World of Warships: Legends ship guide

Zaō

Also called: 藏王 Beta

Improved-AP cruiserAn improved AP fuse citadels cruiser sides a normal CA round over-pens, but bounce angles are standard: spam HE, and switch to AP only for a flat broadside.

Playstyle

Switch to HE the moment a target angles: your bounce angles are the standard 45°/60°, so AP that fails the angle check does nothing no matter how much penetration it carries. Save AP for a flat broadside
Work the islands rather than a firing line
Avoid: Pushing in blind because the kit says brawler

Key characteristics

Heavy, fast torpedoesSonarTight pattern at max rangeSlow torp reload

On this page

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

Community Data

Zaō Community Stats

Across 10,000+ Standard battles from 180+ players, Zaō averages a 64% win rate, 113,000 damage and 1.2 kills per battle, and survives 56% of them.

Community Data

Zaō Community Stats

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

Playstyle

Overview

Zaō is a Legendary Japanese IJN cruiser with the improved AP fuse: her AP shells arm at 60% of the standard armor threshold, so they citadel cruisers that would over-pen a normal CA round. Her bounce angles are the standard ones though, and a shell that fails the angle check wastes its penetration entirely, so the fuse is a reward for catching a target flat rather than a reason to load AP by default. Spam HE, and switch to AP the moment a broadside actually presents itself. Sonar (4.4 km on ships and 3.1 km on torpedoes, 96 s active, 180 s reload, long uptime) lights up DDs and torpedoes inside its bubble, which lets her contest the cap edge without taking the spotting cycle. Standout traits: best torpedo alpha in Legendary CAs (22,267, 1st of 13) and best big torpedo salvo in Legendary CAs (10, 2nd of 13). The trade is worst torpedo reload in Legendary CAs (171 s, 13th of 13).

Positioning

Work the islands rather than a firing line. Sonar (4.4 km on ships, 3.1 km on torpedoes) is the whole kit, and it only pays inside that radius, so hold the cover beside a contested cap and use it to catch destroyers and torpedoes coming around the corner: HE into the destroyer, AP into any cruiser that shows you a broadside while it sits in smoke. Firing from a friendly smoke reveals you at 7.3 km, so pick the salvo rather than holding the trigger. The helm answers quickly (7.7 s), so she can break an incoming salvo that slower hulls have to eat.

Potato Avoidance

Pushing in blind because the kit says brawler

4.4-km Sonar is what makes the close fight winnable, and it only helps once you are already committed; it does not tell you what is waiting two islands over. Push when a destroyer is lit or a teammate holds vision, not to find out who is there.

Signature Traits

Improved AP fuse (IJN cruiser)

AP arms at 60% of the standard armor threshold (vs 0.9 default). Lets your AP pen broadsiding cruisers that would over-pen a normal CA, citadel hunts the cohort can't pull off, unique in Legendary CAs.

ELITE TORPEDOES ↗

Heavy torpedoes · 22267 damage
Big torpedo salvo · 10 tubes
Module-wrecking torpedoes · 1500 torpedo
Fast torpedoes · 67 kt
Many torpedo launchers · 4 launchers

Tight pattern at max range ↗

131.1 m max horizontal dispersion, top decile of Legendary CAs. Shells land in a small pattern at her own maximum range (this is the absolute spread, not adjusted for how far she shoots).

TORPEDO DOWNSIDES ↗

Slow torp reload · 171 s
Visible torps · 1.7 km

Acquisition

How to get Zaō

Zaō 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

November Update: All In Black Bureau project Start: 2023-11-02
- Japanese Legendary Tier cruiser Zaō
- You can gain access to her via a Bureau Project that will be available to pick up in Store from December 1.
Supply Shipment: Black Waters Rise Bureau project Start: 2023-11-13
- To get her, you'll have to complete a dedicated Bureau Project that you can unlock in the Store for either credits or doubloons.

Builds

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

Isoroku Yamamoto

WG official

InspirationsGunichi Mikawa · André Lemonnier

WG official build from Through the Spy Glass: Zaō.

Source: Through the Spy Glass: Zaō

Open in Build Tool →

Commanders frequently paired with this ship Isoroku Yamamoto

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 Zaō sits among Legendary CAs (20 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.

