Albion Online cargo transport: how to arrive without losing it all

Why transporting pays

Prices change from city to city, and the biggest differences are in Caerleon, which is surrounded by red zones and has the Black Market. Whoever transports buys where it is cheap and sells where it is expensive, and that is how many make a profit with flips and resources.

But the trip has risk. Going from one city to another through red or black zones is risking everything you carry, so count the risk in your math, not just the profit. The guides Market flipping in Albion Online: the basics and Common flipping mistakes (and how to avoid them) cover the Market side.

Which mount to use

Transport mounts split into three:

• Light: a Direwolf or a Swiftclaw, for small loads and quick escapes.
• Medium: a Moose or a Boar, with a good balance of capacity and speed.
• Heavy: a Bear or an Ox, to carry the most.

A high-tier Ox (tier 6 or more) is the workhorse of transport. The Mammoth carries the most, but it is the number one target of players hunting prey and should always travel with an escort. Each mount's speed and health numbers are in the guide Albion Online mounts: speed, capacity and which one to pick.

Preparing the trip

• Leave your loot in the bank before entering red or black zones, instead of carrying a full inventory.
• Bring only what you can lose and keep a backup set, so dying costs less.
• A useful rule: the value of your gear times the chance of dying should not exceed what you earn per hour.
• A transport mount calls for a build that goes with it: an escape and toughness build instead of a damage one.
• Disguise: a cheap solo-player build draws less attention. Don't wear boots with weight bonuses: they tell hunters you carry valuables.

Choosing the route

• The Roads of Avalon are for getting from one city to another faster. They are black zones, but with a relatively low risk of death and less traffic. Entering from a blue or yellow zone usually leads to blue or yellow maps inside. Portals change often, so check which are open before you leave.
• Choose a Road that is one map from the city, and if you can take one more Road, the route tends to get better.
• Avoid routes with heavy traffic or lookouts at the entrance: solo hunters usually watch the most obvious paths.
• There is no 100% safe way to reach Caerleon. A longer trip is worth more than losing the cargo.

Recognizing ambushes

In general:

• Hunting squads are 3 to 5 players, with burst damage, crowd control, a healer and someone lurking.
• Solo hunters are usually stealthy classes, such as assassins and hunters, and they hit low-tier gatherers.
• They prefer bottlenecks: portal entrances and clusters of resource nodes.

If you see a group when you enter a zone, don't panic: wait or move a little deeper, because the group may follow you if it sees you leave.

During the trip

• Keep moving, use indirect paths and avoid standing still.
• Check regional or faction chat messages, and the zone's kill log, before you cross.
• Use tracking and the map to see recent PvP activity.
• Never fight when outnumbered, don't chase fleeing players and don't fight near portals.
• Keep an emergency exit at hand: a fast mount like the Swiftclaw, invisibility potions, or an open Mist, where whoever saw you enter before dismounting can't attack you first.

Escorts and groups

Traveling in a group is the best defense against hunters. Many transporters join groups that form in a yellow zone near the city, or wait near the red zone on the way to Caerleon. In faction warfare, joining a royal city's faction gives warnings about bandit attacks, without needing the faction flag.

A mammoth always goes with an escort.

How much you lose

On black zone and Outlands routes, some trips will go wrong, which is why they are usually made in a group and rarely solo. A route's profit has to pay for the trips that go wrong: count that risk before counting on the margin.

Before you leave, ask yourself whether you can afford to lose the mount, weapons, armor, bag, cape, consumables and everything in your inventory, all at once.

After dying

• Don't respawn at a place with a known hunter camp. Use several banks.
• Wait 30 to 60 seconds before re-entering the zone.
• Tell your guild, so it can respond.

Common mistakes

• Carrying a full inventory through red zones instead of using the bank.
• Wearing carry boots that announce you carry valuables.
• Traveling with a mammoth without an escort.
• Taking the most obvious route, where hunters are waiting.
• Having no backup set and being left without gear after dying.

What to check in the game

Routes and rules change with patches, so check:

• Which Roads of Avalon portals are open and where they lead.
• The PvP rules of each zone you pass through.
• The price of each transport mount on the Market.
• Whether the sell prices are worth the trip's risk.