When playing World of Warships, it’s normal to occasionally feel like you’re underpowered and underperforming. No, it’s not all in your head! As you get better at the game, you’ll face players who are not only more skilled, but they’ve also got better ships.
Their ships are better for one simple reason: they know how to upgrade ships in World of Warships. Your ships can be modified and tweaked for improved combat effectiveness. That could mean more accurate guns, stealthier movement, or harder hitting batteries — whatever fits your play style and ship type.
This guide will cover everything you need to know about how to upgrade ships in World of Warships. We’ll show you where to go to enhance your modules, and also give you a few recommendations for modules that you should prioritize.
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Understanding ship Upgrades
Upgrades are special equipment that can be mounted to your ship to enhance its combat abilities. As you move up the ship tiers, you’ll gain access to newer, more powerful upgrades. There are also Upgrades that are unique to specific nations, ship types, or ship models.
Upgrades only become available at Access Level 9. That means you must have completed at least 15 battles.
You can only have one Upgrade mounted to each slot on your ship, and Upgrades can only be mounted to the appropriate slot type. Once mounted, you must pay 25 Doubloons to demount it and have it returned to your Inventory.
Upgrade types
There are three types of Upgrades in World of Warships:
- Base Upgrades are ship Upgrades that can be purchased from the in-game shop for Credits. You may also get Base Upgrades as rewards for completing certain challenges or missions.
- Special Upgrades are Upgrades that enhance the effect of Consumables. Special Upgrades are purchased from the Armory for Coal.
- Unique Upgrades (or “Legendary” upgrades) are Upgrades focused on role specialization. Unique Upgrades may demand a change in the way you play the ship if you want to get the most out of them. These are only available for Tier X ships.
How to upgrade your ship in WoWs
Follow these steps to mount an Upgrade to your ship:
- Go to your Port and click the Equipment button.
- Choose the slot that you want to mount an Upgrade to.
- Choose the Upgrade that you want to mount to that slot.
What Upgrades should I get?
There are so many possible Upgrades that it can be overwhelming to a new player. Which ones should you get? Which ones can you safely ignore?
There is no one Upgrade loadout that works for every player. Someone who prefers to sit in Smoke and attack from concealment will prioritize different Upgrades from a player who likes to get in the middle of a brawl. This can give newer players real option paralysis!
The good part about this system is that it allows granular tweaking to fit your own personal needs as a Commander. With time and a bit of patience, you can tinker until you’ve found a combination of Upgrades that suits your play style best.
If you’re just getting into the Upgrades system in World of Warships, here are some general purpose Upgrades that you may want to consider mounting to your ship:
- Concealment System Modification I — Reduces your detectability radius by 10% and adds 5% dispersion to enemy shells fired toward your ship. Stacks with other concealment skills. We’ve talked about how important Camouflage and Concealment are in World of Warships — there’s no such thing as too much Concealment!
- Main Armaments Modification 1 — Reduces the chance of your main batteries becoming incapacitated.
- Aiming Systems Modification 1 — Increases main battery traverse speed and reduces dispersion on your main battery shells. It’s hard topass up faster and more accurate shooting (read our guide on the difference between sigma and accuracy in WoWs).
- Damage Control System Modification 1 — Reduces the risk of flooding and fires.
Knowing how to upgrade ships in World of Warships is critical knowledge for any player looking to get better at the game. There’s no other system in the game that allows for this type of flexibility and customizability. With the right Upgrades, you can make your ship feel and play exactly how you want.
Remember that Upgrades are just one way to enhance your ship’s combat ability. To really maximize your ship’s effectiveness when engaging in combat, your Upgrades must synergize with the Consumables you use and the module enhancements you pick. But that’s all part of the fun of playing World of Warships!