Combat
Combat is a major component of the game in Kantai Collection. Combat is accessed through the Sortie menu by selecting a map to send a fleet. Multiple mechanics weave together to create an intricate combat dynamic. For more detailed explanations on the various combat mechanics, please see the individual pages below. Exercises also consist of one surface combat.
Combat Phases
On each node, combat will consist of several "Combat Phases". The number of combat phases depends on the node type, with each node type using a different set of combat phases and order.
- See Nodes for more details.
- Using a Combined Fleet will also affect the phases, especially during the shelling.
The combat phases are made out of:
☀ Day Battle | Night Battle | ||
---|---|---|---|
Detection |
Aerial Combat | Surface Combat | |
Formation Selection
If the fleet currently deployed has 4 or more ships, the player will be prompted to pick a fleet formation before every battle. Fleets with 3 or less ships will not have a fleet formation prompt and will default to Line Ahead.
- Sunk ships and ships evacuated with a Command Facility
are not counted. - Diamond Formation requires 5 or more ships present in the fleet to be selected.
- Enemy fleets do not have these restrictions. Enemy fleets in Diamond formation with fewer than 4 ships lack formation graphics on the battle screen.
Combined Fleets have special formations that differ from the standard single fleet ones.
Formation | Shelling | Torpedo | Anti-Submarine | Night Battle | AA | Flagship Protection | Notes | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Damage | Accuracy | Evasion | Damage | Accuracy | Evasion | Damage | Accuracy | Evasion | Damage | Accuracy[1] | Evasion | |||||
Line Ahead 単縦陣 (Tanjuu-jin?) |
100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 60% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 45% | ||
Double Line 複縦陣 (Fukujuu-jin?) |
80% | 120%[2] | 100% | 80% | 80% | 100% | 80% | 120% | 100% | 100% | 90% | 100% | 120% | 60% | ||
Diamond 輪形陣 (Rinkei-jin?) |
70% | 100% | 110% | 70% | 40% | 110% | 120% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 70% | 100% | 160% | 75% | ||
Echelon 梯形陣 (Teikei-jin?) |
75% | 120% | 140%[3] | 60% | 75%[4][5] | 130% | 110% | 120% | 140%[6] | 100% | 90%[7] | 130%[7] | 100% | 60% | Single vs Single fleet battles | |
60% | 120% | 60% | 100% | 80% | 110% | Single vs Combined fleet battles (either way)[8] | ||||||||||
Line Abreast 単横陣 (Tan'ou-jin?) |
60% | 120% | 130% | 60% | 30% | 140% | 130% | 120% | 110% | 100% | 80% | 120% | 100% | 60% | ||
Vanguard[9] 警戒陣 (Keikai-jin?) |
50% | 80%[10] | See below |
100% | 70%[11] | See below |
100% | ?? | See below |
50% | ?? | See below |
110% | Medium | Upper half of the fleet | |
100% | 120% | 100% | 90% | 60% | ?? | 100% | ?? | 110% | High | Bottom half of the fleet |
Accuracy Exceptions | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Formation | Day Shelling & Carrier Attacks |
Torpedo Attacks | ASW | Night Battles |
Vanguard (Both) vs DD[12] | additional 110% | additional 120% | ? | ? |
Double Line vs Line Abreast | 100% | N/A | 100% | N/A |
Echelon vs Line Ahead | ||||
Line Abreast vs Echelon |
- Notes
- Exact values were datamined from KanColle Kai for the Vita. Testing on the browser version has corroborated these results.
- Values for Vanguard and the new Echelon are vague as they weren't introduced for KanColle Kai.
- ↑ Measured and corroborated with Vita values.
- ↑ Source: 半製造BSアレコレ雑記帳 /「艦これ」砲撃命中率について・複縦陣 中間報告 (Dec 5, 2014). Corroborated with Vita values.
- ↑ https://twitter.com/Xe_UCH/status/1304783506275409920
- ↑ https://twitter.com/Divinity__123/status/1177455647593353217
- ↑ https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1L854d9MjPHc4yNELEp1oRz029-LHz2aMRF089_MO2vo/edit#gid=1875509487
- ↑ https://twitter.com/Divinity_123/status/1453371977020985353
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 https://twitter.com/Divinity__123/status/1228686473119064066
- ↑ https://github.com/Tibowl/KCBugTracker/issues/24#issuecomment-872108225
- ↑ https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/14uCat5nahv3A0Zq6d263Ye3U_f1nBYpIMEc9ALegyNA/edit#gid=0
- ↑ https://twitter.com/Divinity_123/status/1452289616866947081
- ↑ https://twitter.com/Divinity_123/status/1457819658090844163
- ↑ Has even greater bonuses against PT Imps (see here)
Flagship Protection
Flagship Protection is when a non-flagship protects the flagship from being targeted by receiving the attack instead. When activated, a "curved shield" animation plays in front of the flagship's banner.
