Kotovsky
Beta- Sit 12-15 km from a contested cap where an island shadows you from the opposite battleship line
- Avoid: Open-water broadside trading
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Kotovsky Community Stats
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Kotovsky Community Stats
Record History
Playstyle
Overview
Kotovsky is a Tier IV Soviet light cruiser whose 152mm guns earn citadels on broadsides (168,000 AP DPM), with Sonar as her vision tool: Hydro lets her contest islands and smoke without exposing the hull. Standout traits: best armor plate in T4 CAs (150 mm) and best bow armor in T4 CAs (16 mm).
Positioning
Sit 12-15 km from a contested cap where an island shadows you from the opposite battleship line. Hydro (3.7 km on ships, 2.7 km on torpedoes) lights up DDs and incoming torpedoes inside its bubble, so you can push the cap edge from cover without taking the spotting cycle; prefer cover positions over open-water flanks. Your guns lose penetration at range, so aim AP at broadsides you can still citadel and put HE into superstructures and upper-hull sections, rather than the bow-in or belt armor your shells bounce and shatter on.
Potato Avoidance
Open-water broadside trading
Her 152mm shells citadel cruisers on the wrong frame, and her 25,700-HP hull does not recover from a punished salvo. Pick rotations and angles deliberately; the chip-damage role pays better than the trade-blow role on a cruiser of this profile.
Signature Traits
- Heavy · 150.0 mm
- Thick end plates · 16.0 mm
- Heavy citadel belt · 100.0 mm
- Thick bow plate · 16.0 mm
- Heavy powerplant · 120000.0 hp
- Nimble for the tonnage · 14.05 hp
4.02 km torpedo range, bottom quartile of T4 CAs. Must close to deliver.
8.0% fire chance per HE shell, bottom quartile of T4 CAs. AP carries more weight.
How to get Kotovsky
Kotovsky is available in the Piercing Heavy Cruisers branch of the U.S.S.R. Tech Tree for 500,000 credits after researching it in the branch. Known module upgrades cost up to 125,000 credits. Official source cards below may also show its temporary Early Access window before it became a normal Tech Tree unlock. 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.
Show U.S.S.R. tech-tree branch diagram
Kotovsky sits in the Piercing Heavy Cruisers branch. The highlighted path shows the local branch context inside the full U.S.S.R. tree.
Best listed chance for this ship
- Soviet Cruisers Big Crate 11% IV Kotovsky* Early access containers · Soviet Cruisers Big Crate
- Soviet Cruisers Crate 5% IV Kotovsky* Early access containers · Soviet Cruisers Crate
Official WG availability sources
- Official WoWS Legends container odds Containers Official container drop rows linked below include direct and nested effective ship odds.
Show direct source rows
- Soviet Cruisers Big Crate 11% · IV Kotovsky*
- Soviet Cruisers Crate 5% · IV Kotovsky*
Builds Beta
Pair with a commander whose unique skill complements her main armament; check the build tool for current recommendations.
Have a build you swear by? Open it in the Build Tool and hit Save build to share it here.
Cohort position
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Where Kotovsky sits among Tier IV CAs (22 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.
See 27 mid-pack stats
Not standouts for Kotovsky -- 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.
Peers in this cohort
Stats & specs
Customize in the Build Tool →Shell ballistics chartƒ
Horizontal dispersion ellipse width at max range, from the verified WoWS dispersion model:ƒ
Vertical dispersion ellipse height at max range:ƒ
50%-hit horizontal radius:ƒ
50%-hit vertical radius:ƒ
180 degrees / 7 deg/s traverse speed = 25.7 s.ƒ
8 broadside guns x 60 / 10 s base reload = 48.HE shells
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25 mm ≈ 152 mm caliber / 6 (standard HE penetration ratio).ƒ
2,150 HE damage x 8 broadside guns = 17,200.ƒ
17,200 HE full-salvo alpha x 60 / 10 s base reload = 103,200.ƒ
48 shells/min x 8% fire chance = 3.84.AP shells
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floor(152 mm caliber / 14.3) = 10 mm (AP auto-penetrates plating this thick or less).ƒ
Canonical community AP formula (jcw780/wows_shell), evaluated at muzzle velocity: . Matches the in-game spec card.ƒ
Same formula at the ship's max firing range (17.6 km), where the shell has slowed to 383.6 m/s: .ƒ
3,150 AP damage x 8 broadside guns = 25,200.ƒ
25,200 AP full-salvo alpha x 60 / 10 s base reload = 151,200.ƒ
