GamingDiver / WoWs Legends Ships / Richelieu

World of Warships: Legends ship guide

Richelieu

Also called: 黎塞留 Beta

France · Tier VII · Battleship · Tech Tree: Fast Battleships

Fast battleshipA fast-mover: reposition between lanes and strike first where peers cannot reach.

Playstyle

Anchor a flank at 14-17 km with bow toward the closest threat, then use the speed advantage at 32 kn to rotate to the cap that needs a second battleship rather than the one your team already has
Avoid: Using the 32-kn speed to push rather than to rotate

Key characteristics

Engine BoostSpotter planeTurtleback armorBurny secondariesHeavy beltAll-Weather

On this page

Community stats
Playstyle
How to get Richelieu
Builds
Cohort position
Stats and specs
Charts
Background
Armor
Balance history
Exteriors

Community Data

Richelieu Community Stats

Across 23,000+ Standard battles from 260+ players, Richelieu averages a 59% win rate, 79,500 damage and 1.1 kills per battle, and survives 37% of them.

Community Data

Richelieu Community Stats

Log in to GamingDiver and upload your data to see Community Data for Richelieu: community win rate, damage, survival, spotting, and your own comparison.

Playstyle

Overview

Richelieu is a Tier VII French fast battleship at 32 kn with Engine Boost on the consumable slot. Mobility lets her rotate flanks battleship-fast and pick fights where her guns get the first salvo. Standout traits: heavy citadel belt in T7 BBs (405 mm, 5th of 48) and burny secondaries in T7 BBs (12, 9th of 46).

Positioning

Anchor a flank at 14-17 km with bow toward the closest threat, then use the speed advantage at 32 kn to rotate to the cap that needs a second battleship rather than the one your team already has. Mobility means you can pick which fight you are in; do not waste it by holding center the whole match.

Potato Avoidance

Using the 32-kn speed to push rather than to rotate

The mobility advantage is about picking which cap fight you arrive at, not about leading the brawl line; a fast BB that overextends loses HP that the kit cannot trade back.

Signature Traits

Turtleback armor

Deck armor angled downward over the citadel, forming a roof outside it. Deflects shells arriving at a low angle up and away, so flat-trajectory fire from close range struggles to reach the citadel.

Engine Boost

+8% speed (about +2.6 kt), 180 s duration. Engine Boost takes her to 34.6 kt, faster than 53 of 60 T7 cruisers - enough to run down most cruisers or pull away from them, though destroyers still outpace her. Uncommon in T7 BBs.

ELITE ARMOR ↗

Heavy citadel belt · 405 mm
Heavy belt

Burny secondaries ↗

12% best HE fire chance per secondary shell (before target resistance), top decile of T7 BBs. Stacks fires faster than peers in a brawl.

Long-range sniper BB ↗

Long main battery range plus tight sigma. Punishes broadside trades from outside most return-fire envelopes.

All-Weather

No stat falls into the cohort's bottom decile across T7 BBs. Stable baseline in every category, no glaring weakness to play around.

Acquisition

How to get Richelieu

Richelieu is available in the Fast Battleships branch of the France Tech Tree for 18,000,000 credits after researching it in the branch. Known module upgrades cost up to 4,500,000 credits.

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

Show France tech-tree branch diagram

France Tech Tree

Richelieu sits in the Fast Battleships branch. The highlighted path shows the local branch context inside the full France tree.

7 ships in highlighted branch · scroll to inspect all France lines.

FranceIIIIIIIVVVIVIIVIII★

Destroyer

Destroyer Split

Cruiser

Cruiser Split

Battleship

Tier ★BourgognePFSB510 Tier VIIIBrestPFSC209 Tier VIICherbourgPFSC208 Tier VIToulonPFSC207 Tier ★KléberPFSD110 Tier ★Henri IVPFSC110 Tier VIIIMogadorPFSD109 Tier VIIISaint-LouisPFSC109 Tier VIIIAlsacePFSB109 Tier VIILe FantasquePFSD108 Tier VIICharles MartelPFSC108 Tier VIIRichelieuPFSB108 Tier VIVauquelinPFSD107 Tier VIAlgériePFSC107 Tier VILyonPFSB107 Tier VGuépardPFSD106 Tier VLa GalissonnièrePFSC106 Tier VNormandiePFSB106 Tier IVJaguarPFSD105 Tier IVÉmile BertinPFSC105 Tier IVBretagnePFSB105 Tier IIIBourrasquePFSD104 Tier IIIDuguay-TrouinPFSC104 Tier IIICourbetPFSB104 Tier IIFusilierPFSD103 Tier IIFriantPFSC103 Tier IJurienPFSC102 Tier VIIIOragePFSD019 Tier VIIL'AventurierPFSD018 Tier VILe HardiPFSD017 Tier VDuchaffaultPFSD016 Tier IVL'AdroitPFSD015

Builds

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

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

Hide ▾

Where Richelieu sits among Tier VII BBs (48 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.

