GamingDiver / WoWs Legends Ships / Kansas

World of Warships: Legends ship guide

Kansas

Also called: 堪萨斯 Beta

U.S.A. · Tier VII · Battleship · Tech Tree: Heavy Battleships

Bow-tank battleshipHold the line bow-in; top-decile plate shrugs what peers can't crack while the team trades.

Playstyle

Anchor a flank at 14-17 km with bow toward the closest threat
Avoid: Spending the spotter on a target that is already dodging

Key characteristics

406 mm AP overmatchSpotter planeDefensive AAThick deck armorLong DCP windowSlow

On this page

Community stats
Playstyle
How to get Kansas
Builds
Cohort position
Stats and specs
Armor
Charts
Balance history
Exteriors

Community Data

Kansas Community Stats

Log in to GamingDiver and upload your data to see Community Data for Kansas: community win rate, damage, survival, spotting, and your own comparison.

Playstyle

Overview

Kansas is a Tier VII American bow-tank battleship: top-decile bow and deck plate shrugs what peer guns cannot crack, so she holds the line bow-in and soaks fire while the team trades around her. Standout traits: deck armor (89 mm) and sigma (1.9).

Positioning

Anchor a flank at 14-17 km with bow toward the closest threat. Rotate one or two map cells with the team rather than holding solo; a battleship alone on a flank is a free focus target for the enemy. At 25 kn you cannot re-cross the map, so the flank you pick early is the one you fight all game; choose it for where the enemy battleships will end up, not where they start. Once the rudder is over she turns tightly for her cohort (700 m), so a committed turn costs less water than most of what she is fighting.

Potato Avoidance

Spending the spotter on a target that is already dodging

The extra range only converts if the shot was going to land: save it for the salvos that matter, an exposed broadside cruiser or a battleship committed to its angle, where the reach turns a maybe into a citadel. Popped over a jinking destroyer it buys you a longer look at your own shells missing.

Signature Traits

ELITE ARMOR ↗

Thick deck · 89 mm
Hardened superstructure · 32 mm
Heavy armor deck

ELITE MAIN BATTERY ↗

Tight grouping
AP overmatch specialist

Long DCP window ↗

20 s Damage Control duration, best of T7 BBs. Stays fire / flood immune longer per activation.

Slow reload ↗

31.5 s reload, worst of T7 BBs. Salvos punish more, but cycle is slower than peers.

Bow-in or broadside-dead

Angled bow-on, the bow and belt bounce AP that would citadel a flat-side peer -- but show a full broadside even for one salvo and you hand out a citadel. Commit to a lane you can hold angled; you can't afford to swing broadside to dodge torpedoes.

Acquisition

How to get Kansas

Kansas is available in the Heavy Battleships branch of the U.S. Tech Tree for 18,000,000 credits after researching it in the branch. Known module upgrades cost up to 3,600,000 credits. Official source cards below may also show its temporary Early Access window before it became a normal Tech Tree unlock.

Early AccessOfficial WG line/source notes indicate a temporary Early Access window before normal acquisition.

Show U.S.A. tech-tree branch diagram

U.S. Tech Tree

Kansas sits in the Heavy Battleships branch. The highlighted path shows the local branch context inside the full U.S. tree.

The heavy battleship line starts with Tennessee, focusing on maximum firepower at the cost of speed and flexibility in battle. Plan ahead, pick a position, and punish the enemy with a heavy broadside.

Advantages: Long-range main battery guns, Large main battery salvo
Disadvantages: Slow, Slow reload, Inflexible

6 ships in highlighted branch · scroll to inspect all U.S. lines.

U.S.A.IIIIIIIVVVIVIIVIII

Destroyer

Cruiser

Light cruiser split

Battleship

Alternative battleship

Hybrid battleship

Carrier

Tier IIWickesPASD027 Tier IIIClemsonPASD019 Tier IVFarragutPASD005 Tier VMahanPASD006 Tier VIBensonPASD008 Tier VIIFletcherPASD021 Tier VIIIAllen M. SumnerPASD114 Tier IAlbanyPASC003 Tier IISt. LouisPASC004 Tier IIIPhoenixPASC024 Tier IVOmahaPASC005 Tier VPensacolaPASC012 Tier VINew OrleansPASC014 Tier VIIBaltimorePASC017 Tier VIIIBuffaloPASC109 Tier VDallasPASC206 Tier VIHelenaPASC207 Tier VIIClevelandPASC208 Tier VIIISeattlePASC209 Tier IIIWyomingPASB004 Tier IVNew YorkPASB006 Tier IVNevadaPASB105 Tier VNew MexicoPASB034 Tier VIColoradoPASB008 Tier VIIIowaPASB018 Tier VIIIMainePASB118 Tier VTennesseePASB106 Tier VINorth CarolinaPASB012 Tier VIIKansasPASB108 Tier VIIIMinnesotaPASB109 Tier VIConnecticutPASB207 Tier VIINebraskaPASB208 Tier VIIIDelawarePASB209 Tier IIILangleyPASA004 Tier VRangerPASA006 Tier VIILexingtonPASA012

