GamingDiver / WoWs Legends Ships / Schlieffen

World of Warships: Legends ship guide

Schlieffen

Also called: 施里芬 Beta

Germany · Tier ★ · Battleship · Premium

Secondary battleshipA brawler: close the distance and the secondaries work alongside the mains.

Playstyle

Anchor a flank at 14-17 km with bow toward the closest threat, then use the speed advantage at 34.1 kn to rotate to the cap that needs a second battleship rather than the one your team already has
Avoid: Using the 34.1-kn speed to push rather than to rotate

Key characteristics

Strong secondaries (8 km)Improved HE penSonarFast for the classBig torpedo salvoWeak AA

On this page

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

Community Data

Schlieffen Community Stats

Across 14,000+ Standard battles from 250+ players, Schlieffen averages a 58% win rate, 92,400 damage and 1.0 kills per battle, and survives 24% of them.

Community Data

Schlieffen Community Stats

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

Playstyle

Overview

Schlieffen is a Legendary German secondary battleship with top-decile secondary reach out to 8 km: the kit rewards closing inside secondary range and letting the auto-fire battery work alongside the mains, not holding mid-range AP lines. HE pen sits at the 1/4 caliber ratio instead of the standard 1/6, so HE damages angled targets her AP can't, but her HE volume is low: a tool for bow-on targets, not a damage plan. Standout traits: heavy secondary DPM in Legendary BBs (301,254, 5th of 23) and top speed in Legendary BBs (34.1 kt, 2nd of 23). The trade is low HE DPM in Legendary BBs (69,000, 22nd of 22).

Positioning

Anchor a flank at 14-17 km with bow toward the closest threat, then use the speed advantage at 34.1 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. The helm answers quickly (14.5 s), so she can break an incoming salvo that slower hulls have to eat.

Potato Avoidance

Using the 34.1-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

ELITE SECONDARIES ↗

Extended secondary range · 8 km
Heavy secondary DPM · 301254 secondary
Punch-through secondaries · 38 mm

Improved HE penetration

HE pen at the 1/4 caliber ratio instead of the standard 1/6. HE-spam is a real damage option here, not just a fire-starter, shared by 8/23 Legendary BBs.

Fast for the class ↗

34.1 kt, top decile of Legendary BBs. Lets you rotate flanks or escape disengagements.

Big torpedo salvo ↗

8 tubes per side, best of the 6 Legendary BBs with torpedoes. More torpedoes per launch: spread wide to cover a reposition, or tight for more hits on a thin target.

Fast AP shells ↗

4.79 s AP flight time to 10 km, top decile of Legendary BBs. Reaches targets sooner at a fixed reference range; harder to dodge.

MAIN BATTERY DOWNSIDES ↗

Low HE DPM · 69000 HE
Short gun range · 16.6 km

Acquisition

How to get Schlieffen

Schlieffen is available as a Bureau project.

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

Official WG availability sources

March Update: Seeing Green Bureau project Start: 2023-03-02
- The Project that will deliver you this brand-new German Legendary battleship is available for credits or doubloons in the Store.

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 Schlieffen sits among Legendary BBs (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.

BestSecondary HE pen38 mm (1 of 3 tied) BestSecondary range8 km (1/23) Top 10%Max speed34.1 kt (2/23) Top 10%Rudder shift14.5 s (3/23) Top 10%Main dispersion187.3 m (2/23) Top 10%Secondary dispersion bracket33 (3/23) Top 10%Displacement50,482 t (3/23) Top 10%Power-to-weight3.96 hp/t (3/23) Top 25%Secondary DPM (per side)301,254 (5/23) Top 25%AP velocity835 m/s (4/23) Top 25%HE velocity835 m/s (5/22) Top 25%Acceleration (0-12 kt)12.5 s (6/23) Top 25%Engine power200,000 hp (5/23) Top 25%Power / turn radius206.2 hp/m (6/23) Bottom 25%Hit points76,100 HP (19/23) Bottom 25%Main battery reload32 s (19/23) Bottom 25%Sigma1.7 (21/23) Bottom 25%AP DPM194,250 (21/23) Bottom 25%AP pen at 10 km582 mm (19/23) Bottom 25%AA threat1,942 (21/23) Bottom 25%End plates27 mm (19/23 / 19/23) Bottom 10%Main battery range16.58 km (22/23) Bottom 10%AA DPS501 (22/23) WorstFires per minute4.05 (22/22) WorstHE DPM69,000 (22/22) WorstEffective HE DPM (incl. fire)102,199 (22/22) WorstTorpedo speed54 kt (6/6) WorstTorpedo reload160 s (6/6)

See 22 mid-pack stats

Not standouts for Schlieffen -- 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.

