World of Warships: Legends ship guide

Orion

Also called: 俄里翁 Beta
Fire-starter battleshipBurn the enemy line with improved-HE salvos, then heal through the return fire.
Playstyle
  • Anchor a flank at 10-13 km with bow toward the closest threat
  • Avoid: Leading the push alone
Key characteristics
343 mm overmatchHigh HE / fire outputImproved HE penLong-reach AABow-tankerStiff AP fuse
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Community Data

Orion Community Stats

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Playstyle

Overview

Orion is a Tier III British 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. A heavy Repair Party sustains the trade. HE pen sits at the 1/4 caliber ratio instead of the standard 1/6, so HE spam is a real damage option here - pens roughly 1.5x more armor than a same-caliber peer's HE round. Standout traits: best fires per minute in T3 BBs (8.9) and best AA reach in T3 BBs (4.5 km).

Positioning

Anchor a flank at 10-13 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.

Potato Avoidance

Leading the push alone

A battleship caught broadside by two same-tier guns at mid range loses more HP than any single salvo trades back, so rotate with the team or hold your angle instead of charging in first.

Signature Traits

Improved HE penetration

HE pen at the 1/4 caliber ratio instead of the standard 1/6. HE-spam is a real damage option here, not just a fire-starter; pens roughly 1.5x more armor than a same-caliber peer's HE, shared by 8/19 T3 BBs.

ELITE MAIN BATTERY
  • High fire chance · 40.0%
  • High fire pressure · 8.0 fires
  • Big-caliber overmatch · 23.9 mm
  • Overmatch specialist
Long-reach AA

4.5 km AA reach, best of T3 BBs.

Bow-tanker

Bow plate thicker than the cohort overmatch threshold. Angle straight on and shrug off same-tier guns.

Stiff AP fuse

57.0 mm AP arming threshold, worst of T3 BBs. Over-pens thin plates; the trade-off pays off when most targets are battleship belt armor.

Acquisition

How to get Orion

Orion is available in the Flamethrowing Battleships branch of the U.K. Tech Tree for 85,000 credits after researching it in the branch. Known module upgrades cost up to 21,240 credits.

Show U.K. tech-tree branch diagram
U.K. Tech Tree

Orion sits in the Flamethrowing Battleships branch. The highlighted path shows the local branch context inside the full U.K. tree.

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 Orion 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.

BestMain battery caliber343 mm (1/19) BestFires per minute8 (1/19) BestAA range4.5 km (1/19) Top 25%HE DPM94,000 (5/19) Top 25%AP DPM190,000 (4/19) Top 25%AP fuse timer0.01 s (3/19) Top 25%AA threat319 (4/16) Bottom 25%Air detection10.05 km (16/19) Bottom 25%AP velocity787 m/s (17/19) Bottom 25%HE velocity787 m/s (17/19) Bottom 25%Acceleration36.4 s (15/18) WorstTraverse-to-turn ratio2.35 × (19/19) WorstAP arming threshold57 mm (19/19) WorstSecondary range3.5 km (1 of 7 tied)
See 24 mid-pack stats

