>The only viable kind of combo for almost any kind of PK is
>offense/air, and even the weaker major offense forms there
>get badly crippled after a single boneshatter.

Utility can kill. Water, occasionally.

>And the
>strategies for shifters consist exactly of either 1) wearing
>more hp, 2) zap self barrier_rod and 3) gang. It gets pretty
>boring in the long run, and sometimes even it isn't enough

This has always been the case.

> dare I say non-offense shifter against a dagger spec
>warrior?
>No amount of hp and dam redux is going to let you win that
>fight unless the warrior is a confused newbie.)

A barrier'd porcupine/orangutan would do alright, assuming the warrior's other spec isn't spear/staff or polearm.

>Shifters just plain need more options to make them something
>besides the newbie/exploring class they're mostly fit to be
>as it is.

Maybe. If so, though, that's not related to any recent nerfing they may have received.