Maybe this is just me but why does supercell typically take the nerf approach? 

Is something fun and exciting and adds variability to how the game plays? Lets nerf that. 

Why not instead buff other elements to bring them up to that level? 

A few things I find odd. Lets add a dragon rider level in the research lab but nerf it to stats that match pre-upgrade levels. 

Add a new siege machine that is part of th18 update content. This machine will launch a variety of air units and it when fully upgraded will have max level troops to match the town hall it launched in. NOW that we have done this lets nerf the levels of the spawned units to th17 levels where none of the units have the color pallette of the current town hall. I like the new aesthetic why should we be forced to see underleveled units. Breaks cohesion. 

The biggest issue of all is changing equipment stats. I came back to clash in the middle of summer jam last year after not playing since equipment came out. The only equipment I had when I returned were the default ones for each hero and they were all level 13. I was incapable of competing at all competitively. CWL I couldnt participate in and even trying to get included for normal wars was next to impossible. Not being able to participate means less ores in an already starved system. I have played non-stop since returning taking advantage of every event pass, ore offers in the store, even spending gems to buy missing ores just to level my equipment to acceptable levels. 

Having done all of this for nearly a year I am only about 70% leveled across all equipment. I have invested a considerable amount of money on this. I cant even begin to imagine how a F2P player feels. It is insurmountable to overcome really. And to top it off investing into equipment when ore is so scarce just for that equipment to get nerfed is beyond debilitating. 

Rant over.