Top 10%Citadel belt405 mm (5/48) Top 25%Max speed32 kt (12/49) Top 25%Main battery range17.55 km (9/49) Top 25%Secondary fire chance12% (9/46) Top 25%AP arming threshold63 mm (11/49) Bottom 25%Main battery caliber380 mm (39/49) Bottom 25%Secondary DPM (per side)175,500 (43/49) Bottom 25%Flak damage per salvo (expected)1,050 (44/49) Bottom 10%Main dispersion238 m (47/49) WorstNo torpedoes (33 of 49 in cohort)

See 40 mid-pack stats

Not standouts for Richelieu -- 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 points63,700 HP(28/49) Concealment15.26 km(21/49) Smoke fire bloom13.95 km(16/49) Air detection12.21 km(21/49) Rudder shift15.4 s(22/49) Turning circle850 m(27/49) Main battery reload28 s(23/49) Sigma1.9(17/49) HE shell damage5,400(32/48) HE fire chance36%(23/48) Fires per minute6.17(33/48) HE DPM92,571(32/48) AP shell damage11,900(31/49) AP DPM204,000(37/49) Secondary HE alpha2,200(13/46) Secondary HE pen25 mm(23/46) AP velocity830 m/s(17/49) HE velocity830 m/s(19/48) Time to 90% speed34.6 s(37/49) Acceleration (0-12 kt)13 s(23/49) Engine power155,000 hp(25/49) Power / turn radius182.4 hp/m(28/49) Displacement44,800 t(17/49) Power-to-weight3.46 hp/t(21/49) AP pen at 10 km566 mm(29/49) Effective HE DPM (incl. fire)138,339(33/48) Secondary range5 km(35/49) AA DPS584(15/49) AA range5 km(19/49) AA threat1,764(23/49) Repair charges3(23/49) Max armor405 mm(16/49) NormSecondary dispersion bracket57(34 of 49 tied at this value) NormSecondary sigma1(48 of 49 tied at this value) NormAP fuse timer0.033 s(40 of 49 tied at this value) NormAP ricochet start45°(47 of 49 tied at this value) NormAP auto-bounce angle60°(46 of 49 tied at this value) NormRepair heal rate0.5 %/s(35 of 49 tied at this value) NormBow armor32 mm(36 of 48 tied at this value) NormStern armor32 mm(35 of 48 tied at this value)

Peers in this cohort

Compare Tier VII Battleships

Show all 48 peers

Stats & specs

Customize in the Build Tool →

Survivability

Hit PointsInitial: 54,500 → 63,700

Displacement44,800 t

Hull dimensions

Length x beam at the waterline, plus draft. Length matters when dodging torpedoes; beam and draft shape how hard the ship is to hit.

249.5 x 33 m (ship-model figure)

Armor range18–405 mm

Plate armor thicknesses18, 19, 20, 22, 24, 30, 32, 40, 50, 80, 100, 120, 150, 170, 233, 250, 280, 330, 340, 355, 405 mm

Armor material/layer entries66

Fire resistance

stock hull: 1 − 0.667 fire coefficient = 33.3%; top hull: 1 − 0.6337 fire coefficient = 36.6%. 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.

Initial: 33.3% → 36.6%

Fire duration60 s

Fire damage

One unattended fire: 0.003 of max HP per second (0.3%) × 60 s = 0.18 of the pool; 0.18 × 63,700 HP = 11,466 HP on this ship. 4 fire points can burn at once.

0.3% of HP per second

Flood duration40 s

Flood damage

One unattended flood: 0.005 of max HP per second (0.5%) × 40 s = 0.2 of the pool; 0.2 × 63,700 HP = 12,740 HP on this ship.

0.5% of HP per second

Torp Reduction

1 − 0.217 hull torpedo-damage coefficient / 0.333 unprotected baseline = 35%. Reduces torpedo hit damage. It does not affect flooding: floods start as often and tick at the full rate.

