World of Warships: Legends ship guide

Karlsruhe

Also called: 卡尔斯鲁厄 Beta
AP citadel cruiserGuns earn citadels on broadsides; Sonar contests islands and smoke without exposing the hull.
Playstyle
  • Work the islands rather than a firing line
  • Avoid: Pushing in blind because the kit says brawler
Key characteristics
Improved HE penHigh AP DPMLobs over islandsSonarSlowWeak AA
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Community Data

Karlsruhe Community Stats

Across 3,900+ Standard battles from 370+ players, Karlsruhe averages a 54% win rate, 21,900 damage and 0.8 kills per battle, and survives 26% of them.

Community Data

Karlsruhe Community Stats

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Playstyle

Overview

Karlsruhe is a Tier III German light cruiser whose 150mm guns earn citadels on broadsides at 168,913 AP DPM (1st of 12), with Sonar as her vision tool: it lets her contest islands and smoke without exposing the hull. 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: best heavy AP shells in T3 CAs (3,700, 1st of 12) and best Sonar ship range in T3 CAs (5 km, 1st of 10). The trade is AA DPS in T3 CAs (6, 12th of 12).

Positioning

Work the islands rather than a firing line. Sonar (5 km on ships, 3.5 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 4.7 km, so pick the salvo rather than holding the trigger. Your guns lose penetration at range, so aim AP at broadsides you can still citadel and put HE into superstructures and upper-hull sections, rather than the bow-in or belt armor your shells bounce and shatter on.

Potato Avoidance

Pushing in blind because the kit says brawler

5-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, unique in T3 CAs.

ELITE MAIN BATTERY ↗
  • Heavy AP shells · 3700 damage
  • AP DPM machine · 168913 AP
ELITE SONAR ↗
  • Long-range sonar · 5 km
  • Long-duration sonar · 110 s
  • Wide torpedo · 3.5 km
Thickest plate ↗

100 mm on her single heaviest plate, top decile of T3 CAs. Its thickest plate is beyond any HE or AP overmatch in the game, though that is one belt rather than the ship as a whole.

Weak AA ↗

6 AA DPS, bottom decile of T3 CAs. Aircraft chew through with impunity; lean on positioning over AA.

Slow for the class ↗

27.5 kt, bottom decile of T3 CAs. Hard to rotate flanks or disengage; commit positioning early.

Acquisition

How to get Karlsruhe

Karlsruhe is available in the Fire-Support Cruisers branch of the Germany Tech Tree for 85,000 credits after researching it in the branch. Known module upgrades cost up to 21,240 credits.

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

Show Germany tech-tree branch diagram
Official WG availability sources
  • Honoring the Battle of Jutland Sale Start: 2025-05-19
    • Until June 2, enjoy discounts on select Tech Tree ships:
    • 25% off German Tech Tree ships: Kaiser, Karlsruhe, Kolberg, König, V-25, V-170

Builds

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

Open in Build Tool →

Commanders frequently paired with this ship AL Graf SpeeAL HipperAL Roon

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

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Where Karlsruhe sits among Tier III CAs (11 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.

BestAP DPM168,913 (1/12) Top 25%Main dispersion120.1 m (4/12) Top 25%Max armor100 mm (3/12) Bottom 25%Stealth profile10.52 km / 6.31 km (10/12 / 10/12) Bottom 25%Smoke fire bloom4.72 km (11/12) Bottom 25%HE shell damage1,800 (10/11) Bottom 25%Engine power45,000 hp (10/12) Bottom 25%Power / turn radius76.3 hp/m (10/12) WorstMax speed27.5 kt (12/12) WorstSecondary HE alpha1,000 (4/4) WorstSecondary fire chance4% (4/4) WorstSecondary HE pen15 mm (4/4) WorstAP velocity835 m/s (12/12) WorstHE velocity835 m/s (11/11) WorstAcceleration (0-12 kt)9.8 s (12/12) WorstPower-to-weight6.01 hp/t (12/12) WorstAA DPS6 (12/12) WorstAA threat18 (12/12) WorstEnd plates10 mm (1 of 6 tied / 1 of 6 tied)
See 29 mid-pack stats

