Zieten
Beta- Hold 14-17 km from a contested cap with an island close enough to shadow back into, and bow toward the…
- Avoid: Open-water broadside trading
Zieten Community Stats
Log in to GamingDiver and upload your data to see Community Data for Zieten: community win rate, damage, survival, spotting, and your own comparison.
Zieten Community Stats
Playstyle
Overview
Zieten is a Tier VII German super-cruiser: a battleship-sized hull with a 406mm main battery on a cruiser frame. She is built to overmatch broadside cruisers with AP, not to brawl with battleships. Sonar (6.2 km on ships and 4.3 km on torpedoes, 118 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. 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 AP overmatch threshold in T7 CAs (28.4 mm).
Positioning
Hold 14-17 km from a contested cap with an island close enough to shadow back into, and bow toward the closest BB. The heavy bow plate lets you hold the angle against same-tier guns, which is the protection the citadel needs; the hull does not tank battleship volleys broadside even if it can absorb them bow-on. The big guns reach for full AP citadels at that distance.
Potato Avoidance
Open-water broadside trading
Her 406mm shells citadel cruisers on the wrong frame, and her 62,900-HP hull does not recover from a punished salvo. Pick rotations and angles deliberately; the chip-damage role pays better than the trade-blow role on a cruiser of this profile.
Signature Traits
HE pen at the 1/4 caliber ratio instead of the standard 1/6. HE-spam is a real damage option here, not just a fire-starter; pens roughly 1.5x more armor than a same-caliber peer's HE, shared by 11/39 T7 BBs.
6.2 km Sonar ship-detection range, best of T7 BBs. Lights DDs and torpedoes inside the bubble.
4.27 km Sonar torpedo-detection range, best of T7 BBs. More reaction time on incoming torps.
118.0 s Sonar duration, best of T7 BBs.
175.5 m max horizontal dispersion, top decile of T7 BBs. Accurate at range.
110.0 s torpedo reload, bottom decile of T7 BBs. Long wait between drops.
How to get Zieten
Zieten is available in the Breakthrough Battlecruisers branch of the Germany Tech Tree for 18,000,000 credits after researching it in the branch. Known module upgrades cost up to 4,500,000 credits. Official source cards below may also show its temporary Early Access window before it became a normal Tech Tree unlock. 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.
Show Germany tech-tree branch diagram
Zieten sits in the Breakthrough Battlecruisers branch. The highlighted path shows the local branch context inside the full Germany tree.
Best listed chance for this ship
-
Anniversary '23 German crate
1%
VII Zieten
Event containers · Anniversary '23 German crate
-
German Battleship Big Crate
1%
VII Zieten
Early access containers · German Battleship Big Crate
-
German Battleship Crate
0.01%
VII Zieten
Early access containers · German Battleship Crate
Official WG availability sources
- Eagles Take-off: German Battleships in Early Access Early Access Start: 2022-08-31 · End: 2022-09-28 Official early-access or tech-tree-line article. Tech-tree ships are temporary crate drops during Early Access, then move to the Tech Tree.
- 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.
- Supply Shipment: Black Waters Rise 12,500 Doubloons 2023-11-13 Tier VII default; exact price not in source
Show direct source rows
- Anniversary '23 German crate 1% · VII Zieten
- German Battleship Big Crate 1% · VII Zieten
- German Battleship Crate 0.01% · VII Zieten
Builds Beta
Build for secondaries, survivability, concealment/approach tools, and main-battery consistency. Sonar and torpedoes reward late, deliberate pushes.
Have a build you swear by? Open it in the Build Tool and hit Save build to share it here.
Cohort position
Hide
▾
Where Zieten sits among Tier VII BBs (39 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.
See 26 mid-pack stats
Not standouts for Zieten -- 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.
Stats & specs
Customize in the Build Tool →Shell ballistics chartMore tools in the WoWS Legends Data LabAll values are ship base stats with modifications and upgrade changes denoted inline.
