GamingDiver / WoWs Legends Ships / Gouden Leeuw

World of Warships: Legends ship guide

Gouden Leeuw

Also called: 金狮 Beta

Netherlands · Tier ★ · CB Cruiser · Premium

Airstrike cruiserMain battery up front plus airstrike pressure on distant caps.

Playstyle

Hold 14-17 km from a contested cap with an island close enough to shadow back into, and bow toward the closest BB
Avoid: Launching airstrikes at maneuvering targets

Key characteristics

SonarDefensive AAExtra heal chargesHardened superstructureClose-range AP brickPattern widens fast with range

On this page

Community stats
Playstyle
How to get Gouden Leeuw
Builds
Cohort position
Stats and specs
Charts
Background
Armor
Balance history
Exteriors

Community Data

Gouden Leeuw Community Stats

Across 16,000+ Standard battles from 210+ players, Gouden Leeuw averages a 67% win rate, 109,000 damage and 1.2 kills per battle, and survives 52% of them.

Community Data

Gouden Leeuw Community Stats

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

Playstyle

Overview

Gouden Leeuw is the Legendary Dutch airstrike cruiser. The alt-armament fires a bomber line instead of torpedoes, so her damage profile is main battery up front plus airstrike pressure on distant caps. Sonar (5 km on ships and 3.5 km on torpedoes, 100 s active, 180 s reload, long uptime) lights up DDs and torpedoes inside its bubble, which lets her contest the cap edge without taking the spotting cycle. Standout traits: best Repair Party charges in Legendary CAs (3) and best superstructure armor in Legendary CAs (30 mm). WG's launch post called her concealment excellent, and it was: the 2026-07-30 patch pushed sea detection from 12.4 km to 13.78 km, dropping her from the upper quarter of her cohort to the lower. Plan around 13.78 km rather than the launch reputation.

Positioning

Hold 14-17 km from a contested cap with an island close enough to shadow back into, and bow toward the closest BB. The heavy bow plate lets you hold the angle against same-tier guns, which is the protection the citadel needs; the hull does not tank battleship volleys broadside even if it can absorb them bow-on. The big guns reach for full AP citadels at that distance.

Potato Avoidance

Launching airstrikes at maneuvering targets

The squadron's travel time is long enough that a healthy DD or cruiser with engine boost simply turns out of the cone. Reserve strikes for capping destroyers, island-huggers, and anyone already tying up with a teammate.

Signature Traits

Airstrike alt-armament

The alt-armament fires a bomber line in place of torpedoes. Rewards behind-cover positioning with the cap in range.

ELITE REPAIR PARTY ↗

Extra heal charges · 3 Repair
Fast heal cycle · 40 s

ELITE ARMOR ↗

Hardened superstructure · 30 mm
Heavy citadel belt · 250 mm
Heavy belt

Long-range sonar ↗

5 km Sonar ship-detection range, top decile of Legendary CAs. Lights DDs and torpedoes inside the bubble.

Close-range AP brick ↗

593.6 mm AP pen at 1.5 km, top decile of Legendary CAs. Citadels broadside cruisers up close.

Pattern widens fast with range ↗

Shell pattern widens about 11.4 m per km of range, bottom decile of Legendary CAs. Salvos spread more at any given distance than peers', so bracketing matters (this is range-normalized, so out-ranging peers does not count against her).

Acquisition

How to get Gouden Leeuw

Gouden Leeuw is the Legendary ship of the Airstrike Cruisers branch of the Netherlands Tech Tree. It is not researched in the tree: it is obtained by completing its Research Bureau project. Acquisition path: Research Bureau.

Research BureauComplete the Gouden Leeuw Research Bureau project, which follows the Airstrike Cruisers line.
Event currencyBought with Guldens, a time-limited event currency (Feb 2025).

