World of Warships: Legends ship guide

Lyon

Also called: 里昂 Beta
AP-DPM battleshipPunish every broadside with main-battery throughput; keep the guns reloading on targets.
Playstyle
  • Hold 14-17 km on a flank with firing arcs into rotating cruisers and broadside BBs
  • Avoid: Treating her like a fast battleship because of the line name
Key characteristics
High HE / fire outputHigh AP DPMLong-reach AAThick stern plateHeavy secondary DPMFragile
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Community Data

Lyon Community Stats

Across 11,000+ Standard battles from 280+ players, Lyon averages a 58% win rate, 62,600 damage and 1.0 kills per battle, and survives 40% of them.

Community Data

Lyon Community Stats

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Playstyle

Overview

Lyon is a Tier VI French AP-DPM battleship (304,000 AP DPM): her main battery throughput is cohort-best, so the kit pays out by punishing every broadside she catches rather than waiting for a perfect alpha salvo. Keep the guns reloading on targets, not on cover. She also puts out top-decile HE (150,400 HE DPM), making her a dual-threat gunship: keep AP up against broadsides and citadels, and switch to HE against bow-in ships, superstructures, and the thin or angled targets AP over-penetrates or bounces off. Standout traits: best AA reach in T6 BBs (5.2 km, 4th of 32) and best stern plate in T6 BBs (30 mm, 1st of 32). The trade is loose grouping in T6 BBs (1.5, 31st of 32).

Positioning

Hold 14-17 km on a flank with firing arcs into rotating cruisers and broadside BBs. The kit's value is salvo cycle count, so prioritize a position where the next reload always has a target; bow on between salvos and trade angles rather than holding broadside for a single shot. Once the rudder is over she turns tightly for her cohort (700 m), so a committed turn costs less water than most of what she is fighting.

Potato Avoidance

Treating her like a fast battleship because of the line name

Despite the Fast Battleships line she is slow for her tier (27 kn), so she cannot reposition or slip focus fire the way her faster line-mates can. Pick your lane early, angle hard, and trade from a spot you can hold rather than expecting to escape on speed.

Signature Traits

ELITE MAIN BATTERY ↗
  • AP DPM machine · 304000 AP
  • HE DPM machine · 150400 HE
  • High fire pressure · 8.32 fires/min
  • Flat arc HE shells · 921 m/s
Long-reach AA ↗

5.2 km AA reach, best of T6 BBs.

Thick stern plate ↗

30 mm stern, best of T6 BBs.

Heavy secondary DPM ↗

273600 secondary DPM per side, top decile of T6 BBs. Per-side barrels × shots/min × alpha across every secondary family; real damage scales with hit rate against the target.

Loose grouping ↗

Sigma 1.5, bottom decile of T6 BBs. Shells scatter more; bracketing matters.

Shallow effective HP ↗

75828 effective HP once Repair Party is counted, bottom decile of T6 BBs. What you start with is close to all you get; there is little healing back.

Acquisition

How to get Lyon

Lyon is available in the Fast Battleships branch of the France Tech Tree for 9,000,000 credits after researching it in the branch. Known module upgrades cost up to 2,250,000 credits.

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

Show France tech-tree branch diagram

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

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Where Lyon sits among Tier VI BBs (31 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 DPM304,000 (1/32) BestHE velocity921 m/s (1 of 2 tied) BestDisplacement36,301 t (1 of 2 tied) BestAA range5.2 km (1 of 7 tied) BestStern armor30 mm (1 of 2 tied) Top 10%Turning circle700 m (3/32) Top 10%Fires per minute8.32 (3/31) Top 10%HE DPM150,400 (2/31) Top 10%Secondary DPM (per side)273,600 (4/32) Top 10%AP arming threshold57 mm (3/32) Top 10%Effective HE DPM (incl. fire)212,618 (3/31) Top 25%Smoke fire bloom12.25 km (7/32) Top 25%Time to 90% speed32.1 s (7/32) Top 25%Power / turn radius152.9 hp/m (9/32) Top 25%AA threat1,532 (9/32) Bottom 25%Hit points53,400 HP (29/32) Bottom 25%Main battery caliber340 mm (29/32) Bottom 25%Main dispersion224 m (25/32) Bottom 25%AP pen at 10 km405 mm (29/32) WorstSigma1.5 (1 of 3 tied) WorstNo torpedoes (26 of 32 in cohort) WorstCitadel belt190 mm (1 of 2 tied)
See 25 mid-pack stats

Not standouts for Lyon -- 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.

