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

Yamato

Beta
Japan · Tier ★ · Battleship
Long-range battleshipMax-range AP sniper: trade from open water and bow-tank between salvos.
Playstyle
  • Sit 14-17 km from the brawl line and bow toward the closest threat
  • Avoid: Pushing the brawl line to chase a kill
Key characteristics
460 mm overmatchHeavy AP pen2.1 sigma accuracy18 km gun rangeSlow
Community Data

Yamato Community Stats

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

Log in & upload to see Community Data

Playstyle

Overview

Yamato is a Legendary Japanese sniper battleship (17.7 km): the long main battery reach lets her land AP citadels from positions where peer BBs have to push to engage. HE pen sits at the 1/4 caliber ratio instead of the standard 1/6, so HE spam is a real damage option here - pens roughly 1.5x more armor than a same-caliber peer's HE round. Standout traits: best torpedo belt percent in Legendary BBs (55) and best sigma in Legendary BBs (2.1).

Positioning

Sit 14-17 km from the brawl line and bow toward the closest threat. The heavy bow plate holds an angle indefinitely against same-tier guns, which is what protects the citadel; the citadel sides do not survive a broadside trade even at long range. Rotate one map cell back if a flank starts to collapse rather than holding the angle, and keep bow on between salvos.

Potato Avoidance

Pushing the brawl line to chase a kill

The kit pays out at range; every map cell you push forward is one your sniper advantage shrinks, and you stop trading better than the peer BBs you out-range.

Signature Traits

Close-range AP brick

931.3 mm AP pen at 1.5 km, best of Legendary BBs. Citadels broadside cruisers up close.

Long-range AP brick

566.1 mm AP pen at max range, best of Legendary BBs. Threatens citadels even from range.

Big-caliber overmatch

32.2 mm overmatch threshold, top decile of Legendary BBs. Punishes bow-tanking ships peers can't crack.

Strong torpedo belt

55.0% torpedo damage reduction, best of Legendary BBs.

Heavy armor

560.0 mm max plate, best of Legendary BBs.

Stiff AP fuse

77.0 mm AP arming threshold, bottom decile of Legendary BBs. Over-pens thin plates; the trade-off pays off when most targets are battleship belt armor.

Acquisition

How to get Yamato

Yamato is a Premium ship and not available to unlock in the Tech Tree. Acquisition paths: Containers and Campaign. Container chances are shown as the listed odds of receiving this exact ship, dividing grouped ship-pool odds across the resolved ships and including nested container paths when a crate can drop another crate.

Best listed chance for this ship

  • Sabaton crate 0.1% ⭐ Yamato Collaboration containers · Sabaton crate
Official WG availability sources
  • Bushido Campaign Breakdown Campaign Start: 2022-08-29 · End: 2022-10-02 Official campaign breakdown naming this ship as a campaign/reward-context ship; explicit source windows are used when present, otherwise the end date is inferred from the next indexed campaign breakdown when available.
  • Autumn Update: In the Shadow of Leaves Patch/update availability Start: 2022-08-25 · End: open/unknown end Official update notes with ship availability, release, store, event, or tech-tree context.
  • Official WoWS Legends container odds Containers Official container drop rows linked below include direct and nested effective ship odds.
  • Through the Spy Glass: USS Black, Independence, South Carolina Ship feature / release Start: 2022-06-21 · End: open/unknown end Official Through the Spy Glass feature for this ship; useful as a release/availability source, but not a guaranteed current-store listing.
  • Through the Spy Glass: Musashi Ship feature / release Start: 2022-08-29 · End: open/unknown end Official Through the Spy Glass feature for this ship; useful as a release/availability source, but not a guaranteed current-store listing.
  • Through the Spy Glass: Hizen Ship feature / release Start: 2023-11-09 · End: open/unknown end Official Through the Spy Glass feature for this ship; useful as a release/availability source, but not a guaranteed current-store listing.
  • April Update: Blossom in Gold Store price varies 2023-04-06
Show direct source rows

Builds Beta

Build for main-battery range, dispersion, traverse help, and survivability. Official Arpeggio guidance reinforces long-range artillery value, with range, shell-damage-at-distance, traverse, and dispersion benefits fitting Yamato’s core role.

Open in Build Tool →

Have a build you swear by? Open it in the Build Tool and hit Save build to share it here.

