I... don't agree with that assessment of CO's combat in the least.

Yeah, it's just dumb 'use end builder, use special attack'... in the tutorial, when you only HAVE two powers. If you try that not much further afterwards, you're quite liable to get spanked badly. There's been many a stronghold battle I got creamed at until I used the environment, remembered to block, and generally used my head.

Now, this may still be a disadvantage depending on how you feel, but the combat definitely gets broader once you hit the mid teens to 20s. The stuff that worked while beating on Irradiates in the desert works less well when you're in MC, and even less when you get to Monster Island or the 'upper' parts of the Desert/Canada.