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

Official WG availability sources

March Update: Thirst for Combat Event currency Start: 2025-02-27
- Throughout the update, you can earn Guldens—a special currency that can be spent on various items in the Store.
- These include the Orange Fleet chained bundles, which offer new Legendary Tier cruiser Gouden Leeuw in the final bundle, along with special Royal Netherlands Navy skins for the new cruisers.
Going Orange: Dutch Cruisers and Commanders Coming to Legends Event currency Start: 2025-02-28
- One more new ship, Legendary Tier cruiser Gouden Leeuw, will be available for Guldens—a special currency you can obtain from multiple sources.
January Update: Anchors Up! Bureau project Start: 2026-01-15
- Here she is—Dutch Legendary Tier cruiser Gouden Leeuw, available as a Bureau Project starting January 19!

Builds

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

Karel Doorman

Airstrike specialist

InspirationsCornelis van der Windt · Commander Worf

Doorman extends airstrike range, cruise speed, and plane HP via Bird's Eye View / Sea Wings / Iron Feathers so your bombers reach the target and survive AA. Cornelis van der Windt's Flame Storm trait adds bomb burning chance for more fire starts; Worf's Sky Attack trait raises damage on every projectile your aircraft drop. Treat the airstrike like a long-range torpedo: drop bombs across the path of a target rotating to cap or hiding behind an island, then use your main battery to punish whoever you've forced into the open.

Karel Doorman

Fire DoT cruiser

InspirationsJohan Furstner · Cornelis van der Windt

Same Doorman skill spine (airstrike range / cruise speed / plane HP). Furstner's Minister of the Navy trait raises fire damage from your cruiser's shells or bombs; Cornelis van der Windt's Flame Storm adds bomb burning chance on top. Each fire that lands does more DPS, and you start more of them. Pairs well with Burn It Down XXL on the main battery so HE salvos and airstrike bombs both leave heavier DoT.

Open in Build Tool →

Commanders frequently paired with this ship Karel Doorman Cornelis van der Windt Johan Furstner

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 Gouden Leeuw sits among Legendary CAs (20 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.

BestRepair charges3 (1 of 6 tied) Top 10%Citadel belt250 mm (2/21) Top 25%Main battery range16 km (6/21) Top 25%AA threat2,483 (5/21) Top 25%Flak damage per salvo (expected)3,276 (6/20) Top 25%Max armor250 mm (6/21) Bottom 25%Fires per minute6.48 (17/19) Bottom 25%Main dispersion182.4 m (18/21) WorstNo torpedoes (8 of 21 in cohort) WorstRepair heal rate0.5 %/s (1 of 10 tied)

See 40 mid-pack stats

Not standouts for Gouden Leeuw -- 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 points51,900 HP(11/21) Max speed33.5 kt(13/21) Concealment13.78 km(16/21) Smoke fire bloom9.98 km(15/21) Air detection8.27 km(16/21) Rudder shift12.7 s(15/21) Turning circle790 m(11/21) Main battery caliber283 mm(7/21) Main battery reload15 s(12/21) Sigma2.05(13/21) HE shell damage3,900(7/19) HE fire chance18%(9/19) HE DPM140,400(14/19) AP shell damage7,600(7/21) AP DPM273,600(13/21) Secondary DPM (per side)204,000(5/14) Secondary HE alpha1,700(8/13) Secondary fire chance7%(5/13) Secondary HE pen20 mm(9/13) AP velocity890 m/s(8/21) HE velocity890 m/s(7/19) Time to 90% speed27.2 s(16/21) Acceleration (0-12 kt)9.5 s(15/21) AP arming threshold47 mm(16/21) Engine power156,000 hp(11/21) Power / turn radius197.5 hp/m(9/21) Displacement27,600 t(15/21) Power-to-weight5.65 hp/t(16/21) AP pen at 10 km406 mm(7/21) Effective HE DPM (incl. fire)193,518(15/19) AA DPS636(7/21) AA range5.2 km(9/21) Bow armor25 mm(13/21) Stern armor25 mm(13/21) NormSecondary dispersion bracket57(11 of 14 tied at this value) NormAP fuse timer0.033 s(11 of 21 tied at this value) NormAP ricochet start45°(14 of 21 tied at this value) NormAP auto-bounce angle60°(14 of 21 tied at this value) NormTurn speed retained81%(18 of 21 tied at this value) NormSecondary range5 km(11 of 14 tied at this value)

Peers in this cohort

Compare Legendary Cruisers

Show all 20 peers

Stats & specs

Customize in the Build Tool →

Survivability

Hit Points51,900

Displacement27,600 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.

