World of Warships: Legends ship guide

Marlborough

Also called: 马尔博罗 Beta
U.K. · Tier VIII · Battleship · Premium
AP-DPM battleshipHigh gun throughput: keep the mains firing and bleed every broadside that shows.
Playstyle
  • Hold 14-17 km on a flank with firing arcs into rotating cruisers and broadside BBs
  • Avoid: Idle reloads
Key characteristics
High HE / fire outputImproved HE penHigh AP DPMLobs over islandsDeep effective HPShort gun range
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Community Data

Marlborough Community Stats

Across 6,700+ Standard battles from 200+ players, Marlborough averages a 59% win rate, 86,900 damage and 0.9 kills per battle, and survives 43% of them.

Community Data

Marlborough Community Stats

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Playstyle

Overview

Marlborough is a Tier VIII British AP-DPM battleship (422,400 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 cohort-best HE (211,200 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. She also packs the super-heal (1.6%/s, for 20 s, every 120 s, 2 charges): each Repair Party charge returns dramatically more HP than a standard heal, so her durability comes from sustain alongside the lead trait. HE pen sits at the 1/4 caliber ratio instead of the standard 1/6, so HE spam is a real damage option here. Standout traits: deep effective HP in T8 BBs (125,952, 2nd of 33) and fires per minute in T8 BBs (9.2, 3rd of 31). The trade is short gun range in T8 BBs (16.6 km, 32nd of 33).

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. The helm answers quickly (15 s), so she can break an incoming salvo that slower hulls have to eat.

Potato Avoidance

Idle reloads

The kit pays for itself when the guns are cycling on targets; a 25-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

Improved HE penetration

HE pen at the 1/4 caliber ratio instead of the standard 1/6. HE-spam is a real damage option here, not just a fire-starter, shared by 9/33 T8 BBs.

ELITE MAIN BATTERY ↗
  • HE DPM machine · 211200 HE
  • AP DPM machine · 422400 AP
  • High fire pressure · 9.22 fires/min
  • Sensitive AP fuse · arms on 59 mm+ plate
Deep effective HP ↗

125952 effective HP once Repair Party is counted, top decile of T8 BBs. Absorbs more total punishment than the raw HP pool suggests.

Long-reach AA ↗

5.2 km AA reach, best of T8 BBs.

MAIN BATTERY DOWNSIDES ↗
  • Short gun range · 16.6 km
  • Loose grouping
Acquisition

How to get Marlborough

Marlborough is a Premium ship and not available to unlock in the Tech Tree. Acquisition paths: Event currency, Campaign, Doubloons, and Containers. Container chances are shown as the listed odds of receiving this exact ship, dividing grouped ship-pool odds across the resolved ships and including nested container paths when a crate can drop another crate.

