First, I’m no hardcore (the T-word is out, I’ve just learned, before even reading this thread). Played OM almost exclusively through CTT and OB, and he’s my top toon so far in the live game.
First, RELOAD SPEED. One of the single biggest hangups in DPS in any FPS is reloading (save DooM, which skipped reloading almost entirely). Mikey needs his DPS fix. Reload speed boosts help him out A LOT. Don’t believe me? Then why does his factory-reject Rogue teammate, Whiskey Foxtrot, have a skill that specifically BUFFS reload speed? CHECK MATE.
Skill cooldown stuff. Dude gets MAD DEEPS from his skills, especially dumping fragpalm (I just made that up, but I love it) (See also: Nape-mentation) amidst tightly-packed groups of trashmob enemies. Minion bots? YUP! Anything, AGAIN, that buffs DPS, it buffs Mikey. HARD. Further, being able to duck out of a sticky situation with the stealth generator is a big plus. It’s also a skill. Faster cooldown means better chance it’s ready to go when you are. And airstrikes are just AWESOME.
Attack or skill damage after that, I’d say. Direct and un-awesome buffs to DPS by buffing damage itself. Attack speed gets bottlenecked a little by the limitation on ammo, and the regular reloading. It’s more valuable on a melee character, and gets less valuable as the magazine size of your weapon gets smaller. Mike’s got a 30-rounder. Not BAD, but not BIG either. The shield-piercing stuff is generally not worth it unless you just KNOW you’re going into a fight against shielded enemies. Maybe in PvP. But not really a PvE thing so much. Health and shield skills? There are plenty of buff items laying around in the game, so collect them all you like. You shouldn’t be TANKING with Mikey anyhow.
Mikey is, IMO, a midrange DPS God of War. Up close, he’s in trouble. At range, he doesn’t have the chops. In-between, though, somewhere, he’s suddenly VERY powerful. Got a pair of hot AoE skills, one available from the very beginning. You should be on the move while pouring in constant damage from well outside melee range of your enemies. Worst case, you’re feeling almost pinned down, you hit stealth mode and reposition.
Mike’s not hard if you’re used to more ‘tactical’ shooters. Beyond that, learn to land criticals consistently while moving and ADS. Prioritize your targets. PWN all the things. Probably the easiest character to solo the story mode with…