An example of the average shifter fight? No, no this isn't a real fight, it never actually happened, just an example.

You sink your teeth into George.
Your bite maims geroge!

You dodge George's cleave.
You dodge george's cleave
You dodge George's frigid chop.
You dodge George's cleave.
Your claw MASSACRES George!
Your claw DISMEMBERS George!
George parries your claw.
George dodges your claw.

George whirls his <insert axe>, hitting you with the points!
George's whirl MASSACRES you!

George's cleave MASSACRES you!
George's frigid chop MANGLES you!
George's cleave MANGLES you!
Geroge's cleave DISMEMBERS you!
George's frigid chop MASSACRES you!
George parries your claw.
Geroge parries your claw.
George dodges your claw.
George parries your claw.

Even that little str/dex loss cripples most forms. But you say "what about lemur and mongoose!?" If you die to a lemur or a mongoose, its your own damn fault..its not like they can keep you in battle or anything. =P The shifter can't even do *anything* about it. If warrior is getting owned by a dagger spec that he fights constantly he can start gearing for str/dex, he should be anyway. That dagger spec gets a nasty surprize when George's axes don't drop in the next fight. A shifter can't do #### except trying to find a bracer that gives 20 hp rather then 15. Shifter is the only class that can't gear differently to deal with things. Thats a rather hefty disadvantage.

What classes can't lay down a little maladicting goodness? Conjurer's can't, if they have a devil it can though. Generally a conjurer doesn't have a problem with shifters anyway. Healers and invokers can't. But neither of those are going to have a problem unless they're caught without dam redux up.
Rangers and thieves have some maladicts, not great ones though but they both have a rather easy way to avoid fighting shifters.
And I'm sure you wern't complaining about shifter on shifter battles.

And whats this "lag command"? What forms have a lag command? Orangutan has one, but it doesn't lag all the time. What other form does? I personally can't think of one. Lion's rake might cause a little? Not sure.

And you want to get away from a air major? Recall. Most temples are inside and by the time they get to you you're fully healed. Gotta love one of the best tatics in pk: Heal heal.

So, is a shifter getting his form a couple levels earlier REALLY that much of a deal? So you'll have to deal with that golden eagle at lv 45 (Have no idea if this is accurate, just generalizing) rather than 51. Ouch.