Cohort position

Hide ▾

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

BestSigma2.1 (1 of 3 tied) BestHE alpha2,600 (1 of 2 tied) BestAP ricochet start50° (1 of 3 tied) BestAP auto-bounce angle65° (1 of 3 tied) BestMax armor560 mm (1 of 2 tied) Top 25%Main battery caliber460 mm (3/17) Top 25%Main battery range17.7 km (3/17) Top 25%HE shell damage7,300 (3/16) Top 25%Secondary DPM (per side)291,000 (5/17) Top 25%Secondary fire chance10% (3/15) Top 25%Citadel belt410 mm (5/16) Top 25%Deck armor135 mm (3/16) Bottom 25%Max speed27 kt (15/17) Bottom 25%Traverse-to-turn ratio4.52 × (14/17) Bottom 25%Fires per minute7 (14/16) Bottom 25%AP arming threshold77 mm (15/17) Bottom 25%Engine power150,000 hp (14/17) Bottom 25%Power-to-weight2.06 hp/t (15/17) WorstRepair charges2 (1 of 6 tied)
See 24 mid-pack stats

Not standouts for Yamato -- 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 points90,000 HP(9/17) Concealment16.07 km(11/17) Air detection12.86 km(11/17) Rudder shift25 s(13/17) Main battery reload27 s(10/17) HE DPM146,000(7/16) AP shell damage14,800(7/17) AP DPM296,000(11/17) Main dispersion211.4 m(8/17) Secondary HE pen26 mm(5/15) AP velocity780 m/s(9/17) HE velocity805 m/s(9/16) Acceleration9.4 s(9/17) Turn-speed retention166.7 hp/m(11/17) Displacement72,800 t(12/17) AA DPS667(9/17) AA range5 km(13/17) AA threat2,245(11/17) NormSecondary dispersion bracket57(12 of 17 tied at this value) NormAP fuse timer0.03 s(15 of 17 tied at this value) NormSecondary range5 km(10 of 17 tied at this value) NormRepair heal rate0.5 %/s(12 of 17 tied at this value) NormBow armor32 mm(13 of 16 tied at this value) NormStern armor32 mm(13 of 16 tied at this value)

Stats & specs

Customize in the Build Tool →Shell ballistics chartMore tools in the WoWS Legends Data Lab

All values are ship base stats with modifications and upgrade changes denoted inline.

