World of Warships: Legends ship guide

Zara

Also called: 扎拉 Beta
SAP cruiserTrade SAP volleys into exposed sides; survival is angling and target choice, not citadel fishing.
Playstyle
  • Hold angles with islands close enough to break line of sight when focus comes
  • The kit pays best when you choose your salvo target, not when you chase one
  • Avoid: Pouring SAP into bow-in or heavily armored targets
Key characteristics
Long torps (10 km)55 mm SAP penStealthy (10.9 km)Exhaust SmokeThickest plateLow AP DPM
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Community Data

Zara Community Stats

Across 9,100+ Standard battles from 310+ players, Zara averages a 59% win rate, 48,400 damage and 0.9 kills per battle, and survives 40% of them.

Community Data

Zara Community Stats

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Playstyle

Overview

Zara is a Tier VI Italian SAP cruiser: her 203mm main battery fires semi-armor-piercing shells (54.9mm of fixed penetration) in place of HE once the gun upgrade is researched. SAP lands one big guaranteed hit instead of fishing for fires, and it pens reliably without the angle checks AP lives or dies on, so she punishes broadsides, soft cruisers, and superstructures hard. The catch is that SAP shatters on heavy belt armor, so the kit is picking targets it bites rather than trading into a bow-in battleship. Standout traits: AP overmatch threshold in T6 CAs (14.1 mm, 14th of 44) and long-range AP brick in T6 CAs (188 mm, 5th of 43). The trade is weak torpedoes in T6 CAs (12,500, 33rd of 34).

Positioning

Hold angles with islands close enough to break line of sight when focus comes; wait for soft cruisers and exposed superstructures where SAP lands full penetration rather than firing into the belt or bow armor it shatters on. The kit pays best when you choose your salvo target, not when you chase one. Shooting from the cloud gives you away at 6 km, and a destroyer here is spotted at about 6.9 km, so you see it coming with roughly 0.88 km to spare. Vision is mutual: past the 2 km guaranteed ring you cannot see out either, and nothing in her kit sees through it, so pop the smoke where someone is already lighting the enemy or you will sit in it with nothing to shoot. Enemy sonar (about 4.2 km) and radar (about 9 km) read straight in regardless. At 600 m the screen is wider than standard, so it can cover a teammate holding the same line as well as your own hull. Her handling reads as a contradiction and is not one: 9.8 s on the rudder means she starts turning late, while a 580 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

Pouring SAP into bow-in or heavily armored targets

SAP shatters on the belt armor AP would pen, so salvos into an angled battleship are wasted damage. Her 37,100-HP hull does not recover from a punished salvo, so hunt the broadsides, soft cruisers, and exposed superstructures SAP bites cleanly, and angle to survive the return fire while you wait for them.

Signature Traits

ELITE MAIN BATTERY ↗
  • Big-caliber AP overmatch · 14.1 mm
  • Long-range AP brick · 188.03 mm
Best-in-class stealth ↗

10.9 km surface detect, top quartile of T6 CAs. Stays dark longer.

ELITE ARMOR ↗
  • Thickest plate · 150 mm
  • Strong torpedo belt · 19%
  • Heavy citadel belt · 150 mm
Short torpedo warning ↗

7 s torpedo reaction window, top decile of the 34 T6 CAs with torpedoes. Detectability over arrival speed: once spotted, these fish leave targets less time to turn than peers' do.

Low AP DPM ↗

144000 AP DPM, bottom decile of T6 CAs. Citadel windows matter more than spam.

Weak torpedoes ↗

12500 damage per torpedo, bottom decile of the 34 T6 CAs with torpedoes.

Acquisition

How to get Zara

Zara is available in the Evasive Cruisers branch of the Italy Tech Tree for 9,000,000 credits after researching it in the branch. Known module upgrades cost up to 2,475,000 credits. Official source cards below may also show its temporary Early Access window before it became a normal Tech Tree unlock.

History: Early Access Aug 2020 (temporary crate drops, now ended).