Official WG availability sources

Strike From the Skies: U.S. Hybrids in Early Access and Our July 4th Event Early Access Start: 2024-06-30 · End: 2024-07-31 Official early-access or tech-tree-line article. Tech-tree ships are temporary crate drops during Early Access, then move to the Tech Tree.
July Update: Skyward Endeavors 12,500 Doubloons 2024-06-27 Tier VII default; exact price not in source

Builds

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

Open in Build Tool →

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Cohort position

Hide ▾

Where Kansas sits among Tier VII BBs (48 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.

BestTurning circle700 m (1 of 2 tied) Top 10%Flak per wave (expected)1,815 (3/49) Top 25%Stealth profile14.95 km / 11.96 km (7/49 / 6/49) Top 25%Fires per minute8.23 (7/48) Top 25%HE DPM130,286 (10/48) Top 25%Effective HE DPM (incl. fire)191,334 (8/48) Top 25%Deck armor89 mm (8/46) Bottom 25%Traverse-to-turn ratio3.8 × (44/49) Bottom 25%Main battery range16.62 km (45/49) Bottom 25%AP shell damage11,500 (38/49) Bottom 25%Secondary DPM (per side)144,000 (43/49) Bottom 25%AP velocity768 m/s (38/49) Bottom 25%HE velocity803 m/s (37/48) Bottom 25%Max armor343 mm (41/49) Bottom 25%Citadel belt273 mm (38/48) Bottom 10%Max speed25 kt (47/49) Bottom 10%Acceleration38.5 s (48/49) Bottom 10%Engine power68,000 hp (48/49) Bottom 10%Turn-speed retention97.1 hp/m (47/49) Bottom 10%Power-to-weight1.43 hp/t (48/49) WorstMain battery reload31.5 s (49/49) WorstSecondary fire chance5% (1 of 11 tied) WorstSecondary HE pen21 mm (1 of 11 tied) WorstNo torpedoes (33 of 49 in cohort)

See 26 mid-pack stats

Not standouts for Kansas -- 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 points67,000 HP(20/49) Smoke fire bloom14.43 km(27/49) Rudder shift15.8 s(31/49) Main battery caliber406 mm(17/49) Sigma1.9(17/49) HE shell damage5,700(24/48) HE fire chance36%(23/48) AP DPM262,857(17/49) Main dispersion226.2 m(22/49) Secondary HE alpha1,800(31/46) AP arming threshold68 mm(35/49) Displacement47,530 t(27/49) AP pen at 10 km553 mm(35/49) Secondary range5 km(35/49) AA DPS548(24/49) AA range5 km(19/49) AA threat1,783(21/49) Repair charges3(23/49) NormSecondary dispersion bracket57(34 of 49 tied at this value) NormSecondary sigma1(48 of 49 tied at this value) NormAP fuse timer0.03 s(40 of 49 tied at this value) NormAP ricochet start45°(47 of 49 tied at this value) NormAP auto-bounce angle60°(46 of 49 tied at this value) NormRepair heal rate0.5 %/s(35 of 49 tied at this value) NormBow armor32 mm(36 of 48 tied at this value) NormStern armor32 mm(35 of 48 tied at this value)

Peers in this cohort

Compare Tier VII Battleships

Show all 48 peers

Stats & specs

Customize in the Build Tool →

Survivability

Hit PointsInitial: 61,300 → 67,000

Displacement47,530 t

Hull dimensions

Length 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.

210.6 x 36.9 m (measured from the ship model)

Armor range19–343 mm

Plate armor thicknesses19, 25, 32, 38, 50, 86, 89, 152, 203, 241, 273, 343 mm

Armor material/layer entries48

Fire resistance

Does 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: 33.3% → 36.6%

Fire duration60 s

Fire damage

Each fire ticks 0.3% of max HP per second for the full 60 s, so one unattended fire burns 18% of the pool (12,060 HP on this ship). 4 fire points can burn at once. Verified against measured burn ticks in replay data.