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

Best listed chance for this ship

  • Super VIII crate 4.761905% One of the Tier VIII Premium ships Event · Super VIII crate · 1 of 21 ships
  • Santa Level 5 1.25% Tier VIII Premium ship Archived · Santa Level 5 · 1 of 10 ships
  • Spectral Vault 5.0 0.657895% Tier VIII Premium ship Archived · Spectral Vault 5.0 · 1 of 19 ships
Show all 14 containers (11 more)
  • Fleet Celebration crate 0.5% One of these ships Event · Fleet Celebration crate · 1 of 2 ships
  • Santa Level 4 0.425% Tier VIII Premium ship Archived · Santa Level 4 · 2 paths combined · 1 of 10 ships
    Show 2 paths
    • Santa Level 40.3%
    • Santa Level 4 → Santa Level 50.125%
  • Spectral Vault 4.0 0.256579% Tier VIII Premium ship Archived · Spectral Vault 4.0 · 2 paths combined · 1 of 19 ships
    Show 2 paths
    • Spectral Vault 4.00.157895%
    • Spectral Vault 4.0 → Spectral Vault 5.00.098684%
  • Santa Level 3 0.13625% Tier VIII Premium ship Archived · Santa Level 3 · 4 paths combined · 1 of 10 ships
    Show 4 paths
    • Santa Level 3 → Santa Level 50.0625%
    • Santa Level 3 → Santa Level 40.045%
    • Santa Level 3 → Santa Level 4 → Santa Level 50.01875%
    • Santa Level 30.01%
  • Spectral Vault 3.0 0.053224% Tier VIII Premium ship Archived · Spectral Vault 3.0 · 4 paths combined · 1 of 19 ships
    Show 4 paths
    • Spectral Vault 3.0 → Spectral Vault 5.00.019737%
    • Spectral Vault 3.0 → Spectral Vault 4.00.017368%
    • Spectral Vault 3.0 → Spectral Vault 4.0 → Spectral Vault 5.00.010855%
    • Spectral Vault 3.00.005263%
  • Mystic Lantern 0.043478% Tier VIII Premium ship Event · Mystic Lantern · 1 of 23 ships
  • Santa Level 2 0.041688% Tier VIII Premium ship Archived · Santa Level 2 · 6 paths combined · 1 of 10 ships
    Show 6 paths
    • Santa Level 2 → Santa Level 40.015%
    • Santa Level 2 → Santa Level 3 → Santa Level 50.009375%
    • Santa Level 2 → Santa Level 3 → Santa Level 40.00675%
    • Santa Level 2 → Santa Level 4 → Santa Level 50.00625%
    • Santa Level 2 → Santa Level 3 → Santa Level 4 → Santa Level 50.002812%
    • Santa Level 2 → Santa Level 30.0015%
  • Champion's Box 0.02725% Tier VIII Premium ship Archived · Champion's Box · 4 paths combined · 1 of 10 ships
    Show 4 paths
    • Champion's Box → Santa Level 3 → Santa Level 50.0125%
    • Champion's Box → Santa Level 3 → Santa Level 40.009%
    • Champion's Box → Santa Level 3 → Santa Level 4 → Santa Level 50.00375%
    • Champion's Box → Santa Level 30.002%
  • Spectral Vault 2.0 0.010454% Tier VIII Premium ship Archived · Spectral Vault 2.0 · 6 paths combined · 1 of 19 ships
    Show 6 paths
    • Spectral Vault 2.0 → Spectral Vault 4.00.003158%
    • Spectral Vault 2.0 → Spectral Vault 3.0 → Spectral Vault 5.00.001974%
    • Spectral Vault 2.0 → Spectral Vault 4.0 → Spectral Vault 5.00.001974%
    • Spectral Vault 2.0 → Spectral Vault 3.0 → Spectral Vault 4.00.001737%
    • Spectral Vault 2.0 → Spectral Vault 3.0 → Spectral Vault 4.0 → Spectral Vault 5.00.001086%
    • Spectral Vault 2.0 → Spectral Vault 3.00.000526%
  • Santa Level 1 0.009878% Tier VIII Premium ship Archived · Santa Level 1 · 8 paths combined · 1 of 10 ships
    Show 8 paths
    • Santa Level 1 → Santa Level 3 → Santa Level 50.003125%
    • Santa Level 1 → Santa Level 2 → Santa Level 40.00225%
    • Santa Level 1 → Santa Level 2 → Santa Level 3 → Santa Level 50.001406%
    • Santa Level 1 → Santa Level 2 → Santa Level 3 → Santa Level 40.001012%
    • Santa Level 1 → Santa Level 2 → Santa Level 4 → Santa Level 50.000938%
    • Santa Level 1 → Santa Level 30.0005%
    • Santa Level 1 → Santa Level 2 → Santa Level 3 → Santa Level 4 → Santa Level 50.000422%
    • Santa Level 1 → Santa Level 2 → Santa Level 30.000225%
  • Spectral Vault 1.0 0.001295% Tier VIII Premium ship Archived · Spectral Vault 1.0 · 9 paths combined · 1 of 19 ships
    Show 9 paths
    • Spectral Vault 1.0 → Spectral Vault 2.0 → Spectral Vault 4.00.000284%
    • Spectral Vault 1.0 → Spectral Vault 3.0 → Spectral Vault 5.00.000197%
    • Spectral Vault 1.0 → Spectral Vault 2.0 → Spectral Vault 3.0 → Spectral Vault 5.00.000178%
    • Spectral Vault 1.0 → Spectral Vault 3.0 → Spectral Vault 4.00.000174%
    • Spectral Vault 1.0 → Spectral Vault 2.0 → Spectral Vault 3.0 → Spectral Vault 4.00.000156%
    • Spectral Vault 1.0 → Spectral Vault 3.0 → Spectral Vault 4.0 → Spectral Vault 5.00.000109%
    • Spectral Vault 1.0 → Spectral Vault 2.0 → Spectral Vault 3.0 → Spectral Vault 4.0 → Spectral Vault 5.00.000098%
    • Spectral Vault 1.0 → Spectral Vault 3.00.000053%
    • Spectral Vault 1.0 → Spectral Vault 2.0 → Spectral Vault 3.00.000047%
Official WG availability sources
  • "Double Impact" Campaign Breakdown Campaign Start: 2022-12-12 · End: 2023-01-15
    • The milestone-100 reward for players with an active Admiralty Backing is a choice between two different campaign ships—Italian Tier VIII battleship Marco Polo or British Tier VIII battleship Marlborough!
  • Holiday Content: Jingle Ships Campaign Start: 2022-12-12
    • Complete special Marco Polo and Marlborough weekly missions that come with the campaign; the maximum number of Winter Shards you can obtain through these missions is 20,000 if you purchase the campaign with both ships in the first week of the update.
  • Legendary Birthday in Piñata Style Event currency 2025-08-01
    • These three ships—Japanese Tier VIII Premium battleship Hizen, British Tier VIII Premium battleship Marlborough, and German Tier VIII Premium destroyer Z-44—will be available for Piñatitas during this update.
  • Anniversary Update: Operation Piñata Event currency 2025-07-31
    • These three ships will be available for Piñatitas—this birthday's special currency—which you can find in various sources throughout the update, including the Anniversary Gift.
  • December Update: The Most Wonderful Tide of the Year 17,500 Doubloons 2022-12-08
    • Additional rewards you can get with the Admiralty Backing (2,500 doubloons):
    • British Tier VIII Premium battleship Marlborough or Italian Tier VIII Premium battleship Marco Polo; the ship you don't pick as the reward will be obtainable for 17,500 doubloons
Show direct source rows