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.ƒ
Estimate of WG's in-game value; matches the in-game port screen within ±5%. Saturation: most targets only intersect one hull section, so the sim transfers ~1/3 of the warhead alpha (2/3 when the warhead blast >= 5000 and the burst reaches a second section). For this ship: .ƒ
Time to rotate the launchers 180 deg: .ƒ
One side firing, all torpedoes hitting: per-side tubes x per-torpedo simulated damage = 3 x 13,400 = 40,200.ƒ
Sum across every AA aura on this ship of (aura.continuous_damage x 3.5 x aura.hit_probability). Here: (26×3.5×0.9) + (13×3.5×0.85) + (9×3.5×0.9) = 149. Covers AA-only mounts plus dual-purpose secondaries (Bismarck 105mm, USN 5"/38 cruiser secondaries) and dual-purpose main batteries (Sumner-class 5"/38, Akizuki-line 100mm). Formula validated against in-game captures on California, Sumner, Manfred von Richthofen, Dante Alighieri (exact) and within +/-17% on the remaining verified ships.ƒ
Longest-reaching aura across AA-only + dual-purpose auras.ƒ
Includes 9 continuous AA damage from dual-purpose secondaries firing as AA in this range band.ƒ
Far 9 + Medium 26 = 35ƒ
Far 9 + Medium 26 + Near 13 = 48ƒ
Max dispersion = range (km) × 57 + 30. Each dispersion type sets its own slope; this is not a percentage applied to a standard baseline.ƒ
4 km × 57 + 30 = 258 m.ƒ
Time to reach 90% of top speed (31.9 kt of 35.5 kt), from our in-house acceleration model.ƒ
Time to reach 99% of top speed (35.1 kt of 35.5 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.ƒ
How many degrees the turret can swing for each degree the hull turns. Turn rate , so . Below 5 the turrets drag in a turning fight; 25+ keeps up with any rudder.ƒ
max(base sea detectability, gun-firing bloom range). Firing never pulls your detection closer than base concealment.
Damage Control Party∞ charges · 60 s reload · 5 s active
Sonar2 charges · 180 s reload · 90 s active · 3.72 km ship detect ƒ
Derived from the consumable's 30 m grid-unit range (km = grid units x 30 / 1000):ƒ
Derived from the consumable's 30 m grid-unit range (km = grid units x 30 / 1000):
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):
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
Horizontal dispersion ellipse width at max range, from the verified WoWS dispersion model: $\sigma_H = \left(\dfrac{R}{30}\cdot\dfrac{\text{idealRadius}-\text{minRadius}}{\text{idealDistance}} + \text{minRadius}\right)\cdot 30$ $= \left(\dfrac{12773}{30}\cdot\dfrac{8-1.1}{1000} + 1.1\right)\cdot 30 = 121.1\,\text{m}$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.Vertical dispersion ellipse height at max range: $\sigma_V = \sigma_H \cdot \text{radiusOnMax}$ $= 121.1 \cdot 0.6 = 72.7\,\text{m}$How tall the same scatter ellipse is at 10 km. Comparable from ship to ship for the same reason as the width value above.50%-hit horizontal radius: $\sigma_{H,50} = \sigma_H \cdot \text{GetHalfHitsRatio}(\sigma)$ $= 121.1 \cdot 0.32\;(\sigma = 2) = 38.7\,\text{m}$50%-hit vertical radius: $\sigma_{V,50} = \sigma_V \cdot \text{GetHalfHitsRatio}(\sigma)$ $= 72.7 \cdot 0.319\;(\sigma = 2) = 23.2\,\text{m}$Standard cruiser dispersion baseline.Canonical community AP formula (jcw780/wows_shell), evaluated at muzzle velocity: $P = 10^{-7}\cdot K \cdot m^{0.69} \cdot d^{-1.07} \cdot v_0^{1.38}$ $= 10^{-7}\cdot 2300 \cdot 51.5^{0.69} \cdot 0.152^{-1.07} \cdot 880^{1.38} = 303.2\,\text{mm}$. Matches the in-game spec card.Same formula at the ship's max firing range (17.6 km), where the shell has slowed to 383.6 m/s: $P = 10^{-7}\cdot 2300 \cdot 51.5^{0.69} \cdot 0.152^{-1.07} \cdot 383.6^{1.38} = 96.4\,\text{mm}$.25 mm ≈ 152 mm caliber / 6 (standard HE penetration ratio).floor(152 mm caliber / 14.3) = 10 mm (AP auto-penetrates plating this thick or less).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.All 8 barrels bear on the broadside.180 degrees / 7 deg/s traverse speed = 25.7 s.2,150 HE damage x 8 broadside guns = 17,200.3,150 AP damage x 8 broadside guns = 25,200.17,200 HE full-salvo alpha x 60 / 10 s base reload = 103,200.25,200 AP full-salvo alpha x 60 / 10 s base reload = 151,200.8 broadside guns x 60 / 10 s base reload = 48.48 shells/min x 8% fire chance = 3.84.Torpedoes
detectability / (speed kt x 2.6 community game-speed factor).range / (speed kt x 2.6 community game-speed factor).2 launchers x 3 tubes.tube count / 2 (symmetric port/starboard launcher layout; common on cruisers and battleships with deck torpedoes).All tubes hitting one target: tubes x per-torpedo simulated damage = 6 x 13,400 = 80,400.One side firing, all torpedoes hitting: per-side tubes x per-torpedo simulated damage = 3 x 13,400 = 40,200.AA defense
