How It Works

This article collects the How It Works videos published by World of Warships.

Some of the information contained in these videos has become outdated. Where a replacement video is available, it is shown instead of the original. Otherwise, subsequent changes are noted below the link.

How It Works videos

Game Basics

Basics for new players. An introduction to the game. Video and text.

Game Basics for Beginners 13 Aug 2023

The Matchmaker

The Matchmaker 18 Dec 2020

Weapons

HE Shells

Bombs shot from guns!

HE Shells 29-June-2018

5:45 The skill tree was updated in version 0.8.0 and "Inertia Fuse for HE Shells" was changed in 0.9.2
The skill tree was also updated in 0.10.1 but IFHE itself remained unchanged.

SAP Shells

SAP shells explode immediately on penetration, so won't penetrate multi-layer armor.

SAP Shells 17 Feb 2020

Shell Dispersion

Hit that barn !

Firing and Dispersion 18 Aug 2021

Ballistics

What goes up must come down. The question is, on what?

Ballistics 27-Oct-2018

1:41 Information from the Wiki presented in the video may be outdated due to changes made to the game since the video's release.

Torpedoes

Torpedoes 10 Nov 2018

3:16 In Update 0.7.11, the mechanics of torpedoes dealing damage to a destroyed part of a ship were changed. Now, a torpedo hitting a ship in any such part will cause guaranteed 1/10 of the maximum damage.
4:26 Please note that the game interface has been updated since the release of this video

Anti-aircraft Defenses

AA Guns and Fighters 8 Feb 2019

1:22 and 6:47 Upgrades were updated in version 0.9.1. The relevant list of upgrades, their descriptions and correct icons can be seen in the game client and in the Wiki.
2:07 In Update 0.8.7, The mechanics and visualization of the priority AA sector system were updated.
2:25 In Update 0.8.7, the "Manual Fire Control for AA Armament" skill was replaced by the "Massive AA Fire" skill.
5:20 In Update 0.8.5.1, the description of the "Survivability Expert" skill was changed. The HP bonus to planes for each ship Tier of was changed from +15 to +25.

In Update 0.10.0 Commanders' skills were radically changed.

See the Wiki articles Anti-Aircraft Fire and Aircraft.

Armor vs. AP shells

How AP shells interact with armor: armor layers, overmatch, incidence angle, ricochet, normalization, penetration, fuse timing and activation; water impacts.

See 2:45 Tricks and Tips for the in-port Armor Viewer.

Armor 7 June 2019

1:24 Fuso's plating thickness was increased in Update 0.9.2.
9:27 Since Update 0.7.11, high caliber shells deal no more than 10% of their damage to destroyers

Damage

Hit Points

Parts of a ship, the Armor Viewer, how hit points are distributed, how damage is allocated.

Hit Points 10 Feb 2021

Modules

Over-penetration damage; modules and how they are damaged, incapacitated, or destroyed; detonation.

Modules 2 March 2021

Fire

Fire 19 Mar 2020

See the Wiki article Fire.

Flooding

Flooding 16 May 2019

1:30 The flooding damage value of 0.5% is also applied to Puerto Rico and Yoshino.
3:28 Information from the Wiki presented on the video may be out of date due to changes made since the video's release.
3:57 Upgrades were updated in version 0.9.1. The relevant list of upgrades, their descriptions, and correct icons can be seen in the game client.
5:07 Please note that the game interface has been updated since the release of the video.

Upgrades

Upgrades 30 June 2020

2:07 The BFT skill no longer exists. However, there are similar skills.

See the Wiki article Upgrades.

Consumables

Gunship-borne consumables only.

0:30 Damage Control Party
2:46 Repair Party
4:26 Smoke Generators
8:00 Hydro-acoustic Search
9:09 Radar
10:17 Spotting Aircraft
11:41 Catapult Fighters
12:34 Defensive AA Fire
13:24 Spood beast
14:22 Main Battery Reload Booster
15:04 Torpedo Reload Booster

Consumables 17 Aug 2020

See the Wiki article Consumables for more recent information.