Want the full picture? Each container page charts the odds as you open more crates - including pity guaranteed-reward timers and, for GD Supporters, pack math personalized to your port.

Builds

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

WG official build from Through the Spy Glass: Marlborough & Marco Polo.

Source: Through the Spy Glass: Marlborough & Marco Polo

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 Marlborough sits among Tier VIII BBs (32 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.

BestHE DPM211,200 (1/31) BestAP DPM422,400 (1/33) BestEffective HE DPM (incl. fire)286,778 (1/31) BestAA range5.2 km (1 of 11 tied) Top 10%Rudder shift15 s (3/33) Top 10%Fires per minute9.22 (3/31) Top 10%AP arming threshold59 mm (2/33) Top 10%AA threat2,489 (4/33) Top 10%Repair heal rate1.6 %/s (3/33) Top 25%Smoke fire bloom13.46 km (5/33) Top 25%Air detection12.38 km (9/33) Top 25%Main battery reload25 s (5/33) Top 25%AA DPS683 (9/33) Top 25%Citadel belt381 mm (7/31) Bottom 25%Sigma1.55 (30/33) Bottom 25%AP velocity757 m/s (29/33) Bottom 25%Engine power140,000 hp (26/33) Bottom 25%Power / turn radius162.8 hp/m (27/33) Bottom 25%Flak damage per salvo (expected)1,208 (28/33) Bottom 10%Main battery caliber356 mm (32/33) Bottom 10%Main battery range16.62 km (32/33) Bottom 10%Time to 90% speed37.3 s (31/33) Bottom 10%AP pen at 10 km427 mm (32/33) WorstSecondary DPM (per side)135,830 (1 of 2 tied) WorstHE velocity757 m/s (31/31) WorstSecondary range5 km (1 of 16 tied) WorstNo torpedoes (26 of 33 in cohort) WorstRepair charges2 (1 of 9 tied)
See 20 mid-pack stats

