Philologus
There are a few points in your original post that I haven't addressed. Let's delve in a bit deeper.
I have been playing Gwent for a few months now solely using my own NR decks, and vacillate between 3800-4100 MMR, currently. I do NOT net-deck, as I don't derive any enjoyment of it. [...] I don't think Gwent has developed enough for one to actually make a ladder-competitive deck outside of the upper-tier net-decks.
First of all, rank 19 (+4k) is way above average. If you've reached that rank, then that's already pretty good. Besides, a competitive deck is supposed to be upper-tier, or at least it will become that the further you'll climb above rank 19. Now, if you don't net-deck, then that's your choice, which it an amiable one and I respect that, but you also have to face the consequences of that choice. Even so, when you are playing your own deck, you still need to adjust it according to the meta, which could mean something as drastic as switching archetypes or even factions.
I believe the NR faction to be underpowered compared to SK, ST and NG. There are several reasons for this, but the biggest one revolves around lack of tempo. NR is very deficient in mechanics that allow for chaining (i.e. summoning one or more units in a turn), and recycling (e.g. ressurecting). We all know that NR decks are low-tempo.
NR is actually a pretty strong faction. The problem is that they have limited choices to what is competitive. Like I have pointed out, Henselt Machines is a viable deck that does well enough on ranked. The "lack of tempo" mostly applies to non-commando decks. Regardless, using Thaler + Dun Banner at the right moment is a way to compensate for that. I would also like to point out that some other competitive decks also run a low tempo deck (up to a certain point), like SK Axemen and MS Consume.
Philologus;n10176992 said:
And let me say that the Infantrymen aren't going to do jack-squat against 27 pt spotters coming out in the third round.
Not every archetype will be able to counter another. Usually, you'll need tech cards for that and even then there is no guarantee. In the end, you'll have to make a calculated choice when climbing ladder. How many times do I face the archetypes my deck is weak against and is it worth it to run counters against it? As for the aforementioned NG shield deck (which I have rarely seen on the ladder) there are options:
1. Counter the big unit in the beginning. The opponent is usually only running two. If you can destroy both of them, (s)he will lose.
2. Go into a (long) round 3 with power generating units. The opponent's deck only has one snipe and no special tactics. You can still take it with sheer amount of power.
3. Go into a (short) round 3 while having double Scorch, optionally with Scorch-aligning cards.
4. Use a hybrid mill deck to brick your opponent (only applicable for NG).
I would like to highlight point 2. It is rare, but still possible:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwNSIyuqs7E