GamingDiver / WoWs Legends Ships / Hermes W
World of Warships: Legends ship guide

Hermes W

Also called: 竞技神冬季 · Зимний Hermes · Hermes hivernal · Hermes Winter Beta
U.K. · Tier III · Aircraft Carrier · Premium · Hermes Variant
Carpet bomber carrierBig squadrons blanket targets with HE; win on attrition, not single-target alpha.
Playstyle
  • 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
  • Avoid: Trading a full squadron for one high-value kill
Key characteristics
Big squadronsFire bombsTough planesThickest plateHeavy secondary DPMEasily spotted
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Community Data

Hermes W Community Stats

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Playstyle

Overview

Hermes W is the Tier III British carrier whose HE dive bombers hit hard for up to 3,500 per drop, so impact comes from picking targets and landing bomb runs rather than volume saturation. Her planes are tough enough to push strikes through contested AA.

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. You are spotted at 11 km and run at 25 kn, so that distance plus your speed is the whole margin for noticing a DD has slipped past and getting out. With 9.6 s on the rudder she starts turning late, so the angle has to be set before you are shot at.

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. Replacing a lost aircraft takes 270 s at best, and your most fragile squadron flies at 1,900 HP, so a wave sent into a wall of AA thins the reserve for the rest of the match.

Signature Traits

Tough planes ↗

1900 HP per plane (weakest squadron), best of T3 CVs. Strikes survive AA pushes that thin peers' squadrons.

Thickest plate ↗

76 mm on her single heaviest plate, best of T3 CVs. Its thickest plate is beyond any HE or AP overmatch in the game, though that is one belt rather than the ship as a whole.

ELITE SECONDARIES ↗
  • Heavy secondary DPM · 105750 secondary
  • Punch-through secondaries · 23 mm
ELITE MOBILITY ↗
  • Heavy powerplant · 40000 hp
  • Holds speed in turns · 53.3 hp
Slow squadron restore ↗

270 s to restore one plane, worst of T3 CVs. Reserves refill slower between sorties.

Sluggish rudder ↗

9.6 s rudder shift, worst of T3 CVs. Hard to dodge incoming AP; lean on island cover.

Acquisition

How to get Hermes W

Hermes W is a Premium ship and not available to unlock in the Tech Tree. Acquisition path: Premium/Event.

Builds

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

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Commanders frequently paired with this ship AL FormidableDenis Boyd

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 Hermes W sits among Tier III CVs (5 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.

BestSecondary DPM (per side)105,750 (1 of 2 tied) BestSecondary HE pen23 mm (1 of 3 tied) BestEngine power40,000 hp (1 of 2 tied) BestTurn-speed retention53.3 hp/m (1 of 2 tied) BestMax armor76 mm (1 of 2 tied) BestCitadel belt76 mm (1 of 2 tied) BestDeck armor76 mm (1 of 2 tied) BestPlane HP1,900 HP (1 of 2 tied) WorstStealth profile11.02 km / 7.71 km (1 of 2 tied / 1 of 2 tied) WorstRudder shift9.6 s (1 of 2 tied) WorstAA DPS11 (1 of 2 tied) WorstAA threat38 (1 of 2 tied) WorstBomb penetration27.1 mm (1 of 2 tied) WorstAir torpedo speed42 kn (1 of 2 tied) WorstSquadron restore time270 s (1 of 2 tied)
See 20 mid-pack stats

Not standouts for Hermes W -- 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.

Hit points33,200 HP(3/6) Max speed25 kt(3/6) Turning circle750 m(5/6) Secondary HE alpha2,000(3/6) Secondary fire chance8%(3/6) Acceleration32.2 s(3/6) Displacement13,700 t(5/6) Power-to-weight2.92 hp/t(3/6) AA range3.5 km(3/6) Bomb damage3,500(5/6) Bomb fire chance25%(3/5) Air torpedo damage4,367(3/6) Air torpedo range3 km(5/6) Deck HP16,600 HP(3/6) NormSecondary dispersion bracket57(5 of 6 tied at this value) NormFlak per wave (expected)260(4 of 5 tied at this value) NormBow armor16 mm(4 of 6 tied at this value) NormStern armor16 mm(4 of 6 tied at this value) NormAir torpedo stealth1.3 km(5 of 6 tied at this value) NormSquadron size12(5 of 6 tied at this value)