Max speed27 kt(21/32) Concealment14.66 km(23/32) Air detection11.73 km(22/32) Rudder shift14.2 s(10/32) Main battery range16.13 km(10/32) Main battery reload30 s(19/32) Secondary HE alpha1,900(16/31) Secondary fire chance9%(11/31) Secondary HE pen22 mm(19/31) AP velocity780 m/s(21/32) Acceleration (0-12 kt)14 s(14/32) Engine power107,000 hp(17/32) Power-to-weight2.95 hp/t(12/32) Secondary range5 km(16/32) AA DPS462(11/32) Flak damage per salvo (expected)1,102(15/32) Repair charges3(15/32) Max armor350 mm(20/32) NormSecondary dispersion bracket57(25 of 32 tied at this value) NormAP fuse timer0.033 s(22 of 32 tied at this value) NormAP ricochet start45°(28 of 32 tied at this value) NormAP auto-bounce angle60°(28 of 32 tied at this value) NormTurn speed retained81%(31 of 32 tied at this value) NormRepair heal rate0.5 %/s(18 of 32 tied at this value) NormBow armor26 mm(21 of 32 tied at this value)
Survivability
Hit PointsInitial: 46,000 → 53,400
Displacement36,301 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.
203.7 x 32.4 m (ship-model figure)
Armor range12–350 mm
Plate armor thicknesses12, 13, 16, 22, 26, 30, 40, 42, 48, 70, 72, 75, 84, 100, 120, 140, 150, 180, 184, 190, 200, 226, 240, 266, 284, 300, 350 mm
Armor material/layer entries84
Fire resistance
ƒstock hull: 1 − 0.7336 fire coefficient = 26.6%; top hull: 1 − 0.7003 fire coefficient = 30%. 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: 26.6% → 30%
Fire duration60 s
Fire damage
ƒOne unattended fire: 0.003 of max HP per second (0.3%) × 60 s = 0.18 of the pool; 0.18 × 53,400 HP = 9,612 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: 0.005 of max HP per second (0.5%) × 40 s = 0.2 of the pool; 0.2 × 53,400 HP = 10,680 HP on this ship.
0.5% of HP per second
Torp Reduction
ƒ1 − 0.28 hull torpedo-damage coefficient / 0.333 unprotected baseline = 16%. Reduces torpedo hit damage. It does not affect flooding: floods start as often and tick at the full rate.
16%
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.
26,700
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.
16,000
Effective HP
ƒBase 53,400 HP plus everything Repair Party can restore: 0.005 of max HP per second (0.5%) × 28 s × 53,400 HP = 7,476 HP per charge, × 3 charges = 22,428 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.
59,333–75,828
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 × 1,700 = 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 ×. 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
Casemate section HP
ƒDamage saturation pool for the casemate: penetrations here deal their normal share until twice this much penetration damage has landed on the section (2 × 9,200 = 18,400), 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.
9,200
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 × 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 ×. 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
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 × 40,100 = 80,200), 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.
40,100
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 × 2,400 = 4,800), 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 ×. 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.
2,400