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

Show Italy tech-tree branch diagram
Italy Tech Tree

Zara sits in the Evasive Cruisers branch. The highlighted path shows the local branch context inside the full Italy tree.

Official WG availability sources

Builds

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

AL Zara

SAP metronome
InspirationsAL Tallinn · AL Ägir

Reload 16.0 s to 14.4 s so In Arduis Intrepida's post-reload damage window comes round more often. Sigma 2.00 to 2.32 and 1,113 extra HP for the trades you take up close.

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 Zara sits among Tier VI CAs (43 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 circle580 m (1 of 3 tied) LongestAP fuse timer0.033 s (1 of 21 tied) Top 10%Stealth profile10.92 km / 6.55 km (4/44 / 5/44) Top 10%Torpedo reaction time7 s (3/34) Top 25%Hit points37,100 HP (11/44) Top 25%AP pen at 10 km243 mm (7/43) Top 25%Torpedo reload71 s (7/34) Top 25%Max armor150 mm (9/44) Top 25%Citadel belt150 mm (7/44) Bottom 25%Max speed32 kt (37/44) Bottom 25%Rudder shift9.8 s (37/44) Bottom 25%Main battery reload16 s (40/44) Bottom 25%Power-to-weight6.54 hp/t (36/44) Bottom 10%AP DPM144,000 (40/43) Bottom 10%Acceleration (0-12 kt)9.3 s (41/44) Bottom 10%AA range4 km (41/44) Bottom 10%Torpedo damage≈12,500 (33/34) Bottom 10%Torpedo speed53 kt (33/34) WorstFlak damage per salvo (expected)306 (1 of 5 tied)
See 25 mid-pack stats

Not standouts for Zara -- 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.