0.3% of HP per second

Flood duration40 s

Flood damage

A flood ticks 0.5% of max HP per second for the 40 s duration, so one unattended flood costs 20% of the pool (13,400 HP on this ship). Verified against measured flood ticks in replay data.

0.5% of HP per second

Torp Reduction

Reduces 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.

40%

Magazine HP

Per-turret powder-magazine HP, a separate pool from the ship's. Penetrating hits wear it down and the turret is likelier to be knocked out as it falls, so a larger pool keeps the guns firing through punishment that silences a peer's.

33,500

Steering gear HP

Durability 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.

20,100

Effective HP

Base 67,000 HP plus everything Repair Party can restore: 0.5%/s x 28 s = 9,380 HP per charge, x3 charges = 28,140 HP. Ceiling, not a prediction: a charge only restores damage actually taken, and only the regeneratable share of it. Across 1,826 players in our replay corpus the median ship realized about half of this, mostly because half the charges go unspent — when Repair Party IS pressed it returns ~97% of the per-charge figure above.

95,140

Repairable: penetration50%

Repairable: citadel10%

Repairable: steering gear50%

Main Battery

ModuleArtillery: 406 mm/45 Mk5

Mounts / barrels4 mounts / 12 barrels

Reload time

patched

baseline35
In-game data
2021-12-1634
Holiday Update: Chilling With the Beasts Main battery reload time decreased from 38s to 34s.
2023-11-0235
MINISTRY OF BALANCE REPORTS: A FLURRY OF CHANGES Main battery reload time increased from 34 to 35 s.

35 s

Firing range (base)15.1 km

Firing range (top fire control)16.6 km

Turret traverse4 °/s

Turret armor457 mm

Turret traverse arcs

How far each mount can train, in degrees to either side of the mount's own facing, read from in-game data. A rear turret with ±150° leaves a 60° blind wedge over the bow; one-sided arcs are wing mounts that cover a single side. The data does not say which way each mount faces, so the arcs are listed per mount without bow/stern angles.

2x ±146°, 2x ±144°

Guns to bear

How far off the bow (or stern) the ship must angle before every main turret can fire: the widest blind wedge among the rear-facing (or forward-facing) mounts, from each mount's trainable arc. Mount facing is inferred from turret stations and verified against known layouts, including Izumo's aft-facing forward turret.

36° off bow / 34° off stern

See the firing-arcs diagram ↓

AP pen max range453 mm

HE fire DPM vs T7 BB54934

Effective HE DPM vs T7 BB172191

Shell Grouping (σ)1.9

Max Horiz Disp

Horizontal dispersion ellipse width at max range, from the verified WoWS dispersion model:

σ_{H} = (\frac{R}{30} \cdot \frac{idealRadius - minRadius}{idealDistance} + minRadius) \cdot 30

= (\frac{16615.5}{30} \cdot \frac{12 - 2}{1000} + 2) \cdot 30 = 226.2 m

226.2 m at 16.6 km

Max Vert Disp

Vertical dispersion ellipse height at max range:

σ_{V} = σ_{H} \cdot radiusOnMax

= 226.2 \cdot 0.6 = 135.7 m

135.7 m at 16.6 km

Med Horiz Disp

50%-hit horizontal radius:

σ_{H, 50} = σ_{H} \cdot \frac{0.6}{σ}

= 226.2 \cdot \frac{0.6}{1.9} = 71.4 m

71.4 m at 16.6 km

Med Vert Disp

50%-hit vertical radius:

σ_{V, 50} = σ_{V} \cdot \frac{0.6}{σ}

= 135.7 \cdot \frac{0.6}{1.9} = 42.9 m

42.9 m at 16.6 km

Turret turn time

180 degrees / 4 deg/s traverse speed = 45 s.

45 s

Shells/min

Zero upgrades: 12 broadside guns x 60 / 35 s base reload = 20.6. All upgrades (Main Battery Mod. 3 = -10% reload): 12 broadside guns x 60 / 31.5 s all-upgrades reload = 22.9.

Initial: 20.6 → 22.9

HE shells

HE Damage5,700

HE Velocity803 m/s

Fire Chance36%

HE penetration

68 mm ≈ 406 mm caliber / 6 (standard HE penetration ratio).

68 mm

HE full-salvo alpha

5,700 HE damage x 12 broadside guns = 68,400.