BestTorpedo damage≈22,267 (1/13) Top 10%Rudder shift7.7 s (3/21) Top 10%Main dispersion131.1 m (2/21) Top 25%AP velocity920 m/s (6/21) Top 25%Displacement17,958 t (6/21) Top 25%Torpedo speed67 kt (3/13) Bottom 25%Hit points44,900 HP (17/21) Bottom 25%Secondary HE pen17 mm (11/13) Bottom 25%AA DPS470 (18/21) Bottom 25%AA threat1,775 (19/21) Bottom 25%Torpedo reaction time9.4 s (11/13) WorstTorpedo reload171 s (13/13)

See 42 mid-pack stats

Not standouts for Zaō -- 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.

Max speed34.5 kt(8/21) Concealment12.74 km(7/21) Smoke fire bloom7.29 km(9/21) Air detection7.64 km(7/21) Turning circle840 m(15/21) Main battery caliber203 mm(13/21) Main battery range15.48 km(16/21) Main battery reload13.5 s(11/21) Sigma2.05(13/21) HE shell damage3,400(11/19) HE fire chance19%(8/19) Fires per minute10.08(8/19) HE DPM180,379(9/19) AP shell damage5,400(12/21) AP DPM286,484(12/21) Secondary DPM (per side)204,000(5/14) Secondary HE alpha1,700(8/13) Secondary fire chance6%(7/13) HE velocity920 m/s(6/19) Time to 90% speed24.5 s(7/21) Acceleration (0-12 kt)8.6 s(9/21) AP arming threshold34 mm(10/21) Engine power159,000 hp(10/21) Power / turn radius189.3 hp/m(11/21) Power-to-weight8.85 hp/t(7/21) AP pen at 10 km303 mm(11/21) Effective HE DPM (incl. fire)263,007(10/19) AA range5 km(15/21) Flak damage per salvo (expected)2,898(12/20) Torpedo range11.01 km(6/13) Repair heal rate0.6 %/s(9/21) Max armor203 mm(11/21) Citadel belt152 mm(11/21) Bow armor25 mm(13/21) Stern armor25 mm(13/21) NormSecondary dispersion bracket57(11 of 14 tied at this value) NormAP fuse timer0.033 s(11 of 21 tied at this value) NormAP ricochet start45°(14 of 21 tied at this value) NormAP auto-bounce angle60°(14 of 21 tied at this value) NormTurn speed retained81%(18 of 21 tied at this value) NormSecondary range5 km(11 of 14 tied at this value) NormRepair charges2(15 of 21 tied at this value)

Peers in this cohort

Compare Legendary Cruisers

Show all 20 peers

Stats & specs

Customize in the Build Tool →

Survivability

Hit Points44,900

Displacement17,958 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.

218.3 x 21.2 m

Armor range6–203 mm

Plate armor thicknesses6, 16, 25, 30, 40, 50, 55, 65, 67, 75, 89, 90, 100, 105, 127, 130, 152, 160, 203 mm

Armor material/layer entries62

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 duration30 s

Fire damage

One unattended fire: 0.003 of max HP per second (0.3%) × 30 s = 0.09 of the pool; 0.09 × 44,900 HP = 4,041 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: 0.0025 of max HP per second (0.25%) × 40 s = 0.1 of the pool; 0.1 × 44,900 HP = 4,490 HP on this ship.

0.25% of HP per second

Torp Reduction

1 − 0.27 hull torpedo-damage coefficient / 0.333 unprotected baseline = 19%. Reduces torpedo hit damage. It does not affect flooding: floods start as often and tick at the full rate.

19%

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.

22,500

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.

13,500

Effective HP

Base 44,900 HP plus everything Repair Party can restore: 0.006 of max HP per second (0.6%) × 28 s × 44,900 HP = 7,543 HP per charge, × 2 charges = 15,086 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.

59,986

Repairable: penetration50%

Repairable: citadel33%

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 × 1,900 = 3,800), 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.

1,900

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 × 6,700 = 13,400), then further hits on it deal half damage. A penetration deals 0.33 × the shell's max damage; once the section is saturated it deals exactly half of that (0.5 × 0.33 = 0.165 × max damage), so a 3,000-damage shell's pen goes from 990 to 495. Overpens (0.1 × max damage) and citadels (1.0 ×) ignore saturation. Pens on the ship's other, unsaturated sections still deal the normal 0.33 ×. A larger pool keeps that part of the ship taking full damage for longer; a small one saturates fast and protects the ship's HP.

