GamingDiver / WoWs Legends Ships / South Carolina

World of Warships: Legends ship guide

South Carolina

Also called: 南卡罗来纳 Beta

U.S.A. · Tier III · Battleship · Premium

Bow-tank battleshipHold the line bow-in; top-decile plate shrugs what peers can't crack while the team trades.

Playstyle

Sit 12-15 km from the brawl line and exploit the range advantage
Avoid: Taking the long way round the map edge to flank

Key characteristics

14.3 km gun rangeThickest plateHeavy AP shellsDeep-fuse APLong DCP windowSlow

On this page

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

Community Data

South Carolina Community Stats

Across 820+ Standard battles from 190+ players, South Carolina averages a 54% win rate, 37,300 damage and 1.0 kills per battle, and survives 33% of them.

Community Data

South Carolina Community Stats

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

Playstyle

Overview

South Carolina is a Tier III American bow-tank battleship: top-decile bow and deck plate shrugs what peer guns cannot crack, so she holds the line bow-in and soaks fire while the team trades around her. Standout traits: main battery range in T3 BBs (14.3 km, 3rd of 18) and heavy AP shells in T3 BBs (8,500, 3rd of 18). The trade is top speed in T3 BBs (15.8 kt, 18th of 18).

Positioning

Sit 12-15 km from the brawl line and exploit the range advantage. You do not need to push into peer fire to land damage; rotate one or two map cells back if a flank starts to collapse. Her handling reads as a contradiction and is not one: 15 s on the rudder means she starts turning late, while a 480 m circle means she comes around inside most of her cohort once she does. Decide a beat early and the turn itself will not let you down.

Potato Avoidance

Taking the long way round the map edge to flank

At 15.8 kn five minutes of sailing buys about 2.4 km, so a border run costs most of the mid-game and arrives after the fight it was meant to decide. She wins by holding a lane and trading from it: pick the flank before the first salvo, then let the guns do the travelling.

Signature Traits

ELITE ARMOR ↗

Thickest plate · 305 mm
Thick stern plate · 25 mm
Heavy citadel belt · 305 mm

ELITE MAIN BATTERY ↗

Long gun range · 14.3 km
Heavy AP shells · 8500 damage
Deep-fuse AP · 0.03 s

Long DCP window ↗

20 s Damage Control duration, best of T3 BBs. Stays fire / flood immune longer per activation.

Slow for the class ↗

15.8 kt, bottom decile of T3 BBs. Hard to rotate flanks or disengage; commit positioning early.

Bow-in or broadside-dead

Angled bow-on, the bow and belt bounce AP that would citadel a flat-side peer -- but show a full broadside even for one salvo and you hand out a citadel. Commit to a lane you can hold angled; you can't afford to swing broadside to dodge torpedoes.

Acquisition

How to get South Carolina

South Carolina is a Premium ship and not available to unlock in the Tech Tree. Acquisition path: Free reward.

Free rewardGiven away free.

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

Official WG availability sources

Through the Spy Glass: USS Black, Independence, South Carolina Free reward Start: 2022-06-21
- To get her, complete the Dum Spiro Spero free mission before the end of July 25. You can find it in the Store from June 23 until July 18.
Independence Day: Fireworks & BB(Q)s Free reward Start: 2022-06-21
- This free mission, obtainable in the Store from June 23 through July 18, provides American Tier III Premium battleship South Carolina as the final reward.
Halloween Update: Crimson Tale Store / event post Start: 2024-10-10
- Visit the Store to discover ships that participated in historical battles and operations: Oklahoma, Texas, Agincourt, Kawachi, G-101, Bellerophon, Warspite, Arizona, Giulio Cesare, Viribus Unitis, South Carolina, Aurora, Oleg, and Arkansas.
Summer Update: The High Roll Free reward Start: 2022-06-16
- Free mission with Tier III Premium battleship South Carolina as a reward
- She’s obtainable with her dedicated flag through a FREE mission that’s available for completion from June 24 through July 25. Pick it up in the Store between June 24 and July 18.

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 South Carolina sits among Tier III BBs (17 ships). Notable standouts are shown first; the rest of the cohort-ranked stats are in the expand below. Acquisition variants (Black Friday, Founders Edition) are counted once with their base ship, not as separate peers.

