GamingDiver / WoWs Legends Ships / Yamato

World of Warships: Legends ship guide

Yamato

Also called: 大和 Beta

Fire-starter battleshipImproved-HE guns farm fires and chip angled targets your AP can't crack; heals sustain the trade.

Playstyle

Sit 14-17 km from the brawl line and exploit the range advantage
Avoid: Spending the spotter on a target that is already dodging

Key characteristics

460 mm AP overmatchHeavy AP pen2.1 sigma accuracy18 km gun rangeWide always-pen zoneSlow

On this page

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

Community Data

Yamato Community Stats

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

Playstyle

Overview

Yamato is a Legendary Japanese fire-starter battleship: her improved-penetration HE farms fires and chips angled targets her AP cannot crack, so the kit is sustained HE pressure from range rather than bow-in trading. HE pen sits at the 1/4 caliber ratio instead of the standard 1/6, so HE spam is a real damage option here. Standout traits: best close-range AP pen in Legendary BBs (931.3 mm) and best long-range AP brick in Legendary BBs (613.8 mm).

Positioning

Sit 14-17 km from the brawl line and exploit the range advantage. You do not need to push into peer fire to land damage; rotate one or two map cells back if a flank starts to collapse. Her handling reads as a contradiction and is not one: 19.2 s on the rudder means she starts turning late, while a 900 m circle means she comes around inside most of her cohort once she does. Decide a beat early and the turn itself will not let you down.

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 MAIN BATTERY ↗

Close-range AP brick · 931.3 mm
Long-range AP brick · 613.81 mm
Big-caliber AP overmatch · 32.1 mm
Tight grouping
Wide always-pen zone · 50°

ELITE ARMOR ↗

Strong torpedo belt · 55%
Thickest plate · 560 mm

Stiff AP fuse ↗

77 mm AP arming threshold, bottom decile of Legendary BBs. Over-pens thin plates; the trade-off pays off when most targets are battleship belt armor.

Acquisition

How to get Yamato

Yamato is a Premium ship and not available to unlock in the Tech Tree. Acquisition paths: Containers and Campaign. Container chances are shown as the listed odds of receiving this exact ship, dividing grouped ship-pool odds across the resolved ships and including nested container paths when a crate can drop another crate.

ContainersAppears in official container odds below; availability depends on the container being sold or awarded.
CampaignEarnable in the Bushido campaign; campaign ships can later return through other limited methods.

Best listed chance for this ship

Sabaton crate 0.1% ⭐ Yamato Collaboration · Sabaton crate

Official WG availability sources

Bushido Campaign Breakdown Campaign Start: 2022-08-29 · End: 2022-10-02 Official campaign breakdown naming this ship as a campaign/reward-context ship; explicit source windows are used when present, otherwise the end date is inferred from the next indexed campaign breakdown when available.
Autumn Update: In the Shadow of Leaves Patch/update availability Start: 2022-08-25 · End: open/unknown end Official update notes with ship availability, release, store, event, or tech-tree context.
Official WoWS Legends container odds Containers Official container drop rows linked below include direct and nested effective ship odds.
Through the Spy Glass: USS Black, Independence, South Carolina Ship feature / release Start: 2022-06-21 · End: open/unknown end Official Through the Spy Glass feature for this ship; useful as a release/availability source, but not a guaranteed current-store listing.
Through the Spy Glass: Musashi Ship feature / release Start: 2022-08-29 · End: open/unknown end Official Through the Spy Glass feature for this ship; useful as a release/availability source, but not a guaranteed current-store listing.
Through the Spy Glass: Hizen Ship feature / release Start: 2023-11-09 · End: open/unknown end Official Through the Spy Glass feature for this ship; useful as a release/availability source, but not a guaranteed current-store listing.
April Update: Blossom in Gold Store price varies 2023-04-06

Show direct source rows

Sabaton crate 0.1% · ⭐ Yamato

Want the full picture? Each container page charts the odds as you open more crates - including ~~pity~~ guaranteed-reward timers and, for GD Supporters, pack math personalized to your port.