6,700

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 × 33,700 = 67,400), then further hits on it deal half damage. A penetration deals 0.33 × the shell's max damage; once the section is saturated it deals exactly half of that (0.5 × 0.33 = 0.165 × max damage), so a 3,000-damage shell's pen goes from 990 to 495. Overpens (0.1 × max damage) and citadels (1.0 ×) ignore saturation. Pens on the ship's other, unsaturated sections still deal the normal 0.33 ×. A larger pool keeps that part of the ship taking full damage for longer; a small one saturates fast and protects the ship's HP.

33,700

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 × 2,200 = 4,400), then further hits on it deal half damage. A penetration deals 0.33 × the shell's max damage; once the section is saturated it deals exactly half of that (0.5 × 0.33 = 0.165 × max damage), so a 3,000-damage shell's pen goes from 990 to 495. Overpens (0.1 × max damage) and citadels (1.0 ×) ignore saturation. Pens on the ship's other, unsaturated sections still deal the normal 0.33 ×. The superstructure is not exempt: it saturates exactly like the bow and stern, so shells aimed at it stop dealing full damage once this pool is used up. A larger pool keeps that part of the ship taking full damage for longer; a small one saturates fast and protects the ship's HP.

2,200

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 × 2,700 = 5,400), then further hits on it deal half damage. A penetration deals 0.33 × the shell's max damage; once the section is saturated it deals exactly half of that (0.5 × 0.33 = 0.165 × max damage), so a 3,000-damage shell's pen goes from 990 to 495. Overpens (0.1 × max damage) and citadels (1.0 ×) ignore saturation. Pens on the ship's other, unsaturated sections still deal the normal 0.33 ×. A larger pool keeps that part of the ship taking full damage for longer; a small one saturates fast and protects the ship's HP.

2,700

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: 203 mm 18th Year Type

Mounts / barrels4 mounts / 12 barrels

Reload time13.5 s

Firing range15.5 km

Turret traverse6 °/s

Turret armor127 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.

±145°, ±140°, ±138°, ±135°

Guns to bear

180° − 135° (the most restricted aft-facing mount's arc) = 45° 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.

45° off bow / 42° off stern

See the firing-arcs diagram ↓

Shell Grouping (σ)2.05

Dispersion type

In practice: 6% tighter (better) horizontal dispersion and 6% less vertical spread at max range (15.5 km) than a standard cruiser: about 131 m wide × 79 m tall, against 140 m × 84 m. Also on this curve (225): AL Avrora, AL Yukikaze, AL Z24, Acasta, Achilles, Adriatico, Aigle, Akatsuki, Akizuki, Albany, Allen M. Sumner, Attilio Regolo and 213 more.

Standard destroyer

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{15479}{30} \cdot \frac{8 - 0.5}{1000} + 0.5) \cdot 30 = 131.1 m

131.1 m at 15.5 km

Max Vert Disp

Vertical dispersion ellipse height at max range:

σ_{V} = σ_{H} \cdot radiusOnMax

= 131.1 \cdot 0.6 = 78.7 m

78.7 m at 15.5 km

Med Horiz Disp

50%-hit horizontal radius:

σ_{H, 50} = σ_{H} \cdot \frac{0.6}{σ}

= 131.1 \cdot \frac{0.6}{2.05} = 38.4 m

38.4 m at 15.5 km

Med Vert Disp

50%-hit vertical radius:

σ_{V, 50} = σ_{V} \cdot \frac{0.6}{σ}

= 78.7 \cdot \frac{0.6}{2.05} = 23 m

23 m at 15.5 km

Turret turn time

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

30 s

Shells/min

Zero upgrades: 12 broadside guns x 60 / 13.571 s (13.5 s = 95 ticks) base reload = 53.1. All upgrades (Main Battery Mod. 3 = -10% reload): 12 broadside guns x 60 / 12.286 s (12.2 s = 86 ticks) all-upgrades reload (13.5 s × 0.9 Main Battery Mod. 3 = 12.2 s) = 58.6.