Not standouts for Orion -- 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 points42,700 HP(7/19) Max speed22 kt(9/19) Concealment12.56 km(15/19) Rudder shift12.6 s(13/19) Main battery range13.85 km(7/19) Main battery reload30 s(12/19) Sigma1.5(15/19) Main dispersion185.9 m(7/19) Secondary DPM (per side)136,800(8/19) HE alpha1,700(14/18) Secondary fire chance8%(11/18) Secondary HE pen20 mm(14/18) Engine power33,200 hp(7/18) Turn-speed retention54.4 hp/m(8/18) Displacement26,900 t(14/19) Power-to-weight1.23 hp/t(10/18) AA DPS106(7/19) Repair charges3(9/19) Max armor305 mm(7/19) Citadel belt254 mm(9/19) 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)
Survivability
Hit PointsInitial: 38,600 → 42,700
Displacement26,900 t
Armor range13–305 mm
Plate armor thicknesses13, 19, 25, 30, 38, 63, 76, 102, 152, 203, 229, 254, 279, 305 mm
Armor material/layer entries70
Fire resistanceInitial: 6.7% → 10%
Fire duration60 s
Torp Reduction13%
Main Battery
ModuleArtillery: 343 mm/45 Mk V
Mounts / barrels5 mounts / 10 barrels
Reload time30 s
Firing range (base)12.6 km
Firing range (top fire control)13.9 km
Turret traverse2.5 °/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 =(1259530·1221000+2)·30=185.9m
185.9 m
Max Vert Disp
ƒVertical dispersion ellipse height at max range: σV=σH·radiusOnMax =185.9·0.6=111.6m
111.6 m
Med Horiz Disp
ƒ50%-hit horizontal radius: σH,50=σH·GetHalfHitsRatio(σ) =185.9·0.382(σ=1.5)=71m
71 m
Med Vert Disp
ƒ50%-hit vertical radius: σV,50=σV·GetHalfHitsRatio(σ) =111.6·0.382(σ=1.5)=42.6m
42.6 m
Turret turn time
ƒ180 degrees / 2.5 deg/s traverse speed = 72 s.
72 s
Base shells/min
ƒ10 broadside guns x 60 / 30 s base reload = 20.
20
HE shells
HE Damage4,700
HE Velocity787 m/s
Fire Chance40%
HE penetration
ƒ86 mm ≈ 343 mm caliber / 4 (improved HE penetration: German BBs, Yamato-class, and a handful of others).
86 mm
HE full-salvo alpha
ƒ4,700 HE damage x 10 broadside guns = 47,000.
47,000
Base HE DPM
ƒ47,000 HE full-salvo alpha x 60 / 30 s base reload = 94,000.
94,000
Base fires/min
ƒ20 shells/min x 40% fire chance = 8.
8
AP shells
AP Damage9,500
AP Velocity787 m/s
Min Ricochet45 deg
Guaranteed Ricochet60 deg
Fuse Timer0.015 s
Fuse Threshold57 mm
AP overmatch
ƒfloor(343 mm caliber / 14.3) = 23 mm (AP auto-penetrates plating this thick or less).
23 mm
AP Pen Close
ƒCanonical community AP formula (jcw780/wows_shell), evaluated at muzzle velocity: P=107·K·m0.69·d1.07·v01.38 =107·2145·5670.69·0.3431.07·7871.38=531mm. Matches the in-game spec card.
531 mm
AP Pen Far
ƒSame formula at the ship's max firing range (17.3 km), where the shell has slowed to 412.4 m/s: P=107·2145·5670.69·0.3431.07·412.41.38=217.7mm.
217.7 mm
AP full-salvo alpha
ƒ9,500 AP damage x 10 broadside guns = 95,000.
95,000
Base AP DPM
ƒ95,000 AP full-salvo alpha x 60 / 30 s base reload = 190,000.
190,000
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.
55
AA Defense
AA mount pointsInitial: 4 → 8
Close-range AA DPS
ƒSum across every AA aura on this ship of (aura.continuous_damage x 3.5 x aura.hit_probability). Here: (18×3.5×0.75) + (8×3.5×0.7) + (15×3.5×0.75) = 106. 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.
106
Maximum AA range
ƒLongest-reaching aura across AA-only + dual-purpose auras.
4.5 km
40 mm/39 Vickers QF Mk.II on a Mk.II HA mount4×1 40mm
12.7 mm Mk III (upgraded hull only)4×4 13mm
120 mm/40 QF Mk VIII (DP)4×1 120mm
Far aura
DPS
ƒIncludes 15 continuous AA damage from dual-purpose secondaries firing as AA in this range band.
15
Range4.5 km
Medium aura
DPSInitial: 20 → 18
Range2.5 km
Total DPS in Aura
ƒFar 15 + Medium 18 = 33
33
Near aura
DPS8
Range1.2 km
Total DPS in Aura
ƒFar 15 + Medium 18 + Near 8 = 41
41
S
Secondary Battery
Mounts20
Firing range3.5 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 @ 3.5 km
ƒ3.5 km × 57 + 30 = 229.5 m.
229.5 m
102 mm/50 BL Mk VII (×16)
Caliber102 mm
Reload time7.5 s
HE Damage1,500
Muzzle Velocity873 m/s
Fire Chance6%
Armor Pen17 mm
Min Ricochet91°
Max Ricochet60°
Show 1 more gun family
120 mm/40 QF Mk VIII (×4)
Caliber120 mm
Reload time5 s
HE Damage1,700
Muzzle Velocity749 m/s
Fire Chance8%
Armor Pen20 mm
Min Ricochet91°
Max Ricochet60°
Maneuverability
Engine moduleEngine: 33,200 hp
Engine power33,200 hp
Maximum speed22 kt
Turning circle radius610 m
Rudder shift time12.6 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 (19.8 kt of 22 kt), from our in-house acceleration model.
36.4 s
Acceleration 0-99%
ƒTime to reach 99% of top speed (21.8 kt of 22 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 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·22.0·0.5144610=1.06°/s, so ratio=ωturretωhull=2.51.06=2.4×. Below 5 the turrets drag in a turning fight; 25+ keeps up with any rudder.
2.4× drags
Concealment
Detectability by sea12.56 km
Detectability by air10.05 km
Smoke firing penalty10.61 km
Detect after firing main guns
ƒmax(base sea detectability, gun-firing bloom range). Firing never pulls your detection closer than base concealment.
12.56 km
Detect Fire Sea14.56 km
Detect Fire Air13.05 km
Guaranteed Detect2 km
Consumables
Damage Control Party∞ charges · 80 s reload · 15 s active
Repair Party3 charges · 80 s reload · 28 s active · 5,978 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.
· 17,934 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.
· 214 HP/s (0.5% of max HP) heal per second
ƒ0.5% of max HP (42,700 HP) per second = 214 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
Module options (2)

