Does anyone have an updated guide on soul shield progression/equipment priority?

[lailacampos]

Hi. I'm a returning player playing for a couple weeks after a nearly 4 years break. I don't remember a lot and I'm a bit lost as to what I should be focusing on. I'm almost exclusively a pve player.

What soul shield should I be focusing next? What equipment should I prioritize upgrading?
 

Do I really have to farm for imperial cores so I can get my imperial ring/belt?
 

Do I actually have to do battlegrounds at all or can I just skip that entirely?
 

Also, what soul shield does the thornbreaker soul shield chest contains?
 

Here's a link to my character info so you guys can see what I currently have on:

http://na-bns.ncsoft.com/ingame/bs/character/profile?c=Ma Ping&s=105
 

or, alternatively: https://bnstree.com/character/na/Ma%20Ping

Thank you in advance for any help. :)