Initial: 53.1 → 58.6

HE shells

HE alpha3,400

HE Velocity920 m/s

Fire Chance19%

HE fire DPM vs T8 BB82628

Effective HE DPM vs T8 BB263007

HE penetration

34 mm ≈ 203 mm caliber / 6 (standard HE penetration ratio).

34 mm

HE full-salvo alpha

3,400 HE damage x 12 broadside guns = 40,800.

40,800

HE DPM

Zero upgrades: 40,800 HE full-salvo alpha x 60 / 13.571 s (13.5 s = 95 ticks) base reload = 180,379. All upgrades (Main Battery Mod. 3 = -10% reload): 40,800 HE full-salvo alpha x 60 / 12.286 s (12.2 s = 86 ticks) all-upgrades reload (13.5 s × 0.9 Main Battery Mod. 3 = 12.2 s) = 199,256.

Initial: 180,379 → 199,256

Fires/min

Zero upgrades: 53.1 shells/min × 0.19 (19% fire chance) = 10.08. All upgrades (Main Battery Mod. 3 = -10% reload): 58.6 shells/min × 0.19 (19% fire chance) = 11.13.

Initial: 10.08 → 11.13

AP shells

AP alpha5,400

AP Velocity920 m/s

Min Ricochet45 deg

Guaranteed Ricochet60 deg

Fuse Timer0.033 s

Fuse Threshold34 mm

Improved AP FuseYes

AP pen max range228 mm

AP overmatch

floor(203 mm caliber / 14.3) = 14 mm (AP auto-penetrates plating this thick or less).

14 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 2468 \cdot 155^{0.69} \cdot {0.203}^{- 1.07} \cdot 920^{1.38} = 542.9 mm

542.9 mm point-blank

AP Pen Far

Same formula at the ship's max firing range (15.5 km), where the shell has slowed to 490.9 m/s:

P = 10^{- 7} \cdot 2468 \cdot 155^{0.69} \cdot {0.203}^{- 1.07} \cdot {490.9}^{1.38} = 228.2 mm

228.2 mm at 15.5 km

AP full-salvo alpha

5,400 AP damage x 12 broadside guns = 64,800.

64,800

AP DPM

Zero upgrades: 64,800 AP full-salvo alpha x 60 / 13.571 s (13.5 s = 95 ticks) base reload = 286,484. All upgrades (Main Battery Mod. 3 = -10% reload): 64,800 AP full-salvo alpha x 60 / 12.286 s (12.2 s = 86 ticks) all-upgrades reload (13.5 s × 0.9 Main Battery Mod. 3 = 12.2 s) = 316,465.

Initial: 286,484 → 316,465

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.

Torpedoes

ModuleTorpedoes: 610 mm quintuple

Launchers / tubes4 launchers × 5 tubes = 20 tubes

Reload time

Base reload of the top torpedo module (all-upgrades configuration); the stock module reloads in 104 s. Modernizations and commander effects scale it further, e.g. Torpedo Launchers Mod. 3 alone is x0.85:

171 \times 0.85 = 145.3

Initial: 104 s → 171 s

Projectile speed

Speed of the top torpedo module (all-upgrades configuration, 67.0 kt); the stock torpedo module runs 76.0 kt.

Initial: 76 kt → 67 kt

RangeInitial: 8.01 km → 11.01 km

Maximum simulated damage

Initial: 59,600 × 0.333 = 19,867 → 66,800 × 0.333 = 22,267 (warhead alpha × saturation coefficient, stock → upgraded torpedo). 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 = 66, 800 \cdot 0.333 = 22, 267

. 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.

Initial: ≈ 19,867 → ≈ 22,267

Maximum damage (ammunition)

66,800 warhead alpha / 3 + 1,500 blast = 23,767. 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.

23,767

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.

1,500

Torpedo detectability1.7 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{1.7 km}{67 kt \times 2.6855} = 9.4 s

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

9.4 s

Flooding chance

This torpedo carries a flooding-chance value of 4.06 per hit, shown as

4.06 \times 100 = 406 %

. 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.

406%

Torpedo launcher traverse25 °/s

Launch arcswing 105° (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 Arming210 m

Per-side salvo damage

One side firing, all torpedoes hitting: per-side tubes x per-torpedo simulated damage = 10 x 22,267 = 222,670. Each hit on the target's torpedo belt is reduced by its torpedo protection %.