Builds

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

Isoroku Yamamoto

Shell precision

InspirationsNobutake Kondō · Tōgō Heihachirō

Yamamoto's accuracy bonuses turn Yamato's 460mm guns from devastating to surgical. Land shells where they hurt and let raw caliber do the rest.

Nobutake Kondō

Armored sniper

InspirationsIsoroku Yamamoto · Tamon Yamaguchi

Kondo's survivability traits extend Yamato's already formidable staying power. Angle tightly, trade HP efficiently, and let her massive 460s punish anyone who peeks.

Open in Build Tool →

Have a build you swear by? Open it in the Build Tool and hit Save build to share it here.

Cohort position

Hide ▾

Where Yamato sits among Legendary BBs (21 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.

BestSigma2.1 (1 of 3 tied) BestSecondary HE alpha2,600 (1 of 3 tied) BestAP ricochet start50° (1 of 3 tied) BestAP auto-bounce angle65° (1 of 3 tied) BestAP pen at 10 km738 mm (1/22) BestMax armor560 mm (1 of 3 tied) Top 10%Secondary fire chance10% (3/20) Top 10%Deck armor135 mm (2/21) Top 25%Turning circle900 m (4/22) Top 25%Main battery caliber460 mm (4/22) Top 25%Main battery range17.7 km (4/22) Top 25%HE shell damage7,300 (5/21) Bottom 25%Max speed27 kt (19/22) Bottom 25%Traverse-to-turn ratio4.52 × (18/22) Bottom 25%Fires per minute7 (18/21) Bottom 25%AP arming threshold77 mm (19/22) Bottom 25%Engine power150,000 hp (19/22) Bottom 25%Power-to-weight2.06 hp/t (19/22) WorstNo torpedoes (17 of 22 in cohort) WorstRepair charges2 (1 of 7 tied)

See 30 mid-pack stats

Not standouts for Yamato -- 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 points90,000 HP(11/22) Concealment16.07 km(15/22) Smoke fire bloom15.97 km(17/22) Air detection12.86 km(16/22) Rudder shift19.2 s(17/22) Main battery reload27 s(14/22) HE fire chance35%(15/21) HE DPM146,000(10/21) AP shell damage14,800(9/22) AP DPM296,000(14/22) Main dispersion211.4 m(12/22) Secondary DPM (per side)291,000(7/22) Secondary HE pen26 mm(7/20) AP velocity780 m/s(11/22) HE velocity805 m/s(12/21) Acceleration37 s(10/22) Turn-speed retention166.7 hp/m(15/22) Displacement72,800 t(16/22) Effective HE DPM (incl. fire)203,380(12/21) AA DPS669(11/22) AA range5 km(17/22) AA threat2,252(15/22) Flak per wave (expected)1,725(17/22) Citadel belt410 mm(7/22) NormSecondary dispersion bracket57(15 of 22 tied at this value) NormAP fuse timer0.03 s(20 of 22 tied at this value) NormSecondary range5 km(12 of 22 tied at this value) NormRepair heal rate0.5 %/s(15 of 22 tied at this value) NormBow armor32 mm(18 of 22 tied at this value) NormStern armor32 mm(18 of 22 tied at this value)

Peers in this cohort

Compare Legendary Battleships

Show all 21 peers

Stats & specs

Customize in the Build Tool →

Survivability

Hit Points90,000

Displacement72,800 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.

263 x 38.9 m

Armor range16–560 mm

Plate armor thicknesses16, 19, 25, 32, 50, 57, 75, 80, 100, 135, 140, 200, 230, 270, 290, 340, 350, 370, 410, 500, 560 mm

Armor material/layer entries71

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.

40%

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 (16,200 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 (18,000 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.

55%

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.

48,600

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.

27,000

Effective HP

Base 90,000 HP plus everything Repair Party can restore: 0.5%/s x 28 s = 12,600 HP per charge, x2 charges = 25,200 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.

115,200

Repairable: penetration50%

Repairable: citadel10%

Repairable: steering gear50%

Main Battery

ModuleArtillery: 460 mm Type94

Mounts / barrels3 mounts / 9 barrels

Reload time30 s

Firing range17.7 km

Turret traverse4 °/s

Turret armor650 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 ±150°, ±148°

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.