Concealment15.83 km(9/23) Smoke fire bloom15.69 km(15/23) Air detection12.66 km(9/23) Turning circle970 m(17/23) Main battery caliber420 mm(13/23) AP shell damage12,950(18/23) Secondary HE alpha1,700(16/21) Secondary fire chance8%(13/21) Time to 90% speed35 s(10/23) AP arming threshold70 mm(10/23) AA range5 km(17/23) Flak damage per salvo (expected)2,415(10/23) Torpedo range7.98 km(4/6) Torpedo damage≈15,533(4/6) Torpedo reaction time8.3 s(5/6) Repair charges3(9/23) Max armor380 mm(18/23) Citadel belt380 mm(13/23) NormAP fuse timer0.033 s(20 of 23 tied at this value) NormAP ricochet start45°(20 of 23 tied at this value) NormAP auto-bounce angle60°(20 of 23 tied at this value) NormRepair heal rate0.5 %/s(15 of 23 tied at this value)

Peers in this cohort

Compare Legendary Battleships

Show all 22 peers

Stats & specs

Customize in the Build Tool →

Survivability

Hit Points76,100

Displacement50,482 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.

282 x 33.6 m

Armor range19–380 mm

Plate armor thicknesses19, 27, 30, 32, 40, 50, 60, 75, 80, 100, 150, 180, 200, 220, 225, 260, 300, 315, 330, 350, 380 mm

Armor material/layer entries95

Fire resistance

top hull: 1 − 0.6004 fire coefficient = 40%. Lowers how often hits set you on fire. It does not reduce the damage a burning fire does per second; fires burn at the full rate on every ship.

40%

Fire duration60 s

Fire damage

One unattended fire: 0.003 of max HP per second (0.3%) × 60 s = 0.18 of the pool; 0.18 × 76,100 HP = 13,698 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 × 76,100 HP = 15,220 HP on this ship.

0.5% of HP per second

Torp Reduction

1 − 0.25 hull torpedo-damage coefficient / 0.333 unprotected baseline = 25%. Reduces torpedo hit damage. It does not affect flooding: floods start as often and tick at the full rate.

25%

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.

38,100

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.

22,800

Effective HP

Base 76,100 HP plus everything Repair Party can restore: 0.005 of max HP per second (0.5%) × 28 s × 76,100 HP = 10,654 HP per charge, × 3 charges = 31,962 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.

84,556–108,062

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 × 4,000 = 8,000), 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.

4,000

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 × 11,900 = 23,800), 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.

11,900

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 × 57,100 = 114,200), then further hits on it deal half damage. A penetration deals 0.33 × the shell's max damage; once the section is saturated it deals exactly half of that (0.5 × 0.33 = 0.165 × max damage), so a 3,000-damage shell's pen goes from 990 to 495. Overpens (0.1 × max damage) and citadels (1.0 ×) ignore saturation. Pens on the ship's other, unsaturated sections still deal the normal 0.33 ×. A larger pool keeps that part of the ship taking full damage for longer; a small one saturates fast and protects the ship's HP.

57,100

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 × 4,900 = 9,800), 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 ×. 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.

4,900

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 × 2,100 = 4,200), then further hits on it deal half damage. A penetration deals 0.33 × the shell's max damage; once the section is saturated it deals exactly half of that (0.5 × 0.33 = 0.165 × max damage), so a 3,000-damage shell's pen goes from 990 to 495. Overpens (0.1 × max damage) and citadels (1.0 ×) ignore saturation. Pens on the ship's other, unsaturated sections still deal the normal 0.33 ×. A larger pool keeps that part of the ship taking full damage for longer; a small one saturates fast and protects the ship's HP.

2,100

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: 420 mm/50 SK L/50 Drh LC/1918

Mounts / barrels4 mounts / 8 barrels

Reload time32 s

Firing range16.6 km

Turret traverse6 °/s

Turret armor380 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.