227.4 x 28 m

Armor range16–250 mm

Plate armor thicknesses16, 20, 25, 30, 40, 50, 80, 100, 150, 163, 200, 225, 250 mm

Armor material/layer entries57

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 × 51,900 HP = 4,671 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 × 51,900 HP = 5,190 HP on this ship.

0.25% of HP per second

Torp Reduction

1 − 0.27 hull torpedo-damage coefficient / 0.333 unprotected baseline = 19%. Reduces torpedo hit damage. It does not affect flooding: floods start as often and tick at the full rate.

19%

Magazine HP

Per-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.

26,000

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.

15,600

Effective HP

Base 51,900 HP plus everything Repair Party can restore: 0.005 of max HP per second (0.5%) × 28 s × 51,900 HP = 7,266 HP per charge, × 3 charges = 21,798 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.

73,698

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 × 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

Damage saturation pool for the casemate: penetrations here deal their normal share until twice this much penetration damage has landed on the section (2 × 8,100 = 16,200), 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.

8,100

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 × 38,900 = 77,800), 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.

38,900

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 × 2,500 = 5,000), 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 ×. 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.

2,500

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: 283 mm/54.5

Mounts / barrels3 mounts / 9 barrels

Reload time15 s

Firing range16 km

Turret traverse7.2 °/s

Turret armor360 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.

2x ±149°, ±146°

Guns to bear

180° − 146° (the most restricted aft-facing mount's arc) = 34° off bow; 180° − 149° (the most restricted forward-facing mount's arc) = 31° 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.

34° off bow / 31° off stern

See the firing-arcs diagram ↓

Shell Grouping (σ)2.05

Dispersion type

In practice: 27% wider (worse) horizontal dispersion and 27% more vertical spread at max range (16.0 km) than a standard cruiser: about 182 m wide × 109 m tall, against 143 m × 86 m. Also on this curve (56): Al Ägir, Alaska, Alaska B, Anhalt, BA Utnapishtim's Ship, Borodino, Brest, Carnot, Champagne, Cherbourg, Congress, Ägir and 44 more.

Improved battleship & large cruiser

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{16000}{30} \cdot \frac{10 - 1.6}{1000} + 1.6) \cdot 30 = 182.4 m

182.4 m at 16 km

Max Vert Disp

Vertical dispersion ellipse height at max range:

σ_{V} = σ_{H} \cdot radiusOnMax

= 182.4 \cdot 0.6 = 109.4 m

109.4 m at 16 km

Med Horiz Disp

50%-hit horizontal radius:

σ_{H, 50} = σ_{H} \cdot \frac{0.6}{σ}

= 182.4 \cdot \frac{0.6}{2.05} = 53.4 m

53.4 m at 16 km

Med Vert Disp

50%-hit vertical radius:

σ_{V, 50} = σ_{V} \cdot \frac{0.6}{σ}

= 109.4 \cdot \frac{0.6}{2.05} = 32 m

32 m at 16 km

Turret turn time

180 degrees / 7.2 deg/s traverse speed = 25 s.

25 s

Shells/min

Zero upgrades: 9 broadside guns x 60 / 15 s base reload = 36. All upgrades (Main Battery Mod. 3 = -10% reload): 9 broadside guns x 60 / 13.571 s (13.5 s = 95 ticks) all-upgrades reload (15 s × 0.9 Main Battery Mod. 3 = 13.5 s) = 39.8.

Initial: 36 → 39.8

HE shells

HE alpha3,900

HE Velocity890 m/s

Fire Chance18%

HE fire DPM vs T8 BB53118

Effective HE DPM vs T8 BB193518

HE penetration

47 mm ≈ 283 mm caliber / 6 (standard HE penetration ratio).

47 mm

HE full-salvo alpha

3,900 HE damage x 9 broadside guns = 35,100.