68,400

HE DPM

Zero upgrades: 68,400 HE full-salvo alpha x 60 / 35 s base reload = 117,257. All upgrades (Main Battery Mod. 3 = -10% reload): 68,400 HE full-salvo alpha x 60 / 31.5 s all-upgrades reload = 130,286.

Initial: 117,257 → 130,286

Fires/min

Zero upgrades: 20.6 shells/min x 36% fire chance = 7.41. All upgrades (Main Battery Mod. 3 = -10% reload): 22.9 shells/min x 36% fire chance = 8.23.

Initial: 7.41 → 8.23

AP shells

AP Damage11,500

AP Velocity768 m/s

Min Ricochet45 deg

Guaranteed Ricochet60 deg

Fuse Timer0.033 s

Fuse Threshold68 mm

AP overmatch

floor(406 mm caliber / 14.3) = 28 mm (AP auto-penetrates plating this thick or less).

28 mm

AP Pen Close

Canonical community AP formula (jcw780/wows_shell), evaluated at muzzle velocity:

P = 10^{- 7} \cdot K \cdot m^{0.69} \cdot d^{- 1.07} \cdot v_{0}^{1.38}

= 10^{- 7} \cdot 2636 \cdot 1016^{0.69} \cdot {0.406}^{- 1.07} \cdot 768^{1.38} = 787.7 mm

. Matches the in-game spec card.

787.7 mm point-blank

AP Pen Far

Same formula at the ship's max firing range (16.6 km), where the shell has slowed to 514 m/s:

P = 10^{- 7} \cdot 2636 \cdot 1016^{0.69} \cdot {0.406}^{- 1.07} \cdot 514^{1.38} = 452.6 mm

452.6 mm at 16.6 km

AP full-salvo alpha

11,500 AP damage x 12 broadside guns = 138,000.

138,000

AP DPM

Zero upgrades: 138,000 AP full-salvo alpha x 60 / 35 s base reload = 236,571. All upgrades (Main Battery Mod. 3 = -10% reload): 138,000 AP full-salvo alpha x 60 / 31.5 s all-upgrades reload = 262,857.

Initial: 236,571 → 262,857

AP AOE Radius

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.

150

AA Defense

AA mount points35

Maximum AA range

Longest-reaching family on the in-game AA card. Base AirDefense aura max range is 3.5 km; dual-purpose mount auras extend it.

5 km

40 mm Bofors Mk2Initial: 40 mm Bofors Mk1 (12×2) → 40 mm Bofors Mk2 (12×4)

20 mm Oerlikon Mk20Initial: 20 mm Oerlikon Mk4 (23×1) → 20 mm Oerlikon Mk20 (23×2)

127 mm Mk32 (DP)

Dual-purpose: your secondaries doing double duty against aircraft. The same mounts appear on the Secondary Battery card - shared guns, not extra hardware.

8×2 127mm

Guns127 mm Mk32 (DP)

Continuous DPS

Effective 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 108 from dual-purpose secondaries firing as AA in this range band.

108

Range5 km

Guns40 mm Bofors Mk2

Continuous DPS

Effective DPS: 92 raw aura damage × 3.5 × 0.75 hit probability = 242 - the same in-game units as the Close-range AA DPS headline.

Initial: 176 → 242

Range3.5 km

Total DPS in Aura

Far 108 + Medium 242 = 350

350

Guns20 mm Oerlikon Mk20

Continuous DPS

Effective DPS: 81 raw aura damage × 3.5 × 0.7 hit probability = 198 - the same in-game units as the Close-range AA DPS headline.

Initial: 120 → 198

Range2 km

Total DPS in Aura

Far 108 + Medium 242 + Near 198 = 548

548

Bursts

Each ~2 s wave fires 2 quick salvos of 5 clouds ahead of the attacking squadron, plus 1 stray cloud farther out that appear off-beat between waves - up to 11 clouds per wave × 220 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 × 5 clouds + 1 outer

Cloud damage

Damage a plane takes for flying into one flak cloud, before any reductions.

220

Cloud spawn chance

Each cloud in the pattern rolls this chance to spawn, so waves average fewer clouds than the maximum. Often called flak 'hit chance', but spawned clouds always damage planes that fly into them - the roll is on spawning.

75%

Wave rate

A flak wave spawns roughly every 2 s - timed frame-by-frame from gameplay footage and consistent across ships.

every ~2 s

Fired by

Flak 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

The 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 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.