222,670

AA Defense

AA mount points40

Maximum AA range

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

5 km

40 mm/60 Type 59×2 40mm

25 mm Type96 mod. 111×3 25mm

25 mm/60 Type96 mod. 120×1 25mm

100 mm Type98 (DP)

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

6×2 100mm

Guns100 mm Type98 (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 135 from dual-purpose secondaries firing as AA in this range band.

135

Range5 km

Guns40 mm/60 Type 5

Continuous DPS

Effective DPS: 49 raw aura damage × 3.5 × 0.9 hit probability = 154 - the same in-game units as the Close-range AA DPS headline.

154

Range3.5 km

Total DPS in Aura

Far 135 + Medium 154 = 289

289

Guns25 mm Type96 mod. 1 + 25 mm/60 Type96 mod. 1

Continuous DPS

Effective DPS: 61 raw aura damage × 3.5 × 0.85 hit probability = 181 - the same in-game units as the Close-range AA DPS headline.

181

Range3.1 km

Total DPS in Aura

Far 135 + Medium 154 + Near 181 = 470

470

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.

90%

Salvo interval

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

every ~2 s

Fired by

Flak keeps firing while at least one secondary battery mount is operational - even losing every dedicated AA mount does not stop it.

Secondary battery

Flak zone

The activation band: flak fires while attacking planes are inside it. Clouds are placed ahead of the planes' path, so clouds can land short of 2.5 km or past 5 km - once planes get inside the band, new salvos stop. AA range bonuses push the outer edge out; the 2.5 km inner edge does not move.

2.5-5 km

See the AA layers diagram ↓

Secondary Battery

Mounts6

Firing range5.0 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: 6×2 100 mm (6/side) × 60/3 s × 1700 = 204,000. Assumes every shell hits (real hit rate is lower; the Brawl matchup tool on the Compare page folds in dispersion + target armor).

204,000

Secondary fire DPM vs T8 BB (per side)

Fires/min (per side) 7.2 × (1 − 0.4 fire resistance) × 60 s × 0.003 of max HP per second × 75,900 HP = 59,020. 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.

59,020

Total secondary DPM vs T8 BB (per side)

Secondary DPM (per side) 204,000 + secondary fire DPM 59,020 = 263,020: shell damage plus fire damage against one T8 battleship, every shell hitting.

263,020

100 mm Type98 (DP)

Dual-purpose: the same mounts also fire at aircraft, so they appear on the AA Defense card too - shared guns, not extra hardware.

6×2 100mm

Caliber100 mm

Reload time3 s

HE alpha1,700

Muzzle Velocity1000 m/s

Fire Chance6%

Secondary fires/min (per side)

6×2 barrels / 2 sides × 60 / 3 s × 0.06 (6% fire chance) = 7.2. 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.

7.2

HE Pen17 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 @ 5 km

5 km × 57 + 30 = 315 m.

315 m

Maneuverability

Engine power159,000 hp

Maximum speed34.5 kt

Turning circle radius840 m

Rudder shift time7.7 s

Engine power-boost threshold7.0 kt

Engine spool-up time15.3 s

Reverse spool-up time7.7 s

Reverse speed

top speed / 4 + 4.9 = 34.5 / 4 + 4.9 = 13.5 kt. Base value; speed modifiers scale it.

13.5 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.

27.4 s

Engine boost threshold (reverse)

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

10.5 kt

Acceleration 0-90%

Time to reach 90% of top speed (31.1 kt of 34.5 kt).

24.5 s

Acceleration 0-99%

Time to reach 99% of top speed (34.2 kt of 34.5 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.

39 s

Guns in a full turn

With the rudder hard over the hull turns 5.0°/s, so a target drifts across the bow at that rate. Turret traverse minus hull turn: 6 − 5.0 = +1.0°/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 (+1.0°/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): 12.74 km x 0.955 = 12.17 km. Camouflage does not change detectability by air.

12.74 km

With Grade IV camouflage (sea)

Detectability by sea 12.74 km x 0.955 (Grade IV permanent camo or any disposable camo) = 12.17 km.

12.17 km

Detectability by air7.64 km

Smoke firing penalty7.29 km

Detect when firing (sea)

max(main battery range, sea detectability 12.74 km) = 15.48 km. Equal to the ship's main battery range (never below base detectability): firing makes you visible to everyone you can reach.

