World of Warships: Legends ship guide

Zuihō

Beta
Strike carrierRepeated squadron strikes; manage planes and positioning.
Playstyle
  • 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
Key characteristics
Big squadronsTorpedo bombersFire bombsAP bombsSlow
Community Data

Zuihō Community Stats

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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

Burny bombs

38.0% fire chance per bomb, best of T5 CVs. Sustained burn pressure across drops.

Heavy air torpedoes

9100.0 damage per air-dropped torpedo, best of T5 CVs. Each torp delete-strike hits harder.

Fast air torpedoes

55.0 kn air-torpedo speed, best of T5 CVs. Harder for targets to angle out.

Punchy HE secondaries

2100.0 max HE alpha per secondary shell, best of T5 CVs. Bigger per-shell damage than peers.

Fragile flight deck

18300.0 HP flight deck, bottom quartile of T5 CVs. AP and HE saturate it faster than peers.

Fragile HP pool

36500.0 HP, bottom quartile of T5 CVs. Trade hits sparingly.

Acquisition

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.

Best listed chance for this ship

  • Super V Crate 4.166667% One of the Tier V Premium ships Event containers · Super V Crate · 1 of 24 ships
  • Spectral Vault 4.0 0.26087% Tier V Premium ship Event containers · Spectral Vault 4.0 · 1 of 23 ships
  • 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)
  • Mystic Lantern 0.2% Tier V Premium ship Event containers · Mystic Lantern · 1 of 25 ships
  • 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%
  • 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%
  • Mystic Box 0.012% Tier V Premium ship Event containers · Mystic Box · 1 of 25 ships
Official WG availability sources
Show direct source rows

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.

Open in Build Tool →

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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.

BestStealth profile12.31 km / 8.62 km (1/6 / 1/6) BestHE alpha2,100 (1/5) BestSecondary fire chance8% (1/5) BestSecondary HE pen21 mm (1/5) BestAcceleration9.3 s (1/6) BestAA range5 km (1 of 3 tied) BestBomb fire chance38% (1/5) BestAir torpedo damage9,100 (1/6) BestAir torpedo speed55 kn (1/6) Top 25%Rudder shift12.6 s (2/6) Top 25%Displacement13,950 t (2/6) Top 25%Bomb AP penetration43.6 mm (2/5) Top 25%Air torpedo range4.5 km (2/6) WorstHit points36,500 HP (6/6) WorstMax speed28 kt (6/6) WorstSecondary DPM (per side)96,600 (5/5) WorstEngine power52,000 hp (6/6) WorstTurn-speed retention57.1 hp/m (6/6) WorstSecondary range4 km (1 of 2 tied) WorstAA DPS196 (6/6) WorstAA threat727 (6/6) WorstMax armor30 mm (6/6) WorstCitadel belt30 mm (1 of 2 tied) WorstStern armor15 mm (6/6) WorstDeck armor20 mm (6/6) WorstDeck HP18,300 HP (6/6)
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.

Power-to-weight3.73 hp/t(4/6) Bomb damage5,200(3/6) Air torpedo stealth1.3 km(4/6) Squadron restore time85 s(4/6) Plane HP1,650 HP(5/6) NormSecondary dispersion bracket57(4 of 5 tied at this value) NormBow armor30 mm(5 of 6 tied at this value) NormSquadron size18(4 of 6 tied at this value)