35,100

HE DPM

Zero upgrades: 35,100 HE full-salvo alpha x 60 / 15 s base reload = 140,400. All upgrades (Main Battery Mod. 3 = -10% reload): 35,100 HE full-salvo alpha x 60 / 13.571 s (13.5 s = 95 ticks) all-upgrades reload (15 s × 0.9 Main Battery Mod. 3 = 13.5 s) = 155,179.

Initial: 140,400 → 155,179

Fires/min

Zero upgrades: 36 shells/min × 0.18 (18% fire chance) = 6.48. All upgrades (Main Battery Mod. 3 = -10% reload): 39.8 shells/min × 0.18 (18% fire chance) = 7.16.

Initial: 6.48 → 7.16

AP shells

AP alpha7,600

AP Velocity890 m/s

Min Ricochet45 deg

Guaranteed Ricochet60 deg

Fuse Timer0.033 s

Fuse Threshold47 mm

AP pen max range320 mm

AP overmatch

floor(283 mm caliber / 14.3) = 19 mm (AP auto-penetrates plating this thick or less).

19 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 2562 \cdot 330^{0.69} \cdot {0.283}^{- 1.07} \cdot 890^{1.38} = 635.5 mm

635.5 mm point-blank

AP Pen Far

Same formula at the ship's max firing range (16 km), where the shell has slowed to 540.7 m/s:

P = 10^{- 7} \cdot 2562 \cdot 330^{0.69} \cdot {0.283}^{- 1.07} \cdot {540.7}^{1.38} = 319.5 mm

319.5 mm at 16 km

AP full-salvo alpha

7,600 AP damage x 9 broadside guns = 68,400.

68,400

AP DPM

Zero upgrades: 68,400 AP full-salvo alpha x 60 / 15 s base reload = 273,600. All upgrades (Main Battery Mod. 3 = -10% reload): 68,400 AP full-salvo alpha x 60 / 13.571 s (13.5 s = 95 ticks) all-upgrades reload (15 s × 0.9 Main Battery Mod. 3 = 13.5 s) = 302,400.

Initial: 273,600 → 302,400

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.

150

✈

Squadrons

Plane HP2,200

Plane max speed180 kn

Planes per strike4

OrdnanceHE bomb, 5,300 alpha

Fire chance29%

Bomb penetration37 mm

Bomb velocity300 m/s

Charges2

Range12.75 km

Reload105 s

Launch arc-124° to 124°

AA Defense

AA mount points12

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.

5.2 km

40 mm/70 SAK-40/L70-35012×1 40mm

120 mm/50 Model 1942 (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 120mm

Guns120 mm/50 Model 1942 (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 151 from dual-purpose secondaries firing as AA in this range band.

151

Range5.2 km

Guns40 mm/70 SAK-40/L70-350

Continuous DPS

Effective DPS: 154 raw aura damage × 3.5 × 0.9 hit probability = 485 - the same in-game units as the Close-range AA DPS headline.

485

Range3.5 km

Total DPS in Aura

Far 151 + Medium 485 = 636

636

AA explosions

Each ~2 s salvo fires 3 AA explosions in quick succession, each leaving 4 clouds ahead of the attacking squadron, plus 2 stray clouds farther out that appear off-beat between salvos - up to 14 clouds per salvo × 260 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.

3 per salvo, 4 clouds each + 2 outer clouds

Cloud damage

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

260

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 5.2 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.

2.5-5.2 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: 6×2 120 mm (6/side) × 60/3 s × 1700 = 204,000. Assumes every shell hits (real hit rate is lower; the Brawl matchup tool on the Compare page folds in dispersion + target armor).

204,000

Secondary fire DPM vs T8 BB (per side)

Fires/min (per side) 8.4 × (1 − 0.4 fire resistance) × 60 s × 0.003 of max HP per second × 75,900 HP = 68,856. 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.

68,856

Total secondary DPM vs T8 BB (per side)

Secondary DPM (per side) 204,000 + secondary fire DPM 68,856 = 272,856: shell damage plus fire damage against one T8 battleship, every shell hitting.

