GamingDiver / WoWs Legends Ships / Kirov

World of Warships: Legends ship guide

Kirov

Also called: 基洛夫 · Киров · Kirow Beta

U.S.S.R. · Tier IV · CA Cruiser · Tech Tree: Artillery Cruisers

Sonar cruiserSonar contests islands and smoke without exposing the hull to vision cycles.

Playstyle

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

Key characteristics

14.1 km gun rangeSonarThickest plateFast for the classLong-reach AAEasily spotted

On this page

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

Community Data

Kirov Community Stats

Across 6,800+ Standard battles from 350+ players, Kirov averages a 55% win rate, 33,200 damage and 0.9 kills per battle, and survives 23% of them.

Community Data

Kirov Community Stats

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

Playstyle

Overview

Kirov is a Tier IV Soviet light cruiser with Sonar as her vision tool. It lets her contest islands and smoke without exposing the hull to vision cycles, which shapes how she pressures caps. Her sonar reaches 3.7 km, which is the range at which she can commit to a contest without guessing. Standout traits: best armor plate in T4 CAs (150 mm, 2nd of 23) and main battery range in T4 CAs (14.1 km, 3rd of 23). The trade is worst surface detection in T4 CAs (12.4 km, 23rd of 23).

Positioning

Work the islands rather than a firing line. Sonar (3.7 km on ships, 2.7 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 6.6 km, so pick the salvo rather than holding the trigger. Both phases of a turn are slow (7.9 s on the rudder, a 860 m circle), so course changes are a plan rather than a reaction: set the angle before you are shot at.

Potato Avoidance

Pushing in blind because the kit says brawler

3.7-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

Thickest plate ↗

150 mm on her single heaviest plate, best of T4 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.

ELITE MAIN BATTERY ↗

Long gun range · 14.1 km
Flat AP trajectory

Fast for the class ↗

35.5 kt, top decile of T4 CAs. Lets you rotate flanks or escape disengagements.

Long-reach AA ↗

5 km AA reach, best of T4 CAs.

Easily spotted ↗

12.4 km surface detect, worst of T4 CAs. Visible before you can react; position early.

Slow reload ↗

13.5 s reload, bottom decile of T4 CAs. Salvos punish more, but cycle is slower than peers.

Acquisition

How to get Kirov

Kirov is available in the Artillery Cruisers branch of the U.S.S.R. Tech Tree for 500,000 credits after researching it in the branch. Known module upgrades cost up to 125,000 credits.

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

Show U.S.S.R. tech-tree branch diagram

U.S.S.R. Tech Tree

Kirov sits in the Artillery Cruisers branch. The highlighted path shows the local branch context inside the full U.S.S.R. tree.

5 ships in highlighted branch · scroll to inspect all U.S.S.R. lines.

U.S.S.R.IIIIIIIVVVIVIIVIII★

Destroyer

Destroyer Split

Cruiser

Cruiser Split

Battleship

Carrier

Tier VIIINeustrashimyPRSD709 Tier VIIIDelnyPRSD410 Tier VIITashkentPRSD409 Tier VIIIPetropavlovskPRSC310 Tier IVSoobrazitelnyPRSD304 Tier VGorkyPRSC216 Tier IVKotovskyPRSC215 Tier VIIRigaPRSC209 Tier VITallinnPRSC208 Tier VIMinskPRSD207 Tier VGnevnyPRSD206 Tier IVPodvoiskyPRSD205 Tier ★KhabarovskPRSD110 Tier VIKievPRSD109 Tier VIIIDm. DonskoiPRSC109 Tier VIIISov. SoyuzPRSB109 Tier VIIChapayevPRSC108 Tier VIIVladivostokPRSB108 Tier VIIPobedaPRSA108 Tier VIIUdaloiPRSD107 Tier VIShchorsPRSC107 Tier VISinopPRSB107 Tier VBoevoiPRSD106 Tier VBudyonnyPRSC106 Tier VIzmailPRSB106 Tier VSerovPRSA106 Tier IVKirovPRSC105 Tier IVPyotr VelikiyPRSB105 Tier IIIIzyaslavPRSD104 Tier IIISvietlanaPRSC104 Tier IIIGangutPRSB104 Tier IIIKomsomoletsPRSA104 Tier IIDerzkiPRSD103 Tier IIBogatyrPRSC103 Tier INovikPRSC102

Official WG availability sources

Update: March 2020 Tech tree line Start: 2020-03-09
- IV Kirov
- All the cruisers will become available for you to research and purchase once the Update goes live, so try them out and find the skill and mod combos that work best for you.

