Do what you want.
If you love getting your butt bombed to hell, then don't play AA.


Personally, on my vanguard, L1, L2 and QV I have save myself from being DB nuked lot of time. Plus, aaing is my economy at making experts and still play this game.

usual set up is 6 engies and 4 reps or 7 engies and 3 reps...

dunno about aa coz i use my reaload gunners for aa...

Smoke trumps AA, richard, especially on L1 and up.. ;p

AA for UK is usable. Besides saving yourself from being bombed, you can blind your opponents. It can also be a deterrent from being fighter camped, so you can launch your scouts (some CV pilots move their fighters away from pompom spammers).

Rather than having AA or not, I think you should consider if you can stand the grind to having good AA gunners. The AA version guns need very late classed AA sailors to have decent reload. You can also use regular classed reload gunners, but the 5.25" N/L/D guns are a bit heavy.

If you're playing just for fun (GB2), just go ahead and level 6 engies, 4 reps, and 1 scout. No AA or RLD gunners (unless you want to, then go ahead and level arm sailors to 100 and then class XD).
7 engies and 3 reps is also a good setup for UK BBs as all their sailors get the +2 rep.

If you're playing more seriously, then go ahead and level some AA or RLD gunners to use. With AA, just use 5 engies and reps. (Or 6 engies and 2 reps if you're a speed whore)

8 ENGs
2 REPs
1 Scout
2 M.Gunners
BO