Not standouts for Marlborough -- 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 points76,800 HP(11/33) Max speed31.5 kt(13/33) Concealment15.48 km(11/33) Turning circle860 m(11/33) HE shell damage5,500(23/31) Main dispersion226.2 m(12/33) Secondary HE alpha1,900(19/31) Secondary fire chance8%(19/31) Secondary HE pen22 mm(24/31) Acceleration (0-12 kt)13.9 s(22/33) Displacement55,687 t(19/33) Power-to-weight2.51 hp/t(25/33) Max armor381 mm(17/33) NormSecondary dispersion bracket57(24 of 33 tied at this value) NormAP fuse timer0.033 s(30 of 33 tied at this value) NormAP ricochet start45°(29 of 33 tied at this value) NormAP auto-bounce angle60°(29 of 33 tied at this value) NormTurn speed retained81%(32 of 33 tied at this value) NormBow armor32 mm(29 of 31 tied at this value) NormStern armor32 mm(29 of 31 tied at this value)
Survivability
Hit Points76,800
Displacement55,687 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.
248.5 x 31.95 m
Armor range19–381 mm
Plate armor thicknesses19, 25, 32, 40, 44, 50, 51, 63, 76, 89, 102, 114, 127, 152, 235, 261, 305, 353, 381 mm
Armor material/layer entries74
Fire resistance
ƒtop hull: 1 − 0.6004 fire coefficient = 40%. Lowers how often hits set you on fire. It does not reduce the damage a burning fire does per second; fires burn at the full rate on every ship.
40%
Fire 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 × 76,800 HP = 13,824 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 × 76,800 HP = 15,360 HP on this ship.
0.5% of HP per second
Torp Reduction
ƒ1 − 0.24 hull torpedo-damage coefficient / 0.333 unprotected baseline = 28%. Reduces torpedo hit damage. It does not affect flooding: floods start as often and tick at the full rate.
28%
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.
38,400
Steering gear HP
ƒDurability of the steering gears. As this pool drops, hits are likelier to jam the rudder; unlike most modules the steering can be knocked out and repaired but is never permanently destroyed.
23,000
Effective HP
ƒBase 76,800 HP plus everything Repair Party can restore: 0.016 of max HP per second (1.6%) × 20 s × 76,800 HP = 24,576 HP per charge, × 2 charges = 49,152 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.
85,333–125,952
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 × 6,200 = 12,400), 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.
6,200
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 × 5,400 = 10,800), 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.
5,400
Hull section HP
ƒDamage saturation pool for the hull: penetrations here deal their normal share until twice this much penetration damage has landed on the section (2 × 57,600 = 115,200), 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.
57,600
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 × 5,800 = 11,600), 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 ×. 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.
5,800
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 × 5,600 = 11,200), 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.
5,600
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: 356 mm/45 Mk VII Quad
Mounts / barrels4 mounts / 16 barrels
Reload time25 s
Firing range16.6 km
Turret traverse4.5 °/s
Turret armor330 mm
Turret traverse arcs
ƒHow far each mount can train, in degrees to either side of the mount's own facing. A rear turret with ±150° leaves a 60° blind wedge over the bow; one-sided arcs are wing mounts that cover a single side. The data does not say which way each mount faces, so the arcs are listed per mount without bow/stern angles.
2x ±133°, 2x ±138°
Guns to bear
ƒ180° − 138° (the most restricted aft-facing mount's arc) = 42° off bow; 180° − 133° (the most restricted forward-facing mount's arc) = 47° 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 / 47° off stern
Shell Grouping (σ)1.55
Dispersion type