2.5-5 km

See the AA layers diagram ↓

Secondary Battery

Mounts8

Firing range5.0 km

Shell Grouping (σ)1

127 mm Mk32 (DP)

Dual-purpose: the same mounts also fire at aircraft, so they appear on the AA Defense card too - shared guns, not extra hardware.

8×2 127mm

Caliber127 mm

Reload time6 s

HE Damage1,800

Muzzle Velocity792 m/s

Fire Chance5%

Armor Pen21 mm

Secondary dispersion type

Max 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 @ 5 km

5 km × 57 + 30 = 315 m.

315 m

Maneuverability

Engine power68,000 hp

Maximum speed25 kt

Turning circle radius700 m

Rudder shift time15.8 s

Engine power-boost threshold7 kt

Engine spool-up time23 s

Reverse spool-up time11.5 s

Reverse speed

top 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

Seconds 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.

40.9 s

Engine boost threshold (reverse)

Speed 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).

7.2 kt

Acceleration 0-90%

Time to reach 90% of top speed (22.5 kt of 25 kt), from our in-house acceleration model.

38.5 s

Acceleration 0-99%

Time 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.

63.8 s

Traverse-to-turn ratio

How many degrees the turret can swing for each degree the hull turns. Turn rate

ω_{hull} = \frac{180}{π} \cdot \frac{V_{max} (m/s)}{R_{turn}} = \frac{180}{π} \cdot \frac{25.0 \cdot 0.5144}{700} = 1.05 ° / s

, so

ratio = \frac{ω_{turret}}{ω_{hull}} = \frac{4}{1.05} = 3.8 \times

. Below 5 the turrets drag in a turning fight; 25+ keeps up with any rudder.

3.8× drags

See the full acceleration curve ↓

Concealment

Detectability by sea14.95 km

Detectability by air11.96 km

Smoke firing penalty14.43 km

Detect when firing (sea)

Equal to the ship's main battery range (never below base detectability): firing makes you visible to everyone you can reach. Matches the in-game 'Detect Firing Sea' value on all 8 unmodified captures, and range-modified captures track the modified range.

16.62 km

Detect when firing (air)

Air detectability plus the gun-firing bloom (8.12 km, which tracks main-battery caliber x 0.020). Matches the in-game 'Detect Firing Air' value on every captured ship.

20.08 km

Detect when on fire (sea)

Base sea detectability + 2.0 km while burning; matches the in-game 'Detect Fire Sea' value on every captured ship.

16.95 km

Detect when on fire (air)

Base air detectability + 3.0 km while burning; matches the in-game 'Detect Fire Air' value on every captured ship.

14.96 km

Guaranteed Detect2 km

✦

Consumables

Damage Control Party∞ charges · 80 s reload · 20 s active

Repair Party3 charges · 80 s reload · 28 s active · 9,380 HP (14% of max HP) total heal (per charge)
ƒ
Heal per second (0.5%) x effective active time (28 s) = up to 14% of max HP restored per charge.
· 28,140 HP (42% of max HP) total heal (all charges)
ƒ
14% per charge x 3 charges = up to 42% of max HP if the whole Repair Party loadout is used.
· 335 HP/s (0.5% of max HP) heal per second
ƒ
0.5% of max HP (67,000 HP) per second = 335 HP/s. WoWS heals a flat percent of MAX HP each second, so this rate holds at any health level.

Choose one

Catapult Fighter3 charges · 80 s reload · 90 s active · 5 km patrol radius
ƒ
Derived from the consumable's 30 m grid-unit range (km = grid units x 30 / 1000): $\frac{167 \times 30}{1000} = 5 km$
· 1 squadron size

Observation Seaplane3 charges · 200 s reload · 30 s active · 1 squadron size · Tightens main-battery shell grouping

Secondary Battery Booster3 charges · 160 s reload · 30 s active · +100% grouping · -50% dispersion

Defensive AA Fire4 charges · 120 s reload · 25 s active · ×2 flak burst boost
ƒ
Repeats the flak burst pattern ×2 within each wave - more clouds in the air over the wave, at the same spots.

Module options (2)

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

HullUpgrade

Hit points61,300 → 67,000
Rudder shift28.8 → 20.5 s
Close-range AA DPS116 → 173

Fire controlUpgrade

Main battery range15,105 → 16615.5 m

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.