Stats & specs

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Survivability
Hit Points33,200
Displacement13,700 t
Hull dimensions
ƒLength x beam at the waterline, with the hull's draft where the client carries one. Ships whose client entry holds only the 260 x 20 m placeholder use a curated real-world figure instead, and any ship we have no trustworthy size for omits this row rather than print the placeholder. Length matters when dodging torpedoes; beam and draft shape how hard the ship is to hit.
183.1 x 29.24 m, draft 6.7 m
Armor range10–76 mm
Plate armor thicknesses10, 13, 16, 20, 25, 76 mm
Armor material/layer entries48
Fire resistance
ƒDoes not reduce the damage a burning fire does per second: replay-measured burn ticks run at the full rate on every ship. By elimination it lowers how often hits set you on fire; ignition-rate replay data is consistent with that but too confounded by attacker mix to measure the reduction directly.
10%
Fire duration60 s
Fire damage
ƒEach fire ticks 0.4% of max HP per second for the full 60 s, so one unattended fire burns 24% of the pool (7,968 HP on this ship). 4 fire points can burn at once. Verified against measured burn ticks in replay data.
0.4% of HP per second
Flood duration30 s
Flood damage
ƒA flood ticks 0.25% of max HP per second for the 30 s duration, so one unattended flood costs 7.5% of the pool (2,490 HP on this ship). Verified against measured flood ticks in replay data.
0.25% of HP per second
Torp Reduction
ƒReduces torpedo hit damage. Replay data shows no effect on floods: flood ticks run at the full rate and flood frequency does not decline with protection.
0%
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.
10,000
Repairable: penetration50%
Repairable: citadel10%
Repairable: steering gear50%
✈
Squadrons
Total plane capacity36
Flight deck HP16,600
Hangar HP16,600
Dive bomber
Plane HP1,900
Cruising speed108 kt
OrdnanceHE bomb, 3,500 dmg
Fire chance25%
Bomb penetration27.1 mm
Hangar max12
Hangar restore+4 every 270 s, start 8
Recovery time270 s
Torpedo bomber
Plane HP2,000
Cruising speed107 kt
Ordnancetorpedo, 4,367 dmg
Flooding chance45%
Torpedo arming time3 s
Torpedo arming distance65 m
Hangar max12
Hangar restore+4 every 270 s, start 8
Recovery time270 s
Squadron consumables
Patrol Fighters
Charges3
Duration60 s
Reload10 s
Evasive Maneuver
Charges2
Duration10 s
Reload150 s
Damage reduction-50%
Return to Carrier
EffectAll aircraft return to carrier.
AA Defense
AA mount points0
102 mm/45 Mk V (DP)
ƒDual-purpose: your secondaries doing double duty against aircraft. The same mounts appear on the Secondary Battery card - shared guns, not extra hardware.
3×1 102mm
Maximum AA range
ƒLongest-reaching family on the in-game AA card. Base AirDefense aura max range is 0 km; dual-purpose mount auras extend it.
3.5 km
Far aura
Guns102 mm/45 Mk V (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 10 from dual-purpose secondaries firing as AA in this range band.
10
Range3.5 km
Flak bursts
Bursts
ƒEach ~2 s wave fires 2 quick salvos of 1 clouds ahead of the attacking squadron - up to 2 clouds per wave × 130 damage each. Planes that fly into a cloud take its damage; clouds dissipate before the next wave lands. Defensive AA Fire, where fitted, multiplies the salvo repeats within each wave.
2 salvos × 1 clouds
Cloud damage
ƒDamage a plane takes for flying into one flak cloud, before any reductions.
130
Cloud spawn chance
ƒEvery potential cloud spawns - the full pattern, every wave. Often called flak 'hit chance', but spawned clouds always damage planes that fly into them - the roll is on spawning.
100%
Wave rate
ƒA flak wave spawns roughly every 2 s - timed frame-by-frame from gameplay footage and consistent across ships.
every ~2 s
Fired by
ƒFlak keeps firing while at least one secondary battery mount is operational - even losing every other 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 bursts can land short of 2.5 km or past 3.5 km - once planes get inside the band, new waves stop. AA range bonuses push the outer edge out; the 2.5 km inner edge does not move.
2.5-3.5 km
See the AA layers diagram ↓
S
Secondary Battery
Mounts9
Firing range3.5 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 @ 3.5 km
ƒ3.5 km × 57 + 30 = 229.5 m.
229.5 m
102 mm/45 Mk V (×3) (DP)
ƒDual-purpose: the same mounts also fire at aircraft, so they appear on the AA Defense card too - shared guns, not extra hardware.
Caliber102 mm
Reload time4 s
HE Damage1,500
Muzzle Velocity811 m/s
Fire Chance6%
Armor Pen17 mm
Show 1 more gun family
140 mm/50 BL Mk I (×6)
Caliber140 mm
Reload time5 s
HE Damage2,000
Muzzle Velocity850 m/s
Fire Chance8%
Armor Pen23 mm
Maneuverability
Engine power40,000 hp
Maximum speed25 kt
Turning circle radius750 m
Rudder shift time9.6 s
Engine power-boost threshold7 kt
Engine spool-up time23 s
Reverse spool-up time11.5 s
Reverse speed
ƒtop speed / 4 + 4.9 = 25 / 4 + 4.9 = 11.2 kt. The community reverse-speed model from the WoWs ShipBuilder project, the same source as the acceleration model on this card. Base value; speed modifiers scale it. Not shown on the in-game card.
11.2 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. Same community-model simulation as the acceleration times, using the ship's own reverse-power ratio from in-game data. The full curve is on the acceleration chart.
36.9 s
Engine boost threshold (reverse)
ƒSpeed below which the engine's built-in power boost applies in reverse. Matches the in-game maneuverability card's reverse threshold (Vampire II reads 10.5 here and the card shows 11; the card rounds half up).
7.5 kt
Acceleration 0-90%
ƒTime to reach 90% of top speed (22.5 kt of 25 kt), from our in-house acceleration model.
32.2 s
Acceleration 0-99%
ƒTime to reach 99% of top speed (24.8 kt of 25 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.
50.9 s
See the full acceleration curve ↓
Concealment
Detectability by sea11.02 km
Detectability by air7.71 km
Detect when firing (air)
ƒAir detectability plus the gun-firing bloom (0 km, which tracks main-battery caliber x 0.020). Matches the in-game 'Detect Firing Air' value on every captured ship.
7.71 km
Detect when on fire (sea)
ƒBase sea detectability + 2.0 km while burning; matches the in-game 'Detect Fire Sea' value on every captured ship.
13.02 km
Detect when on fire (air)
ƒBase air detectability + 3.0 km while burning; matches the in-game 'Detect Fire Air' value on every captured ship.
10.71 km
Guaranteed Detect2 km
✦
Consumables
Automatic Damage Control Party∞ charges · 90 s reload · 60 s active
Automatic Fighter4 charges · 40 s reload · 150 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
· 4 squadron size

