Nicholas
Beta- Hold concealment edges on the contested cap at 6 km detection
- Avoid: Burning the 6 km concealment advantage on guns
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Nicholas Community Stats
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Nicholas Community Stats
Record History
Playstyle
Overview
Nicholas is a Tier IV American stealth-leaning destroyer with strong surface detection (6 km). The kit opens detection windows most peer DDs cannot match, so her value is contesting caps from concealment edges where the detection band holds. AA (143 AA DPS at 5 km, +300% Defensive AA flak burst) is heavy enough to make her the team's air-defense anchor on top of the lead role; CV strikes route around her, not through. Standout traits: best armor plate in T4 DDs (21 mm) and best sigma in T4 DDs (2.2).
Positioning
Hold concealment edges on the contested cap at 6 km detection. The band opens windows for unspotted torpedo drops and clean repositions; lean into the gaps your peer DDs cannot read, and back out before detection closes.
Potato Avoidance
Burning the 6 km concealment advantage on guns
Every salvo lights you up and gives back the detection edge that makes the kit work; reserve guns for finishing damage on already-spotted ships, and prioritize torpedo drops you can fire while undetected.
Signature Traits
+8% speed, 120 s duration. Engine Boost consumable temporarily raises top speed. Mobility on demand to reposition, chase a kill, or break contact.
21.0 mm max plate, best of T4 DDs.
Sigma 2.2, best of T4 DDs. More shells land near aim.
15.0°/s turret traverse, best of T4 DDs. Tracks fast-rotating targets peers can't keep up with.
5.0 km AA reach, best of T4 DDs.
5.0% fire chance per HE shell, bottom quartile of T4 DDs. AP carries more weight.
How to get Nicholas
Nicholas is available in the Universal Destroyers branch of the U.S.A. Tech Tree for 500,000 credits after researching it in the branch. Known module upgrades cost up to 125,000 credits. 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.
Show U.S.A. tech-tree branch diagram
Nicholas sits in the Universal Destroyers branch. The highlighted path shows the local branch context inside the full U.S.A. tree.
Best listed chance for this ship
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Halloween '25 crate
1.333333%
Tier IV Premium ship
Event containers · Halloween '25 crate · 1 of 3 ships
Official WG availability sources
- Official WoWS Legends container odds Containers Official container drop rows linked below include direct and nested effective ship odds.
Show direct source rows
- Halloween '25 crate 1.333333% · Tier IV Premium ship
Builds Beta
Prioritize concealment, torpedo reliability, and destroyer survivability. Build around your best national destroyer commander, then add inspirations that improve concealment, torpedo reload/speed, or emergency disengage tools.
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 Nicholas sits among Tier IV DDs (22 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 16 mid-pack stats
Not standouts for Nicholas -- 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 chartƒ
Shell grouping (sigma); shown in-game as Shell Grouping.ƒ
Horizontal dispersion ellipse width at max range, from the verified WoWS dispersion model:ƒ
Vertical dispersion ellipse height at max range:ƒ
50%-hit horizontal radius:ƒ
50%-hit vertical radius:ƒ
180 degrees / 15 deg/s traverse speed = 12 s.ƒ
4 broadside guns x 60 / 4 s base reload = 60.HE shells
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21 mm ≈ 127 mm caliber / 6 (standard HE penetration ratio).ƒ
1,800 HE damage x 4 broadside guns = 7,200.ƒ
7,200 HE full-salvo alpha x 60 / 4 s base reload = 108,000.ƒ
4 HE shells x 60 / 4 s reload x 5% fire chance = 3.AP shells
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floor(127 mm caliber / 14.3) = 8 mm (AP auto-penetrates plating this thick or less).ƒ
Canonical community AP formula (jcw780/wows_shell), evaluated at muzzle velocity: . Matches the in-game spec card.ƒ
Same formula at the ship's max firing range (12.4 km), where the shell has slowed to 254.9 m/s: .ƒ
2,100 AP damage x 4 broadside guns = 8,400.ƒ
8,400 AP full-salvo alpha x 60 / 4 s base reload = 126,000.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
Estimate of WG's in-game value; matches the in-game port screen within ±5%. Saturation: most targets only intersect one hull section, so the sim transfers ~1/3 of the warhead alpha (2/3 when the warhead blast >= 5000 and the burst reaches a second section). For this ship: .ƒ
Time to rotate the launchers 180 deg: .ƒ
One side firing, all torpedoes hitting: per-side tubes x per-torpedo simulated damage = 12 x 10,833 = 129,996.ƒ
Sum across every AA aura on this ship of (aura.continuous_damage x 3.5 x aura.hit_probability). Here: (11×3.5×1) + (23×3.5×0.95) + (8×3.5×1) = 143. 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 8 continuous AA damage from dual-purpose main battery firing as AA in this range band.ƒ
Far 8 + Medium 11 = 19ƒ
Far 8 + Medium 11 + Near 23 = 42ƒ
Time to accelerate from 0 kt to 90% of top speed (33.3 kt of 37). Numerical integration of the WoWS engine model with the inputs decoded for this ship: ; ; piecewise acceleration ; the engine ramps over . Euler step until . The 0.42 exponent, quadratic drag and the TimeScale 2.61 are the calibrated game constants (New York's 60/2.61 = 23.0 s spool-up matches in-game); no closed form.ƒ
Time to accelerate from 0 kt to 99% of top speed (36.6 kt of 37). Same integration as the 0-90% row, read where . 99% (not 100%) because exact top speed is asymptotic - thrust equals drag at , so the last fraction of a knot is never quite gained.ƒ
How many degrees the turret can swing for each degree the hull turns. Turn rate , so . Below 5 the turrets drag in a turning fight; 25+ keeps up with any rudder.ƒ
max(base sea detectability, gun-firing bloom range). Firing never pulls your detection closer than base concealment.