Repair 2Fighter
Survivability
Hit Points90,000
Displacement72,800 t
Armor range16–560 mm
Plate armor thicknesses16, 19, 25, 32, 50, 57, 75, 80, 100, 135, 140, 200, 230, 270, 290, 340, 350, 370, 410, 500, 560 mm
Armor material/layer entries71
Fire resistance40%
Fire duration60 s
Torp Reduction55%
Magazine HP
ƒThe magazine is the module a detonation comes from. Penetrating hits to it raise the detonation chance from 1% toward 30% as its HP is worn down, so a larger magazine pool rides out citadel hits longer before a detonation becomes likely.
48,600
Steering gear HP
ƒDurability of the steering gears. As this pool drops, hits are likelier to jam the rudder; unlike most modules the steering can be knocked out and repaired but is never permanently destroyed.
27,000
Main Battery
ModuleArtillery: 460 mm Type94
Mounts / barrels3 mounts / 9 barrels
Reload time30 s
Firing range17.7 km
Turret traverse4 °/s
Shell Grouping (σ)
ƒShell grouping (sigma); shown in-game as Shell Grouping.
2.1
Max Horiz Disp
ƒHorizontal dispersion ellipse width at max range. (R/30·(idealRadius−minRadius)/idealDistance + minRadius)·30 = (17698/30·(10−2.8)/1000 + 2.8)·30 = 211.4 m
211.4 m
Max Vert Disp
ƒVertical dispersion ellipse height at max range = max horizontal × radiusOnMax = 211.4 × 0.8 = 169.1 m
169.1 m
Med Horiz Disp
ƒ50%-hit horizontal radius = max horizontal × GetHalfHitsRatio(σ) = 211.4 × 0.308 (σ=2.1) = 65.1 m
65.1 m
Med Vert Disp
ƒ50%-hit vertical radius = max vertical × GetHalfHitsRatio(σ) = 169.1 × 0.308 (σ=2.1) = 52.1 m
52.1 m
Turret turn time
ƒ180 degrees / 4 deg/s traverse speed = 45 s.
45 s
Base shells/min
ƒ9 broadside guns x 60 / 30 s base reload = 18.
18
HE shells
HE Damage7,300
HE Velocity805 m/s
Fire Chance35%
HE penetration
ƒ115 mm ≈ 460 mm caliber / 4 (improved HE penetration: German BBs, Yamato-class, and a handful of others).
115 mm
HE full-salvo alpha
ƒ7,300 HE damage x 9 broadside guns = 65,700.
65,700
Base HE DPM
ƒ65,700 HE full-salvo alpha x 60 / 30 s base reload = 131,400.
131,400
Installed HE DPM
ƒ65,700 HE full-salvo alpha x 60 / 27 s installed reload (Main Battery Mod. 3 = -10%) = 146,000.
146,000
Base fires/min
ƒ9 HE shells x 60 / 30 s reload x 35% fire chance = 6.3.
6.3
AP shells
AP Damage14,800
AP Velocity780 m/s
Min Ricochet50 deg
Guaranteed Ricochet65 deg
Fuse Timer0.033 s
Fuse Threshold77 mm
AP overmatch
ƒfloor(460 mm caliber / 14.3) = 32 mm (AP auto-penetrates plating this thick or less).
32 mm
AP Pen Close
ƒCanonical community AP formula (jcw780/wows_shell), evaluated at muzzle velocity: 1e-7 × Krupp × mass^0.69 × caliber_m^-1.07 × v0^1.38 = 1e-7 × 2831 × 1460^0.69 × 0.46^-1.07 × 780^1.38 = 971.1 mm. Matches the in-game spec card.
971.1 mm
AP Pen Far
ƒSame formula at the ship's max firing range (22.1 km), where the shell has slowed to 527.5 m/s: 1e-7 × 2831 × 1460^0.69 × 0.46^-1.07 × 527.5^1.38 = 566.1 mm.
566.1 mm
AP full-salvo alpha
ƒ14,800 AP damage x 9 broadside guns = 133,200.
133,200
Base AP DPM
ƒ133,200 AP full-salvo alpha x 60 / 30 s base reload = 266,400.
266,400
Installed AP DPM
ƒ133,200 AP full-salvo alpha x 60 / 27 s installed reload (Main Battery Mod. 3 = -10%) = 296,000.
296,000
AP AOE Radius
ƒAP shell over-penetration splash radius; scales with shell mass. Wickes 102mm = 3, standard 152mm CL ~ 20, Iowa 406mm ~ 270, Yamato 460mm = 400, Incomparable 650mm = 550 (max). Larger value = bigger splash damage area when AP over-pens.
400
AA Defense
AA mount points60
Close-range AA DPS
ƒSum across every AA aura on this ship of (aura.continuous_damage x 3.5 x aura.hit_probability). Here: (4×3.5×0.85) + (185×3.5×0.85) + (40×3.5×0.75) = 667. Covers AA-only mounts plus dual-purpose secondaries (Bismarck 105mm, USN 5"/38 cruiser secondaries) and dual-purpose main batteries (Sumner-class 5"/38, Akizuki-line 100mm). Formula validated against in-game captures on California, Sumner, Manfred von Richthofen, Dante Alighieri (exact) and within +/-17% on the remaining verified ships.
667
Maximum AA range
ƒLongest-reaching aura across AA-only + dual-purpose auras.
5 km
25 mm/60 Type96 mod. 16×1 25mm
25 mm Type96 mod. 216×3 25mm
25 mm Type96 mod. 28×3 25mm
25 mm Type96 mod. 128×3 25mm
13 mm Type932×2 13mm
127 mm Type89 mod. 3 (DP)6×2 127mm
127 mm Type89 mod. 3 (DP)6×2 127mm
Far aura
DPS
ƒIncludes 40 continuous AA damage from dual-purpose secondaries firing as AA in this range band.
40
Range5 km
Outer Near aura
DPS185
Range3.1 km
Total DPS in Aura
ƒFar 40 + Outer Near 185 = 225
225
Inner Near aura
DPS4
Range1.2 km
Total DPS in Aura
ƒFar 40 + Outer Near 185 + Inner Near 4 = 229
229
S
Secondary Battery
Mounts14
Firing range5.0 km
Shell Grouping (σ)1
Secondary dispersion type
ƒMax dispersion = range (km) × 57 + 30. Each dispersion type sets its own slope; this is not a percentage applied to a standard baseline.
Standard
Max secondary dispersion @ 5 km
ƒ5 km × 57 + 30 = 315 m.
315 m
127 mm Type89 mod. 3 (×6)
Caliber127 mm
Reload time6 s
HE Damage2,100
Muzzle Velocity725 m/s
Fire Chance8%
Armor Pen21 mm
Min Ricochet91°
Max Ricochet60°
Show 2 more gun families
127 mm Type89 mod. 3 (×6)
Caliber127 mm
Reload time6 s
HE Damage2,100
Muzzle Velocity725 m/s
Fire Chance8%
Armor Pen21 mm
Min Ricochet91°
Max Ricochet60°
155 mm 3rd Year Type (×2)
Caliber155 mm
Reload time12 s
HE Damage2,600
Muzzle Velocity925 m/s
Fire Chance10%
Armor Pen26 mm
Min Ricochet91°
Max Ricochet60°
Maneuverability
Engine moduleEngine: 150,000 hp
Engine power150,000 hp
Maximum speed26 kt
Turning circle radius900 m
Engine power multiplier speed threshold7 kt
Traverse-to-turn ratio4.7× drags
Concealment
Detectability by sea16.07 km
Detectability by air12.86 km
Smoke firing penalty15.97 km
Detect after firing main guns16.07 km
Detect Fire Sea18.07 km
Detect Fire Air15.86 km
Guaranteed Detect2 km
✦
Consumables
Damage Control Party∞ charges · 80 s reload · 8 s active
Repair Party2 charges · 80 s reload · 28 s active · 0.5% heal per second · 14% of max HP total heal
Choose one
Catapult Fighter4 charges · 60 s reload · 55 s active · 5.56 km patrol radius · 1 squadron size
Observation Seaplane4 charges · 200 s reload · 30 s active · 1 squadron size · +10% main-battery range bonus
Secondary Battery Booster3 charges · 160 s reload · 30 s active · +100% damage boost · +50% reload boost
Module options (1)

