GamingDiver / WoWs Legends Ships / Montana
World of Warships: Legends ship guide

Montana

Beta
U.S.A. · Tier ★ · Battleship
Mid-range battleship anchorHold a mid-range lane and trade with the enemy line.
Playstyle
  • Hold 14-17 km on a flank with firing arcs into rotating cruisers and broadside BBs
  • Avoid: Idle reloads
Key characteristics
High AP DPMSpotter planeSluggish rudder
Community Data

Montana Community Stats

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Playstyle

Overview

Montana is a Legendary American AP-DPM battleship (360,000 AP DPM): her main battery throughput is top-decile, 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 turret traverse rate in Legendary BBs (12) and best DCP duration in Legendary BBs (20 s).

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

Long DCP window

20.0 s Damage Control duration, best of Legendary BBs. Stays fire / flood immune longer per activation.

Heavy citadel belt

541.0 mm citadel belt, best of Legendary BBs. Citadels through angle are rare.

AP DPM machine

360000 AP DPM, top decile of Legendary BBs. Punishes broadsides.

Hardened superstructure

457.0 mm superstructure, top decile of Legendary BBs. HE farms less.

Bow-tanker

Bow plate thicker than the cohort overmatch threshold. Angle straight on and shrug off same-tier guns.

Sluggish rudder

29.0 s rudder shift, worst of Legendary BBs. Hard to dodge incoming AP; lean on island cover.

Acquisition

How to get Montana

Montana is a Premium ship and not available to unlock in the Tech Tree. Acquisition paths: Early Access and Collaboration.

Official WG availability sources
  • Strike From the Skies: U.S. Hybrids in Early Access and Our July 4th Event Early Access / event Start: 2024-06-30 · End: 2024-07-31 Official early-access or tech-tree-line article. Tech-tree ships are temporary crate drops during Early Access, then move to the Tech Tree.
  • Blue Archive: New Collaboration! Event/store source Start: 2024-08-02 · End: open/unknown end Official ship/event post that can indicate store, collaboration, event, return, or limited availability.
  • Through the Spy Glass: Hizen Ship feature / release Start: 2023-11-09 · End: open/unknown end Official Through the Spy Glass feature for this ship; useful as a release/availability source, but not a guaranteed current-store listing.

Builds Beta

Build for main-battery accuracy, reload/range, survivability, and concealment. The ship rewards steady salvo quality.

Open in Build Tool →

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Cohort position

Hide ▾

Where Montana sits among Legendary BBs (17 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.

BestCitadel belt541 mm (1 of 2 tied) Top 10%AP DPM360,000 (2/17) Top 25%HE velocity820 m/s (5/16) Top 25%AP arming threshold68 mm (5/17) Top 25%AA DPS777 (4/17) Top 25%AA range5.2 km (5/17) Top 25%AA threat2,548 (5/17) Top 25%Max armor541 mm (4/17) Bottom 25%Traverse-to-turn ratio4.3 × (16/17) WorstRudder shift29 s (17/17)
See 34 mid-pack stats

Not standouts for Montana -- 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 points96,300 HP(6/17) Max speed30 kt(8/17) Concealment16.05 km(10/17) Air detection12.84 km(10/17) Main battery caliber406 mm(13/17) Main battery range17.42 km(7/17) Main battery reload27 s(10/17) Sigma1.9(8/17) HE shell damage5,700(9/16) HE fire chance36%(10/16) Fires per minute9.6(8/16) HE DPM152,000(6/16) AP shell damage13,500(10/17) Main dispersion234.2 m(12/17) Secondary DPM (per side)270,000(11/17) HE alpha1,800(9/15) Secondary fire chance9%(5/15) Secondary HE pen21 mm(12/15) AP velocity762 m/s(11/17) Acceleration9 s(7/17) Engine power172,000 hp(7/17) Turn-speed retention181.1 hp/m(7/17) Displacement72,104 t(10/17) Power-to-weight2.39 hp/t(9/17) Repair charges3(7/17) Deck armor105 mm(11/16) NormSecondary dispersion bracket57(12 of 17 tied at this value) NormAP fuse timer0.03 s(15 of 17 tied at this value) NormAP ricochet start45°(14 of 17 tied at this value) NormAP auto-bounce angle60°(14 of 17 tied at this value) NormSecondary range5 km(10 of 17 tied at this value) NormRepair heal rate0.5 %/s(12 of 17 tied at this value) NormBow armor32 mm(13 of 16 tied at this value) NormStern armor32 mm(13 of 16 tied at this value)

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.