Damage Control Party∞ charges · 40 s reload · 5 s active
Smoke Generator2 charges · 240 s reload · 15 s emit / 115 s cloud active
Engine Boost2 charges · 180 s reload · 120 s active · +8% speed bonus
Defensive AA Fire3 charges · 140 s reload · 20 s active · +300% flak burst boost
See all derived stats
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All values are ship base stats with modifications and upgrade changes denoted inline.
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, from the verified WoWS dispersion model: $\sigma_H = \left(\dfrac{R}{30}\cdot\dfrac{\text{idealRadius}-\text{minRadius}}{\text{idealDistance}} + \text{minRadius}\right)\cdot 30$ $= \left(\dfrac{9941}{30}\cdot\dfrac{8-0.5}{1000} + 0.5\right)\cdot 30 = 89.6\,\text{m}$Vertical dispersion ellipse height at max range: $\sigma_V = \sigma_H \cdot \text{radiusOnMax}$ $= 89.6 \cdot 0.6 = 53.7\,\text{m}$50%-hit horizontal radius: $\sigma_{H,50} = \sigma_H \cdot \text{GetHalfHitsRatio}(\sigma)$ $= 89.6 \cdot 0.297\;(\sigma = 2.2) = 26.6\,\text{m}$50%-hit vertical radius: $\sigma_{V,50} = \sigma_V \cdot \text{GetHalfHitsRatio}(\sigma)$ $= 53.7 \cdot 0.296\;(\sigma = 2.2) = 15.9\,\text{m}$Canonical community AP formula (jcw780/wows_shell), evaluated at muzzle velocity: $P = 10^{-7}\cdot K \cdot m^{0.69} \cdot d^{-1.07} \cdot v_0^{1.38}$ $= 10^{-7}\cdot 2598 \cdot 25^{0.69} \cdot 0.127^{-1.07} \cdot 792^{1.38} = 218\,\text{mm}$. Matches the in-game spec card.Same formula at the ship's max firing range (12.4 km), where the shell has slowed to 254.9 m/s: $P = 10^{-7}\cdot 2598 \cdot 25^{0.69} \cdot 0.127^{-1.07} \cdot 254.9^{1.38} = 45.6\,\text{mm}$.21 mm ≈ 127 mm caliber / 6 (standard HE penetration ratio).floor(127 mm caliber / 14.3) = 8 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 4 barrels bear on the broadside.180 degrees / 15 deg/s traverse speed = 12 s.1,800 HE damage x 4 broadside guns = 7,200.2,100 AP damage x 4 broadside guns = 8,400.7,200 HE full-salvo alpha x 60 / 4 s base reload = 108,000.8,400 AP full-salvo alpha x 60 / 4 s base reload = 126,000.4 broadside guns x 60 / 4 s base reload = 60.4 HE shells x 60 / 4 s reload x 5% fire chance = 3.Torpedoes
detectability / (speed kt x 2.6 community game-speed factor).range / (speed kt x 2.6 community game-speed factor).4 launchers x 3 tubes.12 (centerline launchers train across - full salvo to either side).All tubes hitting one target: tubes x per-torpedo simulated damage = 12 x 10,833 = 129,996.One side firing, all torpedoes hitting: per-side tubes x per-torpedo simulated damage = 12 x 10,833 = 129,996.AA defense
Sum across every AA aura on this ship of (aura.continuous_damage x 3.5 x aura.hit_probability). Here: (11×3.5×1) + (23×3.5×0.95) + (8×3.5×1) = 143. 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.Armor Beta
Hull HP 13,100, 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.
Overmatched by 135+ guns across the bracket. Can’t reliably bow-tank; gets bow-citadelled and overpenned.
Superstructure and extremities take HE pens and AP overpens from nearly any gun: steady chip damage. Fire resistance 17%, fires burn 30s. Range-by-range in the ballistics tool →
| Section | Plates | HP cap | Threats | Tactic |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bow | 10 mm primary (range 10–21 mm) | 2,200 (17% of HP) | Overmatched by 150mm+ (De Ruyter, Karlsruhe)Angle bounces 127mm10 mm: HE pens from 127mm+ | Bow-tank fits behind this exterior plate. Saturation is FAST here; the cap is often only a few thousand HP. |
| Stern | 10 mm primary (range 10–13 mm) | 900 (7% of HP) | Overmatched by 150mm+ (De Ruyter, Karlsruhe)Angle bounces 127mm10 mm: HE pens from 127mm+ | Mirror of bow. Same fast saturation. |
| Citadel | 15 mm primary (range 10–15 mm) | ≈ 165,500 (effectively no cap) | Citadel pen ×0.50 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 (×0.50 direct pen, ×0.10 over-pen). |
| Superstructure | 10 mm primary (range 10–21 mm) | 800 (6% 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 | 6,600 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. |
| AA mount (28 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. |
| Rudder (module) | separate HP pool, does not drain ship HP | 3,900 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.
3D armor viewer
Acceleration and Ballistics Chart
Balance History
Balance updates affecting Nicholas. Cards are condensed; use each source link for full context.
Ministry of Balance: New Horizons, Greater Heights
- The consumable duration has been reduced to 25 seconds for all ships, except Nicholas and Charles Hughes, which have a duration of 20 seconds.
Skins & permanent camouflages
Every custom exterior Nicholas can equip, from in-game data.
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.
