World of Warships: Legends ship guide

Arkansas

Beta
U.S.A. · Tier III · Battleship · Premium
AP-DPM battleshipWins on AP volume; prioritise uptime and punish the line shot after shot.
Playstyle
  • Hold 10-13 km on a flank with firing arcs into rotating cruisers and broadside BBs
  • Avoid: Idle reloads
Key characteristics
305 mm overmatchHeavy AP penHigh HE DPMFlat AP shellsLong DCP windowNo AA
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Community Data

Arkansas Community Stats

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Playstyle

Overview

Arkansas is a Tier III American AP-DPM battleship (199,200 AP DPM): her main battery throughput is cohort-best, so the kit pays out by punishing every broadside she catches rather than waiting for a perfect alpha salvo. Keep the guns reloading on targets, not on cover. She also packs the super-heal (0.5%/s, for 28 s, every 80 s, 3 charges): each Repair Party charge returns dramatically more HP than a standard heal, so her durability comes from sustain alongside the lead trait. Standout traits: best AP shell velocity in T3 BBs (884) and best DCP duration in T3 BBs (20 s).

Positioning

Hold 10-13 km on a flank with firing arcs into rotating cruisers and broadside BBs. The kit's value is salvo cycle count, so prioritize a position where the next reload always has a target; bow on between salvos and trade angles rather than holding broadside for a single shot.

Potato Avoidance

Idle reloads

The kit pays for itself when the guns are cycling on targets; a 20-second window between salvos because no broadside is available is the kit doing nothing. Pre-rotate turrets toward likely-broadside ships before you need the shot.

Signature Traits

ELITE MAIN BATTERY
  • AP DPM machine · 199200 AP
  • Flat AP shells · 884.0 m
  • Fast AP shells · 9.35 s
  • Fast HE shells · 9.35 s
  • Flat AP trajectory
Long DCP window

20.0 s Damage Control duration, best of T3 BBs. Stays fire / flood immune longer per activation.

Sluggish rudder

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

No AA

This ship has no anti-air armament. Aircraft take zero damage from it. Position so the rest of the team can cover the sky.

Acquisition

How to get Arkansas

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

Best listed chance for this ship

Official WG availability sources
Show direct source rows

Builds Beta

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 Arkansas sits among Tier III BBs (19 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.

BestAP DPM199,200 (1 of 2 tied) BestAP velocity884 m/s (1 of 2 tied) Top 25%Hit points43,800 HP (3/19) Top 25%Traverse-to-turn ratio3.91 × (5/19) Top 25%HE DPM100,800 (3/19) Top 25%HE velocity884 m/s (5/19) Bottom 25%Max speed20.5 kt (17/19) Bottom 25%Main battery range13.18 km (18/19) Bottom 25%Secondary fire chance6% (15/18) Bottom 25%Turn-speed retention47.5 hp/m (15/18) Bottom 25%Power-to-weight1.01 hp/t (17/18) WorstRudder shift17.8 s (19/19) WorstNo AA (3 of 19 in cohort)
See 26 mid-pack stats

Not standouts for Arkansas -- 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.