Smoke fire bloom6.02 km(19/44) Main battery caliber203 mm(14/44) Main battery range14.65 km(33/44) Sigma2(24/44) Main dispersion134.1 m(15/44) Secondary DPM (per side)90,000(23/39) Secondary HE alpha1,500(21/39) Secondary fire chance6%(23/39) Secondary HE pen17 mm(29/39) AP velocity900 m/s(13/43) Time to 90% speed25.2 s(29/44) AP arming threshold34 mm(30/43) Engine power95,000 hp(27/44) Power / turn radius163.8 hp/m(13/44) Displacement14,530 t(30/44) AA DPS256(27/44) AA threat806(33/44) Torpedo range9.99 km(11/34) Bow armor16 mm(25/44) Stern armor16 mm(25/44) NormSecondary dispersion bracket57(38 of 39 tied at this value) NormAP ricochet start45°(33 of 43 tied at this value) NormAP auto-bounce angle60°(32 of 43 tied at this value) NormTurn speed retained81%(39 of 44 tied at this value) NormSecondary range4.5 km(26 of 39 tied at this value)
Survivability
Hit PointsInitial: 32,700 → 37,100
Displacement14,530 t
Hull dimensions
ƒLength x beam at the waterline, plus draft. Length matters when dodging torpedoes; beam and draft shape how hard the ship is to hit.
182.8 x 20.6 m
Armor range13–150 mm
Plate armor thicknesses13, 16, 19, 20, 25, 30, 65, 70, 80, 90, 120, 140, 150 mm
Armor material/layer entries63
Fire resistance
ƒstock hull: 1 − 0.7336 fire coefficient = 26.6%; top hull: 1 − 0.7003 fire coefficient = 30%. Lowers how often hits set you on fire. It does not reduce the damage a burning fire does per second; fires burn at the full rate on every ship.
Initial: 26.6% → 30%
Fire duration30 s
Fire damage
ƒOne unattended fire: 0.003 of max HP per second (0.3%) × 30 s = 0.09 of the pool; 0.09 × 37,100 HP = 3,339 HP on this ship. 4 fire points can burn at once.
0.3% of HP per second
Flood duration40 s
Flood damage
ƒOne unattended flood: 0.0025 of max HP per second (0.25%) × 40 s = 0.1 of the pool; 0.1 × 37,100 HP = 3,710 HP on this ship.
0.25% of HP per second
Torp Reduction
ƒ1 − 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
ƒPer-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.
18,600
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.
11,100
Repairable: penetration50%
Repairable: citadel10%
Repairable: steering gear50%
Section HP
Bow section HP
ƒDamage saturation pool for the bow: 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
Casemate section HP
ƒDamage saturation pool for the casemate: 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
Auxiliary section HP
ƒDamage saturation pool for the auxiliary room: penetrations here deal their normal share until twice this much penetration damage has landed on the section (2 × 600 = 1,200), 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.
600
Hull section HP
ƒDamage saturation pool for the hull: penetrations here deal their normal share until twice this much penetration damage has landed on the section (2 × 27,800 = 55,600), 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.
27,800
Superstructure section HP
ƒDamage 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
ƒDamage saturation pool for the stern: penetrations here deal their normal share until twice this much penetration damage has landed on the section (2 × 2,500 = 5,000), then further hits on it deal half damage. A penetration deals 0.33 × the shell's max damage; once the section is saturated it deals exactly half of that (0.5 × 0.33 = 0.165 × max damage), so a 3,000-damage shell's pen goes from 990 to 495. Overpens (0.1 × max damage) and citadels (1.0 ×) ignore saturation. Pens on the ship's other, unsaturated sections still deal the normal 0.33 ×. A larger pool keeps that part of the ship taking full damage for longer; a small one saturates fast and protects the ship's HP.
2,500
Citadel section HP
ƒThis 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/53 Ansaldo 1927
Mounts / barrels4 mounts / 8 barrels
Reload timeInitial: 14.5 s → 16 s
Firing range (base)13.3 km
Firing range (top fire control)14.6 km
Turret traverse7 °/s