15.48 km

Detect when firing (air)

Air detectability 7.64 km + gun-firing bloom 4.06 km = 11.7 km. The bloom tracks main-battery caliber 203 mm × 0.020 = 4.06 km.

11.7 km

Detect when on fire (sea)

Sea detectability 12.74 km + 2.0 km while burning = 14.74 km.

14.74 km

Detect when on fire (air)

Air detectability 7.64 km + 3.0 km while burning = 10.64 km.

10.64 km

Guaranteed Detect2 km

✦

Consumables

Damage Control Party∞ charges · 60 s reload · 5 s active

Choose one

Sonar2 charges · 180 s reload · 96 s active · 4.44 km ship detect
ƒ
Derived from the consumable's 30 m grid-unit range (km = grid units x 30 / 1000): $\frac{148 \times 30}{1000} = 4.44 km$
· 3.12 km torpedo detect
ƒ
Derived from the consumable's 30 m grid-unit range (km = grid units x 30 / 1000): $\frac{104 \times 30}{1000} = 3.12 km$

Defensive AA Fire3 charges · 140 s reload · 25 s active · ×2 flak burst boost
ƒ
Repeats the flak burst pattern ×2 within each salvo - more clouds in the air over the salvo, at the same spots.

Catapult Fighter3 charges · 80 s reload · 70 s active · 5 km patrol radius
ƒ
Derived from the consumable's 30 m grid-unit range (km = grid units x 30 / 1000): $\frac{167 \times 30}{1000} = 5 km$
· 1 squadron size

Repair Party2 charges · 60 s reload · 28 s active · 7,543 HP (16.8% of max HP) total heal (per charge)
ƒ
0.006 of max HP per second (0.6%) × 28 s effective active time = 0.168 of max HP × 44,900 HP = 7,543 HP: up to 16.8% of max HP restored per charge.
· 15,086 HP (33.6% of max HP) total heal (all charges)
ƒ
0.168 of max HP per charge × 2 charges = 0.336 × 44,900 HP = 15,086 HP: up to 33.6% of max HP if the whole Repair Party loadout is used.
· 269 HP/s (0.6% of max HP) heal per second
ƒ
0.006 (0.6% of max HP) × 44,900 HP = 269 HP/s. WoWS heals a flat percent of MAX HP each second, so this rate holds at any health level.

Module options (1)

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

TorpedoesTrade-off

Range8.01 → 11.01 km
Reload104 → 171 s
Alpha damage59,600 → 66,800
Display damage19,867 → 22,267
Speed76 → 67 kt

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 cruiser6% tighter H · 6% shorter V

H = horizontal, V = vertical spread. This ship's curve against the standard cruiser curve, both evaluated at this ship's max range (15.5 km) with the same model as Max Horiz/Vert Disp: horizontal 131 / 140 m − 1 = -6%, vertical 79 / 84 m − 1 = -6%. Shell grouping (σ) is separate: it sets how shells bunch toward the centre of this ellipse.

Shell scatter width @ 5 km52.5 m

(166.7 × (8 − 0.5) / 1000 + 0.5) × 30 = 52.5 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 km90 m

(333.3 × (8 − 0.5) / 1000 + 0.5) × 30 = 90 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 km127.5 m

(500 × (8 − 0.5) / 1000 + 0.5) × 30 = 127.5 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 km20.7 m

How tall the scatter ellipse is at a fixed 5 km, from the same model, comparable from ship to ship. The height/width ratio is a piecewise-linear curve through three points from the ship's own dispersion data:  $radiusOnZero = 0.2$  at 0 m,  $radiusOnDelim = 0.5$  at  $delim \cdot R_{m a x} = 0.5 \cdot 15479 = 7740$  m, and  $radiusOnMax = 0.6$  at 15479 m. Below the kink:  $k = 0.2 + (0.5 - 0.2) \cdot \frac{5000}{7740} = 0.3938$ , so  $σ_{V} = σ_{H} \cdot k = 52.5 \cdot 0.3938 = 20.7 m$ .

Shell scatter height @ 10 km47.6 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  $delim \cdot R_{m a x} = 0.5 \cdot 15479 = 7740$  m, and  $radiusOnMax = 0.6$  at 15479 m. Above the kink:  $k = 0.5 + (0.6 - 0.5) \cdot \frac{10000 - 7740}{15479 - 7740} = 0.5292$ , so  $σ_{V} = σ_{H} \cdot k = 90 \cdot 0.5292 = 47.6 m$ .

