the current meta is Alpha Bridge & Firecrest.
I mainly want to try FC because it actually alters one of the skills, extending the flame's reach is a big deal and hopefully visually satisfying. I've used all the other skills that directly affect mobs and vs reds, yeah...they're basically red shirts from Star Trek.
Got a few more pieces for various sets, my AB is still more electronics heavy and/or sub optimally rolled in the armor/stamina dept. I was paper thin when I ran out to test it. I think Apollo 2 shot me at medium range. Same boat there.
What I liked about Predator's Mark was the bleed continued to damage them when the heavy's went behind their shields, named and elites were in cover and out of my reticle...and again, it changed something on the HUD. That little green bar that appear on the side of your weapon counting down on the shots before bleed kicks in. I'm guessing when you're firing, the reticle bloom might be registering bullets at other targets causing you to not get 10 shots on target consecutively.
Got a better piece of Reclaimers and tried it again...no improvement, it's less efficient than I thought because I have to spend the x seconds dialing into a consumable before every engagement where I probably don't really need it. So, into the stash and out came Tactician's Authority...which I took the better part of an hour recalibrating to meet some PVE standards.
Results?
Booster Shot (heal), Seeker Mine (Cluster), never had an easier time taking out world bosses in WT5.
I thought it was a fluke or a glitch. Against Fumes in the train station, if the randoms haven't spawned there yet on the track you can trigger him to spawn w/his group walking away from you. I drop a seeker mine before heading to the spot and have a frag grenade ready. As soon as his group spawns, I toss the grenade, the seeker rolls out, the nade pops and I unload w/the Pakhan.
The entire group dropped save one purple bar cleaner before the smoke cleared. Fumes was...fumigated. wow that's was bad.
Firearms 4000ish (just under the 4709 requirement to activate the 256 firearms talents)
Stamina - err, 51% Armor mit and around 300k toughness
Electronics - 200k skill power that goes up w/Tactician's buff.
Pahkan (out of the box) 230ish k DPS on paper. Feels like more tbh vs. elites.
Tenebrae (Steady recalibrated out for Coolheaded) ...still unsure why it's 512k DPS on paper.
I actually don't have any urge to use anything else except Firecrest to have fun w/the flame turret.
Re: Survival, haven't tried it yet...my parenting responsibilities currently don't allow me to get into any form of gaming that might need my undivided attention for longer than 20-30 minutes...but looking fwd to my first delve into.