32° off bow / 30° off stern

See the firing-arcs diagram ↓

AP pen max range614 mm

HE fire DPM vs T8 BB51642

Effective HE DPM vs T8 BB183042

Shell Grouping (σ)2.1

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{17698}{30} \cdot \frac{10 - 2.8}{1000} + 2.8) \cdot 30 = 211.4 m

211.4 m at 17.7 km

Max Vert Disp

Vertical dispersion ellipse height at max range:

σ_{V} = σ_{H} \cdot radiusOnMax

= 211.4 \cdot 0.8 = 169.1 m

169.1 m at 17.7 km

Med Horiz Disp

50%-hit horizontal radius:

σ_{H, 50} = σ_{H} \cdot \frac{0.6}{σ}

= 211.4 \cdot \frac{0.6}{2.1} = 60.4 m

60.4 m at 17.7 km

Med Vert Disp

50%-hit vertical radius:

σ_{V, 50} = σ_{V} \cdot \frac{0.6}{σ}

= 169.1 \cdot \frac{0.6}{2.1} = 48.3 m

48.3 m at 17.7 km

Turret turn time

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

45 s

Shells/min

Zero upgrades: 9 broadside guns x 60 / 30 s base reload = 18. All upgrades (Main Battery Mod. 3 = -10% reload): 9 broadside guns x 60 / 27 s all-upgrades reload = 20.

Initial: 18 → 20

HE shells

HE Damage7,300

HE Velocity805 m/s

Fire Chance35%

HE penetration

115 mm ≈ 460 mm caliber / 4 (improved HE penetration: German BBs, Yamato-class, and a handful of others).

115 mm

HE full-salvo alpha

7,300 HE damage x 9 broadside guns = 65,700.

65,700

HE DPM

Zero upgrades: 65,700 HE full-salvo alpha x 60 / 30 s base reload = 131,400. All upgrades (Main Battery Mod. 3 = -10% reload): 65,700 HE full-salvo alpha x 60 / 27 s all-upgrades reload = 146,000.

Initial: 131,400 → 146,000

Fires/min

Zero upgrades: 18 shells/min x 35% fire chance = 6.3. All upgrades (Main Battery Mod. 3 = -10% reload): 20 shells/min x 35% fire chance = 7.

Initial: 6.3 → 7

AP shells

AP Damage14,800

AP Velocity780 m/s

Min Ricochet50 deg

Guaranteed Ricochet65 deg

Fuse Timer0.033 s

Fuse Threshold77 mm

AP overmatch

floor(460 mm caliber / 14.3) = 32 mm (AP auto-penetrates plating this thick or less).

32 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 2831 \cdot 1460^{0.69} \cdot {0.46}^{- 1.07} \cdot 780^{1.38} = 971.1 mm

. Matches the in-game spec card.

971.1 mm point-blank

AP Pen Far

Same formula at the ship's max firing range (17.7 km), where the shell has slowed to 559.3 m/s:

P = 10^{- 7} \cdot 2831 \cdot 1460^{0.69} \cdot {0.46}^{- 1.07} \cdot {559.3}^{1.38} = 613.7 mm

613.7 mm at 17.7 km

AP full-salvo alpha

14,800 AP damage x 9 broadside guns = 133,200.

133,200

AP DPM

Zero upgrades: 133,200 AP full-salvo alpha x 60 / 30 s base reload = 266,400. All upgrades (Main Battery Mod. 3 = -10% reload): 133,200 AP full-salvo alpha x 60 / 27 s all-upgrades reload = 296,000.

Initial: 266,400 → 296,000

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.

400

AA Defense

AA mount points60

Maximum AA range

Longest-reaching family on the in-game AA card. Base AirDefense aura max range is 3.1 km; dual-purpose mount auras extend it.

5 km

25 mm/60 Type96 mod. 16×1 25mm

25 mm Type96 mod. 216×3 25mm

25 mm Type96 mod. 28×3 25mm

25 mm Type96 mod. 128×3 25mm

13 mm Type932×2 13mm

127 mm Type89 mod. 3 (DP)

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

6×2 127mm

127 mm Type89 mod. 3 (DP)

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

6×2 127mm

Guns127 mm Type89 mod. 3 (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 105 from dual-purpose secondaries firing as AA in this range band.