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

HullUpgrade
  • Turret traverse4 → 10 °/s

See all derived stats

Show ▾

Numbers the spec table cannot show directly: alpha-strike math, DPM, dispersion, AP penetration. Click the formula chip on any row to reveal how it is calculated.

Main battery formulas

Shell Grouping (σ)2.1
Shell grouping (sigma); shown in-game as Shell Grouping.
Max Horiz Disp211.4 m
Horizontal dispersion ellipse width at max range. (R/30·(idealRadius−minRadius)/idealDistance + minRadius)·30 = (17698/30·(10−2.8)/1000 + 2.8)·30 = 211.4 m
Max Vert Disp169.1 m
Vertical dispersion ellipse height at max range = max horizontal × radiusOnMax = 211.4 × 0.8 = 169.1 m
Med Horiz Disp65.1 m
50%-hit horizontal radius = max horizontal × GetHalfHitsRatio(σ) = 211.4 × 0.308 (σ=2.1) = 65.1 m
Med Vert Disp52.1 m
50%-hit vertical radius = max vertical × GetHalfHitsRatio(σ) = 169.1 × 0.308 (σ=2.1) = 52.1 m
Dispersion familyJP BB Disp.
Superior to EU BB, US/UK BB, and Warspite Dispersion past 50% of the ship's maximum firing range. Worst accuracy in the game below that.
AP Pen Close971.1 mm
Canonical community AP formula (jcw780/wows_shell), evaluated at muzzle velocity: 1e-7 × Krupp × mass^0.69 × caliber_m^-1.07 × v0^1.38 = 1e-7 × 2831 × 1460^0.69 × 0.46^-1.07 × 780^1.38 = 971.1 mm. Matches the in-game spec card.
AP Pen Far566.1 mm
Same formula at the ship's max firing range (22.1 km), where the shell has slowed to 527.5 m/s: 1e-7 × 2831 × 1460^0.69 × 0.46^-1.07 × 527.5^1.38 = 566.1 mm.
HE penetration115 mm
115 mm ≈ 460 mm caliber / 4 (improved HE penetration: German BBs, Yamato-class, and a handful of others).
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 ~115mm armor instead of ~76mm. Hits every German cruiser (150mm CL, 203mm CA) and BB (350mm+), British heavy cruisers / Lion / Nelson, a handful of other premiums.
AP overmatch32 mm
floor(460 mm caliber / 14.3) = 32 mm (AP auto-penetrates plating this thick or less).
AP AOE Radius400
AP shell over-penetration splash radius; scales with shell mass. Wickes 102mm = 3, standard 152mm CL ~ 20, Iowa 406mm ~ 270, Yamato 460mm = 400, Incomparable 650mm = 550 (max). Larger value = bigger splash damage area when AP over-pens.
Broadside guns used for alpha9
All 9 barrels bear on the broadside.
Turret turn time45 s
180 degrees / 4 deg/s traverse speed = 45 s.
HE full-salvo alpha65,700
7,300 HE damage x 9 broadside guns = 65,700.
AP full-salvo alpha133,200
14,800 AP damage x 9 broadside guns = 133,200.
Base HE DPM131,400
65,700 HE full-salvo alpha x 60 / 30 s base reload = 131,400.
Base AP DPM266,400
133,200 AP full-salvo alpha x 60 / 30 s base reload = 266,400.
Installed HE DPM146,000
65,700 HE full-salvo alpha x 60 / 27 s installed reload (Main Battery Mod. 3 = -10%) = 146,000.
Installed AP DPM296,000
133,200 AP full-salvo alpha x 60 / 27 s installed reload (Main Battery Mod. 3 = -10%) = 296,000.
Base shells/min18
9 broadside guns x 60 / 30 s base reload = 18.
Installed shells/min20
9 broadside guns x 60 / 27 s installed Artillery reload = 20.
Base fires/min6.3
9 HE shells x 60 / 30 s reload x 35% fire chance = 6.3.
Installed fires/min7
9 HE shells x 60 / 27 s installed reload x 35% fire chance = 7.

