Note that if no other EGO gift combo works, you can always use the Rupture EGO set of Barbed Snare and Fluorescent Lamp to get tons of Damage Up and Haste, just make sure to upgrade the Lamp to ++.
I feel like his skill 1 isn't really designed as a better defense skill as much as it's designed as an alternative source of shield on top row of the dashboard so that you don't overwrite his other 2 setup skills which have a much bigger defense level up payout while facing hopeless clashes Which is actually kinda cool