World of Warships: Legends ship guide

Schlieffen

Also called: 施里芬 Beta
Germany · Tier ★ · Battleship · Premium
Secondary battleshipClose inside secondary range and let the auto-fire battery work with the mains.
Playstyle
  • Anchor a flank at 14-17 km with bow toward the closest threat, then use the speed advantage at 34.1 kn…
  • Avoid: Using the 34.1-kn speed to push rather than to rotate
Key characteristics
Strong secondaries (8 km)Improved HE penSonarFast turret traverseThick deck armorWeak AA
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Community Data

Schlieffen Community Stats

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Playstyle

Overview

Schlieffen is a Legendary German secondary battleship with top-decile secondary reach out to 8 km: the kit rewards closing inside secondary range and letting the auto-fire battery work alongside the mains, not holding mid-range AP lines. 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 turret traverse rate in Legendary BBs (6) and best punch-through secondaries in Legendary BBs (38 mm).

Positioning

Anchor a flank at 14-17 km with bow toward the closest threat, then use the speed advantage at 34.1 kn to rotate to the cap that needs a second battleship rather than the one your team already has. Mobility means you can pick which fight you are in; do not waste it by holding center the whole match.

Potato Avoidance

Using the 34.1-kn speed to push rather than to rotate

The mobility advantage is about picking which cap fight you arrive at, not about leading the brawl line; a fast BB that overextends loses HP that the kit cannot trade back.

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 6/20 Legendary BBs.

ELITE MAIN BATTERY
  • Fast turret traverse · 6.0°
  • Fast AP shells · 11.13 s
  • Flat AP shells · 835.0 m
Punch-through secondaries

38.0 mm best HE pen across secondary families, best of Legendary BBs. Pens hull plates peers' secondaries shatter on.

Thick deck armor

200.0 mm armor deck, best of Legendary BBs. Eats plunging fire and HE that peers don't.

Fast for the class

34.1 kt, top decile of Legendary BBs. Lets you rotate flanks or escape disengagements.

Slow torp reload

160.0 s torpedo reload, worst of Legendary BBs. Long wait between drops.

Acquisition

How to get Schlieffen

Schlieffen is a Premium ship and not available to unlock in the Tech Tree. Acquisition path: Premium/Event.

Builds Beta

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

Open in Build Tool →

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Cohort position

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Where Schlieffen sits among Legendary BBs (20 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.

BestSecondary HE pen38 mm (1 of 3 tied) BestSecondary range8 km (1/20) BestDeck armor200 mm (1/19) Top 10%Max speed34.1 kt (2/20) Top 10%Main dispersion187.3 m (2/20) Top 10%Secondary dispersion bracket33 (3/20) Top 10%AP velocity835 m/s (2/20) Top 10%Displacement50,482 t (3/20) Top 10%Power-to-weight3.96 hp/t (3/20) Top 25%Rudder shift16.2 s (5/20) Top 25%HE velocity835 m/s (3/19) Top 25%Engine power200,000 hp (5/20) Top 25%Turn-speed retention206.2 hp/m (6/20) Bottom 25%Hit points76,100 HP (16/20) Bottom 25%Main battery reload28.8 s (17/20) Bottom 25%AP DPM215,833 (18/20) Bottom 25%HE alpha1,700 (15/18) Bottom 25%Max armor380 mm (18/20) Bottom 25%End plates27 mm (17/20 / 17/20) Bottom 10%Main battery range16.58 km (19/20) Bottom 10%Sigma1.7 (19/20) Bottom 10%AA DPS500 (19/20) Bottom 10%AA threat1,939 (19/20) WorstFires per minute4.5 (19/19) WorstHE DPM76,667 (19/19) WorstTorpedo range7.98 km (3/3) WorstTorpedo damage≈15,533 (3/3) WorstTorpedo speed54 kt (3/3) WorstTorpedo reload160 s (3/3)
See 15 mid-pack stats

Not standouts for Schlieffen -- 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.