Repair 3Fighter
Survivability
Hit Points96,300
Displacement72,104 t
Armor range6–541 mm
Plate armor thicknesses6, 19, 25, 32, 38, 50, 51, 105, 110, 150, 178, 180, 188, 197, 259, 324, 387, 409, 424, 432, 457, 541 mm
Armor material/layer entries67
Fire resistance40%
Fire duration60 s
Torp Reduction37%
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.
48,200
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.
28,900
Main Battery
ModuleArtillery: 406 mm Mk7
Mounts / barrels4 mounts / 12 barrels
Reload time30 s
Firing range17.4 km
Turret traverse4 °/s
Shell Grouping (σ)
ƒShell grouping (sigma); shown in-game as Shell Grouping.
1.9
Max Horiz Disp
ƒHorizontal dispersion ellipse width at max range. (R/30·(idealRadius−minRadius)/idealDistance + minRadius)·30 = (17420/30·(12−2)/1000 + 2)·30 = 234.2 m
234.2 m
Max Vert Disp
ƒVertical dispersion ellipse height at max range = max horizontal × radiusOnMax = 234.2 × 0.6 = 140.5 m
140.5 m
Med Horiz Disp
ƒ50%-hit horizontal radius = max horizontal × GetHalfHitsRatio(σ) = 234.2 × 0.332 (σ=1.9) = 77.7 m
77.7 m
Med Vert Disp
ƒ50%-hit vertical radius = max vertical × GetHalfHitsRatio(σ) = 140.5 × 0.332 (σ=1.9) = 46.6 m
46.6 m
Turret turn time
ƒ180 degrees / 4 deg/s traverse speed = 45 s.
45 s
Base shells/min
ƒ12 broadside guns x 60 / 30 s base reload = 24.
24
HE shells
HE Damage5,700
HE Velocity820 m/s
Fire Chance36%
HE penetration
ƒ68 mm ≈ 406 mm caliber / 6 (standard HE penetration ratio).
68 mm
HE full-salvo alpha
ƒ5,700 HE damage x 12 broadside guns = 68,400.
68,400
Base HE DPM
ƒ68,400 HE full-salvo alpha x 60 / 30 s base reload = 136,800.
136,800
Installed HE DPM
ƒ68,400 HE full-salvo alpha x 60 / 27 s installed reload (Main Battery Mod. 3 = -10%) = 152,000.
152,000
Base fires/min
ƒ12 HE shells x 60 / 30 s reload x 36% fire chance = 8.64.
8.64
AP shells
AP Damage13,500
AP Velocity762 m/s
Min Ricochet45 deg
Guaranteed Ricochet60 deg
Fuse Timer0.033 s
Fuse Threshold68 mm
AP overmatch
ƒfloor(406 mm caliber / 14.3) = 28 mm (AP auto-penetrates plating this thick or less).
28 mm
AP Pen Close
ƒCanonical 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 × 2520 × 1225^0.69 × 0.406^-1.07 × 762^1.38 = 847.6 mm. Matches the in-game spec card.
847.6 mm
AP Pen Far
ƒSame formula at the ship's max firing range (21.8 km), where the shell has slowed to 498.1 m/s: 1e-7 × 2520 × 1225^0.69 × 0.406^-1.07 × 498.1^1.38 = 471.4 mm.
471.4 mm
AP full-salvo alpha
ƒ13,500 AP damage x 12 broadside guns = 162,000.
162,000
Base AP DPM
ƒ162,000 AP full-salvo alpha x 60 / 30 s base reload = 324,000.
324,000
Installed AP DPM
ƒ162,000 AP full-salvo alpha x 60 / 27 s installed reload (Main Battery Mod. 3 = -10%) = 360,000.
360,000
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.
250
AA Defense
AA mount points60
Close-range AA DPS
ƒSum across every AA aura on this ship of (aura.continuous_damage x 3.5 x aura.hit_probability). Here: (146×3.5×0.75) + (107×3.5×0.7) + (50×3.5×0.75) = 777. 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.
777
Maximum AA range
ƒLongest-reaching aura across AA-only + dual-purpose auras.
5.2 km
40 mm Bofors Mk220×4 40mm
20 mm Oerlikon Mk420×1 20mm
20 mm Oerlikon Mk2020×2 20mm
127 mm Mk41 (DP)10×2 127mm
Far aura
DPS
ƒIncludes 50 continuous AA damage from dual-purpose secondaries firing as AA in this range band.
50
Range5.2 km
Medium aura
DPS146
Range3.5 km
Total DPS in Aura
ƒFar 50 + Medium 146 = 196
196
Near aura
DPS107
Range2 km
Total DPS in Aura
ƒFar 50 + Medium 146 + Near 107 = 303
303
S
Secondary Battery
Mounts10
Firing range5.0 km
Shell Grouping (σ)1
Caliber127 mm
Reload time4 s
HE Damage1,800
Muzzle Velocity808 m/s
Fire Chance9%
Armor Pen21 mm
Min Ricochet91°
Max Ricochet60°
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 moduleEngine: 172,000 hp
Engine power172,000 hp
Maximum speed30 kt
Turning circle radius950 m
Engine power multiplier speed threshold7 kt
Traverse-to-turn ratio4.3× drags
Concealment
Detectability by sea16.05 km
Detectability by air12.84 km
Smoke firing penalty15.49 km
Detect after firing main guns16.05 km
Detect Fire Sea18.05 km
Detect Fire Air15.84 km
Guaranteed Detect2 km
✦
Consumables
Damage Control Party∞ charges · 80 s reload · 20 s active
Repair Party3 charges · 80 s reload · 28 s active · 0.5% heal per second · 14% of max HP total heal
Choose one
Catapult Fighter6 charges · 60 s reload · 55 s active · 5.56 km patrol radius · 1 squadron size
Observation Seaplane6 charges · 200 s reload · 30 s active · 1 squadron size · +10% main-battery range bonus
Secondary Battery Booster3 charges · 160 s reload · 30 s active · +100% damage boost · +50% reload boost
Module options (1)