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

HullUpgrade
  • Hit points38,600 → 42,700
  • Rudder shift22.9 → 16.4 s
  • AA mounts4 → 8
  • Close-range AA DPS20 → 26
Fire controlUpgrade
  • Main battery range12,595 → 13854.5 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)1.5
Max Horiz Disp185.9 m
Horizontal dispersion ellipse width at max range, from the verified WoWS dispersion model: $\sigma_H = \left(\dfrac{R}{30}\cdot\dfrac{\text{idealRadius}-\text{minRadius}}{\text{idealDistance}} + \text{minRadius}\right)\cdot 30$ $= \left(\dfrac{12595}{30}\cdot\dfrac{12-2}{1000} + 2\right)\cdot 30 = 185.9\,\text{m}$
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 Disp111.6 m
Vertical dispersion ellipse height at max range: $\sigma_V = \sigma_H \cdot \text{radiusOnMax}$ $= 185.9 \cdot 0.6 = 111.6\,\text{m}$
Shell scatter height @ 10 km89.4 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 Disp71 m
50%-hit horizontal radius: $\sigma_{H,50} = \sigma_H \cdot \text{GetHalfHitsRatio}(\sigma)$ $= 185.9 \cdot 0.382\;(\sigma = 1.5) = 71\,\text{m}$
Med Vert Disp42.6 m
50%-hit vertical radius: $\sigma_{V,50} = \sigma_V \cdot \text{GetHalfHitsRatio}(\sigma)$ $= 111.6 \cdot 0.382\;(\sigma = 1.5) = 42.6\,\text{m}$
AP Pen Close531 mm
Canonical community AP formula (jcw780/wows_shell), evaluated at muzzle velocity: $P = 10^{-7}\cdot K \cdot m^{0.69} \cdot d^{-1.07} \cdot v_0^{1.38}$ $= 10^{-7}\cdot 2145 \cdot 567^{0.69} \cdot 0.343^{-1.07} \cdot 787^{1.38} = 531\,\text{mm}$. Matches the in-game spec card.
AP Pen Far217.7 mm
Same formula at the ship's max firing range (17.3 km), where the shell has slowed to 412.4 m/s: $P = 10^{-7}\cdot 2145 \cdot 567^{0.69} \cdot 0.343^{-1.07} \cdot 412.4^{1.38} = 217.7\,\text{mm}$.
HE penetration86 mm
86 mm ≈ 343 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) - 0.251 in this case. Lets HE pen ~85mm armor instead of ~57mm. Hits every German cruiser (150mm CL, 203mm CA) and BB (350mm+), British heavy cruisers / Lion / Nelson, a handful of other premiums.
AP overmatch23 mm
floor(343 mm caliber / 14.3) = 23 mm (AP auto-penetrates plating this thick or less).
AP AOE Radius55
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 alpha10
All 10 barrels bear on the broadside.
Turret turn time72 s
180 degrees / 2.5 deg/s traverse speed = 72 s.
HE full-salvo alpha47,000
4,700 HE damage x 10 broadside guns = 47,000.
AP full-salvo alpha95,000
9,500 AP damage x 10 broadside guns = 95,000.
Base HE DPM94,000
47,000 HE full-salvo alpha x 60 / 30 s base reload = 94,000.
Base AP DPM190,000
95,000 AP full-salvo alpha x 60 / 30 s base reload = 190,000.
Base shells/min20
10 broadside guns x 60 / 30 s base reload = 20.
Base fires/min8
20 shells/min x 40% fire chance = 8.