3x ±147°

Guns to bear

180° − 146° (the most restricted aft-facing mount's arc) = 34° off bow; 180° − 147° (the most restricted forward-facing mount's arc) = 33° off stern. How far off the bow (or stern) the ship must angle before every main turret can fire: the widest blind wedge among the rear-facing (or forward-facing) mounts, from each mount's trainable arc.

34° off bow / 33° off stern

See the firing-arcs diagram ↓

Shell Grouping (σ)1.7

Dispersion type

In practice: 17% tighter (better) horizontal dispersion and 17% less vertical spread at max range (16.6 km) than a standard battleship: about 187 m wide × 112 m tall, against 226 m × 135 m. Also on this curve (56): Al Ägir, Alaska, Alaska B, Anhalt, BA Utnapishtim's Ship, Borodino, Brest, Carnot, Champagne, Cherbourg, Congress, Ägir and 44 more.

Improved battleship & large cruiser

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{16582}{30} \cdot \frac{10 - 1.6}{1000} + 1.6) \cdot 30 = 187.3 m

187.3 m at 16.6 km

Max Vert Disp

Vertical dispersion ellipse height at max range:

σ_{V} = σ_{H} \cdot radiusOnMax

= 187.3 \cdot 0.6 = 112.4 m

112.4 m at 16.6 km

Med Horiz Disp

50%-hit horizontal radius:

σ_{H, 50} = σ_{H} \cdot \frac{0.6}{σ}

= 187.3 \cdot \frac{0.6}{1.7} = 66.1 m

66.1 m at 16.6 km

Med Vert Disp

50%-hit vertical radius:

σ_{V, 50} = σ_{V} \cdot \frac{0.6}{σ}

= 112.4 \cdot \frac{0.6}{1.7} = 39.7 m

39.7 m at 16.6 km

Turret turn time

180 degrees / 6 deg/s traverse speed = 30 s.

30 s

Shells/min

Zero upgrades: 8 broadside guns x 60 / 32 s base reload = 15. All upgrades (Main Battery Mod. 3 = -10% reload): 8 broadside guns x 60 / 28.857 s (28.8 s = 202 ticks) all-upgrades reload (32 s × 0.9 Main Battery Mod. 3 = 28.8 s) = 16.6.

Initial: 15 → 16.6

HE shells

HE alpha4,600

HE Velocity835 m/s

Fire Chance27%

HE fire DPM vs T8 BB33199

Effective HE DPM vs T8 BB102199

HE penetration

105 mm ≈ 420 mm caliber / 4 (improved HE penetration: German BBs, Yamato-class, and a handful of others).

105 mm

HE full-salvo alpha

4,600 HE damage x 8 broadside guns = 36,800.

36,800

HE DPM

Zero upgrades: 36,800 HE full-salvo alpha x 60 / 32 s base reload = 69,000. All upgrades (Main Battery Mod. 3 = -10% reload): 36,800 HE full-salvo alpha x 60 / 28.857 s (28.8 s = 202 ticks) all-upgrades reload (32 s × 0.9 Main Battery Mod. 3 = 28.8 s) = 76,515.

Initial: 69,000 → 76,515

Fires/min

Zero upgrades: 15 shells/min × 0.27 (27% fire chance) = 4.05. All upgrades (Main Battery Mod. 3 = -10% reload): 16.6 shells/min × 0.27 (27% fire chance) = 4.49.

Initial: 4.05 → 4.49

AP shells

AP alpha12,950

AP Velocity835 m/s

Min Ricochet45 deg

Guaranteed Ricochet60 deg

Fuse Timer0.033 s

Fuse Threshold70 mm

AP pen max range497 mm

AP overmatch

floor(420 mm caliber / 14.3) = 29 mm (AP auto-penetrates plating this thick or less).

29 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 2300 \cdot 1050^{0.69} \cdot {0.42}^{- 1.07} \cdot 835^{1.38} = 761 mm

761 mm point-blank

AP Pen Far

Same formula at the ship's max firing range (16.6 km), where the shell has slowed to 613 m/s:

P = 10^{- 7} \cdot 2300 \cdot 1050^{0.69} \cdot {0.42}^{- 1.07} \cdot 613^{1.38} = 496.8 mm

496.8 mm at 16.6 km

AP full-salvo alpha

12,950 AP damage x 8 broadside guns = 103,600.