Concealment15.83 km(8/20) Air detection12.66 km(8/20) Traverse-to-turn ratio5.79 ×(7/20) Main battery caliber420 mm(12/20) Secondary DPM (per side)276,364(10/20) Secondary fire chance8%(11/18) Acceleration36.8 s(9/20) AP arming threshold70 mm(9/20) AA range5 km(15/20) Repair charges3(7/20) Citadel belt380 mm(13/20) NormAP fuse timer0.03 s(18 of 20 tied at this value) NormAP ricochet start45°(17 of 20 tied at this value) NormAP auto-bounce angle60°(17 of 20 tied at this value) NormRepair heal rate0.5 %/s(13 of 20 tied at this value)
Survivability
Hit Points76,100
Displacement50,482 t
Armor range19–380 mm
Plate armor thicknesses19, 27, 30, 32, 40, 50, 60, 75, 80, 100, 150, 180, 200, 220, 225, 260, 300, 315, 330, 350, 380 mm
Armor material/layer entries95
Fire resistance40%
Fire duration60 s
Torp Reduction25%
Main Battery
ModuleArtillery: 420 mm/50 SK L/50 Drh LC/1918
Mounts / barrels4 mounts / 8 barrels
Reload time32 s
Firing range16.6 km
Turret traverse6 °/s
Shell Grouping (σ)1.7
Max Horiz Disp
ƒHorizontal dispersion ellipse width at max range, from the verified WoWS dispersion model: σH=(R30·idealRadiusminRadiusidealDistance+minRadius)·30 =(1658230·101.61000+1.6)·30=187.3m
187.3 m
Max Vert Disp
ƒVertical dispersion ellipse height at max range: σV=σH·radiusOnMax =187.3·0.6=112.4m
112.4 m
Med Horiz Disp
ƒ50%-hit horizontal radius: σH,50=σH·GetHalfHitsRatio(σ) =187.3·0.357(σ=1.7)=66.8m
66.8 m
Med Vert Disp
ƒ50%-hit vertical radius: σV,50=σV·GetHalfHitsRatio(σ) =112.4·0.357(σ=1.7)=40.1m
40.1 m
Turret turn time
ƒ180 degrees / 6 deg/s traverse speed = 30 s.
30 s
Base shells/min
ƒ8 broadside guns x 60 / 32 s base reload = 15.
15
HE shells
HE Damage4,600
HE Velocity835 m/s
Fire Chance27%
HE penetration
ƒ105 mm ≈ 420 mm caliber / 4 (improved HE penetration: German BBs, Yamato-class, and a handful of others).
105 mm
HE full-salvo alpha
ƒ4,600 HE damage x 8 broadside guns = 36,800.
36,800
Base HE DPM
ƒ36,800 HE full-salvo alpha x 60 / 32 s base reload = 69,000.
69,000
Installed HE DPM
ƒ36,800 HE full-salvo alpha x 60 / 28.8 s installed reload (Main Battery Mod. 3 = -10%) = 76,667.
76,667
Base fires/min
ƒ15 shells/min x 27% fire chance = 4.05.
4.05
AP shells
AP Damage12,950
AP Velocity835 m/s
Min Ricochet45 deg
Guaranteed Ricochet60 deg
Fuse Timer0.033 s
Fuse Threshold70 mm
AP overmatch
ƒfloor(420 mm caliber / 14.3) = 29 mm (AP auto-penetrates plating this thick or less).
29 mm
AP Pen Close
ƒCanonical community AP formula (jcw780/wows_shell), evaluated at muzzle velocity: P=107·K·m0.69·d1.07·v01.38 =107·2300·10500.69·0.421.07·8351.38=761mm. Matches the in-game spec card.
761 mm
AP Pen Far
ƒSame formula at the ship's max firing range (20.7 km), where the shell has slowed to 576.5 m/s: P=107·2300·10500.69·0.421.07·576.51.38=456.4mm.
456.4 mm
AP full-salvo alpha
ƒ12,950 AP damage x 8 broadside guns = 103,600.
103,600
Base AP DPM
ƒ103,600 AP full-salvo alpha x 60 / 32 s base reload = 194,250.
194,250
Installed AP DPM
ƒ103,600 AP full-salvo alpha x 60 / 28.8 s installed reload (Main Battery Mod. 3 = -10%) = 215,833.
215,833
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.
300
Torpedoes
ModuleTorpedoes: 533 mm Vierling
Launchers / tubes4 launchers × 4 tubes = 16 tubes
Reload time160 s
Projectile speed54 kt
Range7.98 km
Maximum simulated damage
ƒEstimate 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: Dsim=α·c=46,600·0.333=15,533.
≈ 15,533
Torpedo detectability1.2 km
Flooding chance279%
Torpedo launcher traverse25 °/s
Torp Turn