See all derived stats

Show ▾

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

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

AA DPS at max range11
Only families that reach 3.5 km contribute at the outer edge of the AA bubble. In-game families: 4in 45 MK V 3x1 -> 11 DPS @ 3.5 km.
Maximum AA range3.5 km
Longest-reaching family on the in-game AA card. Base AirDefense aura max range is 0 km; dual-purpose mount auras extend it.
AA DPS layered by range11 DPS @ 3.5 km
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-blank11
Sum of every family's average DPS, achievable only inside the closest-range family (3.5 km).
AA threat index38
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 @ 3.5 km229.5 m
3.5 km × 57 + 30 = 229.5 m.

Secondary battery firepower

Secondary DPM (per side)105,750
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: 3×1 102 mm (1.5/side) × 60/4 × 1500 = 33,750 + 6×1 140 mm (3/side) × 60/5 × 2000 = 72,000. Assumes every shell hits (real hit rate is lower; the Brawl matchup tool on the Compare page folds in dispersion + target armor).
Max HE alpha2000
Maximum HE damage per shell across secondary HE families. Best on this ship: 2000 from the 140 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 140 mm family.
Max HE pen23 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: 23 mm from the 140 mm family.

Armor Beta

Hull HP 33,200, distributed across 5 hull zones, each with its own plate thicknesses, saturation cap, and pen thresholds. HP caps are estimated from the standard WoWs damage-allocation model.

Bow & stern16 mm

Overmatched by 47+ AP guns across the bracket. Can’t reliably bow-tank; gets bow-citadelled and overpenned.