Not standouts for Karlsruhe -- 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 points22,700 HP(9/12) Rudder shift6.9 s(7/12) Turning circle590 m(7/12) Main battery caliber150 mm(7/12) Main battery range12.63 km(9/12) Main battery reload6.5 s(5/12) HE fire chance10%(7/11) Fires per minute4.57(6/11) HE DPM82,174(9/11) Secondary DPM (per side)22,500(3/4) Time to 90% speed23.1 s(8/12) AP arming threshold25 mm(9/12) Displacement7,486 t(5/12) AP pen at 10 km60 mm(9/12) Effective HE DPM (incl. fire)112,158(9/11) Secondary range3.5 km(3/4) AA range3 km(9/12) Flak damage per salvo (expected)198(5/7) Torpedo range6 km(7/11) Torpedo damage≈10,200(7/11) Torpedo speed57 kt(7/11) Torpedo reaction time9.1 s(9/11) Torpedo reload53 s(5/11) Citadel belt60 mm(8/12) NormSigma2(11 of 12 tied at this value) NormAP fuse timer0.025 s(9 of 12 tied at this value) NormAP ricochet start45°(11 of 12 tied at this value) NormAP auto-bounce angle60°(11 of 12 tied at this value) NormTurn speed retained81%(11 of 12 tied at this value)
Survivability
Hit PointsInitial: 19,700 → 22,700
Displacement7,486 t
Hull dimensions
ƒLength x beam at the waterline, plus draft. Length matters when dodging torpedoes; beam and draft shape how hard the ship is to hit.
152.8 x 15.5 m (ship-model figure)
Armor range10–100 mm
Plate armor thicknesses10, 15, 20, 30, 40, 60, 90, 100 mm
Armor material/layer entries38
Fire resistance
ƒstock hull: 1 − 0.9334 fire coefficient = 6.7%; top hull: 1 − 0.9001 fire coefficient = 10%. 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.
Initial: 6.7% → 10%
Fire duration30 s
Fire damage
ƒOne unattended fire: 0.003 of max HP per second (0.3%) × 30 s = 0.09 of the pool; 0.09 × 22,700 HP = 2,043 HP on this ship. 4 fire points can burn at once.
0.3% of HP per second
Flood duration40 s
Flood damage
ƒOne unattended flood: 0.0025 of max HP per second (0.25%) × 40 s = 0.1 of the pool; 0.1 × 22,700 HP = 2,270 HP on this ship.
0.25% of HP per second
Torp Reduction
ƒ1 − 0.333 hull torpedo-damage coefficient / 0.333 unprotected baseline = 0%. Reduces torpedo hit damage. It does not affect flooding: floods start as often and tick at the full rate.
0%
Magazine HP
ƒPer-turret powder-magazine HP, a separate pool from the ship's. Penetrating hits wear it down and the turret is likelier to be knocked out as it falls, so a larger pool keeps the guns firing through punishment that silences a peer's.
11,400
Steering gear HP
ƒDurability of the steering gears. As this pool drops, hits are likelier to jam the rudder; unlike most modules the steering can be knocked out and repaired but is never permanently destroyed.
6,800
Repairable: penetration50%
Repairable: citadel10%
Repairable: steering gear50%
Section HP
Bow section HP
ƒDamage saturation pool for the bow: penetrations here deal their normal share until twice this much penetration damage has landed on the section (2 × 1,000 = 2,000), 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.
1,000
Auxiliary section HP
ƒDamage saturation pool for the auxiliary room: penetrations here deal their normal share until twice this much penetration damage has landed on the section (2 × 4,400 = 8,800), 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.
4,400
Hull section HP