ƒIn practice: the baseline curve for a standard battleship -- at max range (16.6 km) shells land in an ellipse about 226 m wide and 136 m tall. Also on this curve (68): AL New Jersey, Agincourt, Alabama, Alabama B, Arizona, Arkansas, Arkansas FE, Atlântico, BA Montana, Bellerophon, Bourgogne, California and 56 more.
Standard battleship
Max Horiz Disp
ƒHorizontal dispersion ellipse width at max range, from the dispersion model: σH=(R30·idealRadius−minRadiusidealDistance+minRadius)·30 =(1662230·12−21000+2)·30=226.2m
226.2 m at 16.6 km
Max Vert Disp
ƒVertical dispersion ellipse height at max range: σV=σH·radiusOnMax =226.2·0.6=135.7m
135.7 m at 16.6 km
Med Horiz Disp
ƒ50%-hit horizontal radius: σH,50=σH·0.6σ =226.2·0.61.55=87.6m
87.6 m at 16.6 km
Med Vert Disp
ƒ50%-hit vertical radius: σV,50=σV·0.6σ =135.7·0.61.55=52.5m
52.5 m at 16.6 km
Turret turn time
ƒ180 degrees / 4.5 deg/s traverse speed = 40 s.
40 s
Shells/min
ƒZero upgrades: 16 broadside guns x 60 / 25 s base reload = 38.4. All upgrades (Main Battery Mod. 3 = -10% reload): 16 broadside guns x 60 / 22.571 s (22.5 s = 158 ticks) all-upgrades reload (25 s × 0.9 Main Battery Mod. 3 = 22.5 s) = 42.5.
Initial: 38.4 → 42.5
HE shells
HE alpha5,500
HE Velocity757 m/s
Fire Chance24%
HE fire DPM vs T8 BB75545
Effective HE DPM vs T8 BB286745
HE penetration
ƒ89 mm ≈ 356 mm caliber / 4 (improved HE penetration: German BBs, Yamato-class, and a handful of others).
89 mm
HE full-salvo alpha
ƒ5,500 HE damage x 16 broadside guns = 88,000.
88,000
HE DPM
ƒZero upgrades: 88,000 HE full-salvo alpha x 60 / 25 s base reload = 211,200. All upgrades (Main Battery Mod. 3 = -10% reload): 88,000 HE full-salvo alpha x 60 / 22.571 s (22.5 s = 158 ticks) all-upgrades reload (25 s × 0.9 Main Battery Mod. 3 = 22.5 s) = 233,924.
Initial: 211,200 → 233,924
Fires/min
ƒZero upgrades: 38.4 shells/min × 0.24 (24% fire chance) = 9.22. All upgrades (Main Battery Mod. 3 = -10% reload): 42.5 shells/min × 0.24 (24% fire chance) = 10.21.
Initial: 9.22 → 10.21
AP shells
AP alpha11,000
AP Velocity757 m/s
Min Ricochet45 deg
Guaranteed Ricochet60 deg
Fuse Timer0.033 s
Fuse Threshold59 mm
AP pen max range349 mm
AP overmatch
ƒfloor(356 mm caliber / 14.3) = 24 mm (AP auto-penetrates plating this thick or less).
24 mm
AP Pen Close
ƒAP formula evaluated at muzzle velocity: P=10−7·K·m0.69·d−1.07·v01.38 =10−7·2295·7210.69·0.356−1.07·7571.38=610.7mm.
610.7 mm point-blank
AP Pen Far
ƒSame formula at the ship's max firing range (16.6 km), where the shell has slowed to 504.7 m/s: P=10−7·2295·7210.69·0.356−1.07·504.71.38=349.1mm.
349.1 mm at 16.6 km
AP full-salvo alpha
ƒ11,000 AP damage x 16 broadside guns = 176,000.
176,000
AP DPM
ƒZero upgrades: 176,000 AP full-salvo alpha x 60 / 25 s base reload = 422,400. All upgrades (Main Battery Mod. 3 = -10% reload): 176,000 AP full-salvo alpha x 60 / 22.571 s (22.5 s = 158 ticks) all-upgrades reload (25 s × 0.9 Main Battery Mod. 3 = 22.5 s) = 467,848.
Initial: 422,400 → 467,848
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.
175
AA Defense
AA mount points19
Maximum AA range
ƒLongest-reaching family on the in-game AA card. Base AirDefense aura max range is 3.5 km; dual-purpose mount auras extend it.
5.2 km
40 mm Bofors Mk VI9×6 40mm
40 mm STAAG10×2 40mm
134 mm/50 Mk I (DP)
ƒDual-purpose: your secondaries doing double duty against aircraft. The same mounts appear on the Secondary Battery card - shared guns, not extra hardware.
8×2 134mm
Far aura
Guns134 mm/50 Mk I (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 58 from dual-purpose secondaries firing as AA in this range band.
58
Range5.2 km
Medium aura
Guns40 mm Bofors Mk VI + 40 mm STAAG
Continuous DPS
ƒEffective DPS: 238 raw aura damage × 3.5 × 0.75 hit probability = 625 - the same in-game units as the Close-range AA DPS headline.
625
Range3.5 km
Total DPS in Aura
ƒFar 58 + Medium 625 = 683
683
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 × 230 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.
230
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