- In Combined Fleets, the escort flagship does not receive flagship protection in day battles.
- See Flagship Protection for more dedails.
Vanguard Formation
Vanguard is only available during Events, and is usable on any map during this time.
- The modifiers on Vanguard Formation refer respectively to the "upper half" and "bottom half" of the fleet.
- For a fleet with 6 or 7 ships, the top row applies to ships 1 to 3, and the bottom row applies to the remaining ships.
- For a fleet with 4 or 5 ships, the top row applies to ships 1 and 2 and the bottom row applies to the remaining ships.
- Damage and accuracy of Support Fleets are affected by the top row multipliers, meaning the 50% damage modifier is applied.
Vanguard gives an accuracy penalty to the opposite fleet. See here for more details.
The bottom half ships have an increased chance to be targeted.
- The targeting is determined as follows:
- 1. Target a ship from the fleet.
- 2. If the selected ship is an upper half ship, target a ship from the fleet again.[1]
- Target rate based on the above procedure (without other factor):
Target Rate | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Fleet position | Number of ships | |||
4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | |
1 | 12,50% | 8,00% | 8,33% | 6,13% |
2 | 12,50% | 8,00% | 8,33% | 6,13% |
3 | 37,50% | 28,00% | 8,33% | 6,13% |
4 | 37,50% | 28,00% | 25,00% | 20,40% |
5 | 28,00% | 25,00% | 20,40% | |
6 | 25,00% | 20,40% | ||
7 | 20,40% |
Choosing a Formation
When selecting a formation, its modifiers will be applied to the entirety of the next battle node whenever applicable. Picking another formation will discard any previous formation bonuses and penalties and use the new modifiers instead. Each formation has a general use-case archetype based on its modifiers.
- Line Ahead: All-out surface combat formation.
- Double Line: All-around, high accuracy formation.
- Diamond: Anti-Air formation.
- Echelon: Mixed surface-ASW combat formation.
- Line Abreast: ASW formation.
- Vanguard: Defensive/evasive & anti DD/PT Imp formation (event only).
- Combined Fleet has other formations.
Other mechanics available on this menu:
- This UI can be hidden by clicking once or twice on the flagship, to see the map.
- The Enemy composition preview once hidden.
- The smoke screen button if a Smoke Generator is equiped in the fleet.
Victory Conditions
Once the battle ended, a damage gauge is displayed on the post-combat screen for each allied and enemy fleet, using the following calculation:
Gamage Gauge Formula | |
---|---|
| |
|
The following conditions must be met to attain each rank:
Victory State | Rank | Common name | Conditions |
---|---|---|---|
Victory | Total Victory: S (完全勝利S) |
Perfect S |
|
Victory: S (勝利S) |
S rank |
| |
Victory: A (勝利A) |
A rank |
| |
Tactical Victory: B (戦術的勝利B) |
B rank |
| |
Defeat | Tactical Defeat: C (戦術的敗北C) |
C Rank |
|
Defeat: D (敗北D) |
D rank |
| |
Defeat: E (敗北E) |
E rank |
|
- Notes
- B-ranks are the minimum victory requirements for:
- Obtaining drops.
- Clearing a map without a boss gauge.
- Drops (both rate and pool) scale based on rank obtained. Some drops might be exclusive to higher ranks.
- Perfect S (Total Victory) ranks count as a regular S-Rank.
- Perfect S is fulfilled if all ships' final HPs on battle ended is greater than or equal to initial HPs on battle started.
- So it is possible to obtain a perfect S if the only damaged ship has used a Repair Goddess in battle, and her final HP is still greater than or equal to her initial.
MVP
At the end of combat, one girl is picked as the MVP. She gains exp and morale bonuses. For more details, please see Experience and Rank and Morale and Fatigue.
The way MVP is determined is:
- The girl who deals the highest total damage (sum of all attacks during the combat) is awarded MVP. This damage is not weighted.
- If multiple girls are tied for damage, the MVP goes to the topmost girl in the fleet order.
- If the ship achieving the most damage would be sunk in the battle, MVP is rewarded to the next highest damage dealer instead.
- As such, if no damage is dealt to the enemy, the flagship automatically receives MVP.
- Battles ending in an E-Rank have no MVP.
- In a Combined Fleet, each fleet has its own independent MVP.