GamingDiver / WoWs Legends Ships / Méndez Núñez
World of Warships: Legends ship guide

Méndez Núñez

Beta
Spain · Tier II · Cruiser
Open-water kiting cruiserKite at range, bleed fires, and never get pinned.
Playstyle
  • Hold under 10 km with islands tight enough to break vision on demand
  • Avoid: Open-water broadside trading
Key characteristics
2 sigma accuracyStrong AASlow reload
Community Data

Méndez Núñez Community Stats

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Playstyle

Overview

Méndez Núñez is the Tier II Spanish AA-specialist light cruiser with 149 AA DPS at 4.5 km. Match value is air denial as much as direct damage; she anchors the team's AA umbrella so peer ships rotate into the air-defended cell rather than away from it. Standout traits: best stern plate in T2 CAs (25 mm).

Positioning

Hold under 10 km with islands tight enough to break vision on demand. The HE pressure rewards a steady firing arc more than rotation play; pick a corner of the map you can hold and work fires from there.

Potato Avoidance

Open-water broadside trading

Her 120mm shells citadel cruisers on the wrong frame, and her 20,800-HP hull does not recover from a punished salvo. Pick rotations and angles deliberately; the chip-damage role pays better than the trade-blow role on a cruiser of this profile.

Signature Traits

Fast turret traverse

12.0°/s turret traverse, best of T2 CAs. Tracks fast-rotating targets peers can't keep up with.

Thick stern plate

25.0 mm stern, best of T2 CAs.

Top-tier AA

149.0 AA DPS, top decile of T2 CAs (median 15.0).

Long-reach AA

4.5 km AA reach, top decile of T2 CAs.

Slow reload

16.2 s reload, bottom decile of T2 CAs. Salvos punish more, but cycle is slower than peers.

Wide dispersion

111.9 m max horizontal dispersion, bottom decile of T2 CAs. Long-range salvos are noticeably wider than peers'.

Acquisition

How to get Méndez Núñez

Méndez Núñez is a Premium ship and not available to unlock in the Tech Tree. Acquisition path: Early Access.

Official WG availability sources

Builds Beta

Build for reload, range, speed/rudder, HE pressure, and survivability.

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Cohort position

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Where Méndez Núñez sits among Tier II CAs (19 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.

BestAA threat565 (1/13) BestEnd plates25 mm (5/19 / 1 of 7 tied) Top 10%Traverse-to-turn ratio7.44 × (2/19) Top 10%AA DPS149 (2/19) Top 10%AA range4.5 km (2/19) Top 25%Max speed29 kt (5/19) Top 25%Main battery range11.44 km (4/19) Top 25%Engine power45,000 hp (4/19) Top 25%Turn-speed retention84.9 hp/m (4/19) Top 25%Power-to-weight7.44 hp/t (5/19) Bottom 25%Main battery caliber120 mm (18/19) Bottom 25%Main battery reload16.2 s (18/19) Bottom 25%Fires per minute1.78 (17/18) Bottom 25%Main dispersion111.9 m (18/19) Bottom 25%Acceleration9.3 s (17/19) Bottom 25%Max armor75 mm (16/19) WorstHE DPM30,000 (18/18) WorstNo secondaries (8 of 19 in cohort) WorstNo torpedoes (14 of 19 in cohort) WorstDeck armor6 mm (1 of 3 tied)
See 9 mid-pack stats

Not standouts for Méndez Núñez -- here's where she sits on every other ranked stat in the cohort.

Hit points20,800 HP(13/19) Concealment8.67 km(6/19) Air detection5.21 km(6/19) Rudder shift7.9 s(8/19) Sigma2(9/19) HE fire chance8%(9/18) HE velocity808 m/s(12/18) Displacement6,045 t(8/19) Citadel belt75 mm(10/19)

Stats & specs

Customize in the Build Tool →Shell ballistics chartMore tools in the WoWS Legends Data Lab

All values are ship base stats with modifications and upgrade changes denoted inline.