BestTurning circle480 m (1/18) LongestAP fuse timer0.033 s (1 of 3 tied) BestDisplacement17,900 t (1/18) Top 25%Main battery range14.26 km (3/18) Top 25%HE shell damage4,500 (5/18) Top 25%Max armor305 mm (5/18) Top 25%Citadel belt305 mm (3/18) Top 25%Stern armor25 mm (3/18) Bottom 25%Hit points35,000 HP (17/18) Bottom 25%Rudder shift15 s (17/18) Bottom 25%AP DPM145,714 (16/18) Bottom 25%HE velocity823 m/s (15/18) WorstMax speed15.8 kt (18/18) WorstSecondary HE alpha1,100 (17/17) WorstSecondary fire chance4% (1 of 2 tied) WorstSecondary HE pen13 mm (17/17) WorstAcceleration (0-12 kt)24.4 s (17/17) WorstEngine power16,000 hp (17/17) WorstPower / turn radius33.3 hp/m (17/17) WorstPower-to-weight0.89 hp/t (17/17) WorstNo AA (3 of 18 in cohort) WorstBow armor16 mm (1 of 5 tied)

See 19 mid-pack stats

Not standouts for South Carolina -- 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.

Concealment12.48 km(10/18) Smoke fire bloom9.53 km(11/18) Air detection9.98 km(11/18) Main battery caliber305 mm(9/18) Main battery reload28 s(7/18) Sigma1.8(6/18) HE fire chance28%(8/18) Fires per minute4.8(12/18) HE DPM77,143(14/18) Main dispersion202.6 m(14/18) Secondary DPM (per side)121,000(11/18) AP velocity823 m/s(12/18) Time to 90% speed33.8 s(8/17) AP arming threshold51 mm(10/18) AP pen at 10 km288 mm(9/18) Effective HE DPM (incl. fire)108,636(14/18) Secondary range4.5 km(7/18) Repair charges3(9/18) NormSecondary dispersion bracket57(15 of 18 tied at this value)

Peers in this cohort

Compare Tier III Battleships

Show all 17 peers

Stats & specs

Customize in the Build Tool →

Survivability

Hit Points35,000

Displacement17,900 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.

137.2 x 24.5 m (published figure)

Armor range10–305 mm

Plate armor thicknesses10, 16, 19, 25, 38, 51, 76, 127, 203, 254, 279, 305 mm

Armor material/layer entries45

Fire resistance

top hull: 1 − 0.9001 fire coefficient = 10%. 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.

10%

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 × 35,000 HP = 6,300 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 × 35,000 HP = 7,000 HP on this ship.

0.5% of HP per second

Torp Reduction

1 − 0.29 hull torpedo-damage coefficient / 0.333 unprotected baseline = 13%. Reduces torpedo hit damage. It does not affect flooding: floods start as often and tick at the full rate.

13%

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.

14,500

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.

10,500

Effective HP

Base 35,000 HP plus everything Repair Party can restore: 0.005 of max HP per second (0.5%) × 28 s × 35,000 HP = 4,900 HP per charge, × 3 charges = 14,700 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.

38,889–49,700

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 × 1,600 = 3,200), 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.

1,600

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 × 3,100 = 6,200), 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.

3,100

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 × 3,800 = 7,600), 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.

3,800

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 × 26,300 = 52,600), 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.

26,300

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 × 1,100 = 2,200), 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 ×. 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.

1,100

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 × 800 = 1,600), 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.

800

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: 305 mm Mk5

Mounts / barrels4 mounts / 8 barrels

Reload time28 s

Firing range14.3 km

Turret traverse4 °/s

Turret armor305 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.

2x ±140°, ±136°, ±138°

Guns to bear

180° − 136° (the most restricted aft-facing mount's arc) = 44° off bow; 180° − 138° (the most restricted forward-facing mount's arc) = 42° 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.

44° off bow / 42° off stern

See the firing-arcs diagram ↓

Shell Grouping (σ)1.8

Dispersion type

In practice: the baseline curve for a standard battleship -- at max range (14.3 km) shells land in an ellipse about 203 m wide and 122 m tall. Also on this curve (68): AL New Jersey, Agincourt, Alabama, Alabama B, Arizona, Arkansas, Arkansas FE, Atlântico, BA Montana, Bellerophon, Bourgogne, California and 56 more.