Main battery formulas

Shell Grouping (σ)1.9

Max Horiz Disp226.2 m at 16.6 km

Horizontal dispersion ellipse width at max range, from the verified WoWS dispersion model:  $σ_{H} = (\frac{R}{30} \cdot \frac{idealRadius - minRadius}{idealDistance} + minRadius) \cdot 30$   $= (\frac{16615.5}{30} \cdot \frac{12 - 2}{1000} + 2) \cdot 30 = 226.2 m$

Shell scatter width @ 5 km110 m

Horizontal scatter at a fixed 5 km, from the same verified dispersion model as the rows below - a knife-fight-range anchor comparable across ships.

Shell scatter width @ 10 km160 m

How wide your shells scatter at 10 km, from the same dispersion model as the max-range figure above. Picking a fixed range makes this number directly comparable from ship to ship: max-range dispersion makes a longer-range gun look worse even when it's tighter at any common range. The interactive Dispersion tab on the Charts card plots the full curve from 0 to max range.

Shell scatter width @ 15 km210 m

Horizontal scatter at a fixed 15 km, from the same verified dispersion model - the long-range anchor. Only shown when the ship's guns reach 15 km.

Max Vert Disp135.7 m at 16.6 km

Vertical dispersion ellipse height at max range: $σ_{V} = σ_{H} \cdot radiusOnMax$ $= 226.2 \cdot 0.6 = 135.7 m$

Shell scatter height @ 10 km83.3 m

How tall the same scatter ellipse is at 10 km. Comparable from ship to ship for the same reason as the width value above. The height/width ratio is a piecewise-linear curve through three points from the ship's own dispersion data:  $radiusOnZero = 0.2$  at 0 m,  $radiusOnDelim = 0.5$  at  $delim \cdot R_{m a x} = 0.5 \cdot 16615.5 = 8308$  m, and  $radiusOnMax = 0.6$  at 16615.5 m. Above the kink:  $k = 0.5 + (0.6 - 0.5) \cdot \frac{10000 - 8308}{16615.5 - 8308} = 0.5204$ , so  $σ_{V} = σ_{H} \cdot k = 160 \cdot 0.5204 = 83.3 m$ .

Med Horiz Disp71.4 m at 16.6 km

50%-hit horizontal radius: $σ_{H, 50} = σ_{H} \cdot \frac{0.6}{σ}$ $= 226.2 \cdot \frac{0.6}{1.9} = 71.4 m$

Med Vert Disp42.9 m at 16.6 km

50%-hit vertical radius: $σ_{V, 50} = σ_{V} \cdot \frac{0.6}{σ}$ $= 135.7 \cdot \frac{0.6}{1.9} = 42.9 m$

Dispersion familyUS/UK BB Disp.

2.5% overall improvement compared to EU BB Disp.

AP Pen Close787.7 mm point-blank

Canonical community AP formula (jcw780/wows_shell), evaluated at muzzle velocity:  $P = 10^{- 7} \cdot K \cdot m^{0.69} \cdot d^{- 1.07} \cdot v_{0}^{1.38}$   $= 10^{- 7} \cdot 2636 \cdot 1016^{0.69} \cdot {0.406}^{- 1.07} \cdot 768^{1.38} = 787.7 mm$ . Matches the in-game spec card.

AP Pen Far452.6 mm at 16.6 km

Same formula at the ship's max firing range (16.6 km), where the shell has slowed to 514 m/s:  $P = 10^{- 7} \cdot 2636 \cdot 1016^{0.69} \cdot {0.406}^{- 1.07} \cdot 514^{1.38} = 452.6 mm$ .

AP pen 5 km658 mm

AP penetration at a fixed 5 km, read off the same PC-validated ballistic curve as AP Pen Close/Far: the shell's impact velocity at that range fed through the canonical community AP formula  $P = 10^{- 7} \cdot K \cdot m^{0.69} \cdot d^{- 1.07} \cdot v^{1.38}$ . Fixed anchors make ships directly comparable at the same fighting distance; the Charts card plots the full curve.

AP pen 10 km553 mm

AP penetration at a fixed 10 km, read off the same PC-validated ballistic curve as AP Pen Close/Far: the shell's impact velocity at that range fed through the canonical community AP formula  $P = 10^{- 7} \cdot K \cdot m^{0.69} \cdot d^{- 1.07} \cdot v^{1.38}$ . Fixed anchors make ships directly comparable at the same fighting distance; the Charts card plots the full curve.

