If these things are as you say, it sucks that War's top level skill is inferior to a lower level Theatrics' skill. It seems less and less viable to go below War's 4th row skills, Hamstring and War Cry seem to be the class' peak, the higher levels are just padding.
Anyway, it's rather clear that Theatrics have better defensive capabilities than (non-tanking) War (which is weird, because War is supposed to be the defensive class). The thing is that even strictly defensive Theatrics is very often pummeled by any type of War while at the same time he/she can take out the maddened Rages who in turn make a short work of any defensive War. Something is messed up.