Builds

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

Open in Build Tool →

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

Cohort position

Hide ▾

Where Kirov sits among Tier IV CAs (22 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.

LongestAP fuse timer0.033 s (1 of 5 tied) BestAA range5 km (1 of 4 tied) BestFlak damage per salvo (expected)540 (1/17) BestMax armor150 mm (1 of 3 tied) Top 10%Main battery range14.15 km (3/23) Top 10%Torpedo speed64 kt (3/21) Top 25%Max speed35.5 kt (4/23) Top 25%Main battery caliber180 mm (5/23) Top 25%HE fire chance13% (5/20) Top 25%AP shell damage4,100 (6/23) Top 25%Secondary DPM (per side)65,333 (4/16) Top 25%Engine power110,000 hp (4/23) Top 25%AP pen at 10 km178 mm (5/23) Bottom 25%Rudder shift7.9 s (20/23) Bottom 25%Main battery reload13.5 s (20/23) Bottom 25%HE DPM99,474 (16/20) Bottom 25%Main dispersion130.6 m (21/23) Bottom 25%AP arming threshold30 mm (19/23) Bottom 25%Effective HE DPM (incl. fire)136,883 (16/20) Bottom 25%Citadel belt50 mm (21/23) WorstStealth profile12.42 km / 7.45 km (23/23 / 23/23) WorstSmoke fire bloom6.57 km (23/23) WorstTurning circle860 m (23/23) WorstAP velocity800 m/s (23/23) WorstHE velocity800 m/s (20/20) WorstTorpedo range4.02 km (1 of 3 tied)

See 24 mid-pack stats

Not standouts for Kirov -- 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 points26,200 HP(15/23) HE shell damage2,500(7/20) Fires per minute5.17(12/20) AP DPM163,137(10/23) Secondary HE alpha1,400(11/16) Secondary fire chance6%(7/16) Secondary HE pen17 mm(7/16) Time to 90% speed23.3 s(8/23) Acceleration (0-12 kt)8.1 s(8/23) Power / turn radius127.9 hp/m(14/23) Displacement9,436 t(18/23) Power-to-weight11.66 hp/t(7/23) AA DPS158(14/23) AA threat608(8/23) Torpedo damage≈13,400(11/21) Torpedo reaction time7.6 s(11/21) Torpedo reload70 s(11/21) Bow armor13 mm(11/23) Stern armor13 mm(11/23) NormSigma2(21 of 23 tied at this value) NormAP ricochet start45°(21 of 23 tied at this value) NormAP auto-bounce angle60°(21 of 23 tied at this value) NormTurn speed retained81%(22 of 23 tied at this value) NormSecondary range4 km(12 of 16 tied at this value)

Peers in this cohort

Compare Tier IV Cruisers

Show all 22 peers

Stats & specs

Customize in the Build Tool →

Survivability

Hit PointsInitial: 23,400 → 26,200

Displacement9,436 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.

193.3 x 17.8 m (ship-model figure)

Armor range10–150 mm

Plate armor thicknesses10, 13, 15, 18, 20, 40, 50, 70, 100, 150 mm

Armor material/layer entries49

Fire resistance

stock hull: 1 − 0.8668 fire coefficient = 13.3%; top hull: 1 − 0.8335 fire coefficient = 16.6%. Lowers how often hits set you on fire. It does not reduce the damage a burning fire does per second; fires burn at the full rate on every ship.

Initial: 13.3% → 16.6%

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 × 26,200 HP = 2,358 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 × 26,200 HP = 2,620 HP on this ship.

0.25% of HP per second

Torp Reduction

1 − 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.

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.

13,100

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.

7,900

Repairable: penetration50%

Repairable: citadel10%

Repairable: steering gear50%

Bow section HP

Damage saturation pool for the bow: penetrations here deal their normal share until twice this much penetration damage has landed on the section (2 × 1,300 = 2,600), then further hits on it deal half damage. A penetration deals 0.33 × the shell's max damage; once the section is saturated it deals exactly half of that (0.5 × 0.33 = 0.165 × max damage), so a 3,000-damage shell's pen goes from 990 to 495. Overpens (0.1 × max damage) and citadels (1.0 ×) ignore saturation. Pens on the ship's other, unsaturated sections still deal the normal 0.33 ×. A larger pool keeps that part of the ship taking full damage for longer; a small one saturates fast and protects the ship's HP.