Standard 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{14255}{30} \cdot \frac{12 - 2}{1000} + 2) \cdot 30 = 202.6 m

202.6 m at 14.3 km

Max Vert Disp

Vertical dispersion ellipse height at max range:

σ_{V} = σ_{H} \cdot radiusOnMax

= 202.6 \cdot 0.6 = 121.5 m

121.5 m at 14.3 km

Med Horiz Disp

50%-hit horizontal radius:

σ_{H, 50} = σ_{H} \cdot \frac{0.6}{σ}

= 202.6 \cdot \frac{0.6}{1.8} = 67.5 m

67.5 m at 14.3 km

Med Vert Disp

50%-hit vertical radius:

σ_{V, 50} = σ_{V} \cdot \frac{0.6}{σ}

= 121.5 \cdot \frac{0.6}{1.8} = 40.5 m

40.5 m at 14.3 km

Turret turn time

180 degrees / 4 deg/s traverse speed = 45 s.

45 s

Shells/min

8 broadside guns x 60 / 28 s base reload = 17.1.

17.1

HE shells

HE alpha4,500

HE Velocity823 m/s

Fire Chance28%

HE fire DPM vs T3 BB31493

Effective HE DPM vs T3 BB108636

HE penetration

51 mm ≈ 305 mm caliber / 6 (standard HE penetration ratio).

51 mm

HE full-salvo alpha

4,500 HE damage x 8 broadside guns = 36,000.

36,000

HE DPM

36,000 HE full-salvo alpha x 60 / 28 s base reload = 77,143.

77,143

Fires/min

17.1 shells/min × 0.28 (28% fire chance) = 4.8.

4.8

AP shells

AP alpha8,500

AP Velocity823 m/s

Min Ricochet45 deg

Guaranteed Ricochet60 deg

Fuse Timer0.033 s

Fuse Threshold51 mm

AP overmatch

floor(305 mm caliber / 14.3) = 21 mm (AP auto-penetrates plating this thick or less).

21 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 2408 \cdot {394.6}^{0.69} \cdot {0.305}^{- 1.07} \cdot 823^{1.38} = 559.8 mm

559.8 mm point-blank

AP Pen Far

Same formula at the ship's max firing range (14.3 km), where the shell has slowed to 427.9 m/s:

P = 10^{- 7} \cdot 2408 \cdot {394.6}^{0.69} \cdot {0.305}^{- 1.07} \cdot {427.9}^{1.38} = 227 mm

227 mm at 14.3 km

AP full-salvo alpha

8,500 AP damage x 8 broadside guns = 68,000.

68,000

AP DPM

68,000 AP full-salvo alpha x 60 / 28 s base reload = 145,714.

145,714

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.

Secondary Battery

Mounts22

Firing range4.5 km

Shell Grouping (σ)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: 22×1 76.2 mm (11/side) × 60/6 s × 1100 = 121,000. Assumes every shell hits (real hit rate is lower; the Brawl matchup tool on the Compare page folds in dispersion + target armor).

121,000

Secondary fire DPM vs T3 BB (per side)

Fires/min (per side) 4.4 × (1 − 0.1 fire resistance) × 60 s × 0.003 of max HP per second × 40,500 HP = 28,868. 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.

28,868

Total secondary DPM vs T3 BB (per side)

Secondary DPM (per side) 121,000 + secondary fire DPM 28,868 = 149,868: shell damage plus fire damage against one T3 battleship, every shell hitting.

149,868

76.2 mm Mk422×1 76.2mm

Caliber76.2 mm

Reload time6 s

HE alpha1,100

Muzzle Velocity823 m/s

Fire Chance4%

Secondary fires/min (per side)

22×1 barrels / 2 sides × 60 / 6 s × 0.04 (4% fire chance) = 4.4. 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.

4.4

HE Pen13 mm

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 @ 4.5 km

4.5 km × 57 + 30 = 286.5 m.

286.5 m

Maneuverability

Engine power16,000 hp

Maximum speed15.8 kt

Turning circle radius480 m

Rudder shift time15 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 = 15.8 / 4 + 4.9 = 8.9 kt. Base value; speed modifiers scale it.