ƒDamage saturation pool for the hull: penetrations here deal their normal share until twice this much penetration damage has landed on the section (2 × 17,000 = 34,000), 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.
17,000
Superstructure section HP
ƒDamage saturation pool for the superstructure: penetrations here deal their normal share until twice this much penetration damage has landed on the section (2 × 1,100 = 2,200), then further hits on it deal half damage. A penetration deals 0.33 × the shell's max damage; once the section is saturated it deals exactly half of that (0.5 × 0.33 = 0.165 × max damage), so a 3,000-damage shell's pen goes from 990 to 495. Overpens (0.1 × max damage) and citadels (1.0 ×) ignore saturation. Pens on the ship's other, unsaturated sections still deal the normal 0.33 ×. The superstructure is not exempt: it saturates exactly like the bow and stern, so shells aimed at it stop dealing full damage once this pool is used up. A larger pool keeps that part of the ship taking full damage for longer; a small one saturates fast and protects the ship's HP.
1,100
Stern section HP
ƒDamage saturation pool for the stern: penetrations here deal their normal share until twice this much penetration damage has landed on the section (2 × 400 = 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.
400
Citadel section HP
ƒThis section has no practical saturation cap: every hit here keeps dealing its normal share of damage (on most ships the citadel; on many destroyers the casemate).
No saturation cap
Main Battery
ModuleArtillery: 150 mm L/45 MPL C/16
Mounts / barrels8 mounts / 8 barrels
Reload time6.5 s
Firing range (base)11.5 km
Firing range (top fire control)12.6 km
Turret traverse7 °/s
Turret armor50 mm
Turret traverse arcs
ƒHow far each mount can train, in degrees to either side of the mount's own facing. A rear turret with ±150° leaves a 60° blind wedge over the bow; one-sided arcs are wing mounts that cover a single side. The data does not say which way each mount faces, so the arcs are listed per mount without bow/stern angles.
2x ±143°, 150° port-only, 150° starboard-only, 163° starboard-only, 163° port-only, 2x 211° arc
Guns to bear
ƒCounted from each mount's firing arc: no mount leaves a blind wedge, so every gun bears straight ahead. How far off the bow (or stern) the ship must angle before every main turret can fire: the widest blind wedge among the rear-facing (or forward-facing) mounts, from each mount's trainable arc.
all guns bear at the bow
Shell Grouping (σ)2
Dispersion type
ƒIn practice: the baseline curve for a standard cruiser -- at max range (12.6 km) shells land in an ellipse about 120 m wide and 72 m tall. Also on this curve (215): AL Baltimore, AL Chapayev, AL Cheshire, AL Harbin, AL Montpelier, AL Tallinn, AL Zara, Aberdeen, Accord, Agano, Albemarle, Algérie and 203 more.
Standard cruiser
Max Horiz Disp
ƒHorizontal dispersion ellipse width at max range, from the dispersion model: σH=(R30·idealRadius−minRadiusidealDistance+minRadius)·30 =(12626.930·8−1.11000+1.1)·30=120.1m
120.1 m at 12.6 km
Max Vert Disp
ƒVertical dispersion ellipse height at max range: σV=σH·radiusOnMax =120.1·0.6=72.1m
72.1 m at 12.6 km
Med Horiz Disp
ƒ50%-hit horizontal radius: σH,50=σH·0.6σ =120.1·0.62=36m
