The specificity of naval combat is that the water surface is not static, and there is a constant change in the mutual position of ships on the vertical and horizontal axes.
Because the ships’ positions vary, the shots from the guns will hit not at one point, as with a static mutual position of objects, but within a particular area, which can be enclosed in an ellipse.
We also suggest reading the new article: World of Warships Cross-Platform: PCs, Consoles and Mobile Devices.
What is sigma in World of Warships, how it relates to the accuracy of firing, how it is pumped and why it is important will be discussed below.
Why Sigma is not Accuracy
Accuracy measures the probability of hitting a specific target with a fixed position in space and represents a point.
In its physical nature, Sigma in WoWs is the distribution of projectile points when fired from a ship’s gun, considering the vertical and horizontal movements of the attacking ship’s hull.
The dependence of the hit distribution on the Sigma value is as follows:
- as it decreases – the spread increases, and the distribution becomes more uniform over the entire area;
- as it grows – the hits are concentrated closer to the center and become less orderly.
Can the Sigma be Upgrade
There are two ways to pump up the hit scatter value:
- increasing your value;
- decreasing the indicator of enemy ships.
Reducing Dispersion/Increasing Sigma
Reducing projectile dispersion and correspondingly increasing Sigma can be accomplished in several ways:
- By applying upgrades:
- modification 0 of the Guidance System reduces dispersion by 40% for the primary and auxiliary calibers (for Japanese premium cruisers: Katory, Iwaki, Alpha, Yubari);
- modification 1 for the PMC (mine countermeasure caliber) reduces dispersion by 20% for all ships with an auxiliary caliber except destroyers;
- guidance System modification 1 reduces dispersion by 7% and 5% for main caliber (GC) and PMK, respectively;
- Modifications to the Central Gunnery Station for U.S. battleships reduce the scatter of PMC rounds by 5% and 11% for 1 and 2, respectively.
- If the captain has the Unequal Combat skill, projectile dispersion will be reduced by 10% if:
- The number of enemy ships is equal to and more significant than the number of allied ships;
- There are no enemy or allied warships within the firing range.
Increase Dispersion/Decrease Enemy Sigma
You can affect the dispersion of weapon hits on enemy vessels in the following ways:
- By using upgrades to your ships:
- 1 Cloaking System modification increases the dispersion by 5% for all ships except submarines.
- Developing the skills of commanders:
- “Fierce” – will increase dispersion by 5% for each fire on an enemy vessel;
- “Blinding” – increases dispersion by 20% for the first 15 seconds after detection.
Why the Sigma Value is Important
The Sigma value directly affects the percentage of hits on the enemy ship’s hull; the higher it is, the faster the enemy will be defeated.
Increasing the range of shots also improves the dispersion value, so increasing Sigma will give you an advantage and allow you to hit enemies at a greater distance.
What Parameters in World of Warships Affect Accuracy
Shooting Accuracy directly or indirectly depends on the following parameters:
- Distance to the enemy increases/decreases the spread of hits as you move farther away / closer, respectively.
- Increasing the Sigma value makes hits heavier, increasing Accuracy.
- Increasing/decreasing the initial velocity and mass of projectiles shortens/decreases their flight time to the target, respectively, and thus increases or decreases Accuracy.
How to Find Out the Sigma Value for Each Ship in 2024
The game encyclopedia, where enthusiasts have collected information about all project vessels, shows the Sigma value for each ship.