Belt / citadel76 mm

Thin belt: battleship AP citadels straight through it broadside. Rely on angle, speed and concealment, never sit flat.

Farming10 mm

Superstructure and extremities take HE pens and AP overpens from nearly any gun: steady chip damage. Fire resistance 10%, fires burn 60s. Range-by-range in the Compare tool →

Section Plates HP cap Threats Tactic
Bow16 mm primary (range 16–76 mm)≈ 1,660 (~5% of HP)
Overmatched by 283mm+ AP (Nassau, Von Der Tann)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)13 mm primary (range 10–16 mm)≈ 24,900 (~75% of HP)
Overmatched by 203mm+ AP (Desert Falcon, Genova)Angle bounces 152mm13 mm: HE pens from 127mm+
Largest HP pool. Citadel sits behind these plates; thinner deck and side plating absorb the rest.
Stern16 mm primary (range 16–76 mm)≈ 1,660 (~5% of HP)
Overmatched by 283mm+ AP (Nassau, Von Der Tann)Angle bounces 203mm16 mm: HE pens from 127mm+
Mirror of bow. Same fast saturation.
Citadel76 mm primary (range 13–76 mm)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.
Superstructure10 mm primary (range 10–76 mm)no cap
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).

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.

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Ship Charts

Balance History

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

Nerf ×5Buff ×19Rework ×2Airstrike ×2Torpedo ×13
2024-12-12

Ministry of Balance: Breaking the Ice

  • Hermes is the hidden king of Tier III carriers in terms of performance, as a result we are slightly nerfing her main source of damage, torpedoes.
  • Torpedo maximum damage reduced from 5,833 to 5,367.
Read the full official post
2024-06-27

Ministry of Balance: Aerial Adjustments

  • Torpedo.
  • Torpedo bomber restoration time increased from 170 to 270 s.
  • Dive bomber restoration time increased from 170 to 270 s.
Read the full official post
2024-05-24

Ministry of Balance: Carriers 2.0 – First Wave

  • Number of attacking aircraft per strike increased from 1 to 2.
  • Maximum HP per aircraft reduced from 2,100 to 1,900 (squadron HP reduced from 8,400 to 7,600).
  • Base speed increased from 98 to 108 knots.
  • Maximum flight range set to 26 kilometers.
  • Maximum hangar aircraft increased from 9 to 12.
  • Starting hangar aircraft reduced from 9 to 8.
  • Aircraft restoration time increased from 80 to 170 seconds.
  • Aircraft restored increased from 1 to 4.
  • Torpedo Bombers:
  • Maximum HP per aircraft reduced from 2,200 to 2,000 (squadron HP reduced from 8,800 to 8,000).
  • +3 more official change lines in the source post.
Read the full official post
2022-12-09

Ministry of Balance Reports: Carrier Changes

  • Since her introduction, Hermes has been lagging behind her peers in total damage dealt, which also affects the ship’s win rate and battle impact. Hermes dishes out damage equally with both weapons normally, so they have been buffed:
  • HE bomb damage increased from 3,200 to 3,400.
  • Torpedo damage increased from 5,633 to 5,833.
  • Torpedo speed increased from 40 to 42 knots.
  • Torpedo range increased from 2.4 to 3.0 km.
Read the full official post
2022-09-29

Halloween Update: New Friends, Old Foes

  • Surface detectability range changed from 10.9 to 11 km; air detectability range changed from 7.6 to 7.7 km.
  • Dive bomber HP changed from 2,000 to 2,100; torpedo bomber HP changed from 2,100 to 2,200.
Read the full official post
2022-03-03

March update: All That is Gold Does Not Glitter

  • Maximum bomb damage increased from 2,400 to 3,200.
  • Maximum torpedo damage increased from 5,200 to 5,633.
  • Speed for torpedo bombers increased by 5 kts.
  • Torpedo arming time reduced from 3.5 to 3 s.
  • Torpedo speed increased from 35 to 40 kts.
  • Torpedo spotting range increased by about 15%.
Read the full official post
Exteriors

Skins & permanent camouflages

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

  • Hermes W 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.

2024-12-13 · Official ship feature / stats Cyber Holidays: Journey to the Future, Winter Fleet, and More! Variant source 2024-12-12 · Patch notes Holiday Update: Glimpse Into the Future Patch notes