Lyon
Beta- Hold 14-17 km on a flank with firing arcs into rotating cruisers and broadside BBs
- Avoid: Idle reloads
Lyon Community Stats
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Lyon Community Stats
Playstyle
Overview
Lyon is a Tier VI French AP-DPM battleship (337,778 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. Standout traits: best flat HE shells in T6 BBs (921) and best AA reach in T6 BBs (5.2 km).
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.
Potato Avoidance
Idle reloads
The kit pays for itself when the guns are cycling on targets; a 20-second window between salvos because no broadside is available is the kit doing nothing. Pre-rotate turrets toward likely-broadside ships before you need the shot.
Signature Traits
921.0 m/s HE muzzle velocity, best of T6 BBs. Flatter trajectory, easier to land at range.
337778 AP DPM, best of T6 BBs. Punishes broadsides.
5.2 km AA reach, best of T6 BBs.
167111 HE DPM, top decile of T6 BBs. Sustained fire pressure.
190.0 mm citadel belt, bottom decile of T6 BBs. Citadels through angle are possible.
Sigma 1.5, bottom quartile of T6 BBs. Shells scatter more; bracketing matters.
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.
Show France tech-tree branch diagram
Lyon sits in the Fast Battleships branch. The highlighted path shows the local branch context inside the full France tree.
Builds Beta
Build for main-battery accuracy/reload, speed, survivability, and fire resistance.
Have a build you swear by? Open it in the Build Tool and hit Save build to share it here.
Cohort position
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Where Lyon sits among Tier VI BBs (27 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.
See 26 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.
Stats & specs
Customize in the Build Tool →Shell ballistics chartMore tools in the WoWS Legends Data LabAll values are ship base stats with modifications and upgrade changes denoted inline.
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Shell grouping (sigma); shown in-game as Shell Grouping.ƒ
Horizontal dispersion ellipse width at max range. (R/30·(idealRadius−minRadius)/idealDistance + minRadius)·30 = (14660/30·(12−2.2)/1000 + 2.2)·30 = 209.7 mƒ
Vertical dispersion ellipse height at max range = max horizontal × radiusOnMax = 209.7 × 0.6 = 125.8 mƒ
50%-hit horizontal radius = max horizontal × GetHalfHitsRatio(σ) = 209.7 × 0.382 (σ=1.5) = 80.1 mƒ
50%-hit vertical radius = max vertical × GetHalfHitsRatio(σ) = 125.8 × 0.382 (σ=1.5) = 48 mƒ
180 degrees / 3.5 deg/s traverse speed = 51.4 s.ƒ
16 broadside guns x 60 / 30 s base reload = 32.HE shells
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57 mm ≈ 340 mm caliber / 6 (standard HE penetration ratio).ƒ
4,700 HE damage x 16 broadside guns = 75,200.ƒ
75,200 HE full-salvo alpha x 60 / 30 s base reload = 150,400.ƒ
16 HE shells x 60 / 30 s reload x 26% fire chance = 8.32.AP shells
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floor(340 mm caliber / 14.3) = 23 mm (AP auto-penetrates plating this thick or less).ƒ
Canonical community AP formula (jcw780/wows_shell), evaluated at muzzle velocity: 1e-7 × Krupp × mass^0.69 × caliber_m^-1.07 × v0^1.38 = 1e-7 × 2408 × 585^0.69 × 0.34^-1.07 × 780^1.38 = 607.3 mm. Matches the in-game spec card.ƒ
Same formula at the ship's max firing range (20.2 km), where the shell has slowed to 461 m/s: 1e-7 × 2408 × 585^0.69 × 0.34^-1.07 × 461^1.38 = 293.9 mm.ƒ
9,500 AP damage x 16 broadside guns = 152,000.ƒ
152,000 AP full-salvo alpha x 60 / 30 s base reload = 304,000.ƒ
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.ƒ
Sum across every AA aura on this ship of (aura.continuous_damage x 3.5 x aura.hit_probability). Here: (91×3.5×0.75) + (59×3.5×0.7) + (30×3.5×0.75) = 462. Covers AA-only mounts plus dual-purpose secondaries (Bismarck 105mm, USN 5"/38 cruiser secondaries) and dual-purpose main batteries (Sumner-class 5"/38, Akizuki-line 100mm). Formula validated against in-game captures on California, Sumner, Manfred von Richthofen, Dante Alighieri (exact) and within +/-17% on the remaining verified ships.ƒ