103,600

AP DPM

Zero upgrades: 103,600 AP full-salvo alpha x 60 / 32 s base reload = 194,250. All upgrades (Main Battery Mod. 3 = -10% reload): 103,600 AP full-salvo alpha x 60 / 28.857 s (28.8 s = 202 ticks) all-upgrades reload (32 s × 0.9 Main Battery Mod. 3 = 28.8 s) = 215,406.

Initial: 194,250 → 215,406

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.

300

Torpedoes

ModuleTorpedoes: 533 mm Vierling

Launchers / tubes4 launchers × 4 tubes = 16 tubes

Reload time160 s

Projectile speed54.0 kt

Range7.98 km

Maximum simulated damage

Most targets only intersect one hull section, so a hit transfers about 1/3 of the warhead alpha (2/3 when the warhead blast >= 5000 and the burst reaches a second section). For this ship:

D_{sim} = α \cdot c = 46, 600 \cdot 0.333 = 15, 533

. In battle, a hit on the torpedo belt deals the per-hit figure × (1 − the target's torpedo protection %), a bow or stern hit deals it in full, and a torpedo never counts as a citadel hit.

≈ 15,533

Maximum damage (ammunition)

46,600 warhead alpha / 3 + 1,000 blast = 16,533. Warhead alpha / 3 plus the blast addend: the per-torpedo damage figure. The 'Maximum simulated damage' row above applies target geometry to the same warhead.

16,533

Torpedo module damage

Per-torpedo module/blast damage parameter. Most torpedoes carry 500 to 2,000; ships announced by WG as dealing increased module damage carry 9,000 to 12,000, so their hits knock out engines, rudders, and turrets far more often. Comparative figure.

1,000

Torpedo detectability1.2 km

Reaction time

How long a target has to dodge after your torpedo is spotted at its detectability range (lower means less warning):

t_{react} = \frac{1.2 km}{54 kt \times 2.6855} = 8.3 s

. 2.6855 converts knots to m/s on the game clock. Base value; commander torpedo-concealment skills lower it further.

8.3 s

Flooding chance

This torpedo carries a flooding-chance value of 2.79 per hit, shown as

2.79 \times 100 = 279 %

. Values above 100% are normal: in battle the base chance is scaled down by the target's torpedo protection (the Torp Reduction stat on its Survivability card) and any flood-resistance modifiers, so a value above 100% keeps flooding likely even through partial protection.

279%

Torpedo launcher traverse25 °/s

Launch arcswing 148°, 151° (one launcher per beam)

Torp Turn

Time to rotate the launchers 180 deg:

t_{turn} = \frac{180 °}{25 ° / s} = 7.2 s

7.2 s

Torp Arming175 m

Per-side salvo damage

One side firing, all torpedoes hitting: per-side tubes x per-torpedo simulated damage = 8 x 15,533 = 124,264. Each hit on the target's torpedo belt is reduced by its torpedo protection %.

124,264

AA Defense

AA mount points15

Maximum AA range

Longest-reaching family on the in-game AA card. Base AirDefense aura max range is 5 km; dual-purpose mount auras extend it.

5 km

55 mm L/77 Gerät 58 Zwilling3×2 55mm

30 mm Flak 3812×4 30mm

105 mm L/65 Dop. L. C/31 (DP)

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

4×2 105mm

105 mm L/65 Dop. L. C/37 (DP)

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

8×2 105mm

Guns55 mm L/77 Gerät 58 Zwilling

Continuous DPS

Effective DPS: 34 raw aura damage × 3.5 × 0.75 hit probability = 89 - the same in-game units as the Close-range AA DPS headline.

Range5 km

Guns105 mm L/65 Dop. L. C/31 (DP) + 105 mm L/65 Dop. L. C/37 (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 173 from dual-purpose secondaries firing as AA in this range band.

173

Range4.5 km

Total DPS in Aura

Medium 89 + Far 173 = 262

262

Guns30 mm Flak 38

Continuous DPS

Effective DPS: 97 raw aura damage × 3.5 × 0.7 hit probability = 238 - the same in-game units as the Close-range AA DPS headline.

238

Range3 km

Total DPS in Aura

Medium 89 + Far 173 + Near 238 = 500

500

AA explosions

Each ~2 s salvo fires 3 AA explosions in quick succession, each leaving 4 clouds ahead of the attacking squadron, plus 2 stray clouds farther out that appear off-beat between salvos - up to 14 clouds per salvo × 230 damage each. Planes that fly into a cloud take its damage; clouds dissipate before the next salvo lands. Defensive AA Fire, where fitted, multiplies the AA explosions within each salvo, and commander skills that raise the Number of AA explosions add to it.