105

Range5 km

Guns25 mm Type96 mod. 1 + 25 mm Type96 mod. 2 + 25 mm/60 Type96 mod. 1

Continuous DPS

Effective DPS: 185 raw aura damage × 3.5 × 0.85 hit probability = 550 - the same in-game units as the Close-range AA DPS headline.

550

Range3.1 km

Total DPS in Aura

Far 105 + Outer Near 550 = 655

655

Guns13 mm Type93

Continuous DPS

Effective DPS: 4 raw aura damage × 3.5 × 0.85 hit probability = 12 - the same in-game units as the Close-range AA DPS headline.

Range1.2 km

Total DPS in Aura

Far 105 + Outer Near 550 + Inner Near 12 = 667

667

Bursts

Each ~2 s wave fires 2 quick salvos of 4 clouds ahead of the attacking squadron, plus 2 stray clouds farther out that appear off-beat between waves - up to 10 clouds per wave × 230 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 × 4 clouds + 2 outer

Cloud damage

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

230

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

Mounts14

Firing range5.0 km

Shell Grouping (σ)1

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

Caliber127 mm

Reload time6 s

HE Damage2,100

Muzzle Velocity725 m/s

Fire Chance8%

Armor Pen21 mm

Show 2 more gun families

Caliber127 mm

Reload time6 s

HE Damage2,100

Muzzle Velocity725 m/s

Fire Chance8%

Armor Pen21 mm

Caliber155 mm

Reload time12 s

HE Damage2,600

Muzzle Velocity925 m/s

Fire Chance10%

Armor Pen26 mm

Maneuverability

Engine power150,000 hp

Maximum speed27 kt

Turning circle radius900 m

Rudder shift time19.2 s

Engine power-boost threshold7 kt

Engine spool-up time23 s

Reverse spool-up time11.5 s

Reverse speed

top speed / 4 + 4.9 = 27 / 4 + 4.9 = 11.7 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.

11.7 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.

45.7 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).

9.4 kt

Acceleration 0-90%

Time to reach 90% of top speed (24.3 kt of 27 kt), from our in-house acceleration model.

37 s

Acceleration 0-99%

Time to reach 99% of top speed (26.7 kt of 27 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.

60.4 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{27.0 \cdot 0.5144}{900} = 0.88 ° / s

, so

ratio = \frac{ω_{turret}}{ω_{hull}} = \frac{4}{0.88} = 4.5 \times

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

4.5× drags

See the full acceleration curve ↓

Concealment

Detectability by sea16.07 km

Detectability by air12.86 km

Smoke firing penalty15.97 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.

17.7 km

Detect when firing (air)

Air detectability plus the gun-firing bloom (9.2 km, which tracks main-battery caliber x 0.020). Matches the in-game 'Detect Firing Air' value on every captured ship.

22.06 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.

18.07 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.

15.86 km

Guaranteed Detect2 km

✦

Consumables

Damage Control Party∞ charges · 80 s reload · 8 s active

Repair Party2 charges · 80 s reload · 28 s active · 12,600 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.
· 25,200 HP (28% of max HP) total heal (all charges)
ƒ
14% per charge x 2 charges = up to 28% of max HP if the whole Repair Party loadout is used.
· 450 HP/s (0.5% of max HP) heal per second
ƒ
0.5% of max HP (90,000 HP) per second = 450 HP/s. WoWS heals a flat percent of MAX HP each second, so this rate holds at any health level.

