Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-14610890-20130807214535/@comment-25641997-20141029220702

This'll be long; sorry!

In terms of general fighting ability, I'd rank them like this, from strongest to weakest: Ruby, Weiss, Blake, Yang, or in other words: RWBY. That's pretty cool, actually!

My reasoning is this: Ruby's a prodigy. No one else on her team can claim that. She came to Beacon two years early, disarmed Pyrrha while surfing on a lunch tray, is able to think on the fly and come up with crazy yet intricate plans, and has melee range advantage over everyone in the show due to using a scythe. Crescent Rose allows her to attack enemies while not being too close to them, she uses it quickly enough so as to prevent openings for her opponents, and due to her love of weaponry, I'd say she knows Crescent more than anyone knows their respective weapons. Based on her showings and reputation, I'd say she has more skill than her teammates. Also, her Semblance soloed team JNPR. Holy crap. And she's the main character!

I rank Weiss so high because she has so much more versatility than anyone on her team. She has all kinds of Dust with all sorts of applications (although she rarely uses anything but ice), and she can amplify it with her Semblance as well, as seen with her 'enchantment' of Ruby's bullets. It gives her the best ranged options on the team, and her ice in particular is ridiculously tough. I doubt any character we've seen so far has the physical strength to break it. Another thing that I think sets Weiss apart from her teammates is her Semblance itself. It's (arguably) the most useful in the show. She uses it instinctively and with a lot of variation, and we most definitely haven't seen the full extent of its power. She may be fragile compared to her teammates, but she still has some very impressive durability and is fast and agile enough to make up for it. She's also able to keep calm and act tactically in battle while her team can get carried away, and she has some ridiculous planning ability. She brought Dust specifically for Blake's weapon!

Blake is no slouch either, but I still put her beneath Weiss. She's smart, quick-witted, stealthy, and has three ways to use her weapon and she uses them well. Her Semblance is also great for close-quarters combat, and she's got some power behind her attacks. She was doing as much damage to the mech as Ruby in episode 4. Ruby, who uses a scythe that she propels with gunshots. She also has night vision and can use Dust as well as Weiss can. Additionally, she has more real-world experience than her teammates. However, she doesn't make use of her ranged options and the options she has aren't great. Bullets, in the RWBYverse, are kind of useless. She can also get carried away and is a bit of a loner in battle, which doesn't always work well.

Yang is amazing, yes, but I personally see her as the weakest of team RWBY. Sure, she has more physical strength and durability than her team, as well has having some good ranged options with her explosive shotgun blasts, but none of that means anything if she can't land a hit. Yang has a lot of skill, clearly, but she chooses to rush into conflicts head-on, especially if provoked. However, she usually has enough strength to get her out of tight spots. Honestly, the only reason I feel that she's the weakest is that she's slow. So, so slow. On a team of speedsters, it's even more evident how pitifully slow she is. Now that might not seem important, but keep in mind that speed is one of the most important factors of a fight. Yang's Semblance is only useful if she can use it, and the way she uses it is by hitting stuff. If she can't hit stuff, then she can be wailed on until she's beat. While, in theory, her Semblance should make her the strongest of team RWBY, she, unlike her teammates, isn't able to take advantage of it. Neo called her out on that beautifully. I just hope Yang learns from her defeat!