3 per salvo, 4 clouds each + 2 outer clouds

Cloud damage

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

230

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 4.5 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.

2.5-4.5 km

See the AA layers diagram ↓

Secondary Battery

Mounts20

Firing range8.0 km

Shell Grouping (σ)1

Total secondary fires/min (per side)

Sum of each gun family's fires/min (per side): 3 + 6 + 4 = 13. 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.

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: 4×2 105 mm (4/side) × 60/4 s × 1200 = 72,000 + 8×2 105 mm (8/side) × 60/4 s × 1200 = 144,000 + 8×2 150 mm (8/side) × 60/9.571 s (9.5 s = 67 ticks) × 1700 = 85,254. Assumes every shell hits (real hit rate is lower; the Brawl matchup tool on the Compare page folds in dispersion + target armor).

301,254

Secondary fire DPM vs T8 BB (per side)

Fires/min (per side) 13 × (1 − 0.4 fire resistance) × 60 s × 0.003 of max HP per second × 75,900 HP = 106,661. 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.

106,661

Total secondary DPM vs T8 BB (per side)

Secondary DPM (per side) 301,254 + secondary fire DPM 106,661 = 407,915: shell damage plus fire damage against one T8 battleship, every shell hitting.

407,915

Secondary dispersion type

Max dispersion = range (km) × 33 + 30. Each dispersion type sets its own slope; this is not a percentage applied to a standard baseline.

Improved (40%, German battlecruiser type)

Max secondary dispersion @ 8 km

8 km × 33 + 30 = 294 m.

294 m

Caliber105 mm

Reload time4 s

HE alpha1,200

Muzzle Velocity900 m/s

Fire Chance5%

Secondary fires/min (per side)

4×2 barrels / 2 sides × 60 / 4 s × 0.05 (5% fire chance) = 3. 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.

HE Pen20 mm

Show 2 more gun families

Caliber105 mm

Reload time4 s

HE alpha1,200

Muzzle Velocity900 m/s

Fire Chance5%

Secondary fires/min (per side)

8×2 barrels / 2 sides × 60 / 4 s × 0.05 (5% fire chance) = 6. 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.

HE Pen20 mm

Caliber150 mm

Reload time9.5 s

HE alpha1,700

Muzzle Velocity875 m/s

Fire Chance8%

Secondary fires/min (per side)

8×2 barrels / 2 sides × 60 / 9.571 s (9.5 s = 67 ticks) × 0.08 (8% fire chance) = 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.

HE Pen38 mm

Maneuverability

Engine power200,000 hp

Maximum speed34.1 kt

Turning circle radius970 m

Rudder shift time14.5 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 = 34.1 / 4 + 4.9 = 13.4 kt. Base value; speed modifiers scale it.

13.4 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.

46.1 s

Engine boost threshold (reverse)

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

10.2 kt

Acceleration 0-90%

Time to reach 90% of top speed (30.7 kt of 34.1 kt).

35 s

Acceleration 0-99%

Time to reach 99% of top speed (33.8 kt of 34.1 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.

55 s

Guns in a full turn

With the rudder hard over the hull turns 4.0°/s, so a target drifts across the bow at that rate. Turret traverse minus hull turn: 6 − 4.0 = +2.0°/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 (+2.0°/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): 15.83 km x 0.955 = 15.12 km. Camouflage does not change detectability by air.

15.83 km

With Grade IV camouflage (sea)

Detectability by sea 15.83 km x 0.955 (Grade IV permanent camo or any disposable camo) = 15.12 km.

15.12 km

Detectability by air12.66 km

Smoke firing penalty15.69 km

Detect when firing (sea)

max(main battery range, sea detectability 15.83 km) = 16.58 km. Equal to the ship's main battery range (never below base detectability): firing makes you visible to everyone you can reach.

16.58 km

Detect when firing (air)

Air detectability 12.66 km + gun-firing bloom 8.4 km = 21.06 km. The bloom tracks main-battery caliber 420 mm × 0.020 = 8.4 km.

21.06 km

Detect when on fire (sea)

Sea detectability 15.83 km + 2.0 km while burning = 17.83 km.

