AntiAircraft buff or "cooldown"?

[ThatSinkingFeeling]

I found this game via Youtube videos and while waiting for Open Beta to begin, watched every video I could find as a substitute for actually playing.

One thing I saw, and still see in new videos, is talk and use of an "Anti-aircraft cooldown" where the player activates a buff that increases the effectiveness of their AA fire for a brief time.  A few videos mentioned that it's available on tier 6 cruisers and above - but I don't see its availability on my Aoba, so I'm asking what the deal is with that buff.  Does it exist?  What ships can use it?  How do you find and use it?

I've tried searching the forums and haven't found any mention of it so far.

 

Thanks!

[9thFLT_Hunt]

It's listed as a consumable.  On those cruisers, you have a choice of either the AA buff or a buff to detection range.  I think the game picks the detection range buff by default, so you have to switch to it on the module screen.  I think you have your terms mixed up though.  The "Cooldown period" is the waiting period from after a buff expires until you can use it again.

[Killer1941]

Go to modules, Ammunition and Consumables, click on the Hydroacoustic and choose the Defensive AA Fire.

[ThatSinkingFeeling]

Thanks - I remembered seeing a debate on the usefulness of the Hydroacoustic buff but couldn't find it again, and the 'cooldown' term is what people are calling it on youtube, so I can blame them for that.

(Hydroacoustic - it lets you see the torpedos that are about to hit you a bit more clearly than otherwise.)

[NMN_2]

Sinking,

 

You got some great answers.  I'm going to post pretty much the same general answer but perhaps with a little more detail:

 

There a 2 anti-aircraft "cool-downs" located in consumables, there is a  set of headphones for some sort of (useless, IMHO) sonar.  It seems to be a default. While in port -> Modules, click on those headphones (might be a right click).  A drop down menu will appear.  Choose the 2nd Anti-Aircraft consumable and then select Auto Renew (Thats not the exact wording but you'll see the selection).  That will cause a set of cross hairs with a plane in them to appear with your ammunition selection, damage control, etc... icons at the bottom of the screen when the ship is in battle.

 

When you get into a battle with 1 or better yet, 2 CV's against you, rejoice!  Come in close to your CV or BB of choice, let the captain know you are the AA escort.  When you see the planes coming for you, click those cross hairs when they get close,  "Close" is under 3-4 KM and you are CERTAIN they are gunning for the ship you are escorting.  The Atlanta's "cool down" AA fire when the planes start their attack is murderous; better than a Cleveland, IMHO as I have one.  Over the course of one game, my Atlanta shot down 35 planes launches from a pair of T8 carriers heading for two BB's.  I was very close to one of the ships I was escorting, like... 200 meters. 

 

"If it flies, it dies."  The sky rained shot up planes.