AA defense

Close-range AA DPS667
Sum across every AA aura on this ship of (aura.continuous_damage x 3.5 x aura.hit_probability). Here: (4×3.5×0.85) + (185×3.5×0.85) + (40×3.5×0.75) = 667. Covers AA-only mounts plus dual-purpose secondaries (Bismarck 105mm, USN 5"/38 cruiser secondaries) and dual-purpose main batteries (Sumner-class 5"/38, Akizuki-line 100mm). Formula validated against in-game captures on California, Sumner, Manfred von Richthofen, Dante Alighieri (exact) and within +/-17% on the remaining verified ships.
Maximum AA range5 km
Longest-reaching aura across AA-only + dual-purpose auras.
AA threat index2245
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 range3.1 km

Secondary battery dispersion

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

Secondary battery firepower

Secondary DPM (per side)291,000
Sum across all secondary families of (per-side barrels × 60 / reload_s × alpha), where per-side barrels = mounts × barrels-per-mount / 2 (the guns that bear on one broadside target). Per-family: 6×2 127 mm (6/side) × 60/6 × 2100 = 126,000 + 6×2 127 mm (6/side) × 60/6 × 2100 = 126,000 + 2×3 155 mm (3/side) × 60/12 × 2600 = 39,000. Assumes every shell hits (real hit rate is lower; the Brawl matchup tool on the Compare page folds in dispersion + target armor).
Max HE alpha2600
Maximum HE damage per shell across secondary HE families. Best on this ship: 2600 from the 155 mm family.
Max HE fire chance10%
Maximum per-shell fire chance across secondary HE families (before target fire resistance is applied). Best on this ship: 10% from the 155 mm family.
Max HE pen26 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: 26 mm from the 155 mm family.

Armor

Hull HP 90,000, distributed across 5 hull zones, each with its own plate thicknesses, saturation cap, and pen thresholds. HP caps are the exact in-game values, not estimated.