35%

Magazine HP

Per-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.

31,900

Steering gear HP

Durability 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.

19,100

Effective HP

Base 63,700 HP plus everything Repair Party can restore: 0.005 of max HP per second (0.5%) × 28 s × 63,700 HP = 8,918 HP per charge, × 3 charges = 26,754 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.

70,778–90,454

Repairable: penetration50%

Repairable: citadel10%

Repairable: steering gear50%

Bow section HP

Damage saturation pool for the bow: penetrations here deal their normal share until twice this much penetration damage has landed on the section (2 × 3,300 = 6,600), 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 ×. 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.

3,300

Casemate section HP

Damage saturation pool for the casemate: penetrations here deal their normal share until twice this much penetration damage has landed on the section (2 × 5,700 = 11,400), 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.

5,700

Auxiliary section HP

Damage saturation pool for the auxiliary room: 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

Damage saturation pool for the hull: penetrations here deal their normal share until twice this much penetration damage has landed on the section (2 × 47,800 = 95,600), 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 ×. 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.

47,800

Superstructure section HP

Damage saturation pool for the superstructure: penetrations here deal their normal share until twice this much penetration damage has landed on the section (2 × 1,700 = 3,400), 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 ×. 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.

1,700

Stern section HP

Damage saturation pool for the stern: penetrations here deal their normal share until twice this much penetration damage has landed on the section (2 × 3,000 = 6,000), 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.

3,000

Citadel section HP

This 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: 380 mm/45 Mle 1935

Mounts / barrels2 mounts / 8 barrels

Reload time28 s

Firing range (base)16 km

Firing range (top fire control)17.6 km

Turret traverse5 °/s

Turret armor430 mm

Turret traverse arcs

How 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.

±150°, ±156°

Guns to bear

Counted from each mount's firing arc: no mount leaves a blind wedge, so every gun bears straight ahead. 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.

all guns bear at the bow

See the firing-arcs diagram ↓

Shell Grouping (σ)1.9

Dispersion type

In practice: 1% wider (worse) horizontal dispersion and 1% more vertical spread at max range (17.6 km) than a standard battleship: about 238 m wide × 143 m tall, against 236 m × 141 m. Also on this curve (55): AL Vittorio Veneto, Alsace, Andrea Doria, BA Binah, BA Tirpitz, Bayern, Bismarck, Bismarck B, Brandenburg, Bretagne, Cavour, Cristoforo Colombo and 43 more.

European battleship

Max Horiz Disp

Horizontal dispersion ellipse width at max range, from the dispersion model:

σ_{H} = (\frac{R}{30} \cdot \frac{idealRadius - minRadius}{idealDistance} + minRadius) \cdot 30

= (\frac{17554.9}{30} \cdot \frac{12 - 2.2}{1000} + 2.2) \cdot 30 = 238 m

238 m at 17.6 km

Max Vert Disp

Vertical dispersion ellipse height at max range:

σ_{V} = σ_{H} \cdot radiusOnMax

= 238 \cdot 0.6 = 142.8 m

142.8 m at 17.6 km

Med Horiz Disp

50%-hit horizontal radius:

σ_{H, 50} = σ_{H} \cdot \frac{0.6}{σ}

= 238 \cdot \frac{0.6}{1.9} = 75.2 m

75.2 m at 17.6 km

Med Vert Disp

50%-hit vertical radius:

σ_{V, 50} = σ_{V} \cdot \frac{0.6}{σ}

= 142.8 \cdot \frac{0.6}{1.9} = 45.1 m

45.1 m at 17.6 km

Turret turn time

180 degrees / 5 deg/s traverse speed = 36 s.

36 s

Shells/min

Zero upgrades: 8 broadside guns x 60 / 28 s base reload = 17.1. All upgrades (Main Battery Mod. 3 = -10% reload): 8 broadside guns x 60 / 25.286 s (25.2 s = 177 ticks) all-upgrades reload (28 s × 0.9 Main Battery Mod. 3 = 25.2 s) = 19.

Initial: 17.1 → 19

HE shells

HE alpha5,400

HE Velocity830 m/s

Fire Chance36%

HE fire DPM vs T7 BB45778

Effective HE DPM vs T7 BB138350

HE penetration

63 mm ≈ 380 mm caliber / 6 (standard HE penetration ratio).

