Human Engineer Build?

I actually started to level the HFE, and it was just "meh". I abandoned it early. Overload is poor, Cryo Beam leaves you too exposed, Cryo combos tickle the enemies and I won't even talk about the abomination that is the assault turret. The armor debuff on Cryo beam looks good though, but I don't know what the duration is, or how long you need to apply the power.

My observation here would be that in my early multiplayer days when we had a squad wipe on kett, it would usually be an engineer who solo'd the ascendant and finished the wave.

The turret can draw enough attention to keep you alive, I think was part of that.

Now that people have been learning to play other classes (and have leveled up characters, mods and weapons) and now that I have been avoiding the kett (because of realizing just how buggy they are and not feeling like dealing with that - though you can learn to deal with the bugs, and some people claim to like that challenge), I have not been seeing much of this. But, ... well ... maybe this will be a useful hint for someone?

I can hardly agree more.I love feeling like a (tech)Wizard casting elemental abilities everywhere but I'll list a few things about each skills weak points...besides the obscene crappy recharge rates...
-Overload does not feel like it does enough tickle damage to shields.I maxed my overload for shield damage and all shield damage boost perks for my Engineer and on BRONZE it still leaves about a sixth of an Annointed's shields or an Observer. On bronze.
-Turret does trash damage but does pull a bit of aggro from enemies that rush(Wraiths/Adhi and Berserkers especially I've noticed) I do feel that if the turret shots caused stagger or some other damage debuff this lack of DPS might be almost overlooked... but still the turret can't do enough damage to protect itself at silver difficulty and forget gold... the most useful thing i've ever done with a turret is blocked off a doorway... pfft.
-Cryobeam. why a friggin beam? I know flamethrower can be fun but EVERYTHING seems to stagger you once you try to cast the damn beam. I would rather it go back to being a near instant primer and debuff skill with fast recharge like ME3 the beam has some serious range which may be its only saving grace... Don't know what I mean? try using it on a berserker...flak burst flinch almost instantly guarenteed. it doesn't do much damage if you spec it for damage but either way this would greatly benefit to going back to ME3's cryoblast that debuffed and slowed unshielded enemies with the obvious instant priming or even if it were a second or two after hitting an enemy.

passives aren't bad but they aren't nearly as great as most other characters. seriously just give us more of an option for halfing the friggin ability cooldowns... damn biotics got it easy it feels.

Cryo beam is actually pretty cool. Good crowd control with the radius and shatter upgrades. Though I'm not sure if it primes armored enemies like it does in sp. 

Cryo beam gives noticeable vulnerability effect to armoured enemies, but you have to spend 2-3 seconds shooting it, and it doesn't appear to have reduced CD if you don't use full duration (like when Berserker staggers you).

Overload indeed disappointed me, for a power that can has +300% damage to shields from it's own evos and +30% from Offensive Tech, it doesn't even strip full shields on bronze. Maybe max targets evos will be better to utilise Fitness 6b (-30% damage debuff)?

Turret could be OK, but it's relocation CD penalizes mobility. Ideally, you'd want to throw it where you are going every time so it'd grab aggro. Having to manually detonate it (for tickle damage) and wait 24 seconds before you can throw it again is prohibitive. Not sure if targeting it or it's own bullets spread Tech Sabotage.

Overall it's just not that good. A shame, ME3MP Human Engineer was a very nice class to play even without good weapons.

Also. Elemental weakness - 6a evo for class passive mentions giving enemies Status Effects. What are those?

Just tried a few more games. It's a really shitty kit, and needs all sorts of help.

Best build is to put points anywhere because the kit sucks so it doesn't matter and never play it again once its level 20.

Not nearly as bad as some make him out to be. Dat dialogue though. I can't hardly do it.

Put one point into Talon and you'll do great.

Have her at 20 and X. Usually freeze the floor and it makes everything easy to kill. Unfortunately the detonations are terrible and what caused me to go spec into freeze trap. Always need to clean up with my weapon.

Yeah, fuck the combos. I'm all about Overload first to get shields down.

Overload and energy drain stink and the new bio exploder, lance stinks as well. They are also by nature more dangerous to use in this game as to get a favored target you have to expose yourself becasue the enemies use cover much better and there are so many of them flanking you expect to get shot in the back if you are waiting around for a get a guy coming out of cover.

The reflecting shield also stinks for a similar reason, the opponents smartly hunker down and often won't shoot you and just wait until you drop the shield or an opponent starts blasting you from that back or side.

Overload was such a big go to ability in me3 but it has been watered down like a last call drink.