36 m at 12.6 km
Med Vert Disp
ƒ50%-hit vertical radius: σV,50=σV·0.6σ =72.1·0.62=21.6m
21.6 m at 12.6 km
Turret turn time
ƒ180 degrees / 7 deg/s traverse speed = 25.7 s.
25.7 s
Shells/min
ƒ5 broadside guns x 60 / 6.571 s (6.5 s = 46 ticks) base reload = 45.7.
45.7
HE shells
HE alpha1,800
HE Velocity835 m/s
Fire Chance10%
HE fire DPM vs T3 BB29952
Effective HE DPM vs T3 BB112126
HE penetration
ƒ38 mm ≈ 150 mm caliber / 4 (improved HE penetration: German BBs, Yamato-class, and a handful of others).
38 mm
HE full-salvo alpha
ƒ1,800 HE damage x 5 broadside guns = 9,000.
9,000
HE DPM
ƒ9,000 HE full-salvo alpha x 60 / 6.571 s (6.5 s = 46 ticks) base reload = 82,174.
82,174
Fires/min
ƒ45.7 shells/min × 0.1 (10% fire chance) = 4.57.
4.57
AP shells
AP alpha3,700
AP Velocity835 m/s
Min Ricochet45 deg
Guaranteed Ricochet60 deg
Fuse Timer0.025 s
Fuse Threshold25 mm
AP overmatch
ƒfloor(150 mm caliber / 14.3) = 10 mm (AP auto-penetrates plating this thick or less).
10 mm
AP Pen Close
ƒAP formula evaluated at muzzle velocity: P=10−7·K·m0.69·d−1.07·v01.38 =10−7·1925·45.30.69·0.15−1.07·8351.38=219.1mm.
219.1 mm point-blank
AP Pen Far
ƒSame formula at the ship's max firing range (12.6 km), where the shell has slowed to 277.8 m/s: P=10−7·1925·45.30.69·0.15−1.07·277.81.38=48mm.
48 mm at 12.6 km
AP full-salvo alpha
ƒ3,700 AP damage x 5 broadside guns = 18,500.
18,500
AP DPM
ƒ18,500 AP full-salvo alpha x 60 / 6.571 s (6.5 s = 46 ticks) base reload = 168,913.
168,913
AP AOE Radius
ƒAP shell over-penetration splash radius; scales with shell mass. Wickes 102mm = 3, standard 152mm CL ~ 20, Iowa 406mm ~ 270, Yamato 460mm = 400, Incomparable 650mm = 550 (max). Larger value = bigger splash damage area when AP over-pens.
10
Torpedoes
ModuleTorpedoes: 8 tubes
Launchers / tubes4 launchers × 2 tubes = 8 tubes
Reload time
ƒBase reload of the top torpedo module (all-upgrades configuration); the stock module reloads in 42 s. Modernizations and commander effects scale it further, e.g. Torpedo Launchers Mod. 3 alone is x0.85: 53×0.85=45 s.
Initial: 42 s → 53 s
Projectile speed
ƒSpeed of the top torpedo module (all-upgrades configuration, 57.0 kt); the stock torpedo module runs 58.0 kt.
Initial: 58 kt → 57 kt
RangeInitial: 4.02 km → 6 km
Maximum simulated damage
ƒInitial: 28,900 × 0.333 = 9,633 → 30,600 × 0.333 = 10,200 (warhead alpha × saturation coefficient, stock → upgraded torpedo). 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: Dsim=α·c=30,600·0.333=10,200. 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.
Initial: ≈ 9,633 → ≈ 10,200
Maximum damage (ammunition)
ƒ30,600 warhead alpha / 3 + 1,000 blast = 11,200. 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.
11,200
Torpedo module damage
ƒPer-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 detectability1.4 km
Reaction time
ƒHow long a target has to dodge after your torpedo is spotted at its detectability range (lower means less warning): treact=1.4 km57 kt×2.6855=9.1 s. 2.6855 converts knots to m/s on the game clock. Base value; commander torpedo-concealment skills lower it further.
9.1 s
Flooding chance
ƒThis torpedo carries a flooding-chance value of 1.8 per hit, shown as 1.8×100=180%. 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.
