World of Warships: Legends ship guide

Ryūjō

Beta
Strike carrierRepeated squadron strikes: cycle bombers and torpedoes, and manage your plane reserves.
Playstyle
  • Use aircraft to reveal destroyer lanes, then strike isolated or committed ships where approach angles a…
  • Avoid: Do not rely on old aircraft speed or durability assumptions
Key characteristics
Torpedo bombersFire bombsAP bombsPunchy HE secondariesLong-reach AASluggish rudder
On this page
Community Data

Ryūjō Community Stats

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Playstyle

Overview

Ryūjō is the Tier V Japanese carrier: a balanced strike kit across dive bombers and air torpedoes without a single dominant weapon. The kit rewards reading the enemy AA and picking the squadron that fits the next target. Her air-torpedo alpha is among the heaviest in the cohort.

Positioning

Use aircraft to reveal destroyer lanes, then strike isolated or committed ships where approach angles are clean. Ryūjō should avoid heavy AA clusters because aircraft losses quickly reduce her influence.

Potato Avoidance

Rely on old aircraft speed or durability assumptions

Ryūjō’s post-balance profile rewards careful strike selection; reckless attacks waste the carrier’s limited tempo.

Signature Traits

ELITE SECONDARIES
  • Punchy HE · 2100.0 max
  • Punch-through · 21.0 mm
Long-reach AA

5.0 km AA reach, best of T5 CVs.

Sluggish rudder

13.4 s rudder shift, worst of T5 CVs. Hard to dodge incoming AP; lean on island cover.

Thin deck

16.0 mm armor deck, bottom quartile of T5 CVs. Plunging fire and HE eat through.

Acquisition

How to get Ryūjō

Ryūjō is available in the Offensive Strike Carriers branch of the Japan Tech Tree for 6,400,000 credits after researching it in the branch. Known module upgrades cost up to 1,610,000 credits.

Show Japan tech-tree branch diagram
Japan Tech Tree

Ryūjō sits in the Offensive Strike Carriers branch. The highlighted path shows the local branch context inside the full Japan tree.

Builds Beta

Build for aircraft restoration, survivability, speed, and strike consistency. Current advice should account for changed bomber HP, squadron size, aircraft speed, and detectability.

Open in Build Tool →

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Cohort position

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Where Ryūjō sits among Tier V CVs (8 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.

BestHE alpha2,100 (1 of 2 tied) BestSecondary HE pen21 mm (1 of 3 tied) BestAA range5 km (1 of 4 tied) Top 25%Stealth profile12.41 km / 8.69 km (2/8 / 2/8) Top 25%Displacement13,650 t (2/8) Top 25%Bomb damage5,900 (3/8) Top 25%Bomb fire chance34% (2/7) Top 25%Air torpedo damage6,400 (2/8) Top 25%Air torpedo range4.5 km (3/8) Top 25%Air torpedo speed50 kn (3/8) Top 25%Squadron restore time80 s (3/8) Bottom 25%AA DPS217 (7/8) Bottom 25%AA threat866 (7/8) Bottom 25%Squadron size16 (7/8) WorstMax speed28 kt (1 of 2 tied) WorstRudder shift13.4 s (8/8) WorstSecondary range4 km (1 of 3 tied) WorstMax armor30 mm (1 of 2 tied) WorstCitadel belt30 mm (1 of 3 tied) WorstEnd plates16 mm (1 of 2 tied / 7/8) WorstDeck armor16 mm (8/8) WorstPlane HP1,400 HP (1 of 2 tied)
See 11 mid-pack stats

