GamingDiver / WoWs Legends Ships / Hōshō
World of Warships: Legends ship guide

Hōshō

Also called: 凤翔 Beta
Japan · Tier III · Aircraft Carrier · Tech Tree: Offensive Strike Carriers
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 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 squadronsTorpedo bombersFire bombsHeavy bomb penFast torpedoesShort AA reach
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Community Data

Hōshō Community Stats

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Playstyle

Overview

Hōshō is the Tier III Japanese carrier: a balanced strike kit across dive bombers and air torpedoes without a single dominant weapon. The kit rewards reading the enemy AA and picking the squadron that fits the next target. Her air-torpedo alpha is among the heaviest in the cohort.

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 10.6 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. The helm answers quickly (7.9 s), so she can break an incoming salvo that slower hulls have to eat.

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 107 s at best, and your most fragile squadron flies at 1,350 HP, so a wave sent into a wall of AA thins the reserve for the rest of the match.

Signature Traits

Heavy air torpedoes ↗

5000 damage per air-dropped torpedo, best of T3 CVs. Each torp delete-strike hits harder.

ELITE SECONDARIES ↗
  • Punchy HE · 2400 max
  • Burny secondaries · 10%
  • Punch-through secondaries · 23 mm
Short AA reach ↗

3.1 km AA reach, bottom quartile of T3 CVs. Bombs and torpedoes drop before AA bites.

Acquisition

How to get Hōshō

Hōshō is available in the Offensive Strike Carriers branch of the Japan Tech Tree for 270,000 credits after researching it in the branch. Known module upgrades cost up to 54,000 credits.

Show Japan tech-tree branch diagram
Japan Tech Tree

Hōshō sits in the Offensive Strike Carriers branch. The highlighted path shows the local branch context inside the full Japan tree.

3 ships in highlighted branch · scroll to inspect all Japan lines.
JapanIIIIIIIVVVIVIIVIII★
Destroyer
Destroyer Split
Cruiser
Cruiser Split
Battleship
Hybrid Battleship
Carrier
Tier VIIsePJSB527 Tier ★AkiPJSB310 Tier VIIIDewaPJSB309 Tier VIISuwoPJSB308 Tier VIIIKitakazePJSD219 Tier VIIIYūgumoPJSD209 Tier VIIITakahashiPJSC209 Tier VIIKagerōPJSD208 Tier VIIShimantoPJSC208 Tier VIShiratsuyuPJSD207 Tier VIOmonoPJSC207 Tier VHatsuharuPJSD206 Tier VGokasePJSC206 Tier IVMinekazePJSD205 Tier IVAganoPJSC205 Tier VIIAkizukiPJSD108 Tier VIIShōkakuPJSA108 Tier VIAkatsukiPJSD107 Tier VFubukiPJSD106 Tier IVMutsukiPJSD105 Tier IChikumaPJSC035 Tier IIWakatakePJSD024 Tier VIIIIzumoPJSB021 Tier ★YamatoPJSB018 Tier IITenryūPJSC015 Tier IIIKumaPJSC013 Tier VIIAmagiPJSB013 Tier ★ShimakazePJSD012 Tier VIIIIbukiPJSC012 Tier VINagatoPJSB010 Tier VIIMogamiPJSC009 Tier VRyūjōPJSA009 Tier VIMyōkōPJSC008 Tier IIIIshizuchiPJSB008 Tier VAobaPJSC007 Tier IVKongōPJSB007 Tier VFusōPJSB006 Tier IVFurutakaPJSC005 Tier IIIIsokazePJSD003 Tier IIIHōshōPJSA002

Builds

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

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Cohort position

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Where Hōshō 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.