Section Plates HP cap Threats Tactic
Bow32 mm primary (range 32–370 mm)7,200 (8% of HP)
Overmatched by 460mm+ (Aki, Musashi)Angle bounces 410mm32 mm: HE pens from 203mm+
Bow-tank fits behind this exterior plate. Saturation is FAST here; the cap is often only a few thousand HP.
Hull (midship)19 mm primary (range 19–560 mm)67,500 (75% of HP)
Overmatched by 283mm+ (Scharnhorst '43, Schill)Angle bounces 203mm19 mm: HE pens from 127mm+
Largest HP pool. Citadel sits behind these plates; thinner deck and side plating absorb the rest.
Stern32 mm primary (range 25–560 mm)7,600 (8% of HP)
Overmatched by 460mm+ (Aki, Musashi)Angle bounces 410mm32 mm: HE pens from 203mm+
Mirror of bow. Same fast saturation.
Citadel410 mm primary (range 16–410 mm)≈ 165,500 (effectively no cap)
Citadel pen ×0.10 damageOver-pen: ×0.10 damage
Effectively no cap; citadel pool sits at ~165k HP on every ship. Damage is gated by pen/over-pen multipliers instead (×0.10 direct pen, ×0.10 over-pen).
Superstructure50 mm primary (range 50–500 mm)3,400 (4% of HP)
Any HE ≥16 mm pens at full damage
Any HE ≥16 mm pens at full damage. HE-spam target, and the section saturates fast (often only a few thousand HP).
Turret (module, per magazine)separate HP pool, does not drain ship HP48,600 magazine HPMagazine detonation1–30% chance · below ~75% HPPer-turret powder-magazine HP. Detonation chance scales from 1% (no mag damage) to 30% (full mag damage); this range is the in-game value. Detonation can't roll while the ship is above ~75% HP (the standard detonation-protection threshold, not a per-ship stat). Smaller magazines saturate to the 30% ceiling faster.
Secondary mount (155 mm mount)separate HP pool, does not drain ship HP800 per-mount HPDestroyed at 0 HPPer-mount HP for the heaviest secondary on this ship. A mount destroyed at 0 HP is out for the rest of the battle; DCP does not repair destroyed mounts. Smaller (lighter-caliber) secondaries typically share the same HP value.
AA mount (25 mm mount)separate HP pool, does not drain ship HP200 per-mount HPDestroyed at 0 HPPer-mount HP for the heaviest AA on this ship. An AA mount destroyed at 0 HP stops shooting down planes for the rest of the battle; DCP does not repair destroyed mounts. HE shells specifically target AA mounts since the small-caliber HP pool falls fast.
Rudder (module)separate HP pool, does not drain ship HP27,000 module HPIncapacitated at 0 HPWhen module HP reaches 0 the rudder locks at its current angle until DCP repairs it. Repair via Damage Control Party.

Saturation cap = HP a section can absorb before further damage to it is reduced (the "bow-tank" effect). Citadel pool is ~165k on every ship (effectively no cap); damage is gated by pen/over-pen multipliers instead. Superstructure saturates fast but HE always pens regardless of the plate thickness. Rudder (and other module HPs) are a separate pool from ship HP: damaging a module doesn't drain ship HP. Incapacitated modules like the rudder and engine are restored by DCP, but secondary and AA mounts destroyed at 0 HP stay out for the rest of the battle.

Shell ballistics chart

AP penetration, impact velocity, flight time and impact angle vs range. Click to load the interactive chart.
Streamer videos

Watch Yamato in live play
YouTube · Hitman Gaming Yamato Gameplay | World of Warships: Legends Watch gameplay ↗ YouTube · Soopa-Dave Gaming Yamato World Of Warships Legends Guide Watch gameplay ↗ YouTube · Spartan Elite43 Is Yamato Still Good In 2025 in World of Warships Legends? Watch gameplay ↗

Balance History

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

Nerf ×1Main Battery ×1
2021-08-26

September update: the Redinforcements

  • Shell grouping decreased by 5%, rotation speed of main guns decreased from 4.5 degrees per second to 4.
Read the full official post

Historical context

The real Yamato that gave this ship her name. Facts cross-checked against the linked Wikipedia article.

ClassYamato-class battleship (largest battleships ever built)
OperatorImperial Japanese Navy
Era1941–1945
WarsWorld War II
BuilderKure Naval Arsenal
Launched8 August 1940
Commissioned16 December 1941
DeploymentsServed as Combined Fleet flagship for much of her career, but rarely committed to combat owing to fuel scarcity.

Notable engagements

  • Battle of the Philippine Sea (June 1944) — Present but saw no significant surface action.
  • Battle off Samar (25 October 1944) — Part of Center Force at Leyte Gulf; engaged US escort carriers and destroyers.
  • Operation Ten-Go (April 1945) — One-way sortie toward Okinawa intended to beach and fight as a shore battery.

Fate

Sunk 7 April 1945 roughly 200 km north of Okinawa during Operation Ten-Go. Attacked by ~380 US carrier aircraft from Task Force 58; hit by ~10+ torpedoes and ~7 bombs, capsized and the forward magazine detonated. Around 3,055 dead; 269 survivors.

Read more on Wikipedia ↗

Exteriors

Skins & permanent camouflages

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

Primary official WG sources

Filtered to official World of Warships: Legends pages where this ship is a focus, reward, line member, or high-context variant mention.

2022-04-22 · Official ship feature / stats Golden Week 2022 Official source 2023-04-24 · Official ship feature / stats Golden Week '23 Official source 2025-08-28 · Official ship feature / stats Sneak Peek: New Japanese Hybrid Battleships Official source 2020-05-14 · Patch notes Update: May 2020 Patch notes 2021-08-26 · Patch notes September update: the Redinforcements Patch notes 2021-12-16 · Patch notes Holiday Update: Chilling With the Beasts Patch notes