1,300

Auxiliary section HP

Damage saturation pool for the auxiliary room: penetrations here deal their normal share until twice this much penetration damage has landed on the section (2 × 3,400 = 6,800), 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.

3,400

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 × 19,700 = 39,400), then further hits on it deal half damage. A penetration deals 0.33 × the shell's max damage; once the section is saturated it deals exactly half of that (0.5 × 0.33 = 0.165 × max damage), so a 3,000-damage shell's pen goes from 990 to 495. Overpens (0.1 × max damage) and citadels (1.0 ×) ignore saturation. Pens on the ship's other, unsaturated sections still deal the normal 0.33 ×. A larger pool keeps that part of the ship taking full damage for longer; a small one saturates fast and protects the ship's HP.

19,700

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 × 1,700 = 3,400), then further hits on it deal half damage. A penetration deals 0.33 × the shell's max damage; once the section is saturated it deals exactly half of that (0.5 × 0.33 = 0.165 × max damage), so a 3,000-damage shell's pen goes from 990 to 495. Overpens (0.1 × max damage) and citadels (1.0 ×) ignore saturation. Pens on the ship's other, unsaturated sections still deal the normal 0.33 ×. 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.

1,700

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 × 1,500 = 3,000), then further hits on it deal half damage. A penetration deals 0.33 × the shell's max damage; once the section is saturated it deals exactly half of that (0.5 × 0.33 = 0.165 × max damage), so a 3,000-damage shell's pen goes from 990 to 495. Overpens (0.1 × max damage) and citadels (1.0 ×) ignore saturation. Pens on the ship's other, unsaturated sections still deal the normal 0.33 ×. A larger pool keeps that part of the ship taking full damage for longer; a small one saturates fast and protects the ship's HP.

1,500

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: 180 mm/57 MK-3-180 U

Mounts / barrels3 mounts / 9 barrels

Reload time13.5 s

Firing range (base)12.9 km

Firing range (top fire control)14.1 km

Turret traverse8 °/s

Turret armor70 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.

±149°, ±155°, ±150°

Guns to bear

180° − 155° (the most restricted aft-facing mount's arc) = 25° 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.

25° off bow / 31° off stern

See the firing-arcs diagram ↓

Shell Grouping (σ)2

Dispersion type

In practice: the baseline curve for a standard cruiser -- at max range (14.1 km) shells land in an ellipse about 131 m wide and 78 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

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{14146}{30} \cdot \frac{8 - 1.1}{1000} + 1.1) \cdot 30 = 130.6 m

130.6 m at 14.1 km

Max Vert Disp

Vertical dispersion ellipse height at max range:

σ_{V} = σ_{H} \cdot radiusOnMax

= 130.6 \cdot 0.6 = 78.4 m

78.4 m at 14.1 km

Med Horiz Disp

50%-hit horizontal radius:

σ_{H, 50} = σ_{H} \cdot \frac{0.6}{σ}

= 130.6 \cdot \frac{0.6}{2} = 39.2 m

39.2 m at 14.1 km

Med Vert Disp

50%-hit vertical radius:

σ_{V, 50} = σ_{V} \cdot \frac{0.6}{σ}

= 78.4 \cdot \frac{0.6}{2} = 23.5 m

23.5 m at 14.1 km

Turret turn time

180 degrees / 8 deg/s traverse speed = 22.5 s.

22.5 s

Shells/min

9 broadside guns x 60 / 13.571 s (13.5 s = 95 ticks) base reload = 39.8.

39.8

HE shells

HE alpha2,300 → 2,500

HE Velocity800 m/s

Fire Chance13%

HE fire DPM vs T4 BB37428

Effective HE DPM vs T4 BB128944

HE penetration

30 mm ≈ 180 mm caliber / 6 (standard HE penetration ratio).

30 mm

HE full-salvo alpha

Zero upgrades: 2,300 HE damage x 9 broadside guns = 20,700. All upgrades (top hull shells): 2,500 HE damage x 9 broadside guns = 22,500.

Initial: 20,700 → 22,500

HE DPM

Zero upgrades: 20,700 HE full-salvo alpha x 60 / 13.571 s (13.5 s = 95 ticks) base reload = 91,516. All upgrades (top hull shells): 22,500 HE full-salvo alpha x 60 / 13.571 s (13.5 s = 95 ticks) all-upgrades reload = 99,474.