272,856

120 mm/50 Model 1942 (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 120mm

Caliber120 mm

Reload time3 s

HE alpha1,700

Muzzle Velocity850 m/s

Fire Chance7%

Secondary fires/min (per side)

6×2 barrels / 2 sides × 60 / 3 s × 0.07 (7% fire chance) = 8.4. 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.

8.4

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 power156,000 hp

Maximum speed33.5 kt

Turning circle radius790 m

Rudder shift time12.7 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 = 33.5 / 4 + 4.9 = 13.3 kt. Base value; speed modifiers scale it.

13.3 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.

31.8 s

Engine boost threshold (reverse)

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

11.2 kt

Acceleration 0-90%

Time to reach 90% of top speed (30.2 kt of 33.5 kt).

27.2 s

Acceleration 0-99%

Time to reach 99% of top speed (33.2 kt of 33.5 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.

44.2 s

Guns in a full turn

With the rudder hard over the hull turns 4.8°/s, so a target drifts across the bow at that rate. Turret traverse minus hull turn: 7.2 − 4.8 = +2.5°/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 (+2.5°/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): 13.78 km x 0.955 = 13.16 km. Camouflage does not change detectability by air.

13.78 km

With Grade IV camouflage (sea)

Detectability by sea 13.78 km x 0.955 (Grade IV permanent camo or any disposable camo) = 13.16 km.

13.16 km

Detectability by air8.27 km

Smoke firing penalty9.98 km

Detect when firing (sea)

max(main battery range, sea detectability 13.78 km) = 16 km. Equal to the ship's main battery range (never below base detectability): firing makes you visible to everyone you can reach.

16 km

Detect when firing (air)

Air detectability 8.27 km + gun-firing bloom 5.66 km = 13.93 km. The bloom tracks main-battery caliber 283 mm × 0.020 = 5.66 km.

13.93 km

Detect when on fire (sea)

Sea detectability 13.78 km + 2.0 km while burning = 15.78 km.

15.78 km

Detect when on fire (air)

Air detectability 8.27 km + 3.0 km while burning = 11.27 km.

11.27 km

Guaranteed Detect2 km

✦

Consumables

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

Sonar2 charges · 180 s reload · 100 s active · 5 km ship detect
ƒ
Derived from the consumable's 30 m grid-unit range (km = grid units x 30 / 1000): $\frac{167 \times 30}{1000} = 5 km$
· 3.5 km torpedo detect
ƒ
Derived from the consumable's 30 m grid-unit range (km = grid units x 30 / 1000): $\frac{117 \times 30}{1000} = 3.5 km$

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 Party3 charges · 40 s reload · 28 s active · 7,266 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 × 51,900 HP = 7,266 HP: up to 14% of max HP restored per charge.
· 21,798 HP (42% of max HP) total heal (all charges)
ƒ
0.14 of max HP per charge × 3 charges = 0.42 × 51,900 HP = 21,798 HP: up to 42% of max HP if the whole Repair Party loadout is used.
· 260 HP/s (0.5% of max HP) heal per second
ƒ
0.005 (0.5% of max HP) × 51,900 HP = 260 HP/s. WoWS heals a flat percent of MAX HP each second, so this rate holds at any health level.

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 cruiser27% wider H · 27% taller V

H = horizontal, V = vertical spread. This ship's curve against the standard cruiser curve, both evaluated at this ship's max range (16.0 km) with the same model as Max Horiz/Vert Disp: horizontal 182 / 143 m − 1 = +27%, vertical 109 / 86 m − 1 = +27%. Shell grouping (σ) is separate: it sets how shells bunch toward the centre of this ellipse.

Shell scatter width @ 5 km90 m

(166.7 × (10 − 1.6) / 1000 + 1.6) × 30 = 90 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 km132 m

(333.3 × (10 − 1.6) / 1000 + 1.6) × 30 = 132 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 km174 m

(500 × (10 − 1.6) / 1000 + 1.6) × 30 = 174 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 km34.9 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  $delim \cdot R_{m a x} = 0.5 \cdot 16000 = 8000$  m, and  $radiusOnMax = 0.6$  at 16000 m. Below the kink:  $k = 0.2 + (0.5 - 0.2) \cdot \frac{5000}{8000} = 0.3875$ , so  $σ_{V} = σ_{H} \cdot k = 90 \cdot 0.3875 = 34.9 m$ .