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 × 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 ×. 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
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: 340 mm/45 Mle 1912
Mounts / barrels4 mounts / 16 barrels
Reload time30 s
Firing range (base)14.7 km
Firing range (top fire control)16.1 km
Turret traverse3.5 °/s
Turret armor360 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.
4x ±138°
Guns to bear
ƒ180° − 138° (the most restricted aft-facing mount's arc) = 42° off bow; 180° − 138° (the most restricted forward-facing mount's arc) = 42° 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.
42° off bow / 42° off stern
Shell Grouping (σ)1.5
Dispersion type
ƒIn practice: 1% wider (worse) horizontal dispersion and 1% more vertical spread at max range (16.1 km) than a standard battleship: about 224 m wide × 134 m tall, against 221 m × 133 m. Also on this curve (55): AL Vittorio Veneto, Alsace, Andrea Doria, BA Binah, BA Tirpitz, Bayern, Bismarck, Bismarck B, Brandenburg, Bretagne, Cavour, Cristoforo Colombo and 43 more.
European battleship
Max Horiz Disp
ƒHorizontal dispersion ellipse width at max range, from the dispersion model: σH=(R30·idealRadius−minRadiusidealDistance+minRadius)·30 =(1612630·12−2.21000+2.2)·30=224m
224 m at 16.1 km
Max Vert Disp
ƒVertical dispersion ellipse height at max range: σV=σH·radiusOnMax =224·0.6=134.4m
134.4 m at 16.1 km
Med Horiz Disp
ƒ50%-hit horizontal radius: σH,50=σH·0.6σ =224·0.61.5=89.6m
89.6 m at 16.1 km
Med Vert Disp
ƒ50%-hit vertical radius: σV,50=σV·0.6σ =134.4·0.61.5=53.8m
53.8 m at 16.1 km
Turret turn time
ƒ180 degrees / 3.5 deg/s traverse speed = 51.4 s.
51.4 s
Shells/min
ƒ16 broadside guns x 60 / 30 s base reload = 32.
32
HE shells
HE alpha4,700
HE Velocity921 m/s
Fire Chance26%
HE fire DPM vs T6 BB62218
Effective HE DPM vs T6 BB212618
HE penetration
ƒ57 mm ≈ 340 mm caliber / 6 (standard HE penetration ratio).
57 mm
HE full-salvo alpha
ƒ4,700 HE damage x 16 broadside guns = 75,200.
75,200
HE DPM
ƒ75,200 HE full-salvo alpha x 60 / 30 s base reload = 150,400.
150,400
Fires/min
ƒ32 shells/min × 0.26 (26% fire chance) = 8.32.
8.32
AP shells
AP alpha9,500
AP Velocity780 m/s
Min Ricochet45 deg
Guaranteed Ricochet60 deg
Fuse Timer0.033 s
Fuse Threshold57 mm
AP pen max range327 mm
AP overmatch
ƒfloor(340 mm caliber / 14.3) = 23 mm (AP auto-penetrates plating this thick or less).
23 mm
AP Pen Close
ƒAP formula evaluated at muzzle velocity: P=10−7·K·m0.69·d−1.07·v01.38 =10−7·2408·5850.69·0.34−1.07·7801.38=607.3mm.
607.3 mm point-blank
AP Pen Far
ƒSame formula at the ship's max firing range (16.1 km), where the shell has slowed to 497.7 m/s: P=10−7·2408·5850.69·0.34−1.07·497.71.38=326.7mm.
326.7 mm at 16.1 km
AP full-salvo alpha
ƒ9,500 AP damage x 16 broadside guns = 152,000.
152,000
AP DPM
ƒ152,000 AP full-salvo alpha x 60 / 30 s base reload = 304,000.
304,000
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.
55
AA Defense
AA mount pointsInitial: 44 → 42
Maximum AA range
ƒLongest-reaching family on the in-game AA card. Base AirDefense aura max range is 3.1 km; dual-purpose mount auras extend it.
5.2 km
40 mm/56 Bofors Mk3 (upgraded hull only)16×1 40mm
40 mm/56 Bofors Mk2 (upgraded hull only)4×4 40mm