Turret armor150 mm
Turret traverse arcs
ƒHow 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.
4x ±150°
Guns to bear
ƒ180° − 150° (the most restricted aft-facing mount's arc) = 30° off bow; 180° − 150° (the most restricted forward-facing mount's arc) = 30° 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.
30° off bow / 30° off stern
Shell Grouping (σ)2
Dispersion type
ƒIn practice: the baseline curve for a standard cruiser -- at max range (14.6 km) shells land in an ellipse about 134 m wide and 80 m tall. Also on this curve (215): AL Baltimore, AL Chapayev, AL Cheshire, AL Harbin, AL Montpelier, AL Tallinn, AL Zara, Aberdeen, Accord, Agano, Albemarle, Algérie and 203 more.
Standard cruiser
Max Horiz Disp
ƒHorizontal dispersion ellipse width at max range, from the dispersion model: σH=(R30·idealRadius−minRadiusidealDistance+minRadius)·30 =(14648.730·8−1.11000+1.1)·30=134.1m
134.1 m at 14.6 km
Max Vert Disp
ƒVertical dispersion ellipse height at max range: σV=σH·radiusOnMax =134.1·0.6=80.4m
80.4 m at 14.6 km
Med Horiz Disp
ƒ50%-hit horizontal radius: σH,50=σH·0.6σ =134.1·0.62=40.2m
40.2 m at 14.6 km
Med Vert Disp
ƒ50%-hit vertical radius: σV,50=σV·0.6σ =80.4·0.62=24.1m
24.1 m at 14.6 km
Turret turn time
ƒ180 degrees / 7 deg/s traverse speed = 25.7 s.
25.7 s
Shells/min
ƒZero upgrades: 8 broadside guns x 60 / 14.571 s (14.5 s = 102 ticks) base reload = 32.9. All upgrades (top gun): 8 broadside guns x 60 / 16 s all-upgrades reload = 30.
Initial: 32.9 → 30
HE shells
HE alpha2,850 (stock hull only)
HE Velocity850 m/s
Fire Chance15%
HE fire DPM vs T6 BB36951
Effective HE DPM vs T6 BB130833
HE penetration
ƒ34 mm ≈ 203 mm caliber / 6 (standard HE penetration ratio).
34 mm
HE full-salvo alpha
ƒStock hull only: the top hull's gun fires no HE. 2,850 HE damage x 8 broadside guns = 22,800.
22,800 (stock hull only)
HE DPM
ƒStock hull only: the top hull's gun fires no HE. 22,800 HE full-salvo alpha x 60 / 14.571 s (14.5 s = 102 ticks) base reload = 93,882.
93,882 (stock hull only)
Fires/min
ƒStock hull only: the top hull's gun fires no HE. 32.9 shells/min × 0.15 (15% fire chance) = 4.94.
4.94 (stock hull only)
SAP shells
SAP alpha5,050 (top hull)
SAP Velocity900 m/s (top hull)
SAP Pen (mm)54.9 (top hull)
SAP Min Ricochet70 deg (top hull)
SAP Guaranteed Ricochet80 deg (top hull)
SAP Fuse Timer0.03 s (top hull)
SAP Fuse Threshold25 mm (top hull)
SAP Fragment Radius
ƒSAP shell fragment splash radius; the area over which a SAP hit scatters fragment damage. Scales with shell mass (90mm ~ 5, 203mm CA ~ 20-30, 320mm = 175, 406mm = 250, 457mm = 400, max) and is tuned per ship, so two ships with the same SAP caliber can differ (135mm ranges 5-24). Larger value = wider fragment spread per hit.
30 (top hull)
SAP full-salvo alpha
ƒWith the top hull (top gun): 5,050 SAP damage x 8 broadside guns = 40,400.
40,400 (top hull)
SAP DPM
ƒWith the top hull (top gun): 40,400 SAP full-salvo alpha x 60 / 16 s all-upgrades reload = 151,500.
151,500 (top hull)
AP shells
AP alpha4,800
AP Velocity900 m/s
Min Ricochet45 deg
Guaranteed Ricochet60 deg
Fuse Timer0.033 s
Fuse Threshold34 mm
AP overmatch
ƒfloor(203 mm caliber / 14.3) = 14 mm (AP auto-penetrates plating this thick or less).
14 mm
AP Pen Close
ƒAP formula evaluated at muzzle velocity: P=10−7·K·m0.69·d−1.07·v01.38 =10−7·2450·125.30.69·0.203−1.07·9001.38=451.4mm.
451.4 mm point-blank
AP Pen Far
ƒSame formula at the ship's max firing range (14.6 km), where the shell has slowed to 477.2 m/s: P=10−7·2450·125.30.69·0.203−1.07·477.21.38=188.1mm.
188.1 mm at 14.6 km
AP full-salvo alpha
ƒ4,800 AP damage x 8 broadside guns = 38,400.
38,400
AP DPM
ƒZero upgrades: 38,400 AP full-salvo alpha x 60 / 14.571 s (14.5 s = 102 ticks) base reload = 158,118. All upgrades (top gun): 38,400 AP full-salvo alpha x 60 / 16 s all-upgrades reload = 144,000.
Initial: 158,118 → 144,000
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.
30
Torpedoes