Survivability
Hit Points20,800
Displacement6,045 t
Armor range6–75 mm
Plate armor thicknesses6, 10, 16, 25, 38, 50, 75 mm
Armor material/layer entries36
Fire resistance3.3%
Fire duration30 s
Torp Reduction0%
Magazine HP
ƒThe magazine is the module a detonation comes from. Penetrating hits to it raise the detonation chance from 1% toward 30% as its HP is worn down, so a larger magazine pool rides out citadel hits longer before a detonation becomes likely.
10,400
Steering gear HP
ƒDurability of the steering gears. As this pool drops, hits are likelier to jam the rudder; unlike most modules the steering can be knocked out and repaired but is never permanently destroyed.
6,200
Main Battery
ModuleArtillery: 120 mm/45 Vickers-Armstrong Mk.F
Mounts / barrels8 mounts / 8 barrels
Reload time18 s
Firing range11.4 km
Turret traverse12 °/s
Shells in Rack3
Ready Rack Reload1.5 s
Shell Grouping (σ)
ƒShell grouping (sigma); shown in-game as Shell Grouping.
2
Max Horiz Disp
ƒHorizontal dispersion ellipse width at max range. (R/30·(idealRadius−minRadius)/idealDistance + minRadius)·30 = (11435/30·(8−1.1)/1000 + 1.1)·30 = 111.9 m
111.9 m
Max Vert Disp
ƒVertical dispersion ellipse height at max range = max horizontal × radiusOnMax = 111.9 × 0.6 = 67.1 m
67.1 m
Med Horiz Disp
ƒ50%-hit horizontal radius = max horizontal × GetHalfHitsRatio(σ) = 111.9 × 0.32 (σ=2) = 35.8 m
35.8 m
Med Vert Disp
ƒ50%-hit vertical radius = max vertical × GetHalfHitsRatio(σ) = 67.1 × 0.32 (σ=2) = 21.5 m
21.5 m
Turret turn time
ƒ180 degrees / 12 deg/s traverse speed = 15 s.
15 s
Base shells/min
ƒ6 broadside guns x 60 / 18 s base reload = 20.
20
HE shells
HE Damage1,350
HE Velocity808 m/s
Fire Chance8%
HE penetration
ƒ20 mm ≈ 120 mm caliber / 6 (standard HE penetration ratio).
20 mm
HE full-salvo alpha
ƒ1,350 HE damage x 6 broadside guns = 8,100.
8,100
Base HE DPM
ƒ8,100 HE full-salvo alpha x 60 / 18 s base reload = 27,000.
27,000
Base fires/min
ƒ6 HE shells x 60 / 18 s reload x 8% fire chance = 1.6.
1.6
AP shells
Min Ricochet91 deg
Guaranteed Ricochet60 deg
AP overmatch
ƒfloor(120 mm caliber / 14.3) = 8 mm (AP auto-penetrates plating this thick or less).
8 mm
AA Defense
AA mount points7
Close-range AA DPS
ƒSum across every AA aura on this ship of (aura.continuous_damage x 3.5 x aura.hit_probability). Here: (8×3.5×0.9) + (11×3.5×0.85) + (29×3.5×0.9) = 149. 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.
149
Maximum AA range
ƒLongest-reaching aura across AA-only + dual-purpose auras.
4.5 km
37 mm/83 SK Dopp LC/305×2 37mm
20 mm/65 C/38 Flak 35 Vierling L/382×4 20mm
Far aura
DPS
ƒIncludes 29 continuous AA damage from dual-purpose main battery firing as AA in this range band.
29
Range4.5 km
Medium aura
DPS8
Range3.5 km
Total DPS in Aura
ƒFar 29 + Medium 8 = 37
37
Near aura
DPS11
Range2 km
Total DPS in Aura
ƒFar 29 + Medium 8 + Near 11 = 48
48
Maneuverability
Engine moduleEngine: 45,000 hp
Engine power45,000 hp
Maximum speed29 kt
Turning circle radius530 m
Engine power multiplier speed threshold7 kt
Traverse-to-turn ratio7.4× ok
Concealment
Detectability by sea8.67 km
Detectability by air5.21 km
Smoke firing penalty3.2 km
Detect after firing main guns8.67 km
Detect Fire Sea10.67 km
Detect Fire Air8.21 km
Guaranteed Detect2 km
✦
Consumables
Damage Control Party∞ charges · 60 s reload · 5 s active
Module options (1)

