Conclusion
You can play KanColle without reading Japanese if you memorize about a dozen words. The six home-port buttons (出撃・編成・補給・改装・入渠・工廠) cover almost everything you do day to day.
The one that actually costs people ships: after a battle, Retreat is on the right (進撃 left / 撤退 right), but at the night-battle prompt, “Don't pursue” is on the left (追撃せず left / 夜戦突入 right). The safe choice switches sides. Read the button, don't click from habit.
Home Port Menu (母港, Bokō)
| Button | English | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| 出撃 Shutsugeki | Sortie | Opens the sortie menu: maps, exercises and expeditions. |
| 編成 Hensei | Organize | Choose which ships are in each fleet and in what order (slot 1 is the flagship). |
| 補給 Hokyū | Resupply | Refill fuel and ammo after every sortie or expedition. |
| 改装 Kaisō | Refit | Change equipment, remodel, and modernize ships. |
| 入渠 Nyūkyo | Repair (docks) | Repair damaged ships. Takes time and resources. |
| 工廠 Kōshō | Arsenal | Build ships, develop equipment, scrap ships and discard equipment. |
Top Bar
| Button | English | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| 戦績表示 Senseki Hyōji | Records | Your HQ level, rank, win counts, and the resource cap for natural regeneration. |
| 図鑑 Zukan | Encyclopedia | Every ship and piece of equipment you've owned. |
| アイテム Aitemu | Items | Buckets, food items, furniture coins and other consumables. |
| 模様替え Moyōgae | Furniture | Decorate your office. Purely cosmetic. |
| 任務 Ninmu | Quests | Accept quests and claim rewards. Quests only count while accepted. |
| アイテム屋 Aitemu-ya | Item Shop | The paid shop. |
Inside the Menus
Sortie (出撃)
| Button | English | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| 出撃 Shutsugeki | Sortie | Send a fleet into a map. |
| 演習 Enshū | Exercises | PvP practice battles against other players' fleets. No ships sink. |
| 遠征 Ensei | Expeditions | Send the 2nd fleet or later away for resources (the 1st fleet can't go). |
Arsenal (工廠)
| Button | English | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| 建造 Kenzō | Construction | Spend resources and a Development Material to build a ship. |
| 開発 Kaihatsu | Development | Try to make a piece of equipment. Can fail. |
| 解体 Kaitai | Scrap | Break down a ship for a few resources. |
| 廃棄 Haiki | Discard | Throw away a piece of equipment for a few resources. |
| 改修工廠 Kaishū Kōshō | Improvement Arsenal | Upgrade equipment with stars (★). |
Refit (改装)
| Button | English | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| 改造 Kaizō | Remodel | Upgrade a ship to its next form (改, 改二…) once it reaches the required level. |
| 近代化改修 Kindaika Kaishū | Modernization | Feed other ships to raise stats like firepower or armor. |
| 他艦娘装備中 Ta-kanmusu Sōbichū | Equipped by other ships | Toggle in the equipment list that shows items another ship is using, so you can take them. |
Battle Screens
The two decision prompts
| Prompt | Left button | Right button | Safe choice |
|---|---|---|---|
| After a daytime battle | 進撃 (Shingeki) — Advance | 撤退 (Tettai) — Retreat | Right (Retreat) |
| Before night battle | 追撃せず (Tsuigeki sezu) — Don't pursue | 夜戦突入 (Yasen Totsunyū) — Enter night battle | Left (Don't pursue) |
The developer said in a 2013 interview that this reversed layout is one of the most common complaints from new admirals — it was meant to separate “special” from “basic” actions. The wiki's tip: left to keep going forward, right to go home at the advance prompt.
