Conclusion
The compass in KanColle isn't pure luck. At most branch points the game checks your fleet — ship types and counts, fleet speed, line of sight (LoS), equipment and a few others — and only falls back to random when the rules say so.
Reading the wiki's routing page, two details explain a lot of “why did it send me there?” moments: the check happens when you press advance, not when you sortie, and the game uses its own ship type groups, which don't always match what the ship card says.
What the Compass Checks
| Factor | What it means |
|---|---|
| Ship types and counts | “5+ battleships and carriers → node E”. The most common rule, and the reason many maps limit heavy ships. |
| Specific ships | Ships tied to the historical battle a map is based on, e.g. Shoukaku and Zuikaku together. |
| Number of ships | Some nodes route 6-ship fleets differently from smaller ones. |
| Flagship type | e.g. a light cruiser flagship with destroyers. |
| Line of sight (LoS) score | Your fleet's recon score must meet a threshold. When it does, you see a scout plane animation. |
| Fleet speed | Fast, Fast+ or Fastest fleets often skip whirlpools or bypass other rules entirely. |
| Equipment | Drums, Daihatsu landing craft and radar are the usual ones — usually counted by how many ships carry them, not how many items. |
| Nodes visited | Whether you've passed (or unlocked) a certain node. |
| Event-only factors | Combined fleet type, gimmicks, ship tags, gauge state and difficulty. |
Real Examples
| Example on the wiki | Rule |
|---|---|
| 4-1, node C | (Battleships + carriers) 5+ → E; exactly 4 → random, leaning E (70%); 3 → random 50/50; 2 or fewer → F |
| 2-5, start | 2 or more ships carrying drums → B |
| 4-5, node M | Any slow ship → R |
| 5-5, node P | LoS score under 73 → Q; 73–80 → random; 80+ → S; Fastest fleet → S |
Rules can change in updates. Before a map you care about, check its routing table on the wiki.
Ship Type Groups That Trip People Up
| Routing label | What it includes | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Light cruiser class (軽巡級) | Light cruisers, training cruisers and torpedo cruisers | Torpedo cruisers count here even though they're not “light cruisers” |
| Battleship class (戦艦級) | Fast and slow battleships | The Kongou class are fast battleships; Nagato and Yamato (before Kai Ni) are slow |
| Supply ship (補給艦) | Fleet oilers, plus escort carriers (特設護衛空母) | An escort carrier is counted as a supply ship, not a carrier |
| Destroyer escort (海防艦) | Destroyer escorts, plus coastal defense battleships | A coastal defense “battleship” is not a battleship for routing |
Practical Tips
- The fleet is checked at each advance. If you send a ship home mid-sortie (escort retreat), the next branch sees the smaller fleet.
- Equipment usually counts per ship. Two drums on one ship counts as one ship with drums. Spread them out.
- Speed is often the strongest rule. A Fast+ or Fastest fleet can override battleship and carrier limits on some maps. See Fleet Builder for speed.
- LoS uses a formula, not the number shown on ships. The wiki calls it Formula 33. Use a fleet-planning tool to calculate it rather than adding up stats by hand.
- “Random” can be weighted. Some random branches lean one way depending on the fleet, like 4-1's 70% example.
FAQ
Is routing ever pure luck?
Some branches are random, but many are fixed by your fleet. When a branch is random, the fleet can still change the odds.
Why do I keep missing the boss on 2-4?
2-4 has several routing checks. See the 2-4 guide for the fleet the rules point to.
What's the scout plane animation?
It means your fleet met the LoS check at that node. If you don't see it where you expected, your LoS score was too low.
Do levels matter for routing?
Ship level isn't a routing factor, but it affects the LoS score through the formula.
Continue reading
More KanColle guides
KanColle guide home · 1-5 Guide: Fleet and Anti-Submarine Tips · 1-6 Guide: Route and Fleet · 2-4 Guide: Okinoshima Sea Area · 2-5 Guide: North and South Routes · Construction: Build Time Lookup & Recipes · Daily Quests: Full List and Routine · Dock Full? Expanding Space and What to Scrap · EXP Calculator · Equipment Development Recipes · Equipment Improvement (Akashi's Arsenal) · Event Difficulty Explained · Event Ship Locks (Tags) Explained · Exercises (PvP) Explained · Expedition Efficiency Calculator · Expedition Requirements: Every Expedition · Fatigue and Sparkling Explained · Fleet Builder · Fleet Speed: Slow, Fast, Fast+ and Fastest · Heavy Damage: When to Retreat · How to Get Akashi · How to Get Destroyer Escorts · How to Remodel (Kai, Kai Ni) · How to Unlock the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Fleet · Land-Based Air Squadrons for Beginners · Marriage (Kekkon Kakko Kari) Explained · Playing KanColle Without Japanese · Quest Not Completing? Common Reasons · Running Out of Resources? How to Recover · UI Translation: Every Menu Button Explained · Which Ships to Remodel First · Your First Event: How to Prepare · Your First Week as a New Admiral