Shell scatter height @ 10 km69.3 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  $delim \cdot R_{m a x} = 0.5 \cdot 16000 = 8000$  m, and  $radiusOnMax = 0.6$  at 16000 m. Above the kink:  $k = 0.5 + (0.6 - 0.5) \cdot \frac{10000 - 8000}{16000 - 8000} = 0.525$ , so  $σ_{V} = σ_{H} \cdot k = 132 \cdot 0.525 = 69.3 m$ .

Shell scatter height @ 15 km102.2 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  $delim \cdot R_{m a x} = 0.5 \cdot 16000 = 8000$  m, and  $radiusOnMax = 0.6$  at 16000 m. Above the kink:  $k = 0.5 + (0.6 - 0.5) \cdot \frac{15000 - 8000}{16000 - 8000} = 0.5875$ , so  $σ_{V} = σ_{H} \cdot k = 174 \cdot 0.5875 = 102.2 m$ .

AP pen 5 km506 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  $P = 10^{- 7} \cdot K \cdot m^{0.69} \cdot d^{- 1.07} \cdot v^{1.38}$   $= 10^{- 7} \cdot 2562 \cdot 330^{0.69} \cdot {0.283}^{- 1.07} \cdot {754.7}^{1.38} = 506 mm$ , where 754.7 m/s is the shell's speed when it arrives at 5 km (from 890 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 km406 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  $P = 10^{- 7} \cdot K \cdot m^{0.69} \cdot d^{- 1.07} \cdot v^{1.38}$   $= 10^{- 7} \cdot 2562 \cdot 330^{0.69} \cdot {0.283}^{- 1.07} \cdot {643.5}^{1.38} = 406 mm$ , where 643.5 m/s is the shell's speed when it arrives at 10 km (from 890 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 km332 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  $P = 10^{- 7} \cdot K \cdot m^{0.69} \cdot d^{- 1.07} \cdot v^{1.38}$   $= 10^{- 7} \cdot 2562 \cdot 330^{0.69} \cdot {0.283}^{- 1.07} \cdot {555.8}^{1.38} = 332 mm$ , where 555.8 m/s is the shell's speed when it arrives at 15 km (from 890 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 km4.81 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:  $k = \frac{π C_{d} d^{2}}{8 m} = \frac{π \cdot 0.2827 \cdot {0.283}^{2}}{8 \cdot 330} = 2.69 \times 10^{- 5}$ . That runs from a 890 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 km4.85 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:  $k = \frac{π C_{d} d^{2}}{8 m} = \frac{π \cdot 0.2827 \cdot {0.283}^{2}}{8 \cdot 315} = 2.82 \times 10^{- 5}$ . That runs from a 890 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.

Guns per full salvo (alpha, DPM)9

3 mounts × 3 barrels = 9; all 9 bear on the broadside.

Model inputs

Krupp (AP)2,562

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 mass330 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 coefficient0.2827

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

AP muzzle velocity890 m/s

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

HE muzzle velocity890 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.

minRadius1.6

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 range151

Only families that reach 5.2 km contribute at the outer edge of the AA bubble. In-game families: Bofors 40mm70 SP48 12x1 -> 485 DPS @ 3.5 km; 120 50 Bofors M42 6x2 -> 151 DPS @ 5.2 km.

AA DPS layered by range151 DPS @ 5.2 km, 636 DPS @ 3.5 km

@ 5.2 km: 151 from one family; @ 3.5 km: 485 + 151 = 636. 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-blank636

485 + 151 = 636 DPS: the sum of every family's average DPS, achievable only inside the closest-range family (3.5 km).

AA threat index2483

485 × 3.5 + 151 × 5.2 = 2483. 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.

Secondary battery firepower

Max HE alpha1700

The only family (120 mm): 1700. Maximum HE damage per shell across secondary HE families. Best on this ship: 1700 from the 120 mm family.