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

HullUpgrade
  • Turret traverse4 → 12 °/s

See all derived stats

Show ▾

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)1.9
Shell grouping (sigma); shown in-game as Shell Grouping.
Max Horiz Disp234.2 m
Horizontal dispersion ellipse width at max range. (R/30·(idealRadius−minRadius)/idealDistance + minRadius)·30 = (17420/30·(12−2)/1000 + 2)·30 = 234.2 m
Max Vert Disp140.5 m
Vertical dispersion ellipse height at max range = max horizontal × radiusOnMax = 234.2 × 0.6 = 140.5 m
Med Horiz Disp77.7 m
50%-hit horizontal radius = max horizontal × GetHalfHitsRatio(σ) = 234.2 × 0.332 (σ=1.9) = 77.7 m
Med Vert Disp46.6 m
50%-hit vertical radius = max vertical × GetHalfHitsRatio(σ) = 140.5 × 0.332 (σ=1.9) = 46.6 m
Dispersion familyUS/UK BB Disp.
2.5% overall improvement compared to EU BB Disp.
AP Pen Close847.6 mm
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 × 2520 × 1225^0.69 × 0.406^-1.07 × 762^1.38 = 847.6 mm. Matches the in-game spec card.
AP Pen Far471.4 mm
Same formula at the ship's max firing range (21.8 km), where the shell has slowed to 498.1 m/s: 1e-7 × 2520 × 1225^0.69 × 0.406^-1.07 × 498.1^1.38 = 471.4 mm.
HE penetration68 mm
68 mm ≈ 406 mm caliber / 6 (standard HE penetration ratio).
AP overmatch28 mm
floor(406 mm caliber / 14.3) = 28 mm (AP auto-penetrates plating this thick or less).
AP AOE Radius250
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.
Broadside guns used for alpha12
All 12 barrels bear on the broadside.
Turret turn time45 s
180 degrees / 4 deg/s traverse speed = 45 s.
HE full-salvo alpha68,400
5,700 HE damage x 12 broadside guns = 68,400.
AP full-salvo alpha162,000
13,500 AP damage x 12 broadside guns = 162,000.
Base HE DPM136,800
68,400 HE full-salvo alpha x 60 / 30 s base reload = 136,800.
Base AP DPM324,000
162,000 AP full-salvo alpha x 60 / 30 s base reload = 324,000.
Installed HE DPM152,000
68,400 HE full-salvo alpha x 60 / 27 s installed reload (Main Battery Mod. 3 = -10%) = 152,000.
Installed AP DPM360,000
162,000 AP full-salvo alpha x 60 / 27 s installed reload (Main Battery Mod. 3 = -10%) = 360,000.
Base shells/min24
12 broadside guns x 60 / 30 s base reload = 24.
Installed shells/min26.7
12 broadside guns x 60 / 27 s installed Artillery reload = 26.7.
Base fires/min8.64
12 HE shells x 60 / 30 s reload x 36% fire chance = 8.64.
Installed fires/min9.6
12 HE shells x 60 / 27 s installed reload x 36% fire chance = 9.6.