Shell scatter height @ 15 km75.7 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  $delim \cdot R_{m a x} = 0.5 \cdot 15479 = 7740$  m, and  $radiusOnMax = 0.6$  at 15479 m. Above the kink:  $k = 0.5 + (0.6 - 0.5) \cdot \frac{15000 - 7740}{15479 - 7740} = 0.5938$ , so  $σ_{V} = σ_{H} \cdot k = 127.5 \cdot 0.5938 = 75.7 m$ .

AP pen 5 km403 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  $P = 10^{- 7} \cdot K \cdot m^{0.69} \cdot d^{- 1.07} \cdot v^{1.38}$   $= 10^{- 7} \cdot 2468 \cdot 155^{0.69} \cdot {0.203}^{- 1.07} \cdot {741.9}^{1.38} = 403 mm$ , where 741.9 m/s is the shell's speed when it arrives at 5 km (from 920 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 km303 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  $P = 10^{- 7} \cdot K \cdot m^{0.69} \cdot d^{- 1.07} \cdot v^{1.38}$   $= 10^{- 7} \cdot 2468 \cdot 155^{0.69} \cdot {0.203}^{- 1.07} \cdot {602.7}^{1.38} = 303 mm$ , where 602.7 m/s is the shell's speed when it arrives at 10 km (from 920 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 km234 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  $P = 10^{- 7} \cdot K \cdot m^{0.69} \cdot d^{- 1.07} \cdot v^{1.38}$   $= 10^{- 7} \cdot 2468 \cdot 155^{0.69} \cdot {0.203}^{- 1.07} \cdot {499.6}^{1.38} = 234 mm$ , where 499.6 m/s is the shell's speed when it arrives at 15 km (from 920 m/s at the muzzle). Fixed anchors make ships directly comparable at the same fighting distance; the Charts card plots the full curve.

AP flight time @ 10 km4.91 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:  $k = \frac{π C_{d} d^{2}}{8 m} = \frac{π \cdot 0.337 \cdot {0.203}^{2}}{8 \cdot 155} = 3.52 \times 10^{- 5}$ . That runs from a 920 m/s muzzle velocity in 0.02 s steps under gravity 9.8 m/s² until the shell lands, then divides by 2.77 because the game clock runs faster than real time. Lower is better, since a faster shell is harder to dodge and needs less lead.

HE flight time @ 10 km4.91 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:  $k = \frac{π C_{d} d^{2}}{8 m} = \frac{π \cdot 0.337 \cdot {0.203}^{2}}{8 \cdot 155} = 3.52 \times 10^{- 5}$ . That runs from a 920 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)12

4 mounts × 3 barrels = 12; all 12 bear on the broadside.

Model inputs

Krupp (AP)2,468

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 mass155 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 coefficient0.337

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

AP muzzle velocity920 m/s

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

HE muzzle velocity920 m/s

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

idealRadius8

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

minRadius0.5

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 time9.4 s

1700 m / (67.0 kt × 2.6855) = 9.4 s. detectability / (speed kt x 2.6855 m/s per knot on the game clock).

Torpedo speed67.0 kt

Travel time to max range61.2 s

11010 m / (67.0 kt × 2.6855) = 61.2 s. range / (speed kt x 2.6855 m/s per knot on the game clock).

Tube count20

4 launchers × 5 tubes.

Per-side salvo10 torpedoes

20 wing tubes / 2 = 10: 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 damage445,340

All tubes hitting one target: tubes x per-torpedo simulated damage = 20 x 22,267 = 445,340. Each hit on the target's torpedo belt is reduced by its torpedo protection %.

AA defense

AA DPS at max range135

Only families that reach 5 km contribute at the outer edge of the AA bubble. In-game families: 40mm Bofors 9x2 -> 154 DPS @ 3.5 km; 25mm Type96 11x3 -> 64 DPS @ 3.1 km; 25mm Type96 single 20x1 -> 117 DPS @ 3.1 km; 100mm65 Type98 6x2 -> 135 DPS @ 5 km.