Choose one

Catapult Fighter4 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 Seaplane4 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

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)2.1

Max Horiz Disp211.4 m at 17.7 km

Horizontal dispersion ellipse width at max range, from the verified WoWS dispersion model:  $σ_{H} = (\frac{R}{30} \cdot \frac{idealRadius - minRadius}{idealDistance} + minRadius) \cdot 30$   $= (\frac{17698}{30} \cdot \frac{10 - 2.8}{1000} + 2.8) \cdot 30 = 211.4 m$

Shell scatter width @ 5 km120 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 km156 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 km192 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 Disp169.1 m at 17.7 km

Vertical dispersion ellipse height at max range: $σ_{V} = σ_{H} \cdot radiusOnMax$ $= 211.4 \cdot 0.8 = 169.1 m$

Shell scatter height @ 10 km97.7 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,  $radiusOnDelim = 0.6$  at  $delim \cdot R_{m a x} = 0.5 \cdot 17698 = 8849$  m, and  $radiusOnMax = 0.8$  at 17698 m. Above the kink:  $k = 0.6 + (0.8 - 0.6) \cdot \frac{10000 - 8849}{17698 - 8849} = 0.626$ , so  $σ_{V} = σ_{H} \cdot k = 156 \cdot 0.626 = 97.7 m$ .

Med Horiz Disp60.4 m at 17.7 km

50%-hit horizontal radius: $σ_{H, 50} = σ_{H} \cdot \frac{0.6}{σ}$ $= 211.4 \cdot \frac{0.6}{2.1} = 60.4 m$

Med Vert Disp48.3 m at 17.7 km

50%-hit vertical radius: $σ_{V, 50} = σ_{V} \cdot \frac{0.6}{σ}$ $= 169.1 \cdot \frac{0.6}{2.1} = 48.3 m$

Dispersion familyJP BB Disp.

Superior to EU BB, US/UK BB, and Warspite Dispersion past 50% of the ship's maximum firing range. Worst accuracy in the game below that.

AP Pen Close971.1 mm point-blank

Canonical community AP formula (jcw780/wows_shell), evaluated at muzzle velocity:  $P = 10^{- 7} \cdot K \cdot m^{0.69} \cdot d^{- 1.07} \cdot v_{0}^{1.38}$   $= 10^{- 7} \cdot 2831 \cdot 1460^{0.69} \cdot {0.46}^{- 1.07} \cdot 780^{1.38} = 971.1 mm$ . Matches the in-game spec card.

AP Pen Far613.7 mm at 17.7 km

Same formula at the ship's max firing range (17.7 km), where the shell has slowed to 559.3 m/s:  $P = 10^{- 7} \cdot 2831 \cdot 1460^{0.69} \cdot {0.46}^{- 1.07} \cdot {559.3}^{1.38} = 613.7 mm$ .

AP pen 5 km844 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 km738 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 km651 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.

AP flight time @ 10 km5.15 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:  $k = \frac{π C_{d} d^{2}}{8 m} = \frac{π \cdot 0.292 \cdot {0.46}^{2}}{8 \cdot 1460} = 1.66 \times 10^{- 5}$ . That runs from a 780 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 flight time @ 10 km5.54 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:  $k = \frac{π C_{d} d^{2}}{8 m} = \frac{π \cdot 0.543 \cdot {0.46}^{2}}{8 \cdot 1360} = 3.32 \times 10^{- 5}$ . That runs from a 805 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 penetration115 mm

115 mm ≈ 460 mm caliber / 4 (improved HE penetration: German BBs, Yamato-class, and a handful of others).

Improved HE PenYes

This ship's HE shells use a 1/4 (~0.25) caliber-to-pen ratio instead of the standard 1/6 (~0.167) - 0.25 in this case. Lets HE pen ~115mm armor instead of ~76mm. Hits every German cruiser (150mm CL, 203mm CA) and BB (350mm+), British heavy cruisers / Lion / Nelson, a handful of other premiums.

AP overmatch32 mm

floor(460 mm caliber / 14.3) = 32 mm (AP auto-penetrates plating this thick or less).

AP AOE Radius400

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 alpha9

All 9 barrels bear on the broadside.

Turret turn time45 s

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

HE full-salvo alpha65,700

7,300 HE damage x 9 broadside guns = 65,700.

AP full-salvo alpha133,200

14,800 AP damage x 9 broadside guns = 133,200.

HE DPMInitial: 131,400 → 146,000

Zero upgrades: 65,700 HE full-salvo alpha x 60 / 30 s base reload = 131,400. All upgrades (Main Battery Mod. 3 = -10% reload): 65,700 HE full-salvo alpha x 60 / 27 s all-upgrades reload = 146,000.