AA defense

Close-range AA DPS106
Sum across every AA aura on this ship of (aura.continuous_damage x 3.5 x aura.hit_probability). Here: (18×3.5×0.75) + (8×3.5×0.7) + (15×3.5×0.75) = 106. 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.
Maximum AA range4.5 km
Longest-reaching aura across AA-only + dual-purpose auras.
AA threat index319
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 range1.2 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 @ 3.5 km229.5 m
3.5 km × 57 + 30 = 229.5 m.

Secondary battery firepower

Secondary DPM (per side)136,800
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: 16×1 102 mm (8/side) × 60/7.5 × 1500 = 96,000 + 4×1 120 mm (2/side) × 60/5 × 1700 = 40,800. Assumes every shell hits (real hit rate is lower; the Brawl matchup tool on the Compare page folds in dispersion + target armor).
Max HE alpha1700
Maximum HE damage per shell across secondary HE families. Best on this ship: 1700 from the 120 mm family.
Max HE fire chance8%
Maximum per-shell fire chance across secondary HE families (before target fire resistance is applied). Best on this ship: 8% from the 120 mm family.
Max HE pen20 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: 20 mm from the 120 mm family.

Armor Beta

Hull HP 38,60042,700 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.

Bow & stern19 mm

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

Belt / citadel305 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 19–152 mm)2,700 (6% 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)25 mm primary (range 19–305 mm)32,000 (75% of HP)
Overmatch not possible in its bracketAngle bounces 356mm25 mm: HE pens from 150mm+
Largest HP pool. Citadel sits behind these plates; thinner deck and side plating absorb the rest.
Stern19 mm primary (range 19–254 mm)1,700 (4% of HP)
Overmatched by 283mm+ (Nassau, Von Der Tann)Angle bounces 203mm19 mm: HE pens from 127mm+
Mirror of bow. Same fast saturation.
Citadel305 mm primary (range 25–254 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.
Superstructure13 mm primary (range 13–279 mm)1,700 (4% of HP)
Any HE ≥16 mm pens at full damageDamage multiplier ×0.6
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 HP21,400 magazine HPMagazine detonation1–30% chance · below ~75% HPPer-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 (120 mm mount)separate HP pool, does not drain ship HP800 per-mount HPDestroyed at 0 HPPer-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 HP200 per-mount HPDestroyed at 0 HPPer-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 estimateLargest on BB/BC; zero on destroyersEngine 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 HP12,800 module HPIncapacitated at 0 HPWhen 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.

Approximated side profile.
Open the 3D armor viewer →
3D armor viewer
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Acceleration and Ballistics Chart

Exteriors

Skins & permanent camouflages

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

  • Orion default exterior
    DefaultThe ship’s standard exterior

Primary official WG sources

GamingDiver has indexed official WG mentions for this ship, but none are focused enough to show as a primary source card here. Low-context list, crate, comparison, or passing mentions are intentionally filtered out.

Source status No high-context source card yet Filtered for precision