ModuleTorpedoes: 533 mm tubo lanciasiluri
Launchers / tubes2 launchers × 3 tubes = 6 tubes
Reload time71 s
Projectile speed
ƒSpeed of the top torpedo module (all-upgrades configuration, 53.0 kt); the stock torpedo module runs 51.0 kt.
Initial: 51 kt → 53 kt
RangeInitial: 12 km → 9.99 km
Maximum simulated damage
ƒInitial: 35,000 × 0.333 = 11,667 → 37,500 × 0.333 = 12,500 (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: Dsim=α·c=37,500·0.333=12,500. 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: ≈ 11,667 → ≈ 12,500
Maximum damage (ammunition)
ƒ37,500 warhead alpha / 3 + 1,000 blast = 13,500. 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.
13,500
Torpedo module damage
ƒPer-torpedo module/blast damage parameter. Most torpedoes carry 500 to 2,000; ships announced by WG as dealing increased module damage carry 9,000 to 12,000, so their hits knock out engines, rudders, and turrets far more often. Comparative figure.
1,000
Torpedo detectability1 km
Reaction time
ƒHow long a target has to dodge after your torpedo is spotted at its detectability range (lower means less warning): treact=1 km53 kt×2.6855=7 s. 2.6855 converts knots to m/s on the game clock. Base value; commander torpedo-concealment skills lower it further.
7 s
Flooding chance
ƒThis torpedo carries a flooding-chance value of 2.07 per hit, shown as 2.07×100=207%. 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.
207%
Torpedo launcher traverse25 °/s
Launch arcswing 146° (one launcher per beam)
Torp Turn
ƒTime to rotate the launchers 180 deg: tturn=180°25°/s=7.2s.
7.2 s
Torp Arming172 m
Per-side salvo damage
ƒOne side firing, all torpedoes hitting: per-side tubes x per-torpedo simulated damage = 3 x 12,500 = 37,500. Each hit on the target's torpedo belt is reduced by its torpedo protection %.
37,500
AA Defense
AA mount pointsInitial: 10 → 20
Maximum AA range
ƒLongest-reaching family on the in-game AA card. Base AirDefense aura max range is 3.5 km; dual-purpose mount auras extend it.
4 km
37 mm/54 Breda 1938Initial: 4×2 → 6×2 37mm
20 mm/65 Breda 1939 (upgraded hull only)10×1 20mm
20 mm/65 Breda 19354×2 20mm
13.2 mm/76 Breda 1931 (stock hull only)2×2 13mm
100 mm /47 OTO 1928 (DP)
ƒDual-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
Far aura
Guns100 mm /47 OTO 1928 (DP)
Continuous DPS
ƒEffective 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 50 from dual-purpose secondaries firing as AA in this range band.
50
Range4 km
Medium aura
Guns37 mm/54 Breda 1938
Continuous DPS
ƒInitial: 29 × 3.5 × 0.9 = 91 → 41 × 3.5 × 0.9 = 129. Raw aura damage × 3.5 × hit probability, the same in-game units as the Close-range AA DPS headline.
Initial: 91 → 129
Range3.5 km
Total DPS in Aura
ƒFar 50 + Medium 129 = 179
179
Near aura
Guns20 mm/65 Breda 1935 + 20 mm/65 Breda 1939
Continuous DPS
ƒInitial: 10 × 3.5 × 0.85 = 30 → 26 × 3.5 × 0.85 = 77. Raw aura damage × 3.5 × hit probability, the same in-game units as the Close-range AA DPS headline.
Initial: 30 → 77
Range2 km
Total DPS in Aura
ƒFar 50 + Medium 129 + Near 77 = 256
256
Flak
AA explosions
ƒEach ~2 s salvo fires 2 AA explosions in quick succession, each leaving 1 cloud ahead of the attacking squadron - up to 2 clouds per salvo × 170 damage each. Planes that fly into a cloud take its damage; clouds dissipate before the next salvo lands. Defensive AA Fire, where fitted, multiplies the AA explosions within each salvo, and commander skills that raise the Number of AA explosions add to it.
2 per salvo, 1 cloud each
Cloud damage
ƒDamage a plane takes for flying into one flak cloud, before any reductions.
170
Cloud spawn chance
ƒEach 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
ƒA new flak salvo (the AA explosions above) fires roughly every 2 s.
every ~2 s
Fired by
ƒFlak 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