Concealment12.51 km(13/19) Air detection10.01 km(13/19) Main battery caliber305 mm(9/19) Main battery reload30 s(12/19) Sigma1.5(15/19) HE shell damage4,200(11/19) HE fire chance22%(13/19) Fires per minute5.28(7/19) AP shell damage8,300(8/19) Main dispersion191.8 m(10/19) Secondary DPM (per side)162,000(7/19) HE alpha1,800(9/18) Secondary HE pen21 mm(11/18) Acceleration36.3 s(13/18) AP arming threshold51 mm(11/19) Engine power28,000 hp(11/18) Displacement27,680 t(15/19) Secondary range4.5 km(8/19) Repair charges3(9/19) Max armor292 mm(13/19) Citadel belt279 mm(7/19) Bow armor19 mm(9/19) Stern armor19 mm(10/19) Deck armor38 mm(13/19) NormSecondary dispersion bracket57(17 of 19 tied at this value) NormAP fuse timer0.01 s(15 of 19 tied at this value)
Survivability
Hit Points43,800
Displacement27,680 t
Armor range13–292 mm
Plate armor thicknesses13, 19, 21, 23, 25, 28, 30, 38, 51, 76, 89, 165, 229, 279, 292 mm
Armor material/layer entries49
Fire resistance10%
Fire duration60 s
Torp Reduction13%
Main Battery
ModuleArtillery: 305 mm Mk7
Mounts / barrels6 mounts / 12 barrels
Reload time30 s
Firing range13.2 km
Turret traverse4 °/s
Shell Grouping (σ)1.5
Max Horiz Disp
ƒHorizontal dispersion ellipse width at max range, from the verified WoWS dispersion model: σH=(R30·idealRadiusminRadiusidealDistance+minRadius)·30 =(1318330·1221000+2)·30=191.8m
191.8 m
Max Vert Disp
ƒVertical dispersion ellipse height at max range: σV=σH·radiusOnMax =191.8·0.6=115.1m
115.1 m
Med Horiz Disp
ƒ50%-hit horizontal radius: σH,50=σH·GetHalfHitsRatio(σ) =191.8·0.382(σ=1.5)=73.2m
73.2 m
Med Vert Disp
ƒ50%-hit vertical radius: σV,50=σV·GetHalfHitsRatio(σ) =115.1·0.381(σ=1.5)=43.9m
43.9 m
Turret turn time
ƒ180 degrees / 4 deg/s traverse speed = 45 s.
45 s
Base shells/min
ƒ12 broadside guns x 60 / 30 s base reload = 24.
24
HE shells
HE Damage4,200
HE Velocity884 m/s
Fire Chance22%
HE penetration
ƒ51 mm ≈ 305 mm caliber / 6 (standard HE penetration ratio).
51 mm
HE full-salvo alpha
ƒ4,200 HE damage x 12 broadside guns = 50,400.
50,400
Base HE DPM
ƒ50,400 HE full-salvo alpha x 60 / 30 s base reload = 100,800.
100,800
Base fires/min
ƒ24 shells/min x 22% fire chance = 5.28.
5.28
AP shells
AP Damage8,300
AP Velocity884 m/s
Min Ricochet45 deg
Guaranteed Ricochet60 deg
Fuse Timer0.01 s
Fuse Threshold51 mm
AP overmatch
ƒfloor(305 mm caliber / 14.3) = 21 mm (AP auto-penetrates plating this thick or less).
21 mm
AP Pen Close
ƒCanonical community AP formula (jcw780/wows_shell), evaluated at muzzle velocity: P=107·K·m0.69·d1.07·v01.38 =107·2226·394.60.69·0.3051.07·8841.38=571.2mm. Matches the in-game spec card.
571.2 mm
AP Pen Far
ƒSame formula at the ship's max firing range (16.5 km), where the shell has slowed to 491.9 m/s: P=107·2226·394.60.69·0.3051.07·491.91.38=254.4mm.