Longest-reaching aura across AA-only + dual-purpose auras.ƒ
Includes 30 continuous AA damage from dual-purpose secondaries firing as AA in this range band.ƒ
Far 30 + Medium 91 = 121ƒ
Far 30 + Medium 91 + Near 59 = 180ƒ
Max dispersion = range (km) × 57 + 30. Each dispersion type sets its own slope; this is not a percentage applied to a standard baseline.ƒ
5 km × 57 + 30 = 315 m.Show 1 more gun family
Damage Control Party∞ charges · 80 s reload · 15 s active
Repair Party3 charges · 80 s reload · 28 s active · 0.5% heal per second · 14% of max HP total heal
Secondary Battery Booster3 charges · 160 s reload · 30 s active · +100% damage boost · +50% reload boost
See all derived stats
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Numbers the spec table cannot show directly: alpha-strike math, DPM, dispersion, AP penetration. Click the formula chip on any row to reveal how it is calculated.
Main battery formulas
Shell grouping (sigma); shown in-game as Shell Grouping.Horizontal dispersion ellipse width at max range. (R/30·(idealRadius−minRadius)/idealDistance + minRadius)·30 = (14660/30·(12−2.2)/1000 + 2.2)·30 = 209.7 mVertical dispersion ellipse height at max range = max horizontal × radiusOnMax = 209.7 × 0.6 = 125.8 m50%-hit horizontal radius = max horizontal × GetHalfHitsRatio(σ) = 209.7 × 0.382 (σ=1.5) = 80.1 m50%-hit vertical radius = max vertical × GetHalfHitsRatio(σ) = 125.8 × 0.382 (σ=1.5) = 48 mStandard BB dispersion. Used as the baseline for cross-family comparisons.Canonical community AP formula (jcw780/wows_shell), evaluated at muzzle velocity: 1e-7 × Krupp × mass^0.69 × caliber_m^-1.07 × v0^1.38 = 1e-7 × 2408 × 585^0.69 × 0.34^-1.07 × 780^1.38 = 607.3 mm. Matches the in-game spec card.Same formula at the ship's max firing range (20.2 km), where the shell has slowed to 461 m/s: 1e-7 × 2408 × 585^0.69 × 0.34^-1.07 × 461^1.38 = 293.9 mm.57 mm ≈ 340 mm caliber / 6 (standard HE penetration ratio).floor(340 mm caliber / 14.3) = 23 mm (AP auto-penetrates plating this thick or less).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.All 16 barrels bear on the broadside.180 degrees / 3.5 deg/s traverse speed = 51.4 s.4,700 HE damage x 16 broadside guns = 75,200.9,500 AP damage x 16 broadside guns = 152,000.75,200 HE full-salvo alpha x 60 / 30 s base reload = 150,400.152,000 AP full-salvo alpha x 60 / 30 s base reload = 304,000.16 broadside guns x 60 / 30 s base reload = 32.16 HE shells x 60 / 30 s reload x 26% fire chance = 8.32.AA defense
Sum across every AA aura on this ship of (aura.continuous_damage x 3.5 x aura.hit_probability). Here: (91×3.5×0.75) + (59×3.5×0.7) + (30×3.5×0.75) = 462. Covers AA-only mounts plus dual-purpose secondaries (Bismarck 105mm, USN 5"/38 cruiser secondaries) and dual-purpose main batteries (Sumner-class 5"/38, Akizuki-line 100mm). Formula validated against in-game captures on California, Sumner, Manfred von Richthofen, Dante Alighieri (exact) and within +/-17% on the remaining verified ships.Longest-reaching aura across AA-only + dual-purpose auras.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 dispersion
Max dispersion = range (km) × 57 + 30. Each dispersion type sets its own slope; this is not a percentage applied to a standard baseline.5 km × 57 + 30 = 315 m.Secondary battery firepower
Sum across all secondary families of (per-side barrels × 60 / reload_s × alpha), 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 × 1900 = 182,400 + 4×2 130 mm (4/side) × 60/5 × 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).Maximum HE damage per shell across secondary HE families. Best on this ship: 1900 from the 130 mm family.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.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.Armor
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. HP caps are the exact in-game values, not estimated.