ƒTime to rotate the launchers 180 deg: tturn=180°25°/s=7.2s.
7.2 s
Torp Arming167 m
Per-side salvo damage
ƒOne side firing, all torpedoes hitting: per-side tubes x per-torpedo simulated damage = 8 x 15,533 = 124,264.
124,264
AA Defense
AA mount points15
Close-range AA DPS
ƒSum across every AA aura on this ship of (aura.continuous_damage x 3.5 x aura.hit_probability). Here: (34×3.5×0.75) + (97×3.5×0.7) + (66×3.5×0.75) = 500. 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.
500
Maximum AA range
ƒLongest-reaching aura across AA-only + dual-purpose auras.
5 km
55 mm L/77 Gerät 58 Zwilling3×2 55mm
30 mm Flak 3812×4 30mm
105 mm L/65 Dop. L. C/31 (DP)4×2 105mm
105 mm L/65 Dop. L. C/37 (DP)8×2 105mm
Medium aura
DPS34
Range5 km
Far aura
DPS
ƒIncludes 66 continuous AA damage from dual-purpose secondaries firing as AA in this range band.
66
Range4.5 km
Total DPS in Aura
ƒMedium 34 + Far 66 = 100
100
Near aura
DPS97
Range3 km
Total DPS in Aura
ƒMedium 34 + Far 66 + Near 97 = 197
197
S
Secondary Battery
Mounts20
Firing range8.0 km
Shell Grouping (σ)1
Secondary dispersion type
ƒMax dispersion = range (km) × 33 + 30. Each dispersion type sets its own slope; this is not a percentage applied to a standard baseline.
Improved (40%, German battlecruiser type)
Max secondary dispersion @ 8 km
ƒ8 km × 33 + 30 = 294 m.
294 m
105 mm L/65 Dop. L. C/31 (×4)
Caliber105 mm
Reload time4.4 s
HE Damage1,200
Muzzle Velocity900 m/s
Fire Chance5%
Armor Pen20 mm
Min Ricochet91°
Max Ricochet60°
Show 2 more gun families
105 mm L/65 Dop. L. C/37 (×8)
Caliber105 mm
Reload time4.4 s
HE Damage1,200
Muzzle Velocity900 m/s
Fire Chance5%
Armor Pen20 mm
Min Ricochet91°
Max Ricochet60°
150 mm L/55 MLC/36 (×8)
Caliber150 mm
Reload time10.2 s
HE Damage1,700
Muzzle Velocity875 m/s
Fire Chance8%
Armor Pen38 mm
Min Ricochet91°
Max Ricochet60°
Maneuverability
Engine moduleEngine: 200,000 hp
Engine power200,000 hp
Maximum speed34.1 kt
Turning circle radius970 m
Rudder shift time16.2 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 (30.7 kt of 34.1 kt), from our in-house acceleration model.
36.8 s
Acceleration 0-99%
ƒTime to reach 99% of top speed (33.8 kt of 34.1 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.
59.3 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·34.1·0.5144970=1.04°/s, so ratio=ωturretωhull=61.04=5.8×. Below 5 the turrets drag in a turning fight; 25+ keeps up with any rudder.
5.8× slow
Concealment
Detectability by sea15.83 km
Detectability by air12.66 km
Smoke firing penalty15.69 km
Detect after firing main guns
ƒmax(base sea detectability, gun-firing bloom range). Firing never pulls your detection closer than base concealment.
15.83 km
Detect Fire Sea17.83 km
Detect Fire Air15.66 km
Guaranteed Detect2 km
Consumables
Damage Control Party3 charges · 40 s reload · 10 s active
Repair Party3 charges · 80 s reload · 28 s active · 10,654 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.
· 31,962 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.
· 380 HP/s (0.5% of max HP) heal per second
ƒ0.5% of max HP (76,100 HP) per second = 380 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
Sonar2 charges · 180 s reload · 120 s active · 5.73 km ship detect
ƒDerived from the consumable's 30 m grid-unit range (km = grid units x 30 / 1000): 191×301000=5.73 km
· 3.93 km torpedo detect
ƒDerived from the consumable's 30 m grid-unit range (km = grid units x 30 / 1000): 131×301000=3.93 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.