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: 8×2 134 mm (8/side) × 60/6.714 s (6.67 s = 47 ticks) × 1900 = 135,830. Assumes every shell hits (real hit rate is lower; the Brawl matchup tool on the Compare page folds in dispersion + target armor).
135,830
Secondary fire DPM vs T8 BB (per side)
ƒFires/min (per side) 5.7 × (1 − 0.4 fire resistance) × 60 s × 0.003 of max HP per second × 75,900 HP = 46,881. 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.
46,881
Total secondary DPM vs T8 BB (per side)
ƒSecondary DPM (per side) 135,830 + secondary fire DPM 46,881 = 182,711: shell damage plus fire damage against one T8 battleship, every shell hitting.
182,711
134 mm/50 Mk I (DP)
ƒDual-purpose: the same mounts also fire at aircraft, so they appear on the AA Defense card too - shared guns, not extra hardware.
8×2 134mm
Caliber134 mm
Reload time6.67 s
HE alpha1,900
Muzzle Velocity792 m/s
Fire Chance8%
Secondary fires/min (per side)
ƒ8×2 barrels / 2 sides × 60 / 6.714 s (6.67 s = 47 ticks) × 0.08 (8% fire chance) = 5.7. Per side: the barrels that bear on one broadside target (mounts × barrels / 2). A ceiling: assumes every shell hits and ignores the four-fire cap and Fire Prevention.
5.7
HE Pen22 mm
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
Maneuverability
Engine power140,000 hp
Maximum speed31.5 kt
Turning circle radius860 m
Rudder shift time15 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 = 31.5 / 4 + 4.9 = 12.8 kt. Base value; speed modifiers scale it.
12.8 kt
Crash stop
ƒSeconds from top speed to a dead stop after ordering full reverse: reverse power winds in over the reverse spool-up while water drag does most of the braking, using the ship's own reverse-power ratio. The full curve is on the acceleration chart. Full reverse stops about a quarter faster than a plain Stop order from top speed.
42.3 s
Engine boost threshold (reverse)
ƒSpeed below which the engine's built-in power boost applies in reverse.
9.4 kt
Acceleration 0-90%
ƒTime to reach 90% of top speed (28.4 kt of 31.5 kt).
37.3 s
Acceleration 0-99%
ƒTime to reach 99% of top speed (31.2 kt of 31.5 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.
59.7 s
Guns in a full turn
ƒWith the rudder hard over the hull turns 4.1°/s, so a target drifts across the bow at that rate. Turret traverse minus hull turn: 4.5 − 4.1 = +0.4°/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 (+0.4°/s spare)
Concealment
Detectability by sea
ƒBase value, no camouflage. With a Grade IV permanent camo (or any disposable camo): 15.48 km x 0.955 = 14.78 km. Camouflage does not change detectability by air.
15.48 km
With Grade IV camouflage (sea)
ƒDetectability by sea 15.48 km x 0.955 (Grade IV permanent camo or any disposable camo) = 14.78 km.
14.78 km
Detectability by air12.38 km
Smoke firing penalty13.46 km
Detect when firing (sea)
ƒmax(main battery range, sea detectability 15.48 km) = 16.62 km. Equal to the ship's main battery range (never below base detectability): firing makes you visible to everyone you can reach.
16.62 km
Detect when firing (air)
ƒAir detectability 12.38 km + gun-firing bloom 7.12 km = 19.5 km. The bloom tracks main-battery caliber 356 mm × 0.020 = 7.12 km.
19.5 km
Detect when on fire (sea)
ƒSea detectability 15.48 km + 2.0 km while burning = 17.48 km.
17.48 km
Detect when on fire (air)
ƒAir detectability 12.38 km + 3.0 km while burning = 15.38 km.
15.38 km
Guaranteed Detect2 km
✦
Consumables
Damage Control Party∞ charges · 80 s reload · 15 s active
Repair Party2 charges · 120 s reload · 20 s active · 24,576 HP (32% of max HP) total heal (per charge)
ƒ0.016 of max HP per second (1.6%) × 20 s effective active time = 0.32 of max HP × 76,800 HP = 24,576 HP: up to 32% of max HP restored per charge.
· 49,152 HP (64% of max HP) total heal (all charges)
ƒ0.32 of max HP per charge × 2 charges = 0.64 × 76,800 HP = 49,152 HP: up to 64% of max HP if the whole Repair Party loadout is used.
· 1,229 HP/s (1.6% of max HP) heal per second
ƒ0.016 (1.6% of max HP) × 76,800 HP = 1,229 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