Initial: 91,516 → 99,474

Fires/min

39.8 shells/min × 0.13 (13% fire chance) = 5.17.

5.17

AP shells

AP alpha3,800 → 4,100

AP Velocity800 m/s

Min Ricochet45 deg

Guaranteed Ricochet60 deg

Fuse Timer0.033 s

Fuse Threshold30 mm

AP overmatch

floor(180 mm caliber / 14.3) = 12 mm (AP auto-penetrates plating this thick or less).

12 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 2300 \cdot {97.5}^{0.69} \cdot {0.18}^{- 1.07} \cdot 800^{1.38} = 344.6 mm

344.6 mm point-blank

AP Pen Far

Same formula at the ship's max firing range (14.1 km), where the shell has slowed to 418.3 m/s:

P = 10^{- 7} \cdot 2300 \cdot {97.5}^{0.69} \cdot {0.18}^{- 1.07} \cdot {418.3}^{1.38} = 140.8 mm

140.8 mm at 14.1 km

AP full-salvo alpha

Zero upgrades: 3,800 AP damage x 9 broadside guns = 34,200. All upgrades (top hull shells): 4,100 AP damage x 9 broadside guns = 36,900.

Initial: 34,200 → 36,900

AP DPM

Zero upgrades: 34,200 AP full-salvo alpha x 60 / 13.571 s (13.5 s = 95 ticks) base reload = 151,200. All upgrades (top hull shells): 36,900 AP full-salvo alpha x 60 / 13.571 s (13.5 s = 95 ticks) all-upgrades reload = 163,137.

Initial: 151,200 → 163,137

AP AOE Radius

AP shell over-penetration splash radius; scales with shell mass. Wickes 102mm = 3, standard 152mm CL ~ 20, Iowa 406mm ~ 270, Yamato 460mm = 400, Incomparable 650mm = 550 (max). Larger value = bigger splash damage area when AP over-pens.

Torpedoes

ModuleTorpedoes: 53-36 mod. 1

Launchers / tubes2 launchers × 3 tubes = 6 tubes

Reload time70 s

Projectile speed64.0 kt

Range4.02 km

Maximum simulated damage

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

D_{sim} = α \cdot c = 40, 200 \cdot 0.333 = 13, 400

. 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.

≈ 13,400

Maximum damage (ammunition)

40,200 warhead alpha / 3 + 1,000 blast = 14,400. 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.

14,400

Torpedo module damage

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

1,000

Torpedo detectability1.3 km

Reaction time

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

t_{react} = \frac{1.3 km}{64 kt \times 2.6855} = 7.6 s

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

7.6 s

Flooding chance

This torpedo carries a flooding-chance value of 2.4 per hit, shown as

2.4 \times 100 = 240 %

. 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.

240%

Torpedo launcher traverse25 °/s

Launch arcswing 143° (one launcher per beam)

Torp Turn

Time to rotate the launchers 180 deg:

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

7.2 s

Torp Arming202 m

Per-side salvo damage

One side firing, all torpedoes hitting: per-side tubes x per-torpedo simulated damage = 3 x 13,400 = 40,200. Each hit on the target's torpedo belt is reduced by its torpedo protection %.

40,200

AA Defense

AA mount pointsInitial: 10 → 9

Maximum AA range

Longest-reaching family on the in-game AA card. Base AirDefense aura max range is 2.5 km; dual-purpose mount auras extend it.

5 km

37 mm 70-K (upgraded hull only)9×1 37mm

45 mm 21-K (stock hull only)6×1 45mm

12.7 mm DShK (stock hull only)4×1 13mm

100 mm/56 B-34 (DP)

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

6×1 100mm

Guns100 mm/56 B-34 (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 57 from dual-purpose secondaries firing as AA in this range band.

Range5 km

Guns37 mm 70-K

Continuous DPS

Effective DPS: 32 raw aura damage × 3.5 × 0.9 hit probability = 101 - the same in-game units as the Close-range AA DPS headline.

101

Range3.2 km

Total DPS in Aura

Far 57 + Medium 101 = 158

158

AA explosions

Each ~2 s salvo fires 2 AA explosions in quick succession, each leaving 2 clouds ahead of the attacking squadron - up to 4 clouds per salvo × 150 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, 2 clouds each

Cloud damage

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

150

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 km - once planes get inside the band, new salvos stop. AA range bonuses push the outer edge out; the 2.5 km inner edge does not move.