Formations (陣形, Jinkei)
| Formation | English | In short |
|---|---|---|
| 単縦陣 Tanjūjin | Line Ahead | Full firepower. The default against surface fleets. |
| 複縦陣 Fukujūjin | Double Line | Less firepower, better accuracy. |
| 輪形陣 Rinkeijin | Diamond | Better anti-air, less firepower. |
| 梯形陣 Teikeijin | Echelon | Used in specific situations; most beginners can ignore it. |
| 単横陣 Tan'ōjin | Line Abreast | Anti-submarine formation. |
| 警戒陣 Keikaijin | Vanguard | Only offered in some battles; a specialist option. |
You only pick a formation with four or more ships. In practice Line Ahead, Double Line and Line Abreast cover most battles.
Engagement (shown at the start of a battle)
| Label | English | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| 同航戦 Dōkōsen | Parallel engagement | No change to either side. |
| 反航戦 Hankōsen | Head-on engagement | Both sides deal less damage. |
| T字有利 T-ji Yūri | Crossing the T (advantage) | Both sides deal a lot more damage. |
| T字不利 T-ji Furi | Crossing the T (disadvantage) | Both sides deal a lot less damage. |
This is random and affects both sides equally — “advantage” doesn't mean you're winning, just that everyone hits harder.
Battle ranks
| Result | English |
|---|---|
| 完全勝利S Kanzen Shōri S | Perfect S |
| 勝利S Shōri S | S victory |
| 勝利A Shōri A | A victory |
| 戦術的勝利B Senjutsuteki Shōri B | B (tactical victory) |
| 戦術的敗北C Senjutsuteki Haiboku C | C (tactical defeat) |
| 敗北D Haiboku D | D defeat |
| 敗北E Haiboku E | E defeat |
S, A and B count as wins. Damage labels: 小破 light, 中破 moderate, 大破 heavy — see Heavy Damage: When to Retreat.
Resources and Items
| Japanese | English |
|---|---|
| 燃料 Nenryō | Fuel |
| 弾薬 Dan'yaku | Ammo |
| 鋼材 Kōzai | Steel |
| ボーキサイト Bōkisaito | Bauxite |
| 高速建造材 Kōsoku Kenzō-zai | Instant Construction ("flamethrower") |
| 高速修復材 Kōsoku Shūfuku-zai | Instant Repair ("bucket") |
| 開発資材 Kaihatsu Shizai | Development Material |
| 改修資材 Kaishū Shizai | Improvement Material ("screw") |
Ship Stats
| Japanese | English |
|---|---|
| 耐久 Taikyū | HP |
| 火力 Karyoku | Firepower |
| 装甲 Sōkō | Armor |
| 雷装 Raisō | Torpedo |
| 回避 Kaihi | Evasion |
| 対空 Taikū | Anti-air |
| 搭載 Tōsai | Aircraft capacity |
| 対潜 Taisen | Anti-submarine |
| 速力 Sokuryoku | Speed |
| 索敵 Sakuteki | Line of sight (LoS) |
| 射程 Shatei | Range |
| 運 Un | Luck |
Common Mistakes
- 1Clicking the same side at both prompts. Retreat is right, “don't pursue” is left. This is the single biggest cause of accidental sinkings.
- 2Docking a ship that's carrying gear you need elsewhere. Docked ships can't change equipment — move items off before you repair, or borrow them with “他艦娘装備中”.
- 3Mixing up 解体 and 廃棄. 解体 scraps a ship; 廃棄 throws away equipment.
- 4Doing a task before accepting its quest. Quests (任務) only count progress while they're accepted.
FAQ
Is there an official English version?
No — KanColle's interface is Japanese only. Learning the labels on this page is the practical way in.
What happens if my flagship is heavily damaged?
Unless the flagship carries Damage Control, the game shows 「進撃が困難です」 (“advancing is difficult”) and sends the fleet home automatically. A fleet whose flagship is heavily damaged can't sortie, exercise or go on expeditions until you repair or swap it.
Why does a formation choice sometimes not appear?
Formations only unlock once the fleet has four or more ships.
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 · Routing Explained: How the Compass Decides · Running Out of Resources? How to Recover · Which Ships to Remodel First · Your First Event: How to Prepare · Your First Week as a New Admiral