Everything You Need to Know About Commanders

Our game has featured many different Commanders throughout its development. Commanders offer you a way to reinforce your ships by improving their specifications and adding valuable bonuses. Commanders are nation-bound and can be assigned only to the corresponding ships.

To unlock Commanders, newcomers to World of Warships will need to play 11 battles. In this article, we'll remind you what Commanders XP and skills are, and list the unique Commanders that you can obtain in the game by completing various missions, finishing Campaigns, assembling Collections, or by exchanging resources for them in the Armory.


[h2]Commander XP[/h2]

• Commanders earn XP in battle. Upon accumulating a certain amount of XP, they receive a skill point that can be spent on their training.
  
• The more ship XP you earn in battle, the more XP that will go to your Commander. Use signals and camouflages to accelerate the XP-earning process.
  
• Once a Commander has the maximum number of skills, all the XP they earn becomes Elite XP.
  
• Elite Commander XP can be converted into Free XP, spent on resetting skills, or used to train other Commanders.
  
• Commanders are always specialized for a specific ship. If you assign them to another researchable ship, you won't be able to profit from all the bonuses they provide at once—some skills will have 50% efficiency, while others will stop working entirely.
  
• If you reassign a Commander to a Premium or Special ship, they won't require additional retraining. All the skills you've learned will function at maximum efficiency, regardless of the number of skill points.
  
• If you reassign a Commander to a researchable ship, they'll need to earn a certain amount of XP on the new ship in order to use all of their skills effectively. You can also do it instantaneously for doubloons, skip halfway for credits, or spend Elite Commander XP on doing it.

[h2]Commander Skills[/h2]
Commander skills improve ship parameters and provide you with new possibilities.

• In total, the skill matrix has four lines, according to the number of points you need to research a certain skill, from 1–4.
  
• Skills are learned sequentially: in order to learn a skill in the fourth line, you need to learn at least one skill from all the preceding lines first.
  
• You can learn any number of skills, as long as you have enough points.
  
• Some skills are more effective on specific ships.
  
• Are you dissatisfied with you current Commander skills? You can redistribute them in exchange for Elite Commander XP or doubloons. The cost depends on the number of skill points you reset.
  
• The maximum possible number of skill points is 19.

[h2]Unique Commanders[/h2]
[h3]Features of Unique Commanders[/h3]

• They can be obtained by completing various missions, finishing Campaigns, assembling collections, or by exchanging resources for them in the Armory.
  
• They are displayed in Port with a special ribbon.
  
• They have improved skills—enhanced versions of standard skills that are displayed with a "+" icon in the matrix. In order to use a special skill, you first need to learn it.

[h3]List of Unique Commanders[/h3]

• Franz von Jütland
• Reinhard von Jütland

[h3]Skills[/h3]

• Vigilance: +35% to the acquisition range of torpedoes by sea (by default: +25%)
  
• Jack of All Trades −10% to the reload time of all mounted consumables (by default: −5%)

• Vasiliy Znamensky
• Viktor Znamensky

[h3]Skills[/h3]

• Preventive Maintenance: −45% (by default: −30%) to the risk of module incapacitation
  
• Expert Marksman:
  • +3 deg/s to the traverse speed of guns with a caliber up to and including 139 mm (by default: +2.5 deg/s)
    
  • +1 deg/s to the traverse speed of guns with a caliber above 139 mm (by default: +0.7 deg/s)
• High Alert: −20% (by default: −10%) to the reload time of the Damage Control Party consumable

• George Doe
• John Doe

[h3]Skills[/h3]

• Expert Loader: −75% to the reload time of guns when switching shell types (by default: −50%)
  
• Expert Marksman:
  
  • +3 deg/s to the traverse speed of guns with a caliber up to and including 139 mm (by default: +2.5 deg/s)
    
  • +1 deg/s to the traverse speed of guns with a caliber above 139 mm (by default: +0.7 deg/s)

• Bert Dunkirk
• Jack Dunkirk

[h3]Skills[/h3]

• Jack of All Trades −10% to the reload time of all consumables mounted on your ship and squadrons (by default: −5%)
  
• Expert Marksman:
  • +3 deg/s to the traverse speed of guns with a caliber up to and including 139 mm (by default: +2.5 deg/s)
    
