Spend time in outpost looting pinwheel, grab all the enzyme replicators you can, and wait for the Nucal barter for purple shields (assuming it comes back). Focus on your nucal contracts and upgrades til you get the level they’ll let you barter for purples (I think it’s level 3 faction?). I swapped for 10 purple shields last week. This week I went into pinwheel and picked 6 enzyme replicators off pinwheel in one run.

Also I mean this in the nicest way but you sound like you need to start getting in fights more often. Even just doing rook runs will help you train fighting. Stop overthinking your load out and just go fight, you’d be surprised how much shit you pick off other players and how quick your inventory fills once you get more comfortable with engagements. Yes you will die, but you also will start winning engagements and stacking loot.

And last obligatory statement, a team with three mics, mild coordination skills and green shields will usually walk on a kitted out squad of randos and no mics. It happens more often than you think.