ƒThe activation band: flak fires while attacking planes are inside it. Clouds are placed ahead of the planes' path, so clouds can land short of 2.5 km or past 4 km - once planes get inside the band, new salvos stop. AA range bonuses push the outer edge out; the 2.5 km inner edge does not move.
2.5-4 km
S
Secondary Battery
Mounts6
Firing range4.5 km
Shell Grouping (σ)1
Secondary DPM (per side)
ƒSum 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) × 60/6 s × 1500 = 90,000. Assumes every shell hits (real hit rate is lower; the Brawl matchup tool on the Compare page folds in dispersion + target armor).
90,000
Secondary fire DPM vs T6 BB (per side)
ƒFires/min (per side) 3.6 × (1 − 0.3 fire resistance) × 60 s × 0.003 of max HP per second × 59,350 HP = 26,921. 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.
26,921
Total secondary DPM vs T6 BB (per side)
ƒSecondary DPM (per side) 90,000 + secondary fire DPM 26,921 = 116,921: shell damage plus fire damage against one T6 battleship, every shell hitting.
116,921
100 mm /47 OTO 1928 (DP)
ƒDual-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 time6 s
HE alpha1,500
Muzzle Velocity850 m/s
Fire Chance6%
Secondary fires/min (per side)
ƒ6×2 barrels / 2 sides × 60 / 6 s × 0.06 (6% fire chance) = 3.6. Per side: the barrels that bear on one broadside target (mounts × barrels / 2). A ceiling: assumes every shell hits and ignores the four-fire cap and Fire Prevention.
3.6
HE Pen17 mm
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 @ 4.5 km
ƒ4.5 km × 57 + 30 = 286.5 m.
286.5 m
Maneuverability
Engine power95,000 hp
Maximum speed32.0 kt
Turning circle radius580 m
Rudder shift timeInitial: 13.8 s → 9.8 s
Engine power-boost threshold7.0 kt
Engine spool-up time15.3 s
Reverse spool-up time7.7 s
Reverse speed
ƒtop speed / 4 + 4.9 = 32 / 4 + 4.9 = 12.9 kt. Base value; speed modifiers scale it.
12.9 kt
Crash stop
ƒSeconds 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.
28.8 s
Engine boost threshold (reverse)
ƒSpeed below which the engine's built-in power boost applies in reverse.
9.6 kt
Acceleration 0-90%
ƒTime to reach 90% of top speed (28.8 kt of 32.0 kt).
25.2 s
Acceleration 0-99%
ƒTime to reach 99% of top speed (31.7 kt of 32.0 kt). 99% rather than 100% because true top speed is asymptotic (thrust meets drag), so the last fraction of a knot is never quite gained.
40.5 s
Guns in a full turn
ƒWith the rudder hard over the hull turns 6.5°/s, so a target drifts across the bow at that rate. Turret traverse minus hull turn: 7 − 6.5 = +0.5°/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 (+0.5°/s spare)
Concealment
Detectability by sea
ƒBase value, no camouflage. With a Grade IV permanent camo (or any disposable camo): 10.92 km x 0.955 = 10.43 km. Camouflage does not change detectability by air.
10.92 km
With Grade IV camouflage (sea)
ƒDetectability by sea 10.92 km x 0.955 (Grade IV permanent camo or any disposable camo) = 10.43 km.
10.43 km
Detectability by air6.55 km
Smoke firing penalty6.02 km
Detect when firing (sea)
ƒmax(main battery range, sea detectability 10.92 km) = 14.65 km. Equal to the ship's main battery range (never below base detectability): firing makes you visible to everyone you can reach.
14.65 km
Detect when firing (air)
ƒAir detectability 6.55 km + gun-firing bloom 4.06 km = 10.61 km. The bloom tracks main-battery caliber 203 mm × 0.020 = 4.06 km.
10.61 km
Detect when on fire (sea)
ƒSea detectability 10.92 km + 2.0 km while burning = 12.92 km.
12.92 km
Detect when on fire (air)
ƒAir detectability 6.55 km + 3.0 km while burning = 9.55 km.
9.55 km
Guaranteed Detect2 km
✦
Consumables
Damage Control Party∞ charges · 60 s reload · 5 s active
Choose one
Exhaust Smoke Generator2 charges · 180 s reload · 20 s emit / 35 s cloud active · 600 m radius
Defensive AA Fire3 charges · 140 s reload · 25 s active · ×2 flak burst boost
ƒRepeats 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
ƒDerived from the consumable's 30 m grid-unit range (km = grid units x 30 / 1000): 167×301000=5 km
· 1 squadron size
Module options (4)