  • +1 deg/s to the traverse speed of guns with a caliber above 139 mm (by default: +0.7 deg/s)
• Smoke Screen Expert: +30% to the radius of smoke screens (by default: +20%)

• Quán Róng
• Dà Róng

[h3]Skills[/h3]

• Demolition Expert:
  • +3% to the chance of setting fire to a target when hitting it with HE shells (by default: +2%)
    
  • +2% to the chance of setting fire to a target when hitting it with rockets (by default: +1%)
    
  • +6% to the chance of setting fire to a target when hitting it with HE bombs (by default: +5%)
• Survivability Expert
  • +400 HP for each ship tier (by default: +350)
    
  • +30 aircraft hit points for each tier of the ship (by default: +15)

• Charles-Henri Honoré
• Jean-Jacques Honoré

[h3]Skills[/h3]

• Adrenaline Rush:
  • –0.25% to the reload time of main battery guns, torpedo tubes, and secondary armament for each 1% of HP lost (by default: –0.2%)
    
  • +0,25% to squadron speed for each 1% of HP lost (by default: +0.2%)
• Expert Marksman:
  • +3 deg/s to the traverse speed of guns with a caliber up to and including 139 mm (by default: +2.5 deg/s)
    
  • +1 deg/s to the traverse speed of guns with a caliber above 139 mm (by default: +0.7 deg/s)

All the Commanders listed above can be obtained from the Armory in exchange for resources. Jean-Jacques Honoré and Jack Dunkirk can be earned by assembling the Vive la France! and Dunkirk collections.

[h2]Unique Historical Commanders[/h2]
[h3]Features of unique historical Commanders[/h3]

• Once you meet specific requirements during a battle, a talent will kick in and remain active until the end of that battle.
  
• Apart from their talents, unique historical Commanders have bonuses for some skills.
  
• They boast special decorative personalization features: alternative colors for main battery shell tracers, a broad pennant, and a signal flare or firework that gets launched when one of their talents activates.

[h3]List of Unique Historical Commanders[/h3]

• Günter Lütjens

[h3]Skills[/h3]

• Preventive Maintenance: –45% to the risk of modules being incapacitated (by default: –30%)
  
• Expert Marksman: +1 deg/s to the traverse speed of guns with a caliber above 139 mm; +3 deg/s to the traverse speed of guns with a caliber up to and including 139 mm (by default: +0.7 deg/s and +2.5 deg/s)
  
• Improved Engine Boost +12.5% to the engine boost action time for the aircraft carrier's squadrons (by default: +10%)

[h3]Talents[/h3]

• Secondary Armament Expert: upon earning 100 "Secondary battery hits" ribbons, the secondary battery reload time reduces by 15%. This talent can be activated only once per battle
  
• Iron Strike: upon earning 140 "Main battery hits" ribbons, the main battery reload time reduces by 7.5%. This talent can be activated only once per battle
  
• Exemplary Reconnaissance: upon earning three "Spotted" ribbons restores 300 HP of your ship per second. The action time is equal to the tier of your ship (i.e. 3 seconds for Tier III ships; 10 seconds for Tier X ships). This talent can be activated multiple times
  
• Air Superiority: Upon earning 30 "Rocket hits," "Bomb hits," or "Torpedo Hits" ribbons, aircraft servicing speeds up by 10%. This talent can be activated only once per battle

Commander Günther Lütjens is available in the Armory for 175,000 Coal.

• Nikolay Kuznetsov

[h3]Skills[/h3]

• Jack of All Trades −10% to the reload time of all consumables mounted on your ship and aircraft (by default: −5%)

[h3]Talents[/h3]

• Emergency Reserve: upon earning the "First Blood" achievement, a ship with Nikolay Kuznetsov at her helm receives one additional charge for all mounted consumables until the end of the battle
  
• Will to Victory: when the ship's HP is below 10%, it provides the following bonuses for 30 seconds: Damage Control Party activates without spending a charge of the consumable; Repair Party kicks in and restores up to 7.5% of the ship's HP (again, without using a charge of the consumable); the dispersion of shells fired by enemy ships at you increases by 20%

Commander Nikolay Kuznetsov is available in the Armory for 175,000 Coal.