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 BBStandard
The standard battleship dispersion curve.
Shell scatter width @ 5 km110 m
(166.7 × (12 − 2) / 1000 + 2) × 30 = 110 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 km160 m
(333.3 × (12 − 2) / 1000 + 2) × 30 = 160 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 km210 m
(500 × (12 − 2) / 1000 + 2) × 30 = 210 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 km41.9 m
How tall the scatter ellipse is at a fixed 5 km, from the same model, comparable from ship to ship. The height/width ratio is a piecewise-linear curve through three points from the ship's own dispersion data: radiusOnZero=0.2 at 0 m, radiusOnDelim=0.5 at delim·Rmax=0.5·16622=8311 m, and radiusOnMax=0.6 at 16622 m. Below the kink: k=0.2+(0.5−0.2)·50008311=0.3805, so σV=σH·k=110·0.3805=41.9m.
Shell scatter height @ 10 km83.3 m
How tall the same scatter ellipse is at 10 km. Comparable from ship to ship for the same reason as the width value above. The height/width ratio is a piecewise-linear curve through three points from the ship's own dispersion data: radiusOnZero=0.2 at 0 m, radiusOnDelim=0.5 at delim·Rmax=0.5·16622=8311 m, and radiusOnMax=0.6 at 16622 m. Above the kink: k=0.5+(0.6−0.5)·10000−831116622−8311=0.5203, so σV=σH·k=160·0.5203=83.3m.
Shell scatter height @ 15 km121.9 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=0.5·16622=8311 m, and radiusOnMax=0.6 at 16622 m. Above the kink: k=0.5+(0.6−0.5)·15000−831116622−8311=0.5805, so σV=σH·k=210·0.5805=121.9m.
AP pen 5 km509 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 =10−7·2295·7210.69·0.356−1.07·663.21.38=509mm, where 663.2 m/s is the shell's speed when it arrives at 5 km (from 757 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 km427 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 =10−7·2295·7210.69·0.356−1.07·5841.38=427mm, where 584 m/s is the shell's speed when it arrives at 10 km (from 757 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 km365 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 =10−7·2295·7210.69·0.356−1.07·521.51.38=365mm, where 521.5 m/s is the shell's speed when it arrives at 15 km (from 757 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 km5.48 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·0.3142·0.35628·721=2.17×10−5. That runs from a 757 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 km5.48 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·0.3142·0.35628·721=2.17×10−5. That runs from a 757 m/s muzzle velocity in 0.02 s steps under gravity 9.8 m/s² until the shell lands, then divides by 2.77 because the game clock runs faster than real time. Lower is better, since a faster shell is harder to dodge and needs less lead.
Improved HE PenYes
This ship's HE shells use a 1/4 (~0.25) caliber-to-pen ratio instead of the standard 1/6 (~0.167) - 0.25 in this case. Lets HE pen ~89mm armor instead of ~59mm. Hits every German cruiser (150mm CL, 203mm CA) and BB (350mm+), British heavy cruisers / Lion / Nelson, a handful of other premiums.
Guns per full salvo (alpha, DPM)16
4 mounts × 4 barrels = 16; all 16 bear on the broadside.

