California, Sumner, Manfred von Richthofen, Dante Alighieri (exact) and within +/-17% on the remaining verified ships.

211

Maximum AA range

ƒ

Longest-reaching aura across AA-only + dual-purpose auras.

1.2 km

12.7 mm Browning M19218×1 13mm

7.92 mm Schwarzlose3×1 8mm

DPS61

Range1.2 km

DPS10

Range1 km

Total DPS in Aura

ƒ

Outer Near 61 + Inner Near 10 = 71

71

Maneuverability

Engine moduleEngine: 10,000 hp

Engine power10,000 hp

Maximum speed20 kt

Turning circle radius330 m

Engine power multiplier speed threshold7 kt

Traverse-to-turn ratio5.6× slow

Concealment

Detectability by sea7.81 km

Detectability by air4.69 km

Smoke firing penalty2.81 km

Detect after firing main guns7.81 km

Detect Fire Sea9.81 km

Detect Fire Air7.69 km

Guaranteed Detect2 km

✦

Consumables

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

Module options (1)

Stats above use the fully-upgraded modules. These are the research-tree alternatives; trade-offs are flagged.

Fire controlUpgrade

Main battery range9,460 → 10,406 m

See all derived stats

Show ▾

Numbers the spec table cannot show directly: alpha-strike math, DPM, dispersion, AP penetration. Click the formula chip on any row to reveal how it is calculated.

Main battery formulas

Shell Grouping (σ)2

Shell grouping (sigma); shown in-game as Shell Grouping.

Max Horiz Disp86 m

Horizontal dispersion ellipse width at max range. (R/30·(idealRadius−minRadius)/idealDistance + minRadius)·30 = (9460/30·(8−0.5)/1000 + 0.5)·30 = 86 m

Max Vert Disp51.6 m

Vertical dispersion ellipse height at max range = max horizontal × radiusOnMax = 86 × 0.6 = 51.6 m

Med Horiz Disp27.5 m

50%-hit horizontal radius = max horizontal × GetHalfHitsRatio(σ) = 86 × 0.32 (σ=2) = 27.5 m

Med Vert Disp16.5 m

50%-hit vertical radius = max vertical × GetHalfHitsRatio(σ) = 51.6 × 0.32 (σ=2) = 16.5 m

Dispersion familyCruiser Disp.

Standard cruiser dispersion baseline.

AP Pen Close165.8 mm

Canonical community AP formula (jcw780/wows_shell), evaluated at muzzle velocity: 1e-7 × Krupp × mass^0.69 × caliber_m^-1.07 × v0^1.38 = 1e-7 × 2000 × 21^0.69 × 0.12^-1.07 × 820^1.38 = 165.8 mm. Matches the in-game spec card.

AP Pen Far27.8 mm

Same formula at the ship's max firing range (13 km), where the shell has slowed to 225 m/s: 1e-7 × 2000 × 21^0.69 × 0.12^-1.07 × 225^1.38 = 27.8 mm.

HE penetration20 mm

20 mm ≈ 120 mm caliber / 6 (standard HE penetration ratio).

AP overmatch8 mm

floor(120 mm caliber / 14.3) = 8 mm (AP auto-penetrates plating this thick or less).

AP AOE Radius5

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.

Broadside guns used for alpha5

Barrels that can bear on one beam (5 of 8); casemate/wing mounts only fire one side.

Turret turn time18 s

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

HE full-salvo alpha8,500

1,700 HE damage x 5 broadside guns = 8,500.

AP full-salvo alpha10,000

2,000 AP damage x 5 broadside guns = 10,000.

Base HE DPM63,750

8,500 HE full-salvo alpha x 60 / 8 s base reload = 63,750.

Base AP DPM75,000

10,000 AP full-salvo alpha x 60 / 8 s base reload = 75,000.

Base shells/min37.5

5 broadside guns x 60 / 8 s base reload = 37.5.

Base fires/min2.62

5 HE shells x 60 / 8 s reload x 7% fire chance = 2.62.

AA defense

Close-range AA DPS211

Sum across every AA aura on this ship of (aura.continuous_damage x 3.5 x aura.hit_probability). Here: (10×3.5×0.85) + (61×3.5×0.85) = 211. Covers AA-only mounts plus dual-purpose secondaries (Bismarck 105mm, USN 5"/38 cruiser secondaries) and dual-purpose main batteries (Sumner-class 5"/38, Akizuki-line 100mm). Formula validated against in-game captures on California, Sumner, Manfred von Richthofen, Dante Alighieri (exact) and within +/-17% on the remaining verified ships.

Maximum AA range1.2 km

Longest-reaching aura across AA-only + dual-purpose auras.

AA threat index248

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 range1.2 km

Armor

Hull HP 16,600, distributed across 5 hull zones, each with its own plate thicknesses, saturation cap, and pen thresholds. HP caps are the exact in-game values, not estimated.

Section	Plates	HP cap	Threats	Tactic
Bow	25 mm primary (range 6–25 mm)	1,100 (7% of HP)	Overmatch not possible at T IIAngle bounces 356mm25 mm: HE pens from 150mm+	Bow-tank fits behind this exterior plate. Saturation is FAST here; the cap is often only a few thousand HP.
Hull (midship)	13 mm	12,500 (75% of HP)	Overmatched by 203mm+ (Furutaka)Angle bounces 152mm13 mm: HE pens from 127mm+	Largest HP pool. Citadel sits behind these plates; thinner deck and side plating absorb the rest.
Stern	13 mm primary (range 6–50 mm)	1,200 (7% of HP)	Overmatched by 203mm+ (Furutaka)Angle bounces 152mm13 mm: HE pens from 127mm+	Mirror of bow. Same fast saturation.
Citadel	20 mm primary (range 6–20 mm)	≈ 165,500 (effectively no cap)	Citadel pen ×0.10 damageOver-pen: ×0.10 damage	Effectively no cap; citadel pool sits at ~165k HP on every ship. Damage is gated by pen/over-pen multipliers instead (×0.10 direct pen, ×0.10 over-pen).
Superstructure	13 mm primary (range 13–125 mm)	500 (3% 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).
Turret (module, per magazine)	separate HP pool, does not drain ship HP	8,300 magazine HP	Magazine detonation1–30% chance · below ~75% HP	Per-turret powder-magazine HP. Detonation chance scales from 1% (no mag damage) to 30% (full mag damage); this range is the in-game value. Detonation can't roll while the ship is above ~75% HP (the standard detonation-protection threshold, not a per-ship stat). Smaller magazines saturate to the 30% ceiling faster.
AA mount (13 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	5,000 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.

Shell ballistics chart

AP penetration, impact velocity, flight time and impact angle vs range. Click to load the interactive chart.

Exteriors

Skins & permanent camouflages

Every custom exterior Gelderland can equip, from in-game data.

DefaultThe ship’s standard exterior

Gelderland

Gelderland Community Stats