Actually ... no. Take an unvetted zerk up against an unvetted warrior, and the warrior will die every time. The zerk just hits too quickly. Add to that the zerk's speed which is equivalent to myrkridia...
Herons don't have a defensive capability because they don't block, same as zerks don't. They'll win vs a zerk because the herons are tougher.
I feel they made the transition from warrs to zerks to herons to match the enemy, which went from thrall to maul to myrkridia. All that said though I agree - the warriors were sadly missed after Gate of Storms. Garrick was mentioned after the Walls of Muirthemne mission in the flavour text, so you know the warriors were still around, but you never laid eyes on them again.
Ah well.
I'd take Across the Gjol in preference to most myth2 levels any day :)