AP pen 15 km473 mm

AP penetration at a fixed 15 km, read off the same PC-validated ballistic curve as AP Pen Close/Far: the shell's impact velocity at that range fed through the canonical community AP formula  $P = 10^{- 7} \cdot K \cdot m^{0.69} \cdot d^{- 1.07} \cdot v^{1.38}$ . Fixed anchors make ships directly comparable at the same fighting distance; the Charts card plots the full curve.

HE flight time @ 10 km5.3 s

How long an HE shell takes to reach a target at a fixed 10 km, from the same numerically integrated trajectory the Charts card plots. The shell slows under quadratic air drag,  $a_{drag} = k ρ v^{2}$ , where  $ρ$  is air density from a standard-atmosphere profile and  $k$  bundles the shell's drag coefficient, caliber and mass:  $k = \frac{π C_{d} d^{2}}{8 m} = \frac{π \cdot 0.346 \cdot {0.406}^{2}}{8 \cdot 861.8} = 2.6 \times 10^{- 5}$ . That runs from a 803 m/s muzzle velocity in 0.02 s steps under gravity 9.8 m/s² until the shell lands, then divides by 2.77: the game clock runs faster than real time, and that factor was measured against stopwatch runs in the Training Room. Lower is better, since a faster shell is harder to dodge and needs less lead.

AP flight time @ 10 km5.39 s

How long an AP shell takes to reach a target at a fixed 10 km, from the same numerically integrated trajectory the Charts card plots. The shell slows under quadratic air drag,  $a_{drag} = k ρ v^{2}$ , where  $ρ$  is air density from a standard-atmosphere profile and  $k$  bundles the shell's drag coefficient, caliber and mass:  $k = \frac{π C_{d} d^{2}}{8 m} = \frac{π \cdot 0.336 \cdot {0.406}^{2}}{8 \cdot 1016} = 2.14 \times 10^{- 5}$ . That runs from a 768 m/s muzzle velocity in 0.02 s steps under gravity 9.8 m/s² until the shell lands, then divides by 2.77: the game clock runs faster than real time, and that factor was measured against stopwatch runs in the Training Room. Lower is better, since a faster shell is harder to dodge and needs less lead.

HE penetration68 mm

68 mm ≈ 406 mm caliber / 6 (standard HE penetration ratio).

AP overmatch28 mm

floor(406 mm caliber / 14.3) = 28 mm (AP auto-penetrates plating this thick or less).

AP AOE Radius150

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.

Broadside guns used for alpha12

All 12 barrels bear on the broadside.

Turret turn time45 s

180 degrees / 4 deg/s traverse speed = 45 s.

HE full-salvo alpha68,400

5,700 HE damage x 12 broadside guns = 68,400.

AP full-salvo alpha138,000

11,500 AP damage x 12 broadside guns = 138,000.

HE DPMInitial: 117,257 → 130,286

Zero upgrades: 68,400 HE full-salvo alpha x 60 / 35 s base reload = 117,257. All upgrades (Main Battery Mod. 3 = -10% reload): 68,400 HE full-salvo alpha x 60 / 31.5 s all-upgrades reload = 130,286.

AP DPMInitial: 236,571 → 262,857

Zero upgrades: 138,000 AP full-salvo alpha x 60 / 35 s base reload = 236,571. All upgrades (Main Battery Mod. 3 = -10% reload): 138,000 AP full-salvo alpha x 60 / 31.5 s all-upgrades reload = 262,857.

Shells/minInitial: 20.6 → 22.9

Zero upgrades: 12 broadside guns x 60 / 35 s base reload = 20.6. All upgrades (Main Battery Mod. 3 = -10% reload): 12 broadside guns x 60 / 31.5 s all-upgrades reload = 22.9.

Fires/minInitial: 7.41 → 8.23

Zero upgrades: 20.6 shells/min x 36% fire chance = 7.41. All upgrades (Main Battery Mod. 3 = -10% reload): 22.9 shells/min x 36% fire chance = 8.23.

AA defense

AA DPS at max range108

Only families that reach 5 km contribute at the outer edge of the AA bubble. In-game families: 40mm Bofors Mk2 12x4 -> 242 DPS @ 3.5 km; 20mm Oerlikon MK20 Twin12 23x2 -> 198 DPS @ 2 km; 5in38 Mk32 Mod12 8x2 -> 108 DPS @ 5 km.

Maximum AA range5 km

Longest-reaching family on the in-game AA card. Base AirDefense aura max range is 3.5 km; dual-purpose mount auras extend it.

AA DPS layered by range108 DPS @ 5 km, 350 DPS @ 3.5 km, 548 DPS @ 2 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-blank548

Sum of every family's average DPS, achievable only inside the closest-range family (2 km).