ƒ
Shell grouping (sigma); shown in-game as Shell Grouping.ƒ
Horizontal dispersion ellipse width at max range. (R/30·(idealRadius−minRadius)/idealDistance + minRadius)·30 = (15174/30·(10−1.6)/1000 + 1.6)·30 = 175.5 mƒ
Vertical dispersion ellipse height at max range = max horizontal × radiusOnMax = 175.5 × 0.6 = 105.3 mƒ
50%-hit horizontal radius = max horizontal × GetHalfHitsRatio(σ) = 175.5 × 0.356 (σ=1.7) = 62.5 mƒ
50%-hit vertical radius = max vertical × GetHalfHitsRatio(σ) = 105.3 × 0.356 (σ=1.7) = 37.5 mƒ
180 degrees / 6 deg/s traverse speed = 30 s.ƒ
6 broadside guns x 60 / 22.5 s base reload = 16.HE shells
ƒ
101 mm ≈ 406 mm caliber / 4 (improved HE penetration: German BBs, Yamato-class, and a handful of others).ƒ
4,800 HE damage x 6 broadside guns = 28,800.ƒ
28,800 HE full-salvo alpha x 60 / 22.5 s base reload = 76,800.ƒ
28,800 HE full-salvo alpha x 60 / 20.2 s installed reload (Main Battery Mod. 3 = -10%) = 85,545.ƒ
6 HE shells x 60 / 22.5 s reload x 38% fire chance = 6.08.AP shells
ƒ
floor(406 mm caliber / 14.3) = 28 mm (AP auto-penetrates plating this thick or less).ƒ
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 × 2800 × 840^0.69 × 0.406^-1.07 × 810^1.38 = 789.8 mm. Matches the in-game spec card.ƒ
Same formula at the ship's max firing range (20.9 km), where the shell has slowed to 527.6 m/s: 1e-7 × 2800 × 840^0.69 × 0.406^-1.07 × 527.6^1.38 = 437.1 mm.ƒ
11,500 AP damage x 6 broadside guns = 69,000.ƒ
69,000 AP full-salvo alpha x 60 / 22.5 s base reload = 184,000.ƒ
69,000 AP full-salvo alpha x 60 / 20.2 s installed reload (Main Battery Mod. 3 = -10%) = 204,950.ƒ
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.ƒ
per-side salvo x per-torpedo simulated damage.ƒ
Sum across every AA aura on this ship of (aura.continuous_damage x 3.5 x aura.hit_probability). Here: (103×3.5×0.7) + (48×3.5×0.75) = 378. 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.ƒ
Longest-reaching aura across AA-only + dual-purpose auras.ƒ
Includes 48 continuous AA damage from dual-purpose secondaries firing as AA in this range band.ƒ
Far 48 + Near 103 = 151ƒ
Max dispersion = range (km) × 33 + 30. Each dispersion type sets its own slope; this is not a percentage applied to a standard baseline.ƒ
7.5 km × 33 + 30 = 277.5 m.Show 2 more gun families
Damage Control Party3 charges · 40 s reload · 10 s active
Repair Party3 charges · 80 s reload · 28 s active · 0.5% heal per second · 14% of max HP total heal
Secondary Battery Booster3 charges · 160 s reload · 30 s active · +100% damage boost · +50% reload boost
Sonar2 charges · 180 s reload · 118 s active · 6.2 km ship detect · 4.27 km torpedo detect
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 (sigma); shown in-game as Shell Grouping.Horizontal dispersion ellipse width at max range. (R/30·(idealRadius−minRadius)/idealDistance + minRadius)·30 = (15174/30·(10−1.6)/1000 + 1.6)·30 = 175.5 mVertical dispersion ellipse height at max range = max horizontal × radiusOnMax = 175.5 × 0.6 = 105.3 m50%-hit horizontal radius = max horizontal × GetHalfHitsRatio(σ) = 175.5 × 0.356 (σ=1.7) = 62.5 m50%-hit vertical radius = max vertical × GetHalfHitsRatio(σ) = 105.3 × 0.356 (σ=1.7) = 37.5 mCanonical 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 × 2800 × 840^0.69 × 0.406^-1.07 × 810^1.38 = 789.8 mm. Matches the in-game spec card.Same formula at the ship's max firing range (20.9 km), where the shell has slowed to 527.6 m/s: 1e-7 × 2800 × 840^0.69 × 0.406^-1.07 × 527.6^1.38 = 437.1 mm.101 mm ≈ 406 mm caliber / 4 (improved HE penetration: German BBs, Yamato-class, and a handful of others).This ship's HE shells use a 1/4 (~0.25) caliber-to-pen ratio instead of the standard 1/6 (~0.167) - 0.249 in this case. Lets HE pen ~101mm armor instead of ~67mm. Hits every German cruiser (150mm CL, 203mm CA) and BB (350mm+), British heavy cruisers / Lion / Nelson, a handful of other premiums.floor(406 mm caliber / 14.3) = 28 mm (AP auto-penetrates plating this thick or less).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.All 6 barrels bear on the broadside.180 degrees / 6 deg/s traverse speed = 30 s.4,800 HE damage x 6 broadside guns = 28,800.11,500 AP damage x 6 broadside guns = 69,000.28,800 HE full-salvo alpha x 60 / 22.5 s base reload = 76,800.69,000 AP full-salvo alpha x 60 / 22.5 s base reload = 184,000.28,800 HE full-salvo alpha x 60 / 20.2 s installed reload (Main Battery Mod. 3 = -10%) = 85,545.69,000 AP full-salvo alpha x 60 / 20.2 s installed reload (Main Battery Mod. 3 = -10%) = 204,950.6 broadside guns x 60 / 22.5 s base reload = 16.6 broadside guns x 60 / 20.2 s installed Artillery reload = 17.8.6 HE shells x 60 / 22.5 s reload x 38% fire chance = 6.08.6 HE shells x 60 / 20.2 s installed reload x 38% fire chance = 6.77.Torpedoes