254.4 mm
AP full-salvo alpha
ƒ8,300 AP damage x 12 broadside guns = 99,600.
99,600
Base AP DPM
ƒ99,600 AP full-salvo alpha x 60 / 30 s base reload = 199,200.
199,200
AP AOE Radius
ƒAP 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.
40
S
Secondary Battery
Mounts21
Firing range4.5 km
Shell Grouping (σ)1
Secondary dispersion type
ƒMax dispersion = range (km) × 57 + 30. Each dispersion type sets its own slope; this is not a percentage applied to a standard baseline.
Standard
Max secondary dispersion @ 4.5 km
ƒ4.5 km × 57 + 30 = 286.5 m.
286.5 m
127 mm Mk7 (×11)
Caliber127 mm
Reload time7 s
HE Damage1,800
Muzzle Velocity960 m/s
Fire Chance6%
Armor Pen21 mm
Min Ricochet91°
Max Ricochet60°
Show 1 more gun family
127 mm Mk7 (×10)
Caliber127 mm
Reload time7 s
HE Damage1,800
Muzzle Velocity960 m/s
Fire Chance6%
Armor Pen21 mm
Min Ricochet91°
Max Ricochet60°
Maneuverability
Engine moduleEngine: 28,000 hp
Engine power28,000 hp
Maximum speed20.5 kt
Turning circle radius590 m
Rudder shift time17.8 s
Engine power-boost threshold7 kt
Engine spool-up time23 s
Reverse spool-up time11.5 s
Acceleration 0-90%
ƒTime to reach 90% of top speed (18.4 kt of 20.5 kt), from our in-house acceleration model.
36.3 s
Acceleration 0-99%
ƒTime to reach 99% of top speed (20.3 kt of 20.5 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.
60.3 s
Traverse-to-turn ratio
ƒHow many degrees the turret can swing for each degree the hull turns. Turn rate ωhull=180π·Vmax(m/s)Rturn=180π·20.5·0.5144590=1.02°/s, so ratio=ωturretωhull=41.02=3.9×. Below 5 the turrets drag in a turning fight; 25+ keeps up with any rudder.
3.9× drags
Concealment
Detectability by sea12.51 km
Detectability by air10.01 km
Smoke firing penalty9.55 km
Detect after firing main guns
ƒmax(base sea detectability, gun-firing bloom range). Firing never pulls your detection closer than base concealment.
12.51 km
Detect Fire Sea14.51 km
Detect Fire Air13.01 km
Guaranteed Detect2 km
Consumables
Damage Control Party∞ charges · 80 s reload · 20 s active
Repair Party3 charges · 80 s reload · 28 s active · 6,132 HP (14% of max HP) total heal (per charge)
ƒHeal per second (0.5%) x effective active time (28 s) = up to 14% of max HP restored per charge.
· 18,396 HP (42% of max HP) total heal (all charges)
ƒ14% per charge x 3 charges = up to 42% of max HP if the whole Repair Party loadout is used.
· 219 HP/s (0.5% of max HP) heal per second
ƒ0.5% of max HP (43,800 HP) per second = 219 HP/s. WoWS heals a flat percent of MAX HP each second, so this rate holds at any health level.
Secondary Battery Booster3 charges · 160 s reload · 30 s active · +100% grouping · -50% dispersion

