If your Shield Absorbption is below a certain level the Pyrotech route could be appealing. 10% Shield Chance with 30% Shield Absorption equates to 3% less damage taken. Pyrotech recieves 2% less melee and ranged damage taken (this is the exact same damage types you are shielded from according to the tooltips and is considerably more stable because it does not proc, it's STATIC). If you go pyrotech with 30% Shield Absorb you take 1% DMG more than the Shield spec if Aborption is 30%. The key is the Absorption is scalable. When you gain say 50% Absorb. Pyrotech spec takes 3% more DMG.

If the problem is venting and your willing to give up mitigation why not go up the Pyrotech tree and have Rail Shot completely replace Heat Blast? THE STANDARD SHIELD BUILD DMG + 9% Aim + 2% Fire DMG + 6% Fire CRIT Rocket Punch and Flame Sweep gain 30% CRIT DMG +8% Ion Gas Cylinder Damage MITIGATION + UTILITY 10% Shield Chance Heat Blast (Dump 8 heat and deal minor damage) ///EXCHANGED FOR: THE SHIELD/PYRO DMG + 6% Rail Shot DMG Rail Shot Ignores +10% Armour Flame Burst has a 30% chance to reset the Rail Shot CD and make it FREE Rocket Punch has a 45% chance to reset the Rail Shot CD and make it FREE MITIGATION + UTILITY + 3% Endurance + 2% Melee and Ranged Defense Vent 8 Heat when Stunned, Immobilized, Knocked Down, Incapacitated Vent 8 Heat if Rail Shot hits a burning target If you're willing to give up Jet Charge your Rail Shot will have 90% Armour Penetration instead of 70%. Also to nitpick its possibly worth exchanging 2% Fire DMG for 3% AIM but I am unsure of the math behind it.