To both of your points, these cards are Neutrals, like Skorn, which would receive a lot of universal play. Magmar for example needs better 3 drops (which it’s sorely lacking.)
I’m not trying to take this from one angle, even though I main Abyssian. I generally think there is still an illussion of choice between these two cards and Skorn, even post patch. If anything, there’s an even greater conflict since they cost the same, and in almost all decks where you would pick one, you will wind up picking Skorn.
Duelyst is fundamentally different from Magic the Gathering, which I have played since Beta/Revised days mind you. There are no restricted cards, and cards are constantly redesigned to tweak balance as well as create more diversity within the meta. I am relatively new to this game, unlike MTG, but I noticed with minimal research how many changes have been implemented from the start in terms of card stat-lines, costs, and abilities.
Respectfully, Magic can’t be play-tested in real time like this, at least not until they swap to digital releases prior to physical print releases. So I don’t think cards need to remain generically “bad” or “worse”, especially when implimenting changes due to concensus and play-testing is far easier. Counterplay have been good about listening to the player base, and no suggestion I’ve made has been to simply make something stronger or weaker for no reason. I like cards being useful in a variety of ways to promote a wider variety of competitive decks.
I do think you’d see game balance improved, and different kinds of mana curves around removal would emerge. I’m for eliminating the illusion of choice man, and to a lesser extent, trying to make things work with a bit more synergy with other related cards if it’s something not so obvious, but minor to tweak (as per my suggestions for Reaper of the Nine Moons so it would work better with Consuming Rebirth in my first thread, which a lot of people label as a nerf in order to make both cards synergize better for practical and tactical use).
IF and Flash were the first things I thought about, but really- Gnasher already works with IF, reducing it’s cost just reduces the opportunity cost of that combo, which isn’t beyond the tolerances of what the game already does with 2 card combos. I wouldn’t assume that other players don’t consider things just because they don’t mention them. I’d actually worry more about Naga becoming viable and the consequences of a better Nimbus enabler. Not because that wouldn’t be welcome- but because Nimbus being so slow is part of it’s charm giving it lots of enablers might actually reduce the fun in playing or setting up with it (IE, pigeonhole Vet into Nimbus proc’ing to victory.)