63 mm

HE full-salvo alpha

5,400 HE damage x 8 broadside guns = 43,200.

43,200

HE DPM

Zero upgrades: 43,200 HE full-salvo alpha x 60 / 28 s base reload = 92,571. All upgrades (Main Battery Mod. 3 = -10% reload): 43,200 HE full-salvo alpha x 60 / 25.286 s (25.2 s = 177 ticks) all-upgrades reload (28 s × 0.9 Main Battery Mod. 3 = 25.2 s) = 102,508.

Initial: 92,571 → 102,508

Fires/min

Zero upgrades: 17.1 shells/min × 0.36 (36% fire chance) = 6.17. All upgrades (Main Battery Mod. 3 = -10% reload): 19 shells/min × 0.36 (36% fire chance) = 6.83.

Initial: 6.17 → 6.83

AP shells

AP alpha11,900

AP Velocity830 m/s

Min Ricochet45 deg

Guaranteed Ricochet60 deg

Fuse Timer0.033 s

Fuse Threshold63 mm

AP pen max range465 mm

AP overmatch

floor(380 mm caliber / 14.3) = 26 mm (AP auto-penetrates plating this thick or less).

26 mm

AP Pen Close

AP formula 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 2347 \cdot 885^{0.69} \cdot {0.38}^{- 1.07} \cdot 830^{1.38} = 761.8 mm

761.8 mm point-blank

AP Pen Far

Same formula at the ship's max firing range (17.6 km), where the shell has slowed to 579.8 m/s:

P = 10^{- 7} \cdot 2347 \cdot 885^{0.69} \cdot {0.38}^{- 1.07} \cdot {579.8}^{1.38} = 464.4 mm

464.4 mm at 17.6 km

AP full-salvo alpha

11,900 AP damage x 8 broadside guns = 95,200.

95,200

AP DPM

Zero upgrades: 95,200 AP full-salvo alpha x 60 / 28 s base reload = 204,000. All upgrades (Main Battery Mod. 3 = -10% reload): 95,200 AP full-salvo alpha x 60 / 25.286 s (25.2 s = 177 ticks) all-upgrades reload (28 s × 0.9 Main Battery Mod. 3 = 25.2 s) = 225,898.

Initial: 204,000 → 225,898

AP AOE Radius

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.

120

AA Defense

AA mount pointsInitial: 14 → 62

Maximum AA range

Longest-reaching family on the in-game AA card. Base AirDefense aura max range is 3.5 km; dual-purpose mount auras extend it.

5 km

40 mm/56 Bofors Mk2 (upgraded hull only)14×4 40mm

20 mm/70 Mk4 (upgraded hull only)48×1 20mm

37 mm/70 ACAD Mle 1936 (stock hull only)6×2 37mm

13.2 mm/76 CAQ Mle 1929 (stock hull only)8×4 13mm

152 mm/55 Mle 1936 (DP)

Dual-purpose: your secondaries doing double duty against aircraft. The same mounts appear on the Secondary Battery card - shared guns, not extra hardware.

5×3 152mm

Guns152 mm/55 Mle 1936 (DP)

Continuous DPS

Effective 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.

Range5 km

Guns40 mm/56 Bofors Mk2

Continuous DPS

Initial: 43 × 3.5 × 0.75 = 113 → 107 × 3.5 × 0.75 = 281. Raw aura damage × 3.5 × hit probability, the same in-game units as the Close-range AA DPS headline.

Initial: 113 → 281

Range3.5 km

Total DPS in Aura

Far 58 + Medium 281 = 339

339

Guns20 mm/70 Mk4

Continuous DPS

Effective DPS: 100 raw aura damage × 3.5 × 0.7 hit probability = 245 - the same in-game units as the Close-range AA DPS headline.

245

Range2 km

Total DPS in Aura

Far 58 + Medium 281 + Near 245 = 584

584

AA explosions

Each ~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 × 200 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

Damage a plane takes for flying into one flak cloud, before any reductions.

200

Cloud spawn chance

Each 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

A new flak salvo (the AA explosions above) fires roughly every 2 s.

every ~2 s

Fired by

Flak 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

The 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 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 km

See the AA layers diagram ↓

Secondary Battery

Mounts5 → 9

Firing range5.0 km

Shell Grouping (σ)1

Total secondary fires/min (per side)

Sum of each gun family's fires/min (per side). Stock hull: 4.5 = 4.5. Upgraded hull: 5.4 + 2.7 = 8.1. 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.

