Maybe this should be another thread but if one pays $6-$8 for a liquid yeast, why would you just not pay the $2-$4 for a dry pack if it is better without making the starter. I have never used a starter and all of my beers have been great (but one and I will not talk about it) I know all about specific strains for specific brews and you can only get those strains with liquid and so on.
Yeast is one of the major determinants in what a beer tastes like (and looks like to an extent).
You answered the question in the bolded statement. If I want Chico yeast, I'll normally use US-05 over WLP-001 or Wyeast 1056. But there are something like 54 Wyeast yeasts and 40 White Labs varieties currently available; there are 8 Fermentis dry varieties and 3 Danstar varieties. For a lot of yeasts, there just isn't a suitable dry version available.
(As I mentioned above, I rinse and reuse the liquid yeasts that I use commonly, so it's a lot less than $6-8 per brew.)
Looking at the beers in my .sig, 8 of the 11 use yeasts that aren't available dry:
Oude Bruin: Roeselaire, (along with Orval dregs, Hanssen's Oude Kriek dregs, Monk's Cafe Flemish Sour dregs) nothing comparable available in dry
Split-oak smoked porter: US-05
Stanley Steamer: California lager yeast, not available in dry
St James Gate Stout: Irish ale yeast, not available in dry
Amarillo Slim (IPA/APA): US-05
Saison Duphunk (bugged): French Saison and Roeselaire (along with Orval dregs), neither available in dry
Saison Laurentian: French Saison, not available in dry
Toil and Trouble (Scottish 80/-): Scottish ale, not available dry
Earl White (ginger/bergamot wit): Belgian Witbier, no good dry substitute
Number 8 (Belgian Strong Dark Ale): Rochefort yeast, not available dry
Eternale (Barleywine): Scottish ale, not available dry
Ancho Villa RIS: US-05