Not standouts for Ryūjō -- 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 points39,600 HP(5/8) Secondary DPM (per side)151,200(3/7) Secondary fire chance8%(3/7) Acceleration30.9 s(4/8) Engine power65,000 hp(6/8) Turn-speed retention84.4 hp/m(5/8) Power-to-weight4.76 hp/t(4/8) Bomb AP penetration43.6 mm(3/7) Air torpedo stealth1.3 km(5/8) Deck HP19,200 HP(6/8) NormSecondary dispersion bracket57(6 of 7 tied at this value)
Survivability
Hit PointsInitial: 38,400 → 39,600
Displacement13,650 t
Armor range6–30 mm
Plate armor thicknesses6, 13, 16, 19, 20, 25, 30 mm
Armor material/layer entries38
Fire resistanceInitial: 20% → 23.3%
Fire duration60 s
Torp Reduction0%
Squadrons
Total plane capacity48
Flight deck HP19,200
Hangar HP19,200
Dive bomber
Plane HP1,450
OrdnanceHE bomb, 5,500 dmg
Fire chance30%
Bomb penetration43.6 mm
Hangar max16
Hangar restore+2 every 80 s, start 16
Recovery time80 s
Torpedo bomber
Plane HP1,400
Ordnancetorpedo, 6,000 dmg
Flooding chance30%
Hangar max16
Hangar restore+2 every 80 s, start 16
Recovery time80 s
Dive bomber
Plane HP1,550
OrdnanceHE bomb, 5,900 dmg
Fire chance34%
Bomb penetration43.6 mm
Hangar max16
Hangar restore+2 every 80 s, start 16
Recovery time80 s
Torpedo bomber
Plane HP1,500
Ordnancetorpedo, 6,400 dmg
Flooding chance36%
Hangar max16
Hangar restore+2 every 80 s, start 16
Recovery time80 s
AA Defense
AA mount pointsInitial: 6 → 14
Close-range AA DPS
ƒSum across every AA aura on this ship of (aura.continuous_damage x 3.5 x aura.hit_probability). Here: (33×3.5×1) + (29×3.5×1) = 217. 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.
217
Maximum AA range
ƒLongest-reaching aura across AA-only + dual-purpose auras.
5 km
25 mm/60 Type96 mod. 1 (upgraded hull only)5×1 25mm
25 mm Type96 mod. 1 (upgraded hull only)9×2 25mm
13 mm Type93 (stock hull only)6×4 13mm
127 mm Type89 A1 (DP)6×2 127mm
Far aura
DPS
ƒIncludes 29 continuous AA damage from dual-purpose secondaries firing as AA in this range band.
29
Range5 km
Medium aura
DPS33
Range3.1 km
Total DPS in Aura
ƒFar 29 + Medium 33 = 62
62
S
Secondary Battery
Mounts6
Firing range4.0 km
Shell Grouping (σ)1
Caliber127 mm
Reload time5 s
HE Damage2,100
Muzzle Velocity725 m/s
Fire Chance8%
Armor Pen21 mm
Min Ricochet91°
Max Ricochet60°
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 km
ƒ4 km × 57 + 30 = 258 m.
258 m
Maneuverability
Engine moduleEngine: 65,000 hp
Engine power65,000 hp
Maximum speed28 kt
Turning circle radius770 m
Rudder shift time13.4 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 (25.2 kt of 28 kt), from our in-house acceleration model.
30.9 s
Acceleration 0-99%
ƒTime to reach 99% of top speed (27.7 kt of 28 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.
47.9 s
Concealment
Detectability by sea12.4 km
Detectability by air8 km
Detect after firing main guns
ƒmax(base sea detectability, gun-firing bloom range). Firing never pulls your detection closer than base concealment.
12.4 km
Detect Fire Sea14.4 km
Detect Fire Air11 km
Guaranteed Detect2 km
Consumables
Automatic Damage Control Party∞ charges · 90 s reload · 60 s active
Automatic Fighter4 charges · 40 s reload · 150 s active · 5 km patrol radius
ƒDerived from the consumable's 30 m grid-unit range (km = grid units x 30 / 1000): 167×301000=5 km
· 4 squadron size
Module options (1)

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

HullUpgrade
  • Hit points38,400 → 39,600
  • AA mounts6 → 14
  • Close-range AA DPS24 → 33
  • Maximum AA range1.2 → 3.1 km

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.

AA defense

Close-range AA DPS217
Sum across every AA aura on this ship of (aura.continuous_damage x 3.5 x aura.hit_probability). Here: (33×3.5×1) + (29×3.5×1) = 217. 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 range5 km
Longest-reaching aura across AA-only + dual-purpose auras.
AA threat index866
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

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 km258 m
4 km × 57 + 30 = 258 m.