Sum across every AA aura on this ship of (aura.continuous_damage x 3.5 x aura.hit_probability). Here: (26×3.5×0.9) + (13×3.5×0.85) + (9×3.5×0.9) = 149. Covers AA-only mounts plus dual-purpose secondaries (Bismarck 105mm, USN 5"/38 cruiser secondaries) and dual-purpose main batteries (Sumner-class 5"/38, Akizuki-line 100mm). Formula validated against in-game captures on California, Sumner, Manfred von Richthofen, Dante Alighieri (exact) and within +/-17% on the remaining verified ships.Longest-reaching aura across AA-only + dual-purpose auras.SUM over AA auras of (aura DPS x aura range km). A plane crossing the AA bubble is exposed to each aura for a time proportional to that aura's range, so long-reach DPS is worth more than the same DPS in a short bubble. Units: DPS*km; used to rank overall AA threat across the cohort.Secondary battery dispersion
Max dispersion = range (km) × 57 + 30. Each dispersion type sets its own slope; this is not a percentage applied to a standard baseline.4 km × 57 + 30 = 258 m.Secondary battery firepower
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: 6×1 100 mm (3/side) × 60/4 × 1400 = 63,000. Assumes every shell hits (real hit rate is lower; the Brawl matchup tool on the Compare page folds in dispersion + target armor).Maximum HE damage per shell across secondary HE families. Best on this ship: 1400 from the 100 mm family.Maximum per-shell fire chance across secondary HE families (before target fire resistance is applied). Best on this ship: 6% from the 100 mm family.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: 17 mm from the 100 mm family.Armor Beta
Hull HP 22,700 → 25,700 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.
Overmatched by 76+ guns across the bracket. Can’t reliably bow-tank; gets bow-citadelled and overpenned.
Thin belt: battleship AP citadels straight through it broadside. Rely on angle, speed and concealment, never sit flat.
Superstructure and extremities take HE pens and AP overpens from nearly any gun: steady chip damage. Fire resistance 17%, fires burn 30s. Range-by-range in the ballistics tool →
| Section | Plates | HP cap | Threats | Tactic |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bow | 16 mm primary (range 16–20 mm) | 1,900 (7% of HP) | Overmatched by 283mm+ (Nassau, Von Der Tann)Angle bounces 203mm16 mm: HE pens from 127mm+ | Bow-tank fits behind this exterior plate. Saturation is FAST here; the cap is often only a few thousand HP. |
| Hull (midship) | 16 mm primary (range 6–35 mm) | 19,300 (75% of HP) | Overmatched by 283mm+ (Nassau, Von Der Tann)Angle bounces 203mm16 mm: HE pens from 127mm+ | Largest HP pool. Citadel sits behind these plates; thinner deck and side plating absorb the rest. |
| Stern | 16 mm primary (range 10–20 mm) | 1,000 (4% of HP) | Overmatched by 283mm+ (Nassau, Von Der Tann)Angle bounces 203mm16 mm: HE pens from 127mm+ | Mirror of bow. Same fast saturation. |
| Citadel | 50 mm primary (range 10–100 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 | 10 mm primary (range 10–150 mm) | 1,300 (5% 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 | 12,900 magazine HP | Magazine detonation1–30% chance · below ~75% HP | Per-turret powder-magazine HP. Detonation chance scales from 1% (no mag damage) to 30% (full mag damage); this range is the in-game value. Detonation can't roll while the ship is above ~75% HP (the standard detonation-protection threshold, not a per-ship stat). Smaller magazines saturate to the 30% ceiling faster. |
| Secondary mount (100 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 (37 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 | 7,700 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.
3D armor viewer
Acceleration and Ballistics Chart
Balance History
Balance updates affecting Kotovsky. Cards are condensed; use each source link for full context.
Ministry of Balance: Spring Renewal
- Thickness of stock hull plating of the bow side, bow deck, stern side, and stern deck increased from 13 to 16 mm.
- Thickness of upgraded hull plating of the bow side, bow deck, stern side, and stern deck increased from 13 to 16 mm.
Skins & permanent camouflages
Every custom exterior Kotovsky can equip, from in-game data.
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.