2.5-5 km

See the AA layers diagram ↓

Secondary Battery

Mounts6

Firing range4.0 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: Initial: 6×1 100 mm (3/side) × 60/4 s × 1400 = 63,000 → 6×1 100 mm (3/side) × 60/3.857 s (3.75 s = 27 ticks) × 1400 = 65,333. Assumes every shell hits (real hit rate is lower; the Brawl matchup tool on the Compare page folds in dispersion + target armor).

Initial: 63,000 → 65,333

Secondary fire DPM vs T4 BB (per side)

Fires/min (per side) 2.8 × (1 − 0.166 fire resistance) × 60 s × 0.003 of max HP per second × 48,200 HP = 20,260. 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.

20,260

Total secondary DPM vs T4 BB (per side)

Secondary DPM (per side) 65,333 + secondary fire DPM 20,260 = 85,594: shell damage plus fire damage against one T4 battleship, every shell hitting.

85,594

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 @ 4 km

4 km × 57 + 30 = 258 m.

258 m

Caliber100 mm

Reload time4 s → 3.75 s

HE alpha1,400

Muzzle Velocity895 m/s

Fire Chance6%

Secondary fires/min (per side)

Stock hull: 6×1 barrels / 2 sides × 60 / 4 s × 0.06 (6% fire chance) = 2.7. Upgraded hull: 6×1 barrels / 2 sides × 60 / 3.857 s (3.75 s = 27 ticks) × 0.06 (6% fire chance) = 2.8. Per side: the barrels that bear on one broadside target (mounts × barrels / 2). A ceiling: assumes every shell hits and ignores the four-fire cap and Fire Prevention.

2.7 → 2.8

HE Pen17 mm

Maneuverability

Engine power110,000 hp

Maximum speed35.5 kt

Turning circle radius860 m

Rudder shift timeInitial: 10.3 s → 7.9 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 = 35.5 / 4 + 4.9 = 13.8 kt. Base value; speed modifiers scale it.

13.8 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.

25.2 s

Engine boost threshold (reverse)

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

9.7 kt

Acceleration 0-90%

Time to reach 90% of top speed (31.9 kt of 35.5 kt).

23.3 s

Acceleration 0-99%

Time to reach 99% of top speed (35.1 kt of 35.5 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.

36.5 s

Guns in a full turn

With the rudder hard over the hull turns 5.1°/s, so a target drifts across the bow at that rate. Turret traverse minus hull turn: 8 − 5.1 = +2.9°/s, so the guns hold the target through the turn. Main Battery Mod. 2 (+20% traverse) and Mod. 3 (−15%) move this line.

hold target (+2.9°/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): 12.42 km x 0.955 = 11.86 km. Camouflage does not change detectability by air.

12.42 km

With Grade IV camouflage (sea)

Detectability by sea 12.42 km x 0.955 (Grade IV permanent camo or any disposable camo) = 11.86 km.

11.86 km

Detectability by air7.45 km

Smoke firing penalty6.57 km

Detect when firing (sea)

max(main battery range, sea detectability 12.42 km) = 14.15 km. Equal to the ship's main battery range (never below base detectability): firing makes you visible to everyone you can reach.

14.15 km

Detect when firing (air)

Air detectability 7.45 km + gun-firing bloom 3.6 km = 11.05 km. The bloom tracks main-battery caliber 180 mm × 0.020 = 3.6 km.

11.05 km

Detect when on fire (sea)

Sea detectability 12.42 km + 2.0 km while burning = 14.42 km.

14.42 km

Detect when on fire (air)

Air detectability 7.45 km + 3.0 km while burning = 10.45 km.

10.45 km

Guaranteed Detect2 km

✦

Consumables

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

Sonar2 charges · 180 s reload · 90 s active · 3.72 km ship detect
ƒ
Derived from the consumable's 30 m grid-unit range (km = grid units x 30 / 1000): $\frac{124 \times 30}{1000} = 3.72 km$
· 2.67 km torpedo detect
ƒ
Derived from the consumable's 30 m grid-unit range (km = grid units x 30 / 1000): $\frac{89 \times 30}{1000} = 2.67 km$

Catapult Fighter Hull A only3 charges · 80 s reload · 70 s active · 5 km patrol radius
ƒ
Derived from the consumable's 30 m grid-unit range (km = grid units x 30 / 1000): $\frac{167 \times 30}{1000} = 5 km$
· 1 squadron size