BestStealth profile10.56 km / 7.39 km (1 of 2 tied / 1 of 2 tied) BestSecondary HE alpha2,400 (1/6) BestSecondary fire chance10% (1/6) BestSecondary HE pen23 mm (1 of 3 tied) BestAir torpedo damage5,000 (1/6) Top 25%Rudder shift7.9 s (2/6) Top 25%Acceleration31.7 s (2/6) Top 25%Displacement9,582 t (2/6) Top 25%Power-to-weight3.13 hp/t (2/6) Top 25%Bomb damage5,000 (2/6) Top 25%Air torpedo speed45 kn (2/6) WorstAA range3.1 km (6/6) WorstMax armor20 mm (1 of 3 tied) WorstCitadel belt20 mm (1 of 3 tied) WorstEnd plates13 mm (1 of 2 tied / 1 of 2 tied) WorstDeck armor13 mm (1 of 2 tied)
See 17 mid-pack stats

Not standouts for Hōshō -- 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 points31,800 HP(5/6) Max speed25 kt(3/6) Turning circle740 m(3/6) Secondary DPM (per side)36,000(4/6) Engine power30,000 hp(4/6) Turn-speed retention40.5 hp/m(4/6) AA DPS95(3/6) AA threat294(3/6) Bomb fire chance25%(3/5) Bomb penetration42.7 mm(3/5) Air torpedo range3.5 km(3/6) Squadron restore time107 s(3/6) Deck HP15,900 HP(5/6) Plane HP1,350 HP(4/6) NormSecondary dispersion bracket57(5 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

Customize in the Build Tool →
Survivability
Hit PointsInitial: 31,000 → 31,800
Displacement9,582 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.
183.4 x 45.5 m (measured from the ship model)
Armor range6–20 mm
Plate armor thicknesses6, 10, 13, 15, 19, 20 mm
Armor material/layer entries40
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.
Initial: 6.7% → 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 (7,632 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 (2,385 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.
9,500
Repairable: penetration50%
Repairable: citadel10%
Repairable: steering gear50%
✈
Squadrons
Total plane capacity24
Flight deck HP15,900
Hangar HP15,900
Dive bomber
Plane HP1,350
Cruising speed109 kt
OrdnanceHE bomb, 5,000 dmg
Fire chance25%
Bomb penetration42.7 mm
Hangar max12
Hangar restore+2 every 107 s, start 12
Recovery time107 s
Torpedo bomber
Plane HP1,350
Cruising speed107 kt
Ordnancetorpedo, 5,000 dmg
Flooding chance30%
Torpedo arming time3 s
Torpedo arming distance69 m
Hangar max12
Hangar restore+2 every 107 s, start 12
Recovery time107 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 points6
Maximum AA range
ƒLongest-reaching family on the in-game AA card. Base AirDefense aura max range is 1.2 km; dual-purpose mount auras extend it.
3.1 km
25 mm Type96 mod. 1 (upgraded hull only)6×2 25mm
13 mm Type93 (stock hull only)6×2 13mm
Medium aura
Guns25 mm Type96 mod. 1
Continuous DPS
ƒEffective DPS: 27 raw aura damage × 3.5 × 1 hit probability = 94 - the same in-game units as the Close-range AA DPS headline.
94
Range3.1 km
See the AA layers diagram ↓
S
Secondary Battery
Mounts4
Firing range3.5 km
Shell Grouping (σ)1
140 mm 3rd Year Type4×1 140mm
Caliber140 mm
Reload time8 s
HE Damage2,400
Muzzle Velocity850 m/s
Fire Chance10%
Armor Pen23 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 @ 3.5 km
ƒ3.5 km × 57 + 30 = 229.5 m.
229.5 m
Maneuverability
Engine power30,000 hp
Maximum speed25 kt
Turning circle radius740 m
Rudder shift time7.9 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.
35.9 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).
8.3 kt
Acceleration 0-90%
ƒTime to reach 90% of top speed (22.5 kt of 25 kt), from our in-house acceleration model.
31.7 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.
49.8 s
See the full acceleration curve ↓
Concealment
Detectability by sea10.6 km
Detectability by air7.3 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.
7.39 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.
12.6 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.
10.3 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
Module options (1)

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

HullTrade-off
  • Hit points31,000 → 31,800
  • Rudder shift14.4 → 10.3 s
  • Close-range AA DPS37 → 27
  • Maximum AA range1.2 → 3.1 km