AA DPS layered by range135 DPS @ 5 km, 289 DPS @ 3.5 km, 470 DPS @ 3.1 km

@ 5 km: 135 from one family; @ 3.5 km: 154 + 135 = 289; @ 3.1 km: 154 + 64 + 117 + 135 = 470. 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-blank470

154 + 64 + 117 + 135 = 470 DPS: the sum of every family's average DPS, achievable only inside the closest-range family (3.1 km).

AA threat index1775

154 × 3.5 + 64 × 3.1 + 117 × 3.1 + 135 × 5 = 1775. 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 firepower

Max HE alpha1700

The only family (100 mm): 1700. Maximum HE damage per shell across secondary HE families. Best on this ship: 1700 from the 100 mm family.

Max HE fire chance6%

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

Max HE pen17 mm

The only family (100 mm): 17 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: 17 mm from the 100 mm family.

Open in Charting Tool

Ship Charts

Background

A very powerful cruiser in all respects. Compared with the preceding classes of heavy cruisers, Zaō had a greater number of main battery and AA guns, thick armor and a reinforced torpedo armament.

Armor Beta

Hull HP 44,900, distributed across 5 hull zones, each with its own plate thicknesses, saturation cap, and pen thresholds.

Bow & stern25 mm

Overmatched by 54+ AP guns across the bracket. Can’t reliably bow-tank; gets bow-citadelled and overpenned.

Belt / citadel152 mm

AP can citadel a flat broadside even at range. Stay angled and avoid showing the full side.

Farming16 mm

Superstructure and extremities take HE pens and AP overpens from nearly any gun: steady chip damage. Fire resistance 40%, fires burn 30s. Range-by-range in the Compare tool →

Section	Plates	HP cap	Threats	Tactic
Bow	25 mm primary (range 25–40 mm)	1,900 (4% of HP)	Overmatched by 380mm+ AP (Alsace, Bourgogne)Angle bounces 356mm25 mm: HE pens from 150mm+	Bow-tank fits behind this exterior plate. Saturation is FAST here; the cap is often only a few thousand HP.
Hull (midship)	30 mm primary (range 25–203 mm)	33,700 (75% of HP)	Overmatched by 460mm+ AP (Aki, Musashi)Angle bounces 410mm30 mm: HE pens from 203mm+	Largest HP pool. Citadel sits behind these plates; thinner deck and side plating absorb the rest.
Stern	25 mm primary (range 25–40 mm)	2,700 (6% of HP)	Overmatched by 380mm+ AP (Alsace, Bourgogne)Angle bounces 356mm25 mm: HE pens from 150mm+	Mirror of bow. Same fast saturation.
Citadel	152 mm primary (range 6–152 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	16 mm	2,200 (5% 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	22,500 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 (100 mm mount)	separate HP pool, does not drain ship HP	800 per-mount HP	Destroyed at 0 HP	Per-mount HP for the heaviest secondary on this ship. A mount destroyed at 0 HP is out for the rest of the battle; DCP does not repair destroyed mounts. Smaller (lighter-caliber) secondaries typically share the same HP value.
AA mount (40 mm mount)	separate HP pool, does not drain ship HP	200 per-mount HP	Destroyed at 0 HP	Per-mount HP for the heaviest AA on this ship. An AA mount destroyed at 0 HP stops shooting down planes for the rest of the battle; DCP does not repair destroyed mounts. HE shells specifically target AA mounts since the small-caliber HP pool falls fast.
Rudder (module)	separate HP pool, does not drain ship HP	13,500 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.

Exteriors

Skins & permanent camouflages

Every custom exterior Zaō can equip.

DefaultThe ship’s standard exterior
ZayaDecorative
Space
Space skin for ZaōSpace

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.

2023-12-01 · Through the Spy Glass Through the Spy Glass: Zaō Ship feature 2023-11-02 · Patch notes November Update: All In Black Patch notes

Zaō

Zaō Community Stats

Zaō Community Stats

Zaō Community Stats

Playstyle

Overview

Positioning

Potato Avoidance

Signature Traits →

How to get Zaō

Builds

Isoroku Yamamoto

Cohort position

Peers in this cohort

Stats & specs

Under the hood

Main battery formulas

Model inputs

Torpedoes

AA defense

Secondary battery firepower

Ship Charts

Background

Armor Beta

Skins & permanent camouflages

Primary official WG sources

Signature Traits