Module options (2)

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

HullTrade-off

Hit points23,400 → 26,200
Rudder shift10.3 → 7.9 s
AA mounts10 → 9
Close-range AA DPS27 → 32
Maximum AA range2.5 → 3.2 km
Secondary battery reload4 → 3.75 s
Total secondary DPM63,000 → 65,333

Fire controlUpgrade

Main battery range12,860 → 14,146 m

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 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 km27.8 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  $delim \cdot R_{m a x} = 0.5 \cdot 14146 = 7073$  m, and  $radiusOnMax = 0.6$  at 14146 m. Below the kink:  $k = 0.2 + (0.5 - 0.2) \cdot \frac{5000}{7073} = 0.4121$ , so  $σ_{V} = σ_{H} \cdot k = 67.5 \cdot 0.4121 = 27.8 m$ .

Shell scatter height @ 10 km55.2 m

How tall the same scatter ellipse is at 10 km. Comparable from ship to ship for the same reason as the width value above. The height/width ratio is a piecewise-linear curve through three points from the ship's own dispersion data:  $radiusOnZero = 0.2$  at 0 m,  $radiusOnDelim = 0.5$  at  $delim \cdot R_{m a x} = 0.5 \cdot 14146 = 7073$  m, and  $radiusOnMax = 0.6$  at 14146 m. Above the kink:  $k = 0.5 + (0.6 - 0.5) \cdot \frac{10000 - 7073}{14146 - 7073} = 0.5414$ , so  $σ_{V} = σ_{H} \cdot k = 102 \cdot 0.5414 = 55.2 m$ .

AP pen 5 km245 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  $P = 10^{- 7} \cdot K \cdot m^{0.69} \cdot d^{- 1.07} \cdot v^{1.38}$   $= 10^{- 7} \cdot 2300 \cdot {97.5}^{0.69} \cdot {0.18}^{- 1.07} \cdot 625^{1.38} = 245 mm$ , where 625 m/s is the shell's speed when it arrives at 5 km (from 800 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 km178 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  $P = 10^{- 7} \cdot K \cdot m^{0.69} \cdot d^{- 1.07} \cdot v^{1.38}$   $= 10^{- 7} \cdot 2300 \cdot {97.5}^{0.69} \cdot {0.18}^{- 1.07} \cdot {494.8}^{1.38} = 178 mm$ , where 494.8 m/s is the shell's speed when it arrives at 10 km (from 800 m/s at the muzzle). Fixed anchors make ships directly comparable at the same fighting distance; the Charts card plots the full curve.

HE flight time @ 10 km5.85 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:  $k = \frac{π C_{d} d^{2}}{8 m} = \frac{π \cdot 0.3096 \cdot {0.18}^{2}}{8 \cdot 97.5} = 4.04 \times 10^{- 5}$ . That runs from a 800 m/s muzzle velocity in 0.02 s steps under gravity 9.8 m/s² until the shell lands, then divides by 2.77 because the game clock runs faster than real time. Lower is better, since a faster shell is harder to dodge and needs less lead.

AP flight time @ 10 km5.85 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:  $k = \frac{π C_{d} d^{2}}{8 m} = \frac{π \cdot 0.3096 \cdot {0.18}^{2}}{8 \cdot 97.5} = 4.04 \times 10^{- 5}$ . That runs from a 800 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)2,300

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 mass97.5 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 coefficient0.3096

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

AP muzzle velocity800 m/s

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

HE muzzle velocity800 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 time7.6 s

1300 m / (64.0 kt × 2.6855) = 7.6 s. detectability / (speed kt x 2.6855 m/s per knot on the game clock).

Torpedo speed64.0 kt

Travel time to max range23.4 s

4020 m / (64.0 kt × 2.6855) = 23.4 s. range / (speed kt x 2.6855 m/s per knot on the game clock).

Tube count6

2 launchers × 3 tubes.

Per-side salvo3 torpedoes

6 wing tubes / 2 = 3: 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 damage80,400

All tubes hitting one target: tubes x per-torpedo simulated damage = 6 x 13,400 = 80,400. Each hit on the target's torpedo belt is reduced by its torpedo protection %.

AA defense

AA DPS at max range57

Only families that reach 5 km contribute at the outer edge of the AA bubble. In-game families: 70K 37mm 9x1 -> 101 DPS @ 3.2 km; 100mm B 34 USM 6x1 -> 57 DPS @ 5 km.

