Zara
203 mm/53 Model 1927 on a Model 1927 mount4 х 2 pcs. |
Rate of Fire4.14 shots/min. |
Reload Time14.5 sec. |
Rotation Speed7 deg./sec. |
180 Degree Turn Time25.71 sec. |
Firing Range14.65 km. |
Maximum Dispersion144 m. |
Chance of Fire on Target Caused by HE Shell0 % |
AP Shell203 mm proiettili AP 1927 |
Maximum AP Shell Damage4,800 |
Initial AP Shell Velocity900 m./s. |
AP Shell Weight125.3 kg. |
Maximum SAP Shell Damage5,050 |
Initial SAP Shell Velocity900 m./s. |
100 mm/47 Model 1924/27/28 on a Eugenio Minisini mount6 х 2 pcs. |
Firing Range5.6 km. |
Rate of Fire10 shots/min. |
Reload Time6 sec. |
HE Shell100 mm proiettili HE |
Maximum HE Shell Damage1,500 |
Initial HE Shell Velocity850 m./s. |
Chance of Fire on Target Caused by HE Shell6 % |
533 mm tubo lanciasiluri2 х 3 pcs. |
Rate of Fire0.85 shots/min. |
Reload Time71 sec. |
Rotation Speed25 deg./sec. |
180 Degree Turn Time7.2 sec. |
Torpedo533 mm Si 270 M |
Maximum Damage12,667 |
Torpedo Speed51 knot |
Torpedo Range12 km. |
100 mm/47 Model 1924/27/28 on a Eugenio Minisini mount6 х 2 pcs. |
. . . Average Damage per Second39.6 |
. . . Firing Range3.99 km. |
13.2 mm/76 Breda Model 1931 on a twin mount2 х 2 pcs. |
. . . Average Damage per Second8.2 |
. . . Firing Range1.2 km. |
37 mm/54 Model 1938 on a Model 1938 mount4 х 2 pcs. |
. . . Average Damage per Second46.4 |
. . . Firing Range3.51 km. |
20 mm/65 Breda Model 1935 on a Model 1935 mount4 х 2 pcs. |
. . . Average Damage per Second13.6 |
. . . Firing Range2.01 km. |
Maximum Speed32 knot |
Turning Circle Radius580 m. |
Rudder Shift Time13.7 sec. |
Surface Detectability Range13.54 km. |
Air Detectability Range6.98 km. |
Zara — Italian Tier VII cruiser.
Under the 1928–1929 program, four cruisers of the new Zara class featuring a 150 mm armor belt were to be built to counter the French cruisers, which had 203 mm artillery. Lead ship Zara was laid down in 1929. Three years later, she entered service and became the flagship of the 1st Squadron. The cruiser led the cover of the Italian landing force in Durres. During World War II, she participated in the battle near Punta Stilo, where she was attacked by her own air force. In a battle near Cape Matapan, Zara was attacked by British forces and sunk by destroyer HMS Jervis.
Modules
Compatible Upgrades
Slot 1 |
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Slot 2 |
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Slot 3 |
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Slot 4 |
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Player Opinion
Performance
Refer to the in-game Port screens for more useful data.
Like the rest of the Italian heavy cruisers, Zara's defining traits are her SAP ammunition, good maneuverability, and Exhaust Smoke Generator consumable. Captains familiar with her immediate predecessor Trento's playstyle will learn Zara's play style quickly.
Firepower
When looking at visible statistics, Zara and her predecessor barely differ. Both use a 203mm main battery in a 4x2 layout, and both share the same torpedoes mounted three to a side. These differences in firepower are expected, given the increased tier: a slight increase in alpha damage, a 0.5s decrease in reload, and a 7% increase in DPM and shell velocity.
This isn't to say that Zara's damage is spectacular for the tier. Indeed, the only reason why her AP DPM isn't the worst in tier is because her sister ship Gorizia has a half-second worse reload. However, given the anemic damage output of their AP, it rarely sees use, with the exception of broadside cruisers at a range close enough to guarantee citadels.
More important for her damage output is saturated SAP DPM. Unfortunately, Zara lacks here as well. Permanent fires generally contribute just under half of a cruiser's sustained damage, so even Indianapolis out-damages Zara with just a single blaze. As such, although Zara may see hefty initial salvos, finishing off kiting battleships is an excruciating task without fires to hasten the demise.
Finally, despite having the exact same torpedoes as Trento, they still are worth noting as an option. Due to their 51 knot speed and 7.5 second reaction time, actual hits may prove rare, but a single hit will deal enough damage to cripple unwary destroyers in smoke, and a full set can execute a severely damaged battleship in a drive-by –or guarantee a trade, if cornered.
Defenses
As with Trento, Zara's best defense is dodging. Her defenses are slightly better, with upper belt armor strengthened enough to improve kiting ability. If sufficiently angled, the 30mm upper belt can even bounce the 16" shells found on Montana. However, this isn't damage immunity. 25mm deck armor still allows overmatch penetrations from most battleships in her matchmaking spread. Furthermore, 16mm bow/aft plating leaves the ship vulnerable to battleship penetrations and citadels.
In addition to these armor changes, Zara trades three knots of maximum speed for a 50m smaller turning circle. Her concealment is improved as well, with a fully upgraded detection of 12.19 km to Trento's 12.66 km. Still, despite the improvement, most cruisers (and some battleships) will still outspot her. Finally, her fully-upgraded health pool increases by 2,600 to 37,100 without Survivability Expert, which puts her above most cruisers in her tier.