180%
Torpedo launcher traverse25 °/s
Launch arcswing 148° (one launcher per beam)
Torp Turn
ƒTime to rotate the launchers 180 deg: tturn=180°25°/s=7.2s.
7.2 s
Torp Arming183 m
Per-side salvo damage
ƒOne side firing, all torpedoes hitting: per-side tubes x per-torpedo simulated damage = 4 x 10,200 = 40,800. Each hit on the target's torpedo belt is reduced by its torpedo protection %.
40,800
AA Defense
AA mount points0
88 mm L/45 MPL C/13 (DP)
ƒDual-purpose: your secondaries doing double duty against aircraft. The same mounts appear on the Secondary Battery card - shared guns, not extra hardware.
2×1 88mm
Maximum AA range
ƒLongest-reaching family on the in-game AA card. Base AirDefense aura max range is 0 km; dual-purpose mount auras extend it.
3 km
Far aura
Guns88 mm L/45 MPL C/13 (DP)
Continuous DPS
ƒEffective DPS in in-game units (raw aura damage × 3.5 × hit probability, summed per contributing aura) - matches the Close-range AA DPS headline's currency. Includes 6 from dual-purpose secondaries firing as AA in this range band.
6
Range3 km
Flak
AA explosions
ƒEach ~2 s salvo fires 2 AA explosions in quick succession, each leaving 1 cloud ahead of the attacking squadron - up to 2 clouds per salvo × 110 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, 1 cloud each
Cloud damage
ƒDamage a plane takes for flying into one flak cloud, before any reductions.
110
Cloud spawn chance
ƒEach cloud in the pattern rolls this chance to spawn, so salvos average fewer clouds than the maximum. Often called flak 'hit chance', but spawned clouds always damage planes that fly into them - the roll is on spawning.
90%
Salvo interval
ƒA new flak salvo (the AA explosions above) fires roughly every 2 s.
every ~2 s
Fired by
ƒFlak keeps firing while at least one secondary battery mount is operational - even losing every dedicated AA mount does not stop it.
Secondary battery
Flak zone
ƒThe activation band: flak fires while attacking planes are inside it. Clouds are placed ahead of the planes' path, so clouds can land short of 2.5 km or past 3 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.
2.5-3 km
S
Secondary Battery
Mounts2 → 3
Firing range3.5 km
Shell Grouping (σ)1
Secondary DPM (per side)
ƒSum across all secondary families of (per-side barrels × 60 / reload_s × alpha), with each reload counted in whole 1/7 s ticks (guns fire on the first tick after the reload), where per-side barrels = mounts × barrels-per-mount / 2 (the guns that bear on one broadside target). Per-family: Initial: 2×1 88 mm (1/side) × 60/4 s × 1000 = 15,000 → 3×1 88 mm (1.5/side) × 60/4 s × 1000 = 22,500. Assumes every shell hits (real hit rate is lower; the Brawl matchup tool on the Compare page folds in dispersion + target armor).
Initial: 15,000 → 22,500
Secondary fire DPM vs T3 BB (per side)
ƒFires/min (per side) 0.9 × (1 − 0.1 fire resistance) × 60 s × 0.003 of max HP per second × 40,500 HP = 5,905. 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.
5,905
Total secondary DPM vs T3 BB (per side)
ƒSecondary DPM (per side) 22,500 + secondary fire DPM 5,905 = 28,405: shell damage plus fire damage against one T3 battleship, every shell hitting.
28,405
Secondary dispersion type
