Destroyer - Italy Tier IX Alberico da Barbiano - Comfort Build
- Build focus: Comfortable long-range SAP gunboat with strong farming potential
- Main strength: Extremely high volume of SAP shells
- Early game: Support allied DDs during initial engagements
- Mid and late game: Use range and positioning to farm larger ships
- Key mechanic: SAP damage depends heavily on aim, positioning and knowledge of enemy armor layouts
- Applies to: Alberico da Barbiano
Alberico da Barbiano is an Italian gunboat destroyer built around one defining characteristic: an enormous volume of SAP shells. Rather than relying on conventional HE fire-setting gameplay, the ship can overwhelm opponents through repeated SAP salvos, making accurate aim and target selection particularly important.
This comfort build emphasizes range, giving Barbiano more freedom to operate after the opening engagements. Early in the battle, look for opportunities to support friendly destroyers and apply pressure to enemy DDs. Contributing during these first fights can make the later stages of the battle considerably easier, when you can focus on farming without having to constantly contest enemy destroyers yourself.
Against larger ships, positioning is critical. SAP is much less effective when fired into heavily protected bow-in sections, so avoid simply sitting at range and shooting whatever is closest. Instead, look for opportunities to reach the side of enemy cruisers and battleships before committing to a prolonged farming position. Once a suitable angle is available, the high volume of SAP shells can steadily build damage.
Knowing the armor layout of common targets is especially valuable. Alberico da Barbiano does not have the same flexibility as an HE-focused gunboat when a target presents an unfavorable angle, so good target selection can have a major impact on your damage output. Aim for sections of the ship where the SAP can consistently deal damage rather than wasting salvos against heavily protected areas.
Smoke should be treated as a defensive resource rather than something to use immediately whenever you begin firing. Try to remain useful without exposing yourself unnecessarily, and conserve your smoke until enemy attention starts to concentrate on you. Having a smoke available when the opposing team begins focusing your position gives you much more room to continue farming safely.
The comfort build is intended to make Alberico da Barbiano easier to operate across different situations. Players who are already comfortable with positioning and farming from smoke can instead use a more specialized build focused on increasing smoke availability, but the additional range of this setup provides a more forgiving platform for general Random Battle play.
Alberico da Barbiano was based on a proposed conversion of an Alberico da Giussano-class cruiser into an anti-aircraft design. The concept would have produced an unusual Italian counterpart to ships such as Atlanta, combining a cruiser-derived hull with a heavy anti-aircraft armament.