Actually 2C>6B does work on both standing and crouching opponents. However, 6B no longer forces crouch, and doesn't have any gatlings. You can link 6B>2A though... If the opponent is airborne when you hit them with 6B, things work quite similar to before.
Meter replenish is nerfed, yeah. I think it drains slightly slower and command dashes uses less meter, though. Not 100% sure. Overall it's still a nerf. You see a lot of people opting for wolf meter preservation combos over damage.
If I am understanding you correctly, then the answer is no. You can now only brake at the apex of the command backdashes. It doesn't work at all with the others during startup. After that, it'll just do j.C.