20 mm/70 Mk4 (upgraded hull only)14×1 20mm
20 mm/70 Oerlikon Mk24 (upgraded hull only)8×2 20mm
37 mm/50 Mle 1933 (stock hull only)20×2 37mm
25 mm/60 CAD Mle 1939 (stock hull only)6×2 25mm
13.2 mm/76 CAD Mle 1929 (stock hull only)12×2 13mm
13.2 mm/76 CAQ Mle 1929 (stock hull only)6×4 13mm
130 mm/45 Mle 1932 (DP)
ƒDual-purpose: your secondaries doing double duty against aircraft. The same mounts appear on the Secondary Battery card - shared guns, not extra hardware.
4×4 130mm
130 mm/45 Mle 1932 (DP)
ƒDual-purpose: your secondaries doing double duty against aircraft. The same mounts appear on the Secondary Battery card - shared guns, not extra hardware.
4×2 130mm
Far aura
Guns130 mm/45 Mle 1932 (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 79 from dual-purpose secondaries firing as AA in this range band.
79
Range5.2 km
Medium aura
Guns40 mm/56 Bofors Mk2 + 40 mm/56 Bofors Mk3
Continuous DPS
ƒEffective DPS: 91 raw aura damage × 3.5 × 0.75 hit probability = 239 - the same in-game units as the Close-range AA DPS headline.
239
Range3.5 km
Total DPS in Aura
ƒFar 79 + Medium 239 = 318
318
Near aura
Guns20 mm/70 Mk4 + 20 mm/70 Oerlikon Mk24
Continuous DPS
ƒEffective DPS: 59 raw aura damage × 3.5 × 0.7 hit probability = 145 - the same in-game units as the Close-range AA DPS headline.
145
Range2 km
Total DPS in Aura
ƒFar 79 + Medium 239 + Near 145 = 463
463
Flak
AA explosions
ƒEach ~2 s salvo fires 2 AA explosions in quick succession, each leaving 3 clouds ahead of the attacking squadron, plus 1 stray cloud farther out that appear off-beat between salvos - up to 7 clouds per salvo × 210 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, 3 clouds each + 1 outer cloud
Cloud damage
ƒDamage a plane takes for flying into one flak cloud, before any reductions.
210
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.
75%
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 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
S
Secondary Battery
Mounts8
Firing range5.0 km
Shell Grouping (σ)1
Total secondary fires/min (per side)
ƒSum of each gun family's fires/min (per side): 8.6 + 4.3 = 13. 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.
13
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: 4×4 130 mm (8/side) × 60/5 s × 1900 = 182,400 + 4×2 130 mm (4/side) × 60/5 s × 1900 = 91,200. Assumes every shell hits (real hit rate is lower; the Brawl matchup tool on the Compare page folds in dispersion + target armor).
273,600
Secondary fire DPM vs T6 BB (per side)
ƒFires/min (per side) 13 × (1 − 0.3 fire resistance) × 60 s × 0.003 of max HP per second × 59,350 HP = 96,916. 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.
96,916
Total secondary DPM vs T6 BB (per side)
ƒSecondary DPM (per side) 273,600 + secondary fire DPM 96,916 = 370,516: shell damage plus fire damage against one T6 battleship, every shell hitting.
370,516
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 @ 5 km
ƒ5 km × 57 + 30 = 315 m.
315 m
130 mm/45 Mle 1932 (4×4) (DP)
ƒDual-purpose: the same mounts also fire at aircraft, so they appear on the AA Defense card too - shared guns, not extra hardware.
Caliber130 mm
Reload time5 s
HE alpha1,900
Muzzle Velocity840 m/s
Fire Chance9%
Secondary fires/min (per side)
