Zuihō
Beta- Stay a full map cell behind the brawl line, far enough back that a rotated DD or radar cruiser cannot t…
- Avoid: Trading a full squadron for one high-value kill
Zuihō Community Stats
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Zuihō Community Stats
Playstyle
Overview
Zuihō is the Tier V Japanese legacy strike carrier. Her squadron at 18 planes is the largest in the cohort (cohort median is 18), so her impact comes from volume waves rather than surgical alpha against a single target. Standout traits: best bomb fire chance in T5 CVs (38) and best heavy air torpedoes in T5 CVs (9,100).
Positioning
Stay a full map cell behind the brawl line, far enough back that a rotated DD or radar cruiser cannot threaten the hull. Launch from positions where the recall path stays inside your team's AA umbrella, not over open water where intercepting fighters can finish off limping squadrons. Longer trip back, fewer waves per match.
Potato Avoidance
Trading a full squadron for one high-value kill
Match impact comes from cycling waves across multiple targets, not committing a dive into layered AA for one battleship. When a target's AA is heavy, route around and find a softer pick rather than burning planes through the wall.
Signature Traits
38.0% fire chance per bomb, best of T5 CVs. Sustained burn pressure across drops.
9100.0 damage per air-dropped torpedo, best of T5 CVs. Each torp delete-strike hits harder.
55.0 kn air-torpedo speed, best of T5 CVs. Harder for targets to angle out.
2100.0 max HE alpha per secondary shell, best of T5 CVs. Bigger per-shell damage than peers.
18300.0 HP flight deck, bottom quartile of T5 CVs. AP and HE saturate it faster than peers.
36500.0 HP, bottom quartile of T5 CVs. Trade hits sparingly.
How to get Zuihō
Zuihō is a Premium ship and not available to unlock in the Tech Tree. Acquisition paths: Containers and Doubloons. 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.
- ContainersAppears in official container odds below; availability depends on the container being sold or awarded.
- Doubloons5,000 Doubloons in the Legends Store (May 2026).
Best listed chance for this ship
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Super V Crate
4.166667%
One of the Tier V Premium ships
Event containers · Super V Crate · 1 of 24 ships
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Spectral Vault 4.0
0.26087%
Tier V Premium ship
Event containers · Spectral Vault 4.0 · 1 of 23 ships
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Spectral Vault 3.0
0.239565%
Tier V Premium ship
Event containers · Spectral Vault 3.0 · 2 paths combined · 1 of 23 ships
Show 2 paths
- Spectral Vault 3.00.21087%
- Spectral Vault 3.0 → Spectral Vault 4.00.028696%
Show all 7 containers (4 more)
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Mystic Lantern
0.2%
Tier V Premium ship
Event containers · Mystic Lantern · 1 of 25 ships
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Spectral Vault 2.0
0.090043%
Tier V Premium ship
Event containers · Spectral Vault 2.0 · 4 paths combined · 1 of 23 ships
Show 4 paths
- Spectral Vault 2.00.06087%
- Spectral Vault 2.0 → Spectral Vault 3.00.021087%
- Spectral Vault 2.0 → Spectral Vault 4.00.005217%
- Spectral Vault 2.0 → Spectral Vault 3.0 → Spectral Vault 4.00.00287%
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Spectral Vault 1.0
0.019108%
Tier V Premium ship
Event containers · Spectral Vault 1.0 · 7 paths combined · 1 of 23 ships
Show 7 paths
- Spectral Vault 1.00.008609%
- Spectral Vault 1.0 → Spectral Vault 2.00.005478%
- Spectral Vault 1.0 → Spectral Vault 3.00.002109%
- Spectral Vault 1.0 → Spectral Vault 2.0 → Spectral Vault 3.00.001898%
- Spectral Vault 1.0 → Spectral Vault 2.0 → Spectral Vault 4.00.00047%
- Spectral Vault 1.0 → Spectral Vault 3.0 → Spectral Vault 4.00.000287%
- Spectral Vault 1.0 → Spectral Vault 2.0 → Spectral Vault 3.0 → Spectral Vault 4.00.000258%
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Mystic Box
0.012%
Tier V Premium ship
Event containers · Mystic Box · 1 of 25 ships
Official WG availability sources
- Official WoWS Legends container odds Containers Official container drop rows linked below include direct and nested effective ship odds.
- The Return of Treasure Hunt Event/store source Start: 2022-08-05 · End: open/unknown end Official ship/event post that can indicate store, collaboration, event, return, or limited availability.
- 5 Years Strong: Loyalty Reward for All Captains! Event/store source Start: 2024-03-25 · End: open/unknown end Official ship/event post that can indicate store, collaboration, event, return, or limited availability.
- Battle of Midway: Themed Missions & Historical Ships 5,000 Doubloons 2026-05-29 Tier V default; exact price not in source
- September update: the Redinforcements 5,000 Doubloons 2021-08-26 Tier V default; exact price not in source
Show direct source rows
- Mystic Box 0.012% · Tier V Premium ship
- Mystic Lantern 0.2% · Tier V Premium ship
- Spectral Vault 1.0 0.008609% · Tier V Premium ship
- Spectral Vault 2.0 0.06087% · Tier V Premium ship
- Spectral Vault 3.0 0.21087% · Tier V Premium ship
Builds Beta
Build around aircraft restoration, speed, survivability, and strike consistency. Current advice should account for the post-balance torpedo speed/arming, bomber speed, aircraft HP, and squadron-size changes.
Have a build you swear by? Open it in the Build Tool and hit Save build to share it here.