ƒMax dispersion = range (km) × 57 + 30. Each dispersion type sets its own slope; this is not a percentage applied to a standard baseline.
Standard
Max secondary dispersion @ 3.5 km
ƒ3.5 km × 57 + 30 = 229.5 m.
229.5 m
88 mm L/45 MPL C/13 (2×1 → 3×1) (DP)
ƒDual-purpose: the same mounts also fire at aircraft, so they appear on the AA Defense card too - shared guns, not extra hardware.
Caliber88 mm
Reload time4 s
HE alpha1,000
Muzzle Velocity890 m/s
Fire Chance4%
Secondary fires/min (per side)
ƒStock hull: 2×1 barrels / 2 sides × 60 / 4 s × 0.04 (4% fire chance) = 0.6. Upgraded hull: 3×1 barrels / 2 sides × 60 / 4 s × 0.04 (4% fire chance) = 0.9. 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.
0.6 → 0.9
HE Pen15 mm
Maneuverability
Engine power45,000 hp
Maximum speed27.5 kt
Turning circle radius590 m
Rudder shift timeInitial: 9.6 s → 6.9 s
Engine power-boost threshold7.0 kt
Engine spool-up time15.3 s
Reverse spool-up time7.7 s
Reverse speed
ƒtop speed / 4 + 4.9 = 27.5 / 4 + 4.9 = 11.8 kt. Base value; speed modifiers scale it.
11.8 kt
Crash stop
ƒSeconds from top speed to a dead stop after ordering full reverse: reverse power winds in over the reverse spool-up while water drag does most of the braking, using the ship's own reverse-power ratio. The full curve is on the acceleration chart. Full reverse stops about a quarter faster than a plain Stop order from top speed.
25.8 s
Engine boost threshold (reverse)
ƒSpeed below which the engine's built-in power boost applies in reverse.
8.3 kt
Acceleration 0-90%
ƒTime to reach 90% of top speed (24.8 kt of 27.5 kt).
23.1 s
Acceleration 0-99%
ƒTime to reach 99% of top speed (27.2 kt of 27.5 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.
36.6 s
Guns in a full turn
ƒWith 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: 7 − 5.5 = +1.5°/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 (+1.5°/s spare)
Concealment
Detectability by sea
ƒBase value, no camouflage. With a Grade IV permanent camo (or any disposable camo): 10.52 km x 0.955 = 10.05 km. Camouflage does not change detectability by air.
10.52 km
With Grade IV camouflage (sea)
ƒDetectability by sea 10.52 km x 0.955 (Grade IV permanent camo or any disposable camo) = 10.05 km.
10.05 km
Detectability by air6.31 km
Smoke firing penalty4.72 km
Detect when firing (sea)
ƒmax(main battery range, sea detectability 10.52 km) = 12.63 km. Equal to the ship's main battery range (never below base detectability): firing makes you visible to everyone you can reach.
12.63 km
Detect when firing (air)
ƒAir detectability 6.31 km + gun-firing bloom 3 km = 9.31 km. The bloom tracks main-battery caliber 150 mm × 0.020 = 3 km.
9.31 km
Detect when on fire (sea)
ƒSea detectability 10.52 km + 2.0 km while burning = 12.52 km.
12.52 km
Detect when on fire (air)
ƒAir detectability 6.31 km + 3.0 km while burning = 9.31 km.
9.31 km
Guaranteed Detect2 km
✦
Consumables
Damage Control Party∞ charges · 60 s reload · 5 s active
Sonar Hull B only2 charges · 180 s reload · 110 s active · 4.98 km ship detect
ƒDerived from the consumable's 30 m grid-unit range (km = grid units x 30 / 1000): 166×301000=4.98 km
· 3.48 km torpedo detect
ƒDerived from the consumable's 30 m grid-unit range (km = grid units x 30 / 1000): 116×301000=3.48 km
Module options (3)