• Yamamoto Isoroku

[h3]Skills[/h3]

• Preventive Maintenance: −45% (by default: −30%) to the risk of module incapacitation
  
• Expert Marksman:
  • +3 deg/s to the traverse speed of guns with a caliber up to and including 139 mm (by default: +2.5 deg/s)
    
  • +1 deg/s to the traverse speed of guns with a caliber above 139 mm (by default: +0.7 deg/s)

[h3]Talents[/h3]

• Concealed Reserves upon earning the "First Blood" achievement, a ship with Yamamoto Isoroku at her helm receives one additional charge for all mounted consumables until the end of the battle
  
• Second Wind upon earning the "Kraken Unleashed!" achievement, a ship with Yamamoto Isoroku at her helm receives the following bonuses until the end of the battle: –16% to the reload time of torpedo tubes and aircraft servicing time; –34% to the main battery reload time. Additionally, the ship has up to 48% of its base HP restored in 120 seconds

Commander Yamomoto Isoroku can be earned by completing the "Yamamoto Isoroku" Campaign.

• William F. Halsey Jr

[h3]Skills[/h3]

• Expert Loader: −75% to the reload time of guns when switching shell types (by default: −50%)
  
• Expert Marksman:
  • +3 deg/s to the traverse speed of guns with a caliber up to and including 139 mm (by default: +2.5 deg/s)
    
  • +1 deg/s to the traverse speed of guns with a caliber above 139 mm (by default: +0.7 deg/s)

[h3]Talents[/h3]

• "Hit Hard!": upon earning the "Confederate" achievement, a ship with Halsey on board receives the following bonuses until the end of the battle: –20% to aircraft servicing time; –20% to main battery reload time; and –10% to the reload time of her torpedo tubes
  
• "Hit Fast!": upon earning the "Double Strike" achievement, a ship with Halsey on board receives –10% to her basic visibility (the effect stacks if you earn several "Double Strikes" in a battle)

Commander William F. Halsey Jr can be earned for finishing the "Hit Hard! Hit Fast! Hit Often!" Campaign.

• Luigi Sansonetti

[h3]Skills[/h3]

• Expert Loader: −75% to the reload time of guns when switching shell type (by default: −50%)
  
• Torpedo Acceleration:
  • +7 knots to the speed of shipborne and airborne torpedoes (by default: +5 knots)
    
  • −20% to the ship's torpedo range

[h3]Talents[/h3]

• Scorched by Fury upon earning the "Confederate" achievement, the main battery reload time is reduced by 15%
  
• Triumphant Haul: upon destroying an enemy ship, the range of the main battery guns increases by 8%. The talent can be activated only once per battle
  
• Desperate Resistance: activates after you score 100 "Main battery shell hit" ribbons, and prolongs the action time of all consumables by 10%. This talent can be activated only once per battle

Commander Luigi Sansonetti can be earned by assembling the Resolute and Rapid collection. We plan to make containers of this collection available in exchange for resources in the Armory in Update 0.9.4.

• Philippe Auboyneau

[h3]Skills[/h3]

• Survivability Expert
  • +400 HP for each ship tier (by default: +350)
    
  • +30 aircraft hit points for each tier of the ship (by default: +15)

[h3]Talents[/h3]

• Sparks of Resistance: upon earning a "Captured" or "Assisted in capture" ribbon, you get +1% to the probability of setting an enemy ship on fire with main battery shells
  
• Fully Armed: upon earning the "Devastating Strike" achievement, the main battery and torpedo tube reload time is reduced by 5%
  
• Speed and Composure: increases the maximum speed of your ship by 8% for every 2,000,000 potential damage scored

Commander Philippe Auboyneau is available in the Armory in exchange for 175,000 Coal.

• Andrew Cunningham

[h3]Skills[/h3]

• Jack of All Trades −10% to the reload time of all consumables mounted on your ship and squadrons (by default: −5%)
  
• Aircraft Armor: reduces the continuous damage dealt by AA defenses by 11.5% (by default: 10%)

[h3]Talents[/h3]

• Lightning Fast: the speed of your ship and your squadrons increases by 5% after scoring two "Caused flooding" ribbons
  
• Consumables Expert: the number of consumable charges for your ship increases by one after destroying two enemy ships
  
• "Sink, Burn, Destroy!": the reload time of your ship’s main battery guns and torpedo launchers, as well as aircraft servicing time, reduces by 10% after earning the Witherer achievement

We plan to make Andrew Cunningham available in the Armory in Update 0.9.7.