4.5 → 8.1

Secondary DPM (per side)

Sum 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: Initial: 5×3 152 mm (7.5/side) × 60/12 s × 2200 = 82,500 → 6×2 100 mm (6/side) × 60/4 s × 1400 = 126,000 + 3×3 152 mm (4.5/side) × 60/12 s × 2200 = 49,500 = 175,500. Assumes every shell hits (real hit rate is lower; the Brawl matchup tool on the Compare page folds in dispersion + target armor).

Initial: 82,500 → 175,500

Secondary fire DPM vs T7 BB (per side)

Fires/min (per side) 8.1 × (1 − 0.366 fire resistance) × 60 s × 0.003 of max HP per second × 65,000 HP = 60,084. 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.

60,084

Total secondary DPM vs T7 BB (per side)

Secondary DPM (per side) 175,500 + secondary fire DPM 60,084 = 235,584: shell damage plus fire damage against one T7 battleship, every shell hitting.

235,584

Secondary dispersion type

Max 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

5 km × 57 + 30 = 315 m.

315 m

Caliber152 mm

Reload time12 s

HE alpha2,200

Muzzle Velocity870 m/s

Fire Chance12%

Secondary fires/min (per side)

Stock hull: 5×3 barrels / 2 sides × 60 / 12 s × 0.12 (12% fire chance) = 4.5. Upgraded hull: 3×3 barrels / 2 sides × 60 / 12 s × 0.12 (12% fire chance) = 2.7. 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.

4.5 → 2.7

HE Pen25 mm

Show 1 more gun family

Caliber100 mm

Reload time4 s

HE alpha1,400

Muzzle Velocity780 m/s

Fire Chance6%

Secondary fires/min (per side)

6×2 barrels / 2 sides × 60 / 4 s × 0.06 (6% fire chance) = 5.4. 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.

5.4

HE Pen17 mm

Maneuverability

Engine power155,000 hp

Maximum speed32.0 kt

Turning circle radius850 m

Rudder shift timeInitial: 21.6 s → 15.4 s

Engine power-boost threshold7.0 kt

Engine spool-up time23 s

Reverse spool-up time11.5 s

Reverse speed

top speed / 4 + 4.9 = 32 / 4 + 4.9 = 12.9 kt. Base value; speed modifiers scale it.

12.9 kt

Crash stop

Seconds 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.

45.8 s

Engine boost threshold (reverse)

Speed below which the engine's built-in power boost applies in reverse.

9.1 kt

Acceleration 0-90%

Time to reach 90% of top speed (28.8 kt of 32.0 kt).

34.6 s

Acceleration 0-99%

Time to reach 99% of top speed (31.7 kt of 32.0 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.

54.5 s

Guns in a full turn

With the rudder hard over the hull turns 4.2°/s, so a target drifts across the bow at that rate. Turret traverse minus hull turn: 5 − 4.2 = +0.8°/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 (+0.8°/s spare)

See the full acceleration curve ↓

Concealment

Detectability by sea

Base value, no camouflage. With a Grade IV permanent camo (or any disposable camo): 15.26 km x 0.955 = 14.57 km. Camouflage does not change detectability by air.

15.26 km

With Grade IV camouflage (sea)

Detectability by sea 15.26 km x 0.955 (Grade IV permanent camo or any disposable camo) = 14.57 km.

14.57 km

Detectability by air12.21 km

Smoke firing penalty13.95 km

Detect when firing (sea)

max(main battery range, sea detectability 15.26 km) = 17.55 km. Equal to the ship's main battery range (never below base detectability): firing makes you visible to everyone you can reach.

17.55 km

Detect when firing (air)

Air detectability 12.21 km + gun-firing bloom 7.6 km = 19.81 km. The bloom tracks main-battery caliber 380 mm × 0.020 = 7.6 km.

19.81 km

Detect when on fire (sea)

Sea detectability 15.26 km + 2.0 km while burning = 17.26 km.

17.26 km

Detect when on fire (air)

Air detectability 12.21 km + 3.0 km while burning = 15.21 km.