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

HullUpgrade
  • Hit points19,700 → 22,700
  • Rudder shift9.6 → 6.9 s
  • Secondary mounts2 → 3
  • Total secondary DPM15,000 → 22,500
Fire controlUpgrade
  • Main battery range11,479 → 12626.9 m
TorpedoesTrade-off
  • Range4.02 → 6 km
  • Reload42 → 53 s
  • Alpha damage28,900 → 30,600
  • Display damage9,633 → 10,200
  • Speed58 → 57 kt

Under the hood

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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 cruiserStandard
The standard cruiser dispersion curve.
Shell scatter width @ 5 km67.5 m
(166.7 × (8 − 1.1) / 1000 + 1.1) × 30 = 67.5 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 km102 m
(333.3 × (8 − 1.1) / 1000 + 1.1) × 30 = 102 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 height @ 5 km29.5 m
How tall the scatter ellipse is at a fixed 5 km, from the same model, comparable from ship to ship. The height/width ratio is a piecewise-linear curve through three points from the ship's own dispersion data: radiusOnZero=0.2 at 0 m, radiusOnDelim=0.5 at delim·Rmax=0.5·12626.9=6313 m, and radiusOnMax=0.6 at 12626.9 m. Below the kink: k=0.2+(0.5−0.2)·50006313=0.4376, so σV=σH·k=67.5·0.4376=29.5m.
Shell scatter height @ 10 km57 m
How tall the same scatter ellipse is at 10 km. Comparable from ship to ship for the same reason as the width value above. The height/width ratio is a piecewise-linear curve through three points from the ship's own dispersion data: radiusOnZero=0.2 at 0 m, radiusOnDelim=0.5 at delim·Rmax=0.5·12626.9=6313 m, and radiusOnMax=0.6 at 12626.9 m. Above the kink: k=0.5+(0.6−0.5)·10000−631312626.9−6313=0.5584, so σV=σH·k=102·0.5584=57m.
AP pen 5 km111 mm
AP penetration at a fixed 5 km, from the same ballistic curve as AP Pen Close/Far: the shell's impact velocity at that range fed through the AP formula P=10−7·K·m0.69·d−1.07·v1.38 =10−7·1925·45.30.69·0.15−1.07·5101.38=111mm, where 510 m/s is the shell's speed when it arrives at 5 km (from 835 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 km60 mm
AP penetration at a fixed 10 km, from the same ballistic curve as AP Pen Close/Far: the shell's impact velocity at that range fed through the AP formula P=10−7·K·m0.69·d−1.07·v1.38 =10−7·1925·45.30.69·0.15−1.07·326.41.38=60mm, where 326.4 m/s is the shell's speed when it arrives at 10 km (from 835 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 km7.36 s
How long an AP shell takes to reach a target at a fixed 10 km, from the same numerically integrated trajectory the Charts card plots. The shell slows under quadratic air drag, adrag=kρv2, where ρ is air density from a standard-atmosphere profile and k bundles the shell's drag coefficient, caliber and mass: k=πCdd28m=π·0.4145·0.1528·45.3=8.08×10−5. That runs from a 835 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 km7.29 s
How long an HE shell takes to reach a target at a fixed 10 km, from the same numerically integrated trajectory the Charts card plots. The shell slows under quadratic air drag, adrag=kρv2, where ρ is air density from a standard-atmosphere profile and k bundles the shell's drag coefficient, caliber and mass: k=πCdd28m=π·0.4074·0.1528·45.3=7.95×10−5. That runs from a 835 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) - 0.253 in this case. Lets HE pen ~37mm armor instead of ~25mm. 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)5
Counted from each mount's firing arc: most barrels that bear at once: 5 of 8, on the beam; casemate/wing mounts only fire one side.

Model inputs

Krupp (AP)1,925
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 mass45.3 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 coefficient0.4145
Air drag on the AP shell in flight; lower keeps velocity, and with it penetration, at long range.
AP muzzle velocity835 m/s
Starting speed of the AP shell; penetration scales with velocity^1.38.
HE muzzle velocity835 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.
minRadius1.1
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 time9.1 s
1400 m / (57.0 kt × 2.6855) = 9.1 s. detectability / (speed kt x 2.6855 m/s per knot on the game clock).
Torpedo speed57.0 kt
Travel time to max range39.2 s
6000 m / (57.0 kt × 2.6855) = 39.2 s. range / (speed kt x 2.6855 m/s per knot on the game clock).
Tube count8
4 launchers × 2 tubes.
Per-side salvo4 torpedoes
8 wing tubes / 2 = 4: 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 damage81,600
All tubes hitting one target: tubes x per-torpedo simulated damage = 8 x 10,200 = 81,600. Each hit on the target's torpedo belt is reduced by its torpedo protection %.