Cohort position
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Where Zuihō sits among Tier V CVs (6 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 8 mid-pack stats
Not standouts for Zuihō -- 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
Sum across every AA aura on this ship of (aura.continuous_damage x 3.5 x aura.hit_probability). Here: (38×3.5×1) + (18×3.5×1) = 196. 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 18 continuous AA damage from dual-purpose secondaries firing as AA in this range band.ƒ
Far 18 + Medium 38 = 56ƒ
Max dispersion = range (km) × 57 + 30. Each dispersion type sets its own slope; this is not a percentage applied to a standard baseline.ƒ
4 km × 57 + 30 = 258 m.Show 1 more gun family
Automatic Damage Control Party∞ charges · 90 s reload · 60 s active
Automatic Fighter4 charges · 150 s reload · 55 s active · 5.56 km patrol radius · 4 squadron size
See all derived stats
Show
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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.
AA defense
Sum across every AA aura on this ship of (aura.continuous_damage x 3.5 x aura.hit_probability). Here: (38×3.5×1) + (18×3.5×1) = 196. 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) × 57 + 30. Each dispersion type sets its own slope; this is not a percentage applied to a standard baseline.4 km × 57 + 30 = 258 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: 1×2 127 mm (1/side) × 60/6 × 2100 = 21,000 + 3×2 127 mm (3/side) × 60/5 × 2100 = 75,600. 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: 2100 from the 127 mm family.Maximum per-shell fire chance across secondary HE families (before target fire resistance is applied). Best on this ship: 8% from the 127 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: 21 mm from the 127 mm family.Armor
Hull HP 36,500, 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 | 30 mm primary (range 19–30 mm) | 2,000 (5% of HP) | Overmatch not possible at T VIAngle bounces 410mm30 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) | 20 mm primary (range 15–30 mm) | 27,400 (75% of HP) | Overmatched by 305mm+ (Indefatigable, Toulon)Angle bounces 283mm20 mm: HE pens from 127mm+ | Largest HP pool. Citadel sits behind these plates; thinner deck and side plating absorb the rest. |
| Stern | 15 mm primary (range 10–15 mm) | 1,400 (4% of HP) | Overmatched by 283mm+ (Moltke, Graf Spee)Angle bounces 203mm15 mm: HE pens from 127mm+ | Mirror of bow. Same fast saturation. |
| Citadel | 30 mm primary (range 19–30 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 | 6 mm primary (range 6–20 mm) | 10 (0% 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). |
| Secondary mount (127 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 (25 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 | 11,000 module HP | Incapacitated at 0 HP | When module HP reaches 0 the rudder locks at its current angle until DCP repairs it. Repair via Damage Control Party. |
Saturation cap = HP a section can absorb before further damage to it is reduced (the "bow-tank" effect). Citadel pool is ~165k on every ship (effectively no cap); damage is gated by pen/over-pen multipliers instead. Superstructure saturates fast but HE always pens regardless of the plate thickness. Rudder (and other module HPs) are a separate pool from ship HP: damaging a module doesn't drain ship HP. Incapacitated modules like the rudder and engine are restored by DCP, but secondary and AA mounts destroyed at 0 HP stay out for the rest of the battle.
Balance History
Latest 6 of 7 indexed balance updates affecting Zuihō. Cards are condensed; use each source link for full context.
Ministry of Balance: Summertime Refit
- Torpedo bomber maximum speed increased from 118 to 125 knots.
- Torpedo arming time reduced from 6.5 to 6 seconds.
- Chance of causing flooding increased by ~40%.
- Dive bomber maximum spread reduced by 20%.
- Dive bomber minimum spread reduced by 25%.
Ministry of Balance: Season of Change
- Torpedo strike aiming time reduced from 8 to 6.5 seconds.
- Torpedo speed increased from 50 to 55 knots.
Ministry of Balance: Aerial Adjustments
- Torpedo.
- Torpedo bomber restoration time increased from 67 to 100 s.
- Torpedo bomber base speed reduced from 114 to 108 kts.
- Torpedo arming time increased from 7 to 8 s.
- Torpedo speed reduced from 55 to 50 kts.
- Dive bomber restoration time increased from 60 to 85 s.
- Dive bomber base speed reduced from 121 to 115 kts.
Ministry of Balance: Carriers 2.0 – First Wave
- Bombs per aircraft increased from 1 to 2.
- Number of aircraft in squadron increased from 6 to 8.
- Maximum HP per aircraft reduced from 2,575 to 1,850 (squadron HP reduced from 15,450 to 14,800).
- Base speed increased from 110 to 121 knots.
- Maximum flight range set to 27 kilometers.
- Bomb damage reduced from 10,400 to 5,200.
- Bomb fire-setting chances reduced from 55 to 38%.
- HE bomb penetration reduced from 53.4 to 43.6 mm.
- Bomb splash radius reduced.
- Aircraft restoration time reduced from 68 to 60 seconds.
- +4 more official change lines in the source post.
Ministry of Balance Reports: Carrier Changes
- Zuihō was our first Premium aircraft carrier, and we played it very safe with her. As a result, the ship deserves some improvements to help her out:
- Dive bomber hangar capacity increased from 10 to 12 planes.
- HE bomb damage increased from 9,400 to 10,400.
Halloween Update: New Friends, Old Foes
- Surface detectability range changed from 11.3 to 12.3 km; air detectability range changed from 7.9 to 8.6 km.
- Dive bomber HP changed from 2,290 to 2,625; torpedo bomber HP changed from 2,500 to 2,575.
Skins & permanent camouflages
Every custom exterior Zuihō can equip, from in-game data.
DefaultThe ship’s standard exterior
Primary official WG sources
Filtered to official World of Warships: Legends pages where this ship is a focus, reward, line member, or high-context variant mention.