Model inputs

Krupp (AP)2,295
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 mass721 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 coefficient0.3142
Air drag on the AP shell in flight; lower keeps velocity, and with it penetration, at long range.
AP muzzle velocity757 m/s
Starting speed of the AP shell; penetration scales with velocity^1.38.
HE muzzle velocity757 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
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 range58
Only families that reach 5.2 km contribute at the outer edge of the AA bubble. In-game families: STAAG MarkV 10x2 -> 307 DPS @ 3.5 km; 40mm Bofors MK VI 9x6 -> 318 DPS @ 3.5 km; 5 25in 50 RP10 Mk Istar 8x2 -> 58 DPS @ 5.2 km.
AA DPS layered by range58 DPS @ 5.2 km, 683 DPS @ 3.5 km
@ 5.2 km: 58 from one family; @ 3.5 km: 307 + 318 + 58 = 683. 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-blank683
307 + 318 + 58 = 683 DPS: the sum of every family's average DPS, achievable only inside the closest-range family (3.5 km).
AA threat index2489
307 × 3.5 + 318 × 3.5 + 58 × 5.2 = 2489. 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 alpha1900
The only family (134 mm): 1900. Maximum HE damage per shell across secondary HE families. Best on this ship: 1900 from the 134 mm family.
Max HE fire chance8%
The only family (134 mm): 8%. Maximum per-shell fire chance across secondary HE families (before target fire resistance is applied). Best on this ship: 8% from the 134 mm family.
Max HE pen22 mm
The only family (134 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 134 mm family.
Open in Charting Tool

Ship Charts

Background

A variant of a battleship that retained the design features implemented in the Vanguard- and King George V-class ships. The ship's main armament comprises sixteen 356 mm guns mounted in quadruple turrets.

Armor Beta

Hull HP 76,800, distributed across 5 hull zones, each with its own plate thicknesses, saturation cap, and pen thresholds.

Bow & stern32 mm

Overmatched by 7 AP guns here: Incomparable SE 25IncomparableYamato and 4 more. Angling still helps against the rest.

Belt / citadel381 mm

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

Farming19 mm

Superstructure and extremities take HE pens and AP overpens from nearly any gun: steady chip damage. Fire resistance 40%, fires burn 60s. Range-by-range in the Compare tool →

Section Plates HP cap Threats Tactic
Bow32 mm primary (range 32–235 mm)6,200 (8% of HP)
Overmatched by 460mm+ AP (Aki, Musashi)Angle bounces 410mm32 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)19 mm primary (range 19–353 mm)57,600 (75% of HP)
Overmatched by 283mm+ AP (Scharnhorst '43, Schill)Angle bounces 203mm19 mm: HE pens from 127mm+
Largest HP pool. Citadel sits behind these plates; thinner deck and side plating absorb the rest.
Stern32 mm primary (range 32–235 mm)5,600 (7% of HP)
Overmatched by 460mm+ AP (Aki, Musashi)Angle bounces 410mm32 mm: HE pens from 203mm+
Mirror of bow. Same fast saturation.
Citadel381 mm primary (range 32–381 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.
Superstructure25 mm primary (range 25–76 mm)5,800 (8% 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 HP38,400 magazine HPTurret knocked outPer-turret powder-magazine HP, a separate pool that does not drain ship HP. As it is worn down the turret is likelier to be knocked out, and a smaller pool gets there faster.
Secondary mount (134 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.
Rudder (module)separate HP pool, does not drain ship HP23,000 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 Marlborough. Cards are condensed; use each source link for full context.

Buff ×2Main Battery ×2
2026-06-25

Ministry of Balance: Skillful Adjustments

  • Main battery shell grouping increased by ~10.7% (from 1.4 to 1.55 sigma).
  • HE shell damage increased from 5,300 to 5,500.
Read the full official post
Exteriors

Skins & permanent camouflages

Every custom exterior Marlborough 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.