Utility
Like the rest of her line, Zara has access to the Italian Exhaust Smoke Generator


Pros:
- Great maneuverability for kiting, with an overmatch-resistant upper belt
- Excellent alpha-strike potential on lightly armored targets and superstructure
- Great gun handling (angles and ballistics) with good range
- Good AP Penetration High health pool for a Tier VII cruiser
- Access to Exhaust Smoke for pushes and turnouts
- Has torpedoes for self-defense and occasional hits
- Acceptable anti-air firepower
Cons:
- Poor sustained DPM on saturated targets
- No HE ammo and thus lower efficiency against armored/angled/bow in targets
- Poor concealment (12.19 km fully upgraded)
- Lack of Hydroacoustic Search
makes pushing into concealed destroyers challenging
Research
Availability of researchable upgrades for Zara is as follows:
- Hull: Increases health by 4400 in addition to improved armor and anti-air defenses. Unlocks progression to Amalfi.
- Gun Fire Control System: Increases main battery range from 14.1km to 16.1km.
Optimal Configuration
Upgrades
The recommended upgrades for Zara are as follows:
- Slot 1: Main Armaments Modification 1
or Spotting Aircraft Modification 1
- Slot 2: Engine Room Protection
- Slot 3: Aiming Systems Modification 1
- Slot 4: Steering Gears Modification 1
or Propulsion Modification 1
Commander Skills
Like the rest of the line, Zara captain builds do not require many skill points for effectiveness. Like many other cruisers, the first ten points go to Expert Loader, Priority Target, Superintendent, and Concealment Expert. After that, prioritize Adrenaline Rush and Survivability Expert in that order. The five remaining points can go to the player's choice of recommended skills. However, due to the ship's good maneuverability, players should strongly consider Incoming Fire Alert.
Experienced captains can switch Priority Target for an alternative, though at least one of Incoming Fire Alert and Priority Target remain the recommended build.
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Cost (points) |
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1 |
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2 |
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3 |
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4 |
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Key: ★★★ - Extremely Useful ★★ - Frequently Useful ★ - Occasionally Useful No stars - Not Useful |
Consumables
Zara can equip the following consumables:
- Slot 1: Damage Control Party
- Slot 2: Exhaust Smoke Generator
– 2 charges
- Slot 3: Catapult Fighter
– 3 charges or Spotting Aircraft
– 4 charges
- Slot 4: Submarine Surveillance
– 3 charges
Signals
Recommended Signal Flags ![]() | |||||
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Combat | |||||
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Gallery
Historical Info
Historical Gallery
References
Ship Change Log
See here for links to Update notes.
- Available for testing by supertesters in the game starting from Update 0.8.7.
Testing Changes
- July 23, 2019:
- Preliminary characteristics.
- Aug 20, 2019:
- Removed the 10% damage limit for semi-armor-piercing shell penetrations against destroyers.
- Improved ricochet angles of semi-armor-piercing shells from 60-85 degrees to 80-85 degrees.
- Stock main battery firing range increased from 14.32 to 14.65 km.
- Aug 23, 2019:
- Ricochet angles for SAP shells changed from 80-85 degrees to 75-80 degrees.
- Sep 13, 2019:
- Ricochet angles for SAP shells changed from 75-80 degrees to 65-80 degrees.
- Main battery reload time decreased from 15 to 14.5 s.
- Action time of Exhaust Smoke Generator increased from 25 to 40 s.
- Detectability by air decreased from 7.52 to 6.98 km.
- Update 0.8.9:
- Available by completing a combat mission from the Italian Cruisers container during the Italian Cruisers event.
- Update 0.8.10:
- Added to the tech tree.
- The starting ricochet angle for a semi-armor-piercing shell was increased from 65 to 70 degrees.
- Update 0.9.2:
- The armor thickness was changed: the central section was reinforced from 16 to 25 mm.
- Update 0.9.4:
- Minor fixes to textures and ship model.
- Update 0.9.5:
- Small changes to geometry and textures.
- Update 0.9.6:
- Fixed a bug due to which the names of the rear and frontal plates of the main battery turrets were reversed.
- Update 0.10.0:
- The firing range of the secondary battery was increased to 5.6 km.
- Update 12.5:
- The Smoke Generator Modification 1 upgrade can now be mounted in slot 3.
- Update 13.0:
- Fixed Commander skill recommendations for the ship.
- Update 13.1:
- Removed Depth Charges.
- Added Depth Charge Airstrike with the following characteristics:
- Range: 6 km.
- Reload: 25 s.
- Number of charges: 2.
- Number of aircraft: 1.
- Number of bombs per aircraft: 1.
- Damage: 3,400.
- Added the Submarine Surveillance consumable with the following characteristics:
- Range: 6 km.
- Reload: 120 s.
- Number of charges: 3.
- Action time: 20 s.
Destroyers | II Curtatone • III Nazario Sauro • IV Turbine • V Maestrale • VI Aviere • VI Leone![]() ![]() ![]() |
Cruisers | I Eritrea • II Nino Bixio • III Taranto • IV Alberto di Giussano • V Raimondo Montecuccoli • V Genova![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Battleships | IV Dante Alighieri • V Conte di Cavour • V Giulio Cesare![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Aircraft Carriers | VIII Aquila![]() |