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

HullUpgrade
  • Turret traverse12 → 8 °/s

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 (σ)2
Shell grouping (sigma); shown in-game as Shell Grouping.
Max Horiz Disp111.9 m
Horizontal dispersion ellipse width at max range. (R/30·(idealRadius−minRadius)/idealDistance + minRadius)·30 = (11435/30·(8−1.1)/1000 + 1.1)·30 = 111.9 m
Max Vert Disp67.1 m
Vertical dispersion ellipse height at max range = max horizontal × radiusOnMax = 111.9 × 0.6 = 67.1 m
Med Horiz Disp35.8 m
50%-hit horizontal radius = max horizontal × GetHalfHitsRatio(σ) = 111.9 × 0.32 (σ=2) = 35.8 m
Med Vert Disp21.5 m
50%-hit vertical radius = max vertical × GetHalfHitsRatio(σ) = 67.1 × 0.32 (σ=2) = 21.5 m
HE penetration20 mm
20 mm ≈ 120 mm caliber / 6 (standard HE penetration ratio).
AP overmatch8 mm
floor(120 mm caliber / 14.3) = 8 mm (AP auto-penetrates plating this thick or less).
Broadside guns used for alpha6
Barrels that can bear on one beam (6 of 8); casemate/wing mounts only fire one side.
Turret turn time15 s
180 degrees / 12 deg/s traverse speed = 15 s.
HE full-salvo alpha8,100
1,350 HE damage x 6 broadside guns = 8,100.
Base HE DPM27,000
8,100 HE full-salvo alpha x 60 / 18 s base reload = 27,000.
Base shells/min20
6 broadside guns x 60 / 18 s base reload = 20.
Base fires/min1.6
6 HE shells x 60 / 18 s reload x 8% fire chance = 1.6.
Ready-rack burst alpha24,300
3 shells in rack x 6 broadside guns x 1,350 HE damage. Total damage the ship can deliver off the rack before reverting to base reload.
Burst window3 s
(3 shells - 1) x 1.5 s rack reload. Wall-clock duration from the first rack salvo to the last; the next salvo after that uses the base reload.

AA defense

Close-range AA DPS149
Sum across every AA aura on this ship of (aura.continuous_damage x 3.5 x aura.hit_probability). Here: (8×3.5×0.9) + (11×3.5×0.85) + (29×3.5×0.9) = 149. 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.
Maximum AA range4.5 km
Longest-reaching aura across AA-only + dual-purpose auras.
AA threat index565
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

Armor

Hull HP 20,800, 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
Bow25 mm primary (range 6–75 mm)2,600 (12% of HP)
Overmatch not possible at T IIIAngle bounces 356mm25 mm: HE pens from 150mm+
Bow-tank fits behind this exterior plate. Saturation is FAST here; the cap is often only a few thousand HP.
Hull (midship)25 mm15,600 (75% of HP)
Overmatch not possible at T IIIAngle bounces 356mm25 mm: HE pens from 150mm+
Largest HP pool. Citadel sits behind these plates; thinner deck and side plating absorb the rest.
Stern25 mm primary (range 10–75 mm)1,500 (7% of HP)
Overmatch not possible at T IIIAngle bounces 356mm25 mm: HE pens from 150mm+
Mirror of bow. Same fast saturation.
Citadel75 mm primary (range 6–75 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).
Superstructure6 mm2,200 (11% 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 HP10,400 magazine HPMagazine detonation1–30% chance · below ~75% HPPer-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.
AA mount (37 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 HP6,200 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.

Shell ballistics chart

AP penetration, impact velocity, flight time and impact angle vs range. Click to load the interactive chart.
Exteriors

Skins & permanent camouflages

Every custom exterior Méndez Núñez can equip, from in-game data.

  • Méndez Núñez default exterior
    DefaultThe ship’s standard exterior

Primary official WG sources

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

2025-09-05 · Early access / tech tree line Spanish Wave: Early Access Cruisers, Calendar, and Collection Line source 2025-09-04 · Patch notes September Update: The Valor Armada Patch notes