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

HullUpgrade
  • Hit points32,700 → 37,100
  • Rudder shift13.8 → 9.8 s
  • AA mounts10 → 20
  • Close-range AA DPS45 → 67
Fire controlUpgrade
  • Main battery range13,317 → 14648.7 m
ArtilleryUpgrade
  • Base reload14.5 → 16 s
TorpedoesTrade-off
  • Range12 → 9.99 km
  • Alpha damage35,000 → 37,500
  • Display damage11,667 → 12,500
  • Speed51 → 53 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 cruiserStandard
The standard cruiser dispersion curve.
Shell scatter width @ 5 km67.5 m
(166.7 × (8 − 1.1) / 1000 + 1.1) × 30 = 67.5 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 km102 m
(333.3 × (8 − 1.1) / 1000 + 1.1) × 30 = 102 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 km27.3 m
How tall the scatter ellipse is at a fixed 5 km, from the same model, comparable from ship to ship. The height/width ratio is a piecewise-linear curve through three points from the ship's own dispersion data: radiusOnZero=0.2 at 0 m, radiusOnDelim=0.5 at delim·Rmax=0.5·14648.7=7324 m, and radiusOnMax=0.6 at 14648.7 m. Below the kink: k=0.2+(0.5−0.2)·50007324=0.4048, so σV=σH·k=67.5·0.4048=27.3m.
Shell scatter height @ 10 km54.7 m
How tall the same scatter ellipse is at 10 km. Comparable from ship to ship for the same reason as the width value above. The height/width ratio is a piecewise-linear curve through three points from the ship's own dispersion data: radiusOnZero=0.2 at 0 m, radiusOnDelim=0.5 at delim·Rmax=0.5·14648.7=7324 m, and radiusOnMax=0.6 at 14648.7 m. Above the kink: k=0.5+(0.6−0.5)·10000−732414648.7−7324=0.5365, so σV=σH·k=102·0.5365=54.7m.
AP pen 5 km329 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·K·m0.69·d−1.07·v1.38 =10−7·2450·125.30.69·0.203−1.07·715.81.38=329mm, where 715.8 m/s is the shell's speed when it arrives at 5 km (from 900 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 km243 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·K·m0.69·d−1.07·v1.38 =10−7·2450·125.30.69·0.203−1.07·573.81.38=243mm, where 573.8 m/s is the shell's speed when it arrives at 10 km (from 900 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 km5.09 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, adrag=kρv2, where ρ is air density from a standard-atmosphere profile and k bundles the shell's drag coefficient, caliber and mass: k=πCdd28m=π·0.29·0.20328·125.3=3.75×10−5. That runs from a 900 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 km5.63 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, adrag=kρv2, where ρ is air density from a standard-atmosphere profile and k bundles the shell's drag coefficient, caliber and mass: k=πCdd28m=π·0.337·0.20328·123.82=4.4×10−5. That runs from a 850 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)2,450
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 mass125.3 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 coefficient0.29
Air drag on the AP shell in flight; lower keeps velocity, and with it penetration, at long range.
AP muzzle velocity900 m/s
Starting speed of the AP shell; penetration scales with velocity^1.38.
HE muzzle velocity850 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.
minRadius1.1
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 time7 s
1000 m / (53.0 kt × 2.6855) = 7 s. detectability / (speed kt x 2.6855 m/s per knot on the game clock).
Torpedo speed53.0 kt
Travel time to max range70.2 s
9990 m / (53.0 kt × 2.6855) = 70.2 s. range / (speed kt x 2.6855 m/s per knot on the game clock).
Tube count6
2 launchers × 3 tubes.
Per-side salvo3 torpedoes
6 wing tubes / 2 = 3: 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 damage75,000
All tubes hitting one target: tubes x per-torpedo simulated damage = 6 x 12,500 = 75,000. Each hit on the target's torpedo belt is reduced by its torpedo protection %.