| Section | Plates | HP cap | Threats | Tactic |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bow | 26 mm primary (range 12–180 mm) | 1,700 (3% of HP) | Overmatched by 380mm+ (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+ (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. |
| Stern | 30 mm primary (range 12–200 mm) | 1,700 (3% of HP) | Overmatch not possible at T VIIAngle bounces 410mm30 mm: HE pens from 203mm+ | Mirror of bow. Same fast saturation. |
| Citadel | 190 mm primary (range 22–190 mm) | ≈ 165,500 (effectively no cap) | Citadel pen ×0.10 damageOver-pen: ×0.10 damage | Effectively no cap; citadel pool sits at ~165k HP on every ship. Damage is gated by pen/over-pen multipliers instead (×0.10 direct pen, ×0.10 over-pen). |
| Superstructure | 12 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 HP | 26,700 magazine HP | Magazine detonation1–30% chance · below ~75% HP | Per-turret powder-magazine HP. Detonation chance scales from 1% (no mag damage) to 30% (full mag damage); this range is the in-game value. Detonation can't roll while the ship is above ~75% HP (the standard detonation-protection threshold, not a per-ship stat). Smaller magazines saturate to the 30% ceiling faster. |
| Secondary mount (130 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 (40 mm mount) | separate HP pool, does not drain ship HP | 200 per-mount HP | Destroyed at 0 HP | Per-mount HP for the heaviest AA on this ship. An AA mount destroyed at 0 HP stops shooting down planes for the rest of the battle; DCP does not repair destroyed mounts. HE shells specifically target AA mounts since the small-caliber HP pool falls fast. |
| Engine (module, research) | engine coefficient (unconfirmed) | -0.050 research estimate | Largest on BB/BC; zero on destroyers | Engine durability isn't a per-ship HP field in the binary. 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 decoded deceleration fields; exact meaning unconfirmed in the current decoder. |
| Rudder (module) | separate HP pool, does not drain ship HP | 16,000 module HP | Incapacitated at 0 HP | When module HP reaches 0 the rudder locks at its current angle until DCP repairs it. Repair via Damage Control Party. |
Saturation cap = HP a section can absorb before further damage to it is reduced (the "bow-tank" effect). Citadel pool is ~165k on every ship (effectively no cap); damage is gated by pen/over-pen multipliers instead. Superstructure saturates fast but HE always pens regardless of the plate thickness. Rudder (and other module HPs) are a separate pool from ship HP: damaging a module doesn't drain ship HP. Incapacitated modules like the rudder and engine are restored by DCP, but secondary and AA mounts destroyed at 0 HP stay out for the rest of the battle.
Shell ballistics chart
AP penetration, impact velocity, flight time and impact angle vs range. Click to load the interactive chart.
Balance History
Balance updates affecting Lyon. Cards are condensed; use each source link for full context.
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.
Ministry of Balance: Back to the Naval Academy
- Minor armor update: 120 mm ring between guns and barbettes was added.
Skins & permanent camouflages
Every custom exterior Lyon can equip, from in-game data.
DefaultThe ship’s standard exterior
Lyon RepubDecorative
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.