15.21 km

Guaranteed Detect2 km

✦

Consumables

Damage Control Party∞ charges · 80 s reload · 15 s active

Repair Party3 charges · 80 s reload · 28 s active · 8,918 HP (14% of max HP) total heal (per charge)
ƒ
0.005 of max HP per second (0.5%) × 28 s effective active time = 0.14 of max HP × 63,700 HP = 8,918 HP: up to 14% of max HP restored per charge.
· 26,754 HP (42% of max HP) total heal (all charges)
ƒ
0.14 of max HP per charge × 3 charges = 0.42 × 63,700 HP = 26,754 HP: up to 42% of max HP if the whole Repair Party loadout is used.
· 318 HP/s (0.5% of max HP) heal per second
ƒ
0.005 (0.5% of max HP) × 63,700 HP = 318 HP/s. WoWS heals a flat percent of MAX HP each second, so this rate holds at any health level.

Choose one

Catapult Fighter Hull A only4 charges · 80 s reload · 60 s active · 5 km patrol radius
ƒ
Derived from the consumable's 30 m grid-unit range (km = grid units x 30 / 1000): $\frac{167 \times 30}{1000} = 5 km$
· 1 squadron size

Observation Seaplane Hull A only4 charges · 200 s reload · 30 s active · 1 squadron size · Tightens main-battery shell grouping

Enhanced Secondary Targeting Hull A only3 charges · 160 s reload · 30 s active · +100% grouping · -50% dispersion

Engine Boost2 charges · 180 s reload · 180 s active · +8% speed bonus

Module options (3)

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

HullUpgrade

Hit points54,500 → 63,700
Rudder shift21.6 → 15.4 s
AA mounts14 → 62
Close-range AA DPS71 → 207
Secondary mounts5 → 9
Secondary battery reload12 → 4 s
Total secondary DPM82,500 → 175,500

Fire controlUpgrade

Main battery range15,959 → 17554.9 m

EngineUpgrade

Time to 12 kt13.8 → 13 s

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 BB1% wider H · 1% taller V

H = horizontal, V = vertical spread. This ship's curve against the standard battleship curve, both evaluated at this ship's max range (17.6 km) with the same model as Max Horiz/Vert Disp: horizontal 238 / 236 m − 1 = +1%, vertical 143 / 141 m − 1 = +1%. Shell grouping (σ) is separate: it sets how shells bunch toward the centre of this ellipse.

Shell scatter width @ 5 km115 m

(166.7 × (12 − 2.2) / 1000 + 2.2) × 30 = 115 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 km164 m

(333.3 × (12 − 2.2) / 1000 + 2.2) × 30 = 164 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 km213 m

(500 × (12 − 2.2) / 1000 + 2.2) × 30 = 213 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 km42.7 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  $delim \cdot R_{m a x} = 0.5 \cdot 17554.9 = 8777$  m, and  $radiusOnMax = 0.6$  at 17554.9 m. Below the kink:  $k = 0.2 + (0.5 - 0.2) \cdot \frac{5000}{8777} = 0.3709$ , so  $σ_{V} = σ_{H} \cdot k = 115 \cdot 0.3709 = 42.7 m$ .

Shell scatter height @ 10 km84.3 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  $delim \cdot R_{m a x} = 0.5 \cdot 17554.9 = 8777$  m, and  $radiusOnMax = 0.6$  at 17554.9 m. Above the kink:  $k = 0.5 + (0.6 - 0.5) \cdot \frac{10000 - 8777}{17554.9 - 8777} = 0.5139$ , so  $σ_{V} = σ_{H} \cdot k = 164 \cdot 0.5139 = 84.3 m$ .

Shell scatter height @ 15 km121.6 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  $delim \cdot R_{m a x} = 0.5 \cdot 17554.9 = 8777$  m, and  $radiusOnMax = 0.6$  at 17554.9 m. Above the kink:  $k = 0.5 + (0.6 - 0.5) \cdot \frac{15000 - 8777}{17554.9 - 8777} = 0.5709$ , so  $σ_{V} = σ_{H} \cdot k = 213 \cdot 0.5709 = 121.6 m$ .