AP DPMInitial: 266,400 → 296,000

Zero upgrades: 133,200 AP full-salvo alpha x 60 / 30 s base reload = 266,400. All upgrades (Main Battery Mod. 3 = -10% reload): 133,200 AP full-salvo alpha x 60 / 27 s all-upgrades reload = 296,000.

Shells/minInitial: 18 → 20

Zero upgrades: 9 broadside guns x 60 / 30 s base reload = 18. All upgrades (Main Battery Mod. 3 = -10% reload): 9 broadside guns x 60 / 27 s all-upgrades reload = 20.

Fires/minInitial: 6.3 → 7

Zero upgrades: 18 shells/min x 35% fire chance = 6.3. All upgrades (Main Battery Mod. 3 = -10% reload): 20 shells/min x 35% fire chance = 7.

AA defense

AA DPS at max range106

Only families that reach 5 km contribute at the outer edge of the AA bubble. In-game families: 13mm76 Type93 double 2x2 -> 12 DPS @ 1.2 km; 25mm Type96 single 6x1 -> 57 DPS @ 3.1 km; 25mm Type96 Triple closed 16x3 -> 152 DPS @ 3.1 km; 25mm Type96 Triple 1945 closed 8x3 -> 76 DPS @ 3.1 km; 25mm Type96 light 28x3 -> 266 DPS @ 3.1 km; 127mm40 Type89 Mod A3 6x2 -> 53 DPS @ 5 km; 127mm40 Type 89 6x2 -> 53 DPS @ 5 km.

Maximum AA range5 km

Longest-reaching family on the in-game AA card. Base AirDefense aura max range is 3.1 km; dual-purpose mount auras extend it.

AA DPS layered by range106 DPS @ 5 km, 657 DPS @ 3.1 km, 669 DPS @ 1.2 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-blank669

Sum of every family's average DPS, achievable only inside the closest-range family (1.2 km).

AA threat index2252

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 range3.1 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)291,000

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: 6×2 127 mm (6/side) × 60/6 × 2100 = 126,000 + 6×2 127 mm (6/side) × 60/6 × 2100 = 126,000 + 2×3 155 mm (3/side) × 60/12 × 2600 = 39,000. Assumes every shell hits (real hit rate is lower; the Brawl matchup tool on the Compare page folds in dispersion + target armor).

Max HE alpha2600

Maximum HE damage per shell across secondary HE families. Best on this ship: 2600 from the 155 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 155 mm family.

Max HE pen26 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: 26 mm from the 155 mm family.

Armor Beta

Hull HP 90,000, 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 7 AP guns here: Incomparable SE 25IncomparableYamato and 4 more. Angling still helps against the rest.

Belt / citadel410 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 40%, fires burn 60s. Range-by-range in the Compare tool →

Section	Plates	HP cap	Threats	Tactic
Bow	32 mm primary (range 32–370 mm)	7,200 (8% 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)	32 mm primary (range 25–560 mm)	67,500 (75% of HP)	Overmatched by 460mm+ AP (Aki, Musashi)Angle bounces 410mm32 mm: HE pens from 203mm+	Largest HP pool. Citadel sits behind these plates; thinner deck and side plating absorb the rest.
Stern	32 mm primary (range 25–560 mm)	7,600 (8% of HP)	Overmatched by 460mm+ AP (Aki, Musashi)Angle bounces 410mm32 mm: HE pens from 203mm+	Mirror of bow. Same fast saturation.
Citadel	410 mm primary (range 16–410 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	19 mm primary (range 19–50 mm)	3,400 (4% 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	48,600 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 (155 mm mount)	separate HP pool, does not drain ship HP	800 per-mount HP	Destroyed at 0 HP	Per-mount HP for the heaviest secondary on this ship. A mount destroyed at 0 HP is out for the rest of the battle; DCP does not repair destroyed mounts. Smaller (lighter-caliber) secondaries typically share the same HP value.
AA mount (25 mm mount)	separate HP pool, does not drain ship HP	200 per-mount HP	Destroyed at 0 HP	Per-mount HP for the heaviest AA on this ship. An AA mount destroyed at 0 HP stops shooting down planes for the rest of the battle; DCP does not repair destroyed mounts. HE shells specifically target AA mounts since the small-caliber HP pool falls fast.
Rudder (module)	separate HP pool, does not drain ship HP	27,000 module HP	Incapacitated at 0 HP	When module HP reaches 0 the rudder locks at its current angle until DCP repairs it. Repair via Damage Control Party.