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.

Main battery formulas

Shell Grouping (σ)1.5
Max Horiz Disp191.8 m
Horizontal dispersion ellipse width at max range, from the verified WoWS dispersion model: $\sigma_H = \left(\dfrac{R}{30}\cdot\dfrac{\text{idealRadius}-\text{minRadius}}{\text{idealDistance}} + \text{minRadius}\right)\cdot 30$ $= \left(\dfrac{13183}{30}\cdot\dfrac{12-2}{1000} + 2\right)\cdot 30 = 191.8\,\text{m}$
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.
Max Vert Disp115.1 m
Vertical dispersion ellipse height at max range: $\sigma_V = \sigma_H \cdot \text{radiusOnMax}$ $= 191.8 \cdot 0.6 = 115.1\,\text{m}$
Shell scatter height @ 10 km88.3 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.
Med Horiz Disp73.2 m
50%-hit horizontal radius: $\sigma_{H,50} = \sigma_H \cdot \text{GetHalfHitsRatio}(\sigma)$ $= 191.8 \cdot 0.382\;(\sigma = 1.5) = 73.2\,\text{m}$
Med Vert Disp43.9 m
50%-hit vertical radius: $\sigma_{V,50} = \sigma_V \cdot \text{GetHalfHitsRatio}(\sigma)$ $= 115.1 \cdot 0.381\;(\sigma = 1.5) = 43.9\,\text{m}$
AP Pen Close571.2 mm
Canonical community AP formula (jcw780/wows_shell), evaluated at muzzle velocity: $P = 10^{-7}\cdot K \cdot m^{0.69} \cdot d^{-1.07} \cdot v_0^{1.38}$ $= 10^{-7}\cdot 2226 \cdot 394.6^{0.69} \cdot 0.305^{-1.07} \cdot 884^{1.38} = 571.2\,\text{mm}$. Matches the in-game spec card.
AP Pen Far254.4 mm
Same formula at the ship's max firing range (16.5 km), where the shell has slowed to 491.9 m/s: $P = 10^{-7}\cdot 2226 \cdot 394.6^{0.69} \cdot 0.305^{-1.07} \cdot 491.9^{1.38} = 254.4\,\text{mm}$.
HE penetration51 mm
51 mm ≈ 305 mm caliber / 6 (standard HE penetration ratio).
AP overmatch21 mm
floor(305 mm caliber / 14.3) = 21 mm (AP auto-penetrates plating this thick or less).
AP AOE Radius40
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 alpha50,400
4,200 HE damage x 12 broadside guns = 50,400.
AP full-salvo alpha99,600
8,300 AP damage x 12 broadside guns = 99,600.
Base HE DPM100,800
50,400 HE full-salvo alpha x 60 / 30 s base reload = 100,800.
Base AP DPM199,200
99,600 AP full-salvo alpha x 60 / 30 s base reload = 199,200.
Base shells/min24
12 broadside guns x 60 / 30 s base reload = 24.
Base fires/min5.28
24 shells/min x 22% fire chance = 5.28.

AA defense

Close-range AA DPS0
Continuous AA damage summed across AirDefense module auras (no usable per-aura data available, so the formula prediction couldn't be applied on this ship).
Maximum AA range0 km
Longest-reaching aura across AA-only + dual-purpose auras.

Secondary battery dispersion

Secondary dispersion typeStandard
Max dispersion = range (km) × 57 + 30. Each dispersion type sets its own slope; this is not a percentage applied to a standard baseline.
Max secondary dispersion @ 4.5 km286.5 m
4.5 km × 57 + 30 = 286.5 m.

Secondary battery firepower

Secondary DPM (per side)162,000
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: 11×1 127 mm (5.5/side) × 60/7 × 1800 = 84,857 + 10×1 127 mm (5/side) × 60/7 × 1800 = 77,143. 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 chance6%
Maximum per-shell fire chance across secondary HE families (before target fire resistance is applied). Best on this ship: 6% 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 43,800, 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 & stern19 mm

Overmatched by 48+ guns across the bracket. Can’t reliably bow-tank; gets bow-citadelled and overpenned.

Belt / citadel279 mm

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

Farming13 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 ballistics tool →

Section Plates HP cap Threats Tactic
Bow19 mm primary (range 19–51 mm)≈ 2,190 (~5% of HP)
Overmatched by 283mm+ (Nassau, Von Der Tann)Angle bounces 203mm19 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)229 mm primary (range 25–279 mm)≈ 32,850 (~75% of HP)
No common caliber overmatches229 mm: no common HE pens
Largest HP pool. Citadel sits behind these plates; thinner deck and side plating absorb the rest.
Stern19 mm primary (range 19–89 mm)≈ 2,190 (~5% of HP)
Overmatched by 283mm+ (Nassau, Von Der Tann)Angle bounces 203mm19 mm: HE pens from 127mm+
Mirror of bow. Same fast saturation.
Citadel279 mm primary (range 13–279 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.
Superstructure13 mm primary (range 13–292 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.

Approximated side profile.
Open the 3D armor viewer →
3D armor viewer
Open in Charting Tool

Acceleration and Ballistics Chart

Exteriors

Skins & permanent camouflages

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

  • Arkansas 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.