17.83 km

Detect when on fire (air)

Air detectability 12.66 km + 3.0 km while burning = 15.66 km.

15.66 km

Guaranteed Detect2 km

✦

Consumables

Damage Control Party3 charges · 40 s reload · 10 s active

Repair Party3 charges · 80 s reload · 28 s active · 10,654 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 × 76,100 HP = 10,654 HP: up to 14% of max HP restored per charge.
· 31,962 HP (42% of max HP) total heal (all charges)
ƒ
0.14 of max HP per charge × 3 charges = 0.42 × 76,100 HP = 31,962 HP: up to 42% of max HP if the whole Repair Party loadout is used.
· 380 HP/s (0.5% of max HP) heal per second
ƒ
0.005 (0.5% of max HP) × 76,100 HP = 380 HP/s. WoWS heals a flat percent of MAX HP each second, so this rate holds at any health level.

Enhanced Secondary Targeting3 charges · 160 s reload · 30 s active · +100% grouping · -50% dispersion

Sonar2 charges · 180 s reload · 120 s active · 5.73 km ship detect
ƒ
Derived from the consumable's 30 m grid-unit range (km = grid units x 30 / 1000): $\frac{191 \times 30}{1000} = 5.73 km$
· 3.93 km torpedo detect
ƒ
Derived from the consumable's 30 m grid-unit range (km = grid units x 30 / 1000): $\frac{131 \times 30}{1000} = 3.93 km$

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 BB17% tighter H · 17% shorter V

H = horizontal, V = vertical spread. This ship's curve against the standard battleship curve, both evaluated at this ship's max range (16.6 km) with the same model as Max Horiz/Vert Disp: horizontal 187 / 226 m − 1 = -17%, vertical 112 / 135 m − 1 = -17%. Shell grouping (σ) is separate: it sets how shells bunch toward the centre of this ellipse.

Shell scatter width @ 5 km90 m

(166.7 × (10 − 1.6) / 1000 + 1.6) × 30 = 90 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 km132 m

(333.3 × (10 − 1.6) / 1000 + 1.6) × 30 = 132 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 km174 m

(500 × (10 − 1.6) / 1000 + 1.6) × 30 = 174 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 km34.3 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  $delim \cdot R_{m a x} = 0.5 \cdot 16582 = 8291$  m, and  $radiusOnMax = 0.6$  at 16582 m. Below the kink:  $k = 0.2 + (0.5 - 0.2) \cdot \frac{5000}{8291} = 0.3809$ , so  $σ_{V} = σ_{H} \cdot k = 90 \cdot 0.3809 = 34.3 m$ .

Shell scatter height @ 10 km68.7 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  $delim \cdot R_{m a x} = 0.5 \cdot 16582 = 8291$  m, and  $radiusOnMax = 0.6$  at 16582 m. Above the kink:  $k = 0.5 + (0.6 - 0.5) \cdot \frac{10000 - 8291}{16582 - 8291} = 0.5206$ , so  $σ_{V} = σ_{H} \cdot k = 132 \cdot 0.5206 = 68.7 m$ .

Shell scatter height @ 15 km101.1 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  $delim \cdot R_{m a x} = 0.5 \cdot 16582 = 8291$  m, and  $radiusOnMax = 0.6$  at 16582 m. Above the kink:  $k = 0.5 + (0.6 - 0.5) \cdot \frac{15000 - 8291}{16582 - 8291} = 0.5809$ , so  $σ_{V} = σ_{H} \cdot k = 174 \cdot 0.5809 = 101.1 m$ .

AP pen 5 km664 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  $P = 10^{- 7} \cdot K \cdot m^{0.69} \cdot d^{- 1.07} \cdot v^{1.38}$   $= 10^{- 7} \cdot 2300 \cdot 1050^{0.69} \cdot {0.42}^{- 1.07} \cdot {756.7}^{1.38} = 664 mm$ , where 756.7 m/s is the shell's speed when it arrives at 5 km (from 835 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 km582 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  $P = 10^{- 7} \cdot K \cdot m^{0.69} \cdot d^{- 1.07} \cdot v^{1.38}$   $= 10^{- 7} \cdot 2300 \cdot 1050^{0.69} \cdot {0.42}^{- 1.07} \cdot {687.9}^{1.38} = 582 mm$ , where 687.9 m/s is the shell's speed when it arrives at 10 km (from 835 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 km515 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  $P = 10^{- 7} \cdot K \cdot m^{0.69} \cdot d^{- 1.07} \cdot v^{1.38}$   $= 10^{- 7} \cdot 2300 \cdot 1050^{0.69} \cdot {0.42}^{- 1.07} \cdot {629.3}^{1.38} = 515 mm$ , where 629.3 m/s is the shell's speed when it arrives at 15 km (from 835 m/s at the muzzle). Fixed anchors make ships directly comparable at the same fighting distance; the Charts card plots the full curve.

