Destroyer - Italy Tier IX Alberico da Barbiano - Smoke Focus Build
- Build focus: Increased smoke uptime for close-range SAP farming
- Recommended commander: Sansonetti for additional consumable duration after triggering his talent
- 26mm SAP: Target cruiser superstructures and the bow or stern of most cruisers
- 34mm SAP: Use Alt Fire against battleship and cruiser bow/stern sections and suitable upper belt areas
- DD targets: SAP is effective against destroyers, but watch for Khaba, Delny and Zorkiy with 50mm side armor
- Smoke management: Save smoke until enemy focus increases, but do not wait until you have already taken heavy damage
- Applies to: Alberico da Barbiano
This smoke-focused Alberico da Barbiano build is designed for players who want to spend more time farming from concealment at close and medium ranges. Instead of relying primarily on range to remain safe, the build places greater emphasis on smoke uptime, allowing Barbiano to repeatedly disengage and create firing opportunities while remaining protected from enemy vision.
Alberico da Barbiano's SAP performance depends heavily on selecting the correct ammunition and impact area. Her 26mm SAP shells are particularly useful against destroyers and against the superstructure, bow or stern sections of many cruisers. When engaging destroyers, however, remember that some heavily armored targets can resist the usual SAP approach. Khaba, Delny and Zorkiy can present 50mm side armor, so avoid assuming that every section of these ships will provide reliable damage.
The ship's 34mm SAP ammunition, accessed through Alt Fire, gives Barbiano another option when engaging larger targets. Against battleships and cruisers with 27mm bow or stern plating, look to place these shells into the bow or stern. Some upper-belt areas can also provide useful targets, making ammunition selection and crosshair placement important parts of maximizing each salvo.
Smoke is particularly valuable because Barbiano is a large and relatively clumsy destroyer. Her size and handling make being caught in open water dangerous, and she can lose a substantial amount of hit points before escaping from concentrated fire. Use islands, positioning and range to avoid unnecessary exposure, then use smoke when enemy attention begins to concentrate on you.
Try not to deploy smoke too early if you are not under meaningful pressure. Waiting until several opponents begin focusing you can significantly increase the value you get from each smoke screen. At the same time, avoid becoming overly greedy. If a Venezia or another high-damage cruiser is already lining up a shot, using smoke a few seconds earlier is usually much better than trying to squeeze out one additional salvo and paying for it with a large chunk of your HP.
Sansonetti is particularly well suited to this approach because his talents can further improve consumable duration once activated. This complements the build's emphasis on maximizing the amount of useful farming time available from each smoke deployment.
Barbiano can technically bring her entire main battery into action when completely broadside and positioned beyond roughly 12–13 km. While this can produce an entertaining wall of SAP shells, it is generally not worth exposing the ship simply to maximize the number of guns firing. The ship's effectiveness comes from choosing favorable engagements and maintaining enough hit points to continue farming throughout the battle.
The ideal rhythm is therefore to find a useful position, contribute damage while remaining difficult to punish, and preserve smoke until it provides genuine defensive value. Once enemy attention shifts elsewhere, reposition and prepare the next firing opportunity rather than remaining stationary and waiting to be discovered.