Max HE fire chance7%

The only family (120 mm): 7%. Maximum per-shell fire chance across secondary HE families (before target fire resistance is applied). Best on this ship: 7% from the 120 mm family.

Max HE pen20 mm

The only family (120 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 120 mm family.

Open in Charting Tool

Ship Charts

Background

The ship is a version of the Project 1047 battlecruiser incorporating engineering solutions from the late 1940s. The initial design was created in 1939 and 1940 with the goal of developing a heavy combat unit for operations in the Dutch East Indies, where conflict with Japan was anticipated. The main battery was to comprise German 11.14-inch (283 mm) guns, but the ship project was never completed due to the German invasion of the Netherlands in May 1940.

Armor Beta

Hull HP 51,900, distributed across 5 hull zones, each with its own plate thicknesses, saturation cap, and pen thresholds.

Bow & stern25 mm

Overmatched by 54+ AP guns across the bracket. Can’t reliably bow-tank; gets bow-citadelled and overpenned.

Belt / citadel225 mm

AP can citadel a flat broadside even at range. Stay angled and avoid showing the full side.

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	25 mm primary (range 25–40 mm)	2,900 (6% of HP)	Overmatched by 380mm+ AP (Alsace, Bourgogne)Angle 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)	16 mm primary (range 16–250 mm)	38,900 (75% of HP)	Overmatched by 283mm+ AP (Gouden Leeuw)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	25 mm primary (range 25–100 mm)	2,000 (4% of HP)	Overmatched by 380mm+ AP (Alsace, Bourgogne)Angle bounces 356mm25 mm: HE pens from 150mm+	Mirror of bow. Same fast saturation.
Citadel	225 mm primary (range 30–250 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	30 mm primary (range 30–150 mm)	2,500 (5% 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	26,000 magazine HP	Turret knocked out	Per-turret powder-magazine HP, a separate pool that does not drain ship HP. As it is worn down the turret is likelier to be knocked out, and a smaller pool gets there faster.
Secondary mount (120 mm mount)	separate HP pool, does not drain ship HP	1,200 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 (40 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	15,600 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.

Balance History

Balance updates affecting Gouden Leeuw. Cards are condensed; use each source link for full context.

Nerf ×10Airstrike ×4Main Battery ×1Concealment ×3

2026-07-30

Ministry of Balance: Anniversary Tune-Up

Airstrike range reduced from 13 to 12.75 km.
Airstrike reload time increased from 95 to 105 seconds.
Airstrike accuracy reduced from 66.6% to 50%.
Airstrike bomb damage reduced from 6,500 to 5,300.
HE bomb fire-starting chances reduced from 39% to 29%.
Main battery HE shell fire-starting chances reduced from 20% to 18%.
Detectability range by sea increased from 12.4 to 13.78 km.
Detectability range by air increased from 7.4 to 8.27 km.
Detectability range while firing in smoke increased from 8.9 to 9.98 km.
Gouden Leeuw: credit and XP earnings reduced by 10%.

Read the full official post

Exteriors

Skins & permanent camouflages

Every custom exterior Gouden Leeuw can equip.

DefaultThe ship’s standard exterior
Royal Netherlands Navy (Gouden Leeuw)Decorative

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.

2025-02-27 · Patch notes March Update: Thirst for Combat Patch notes 2026-01-15 · Patch notes January Update: Anchors Up! Patch notes 2026-07-30 · Patch notes Anniversary Update: Tides of Adventure Patch notes

Gouden Leeuw

Gouden Leeuw Community Stats

Gouden Leeuw Community Stats

Gouden Leeuw Community Stats

Playstyle

Overview

Positioning

Potato Avoidance

Signature Traits →

How to get Gouden Leeuw

Builds

Karel Doorman

Karel Doorman

Cohort position

Peers in this cohort

Stats & specs

Under the hood

Main battery formulas

Model inputs

AA defense

Secondary battery firepower

Ship Charts

Background

Armor Beta

Balance History

Ministry of Balance: Anniversary Tune-Up

Skins & permanent camouflages

Primary official WG sources

Signature Traits