AA defense

AA DPS at max range6
Only families that reach 3 km contribute at the outer edge of the AA bubble. In-game families: 88mm45 SK L45 3x1 -> 6 DPS @ 3 km.
AA DPS layered by range6 DPS @ 3 km
@ 3 km: 6 from one family. 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-blank6
6 = 6 DPS: the sum of every family's average DPS, achievable only inside the closest-range family (3 km).
AA threat index18
6 × 3 = 18. 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 alpha1000
The only family (88 mm): 1000. Maximum HE damage per shell across secondary HE families. Best on this ship: 1000 from the 88 mm family.
Max HE fire chance4%
The only family (88 mm): 4%. Maximum per-shell fire chance across secondary HE families (before target fire resistance is applied). Best on this ship: 4% from the 88 mm family.
Max HE pen15 mm
The only family (88 mm): 15 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: 15 mm from the 88 mm family.
Open in Charting Tool

Ship Charts

Background

One of the most powerful light cruisers of World War I. The ship's artillery and torpedo armament was powerful for her size. She was capable of decent speeds and matched similar ships of rival navies in terms of her armor.

Armor Beta

Hull HP 19,700 → 22,700 with hull upgrade, distributed across 5 hull zones, each with its own plate thicknesses, saturation cap, and pen thresholds.

Bow & stern10 mm

Overmatched by 96+ AP guns across the bracket. Can’t reliably bow-tank; gets bow-citadelled and overpenned.

Belt / citadel60 mm

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

Farming10 mm

Superstructure and extremities take HE pens and AP overpens from nearly any gun: steady chip damage. Fire resistance 10%, fires burn 30s. Range-by-range in the Compare tool →

Section Plates HP cap Threats Tactic
Bow10 mm primary (range 10–60 mm)1,000 (4% of HP)
Overmatched by 150mm+ AP (Java, Taranto)Angle bounces 127mm10 mm: HE pens from 127mm+
Bow-tank fits behind this exterior plate. Saturation is FAST here; the cap is often only a few thousand HP.
Hull (midship)10 mm primary (range 10–40 mm)17,000 (75% of HP)
Overmatched by 150mm+ AP (Java, Taranto)Angle bounces 127mm10 mm: HE pens from 127mm+
Largest HP pool. Citadel sits behind these plates; thinner deck and side plating absorb the rest.
Stern10 mm primary (range 10–60 mm)400 (2% of HP)
Overmatched by 150mm+ AP (Java, Taranto)Angle bounces 127mm10 mm: HE pens from 127mm+
Mirror of bow. Same fast saturation.
Citadel60 mm primary (range 10–60 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.
Superstructure10 mm primary (range 10–100 mm)1,100 (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 HP11,400 magazine HPTurret knocked outPer-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 (88 mm mount)separate HP pool, does not drain ship HP800 per-mount HPDestroyed at 0 HPPer-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.
Rudder (module)separate HP pool, does not drain ship HP6,800 module HPIncapacitated at 0 HPWhen 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 Karlsruhe. Cards are condensed; use each source link for full context.

Buff ×2
2026-07-30

Anniversary Update: Tides of Adventure

  • Increased earnings: Karlsruhe, Kuma, Phoenix, Svietlana, Nürnberg, New Orleans, Myōkō, Hipper, Ibuki, Ibuki B, Sejong, Brindisi, Roon, Buffalo, Alaska, Alaska B, Worcester, Yoshino, Småland, Yūgumo, Z-46, A. M. Sumner, Tennessee, Iowa, AL Sov. Rossiya, Iwami, Iwami B, Pommern, Pommern B, Karl XIV Johan, Hizen, Niord, Alsace, Delaware, F. der Große, Izumo, Lepanto, Maine, Minnesota, Prinz Rupprecht, Sov. Soyuz, Temeraire.
Read the full official post
Exteriors

Skins & permanent camouflages

Every custom exterior Karlsruhe can equip.

  • Karlsruhe default exterior
    DefaultThe ship’s standard exterior

Primary official WG sources

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