AP pen 5 km655 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  $P = 10^{- 7} \cdot K \cdot m^{0.69} \cdot d^{- 1.07} \cdot v^{1.38}$   $= 10^{- 7} \cdot 2347 \cdot 885^{0.69} \cdot {0.38}^{- 1.07} \cdot {744.1}^{1.38} = 655 mm$ , where 744.1 m/s is the shell's speed when it arrives at 5 km (from 830 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 km566 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  $P = 10^{- 7} \cdot K \cdot m^{0.69} \cdot d^{- 1.07} \cdot v^{1.38}$   $= 10^{- 7} \cdot 2347 \cdot 885^{0.69} \cdot {0.38}^{- 1.07} \cdot {669.2}^{1.38} = 566 mm$ , where 669.2 m/s is the shell's speed when it arrives at 10 km (from 830 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 km495 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  $P = 10^{- 7} \cdot K \cdot m^{0.69} \cdot d^{- 1.07} \cdot v^{1.38}$   $= 10^{- 7} \cdot 2347 \cdot 885^{0.69} \cdot {0.38}^{- 1.07} \cdot {606.9}^{1.38} = 495 mm$ , where 606.9 m/s is the shell's speed when it arrives at 15 km (from 830 m/s at the muzzle). Fixed anchors make ships directly comparable at the same fighting distance; the Charts card plots the full curve.

AP flight time @ 10 km4.87 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,  $a_{drag} = k ρ v^{2}$ , where  $ρ$  is air density from a standard-atmosphere profile and  $k$  bundles the shell's drag coefficient, caliber and mass:  $k = \frac{π C_{d} d^{2}}{8 m} = \frac{π \cdot 0.2791 \cdot {0.38}^{2}}{8 \cdot 885} = 1.79 \times 10^{- 5}$ . That runs from a 830 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.

HE flight time @ 10 km4.87 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,  $a_{drag} = k ρ v^{2}$ , where  $ρ$  is air density from a standard-atmosphere profile and  $k$  bundles the shell's drag coefficient, caliber and mass:  $k = \frac{π C_{d} d^{2}}{8 m} = \frac{π \cdot 0.2791 \cdot {0.38}^{2}}{8 \cdot 884} = 1.79 \times 10^{- 5}$ . That runs from a 830 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.

Guns per full salvo (alpha, DPM)8

2 mounts × 4 barrels = 8; all 8 bear on the broadside.

Model inputs

Krupp (AP)2,347

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 mass885 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 coefficient0.2791

Air drag on the AP shell in flight; lower keeps velocity, and with it penetration, at long range.

AP muzzle velocity830 m/s

Starting speed of the AP shell; penetration scales with velocity^1.38.

HE muzzle velocity830 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.

minRadius2.2

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 km contribute at the outer edge of the AA bubble. In-game families: 40mm Bofors 14x4 -> 281 DPS @ 3.5 km; 20mm Oerlikon MK4 48x1 -> 245 DPS @ 2 km; 100mm 45 Mle 1930 6x2 -> 39 DPS @ 5 km; 152 55 Mle 1936 3x3 -> 19 DPS @ 5 km.

AA DPS layered by range58 DPS @ 5 km, 339 DPS @ 3.5 km, 584 DPS @ 2 km

@ 5 km: 39 + 19 = 58; @ 3.5 km: 281 + 39 + 19 = 339; @ 2 km: 281 + 245 + 39 + 19 = 584. 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-blank584

281 + 245 + 39 + 19 = 584 DPS: the sum of every family's average DPS, achievable only inside the closest-range family (2 km).

AA threat index1764

281 × 3.5 + 245 × 2 + 39 × 5 + 19 × 5 = 1764. 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 firepower

Max HE alpha2200

max(1400 (100 mm), 2200 (152 mm)) = 2200. Maximum HE damage per shell across secondary HE families. Best on this ship: 2200 from the 152 mm family.

Max HE fire chance12%

max(6% (100 mm), 12% (152 mm)) = 12%. Maximum per-shell fire chance across secondary HE families (before target fire resistance is applied). Best on this ship: 12% from the 152 mm family.

Max HE pen25 mm

max(17 mm (100 mm), 25 mm (152 mm)) = 25 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: 25 mm from the 152 mm family.

Open in Charting Tool

Ship Charts

Background

One of the most successful and well-balanced "new generation" battleships in the world. The ship was equipped with 380 mm guns, had a high speed, strong armor and very good torpedo protection. The disadvantages of concentrating the ship's main guns on the bow were compensated by the favorable turret traverse angles.

Armor Beta

Hull HP 54,500 → 63,700 with hull upgrade, distributed across 5 hull zones, each with its own plate thicknesses, saturation cap, and pen thresholds.

Bow & stern32 mm

Overmatched by AP from only MusashiARP Musashi. Angled, everything else bounces.