Main battery formulas

Shell Grouping (σ)1.7
Max Horiz Disp187.3 m
Horizontal dispersion ellipse width at max range, from the verified WoWS dispersion model: $\sigma_H = \left(\dfrac{R}{30}\cdot\dfrac{\text{idealRadius}-\text{minRadius}}{\text{idealDistance}} + \text{minRadius}\right)\cdot 30$ $= \left(\dfrac{16582}{30}\cdot\dfrac{10-1.6}{1000} + 1.6\right)\cdot 30 = 187.3\,\text{m}$
Shell scatter width @ 10 km132 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 Disp112.4 m
Vertical dispersion ellipse height at max range: $\sigma_V = \sigma_H \cdot \text{radiusOnMax}$ $= 187.3 \cdot 0.6 = 112.4\,\text{m}$
Shell scatter height @ 10 km68.7 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.
Med Horiz Disp66.8 m
50%-hit horizontal radius: $\sigma_{H,50} = \sigma_H \cdot \text{GetHalfHitsRatio}(\sigma)$ $= 187.3 \cdot 0.357\;(\sigma = 1.7) = 66.8\,\text{m}$
Med Vert Disp40.1 m
50%-hit vertical radius: $\sigma_{V,50} = \sigma_V \cdot \text{GetHalfHitsRatio}(\sigma)$ $= 112.4 \cdot 0.357\;(\sigma = 1.7) = 40.1\,\text{m}$
AP Pen Close761 mm
Canonical community AP formula (jcw780/wows_shell), evaluated at muzzle velocity: $P = 10^{-7}\cdot K \cdot m^{0.69} \cdot d^{-1.07} \cdot v_0^{1.38}$ $= 10^{-7}\cdot 2300 \cdot 1050^{0.69} \cdot 0.42^{-1.07} \cdot 835^{1.38} = 761\,\text{mm}$. Matches the in-game spec card.
AP Pen Far456.4 mm
Same formula at the ship's max firing range (20.7 km), where the shell has slowed to 576.5 m/s: $P = 10^{-7}\cdot 2300 \cdot 1050^{0.69} \cdot 0.42^{-1.07} \cdot 576.5^{1.38} = 456.4\,\text{mm}$.
HE penetration105 mm
105 mm ≈ 420 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 ~105mm armor instead of ~70mm. Hits every German cruiser (150mm CL, 203mm CA) and BB (350mm+), British heavy cruisers / Lion / Nelson, a handful of other premiums.
AP overmatch29 mm
floor(420 mm caliber / 14.3) = 29 mm (AP auto-penetrates plating this thick or less).
AP AOE Radius300
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 alpha8
All 8 barrels bear on the broadside.
Turret turn time30 s
180 degrees / 6 deg/s traverse speed = 30 s.
HE full-salvo alpha36,800
4,600 HE damage x 8 broadside guns = 36,800.
AP full-salvo alpha103,600
12,950 AP damage x 8 broadside guns = 103,600.
Base HE DPM69,000
36,800 HE full-salvo alpha x 60 / 32 s base reload = 69,000.
Base AP DPM194,250
103,600 AP full-salvo alpha x 60 / 32 s base reload = 194,250.
Installed HE DPM76,667
36,800 HE full-salvo alpha x 60 / 28.8 s installed reload (Main Battery Mod. 3 = -10%) = 76,667.
Installed AP DPM215,833
103,600 AP full-salvo alpha x 60 / 28.8 s installed reload (Main Battery Mod. 3 = -10%) = 215,833.
Base shells/min15
8 broadside guns x 60 / 32 s base reload = 15.
Installed shells/min16.7
8 broadside guns x 60 / 28.8 s installed Artillery reload = 16.7.
Base fires/min4.05
15 shells/min x 27% fire chance = 4.05.
Installed fires/min4.5
16.7 shells/min x 27% fire chance = 4.5.