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

Survivability
Hit Points36,500
Displacement13,950 t
Armor range6–30 mm
Plate armor thicknesses6, 10, 15, 16, 19, 20, 30 mm
Armor material/layer entries33
Fire resistance23.3%
Fire duration60 s
Torp Reduction4%
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.
11,000
Squadrons
Total plane capacity30
Flight deck HP18,300
Hangar HP18,300
Dive bomber
Plane HP1,850
OrdnanceHE bomb, 5,200 dmg
Fire chance38%
Bomb penetration43.6 mm
Hangar max16
Hangar restore+2 every 85 s, start 16
Torpedo bomber
Plane HP1,650
Ordnancetorpedo, 9,100 dmg
Hangar max18
Hangar restore+3 every 100 s, start 18
AA Defense
AA mount points10
Close-range AA DPS
ƒSum 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.
196
Maximum AA range
ƒLongest-reaching aura across AA-only + dual-purpose auras.
5 km
25 mm Type96 mod. 23×3 25mm
25 mm Type96 mod. 17×3 25mm
127 mm Type89 mod. 2 (DP)1×2 127mm
127 mm Type89 A1 (DP)3×2 127mm
Far aura
DPS
ƒIncludes 18 continuous AA damage from dual-purpose secondaries firing as AA in this range band.
18
Range5 km
Medium aura
DPS38
Range3.1 km
Total DPS in Aura
ƒFar 18 + Medium 38 = 56
56
S
Secondary Battery
Mounts4
Firing range4.0 km
Shell Grouping (σ)1
Secondary dispersion type
ƒMax dispersion = range (km) × 57 + 30. Each dispersion type sets its own slope; this is not a percentage applied to a standard baseline.
Standard
Max secondary dispersion @ 4 km
ƒ4 km × 57 + 30 = 258 m.
258 m
127 mm Type89 mod. 2 (×1)
Caliber127 mm
Reload time6 s
HE Damage2,100
Muzzle Velocity725 m/s
Fire Chance8%
Armor Pen21 mm
Min Ricochet91°
Max Ricochet60°
Show 1 more gun family
127 mm Type89 A1 (×3)
Caliber127 mm
Reload time5 s
HE Damage2,100
Muzzle Velocity725 m/s
Fire Chance8%
Armor Pen21 mm
Min Ricochet91°
Max Ricochet60°
Maneuverability
Engine moduleEngine: 52,000 hp
Engine power52,000 hp
Maximum speed28 kt
Turning circle radius910 m
Engine power multiplier speed threshold7 kt
Concealment
Detectability by sea12.31 km
Detectability by air8.62 km
Detect after firing main guns12.31 km
Detect Fire Sea14.31 km
Detect Fire Air11.62 km
Guaranteed Detect2 km
Consumables
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

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

Close-range AA DPS196
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.
Maximum AA range5 km
Longest-reaching aura across AA-only + dual-purpose auras.
AA threat index727
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

Secondary dispersion typeStandard
Max dispersion = range (km) × 57 + 30. Each dispersion type sets its own slope; this is not a percentage applied to a standard baseline.
Max secondary dispersion @ 4 km258 m
4 km × 57 + 30 = 258 m.

Secondary battery firepower

Secondary DPM (per side)96,600
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).
Max HE alpha2100
Maximum HE damage per shell across secondary HE families. Best on this ship: 2100 from the 127 mm family.
Max HE fire chance8%
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.
Max HE pen21 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: 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
Bow30 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.
Stern15 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.
Citadel30 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).
Superstructure6 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 HP800 per-mount HPDestroyed at 0 HPPer-mount HP for the heaviest secondary on this ship. A mount destroyed at 0 HP is out for the rest of the battle; DCP does not repair destroyed mounts. Smaller (lighter-caliber) secondaries typically share the same HP value.
AA mount (25 mm mount)separate HP pool, does not drain ship HP200 per-mount HPDestroyed at 0 HPPer-mount HP for the heaviest AA on this ship. An AA mount destroyed at 0 HP stops shooting down planes for the rest of the battle; DCP does not repair destroyed mounts. HE shells specifically target AA mounts since the small-caliber HP pool falls fast.
Rudder (module)separate HP pool, does not drain ship HP11,000 module HPIncapacitated at 0 HPWhen module HP reaches 0 the rudder locks at its current angle until DCP repairs it. Repair via Damage Control Party.

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

Balance History

Latest 6 of 7 indexed balance updates affecting Zuihō. Cards are condensed; use each source link for full context.

Nerf ×13Buff ×16Rework ×2Airstrike ×3Torpedo ×12
2026-05-28

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%.
Read the full official post
2024-09-05

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.
Read the full official post
2024-06-27

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.
Read the full official post
2024-05-24

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.
Read the full official post
2022-12-09

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.
Read the full official post
2022-09-29

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.
Read the full official post
Exteriors

Skins & permanent camouflages

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

  • Zuihō default exterior
    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.