AA DPS layered by range57 DPS @ 5 km, 158 DPS @ 3.2 km

@ 5 km: 57 from one family; @ 3.2 km: 101 + 57 = 158. 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-blank158

101 + 57 = 158 DPS: the sum of every family's average DPS, achievable only inside the closest-range family (3.2 km).

AA threat index608

101 × 3.2 + 57 × 5 = 608. 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 alpha1400

The only family (100 mm): 1400. Maximum HE damage per shell across secondary HE families. Best on this ship: 1400 from the 100 mm family.

Max HE fire chance6%

The only family (100 mm): 6%. Maximum per-shell fire chance across secondary HE families (before target fire resistance is applied). Best on this ship: 6% from the 100 mm family.

Max HE pen17 mm

The only family (100 mm): 17 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: 17 mm from the 100 mm family.

Open in Charting Tool

Ship Charts

Background

One of the first large warships designed and built in the U.S.S.R. (Project 26). Despite her small displacement, she was equipped with very powerful long-range main guns and had a good speed. In contrast to the majority of her contemporaries, Kirov had weak armor.

Armor Beta

Hull HP 23,400 → 26,200 with hull upgrade, distributed across 5 hull zones, each with its own plate thicknesses, saturation cap, and pen thresholds.

Bow & stern13 mm

Overmatched by 90+ AP guns across the bracket. Can’t reliably bow-tank; gets bow-citadelled and overpenned.

Belt / citadel50 mm

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

Farming13 mm

Superstructure and extremities take HE pens and AP overpens from nearly any gun: steady chip damage. Fire resistance 17%, fires burn 30s. Range-by-range in the Compare tool →

Section	Plates	HP cap	Threats	Tactic
Bow	13 mm primary (range 13–15 mm)	1,300 (5% of HP)	Overmatched by 203mm+ AP (Desert Falcon, Baleares)Angle bounces 152mm13 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)	20 mm	19,700 (75% of HP)	Overmatched by 305mm+ AP (Courbet, Dante Alighieri)Angle bounces 283mm20 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 13–20 mm)	1,500 (6% of HP)	Overmatched by 203mm+ AP (Desert Falcon, Baleares)Angle bounces 152mm13 mm: HE pens from 127mm+	Mirror of bow. Same fast saturation.
Citadel	50 mm primary (range 10–50 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	13 mm primary (range 13–150 mm)	1,700 (6% 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	13,100 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 (100 mm mount)	separate HP pool, does not drain ship HP	800 per-mount HP	Destroyed at 0 HP	Per-mount HP for the heaviest secondary on this ship. A mount destroyed at 0 HP is out for the rest of the battle; DCP does not repair destroyed mounts. Smaller (lighter-caliber) secondaries typically share the same HP value.
AA mount (37 mm mount)	separate HP pool, does not drain ship HP	200 per-mount HP	Destroyed at 0 HP	Per-mount HP for the heaviest AA on this ship. An AA mount destroyed at 0 HP stops shooting down planes for the rest of the battle; DCP does not repair destroyed mounts. HE shells specifically target AA mounts since the small-caliber HP pool falls fast.
Rudder (module)	separate HP pool, does not drain ship HP	7,900 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 Kirov. Cards are condensed; use each source link for full context.

Buff ×1Rework ×1Main Battery ×2

2025-11-27

Holiday Update: Christmas on the Waves

Slightly changed the geometry of the main battery and hull. This change has no impact on gameplay.
Increased stock main battery frontal plate armor thickness from 50 mm to 70 mm.

Read the full official post

Exteriors

Skins & permanent camouflages

Every custom exterior Kirov can equip.

DefaultThe ship’s standard exterior

Primary official WG sources

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

2020-03-09 · Patch notes Update: March 2020 Patch notes 2025-11-27 · Patch notes Holiday Update: Christmas on the Waves Patch notes

Kirov

Kirov Community Stats

Kirov Community Stats

Kirov Community Stats

Playstyle

Overview

Positioning

Potato Avoidance

Signature Traits →

How to get Kirov

Builds

Cohort position

Peers in this cohort

Stats & specs

Under the hood

Main battery formulas

Model inputs

Torpedoes

AA defense

Secondary battery firepower

Ship Charts

Background

Armor Beta

Balance History

Holiday Update: Christmas on the Waves

Skins & permanent camouflages

Primary official WG sources

Signature Traits