8.9 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.

51.4 s

Engine boost threshold (reverse)

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

5.4 kt

Acceleration 0-90%

Time to reach 90% of top speed (14.3 kt of 15.84 kt).

33.8 s

Acceleration 0-99%

Time to reach 99% of top speed (15.7 kt of 15.84 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.

56.2 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: 4 − 4.0 = +0.0°/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 (+0.0°/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): 12.48 km x 0.955 = 11.92 km. Camouflage does not change detectability by air.

12.48 km

With Grade IV camouflage (sea)

Detectability by sea 12.48 km x 0.955 (Grade IV permanent camo or any disposable camo) = 11.92 km.

11.92 km

Detectability by air9.98 km

Smoke firing penalty9.53 km

Detect when firing (sea)

max(main battery range, sea detectability 12.48 km) = 14.26 km. Equal to the ship's main battery range (never below base detectability): firing makes you visible to everyone you can reach.

14.26 km

Detect when firing (air)

Air detectability 9.98 km + gun-firing bloom 6.1 km = 16.08 km. The bloom tracks main-battery caliber 305 mm × 0.020 = 6.1 km.

16.08 km

Detect when on fire (sea)

Sea detectability 12.48 km + 2.0 km while burning = 14.48 km.

14.48 km

Detect when on fire (air)

Air detectability 9.98 km + 3.0 km while burning = 12.98 km.

12.98 km

Guaranteed Detect2 km

✦

Consumables

Damage Control Party∞ charges · 80 s reload · 20 s active

Repair Party3 charges · 80 s reload · 28 s active · 4,900 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 × 35,000 HP = 4,900 HP: up to 14% of max HP restored per charge.
· 14,700 HP (42% of max HP) total heal (all charges)
ƒ
0.14 of max HP per charge × 3 charges = 0.42 × 35,000 HP = 14,700 HP: up to 42% of max HP if the whole Repair Party loadout is used.
· 175 HP/s (0.5% of max HP) heal per second
ƒ
0.005 (0.5% of max HP) × 35,000 HP = 175 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

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 BBStandard

The standard battleship dispersion curve.

Shell scatter width @ 5 km110 m

(166.7 × (12 − 2) / 1000 + 2) × 30 = 110 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 km160 m

(333.3 × (12 − 2) / 1000 + 2) × 30 = 160 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 height @ 5 km45.1 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  $delim \cdot R_{m a x} = 0.5 \cdot 14255 = 7128$  m, and  $radiusOnMax = 0.6$  at 14255 m. Below the kink:  $k = 0.2 + (0.5 - 0.2) \cdot \frac{5000}{7128} = 0.4105$ , so  $σ_{V} = σ_{H} \cdot k = 110 \cdot 0.4105 = 45.1 m$ .

Shell scatter height @ 10 km86.4 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  $delim \cdot R_{m a x} = 0.5 \cdot 14255 = 7128$  m, and  $radiusOnMax = 0.6$  at 14255 m. Above the kink:  $k = 0.5 + (0.6 - 0.5) \cdot \frac{10000 - 7128}{14255 - 7128} = 0.5403$ , so  $σ_{V} = σ_{H} \cdot k = 160 \cdot 0.5403 = 86.4 m$ .

AP pen 5 km399 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  $P = 10^{- 7} \cdot K \cdot m^{0.69} \cdot d^{- 1.07} \cdot v^{1.38}$   $= 10^{- 7} \cdot 2408 \cdot {394.6}^{0.69} \cdot {0.305}^{- 1.07} \cdot {643.6}^{1.38} = 399 mm$ , where 643.6 m/s is the shell's speed when it arrives at 5 km (from 823 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 km288 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  $P = 10^{- 7} \cdot K \cdot m^{0.69} \cdot d^{- 1.07} \cdot v^{1.38}$   $= 10^{- 7} \cdot 2408 \cdot {394.6}^{0.69} \cdot {0.305}^{- 1.07} \cdot {508.8}^{1.38} = 288 mm$ , where 508.8 m/s is the shell's speed when it arrives at 10 km (from 823 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 km5.67 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:  $k = \frac{π C_{d} d^{2}}{8 m} = \frac{π \cdot 0.435 \cdot {0.305}^{2}}{8 \cdot 394.6} = 4.03 \times 10^{- 5}$ . That runs from a 823 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 km5.67 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:  $k = \frac{π C_{d} d^{2}}{8 m} = \frac{π \cdot 0.435 \cdot {0.305}^{2}}{8 \cdot 394.6} = 4.03 \times 10^{- 5}$ . That runs from a 823 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

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

Model inputs

Krupp (AP)2,408

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 mass394.6 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 coefficient0.435

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

AP muzzle velocity823 m/s

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

HE muzzle velocity823 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

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.

taperDist3,500 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.

