Board Thread:Episode Discussion/@comment-4141313-20190126081959/@comment-14909251-20190204061035

BlizzardDragon wrote: 1. I could say the same for you, considering I'm not being arrogant at all, just logical based on how the story is being set up, whereas you seem to be all but certain it will happen and have stated it would be stupid to not set it up.

No, you couldn't say the same for me, not accurately at least. You are very much being arrogant when you state as a definite fact that something isn't going to happen in a story when you have no way of knowing that. What I have stated is that it would be absurd to have all this buildup to conflict between Kingdoms and then not deliver on it. Plus, again, it is really the only thing that will keep the series from falling into an overly repetitive and predictable pattern of playing whack-a-mole with the Big Bad.

2. Are you serious? No, War-making ability is not only about resources and man-power, its also about justification behind declaration of war, a unified agreement towards said declaration from the ruling bodies, and the willingness of both sides to partake in the war. If only a single side is partaking, its not a war, just a siege or attack.

Having a pretext has nothing to do with the ability to go to war and if there is one thing American politics can teach anyone, it is that rules about when you are allowed to go to war are basically meaningless. Part of the problem with RWBY storywise is we have only really seen things from an insider perspective. This Volume is probably the first time we have had a genuine and detailed outside perspective on the role of huntsmen and huntresses in society courtesy of Jaune's sister.

Only briefly did politics get touched on in a few earlier Volumes. We can reasonably argue that none of the insiders have any interest in war and recognize it would be foolhardy, but they aren't all-powerful and we don't have so strong a read on the general mindset of the political leadership or the masses. Something we do know is that Ironwood has an established tendency to overcompensate from a military standpoint out of fear. We also know there are at least some in the Atlesian military who are ready to go off half-cocked at the slightest provocation due to resentment over the misplaced suspicions of people from other Kingdoms.

4. That is an assumption based solely on speculation.

Assumptions based solely on speculation is a lot of the stuff I cut out of your reply that I have no intent of addressing. This is not an assumption, nor is it based on speculation. We know from the upcoming CFVY novel that at least one team from Beacon went to Shade. At the beginning of this Volume Sun indicated his team were going to Shade as well. It is reasonable to suggest they are not isolated cases and that RWBY's situation is the exception rather than the rule. Presumably, some also went to Atlas, though given the general suspicion it is hard to imagine they are the favored choice.

5. Except you are then ignoring Hazel's last line of the episode.

Hazel:  If you want something done right... do it yourself.

If Salem was trying to instigate a war, in what way is making a horde of Beringhal with wings doing something right herself. The line is implying Salem isn't sitting in Evernight anymore, but is making an army to launch an assault on Atlas. She's already sent Watts, an established hacker thanks to creating the Queen Virus, and Tyrian, a deranged psycho, ahead to make sure Ironwood can't ask for aid from Vacuo.

I'm not ignoring it. My whole objection here is based off the implication inherent in that line. That notion of her launching an assault on Atlas is literally the first thing I mentioned in this thread (well, technically, first was the opposable thumb thing). Granted, one can interpret it differently. As pointed out in this thread, the Wicked Witch used winged monkeys for the purpose of abducting Dorothy. We know at least one person Salem wants to abduct and she does want the Relics the group is carrying with them.

To deal with a War subplot eats up time, and is ultimately unneccesary since Salem can easily strongarm her way into Atlas like she had Cinder do at Vale.

"Easily"? The attack on Vale involved them having a small army in the form of the White Fang, hijacking the entire Atlesian Fleet, and bringing in a giant dragon that basically poops out Grimm. Even then, they only managed to take Beacon thanks to Ruby's special eyes, which they have every reason to believe will be in play here as well. This is all in spite of Vale's overall weaker defenses. Having them yet again hijack the fleet would be dumb due to reusing an overly convenient plot device and since we'd have to assume that after nearly a year Atlas wouldn't have put in better protections for their own cybersecurity.

The Sword of Destruction only has Shade to guard it, the Lamp of Knowledge is being taken to Atlas, the Crown of Choice is MIA, and the Staff of Creation is in Atlas, meaning if Salem wants to achieve her goals, Atlas is the biggest obstacle, so rather than waste time and try to instigate a war, she's gonna make it first fall apart from within, then make it come crashing down.

Salem's entire sthick is weakening her enemies from the inside out so they're easier to conquer.

Atlas is the biggest enemy she faces and far greater in power than any of the other Kingdoms. Does not seem she has an inside track with the Kingdom or the Academy either. Nothing she has done up to this point will work because it is too small scale or relies on cards they've already played and thus can't rely on a second time with a well-prepared enemy.

I'm not really talking anything different than you except in terms of scale. Atlas is essentially a global empire and is the most technologically advanced Kingdom on Remnant. Right now, the overwhelming bulk of that strength is completely centered around the Kingdom. Getting a powerful, highly advanced superpower to gather all its strength in one place and then trying to brute-force your way through it all is like the dumbest strategy ever.

Watts will most likely release a virus into their servers, possible obtain some scandalous info on either Ironwood or the Schnee's to cause discontent, send Tyrian out to assassinate some bigger enemies and maybe even the general while also hunting down the Winter Maiden, and once all that is taken care of, Salem will be free to storm Atlas with her army of Beringhal, and possibly some other Aerial Grimm like Manticore's, Sphinx, Nevermore, Griffon, and Lancers. The Atlesian Forces will be too focused on trying to handle to maelstrom of Grimm, while Salem, Watts, Tyrian, and possibly Emerald, Mercury, and Hazel provided they haven't tried to defect by then, will storm Atlas Academy, force the Winter Maiden to unlock the Vault of Creation, kill her, steal the Staff, and all they'll have left to accomplish is finding the Lamp of Knowledge, and killing both Ironwood and Jacques. Ironwood to cripple the Atlesian Military, and Jacques to neuter the SDC, making sure there will truly be no reliable way to get Dust.

This all seems incredibly lame and repetitive, which is my whole point.