ƒ4×4 barrels / 2 sides × 60 / 5 s × 0.09 (9% fire chance) = 8.6. 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.
8.6
HE Pen22 mm
Show 1 more gun family
130 mm/45 Mle 1932 (4×2) (DP)
ƒDual-purpose: the same mounts also fire at aircraft, so they appear on the AA Defense card too - shared guns, not extra hardware.
Caliber130 mm
Reload time5 s
HE alpha1,900
Muzzle Velocity840 m/s
Fire Chance9%
Secondary fires/min (per side)
ƒ4×2 barrels / 2 sides × 60 / 5 s × 0.09 (9% fire chance) = 4.3. 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.
4.3
HE Pen22 mm
Maneuverability
Engine power107,000 hp
Maximum speed27.0 kt
Turning circle radius700 m
Rudder shift timeInitial: 19.9 s → 14.2 s
Engine power-boost threshold7.0 kt
Engine spool-up time23 s
Reverse spool-up time11.5 s
Reverse speed
ƒtop speed / 4 + 4.9 = 27 / 4 + 4.9 = 11.7 kt. Base value; speed modifiers scale it.
11.7 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.
41.5 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 (24.3 kt of 27.0 kt).
32.1 s
Acceleration 0-99%
ƒTime to reach 99% of top speed (26.7 kt of 27.0 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.
50 s
Guns in a full turn
ƒWith the rudder hard over the hull turns 4.2°/s, so a target drifts across the bow at that rate. Turret traverse minus hull turn: 3.5 − 4.2 = -0.7°/s, so the guns fall behind and catch up once the turn eases. Main Battery Mod. 2 (+20% traverse) and Mod. 3 (−15%) move this line.
fall behind by 0.7°/s
Concealment
Detectability by sea
ƒBase value, no camouflage. With a Grade IV permanent camo (or any disposable camo): 14.66 km x 0.955 = 14 km. Camouflage does not change detectability by air.
14.66 km
With Grade IV camouflage (sea)
ƒDetectability by sea 14.66 km x 0.955 (Grade IV permanent camo or any disposable camo) = 14 km.
14 km
Detectability by air11.73 km
Smoke firing penalty12.25 km
Detect when firing (sea)
ƒmax(main battery range, sea detectability 14.66 km) = 16.13 km. Equal to the ship's main battery range (never below base detectability): firing makes you visible to everyone you can reach.
16.13 km
Detect when firing (air)
ƒAir detectability 11.73 km + gun-firing bloom 6.8 km = 18.53 km. The bloom tracks main-battery caliber 340 mm × 0.020 = 6.8 km.
18.53 km
Detect when on fire (sea)
ƒSea detectability 14.66 km + 2.0 km while burning = 16.66 km.
16.66 km
Detect when on fire (air)
ƒAir detectability 11.73 km + 3.0 km while burning = 14.73 km.
14.73 km
Guaranteed Detect2 km
✦
Consumables
Damage Control Party∞ charges · 80 s reload · 15 s active
Repair Party3 charges · 80 s reload · 28 s active · 7,476 HP (14% of max HP) total heal (per charge)
ƒ0.005 of max HP per second (0.5%) × 28 s effective active time = 0.14 of max HP × 53,400 HP = 7,476 HP: up to 14% of max HP restored per charge.
· 22,428 HP (42% of max HP) total heal (all charges)
ƒ0.14 of max HP per charge × 3 charges = 0.42 × 53,400 HP = 22,428 HP: up to 42% of max HP if the whole Repair Party loadout is used.
· 267 HP/s (0.5% of max HP) heal per second
ƒ0.005 (0.5% of max HP) × 53,400 HP = 267 HP/s. WoWS heals a flat percent of MAX HP each second, so this rate holds at any health level.
Enhanced Secondary Targeting3 charges · 160 s reload · 30 s active · +100% grouping · -50% dispersion
Module options (3)