Secondary battery firepower

Secondary DPM (per side)151,200
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) × 60/5 × 2100 = 151,200. Assumes every shell hits (real hit rate is lower; the Brawl matchup tool on the Compare page folds in dispersion + target armor).
Max HE alpha2100
Maximum HE damage per shell across secondary HE families. Best on this ship: 2100 from the 127 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 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 38,40039,600 with hull upgrade, 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 & stern16 mm

Overmatched by 92+ guns across the bracket. Can’t reliably bow-tank; gets bow-citadelled and overpenned.

Farming6 mm

Superstructure and extremities take HE pens and AP overpens from nearly any gun: steady chip damage. Fire resistance 23%, fires burn 60s. Range-by-range in the ballistics tool →

Section Plates HP cap Threats Tactic
Bow16 mm primary (range 16–20 mm)≈ 1,980 (~5% of HP)
Overmatched by 283mm+ (Moltke, Graf Spee)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)25 mm primary (range 6–25 mm)≈ 29,700 (~75% of HP)
Overmatched by 380mm+ (Bayern, Gneisenau)Angle bounces 356mm25 mm: HE pens from 150mm+
Largest HP pool. Citadel sits behind these plates; thinner deck and side plating absorb the rest.
Stern16 mm primary (range 16–19 mm)≈ 1,980 (~5% of HP)
Overmatched by 283mm+ (Moltke, Graf Spee)Angle bounces 203mm16 mm: HE pens from 127mm+
Mirror of bow. Same fast saturation.
Citadel30 mm primary (range 13–30 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.
Superstructure6 mm primary (range 6–16 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

Balance History

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

Nerf ×12Buff ×9Rework ×3Airstrike ×3Torpedo ×7
2024-06-27

Ministry of Balance: Aerial Adjustments

  • Torpedo.
  • Stock torpedo bomber restoration time increased from 57 to 80 s.
  • Stock torpedo bomber base speed reduced from 132 to 120 kts.
  • Upgraded torpedo bomber restoration time increased from 57 to 80 s.
  • Upgraded torpedo bomber base speed reduced from 140 to 127 kts.
  • Stock dive bomber restoration time increased from 57 to 80 s.
  • Stock dive bomber base speed reduced from 146 to 132 kts.
  • Upgraded dive bomber restoration time increased from 57 to 80 s.
  • Upgraded dive bomber base speed reduced from 151 to 137 kts.
Read the full official post
2024-05-24

Ministry of Balance: Carriers 2.0 – First Wave

  • Now match accuracy parameters of the upgraded dive bombers.
  • Bombs per aircraft increased from 1 to 2.
  • Number of aircraft in squadron increased from 6 to 8.
  • Maximum HP per aircraft reduced from 2,100 to 1,450 (squadron HP reduced from 12,600 to 11,600).
  • Base speed increased from 120 to 146 knots.
  • Maximum flight range set to 30 kilometers.
  • Bomb damage reduced from 9,100 to 5,500.
  • HE bomb penetration reduced from 53.4 to 43.6 mm.
  • Bomb fire-setting chances reduced from 55 to 30%.
  • Bomb splash radius reduced.
  • +4 more official change lines in the source post.
Read the full official post
2022-09-29

Halloween Update: New Friends, Old Foes

  • Surface detectability range changed from 11.4 to 12.4 km; air detectability range changed from 8 to 8.7 km.
  • Stock dive bomber HP changed from 2,050 to 2,100; stock torpedo bomber HP changed from 2,100 to 2,200.
  • Upgraded dive bomber HP changed from 2,150 to 2,200; upgraded torpedo bomber HP changed from 2,200 to 2,300.
Read the full official post
2021-09-30

Halloween Update: Double the Fun, Double the Trouble

  • Detectability range by sea increased from 9.5 to 11.4 km.
  • Detectability range by air increased from 7.6 to 8 km.
Read the full official post
Exteriors

Skins & permanent camouflages

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

  • Ryūjō 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.