I'm a Melee only pretty much. I use the combistick and plasma firearm but the plasma firearm desperately needs a buff for it's base damage, It takes 4 headshots to currently take out an FT member, and the only reason I know that is because they stand still when they revive. Not to mention they increased the recoil and made the rate of fire slow as hell.
So from a Melee only Samurai build I will tell you what works for me and allows me to still practice my craft without losing too much. I lost a few games, but I've also beaten a few really good PC teams. (I don't turn crossplay off
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First thing this new patch made me realize for Samurai is the speed. This goes for you Berserkers too, you need to realize you have about 2 jumps at minimum, but running adrenal boost is a must. It gives you three and gives you a CHANCE to get away when you go into second wind.
Second thing is don't just try to claim anymore. My main strat back before this patch was to tear the skull out of almost every FT member as soon as I killed them. Even if I took a little damage, I could mostly just shrug it off. It was especially effective for that one annoying knifer who follows me around and tries to slash me to death. now, FORGET THAT! You should consider yourselves as the new scout class. You are a dainty little bitch from Yautja Prime that probably screams at a paper cut. You down someone, camp the body. Seems like something everyone already knows, but camping the bodies and downing people until death is the best strat. FT's expect you to come in for the claims, they will wait for it. Just keep killing the guys as they get up and you can do a lot better.
Third thing, premade FTs who stick together are impossible to rush head on. Impossible to engage in a shootout from distance. If you haven't already, learn to trick the FTs. this means using your audio distractions, using the mimicry wheel, even just roaring to make them think you are healing. It's all about subverting these teams long enough to kill one guy. From there your job becomes easier. 4 man teams seem to crumble when you kill one of their buddies, from there they go for reinforcements, and they will waste it even if they lose one guy. This leaves them vulnerable. Helpful little tip is that if you can get ahead of an FT looking for a revive, there are barrels in some of the revive spawnpoints, wait for them to revive the guy then shoot a barrel, this will do damage forcing them to waste heals.
Fourth and most important. Know what team you are going against, it will help you decide whether or not you want to rush them and play aggressively or if you can afford to hang back a little bit more. A team who rushes the objectives are the most dangerous team. It means they want to get out and don't care about fighting you. Best process of dealing with them in this case is obvious. Attack them while they are dealing with the AI who does more damage now. From there you can force them to divert attention and take damage or catch them by surprise, but be careful. if a four man squad manages to make it to the chopper point, they are almost unbeatable. it's a small area and four guys will melt even the strongest classes in less than a second. More important, if you are going against "Predator Hunter" kinda players, who specifically would rather fight you than do the objective, play longer. Make them use up the heals and resources, make them pay for every inch of ground they try to gain on you. Make them waste reinforcements etc. You have 15 minutes of hunting time with these people and if they don't get out you win anyway so enjoy it. these are my favorite matches.
overall just be more aware now that you are no longer able to just run up kill someone and claim as a berserker. That's not an option. It's not an option if you run impenetrable, it's not an option no matter what. You have to play from different angles and force the FT to split up. Some teams, most of the better teams will have one guy who tries to chase you down. Don't feel like you are powerless, you aren't. You just have to be smart. I personally don't like these changes, they make me feel less like an alien badass and more like a cheap weakling who needs to hang back. Either way though, if you are like me and you want to play like a warrior. You still have to be smart, you have to work a lot harder to beat good teams but the feeling you get from beating a cocky FT with basically just a stick is honestly worth it. I hope they eventually balance it, but until then, I hope this helps.