detectability / (speed kt x 2.6 community game-speed factor).range / (speed kt x 2.6 community game-speed factor).2 launchers x 4 tubes.tube count / 2 (symmetric port/starboard launcher layout; common on cruisers and battleships with deck torpedoes).tube count x per-torpedo simulated damage (all torpedoes hitting).per-side salvo x per-torpedo simulated damage.AA defense
Sum across every AA aura on this ship of (aura.continuous_damage x 3.5 x aura.hit_probability). Here: (103×3.5×0.7) + (48×3.5×0.75) = 378. 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.Longest-reaching aura across AA-only + dual-purpose auras.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.Secondary battery dispersion
Max dispersion = range (km) × 33 + 30. Each dispersion type sets its own slope; this is not a percentage applied to a standard baseline.7.5 km × 33 + 30 = 277.5 m.Secondary battery firepower
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: 8×2 105 mm (8/side) × 60/3.35 × 1200 = 171,940 + 4×2 150 mm (4/side) × 60/8.57 × 1700 = 47,608 + 4×1 150 mm (2/side) × 60/8.57 × 1700 = 23,804. Assumes every shell hits (real hit rate is lower; the Brawl matchup tool on the Compare page folds in dispersion + target armor).Maximum HE damage per shell across secondary HE families. Best on this ship: 1700 from the 150 mm family.Maximum per-shell fire chance across secondary HE families (before target fire resistance is applied). Best on this ship: 8% from the 150 mm family.Maximum HE armor penetration across secondary HE families (caliber × 1/6 for most nations; 1/4 for German/UK BBs). Shells whose pen falls under a plate's armor thickness shatter for 0 hull damage though fire chance still applies. Best on this ship: 38 mm from the 150 mm family.Armor
Hull HP 57,200 → 62,900 with hull upgrade, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bow | 27 mm primary (range 27–60 mm) | 1,800 (3% of HP) | Overmatched by 406mm+ (Colorado, Sinop)Angle bounces 380mm27 mm: HE pens from 203mm+ | Bow-tank fits behind this exterior plate. Saturation is FAST here; the cap is often only a few thousand HP. |
| Hull (midship) | 19 mm primary (range 19–350 mm) | 47,200 (75% of HP) | Overmatched by 283mm+ (Scharnhorst, Scharnhorst '43)Angle bounces 203mm19 mm: HE pens from 127mm+ | Largest HP pool. Citadel sits behind these plates; thinner deck and side plating absorb the rest. |
| Stern | 27 mm primary (range 27–260 mm) | 1,300 (2% of HP) | Overmatched by 406mm+ (Colorado, Sinop)Angle bounces 380mm27 mm: HE pens from 203mm+ | Mirror of bow. Same fast saturation. |
| Citadel | 350 mm primary (range 32–350 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). |
| Superstructure | 50 mm primary (range 50–350 mm) | 4,100 (7% 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 | 31,500 magazine HP | Magazine detonation1–30% chance · below ~75% HP | Per-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 (150 mm mount) | separate HP pool, does not drain ship HP | 800 per-mount HP | Destroyed at 0 HP | Per-mount HP for the heaviest secondary on this ship. A mount destroyed at 0 HP is out for the rest of the battle; DCP does not repair destroyed mounts. Smaller (lighter-caliber) secondaries typically share the same HP value. |
| AA mount (30 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. |
| Engine (module, research) | engine coefficient (unconfirmed) | -0.080 research estimate | Largest on BB/BC; zero on destroyers | Engine durability isn't a per-ship HP field in the binary. This small negative coefficient is non-zero only on battleships, battlecruisers, and the heaviest cruisers, and is exactly zero on every destroyer, so it scales with hull displacement rather than any commander skill. Most likely an engine drag or power term in the same family as the decoded deceleration fields; exact meaning unconfirmed in the current decoder. |
| Rudder (module) | separate HP pool, does not drain ship HP | 18,900 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.
Shell ballistics chart
AP penetration, impact velocity, flight time and impact angle vs range. Click to load the interactive chart.
Skins & permanent camouflages
Every custom exterior Zieten can equip, from in-game data.
DefaultThe ship’s standard exterior
Zieten RetroDecorative
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.