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

HullTrade-off
  • Hit points46,000 → 53,400
  • Rudder shift19.9 → 14.2 s
  • AA mounts44 → 42
  • Close-range AA DPS90 → 150
  • Maximum AA range3.1 → 3.5 km
Fire controlUpgrade
  • Main battery range14,660 → 16,126 m
EngineUpgrade
  • Time to 12 kt14.9 → 14 s

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 BB1% wider H · 1% taller V
H = horizontal, V = vertical spread. This ship's curve against the standard battleship curve, both evaluated at this ship's max range (16.1 km) with the same model as Max Horiz/Vert Disp: horizontal 224 / 221 m − 1 = +1%, vertical 134 / 133 m − 1 = +1%. Shell grouping (σ) is separate: it sets how shells bunch toward the centre of this ellipse.
Shell scatter width @ 5 km115 m
(166.7 × (12 − 2.2) / 1000 + 2.2) × 30 = 115 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 km164 m
(333.3 × (12 − 2.2) / 1000 + 2.2) × 30 = 164 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 km213 m
(500 × (12 − 2.2) / 1000 + 2.2) × 30 = 213 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 km44.4 m
How tall the scatter ellipse is at a fixed 5 km, from the same model, comparable from ship to ship. The height/width ratio is a piecewise-linear curve through three points from the ship's own dispersion data: radiusOnZero=0.2 at 0 m, radiusOnDelim=0.5 at delim·Rmax=0.5·16126=8063 m, and radiusOnMax=0.6 at 16126 m. Below the kink: k=0.2+(0.5−0.2)·50008063=0.386, so σV=σH·k=115·0.386=44.4m.
Shell scatter height @ 10 km85.9 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=0.5·16126=8063 m, and radiusOnMax=0.6 at 16126 m. Above the kink: k=0.5+(0.6−0.5)·10000−806316126−8063=0.524, so σV=σH·k=164·0.524=85.9m.
Shell scatter height @ 15 km124.8 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·Rmax=0.5·16126=8063 m, and radiusOnMax=0.6 at 16126 m. Above the kink: k=0.5+(0.6−0.5)·15000−806316126−8063=0.586, so σV=σH·k=213·0.586=124.8m.
AP pen 5 km494 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 =10−7·2408·5850.69·0.34−1.07·671.31.38=494mm, where 671.3 m/s is the shell's speed when it arrives at 5 km (from 780 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 km405 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 =10−7·2408·5850.69·0.34−1.07·581.11.38=405mm, where 581.1 m/s is the shell's speed when it arrives at 10 km (from 780 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 km339 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·K·m0.69·d−1.07·v1.38 =10−7·2408·5850.69·0.34−1.07·511.11.38=339mm, where 511.1 m/s is the shell's speed when it arrives at 15 km (from 780 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 km5.41 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·0.317·0.3428·585=2.46×10−5. That runs from a 780 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 km4.84 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·0.317·0.3428·431.8=3.33×10−5. That runs from a 921 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)16
4 mounts × 4 barrels = 16; all 16 bear on the broadside.

Model inputs

Krupp (AP)2,408
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 mass585 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 coefficient0.317
Air drag on the AP shell in flight; lower keeps velocity, and with it penetration, at long range.
AP muzzle velocity780 m/s
Starting speed of the AP shell; penetration scales with velocity^1.38.
HE muzzle velocity921 m/s
Starting speed of the HE shell; sets its flight time and lead.
idealRadius12
Horizontal dispersion growth per idealDistance of range, in 30 m units; the slope of the scatter-width line.
minRadius2.2
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 range78
Only families that reach 5.2 km contribute at the outer edge of the AA bubble. In-game families: 40mm Bofors Mk3 16x1 -> 191 DPS @ 3.5 km; 40mm Bofors 4x4 -> 48 DPS @ 3.5 km; 20mm Oerlikon MK4 14x1 -> 92 DPS @ 2 km; 20mm Oerlikon MK20 Twin 8x2 -> 53 DPS @ 2 km; 130 45 Mle 1932 quad 4x4 -> 39 DPS @ 5.2 km; 130 45 Mle 1932 twin 4x2 -> 39 DPS @ 5.2 km.
AA DPS layered by range78 DPS @ 5.2 km, 317 DPS @ 3.5 km, 462 DPS @ 2 km
@ 5.2 km: 39 + 39 = 78; @ 3.5 km: 191 + 48 + 39 + 39 = 317; @ 2 km: 191 + 48 + 92 + 53 + 39 + 39 = 462. 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-blank462
191 + 48 + 92 + 53 + 39 + 39 = 462 DPS: the sum of every family's average DPS, achievable only inside the closest-range family (2 km).
AA threat index1532
191 × 3.5 + 48 × 3.5 + 92 × 2 + 53 × 2 + 39 × 5.2 + 39 × 5.2 = 1532. SUM over AA auras of (aura DPS x aura range km). A plane crossing the AA bubble is exposed to each aura for a time proportional to that aura's range, so long-reach DPS is worth more than the same DPS in a short bubble. Units: DPS*km; used to rank overall AA threat across the cohort.
Near aura range2 km