AA defense

AA DPS at max range50
Only families that reach 4 km contribute at the outer edge of the AA bubble. In-game families: Breda 37mm double 6x2 -> 129 DPS @ 3.5 km; Breda 20mm 65 10x1 -> 55 DPS @ 2 km; 20mm65 Breda M1935 double 4x2 -> 22 DPS @ 2 km; 100mm 50 Mod OTO 6x2 -> 50 DPS @ 4 km.
AA DPS layered by range50 DPS @ 4 km, 179 DPS @ 3.5 km, 256 DPS @ 2 km
@ 4 km: 50 from one family; @ 3.5 km: 129 + 50 = 179; @ 2 km: 129 + 55 + 22 + 50 = 256. 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-blank256
129 + 55 + 22 + 50 = 256 DPS: the sum of every family's average DPS, achievable only inside the closest-range family (2 km).
AA threat index806
129 × 3.5 + 55 × 2 + 22 × 2 + 50 × 4 = 806. SUM over AA auras of (aura DPS x aura range km). A plane crossing the AA bubble is exposed to each aura for a time proportional to that aura's range, so long-reach DPS is worth more than the same DPS in a short bubble. Units: DPS*km; used to rank overall AA threat across the cohort.
Near aura range2 km

Secondary battery firepower

Max HE alpha1500
The only family (100 mm): 1500. Maximum HE damage per shell across secondary HE families. Best on this ship: 1500 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

During the pre-war period, she was one of the best heavy cruisers in the world. The ship differed favorably from most contemporary counterparts by her good armor protection and overall well-balanced characteristics, but most of all, by her armament and speed.

Armor Beta

Hull HP 32,700 → 37,100 with hull upgrade, distributed across 5 hull zones, each with its own plate thicknesses, saturation cap, and pen thresholds.

Bow & stern16 mm

Overmatched by 126+ AP guns across the bracket. Can’t reliably bow-tank; gets bow-citadelled and overpenned.

Belt / citadel150 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 30%, fires burn 30s. Range-by-range in the Compare tool →

Section Plates HP cap Threats Tactic
Bow16 mm primary (range 16–30 mm)3,100 (8% of HP)
Overmatched by 283mm+ AP (Graf Spee, Scharnhorst)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)140 mm primary (range 19–150 mm)27,800 (75% of HP)
No common AP caliber overmatches140 mm: no common HE pens
Largest HP pool. Citadel sits behind these plates; thinner deck and side plating absorb the rest.
Stern16 mm primary (range 16–120 mm)2,500 (7% of HP)
Overmatched by 283mm+ AP (Graf Spee, Scharnhorst)Angle bounces 203mm16 mm: HE pens from 127mm+
Mirror of bow. Same fast saturation.
Citadel150 mm primary (range 13–150 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.
Superstructure19 mm primary (range 19–150 mm)2,200 (6% of HP)
Any HE ≥16 mm pens at full damage
Any HE ≥16 mm pens at full damage. HE-spam target, and the section saturates fast (often only a few thousand HP).
Turret (module, per magazine)separate HP pool, does not drain ship HP18,600 magazine HPTurret knocked outPer-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 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 (37 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 HP11,100 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.

Balance History

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

Buff ×1Main Battery ×3
2023-01-12

Ministry of Balance Reports: Big Small Changes!

  • Added SAP upgrade module - Artillery: 203 mm/53 Model 1927 SAP:
  • Increases reload time to 16 s.
  • Changes HE to SAP ammunition:
  • SAP shell damage: 5,050.
  • Penetrates 55 mm of armor.
  • Ricochet angles: Can ricochet at 70 degrees; guaranteed to ricochet at 80 degrees.
Read the full official post
Exteriors

Skins & permanent camouflages

Every custom exterior Zara can equip.

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.