Torpedoes

Torpedo detectability1.2 km
Estimated torpedo reaction time8.5 s
detectability / (speed kt x 2.6 community game-speed factor).
Torpedo speed54 kt
Travel time to max range56.8 s
range / (speed kt x 2.6 community game-speed factor).
Tube count16
4 launchers x 4 tubes.
Per-side salvo8 torpedoes
tube count / 2 (symmetric port/starboard launcher layout; common on cruisers and battleships with deck torpedoes).
Full-salvo damage248,528
All tubes hitting one target: tubes x per-torpedo simulated damage = 16 x 15,533 = 248,528.
Per-side salvo damage124,264
One side firing, all torpedoes hitting: per-side tubes x per-torpedo simulated damage = 8 x 15,533 = 124,264.

AA defense

Close-range AA DPS500
Sum across every AA aura on this ship of (aura.continuous_damage x 3.5 x aura.hit_probability). Here: (34×3.5×0.75) + (97×3.5×0.7) + (66×3.5×0.75) = 500. 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 index1939
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 km

Secondary battery dispersion

Secondary dispersion typeImproved (40%, German battlecruiser type)
Max dispersion = range (km) × 33 + 30. Each dispersion type sets its own slope; this is not a percentage applied to a standard baseline.
Max secondary dispersion @ 8 km294 m
8 km × 33 + 30 = 294 m.

Secondary battery firepower

Secondary DPM (per side)276,364
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: 4×2 105 mm (4/side) × 60/4.4 × 1200 = 65,455 + 8×2 105 mm (8/side) × 60/4.4 × 1200 = 130,909 + 8×2 150 mm (8/side) × 60/10.2 × 1700 = 80,000. Assumes every shell hits (real hit rate is lower; the Brawl matchup tool on the Compare page folds in dispersion + target armor).
Max HE alpha1700
Maximum HE damage per shell across secondary HE families. Best on this ship: 1700 from the 150 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 150 mm family.
Max HE pen38 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: 38 mm from the 150 mm family.

Armor Beta

Hull HP 76,100, 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 & stern27 mm

Overmatched by 42+ guns across the bracket. Can’t reliably bow-tank; gets bow-citadelled and overpenned.

Belt / citadel380 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 ballistics tool →

Section Plates HP cap Threats Tactic
Bow27 mm primary (range 27–380 mm)4,000 (5% of HP)
Overmatched by 406mm+ (Delaware, P. Rupprecht)Angle bounces 380mm27 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)150 mm primary (range 30–380 mm)57,100 (75% of HP)
No common caliber overmatches150 mm: no common HE pens
Largest HP pool. Citadel sits behind these plates; thinner deck and side plating absorb the rest.
Stern27 mm primary (range 27–150 mm)2,100 (3% of HP)
Overmatched by 406mm+ (Delaware, P. Rupprecht)Angle bounces 380mm27 mm: HE pens from 203mm+
Mirror of bow. Same fast saturation.
Citadel380 mm primary (range 32–380 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.
Superstructure19 mm4,900 (6% 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 HP38,100 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 (150 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 (55 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.
Rudder (module)separate HP pool, does not drain ship HP22,800 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
Open in Charting Tool

Acceleration and Ballistics Chart

Balance History

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

Nerf ×4Main Battery ×3
2023-11-02

MINISTRY OF BALANCE REPORTS: A FLURRY OF CHANGES

  • "German science is the world's finest!" Schlieffen has extremely high burst damage and significant early game impact in battle. We're reducing the damage output of this ship some so that there is more time to react against her in battle.
  • Main battery reload time increased from 30 to 32 s.
  • Secondary battery 150 mm gun.
  • reload time increased from 8.0 to 10.2 s.
  • Secondary battery 105 mm gun.
  • reload time increased from 3.5 to 4.4 s.
Read the full official post
2023-11-02

November Update: All In Black

  • This time, there are A LOT: Schlieffen nerf (!), Shimakaze nerf (!!), and that's only the start! Read in depth about everything.
Read the full official post
Exteriors

Skins & permanent camouflages

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

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.