HE flight time @ 10 km4.79 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:  $k = \frac{π C_{d} d^{2}}{8 m} = \frac{π \cdot 0.244 \cdot {0.42}^{2}}{8 \cdot 1050} = 1.61 \times 10^{- 5}$ . That runs from a 835 m/s muzzle velocity in 0.02 s steps under gravity 9.8 m/s² until the shell lands, then divides by 2.77 because the game clock runs faster than real time. Lower is better, since a faster shell is harder to dodge and needs less lead.

AP flight time @ 10 km4.79 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:  $k = \frac{π C_{d} d^{2}}{8 m} = \frac{π \cdot 0.244 \cdot {0.42}^{2}}{8 \cdot 1050} = 1.61 \times 10^{- 5}$ . That runs from a 835 m/s muzzle velocity in 0.02 s steps under gravity 9.8 m/s² until the shell lands, then divides by 2.77 because the game clock runs faster than real time. Lower is better, since a faster shell is harder to dodge and needs less lead.

Improved HE PenYes

This ship's HE shells use a 1/4 (~0.25) caliber-to-pen ratio instead of the standard 1/6 (~0.167) - 0.25 in this case. Lets HE pen ~105mm armor instead of ~70mm. Hits every German cruiser (150mm CL, 203mm CA) and BB (350mm+), British heavy cruisers / Lion / Nelson, a handful of other premiums.

Guns per full salvo (alpha, DPM)8

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

Model inputs

Krupp (AP)2,300

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 mass1,050 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 coefficient0.244

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

AP muzzle velocity835 m/s

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

HE muzzle velocity835 m/s

Starting speed of the HE shell; sets its flight time and lead.

idealRadius10

Horizontal dispersion growth per idealDistance of range, in 30 m units; the slope of the scatter-width line.

minRadius1.6

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.

Torpedoes

Estimated torpedo reaction time8.3 s

1200 m / (54.0 kt × 2.6855) = 8.3 s. detectability / (speed kt x 2.6855 m/s per knot on the game clock).

Torpedo speed54.0 kt

Travel time to max range55 s

7980 m / (54.0 kt × 2.6855) = 55 s. range / (speed kt x 2.6855 m/s per knot on the game clock).

Tube count16

4 launchers × 4 tubes.

Per-side salvo8 torpedoes

16 wing tubes / 2 = 8: the launchers sit one per beam, so only half of them reach any one side. Each launcher reloads on its own, so she can fire one beam, turn, and fire the other without waiting.

Full-salvo damage248,528

All tubes hitting one target: tubes x per-torpedo simulated damage = 16 x 15,533 = 248,528. Each hit on the target's torpedo belt is reduced by its torpedo protection %.

AA defense

AA DPS at max range89

Only families that reach 5 km contribute at the outer edge of the AA bubble. In-game families: 55mm Gerat twin 3x2 -> 89 DPS @ 5 km; 30mm Flak 38 12x4 -> 238 DPS @ 3 km; 105 mm SKC 33 4x2 -> 58 DPS @ 4.5 km; 105 mm SKC 37 8x2 -> 116 DPS @ 4.5 km.

AA DPS layered by range89 DPS @ 5 km, 263 DPS @ 4.5 km, 501 DPS @ 3 km

@ 5 km: 89 from one family; @ 4.5 km: 89 + 58 + 116 = 263; @ 3 km: 89 + 238 + 58 + 116 = 501. 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-blank501

89 + 238 + 58 + 116 = 501 DPS: the sum of every family's average DPS, achievable only inside the closest-range family (3 km).

AA threat index1942

89 × 5 + 238 × 3 + 58 × 4.5 + 116 × 4.5 = 1942. 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 range3 km

Secondary battery dispersion

Secondary dispersion @ 5 km195 m

Same per-type line evaluated at a fixed 5 km: 5 km × 33 + 30 = 195 m.

