[2023] The change to unique upgrade was a mistake

Research Points which give you a new ship give you a new gameplay experience. The ship can be outfitted multiple ways, along with having its own unique feel as a ship. The ships are fairly expensive in terms of Research Points because they unlock quite a lot of experience to play with.

Unique Upgrades are less expensive, but still provide a different gameplay experience. The ship you'd attached them to is limited in variety for that experience because it's got a slot locked in, but the UU should ideally provide a new way to play a ship you already own.

Buffs and Nerfs occur in response to Under or Over performance. This is perfectly normal.

The nerf to the Henry was a 2% change in reload reduction and a small reduction in firing range. The Henry UU build got a love tap to try and tap it into a better place.