See all derived stats

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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 range95
Only families that reach 3.1 km contribute at the outer edge of the AA bubble. In-game families: 25mm Type96 double 6x2 -> 95 DPS @ 3.1 km.
Maximum AA range3.1 km
Longest-reaching family on the in-game AA card. Base AirDefense aura max range is 1.2 km; dual-purpose mount auras extend it.
AA DPS layered by range95 DPS @ 3.1 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-blank95
Sum of every family's average DPS, achievable only inside the closest-range family (3.1 km).
AA threat index294
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)36,000
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: 4×1 140 mm (2/side) × 60/8 × 2400 = 36,000. Assumes every shell hits (real hit rate is lower; the Brawl matchup tool on the Compare page folds in dispersion + target armor).
Max HE alpha2400
Maximum HE damage per shell across secondary HE families. Best on this ship: 2400 from the 140 mm family.
Max HE fire chance10%
Maximum per-shell fire chance across secondary HE families (before target fire resistance is applied). Best on this ship: 10% 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 31,000 → 31,800 with hull upgrade, 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 & stern13 mm

Overmatched by 51+ AP guns across the bracket. Can’t reliably bow-tank; gets bow-citadelled and overpenned.

Farming6 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
Bow13 mm primary (range 13–19 mm)≈ 1,590 (~5% of HP)
Overmatched by 203mm+ AP (Desert Falcon, Genova)Angle bounces 152mm13 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)20 mm≈ 23,850 (~75% of HP)
Overmatched by 305mm+ AP (Mikasa, Courbet)Angle bounces 283mm20 mm: HE pens from 127mm+
Largest HP pool. Citadel sits behind these plates; thinner deck and side plating absorb the rest.
Stern13 mm primary (range 6–15 mm)≈ 1,590 (~5% of HP)
Overmatched by 203mm+ AP (Desert Falcon, Genova)Angle bounces 152mm13 mm: HE pens from 127mm+
Mirror of bow. Same fast saturation.
Citadel20 mm primary (range 6–20 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.
Superstructure6 mm primary (range 6–13 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 Hōshō. Cards are condensed; use each source link for full context.

Nerf ×6Buff ×8Rework ×2Airstrike ×1Torpedo ×4
2024-06-27

Ministry of Balance: Aerial Adjustments

  • Torpedo.
  • Torpedo bomber restoration time increased from 76 to 107 s.
  • Dive bomber restoration time increased from 76 to 107 s.
Read the full official post
2024-05-24

Ministry of Balance: Carriers 2.0 – First Wave

  • Bombs per aircraft increased from 1 to 2.
  • Bomb damage reduced from 8,500 to 5,000.
  • Bomb fire-setting chances reduced from 43 to 25%.
  • Bomb splash radius reduced.
  • Maximum & starting hangar aircraft increased from 10 to 12.
  • Aircraft restoration time increased from 59 to 76 seconds.
  • Aircraft restored increased from 1 to 2.
  • Maximum HP per aircraft reduced from 1,600 to 1,350 (squadron HP reduced from 9,600 to 8,100).
  • Base speed increased from 99 to 109 knots.
  • Aircraft maximum flight range set to 28 kilometers.
  • +3 more official change lines in the source post.
Read the full official post
2022-09-29

Halloween Update: New Friends, Old Foes

  • Surface detectability range changed from 10.5 to 10.6 km; air detectability range changed from 7.3 to 7.4 km.
  • Dive bomber HP changed from 1,500 to 1,600; torpedo bomber HP changed from 1,520 to 1,600.
Read the full official post
2021-09-30

Halloween Update: Double the Fun, Double the Trouble

  • Detectability range by sea increased from 8.2 to 10.5 km.
  • Detectability range by air increased from 6.6 to 7.3 km.
Read the full official post
Exteriors

Skins & permanent camouflages

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

  • Hōshō 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.

2021-01-28 · Patch notes Update: February 2021 Patch notes 2021-09-30 · Patch notes Halloween Update: Double the Fun, Double the Trouble Patch notes 2022-09-29 · Patch notes Halloween Update: New Friends, Old Foes Patch notes