AA defense

Close-range AA DPS777
Sum across every AA aura on this ship of (aura.continuous_damage x 3.5 x aura.hit_probability). Here: (146×3.5×0.75) + (107×3.5×0.7) + (50×3.5×0.75) = 777. 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 range5.2 km
Longest-reaching aura across AA-only + dual-purpose auras.
AA threat index2548
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 dispersion

Secondary dispersion typeStandard
Max dispersion = range (km) × 57 + 30. Each dispersion type sets its own slope; this is not a percentage applied to a standard baseline.
Max secondary dispersion @ 5 km315 m
5 km × 57 + 30 = 315 m.

Secondary battery firepower

Secondary DPM (per side)270,000
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: 10×2 127 mm (10/side) × 60/4 × 1800 = 270,000. Assumes every shell hits (real hit rate is lower; the Brawl matchup tool on the Compare page folds in dispersion + target armor).
Max HE alpha1800
Maximum HE damage per shell across secondary HE families. Best on this ship: 1800 from the 127 mm family.
Max HE fire chance9%
Maximum per-shell fire chance across secondary HE families (before target fire resistance is applied). Best on this ship: 9% from the 127 mm family.
Max HE pen21 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: 21 mm from the 127 mm family.

Armor

Hull HP 96,300, 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
Bow32 mm primary (range 32–50 mm)5,000 (5% of HP)
Overmatched by 460mm+ (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 6–541 mm)72,200 (75% of HP)
Overmatched by 283mm+ (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 6–178 mm)6,600 (7% of HP)
Overmatched by 460mm+ (Aki, Musashi)Angle bounces 410mm32 mm: HE pens from 203mm+
Mirror of bow. Same fast saturation.
Citadel541 mm primary (range 25–541 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).
Superstructure457 mm3,900 (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 HP48,200 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.
Secondary mount (127 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 HP28,900 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.

Balance History

Balance updates affecting Montana. Cards are condensed; use each source link for full context.

Nerf ×8Buff ×4Main Battery ×2
2024-04-25

Ministry of Balance: Old Gold

  • Main battery shell grouping increased by 2.5% (from 1.85 to 1.9).
  • Main battery AP shell damage increased from 13,100 to 13,500.
  • Ship HP increased from 86,600 to 96,300.
  • Bow HP reduced from 12,500 to 5,000.
  • Casemate HP reduced from 33,000 to 13,000.
  • Stern HP reduced from 16,750 to 6,600.
  • Superstructure HP reduced from 10,000 to 3,900.
  • Ship HP increased from 95,220 to 105,800.
  • Bow HP reduced from 12,000 to 4,800.
  • Casemate HP reduced from 43,500 to 17,200.
  • +2 more official change lines in the source post.
Read the full official post
Exteriors

Skins & permanent camouflages

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

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.

2022-09-01 · Official ship feature / stats Transformers Go Legendary Official source 2024-08-02 · Official ship feature / stats Blue Archive: New Collaboration! Official source 2025-08-04 · Official ship feature / stats Blue Archive Is Back in Legends! Official source 2021-11-25 · Patch notes December Update: Dragon's Breath Patch notes 2021-12-16 · Patch notes Holiday Update: Chilling With the Beasts Patch notes 2022-09-29 · Patch notes Halloween Update: New Friends, Old Foes Patch notes