Secondary battery firepower

Max HE alpha1700

max(1200 (105 mm), 1200 (105 mm), 1700 (150 mm)) = 1700. Maximum HE damage per shell across secondary HE families. Best on this ship: 1700 from the 150 mm family.

Max HE fire chance8%

max(5% (105 mm), 5% (105 mm), 8% (150 mm)) = 8%. Maximum per-shell fire chance across secondary HE families (before target fire resistance is applied). Best on this ship: 8% from the 150 mm family.

Max HE pen38 mm

max(20 mm (105 mm), 20 mm (105 mm), 38 mm (150 mm)) = 38 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: 38 mm from the 150 mm family.

Open in Charting Tool

Ship Charts

Background

A high-speed battleship that inherited numerous traits of German battlecruisers of the World War I period. Her main armament is represented by 420 mm guns.

Armor Beta

Hull HP 76,100, distributed across 5 hull zones, each with its own plate thicknesses, saturation cap, and pen thresholds.

Bow & stern27 mm

Overmatched by 45+ AP guns across the bracket. Can’t reliably bow-tank; gets bow-citadelled and overpenned.

Belt / citadel380 mm

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

Farming19 mm

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

Section	Plates	HP cap	Threats	Tactic
Bow	27 mm primary (range 27–380 mm)	4,000 (5% of HP)	Overmatched by 406mm+ AP (Delaware, P. Rupprecht)Angle bounces 380mm27 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)	150 mm primary (range 30–380 mm)	57,100 (75% of HP)	No common AP caliber overmatches150 mm: no common HE pens	Largest HP pool. Citadel sits behind these plates; thinner deck and side plating absorb the rest.
Stern	27 mm primary (range 27–150 mm)	2,100 (3% of HP)	Overmatched by 406mm+ AP (Delaware, P. Rupprecht)Angle bounces 380mm27 mm: HE pens from 203mm+	Mirror of bow. Same fast saturation.
Citadel	380 mm primary (range 32–380 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	19 mm	4,900 (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	38,100 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 (150 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 (55 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	22,800 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 Schlieffen. Cards are condensed; use each source link for full context.

Nerf ×3Buff ×3Main Battery ×5

2026-07-30

Ministry of Balance: Anniversary Tune-Up

150 mm secondary battery reload time reduced from 10.2 to 9.5 seconds.
105 mm secondary battery reload time reduced from 4.4 to 4.0 seconds.
Rudder-shift time reduced from 16.12 to 14.48 seconds.

Read the full official post

2023-11-02

MINISTRY OF BALANCE REPORTS: A FLURRY OF CHANGES

"German science is the world's finest!" Schlieffen has extremely high burst damage and significant early game impact in battle. We're reducing the damage output of this ship some so that there is more time to react against her in battle.
Main battery reload time increased from 30 to 32 s.
Secondary battery 150 mm gun reload time increased from 8.0 to 10.2 s.
Secondary battery 105 mm gun reload time increased from 3.5 to 4.4 s.

Read the full official post

Exteriors

Skins & permanent camouflages

Every custom exterior Schlieffen can equip.

DefaultThe ship’s standard exterior
German Eagle (Schlieffen)Decorative
Foot ClanTMNT

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.

2023-03-02 · Patch notes March Update: Seeing Green Patch notes 2023-11-02 · Patch notes November Update: All In Black Patch notes 2026-05-28 · Patch notes June Update: The Ages Betwixt Patch notes 2026-07-30 · Patch notes Anniversary Update: Tides of Adventure Patch notes 2026-09-03 · Patch notes September Update: Full Progress Ahead Patch notes

Schlieffen

Schlieffen Community Stats

Schlieffen Community Stats

Schlieffen Community Stats

Playstyle

Overview

Positioning

Potato Avoidance

Signature Traits →

How to get Schlieffen

Builds

Cohort position

Peers in this cohort

Stats & specs

Under the hood

Main battery formulas

Model inputs

Torpedoes

AA defense

Secondary battery dispersion

Secondary battery firepower

Ship Charts

Background

Armor Beta

Balance History

Ministry of Balance: Anniversary Tune-Up

MINISTRY OF BALANCE REPORTS: A FLURRY OF CHANGES

Skins & permanent camouflages

Primary official WG sources

Signature Traits