Belt / citadel330 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 37%, fires burn 60s. Range-by-range in the Compare tool →

Section	Plates	HP cap	Threats	Tactic
Bow	32 mm primary (range 32–50 mm)	3,300 (5% 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 19–355 mm)	47,800 (75% of HP)	Overmatched by 283mm+ AP (Scharnhorst, Scharnhorst '43)Angle bounces 203mm19 mm: HE pens from 127mm+	Largest HP pool. Citadel sits behind these plates; thinner deck and side plating absorb the rest.
Stern	32 mm primary (range 32–150 mm)	3,000 (5% of HP)	Overmatched by 460mm+ AP (Aki, Musashi)Angle bounces 410mm32 mm: HE pens from 203mm+	Mirror of bow. Same fast saturation.
Citadel	330 mm primary (range 18–405 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.
Superstructure	24 mm primary (range 24–405 mm)	1,700 (3% 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	31,900 magazine HP	Turret knocked out	Per-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 (152 mm mount)	separate HP pool, does not drain ship HP	800 per-mount HP	Destroyed at 0 HP	Per-mount HP for the heaviest secondary on this ship. A mount destroyed at 0 HP is out for the rest of the battle; DCP does not repair destroyed mounts. Smaller (lighter-caliber) secondaries typically share the same HP value.
AA mount (40 mm mount)	separate HP pool, does not drain ship HP	200 per-mount HP	Destroyed at 0 HP	Per-mount HP for the heaviest AA on this ship. An AA mount destroyed at 0 HP stops shooting down planes for the rest of the battle; DCP does not repair destroyed mounts. HE shells specifically target AA mounts since the small-caliber HP pool falls fast.
Engine (module, research)	engine coefficient (unconfirmed)	-0.050 research estimate	Largest on BB/BC; zero on destroyers	Engine durability isn't a per-ship value. This small negative coefficient is non-zero only on battleships, battlecruisers, and the heaviest cruisers, and is exactly zero on every destroyer, so it scales with hull displacement rather than any commander skill. Most likely an engine drag or power term in the same family as the deceleration stats; its exact meaning is not yet confirmed.
Rudder (module)	separate HP pool, does not drain ship HP	19,100 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.

Balance History

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

Nerf ×1Buff ×3Main Battery ×3

2025-11-27

Holiday Update: Christmas on the Waves

Main battery reload time reduced from 30 to 28 seconds.
Main battery shell grouping increased by 5.5% (from 1.8 to 1.9 sigma).

Read the full official post

2025-05-15

Ministry of Balance: New Horizons, Greater Heights

The barbette rings of the first gun were extended to reach the citadel, and new superstructure elements were added. This change has minimal impact on the ship's performance.

Read the full official post

2020-06-18

Update: June 2020

Richelieu has received a 50% increase to her turret HP. This has been done to give her a unique advantage over Jean Bart (which had the same initial turret HP value). Both ships are known for being quite the snipers, but while Jean Bart receives more love from the playerbase, her turrets can be disabled pretty easily when the intention is there. Richelieu will now be able to better withstand such attacks against her turrets. In comparison to Jean Bart she does lack some burst damage, thanks to Jean Bart's Main Battery Reload Booster, but she will now be better able to sustain damage over longer time periods with a better chance of operating both turrets.

Read the full official post

Exteriors

Skins & permanent camouflages

Every custom exterior Richelieu can equip.

DefaultThe ship’s standard exterior
République Française (Richelieu)Decorative
King of Primitives (Richelieu)Transformers

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.

2021-09-02 · Official ship feature / stats Transformers II Official source 2020-06-18 · Patch notes Update: June 2020 Patch notes 2021-08-26 · Patch notes September update: the Redinforcements Patch notes 2022-04-07 · Patch notes April Update: Three Years Strong Patch notes 2025-02-27 · Patch notes March Update: Thirst for Combat Patch notes 2025-05-15 · Patch notes May Update: The Cat and the Eagle Patch notes

Richelieu

Richelieu Community Stats

Richelieu Community Stats

Richelieu Community Stats

Playstyle

Overview

Positioning

Potato Avoidance

Signature Traits →

How to get Richelieu

Builds

Cohort position

Peers in this cohort

Stats & specs

Under the hood

Main battery formulas

Model inputs

AA defense

Secondary battery firepower

Ship Charts

Background

Armor Beta

Balance History

Holiday Update: Christmas on the Waves

Ministry of Balance: New Horizons, Greater Heights

Update: June 2020

Skins & permanent camouflages

Primary official WG sources

Signature Traits