AA threat index1783

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.

Near aura range2 km

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 @ 5 km315 m

5 km × 57 + 30 = 315 m.

Secondary battery firepower

Secondary DPM (per side)144,000

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: 8×2 127 mm (8/side) × 60/6 × 1800 = 144,000. Assumes every shell hits (real hit rate is lower; the Brawl matchup tool on the Compare page folds in dispersion + target armor).

Max HE alpha1800

Maximum HE damage per shell across secondary HE families. Best on this ship: 1800 from the 127 mm family.

Max HE fire chance5%

Maximum per-shell fire chance across secondary HE families (before target fire resistance is applied). Best on this ship: 5% 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 Beta

Hull HP 61,300 → 67,000 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.

Bow & stern32 mm

Overmatched by AP from only MusashiARP Musashi. Angled, everything else bounces.

Belt / citadel343 mm

Citadels come from a flat broadside at close range; held past ~30° of angle, AP shatters or bounces.

Farming19 mm

Superstructure and extremities take HE pens and AP overpens from nearly any gun: steady chip damage. Fire resistance 37%, fires burn 60s. Range-by-range in the Compare tool →

Section	Plates	HP cap	Threats	Tactic
Bow	32 mm primary (range 32–273 mm)	2,100 (3% of HP)	Overmatched by 460mm+ AP (Aki, Musashi)Angle bounces 410mm32 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 19–343 mm)	50,300 (75% of HP)	Overmatched by 283mm+ AP (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	32 mm primary (range 32–241 mm)	2,400 (4% of HP)	Overmatched by 460mm+ AP (Aki, Musashi)Angle bounces 410mm32 mm: HE pens from 203mm+	Mirror of bow. Same fast saturation.
Citadel	343 mm primary (range 32–273 mm)	≈ 165,500 (effectively 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.
Superstructure	32 mm primary (range 32–89 mm)	3,900 (6% 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	33,500 magazine HP	Turret knocked out	Per-turret powder-magazine HP, a separate pool that does not drain ship HP. As it is worn down the turret is likelier to be knocked out, and a smaller pool gets there faster.
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 (40 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)	-0.100 research estimate	Largest on BB/BC; zero on destroyers	Engine durability isn't a per-ship value in the game data. 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 deceleration stats; its exact meaning is not yet confirmed.
Rudder (module)	separate HP pool, does not drain ship HP	20,100 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.

Open in Charting Tool

Ship Charts

Balance History

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

Nerf ×2Buff ×3Rework ×1Main Battery ×4

2023-11-02

MINISTRY OF BALANCE REPORTS: A FLURRY OF CHANGES

Kansas is a top battleship at Tier VII with exceptional firepower. The accuracy and firepower-focused playstyle of the ship is unchanged, but we're reducing her damage output to bring her in line with her peers.
Main battery AP shell damage reduced from 12,400 to 11,500.
Main battery reload time increased from 34 to 35 s.

Read the full official post

2021-12-16

Holiday Update: Chilling With the Beasts

Main battery reload time decreased from 38s to 34s.
Main battery shell grouping improved by 12%.
Kansas is a solid performer, but her maneuverability can be a real hindrance on occasion. Additionally, to give her a little more pep over her predecessor, North Carolina, we're upping her damage per minute with a simple gun reload buff.

Read the full official post

Exteriors

Skins & permanent camouflages

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

DefaultThe ship’s standard exterior
S EagleDecorative
Kansas Hw24Halloween

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.

2021-06-18 · Patch notes June-July Update: The Liberty Zeitgeist Patch notes 2021-12-16 · Patch notes Holiday Update: Chilling With the Beasts Patch notes 2024-06-27 · Patch notes July Update: Skyward Endeavors Patch notes 2025-06-26 · Patch notes July Update: Of Stars and Freedom Patch notes

Kansas

Kansas Community Stats

Kansas Community Stats

Playstyle

Overview

Positioning

Potato Avoidance

Signature Traits →

How to get Kansas

Builds

Cohort position

Peers in this cohort

Stats & specs

See all derived stats

Main battery formulas

AA defense

Secondary battery dispersion

Secondary battery firepower

Armor Beta

Ship Charts

Balance History

MINISTRY OF BALANCE REPORTS: A FLURRY OF CHANGES

Holiday Update: Chilling With the Beasts

Skins & permanent camouflages

Primary official WG sources

Signature Traits