well we cant talk skill if we can't understand & account for connection quality / cheating / and just odd ability to shoot while invis (crackedness of some crap) when that is accounted for - as we go into matches assuming the best - I find sidearms to be ok.. the principle is of course you keep distance or you pay.. for sidearm vs shotgun rusher you are extra aware of the radar.. you backpedal (at angle not straight) and its why I keep 100 void boop melee available as a warlock that likes sidearms. when I'm caught (the enemy has gotten too close) I'm still shocked (and I know it might be lag) when I time my evasion correctly to the shot and it still hits.. I feel that timing should be rewarded and shotguns are very sticky on target when close.. I'm actually say jumping over the dude their shotgun is firing level.. I mean I'm looking down over the enemy pointed god knows where and it still registers a hit? But they have 1 ammo... so I dont know tricky balancing act and I have started enjoying using shotguns myself on small maps (a very select few) on autos I take those out on bs maps (wormhaven, cauldron..etc) and they do well and are fun... I don't relish a time that autos will be meta again... but they are being slightly buffed on Tuesday (High-Impact & Precision). My most effective right now is Sweet Sorrow (craftable and good for long or short protection on big maps).. I also have these that perform well: horrors story, werewolf, scathelocke (see XUR), breakneck (funnest to fire)..I have a Riposte (DSR + Zen + Range MW + smallbore + high cal).. to me it reads like a godroll and just kinda dislike it for now