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

Open in Charting Tool

Ship Charts

Streamer videos

Watch Yamato in live play

YouTube · Hitman Gaming Yamato Gameplay | World of Warships: Legends Watch gameplay ↗ YouTube · Soopa-Dave Gaming Yamato World Of Warships Legends Guide Watch gameplay ↗ YouTube · Spartan Elite43 Is Yamato Still Good In 2025 in World of Warships Legends? Watch gameplay ↗

Balance History

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

Nerf ×9Buff ×2Rework ×1Main Battery ×2

2025-11-27

Holiday Update: Christmas on the Waves

Main battery shell grouping increased by 16.6% (from 1.8 to 2.1 sigma).
Changed dispersion parameters from U.S.-style dispersion to Japanese-style dispersion curve.
Updated Yamato's HP saturation to post-Tier VIII standards with no change to total HP.
Bow HP reduced from 19,500 to 7,200.
Casemate HP reduced from 23,500 to 8,700.
Stern HP reduced from 20,750 to 7,600.
Hull HP reduced from 72,900 to 67,500.
Steering gear HP reduced from 29,200 to 27,000.
Superstructure HP reduced from 3,750 to 3,400.
Engine HP reduced from 97,200 to 90,000.
+3 more official change lines in the source post.

Read the full official post

2021-08-26

September update: the Redinforcements

Shell grouping decreased by 5%, rotation speed of main guns decreased from 4.5 degrees per second to 4.

Read the full official post

Historical context

The real Yamato that gave this ship her name. Facts cross-checked against the linked Wikipedia article.

ClassYamato-class battleship (largest battleships ever built)

OperatorImperial Japanese Navy

Era1941–1945

WarsWorld War II

BuilderKure Naval Arsenal

Launched8 August 1940

Commissioned16 December 1941

DeploymentsServed as Combined Fleet flagship for much of her career, but rarely committed to combat owing to fuel scarcity.

Notable engagements

Battle of the Philippine Sea (June 1944) - Present but saw no significant surface action.
Battle off Samar (25 October 1944) - Part of Center Force at Leyte Gulf; engaged US escort carriers and destroyers.
Operation Ten-Go (April 1945) - One-way sortie toward Okinawa intended to beach and fight as a shore battery.

Fate

Sunk 7 April 1945 roughly 200 km north of Okinawa during Operation Ten-Go. Attacked by ~380 US carrier aircraft from Task Force 58; hit by ~10+ torpedoes and ~7 bombs, capsized and the forward magazine detonated. Around 3,055 dead; 269 survivors.

Skins & permanent camouflages

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

DefaultThe ship’s standard exterior
Yamato ArpArpeggio
Yamato SabatonDecorative
Yamato StartrekStar Trek
Battle-Hardened
Battle-Hardened skin for YamatoBattle-Hardened
Golden Week
Golden Week permanent camouflage for YamatoGolden Week

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.

2022-04-22 · Official ship feature / stats Golden Week 2022 Official source 2023-04-24 · Official ship feature / stats Golden Week '23 Official source 2025-08-28 · Official ship feature / stats Sneak Peek: New Japanese Hybrid Battleships Official source 2020-05-14 · Patch notes Update: May 2020 Patch notes 2021-08-26 · Patch notes September update: the Redinforcements Patch notes 2021-12-16 · Patch notes Holiday Update: Chilling With the Beasts Patch notes

Yamato

Yamato Community Stats

Yamato Community Stats

Playstyle

Overview

Positioning

Potato Avoidance

Signature Traits →

How to get Yamato

Best listed chance for this ship

Builds

Isoroku Yamamoto

Nobutake Kondō

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

Watch Yamato in live play

Balance History

Holiday Update: Christmas on the Waves

September update: the Redinforcements

Historical context

Notable engagements

Fate

Skins & permanent camouflages

Primary official WG sources

Signature Traits