Secondary battery firepower

Max HE alpha1100

The only family (76.2 mm): 1100. Maximum HE damage per shell across secondary HE families. Best on this ship: 1100 from the 76.2 mm family.

Max HE fire chance4%

The only family (76.2 mm): 4%. Maximum per-shell fire chance across secondary HE families (before target fire resistance is applied). Best on this ship: 4% from the 76.2 mm family.

Max HE pen13 mm

The only family (76.2 mm): 13 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: 13 mm from the 76.2 mm family.

Open in Charting Tool

Ship Charts

Background

The first USN dreadnought. Due to her limited dimensions, the ship carried relatively weak armament and had low speed. Battleships of her class were the first to receive superfiring turrets. This system allowed her to fire a full broadside with all of her main battery guns.

Armor Beta

Hull HP 35,000, distributed across 5 hull zones, each with its own plate thicknesses, saturation cap, and pen thresholds.

Bow & stern16 mm

Overmatched by 47+ AP guns across the bracket. Can’t reliably bow-tank; gets bow-citadelled and overpenned.

Belt / citadel305 mm

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

Farming10 mm

Superstructure and extremities take HE pens and AP overpens from nearly any gun: steady chip damage. Fire resistance 10%, fires burn 60s. Range-by-range in the Compare tool →

Section	Plates	HP cap	Threats	Tactic
Bow	16 mm primary (range 16–38 mm)	1,600 (5% of HP)	Overmatched by 283mm+ AP (Nassau, Von Der Tann)Angle bounces 203mm16 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.
Hull (midship)	19 mm primary (range 16–203 mm)	26,300 (75% of HP)	Overmatched by 283mm+ AP (Nassau, Von Der Tann)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	25 mm primary (range 16–76 mm)	800 (2% of HP)	Overmatch not possible in its bracketAngle bounces 356mm25 mm: HE pens from 150mm+	Mirror of bow. Same fast saturation.
Citadel	305 mm primary (range 16–305 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	10 mm primary (range 10–305 mm)	1,100 (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	14,500 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 (76.2 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.
Engine (module, research)	engine coefficient (unconfirmed)	-0.120 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	10,500 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 South Carolina. Cards are condensed; use each source link for full context.

Buff ×7Main Battery ×5

2025-07-31

Ministry of Balance: Back to the Naval Academy

Ship HP increased from 29,000 to 35,000.
Main battery firing range increased from 13.1 to 14.25 km.
Main battery reload time reduced from 30 to 28 seconds.
Main battery HE shell damage increased from 4,100 to 4,500.
Main battery HE fire-setting chances increased from 20 to 28%.
Main battery maximum AP shell damage increased from 8,100 to 8,500.
Added the Reloader ship trait.

Read the full official post

Exteriors

Skins & permanent camouflages

Every custom exterior South Carolina can equip.

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.

2022-06-21 · Through the Spy Glass Through the Spy Glass: USS Black, Independence, South Carolina Ship feature 2022-06-16 · Patch notes Summer Update: The High Roll Patch notes 2024-10-10 · Patch notes Halloween Update: Crimson Tale Patch notes 2025-07-31 · Patch notes Anniversary Update: Operation Piñata Patch notes

South Carolina

South Carolina Community Stats

South Carolina Community Stats

South Carolina Community Stats

Playstyle

Overview

Positioning

Potato Avoidance

Signature Traits →

How to get South Carolina

Builds

Cohort position

Peers in this cohort

Stats & specs

Under the hood

Main battery formulas

Model inputs

Secondary battery firepower

Ship Charts

Background

Armor Beta

Balance History

Ministry of Balance: Back to the Naval Academy

Skins & permanent camouflages

Primary official WG sources

Signature Traits