Wargaming's World of Warships fields several hundred warships from more than a dozen navies in 12 versus 12 random battles. Tiers run from I to X with superships such as Satsuma and Annapolis sitting above them, and five classes share every map: destroyers, cruisers, battleships, aircraft carriers and submarines. Shells take ten seconds or more to arrive at long range, so the skill sits in prediction and positioning rather than reflexes.
Your choice of weapons defines your damage output and playstyle. This guide ranks every major option, explains what makes each one strong, and tells you which builds they pair best with.
Weapons Rankings
| Weapon | Tier | Best For | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Armor piercing shells | S | Battleships and cruisers punishing an enemy that has turned broadside | Fuse on impact with thick plate and detonate inside for citadel damage. |
| High explosive shells | A | Cruisers pressuring bow on battleships and anyone shooting at destroyers | Deal reliable chip damage regardless of angle and set fires, with penetration equal to one sixth of calibre for most nations and one quarter for German large calibre guns. |
| Torpedoes | A | Destroyers denying an area and cruisers ambushing around islands | Slow, invisible until they get close, and devastating in a stack. |
| Secondary batteries | B | Brawling battleships that intend to close inside 8 kilometres | Automatic short range guns that fire without input, most dangerous on German battleships such as Grosser Kurfürst where a dedicated build extends their range considerably. |
| Carrier squadrons | B | Finding hidden destroyers and finishing low health ships that have broken off | Rocket planes, dive bombers and torpedo bombers flown directly, one attack run at a time, with the rest of the squadron circling. |
S-Tier: Armor piercing shells
Fuse on impact with thick plate and detonate inside for citadel damage. They overpenetrate lightly armoured destroyers, so they are wasted on anything that is not showing side armour.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | S |
| Best For | Battleships and cruisers punishing an enemy that has turned broadside |
| Key Mechanic | Concealment and spotting |
| Recommended Role | Destroyer |
How to get it: Available from mid-game onward. See our walkthrough for the exact progression point.
Best builds using Armor piercing shells: Pairs naturally with Destroyer thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
A-Tier: High explosive shells
Deal reliable chip damage regardless of angle and set fires, with penetration equal to one sixth of calibre for most nations and one quarter for German large calibre guns.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | A |
| Best For | Cruisers pressuring bow on battleships and anyone shooting at destroyers |
| Key Mechanic | Angling and overmatch |
| Recommended Role | Cruiser |
How to get it: Accessible in the early-to-mid game. Check our maps guide for the location.
Best builds using High explosive shells: Pairs naturally with Cruiser thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
A-Tier: Torpedoes
Slow, invisible until they get close, and devastating in a stack. Range varies from 8 kilometres on fast Japanese mounts up to 20 kilometres on Shimakaze's long range option.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | A |
| Best For | Destroyers denying an area and cruisers ambushing around islands |
| Key Mechanic | Fires and flooding |
| Recommended Role | Battleship |
How to get it: Accessible in the early-to-mid game. Check our maps guide for the location.
Best builds using Torpedoes: Pairs naturally with Battleship thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
B-Tier: Secondary batteries
Automatic short range guns that fire without input, most dangerous on German battleships such as Grosser Kurfürst where a dedicated build extends their range considerably.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | B |
| Best For | Brawling battleships that intend to close inside 8 kilometres |
| Key Mechanic | Consumables |
| Recommended Role | Aircraft carrier |
How to get it: Found in later areas. Our walkthrough covers when you can access this.
Best builds using Secondary batteries: Pairs naturally with Aircraft carrier thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
B-Tier: Carrier squadrons
Rocket planes, dive bombers and torpedo bombers flown directly, one attack run at a time, with the rest of the squadron circling. They also spot for the whole team, which is often worth more than the damage.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | B |
| Best For | Finding hidden destroyers and finishing low health ships that have broken off |
| Key Mechanic | Capture points |
| Recommended Role | Submarine |
How to get it: Found in later areas. Our walkthrough covers when you can access this.
Best builds using Carrier squadrons: Pairs naturally with Submarine thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
Weapons Progression Path
The order you should acquire weapons as you progress:
- Starting gear → Enough to clear Two Brothers
- High explosive shells → Your first real upgrade, available early
- Torpedoes → Mid-game upgrade with good scaling
- Armor piercing shells → Best-in-slot, aim for this by late game
- Upgrade to max → The power spike from max upgrades is enormous
Weapons Tips
- Always upgrade your primary weapon before diversifying. One strong option beats three mediocre ones.
- Match your weapons to your build's stat priorities for maximum scaling.
- Angle matters more than armour thickness. Pointing your bow within about 30 degrees of an incoming battleship turns almost every armour piercing shell into a bounce, while showing full broadside at the same range gives up citadel hits worth a third of your health.
- Check our tier list for how weapons rankings affect overall build effectiveness.
More World of Warships Guides
- World of Warships World of Warships Overview
- World of Warships Best Builds
- World of Warships Tier List
- World of Warships Walkthrough
- World of Warships Beginner's Guide
- World of Warships Tips & Tricks
- World of Warships Combat Guide
- World of Warships Boss Guide
- World of Warships Maps & Locations
- World of Warships Crafting Guide
- World of Warships Classes & Characters
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