Secondary battery firepower

Max HE alpha1900
max(1900 (130 mm), 1900 (130 mm)) = 1900. Maximum HE damage per shell across secondary HE families. Best on this ship: 1900 from the 130 mm family.
Max HE fire chance9%
max(9% (130 mm), 9% (130 mm)) = 9%. Maximum per-shell fire chance across secondary HE families (before target fire resistance is applied). Best on this ship: 9% from the 130 mm family.
Max HE pen22 mm
max(22 mm (130 mm), 22 mm (130 mm)) = 22 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: 22 mm from the 130 mm family.
Open in Charting Tool

Ship Charts

Background

A battleship design created before the outbreak of World War I, representing an improvement on the previous Normandie class but carrying enhanced primary armament. The addition of the fourth main gun turret allowed the ship to deliver a unique, 16-gun broadside salvo.

Armor Beta

Hull HP 46,000 → 53,400 with hull upgrade, distributed across 5 hull zones, each with its own plate thicknesses, saturation cap, and pen thresholds.

Bow & stern26 mm

Overmatched by 81+ AP guns across the bracket. Can’t reliably bow-tank; gets bow-citadelled and overpenned.

Belt / citadel300 mm

Citadels come from a flat broadside at close range; held past ~30° of angle, AP shatters or bounces.

Farming12 mm

Superstructure and extremities take HE pens and AP overpens from nearly any gun: steady chip damage. Fire resistance 30%, fires burn 60s. Range-by-range in the Compare tool →

Section Plates HP cap Threats Tactic
Bow26 mm primary (range 12–180 mm)1,700 (3% of HP)
Overmatched by 380mm+ AP (Bayern, Richelieu)Angle bounces 356mm26 mm: HE pens from 203mm+
Bow-tank fits behind this exterior plate. Saturation is FAST here; the cap is often only a few thousand HP.
Hull (midship)16 mm primary (range 12–300 mm)40,100 (75% of HP)
Overmatched by 283mm+ AP (Graf Spee, Scharnhorst)Angle bounces 203mm16 mm: HE pens from 127mm+
Largest HP pool. Citadel sits behind these plates; thinner deck and side plating absorb the rest.
Stern30 mm primary (range 12–200 mm)1,700 (3% of HP)
Overmatch not possible in its bracketAngle bounces 410mm30 mm: HE pens from 203mm+
Mirror of bow. Same fast saturation.
Citadel300 mm primary (range 22–190 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.
Superstructure12 mm primary (range 12–350 mm)2,400 (4% 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 HP26,700 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 (130 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.
AA mount (40 mm mount)separate HP pool, does not drain ship HP200 per-mount HPDestroyed at 0 HPPer-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.
Engine (module, research)engine coefficient (unconfirmed)-0.050 research estimateLargest on BB/BC; zero on destroyersEngine durability isn't a per-ship value. This small negative coefficient is non-zero only on battleships, battlecruisers, and the heaviest cruisers, and is exactly zero on every destroyer, so it scales with hull displacement rather than any commander skill. Most likely an engine drag or power term in the same family as the deceleration stats; its exact meaning is not yet confirmed.
Rudder (module)separate HP pool, does not drain ship HP16,000 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 Lyon. Cards are condensed; use each source link for full context.

Buff ×1
2025-10-30

November Update: Into Black Waters

  • We've standardized the armor of several Tier VI Tech Tree battleships, setting it to 26 mm for the bow, stern, and auxiliary exterior plating: Lyon, Gneisenau, Nagato, Sinop, North Carolina, Colorado, and Connecticut. In addition, a few other ships have received minor armor updates.
Read the full official post
2025-07-31

Ministry of Balance: Back to the Naval Academy

  • Minor armor update: 120 mm ring between guns and barbettes was added.
Read the full official post
Exteriors

Skins & permanent camouflages

Every custom exterior Lyon can equip.

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.